In the early morning, Chen Chuan opened his eyes, waking from a deep sleep.

He usually never dreamed, but last night, a series of scenes had appeared in his sleep.

The one who appeared most often was a woman with light brown hair that seemed natural, not dyed. In those scenes, he had spoken with her many times from a first-person perspective.

He could easily tell that the one speaking was this body’s mother, Yu Zhen.

The settings for their conversations weren’t limited to a single place. Like fragments of a real dream, they jumped from one location to another. Sometimes they seemed to be in the cabin of a ship, other times on a rugged mountain path, and sometimes in what looked like a magnificent, golden temple.

On the surface, it seemed the two were constantly traveling to different places, and some of the scenery was clearly not within Dashun Country.

He also discovered that this woman looked very similar to Yu Zhen, just with a completely different air about her. If the content of their conversations hadn’t indicated they were merely good friends, he would have almost mistaken her for his mother’s sister.

Most of the time, they discussed topics related to exploration, famous sites, and historical landmarks. Occasionally, they would talk about fashion choices and favorite accessories.

He could tell these memories were from before he was born.

’Perhaps Yu Zhen left this memory to share her past experiences with me,’ he thought. He considered it quite precious, but if that was all, there seemed to be no reason to hide it so securely. ’Or is it that the transfer of these memories can’t be fully controlled?’

’Or maybe these were left behind along with more critical information?’

That last hypothesis seemed possible.

In that case, there must be more crucial content hidden in the memories, which he just hadn’t seen yet.

In truth, even if there was no important information left for him, it didn’t really matter. He was already on his own path, steadily advancing toward his goals. As long as he kept going, the answers he couldn’t find before would naturally reveal themselves once he reached a high enough level.

He got up, walked to the window, and pulled open the curtains. Light immediately flooded the room.

He looked outside. Today was September 10th, a day off. It was the day he had agreed to meet Meng Shu.

He was ready to see what his old classmate wanted to talk about.

After standing at the window for a while, he went to wash up, then retrieved his Realm Token and put it on. The moment he activated it, a notification sound chimed.

It was a message he hadn’t finished reading from yesterday—a list of discounted medicines from the Cyan Bag Jade Workshop.

He glanced at it. They were all common medicines for Third Limit Fighters, with no special drugs included.

As expected.

He figured that even if he became a Medicine Tester for the Cyan Bag Jade Workshop again, the most they would do is provide these common ones for free. They probably wouldn’t offer him any of the special medicines.

Not unless he joined the Cyan Bag Jade Workshop and became one of their own.

He dismissed the message, ate some Nutrition Paste, and took some medicine. Then, he headed to the training room for his daily routine of cultivation and skill practice.

Around noon, he came out, rinsed off, and prepared to leave for his meeting.

Meng Shu had invited him on behalf of Fusion Boundary, not as an old classmate, which indicated that the main topic would be company business. So, after cleaning up, he changed into his Processing Bureau uniform.

After changing the water and food for Chaoming, he took his Snow Monarch Blade and left. Once he got his car from the underground garage, he contacted Gao Ming. "Gao Ming, I’m on my way."

Gao Ming said, "Cousin, I’ve booked a private room there too. Feel free to ask me about anything."

Chen Chuan agreed and drove to the Shu Tianxia Hotel. This time, he didn’t take the mountain path, opting instead for the scenic elevator.

To facilitate their discussion, Fusion Boundary had booked an entire private courtyard. As he walked in, the rich fragrance of osmanthus blossoms washed over him.

The courtyard was exquisitely and elegantly arranged, dotted with naturalistic rock formations. A clear stream gurgled under a small stone bridge. Slender, graceful bamboo stalks stood near the entrance and by the water, rustling in the gentle breeze. There were none of the chaotic light screens from outside; the atmosphere was clearly tranquil and refined.

He sat down on a cushioned, old-fashioned round stool. A moment later, he heard footsteps and looked up to see Meng Shu walk in.

Today, she wore her hair in a hanging chignon, dressed in a plain, cross-collared short jacket and a blue, patterned long skirt. A female assistant followed behind her, but as they reached the courtyard entrance, Meng Shu waved her hand. The assistant bowed and retreated.

Meng Shu crossed the small stone bridge and came to stand before Chen Chuan, then sat on the round stool opposite him. She looked at him intently. "Before I saw that recording, I never expected you could reach that level. But I always thought you were exceptional, and this just proves I wasn’t wrong."

Chen Chuan realized that perhaps because of their shared childhood experiences, there was no sense of awkwardness between them, even though they hadn’t seen each other in a long time.

He said, "It’s been two years, but you haven’t changed much. Ever since we were kids, you’ve always seemed so confident in everything you do."

Meng Shu shook her head gently. "That confidence comes from my family background and the wealth I possess. I haven’t accomplished anything praiseworthy on my own yet. Without those things, there would be no confidence to speak of.

"I’m grateful that my parents gave me this life, but it all needs to be carefully maintained. Nothing in this world lasts forever."

She looked at Chen Chuan. "You were able to do what you wanted and succeed at it. I’m happy for you, and a little envious. But I can’t do that. So now, I need your help."

Chen Chuan asked, "As an old classmate, or as Fusion Boundary Company?"

Meng Shu replied, "Fusion Boundary isn’t mine yet. What I need to do is make it mine. Whether I want to or not, I can’t back down."

Chen Chuan said, "An inheritance issue?"

Meng Shu said without hesitation, "Yes." She looked at him again and asked, "You know about that incident, don’t you?"

Chen Chuan knew what she was referring to and nodded. "I do."

Meng Shu said, "I don’t know what the Processing Bureau told you, but they definitely held things back."

Chen Chuan replied, "I got that impression."

Meng Shu looked at him and said, "While the government and the corporations currently have the same stance, their priorities are different. The government is focused on defending the World Ring. The major corporations do that too, but their primary objective is to search for certain Lost Objects."

Chen Chuan had never heard of this before. He asked directly, "What are those?"

"The boundary where the two worlds collide and merge—the place where the World Ring is now built—didn’t appear suddenly. It formed over a long period. During past Periods of Change, there were many times when the two worlds came extremely close. This convergence caused many tangible objects, consistent with both worlds, to materialize there.

"They might be living things, or they might be objects that are still beyond our comprehension. They are collectively known as ’Lost Objects.’ In the past, they were collected by the Imperial Families of various nations."

"Much of the technology the major corporations possess today, aside from what was developed in our world, came from imitating and studying these Lost Objects. That’s why the government and the corporations are still relentlessly searching for them.

"But the Lost Objects in the periphery of the World Ring are almost all gone. Now, we have to get closer to the Ring Screen, or even go beyond the World Ring to find them. And only Fighters, after extensive preparation, have a chance of touching or capturing these Lost Objects."

Chen Chuan asked, "Are you hoping I’ll help you acquire those things?"

Meng Shu shook her head. "Going there is extremely dangerous. And even if you could bring something back, I wouldn’t gain any tangible benefits beyond some praise.

"My cousin controls the vast majority of the company’s operations. He could use a Lost Object to win people over, form new research teams, and launch new projects, making more people indebted to him. It’s pointless for me to do that now. If I compete with him within the company’s framework, he will always gain more than I do.

"Even if I did something to benefit the company and earned our grandfather’s support, I know that the foundation of all of this is ultimately force. If he feels threatened, he just needs to send the right person to eliminate me physically. Everything I’ve worked for would fall into his hands.

"And my grandfather would, without a second thought, abandon me once I’m of no value—abandon an heir who can’t even protect herself.

"That’s why I must ensure my own safety."

She looked at Chen Chuan and stated her terms. "Chen Chuan, if you’re willing to come over to my side, I can give you all the resources at my disposal under the pretext of searching for Lost Objects."

Chen Chuan said, "My old friend, setting aside my abilities for a moment, if you’re willing to invest, I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard to recruit other people."

Meng Shu replied, "But I can’t trust any of them. I can’t be sure if they’ve secretly accepted my cousin’s offers."

She looked at Chen Chuan and said seriously, "I’ve seen your recording and consulted many people. Every single one of them affirmed your talent. Your abilities are beyond question. And I am more willing to trust you.

"Furthermore, I can promise that after I become the heir to Fusion Boundary, I will give you the greatest possible support. While Fusion Boundary Company isn’t a top-tier corporation, we are a major partner for the domestic military industry, we maintain a good relationship with the government, and our business is expanding internationally.

"The company is on the rise. Even if we can’t become a world-class enterprise, for a company to use all of its resources to fully support one person... I believe you won’t find an offer like this anywhere else."

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