This was the true weight of the 83rd Seat of the Genius Society?!
Patavia's gaze toward Herta gradually changed, transforming into one of awe and admiration, as if she were looking up at a towering mountain.
At that moment, Herman looked at Patavia with growing confusion. "You came to see me today just to verify whether the Soul Gem project is real?"
"Yes."
Patavia took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turbulence in her heart. Then she spoke to Herta with solemn sincerity:
"After all, you had just solved the Fourth Cosmic Conundrum of the universe, Solitary Waves Theory, less than a week ago. And now you've completed research on the Soul Gem—this super research project jointly designed and backed by the Xianzhou Alliance, the Family, and the Interastral Peace Corporation."
"If this news reaches the Intelligentsia Guild, countless schools will be shaken!"
Patavia paused, letting out a series of heartfelt sighs. "Only now do I realize you were right in the past. When I once advised you to join the Intelligentsia Guild, I truly failed to recognize greatness before me. I didn't see the abyss-like depth of your wisdom."
"That's enough flattery," Herman said, folding his arms in reminder. "You should contact the IPC and ask when they're sending their special envoy. The contract hasn't been finalized yet."
"Besides... there's something else you should know. Apart from the IPC, other geniuses have been contacting me as well. They also want to cooperate on the Soul Gem project."
Patavia's expression shifted slightly. "I need to use the restroom."
As soon as she finished speaking, she hurriedly rose from the sofa and rushed toward the bathroom to call her superior at the IPC.
Only then did Lanvelle, who had been following the Intelligentsia Guild scholar all along, finally regain her senses. She stared at Herman in shock, swallowed hard, and said:
"Miss Herta... what you and Miss Patavia were discussing just now—your new research—have you really established contact with the Xianzhou Alliance and the Family?!"
"What? Do you think Patavia and I were teaming up to fool you?"
"Of course not!!"
Lanvelle clenched her fists and raised her voice before quickly lowering it again. "I just find it unbelievable. That's the Xianzhou Alliance—and the Family!"
"I'm a genius too," Herman replied, rolling his eyes.
Lanvelle was momentarily stunned by his casual tone. Then she quickly said, "Miss Herta, please allow me to make a call. I need to report the arrival of the Xianzhou Alliance envoy, the IPC's special envoy, and the Family's representative to The Blue."
"Go ahead."
Herman waved his hand.
Lanvelle hurriedly stood up, only to realize her legs were slightly weak. She steadied herself with effort before leaving Herta's dormitory. Once outside, she immediately called the supreme leader of the Blue Federation and reported everything in detail.
The highest leader of the Blue Federation was utterly stunned upon hearing the report. Even the white beard on his chin trembled.
Herta—after solving the Fourth Cosmic Conundrum—had produced yet another new research achievement. And this time, the project had secured cooperation with the Xianzhou Alliance, the Family, and the Interastral Peace Corporation. What an astonishing development.
The Blue Federation had produced a dragon!
As the head of the Federation, he understood the structure of the cosmos better than anyone.
The Interastral Peace Corporation was a super-oligarch of the universe, a capital behemoth. It excelled at conducting free trade through the barrels of starship cannons.
Back in the day, The Blue's market had been blasted open by the IPC's starships, forcing it to adopt a Credit-based trade settlement system.
And among the countless worlds scattered across the cosmos, many had been opened up in exactly the same way.
All of this had been accomplished by just one department of the IPC—the Marketing Development Department.
The Xianzhou Alliance, on the other hand, was a top-tier force in the universe.
Within the IPC, Qlipoth—the Amber Lord of Preservation—was more of a distant figure who spent Their time building walls. Internally, the IPC only had two Emanators of Preservation.
But the Xianzhou Alliance was different. It possessed seven Emanators known as the Seven Arbiter-Generals of the Reignbow Arbiter. Above them stood a Marshal.
And above the Marshal—there was the Aeon of The Hunt, Lan, who reigned supreme over all.
Most critically of all, according to known records, when the Alliance once faced a great crisis, They answered the Alliance's call and loosed a divine arrow of light—the Sky-Shattering Lux Arrow.
It could be said that the Xianzhou Alliance truly had someone backing them—an Aeon who protected Their own.
As for the Family, they were no less formidable. Although they did not have an Aeon directly presiding over them, they could, through ritual and harmonic ceremony, summon the Harmonious Choir.
The so-called Harmonious Choir, also known as Dominicus, was an incarnation of the Aeon of Harmony, Xipe. Though its strength was only that of an Emanator, its essence was a fragment of an Aeon and could fully represent the Aeon's will.
The fact that the Family could summon such an existence meant they too were a top-tier force in the universe.
And Herta—having just become a genius—had already secured cooperation with these three powers. Naturally, that was nothing short of extraordinary.
After the shock settled, the Blue Federation's leader urgently instructed Lanvelle over the phone:
"Remember this—do everything you can to negotiate with Herta. Propose that the Soul Gem factory be established on The Blue, within the Blue Federation. As long as she agrees, we can provide industrial land free of charge and reduce taxes by ninety-nine percent!"
Lanvelle was deeply shaken. "Leader, isn't that offer too generous? Shouldn't we convene a meeting with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Territorial Security first?"
"There's no need," the Blue Federation's leader replied. "As long as the Soul Gem factory is established on Federation soil, it will mean that the Interastral Peace Corporation, the Xianzhou Alliance, and the Family all have assets within the Blue Federation."
"Through that connection, we can attempt to establish communication with the IPC, the Xianzhou Alliance, and even the Family."
"In the past... The Blue never had such an opportunity."
He knew this all too clearly. Before Herta became a genius, the Federation's highest level of contact had been limited to P20 operatives of the IPC. As for the Xianzhou Alliance and the Family, the Federation had not even qualified to seek cooperation.
It could be said that without Herta, the Blue Federation wouldn't even qualify to sit at the table—let alone dine. At best, it would have been nothing more than a footstool beneath the table.
But now everything was different.
As long as Herta was willing—if she intended to establish the factory within the Blue Federation—then the Federation would have the chance to enter the sight of IPC executives, Alliance envoys, and the Family, and potentially forge cooperative ties.
And even if no agreements were ultimately reached, simply publicizing that three superpowers of the cosmos held assets on The Blue would undoubtedly attract investment from other small and medium-sized forces.
After all, if even the Xianzhou Alliance, the Interastral Peace Corporation, and the Family had invested in the Blue Federation, who could claim its investment environment was lacking?
The Blue Federation's leader's mental abacus clicked rapidly. In the end, he added over the phone:
"Maintain an excellent attitude toward Herta. If she makes any requests, fulfill them to the fullest extent possible."
"If necessary—even the position of Vice Leader of the Federation can be given to her!"
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