He is the leader of the Tantric sect in Chagdu.

Chapter 137 Miya: "I just woke up and a danger appeared on my head."

The word "cocktail party" is different from "drinking party"—the latter evokes a sense of helplessness among working people, while the former brings to mind a "silver party."

Think about it carefully. These are executives and directors of giant corporations, managers of major mainstream companies, and even mysterious masters in the field. They are all people who stand at the top of the Nest City and control lightning.

If she were to go to a place where important people gather—Ai thought about it, and first of all, she definitely couldn't wear baggy pants, nor could she wear cartoon pajamas.

"What exactly are you thinking about?!"

Lin was a little troubled. Sure enough, free-range foxes are more likely to return to nature. This guy's brain circuits are like they've mutated now.

"Have you forgotten—in terms of status, you should be among the very core group—the helmsman of the World Wings, the messenger of the Father of Light—even if you wore baggy pants to the meeting, they would still respectfully offer you cigarettes," the head supervisor complained, exasperated.

"I know—" The fox slumped back onto the sofa, flipping itself over like a fried egg in a pan, "but it's such a hassle."

.

—Lazy dogs are also canines, they're in the same family as me, it's a mistake.

At the coronation ceremony two months ago, in order to elevate her status, Ai Yi, along with the "red egg" concocted by Xiao Bai and Hui Wu, appeared to outsiders as a real, magnificent being—that inviolable holiness had been etched into the souls of some.

Clearly, that is the "mythical posture" that belongs only to the magnificent, a great realm that only gods can possess.

There is even more conclusive evidence: the moment the "egg" appears in the world, it can extract influence from offerings and faith, and possess the power form of the present-day Gansha.

This has already touched upon the level of existing deities.

Of course, Ai was able to do something similar because of the original text's function, but others were unaware of the details.

As a result, the "Golden Dawn," with its "suspected fifth stage" in charge, still possesses almost limitless deterrent power—this is partly why giant corporations have always treated it with utmost respect.

"Don't call me for such trivial matters—drinking and arguing are pointless, it doesn't matter who goes."

Ai, who had already resumed playing his second game after lying back on the sofa, rubbed her forehead beside her and then said quietly, "Well, there's no other way. We'll just have to have Ankasha make the trip again. — Sigh, what a pity. This means the R&D department's work will be suspended for another two days, and we'll have to borrow subsidies from elsewhere to make up for the shortfall. It's just a shame about our financial statements."

Those beautiful, large, gray ears suddenly twitched and then stood straight up.

"Financial reports—what are financial reports?"

Ai suddenly sensed something was wrong. "I remember there weren't any research projects recently. What has Ankasha been in charge of lately?"

"Alchemy." Lin said succinctly, "Boss, you're always slacking off, so each department has to find its own way to support itself. Fortunately, Ankasha is doing well and has recently made a breakthrough in the study of the Jade Road, and has started to export some alchemical products to folk mysterious societies. The R&D department is also currently the only department in the entire Golden Dawn that is profitable."

"Why----"

She calmly took a sip of her ice-cold beer, sighed softly, and then said gently, "Although his work is important, the boss's mood is paramount. If you give the order, even the organization's most capable general will have to drop everything to help you fend off drinks, so you can continue lounging on the sofa all day, oh, and maybe even play some mobile games."

The familiar sarcastic tone was present, but this time Ai was actually sweating profusely.

"I... I can actually do alchemy too—" He stammered nervously, sweating profusely. "How about I spend a couple of days in the R&D department?"

"Last time you visited the R&D department, you also gave a free alchemy class: the technique was indeed very advanced, but you also used up all the materials we had saved up that were of any decent quality."

Lin stared at him, letting out a cold, emotionless laugh. "Heh."

Ai Yi has nowhere to hide anymore.

On one hand, she was generating revenue by selling basic products, and on the other hand, she was burning money to improve her skill level. Ai thought about it and realized that her current alchemy skills were definitely higher than Ankasha's, but her commercialization was not ideal.

Many creations born from one's own hands have unique or even singular characteristics, making them impossible to mass-produce or sell on a large scale. Among them, spiritual liquid is already considered a relatively harmless creation.

Other devices, such as those mimicking the tunnels of worms, were initially envisioned by Ai as miniature space doors. However, while the idea was perfect, the reality was far from ideal: the door could be opened, but anything thrown in would be twisted into a vortex when it came out the other end. A normal person would certainly not survive such an experience, and due to its chaotic and disorderly nature, even the landing point could not be precisely specified.

Most importantly, because it uses night watchworms as raw materials, the scent of the same kind can easily attract real worms.

There are others—for example, the "Light Spirit Transformation Potion," which, when drunk, can dissolve the body into an amorphous mass of light, but the state cannot be reversed on its own. Without a second person to administer the antidote, it is a one-time suicide drug.

These "Aiyi Miaomiao tools" might find a market on the black market, but they also carry significant risks and could easily lead to uncontrollable consequences.

In short, they are not easy to sell.

"Actually—there are still 'normal' things."

Ai whispered a few words to the surroundings, and soon a gray mist carrying several bottles and jars floated up from the basement. "Look."

He projected the notes and labels of these items onto the public screen so that Lin could see them easily:

++【Isis's Crystal/Blue】: Includes a one-time flesh and blood editing ability, requiring the user to have a relatively mature theoretical and practical understanding of human structure and anatomy, otherwise it may turn into a pile of rotten flesh — if this is used and fails, the worst that can happen is death, there will be no derivative harm.

++【Blood Defilement Potion/Blue】: The crimson substance called blood, after solidifying and settling, becomes a non-flowing, flocculent substance, lighter than ashes, in a web-like, ethereal form: Your life form shifts, adding the trait: Blood Defilement — (Before adding this trait, you will need one Mysticism save, for a total of five progressively increasing Constitution saves; failure on any one of these saves results in death.)

++【Starshine Injection/White】, increases the affinity of radiance. The literal meaning is: whoever pays for this stuff, I'll find them agreeable, and whoever I find agreeable, my radiance will be closer to them. — (Wait, isn't this a scam?)

Ai is thrilled that someone can finally appreciate the results of her research.

"And another thing—this is the most powerful, the [Liquefaction Criterion]! Although it can't be mass-produced yet due to a shortage of mysterious items, it's absolutely valuable. What those qualified individuals lack is the criteria, and I only have this one now, a Celestial Criterion of 1 standard unit, which I extracted from the Origin Bullet."

Finally, the pile of bottles and jars filled the coffee table in the living room, and Ai Yi's explanation finally stopped. After listening to the whole thing, Lin had a lot of complaints stuck in her throat, and she didn't know where to start complaining.

After stammering for a while, she finally opened her mouth tremblingly, "Boss, have you ever thought that even if these things were put up for auction on the black market, they would still be a bit overpriced—"

Lin said helplessly, "You could just sell them to a foundation or a giant corporation."

"That's true, that's what Gray used to do."

Xiao Bai suddenly interrupted at this moment. He was actually a little guilty, after all, most of the products were actually experimental products, semi-finished products, and defective products, which were deliberately created by Ai Yi under his guidance in order to "level up skills".

"Only those who know how to spend money can make money. These are all initial investments. Trust me! You'll be rich very soon."

"I don't believe you for a second." Ai pondered for a long time, and while reviewing her two months of study experience, she felt that she couldn't continue like this.

The money burned during this period has been astronomical, and it has been mostly spent on alchemy. If it weren't for the fact that those giant corporations could continue to fleece people, the resources consumed by Ai Yi alone would have been enough to make Golden Dawn unable to make ends meet.

—But the main problem is that there is no "income".

"So, this is where my chance to cash out is waiting?"

Ai stroked her chin, feeling it was time to find another way to pursue her hobby, so as not to drain the tender tissue dry on the spot.

Once upon a time, Gray's purpose in establishing the Mirror of Radiance was to fund his own studies, so his business philosophy was to exploit every last drop of profit. At that time, he thoroughly exploited the entire suburbs, and as for those original factions, they were so traumatized by the faction that they almost had to pay protection money.

But we can't do that now; at the very least, it's absolutely unacceptable to shake up our core support base.

—It seems that no matter how successful a cult leader is, they still have to find a way to earn money to support their family.

"Sigh, it seems I really have to go there myself."

In the end, the big picture prevailed. Ai sighed. Although she felt a bit contemptuous of those old foxes from those giant corporations, the thought of being able to extract more benefits from them instantly cheered her up.

—They could never have imagined that the elusive messenger, the "Helper of the Wings" shrouded in mystery, would appear in public for the first time with a mission.

The salesperson said, "We also sell products!"

Thinking of this contrasting scene, Ai felt inexplicably happy, and even the frustration of not being able to slack off for the time being was greatly relieved.

"Make Ankasha work hard—I'll give him a Best Employee Award another day, and I'll make an appearance at that cocktail party next week."

Although it's next week, Ai is the kind of person who feels extremely pressed for time whenever he has a schedule: he visibly tensed up, his originally fluffy tail fur seemed to tuck in a little, and he lay on the sofa to start playing mobile games as fast as he could.

Looking at the fox, who hadn't changed much from a few months ago, Lin suddenly felt a pang of sadness. "After all that happened, I thought you would undergo some major change—maybe you'd become someone I wouldn't recognize at all."

"That's strange."

""

Steward Lin took a sip of wine, slowly walked to the window, squinted at the newly revitalized suburbs outside, where greenery sprouted from the depths of the brownish-yellow earth, and the sky was much clearer than before.

"call----"

She took a deep breath, and what filled her nostrils was a smell she had never experienced before. It wasn't the ever-annoying stench, but rather a slightly damp breeze, that long-lost smell of "earth" and "rain" that Ai had described.

This land, since its birth hundreds of years ago, has never been so clear. The colors enveloping it are hard to get enough of, as if the gentleness silently dissolves at the bottom of the eyes.

That was the love that descended from "light," and the first act of mercy.

She looked up at the sky: at the top of the distant suburbs, beneath the barrier once shrouded in gray matter, an invisible entity, moving like a vortex, inconspicuously occupied a third of the "sky" —

【Wind, Clouds, Rain, Fog, Vortex, and Echo】Lin could not fully fathom the essence contained within that complex phenomenon, but she could still sense a trace of the greatness that once supported nature and the world.

It is quietly expanding with the aim of "replacing the dome" ever since Ai placed it in the position "originally belonging to the sky". Countless changes have been incubating in the slow flow of time.

"You really are a very capable guy." Lin held the can with two fingers, rested her chin on her other hand, and leaned against the balcony, speaking very softly.

A faint smile flickered in the corner of those perpetually carefree eyes. "Compared to the dog-like life I used to lead, I definitely prefer what I have now."

"What?"

Ai didn't quite hear him, and the next second his furious roar came from the living room, "Damn it—it went off-track again!"

Lin: "It's none of your business. Just pretend I was talking to a dog."

A few minutes later, however, she became curious again, "What did you mean when you said you'd draw one to raise yourself?"

"This game—hmm, let me see. It's definitely made by a giant company. It's called Return to 277, a gacha game—damn, how come there's some kind of 'anime' in every world?"

Playing is playing, and criticizing is criticizing. This is how second-time gamers are. Ai Yi didn't hold back when she said, "The background story is a classic isekai superpower battle with beautiful girls. The details here—well, they're all personal opinions! The villainous organization behind the scenes is called the Foundation. Our Golden Dawn is alright, it's a newly released major faction. My card is called the Apostle of Light, it's an SSR card, and it seems to be quite strong."

As we all know, the best way to make something lose credibility is to "over-entertain" it.

The giant corporations and foundations don't want Muggles to know about the existence of "invisible arts" and "mysterious worlds," so they package these concepts as "second-hand games" for sale. Once these entertaining concepts are accepted by the public, even if something truly big is revealed one day, no one will bother to investigate the truth.

"In here, I'm still a white-haired, emotionless, cute loli girl." Ai projected the screen onto Lin's face, her pride seemingly coming from nowhere. "Look at this character art, these legs, these white stockings, wow, I'm so cute!"

"...

—"

Lin rolled her eyes. "I don't really understand you anime fans."

Ignoring his strange hobby, she quietly raised a question, "Don't you have that ability to manipulate things—that Karma power, can't you use it to draw cards?"

"This is a bottom-line issue!"

Ai Yi suddenly snapped for some inexplicable reason, sitting up abruptly and yelling, "Gacha pulls should be based on luck, not cheating! You're challenging my principles!"

"I don't quite understand your principles."

This topic will never end if we keep going on like this. Ai cursed and begged Gray Mist to bring over a bottle of cola from the refrigerator. Ever since Miya went into hibernation, there hasn't been an extra person in the house to keep the fox drinking.

So the fog told him: there was no more Coke in the fridge, only Dr. Pepper.

"Then Dr. Pepper it is," Ai said sullenly, casually to Lynn while waiting. "By the way, what do we need to prepare for the party?"

He truly knew nothing about it.

"You can conjure up clothes yourself anyway—you probably don't need gifts; they'll likely give you gifts. Besides that, you'll probably only need—"

T

Lin thought for a moment, "A female companion?"

"Huh?" Ai tilted her head.

"Actually, I'm just being stereotypical. When important people get together, they drink—it's normal for them to have someone of the opposite sex with them, right?"

.

Lin suddenly had a mischievous urge. She pointed to Ai's harem pants and her alluring face, "I think this is necessary if you don't want to be seen as someone's date."

"Shut up, I think I understand."

Ai realized the seriousness of the situation and fell into deep thought.

A little snake is hibernating, and Lin doesn't want to take it, plus Dodo's legs are injured.

"Then who should I bring—"

—"What female companion?"

Before she could finish speaking, a chilling, tingling sensation ran down her spine, and Ai straightened up abruptly. Looking up, she saw the fog door to her room slowly opening.

Having just woken from a deep sleep, looking limp and weak, Miya poked her head out.

"What female companion?"

She repeated it softly, squinting at Ai Yi, her bright red vertical pupils filled with a blank stare and a hint of wariness of unknown origin.

The little snake looked like it was spitting out stars, so the next second, Ai Yi spat out the second half of her sentence through her teeth and abruptly changed direction.

Are you free next week?

He glared at Lin, cast a silencing spell on her, then turned his gaze back to Miya and smiled somewhat guiltily.

"Come with me—"