The weapon refiner is not doing her job properly

Chapter 249 Change of Hands
She took a deep breath. "That child is different from Sally. If Sally entered the contaminated zone, she would most likely be trapped in the reality mapping layer, and she would have a chance to survive if she encountered a hunter. But Wu Weini is different. She awakened her superpower just before she went in. I don't believe that she, as a mother, would not know."

Silence fell on both ends of the phone call.

The night wind blew by, carrying a chill that seeped into your bones.

Some vague fragments began to piece together in Su Ninglong's mind, pointing to a chilling possibility.

Zou Shuyi's voice continued through the communicator, carrying a calm tone as she recounted the heavy truth: "I heard that after Wu Weini's death, Wu Xingyi was indeed depressed for a long time, and seemed very sad. Even after that, her supernatural abilities underwent some changes..."

"Even a tiger doesn't eat its cubs." Su Ninglong swallowed back the words that were about to come out. There was no evidence; it was merely a guess derived from cold, hard logic.

It's not unprecedented for superhumans to mutate due to intense emotional stimulation. If we speak out rashly without evidence, Uncle Wu Mo might seek out the evidence himself, which is too dangerous.

She could only temporarily suppress her churning doubts and instead asked, "Even if she had been out of the spotlight, didn't she still manage to become the principal of the Star Alliance?"

“Yes,” Zou Shuyi replied, “She contacted me before, wanting you to transfer to Star Alliance.”

At this point, a hint of mockery crept into her voice. "How could I, someone who works for the Star Alliance, possibly send my own daughter to the enemy? Remember, she's mine in life and the Star Alliance in death, understand?"

Su Ninglong was a little embarrassed. Her godmother's "ordinary working person" facade had long been exposed: "Ahem, okay, okay, I will obey the Queen's orders."

"By the way, I really like those flowing fairy dresses you gave me. Get me some more, I want a different one every day for a month. Get a few for your stay-at-home dad too." Zou Shuyi's voice was instantly sweet enough to overflow with honey. Whenever she dressed up in an ethereal style, the handsome Xingyuan would indeed put in extra effort.

Su Ninglong understood the subtext in this sweet talk: single people refuse to be fed dog food continuously, it's too cloying.

She quickly ended the call.

The moment the call ended, Su Ninglong's expression turned completely cold. If Wu Xingyi had mastered some kind of method for replacing superpowers so early on, then using it to eliminate the distortion wouldn't seem so incomprehensible.

After their defeat, Star Alliance kept a low profile and did not stir up any more trouble online.

The Star Alliance, of course, remained silent, disdaining to take advantage of the situation and pursue the attack.

However, those netizens and gamblers who care about winning or losing, especially those involved in underground gambling, find it difficult to remain calm.

Every competition is accompanied by betting odds. The gamblers' resentment is like an undercurrent that doesn't easily dissipate. It only quietly accumulates in unseen places, waiting for an outlet to vent.

The online world under the cover of night is not peaceful.

The unexpected defeat of the Star Alliance was like a stone thrown into a pond with turbulent undercurrents.

"Damn it, the Star Alliance boasted so much before, and this is all they've got?"

"Give us an explanation! We need to know why we lost!"

"Did they spend all the money on advertising? I used to only recognize the Star Alliance, how did this Star Glory Alliance come about? I have no recollection of it at all."

"What a piece of junk! It made me lose money!"

"Well said! This kind of weak organization is doomed sooner or later."

Various voices of anger and doubt fermented in the shadows, and the gamblers' resentment spread like a tangible force.

The Star Alliance's public relations department didn't expect someone to be running a private gambling operation, and their reputation was ruined along with the gamblers.

In subtle contrast, another scene unfolds:
"My little Susu won? That's amazing! She has to treat herself to a new dress!"

"Now there are knock-offs everywhere, it's so annoying. People follow the trend without even looking in the mirror, and those with short stature try to wear them, it's a disaster."

"Why do you say that!"

The blind pursuit and imitation of the "ethereal" image has become an uncomfortable trend.

What truly sent a chill down Su Ninglong's spine was the news she heard next.

"Have you heard? The largest auction house on Gemini has changed hands and is no longer controlled by the Star Alliance."

"It was handed over to a private company?"

"Yes. I wonder if the Star Alliance will regret losing such an important market."

"How could the auction house suddenly change hands? Could it be that the Star Alliance is going out of business?"

Su Ninglong was genuinely surprised to learn that the auction house had changed hands. It had always been a hub for the circulation of sacred artifacts; all sacred artifacts that could enter the market were auctioned there to maximize their value.

Six years ago, she wanted to see what the sacred artifacts that were about to be auctioned in other people's hands looked like.

But at that time, she was focused on learning and improving her hunter rank and had little interest in the auction house.

Now, when she finally has the free time and interest, she learns that the auction house has changed hands.

The new operator turned out to be Wei Zhen, the enemy who had long been ousted by the shareholders and had been silent for a long time.

This news alarmed her even more than the defeat of the Star Alliance.

The reappearance of Weizhen, and its control of important resource nodes in such a way, can hardly be a coincidence.

The news that Wei Zhen had taken over the auction house came like a silent thunderclap.

Su Ninglong felt a pang of unease. Had the Star Alliance fallen so low that it needed to abandon the largest auction house on Gemini?
She really wanted to ask Yun Fei or Principal Yan right away, but in the end she put the thought aside.

Zou Shuyi and Xingyuan both explicitly declined to speak to the two noisy parrots.

Their ability to mimic speech is astonishing. If they hear someone call them "useless," they can shout "useless" and "idiot" all day long, never letting them have a moment's peace.

Su Ninglong had no choice but to prepare other gifts and deal with the two parrots separately.

One was given to Yang Zhu.

The foreign teacher was overjoyed and immediately slaughtered two sheep to roast and treat Su Ninglong.

When he learned that the precious lead dog was actually bought by Su Ninglong from a pet store, he was in a daze for two days, repeatedly muttering, "How could... how could it be in a pet store?"

The treasure he had searched the entire universe for had appeared before him in such an absurd way. He could only admire the navigator dog's mastery of the art of "great seclusion in the city," and its colorful tail feathers made its camouflage seamless.

The other one, through Tong Zi, was given to General Ji. When Ji Chengyi saw the parrot, he burst into laughter: "Hahaha, the twists and turns of life are truly wondrous!"

He carefully raised it for a period of time, and after the little foodie had completely accepted him as its owner, he would often carry the perch and "casually" walk around the military office area.

His current position is in a transitional phase; the preliminary work has been completed, and he is currently in a period of leisure.

The brightly colored parrot stood out starkly in the quiet military office building. Soon, everyone knew it was a gift from General Ji's girlfriend—a navigation dog that one of her students had unexpectedly acquired.

My colleagues, mostly veterans who had retired from the front lines and were not particularly aggressive, appeared calm on the surface and joked, "Wow, where did you get an extra navigator dog? It may be gentle, but it doesn't easily recognize a master."

Although they had witnessed the wonders of the deep universe and set foot on countless planets, they had never been so lucky as to encounter a navigator dog.

At this moment, those who have weathered storms and enjoyed top-tier resources still couldn't help but reveal an undisguised envious look in their eyes.

That restrained desire creates an invisible pressure that is more palpable than any overt competition.

Sitting in his office, Ji Chengyi experienced firsthand what it meant to be "blessed by heaven."

"It wasn't for nothing that you chased after me for so long, you're really lucky." The colleagues said, half teasing and half bittersweetly.

"That's right, having a girlfriend makes everything perfect." Ji Chengyi grinned from ear to ear, looking like a fool who had just found a treasure.

He watched as those guys sourly fed the parrot "brown sugar" snacks, while secretly taking the opportunity to steal rice cakes and stuff them into their own mouths, eventually even managing to steal the whole bag.

Brown Sugar's eyes widened like a bird's, and it flapped its wings to fly to Ji Chengyi's shoulder, angrily shrilling as it complained, "Thief! Thief! You stole my rice!"

This talking parrot has a temper as arrogant as its feathers.

Knowing the true source of the snacks, and seeing that its own parents could only helplessly shrug, it angrily sensed Qirui's location and fluttered away.

Not long after, it returned carrying three bags of rice cakes and two small bags of spirit duck breast, tightly guarding them under its wings, and warned Ji Chengyi: "Don't touch them, or I'll tell your wife!"

Ji Chengyi shook his head and slowly took a sip of tea. Who really cares about fighting a bird for a snack?
When Hongtang was drawn out by the sounds of drills outside to see what was going on, he turned around and locked the bags of snacks in the drawer. He had to be wary of those unscrupulous colleagues who would even steal birdseed.

From then on, two domineering red parrots appeared in the Star Alliance.

Among them was a green-haired creature, inconspicuous but the most mischievous and sharp-tongued.

Brown Sugar and another parrot named "Vermilion," a name suggested by Su Ninglong, were both very pleased with Yang Zhu, who thought it sounded nice and even included a homonym of his name. These two foodies, who were originally as pure as blank sheets of paper, were quickly corrupted by cabbage.

It's true what they say: three years to learn good things, three days to learn bad things.

They have now become a headache for all instructors, and even Ollie has difficulty controlling them.

Fortunately, they still listen to Su Ninglong. After each time they cause trouble, they hang their heads and accept the scolding.

Of course, even if they are reprimanded, they will still do it again next time, but they can only stay quiet for a month or two.

The news that a school had four lead dogs was like a thorn in the side of the Star Alliance's higher-ups.

Beyond the bitterness, an indescribable anxiety arose; they almost regretted not setting a rule to prohibit the lead dogs from participating in the competition.

Unfortunately, there were no restrictions at the beginning, and now trying to specifically remove them would be like cutting off one's own escape route, blatantly putting that barely concealed jealousy on the table.

This pent-up frustration, brewing silently, is more infuriating than any open conflict.

The auction had just ended with a high-priced sale when news of Quanwang arrived. She had taken full control of the project, and as soon as the deposit for the construction work arrived, she immediately began constructing road signs and rain shelters.

These facilities were designed by specialists and built with great care.

Some pavilions boast warm and inviting designs, while others are lively and adorable, each with its own unique style, yet all equally sturdy and practical, able to withstand harsh winds and snow, winning unanimous praise from tourists. Even more delightful is the "blind box" vending machine set up inside the pavilion. The blind boxes are exquisitely designed, with affordable options, each uniquely designed, adding an extra layer of surprise for visitors.

The price is reasonable and considered affordable for a tourist area.

However, Quanwang knew that relying solely on affordability was not enough to create an absolute advantage.

She took a different approach, focusing on the sacred artifacts of famous hunters. After obtaining official authorization from the hunters, she launched souvenirs modeled after the artifacts. This move successfully ignited the market, leading to a surge in tourism and a boom in Sally's knitting business.

However, Sally is easygoing and doesn't dare to take any risks. She just wants to keep things small and let her family live a peaceful life.

She understood that making the pie too big would not only incite greed within the company but also attract external covetousness. It was better to proactively limit production capacity and ensure a steady, long-term flow.

Quan Wang was even bolder.

Besides Su Ninglong, who is a living advertisement, Xin Yi, Song Hu, Lei Qingya, and others are all top-notch models with outstanding looks and the added advantage of their hunter titles, so they have no shortage of followers. However, she also agrees that making money quietly is the way to go in the long run.

Su Ninglong looked at the pictures of the rain shelter that Quan Wang had sent through the Star Alliance encrypted channel; the scenery in the background was indeed beautiful.

With the project successfully secured, Quanwang was in high spirits. The profits from Kaibi Star were just enough to properly settle the people who had followed him to the mining planet.

In her spare time, she couldn't help but think about it more.

He owed Su Ninglong a considerable favor, as it was through her that he was able to enter the business circle of the Gemini Galaxy.

As a shrewd person who knows how to be grateful and is well-versed in business, Quan Wang understands that while repaying favors is important, true wisdom lies in how to bind this important ally even more closely.

Behind this act of "repaying kindness" lies calculation and long-term planning.

But both sides knew what the other was after, so they didn't really care about the small amount of profit.

[Quanwang]: Tell me, what is it that you really want me to do?
[Su Ninglong]: Two things. First, investigate the most powerful groups on Kaibi Star and find out who is actually in control of them.

[Suninglong]: Second, I need a detailed map showing the distribution of areas with a high incidence of missing persons cases and known contaminated areas along your travel route.

[Quanwang]: That's all? Can't you get this information yourself?
[Su Ninglong]: It's not that simple. The waters run deep on Planet Kebi. Let me be frank: those who were kidnapped all ended up as ghosts in the laboratory. Someone is involved in transplanting superpowers; the recipients have a high chance of dying, while the ones who gain the powers can extend their lives and become stronger.

Su Ninglong felt that this method was no different from the forbidden techniques of evil cultivators, and there must be an unspeakable truth hidden behind it.

[Su Ninglong]: There are also some people who were used as sacrifices to the so-called "evil god." If you really want to make Kaibi Star your future retirement home, then help me find these people. If not, I will arrange for your safe evacuation after this project ends.

Quanwang stared at the encrypted message and gasped.