Lucius’s gaze flicked between the two of them.
“That’s assuming you can keep up with production.”
“We plan to expand,” Alice said. “We’re going to buy more land with the money we’ve saved.”
Isaac looked at her. “How much do we have?”
Alice didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, she glanced at Lucius.
The chairman noticed her gaze.
His lips twitched.
He leaned back with a quiet exhale, clearly trying not to let it show how that small act bothered him.
It was normal. She wasn’t obligated to share the full financial picture with him anymore, not since she took control of her own branch. But a part of him had still hoped she would.
Alice finally answered, “Enough to buy a lot of land.”
Then, smoothly, she shifted the subject.
“But we’re not just planning to sell crops. That’s only the base. There’s something else, something much better.”
Isaac raised a brow. “Better?”
Alice turned to him. “Do you remember Walker Forge?”
“I do. The governor’s faction was suppressing them in this city. They only had a breakthrough after moving into the stronghold.”
She nodded. “And when we offered them a way out, they took it without hesitation. They thanked you, remember?”
Lucius leaned forward, folding his hands. “What’s your point?”
“They’re not the only ones,” Alice said. “There are dozens of small and mid-tier businesses in the middle and outer rings struggling under guild control and political interference. But Isaac’s influence is growing fast. People are watching him.”
“I see, so that’s what you are planning.”
“Yes,” she replied. “You’re already a rising figure in the business world. That makes people interested in you.”
She turned back to Lucius.
“We can start sponsoring promising businesses. Offer partnerships. Or trade shares for long-term cooperation. It won’t just expand our scopes, but also help us build a network.”
“So you are creating a faction,” Lucius said, finally speaking.
Alice nodded. “Exactly.”
There was a pause. Lucius tapped the edge of the folder, eyes narrowed in thought.
“Tell me about the store itself. How large?”
“We want at least three floors,” Alice said. “The first for affordable groceries and common supplies. The second for premium goods. The third could be a small rest area or café space for high-paying customers. A place that looks exclusive but still feels accessible.”
“And advertising?” Lucius asked. “It won’t be cheap.”
“We’ll allocate around 7 billion Obels for a city-wide campaign,” Alice replied. “Billboards, digital tags, a few live displays during Awakener tournaments.”
Isaac glanced at her. “That much?”
“Exposure is everything,” Alice said. “We don’t just want to launch a store. We want everyone to know it’s ours, and this time, we don’t need others’ charity for our advertisement.”
“That’s a good way to go about things.” Isaac smiled, ignoring the fact she had just jabbed about how Celia Rae had helped him.
“It’s a bold approach, but it has a high risk.” Lucius nodded slowly. “The Chairman faction will move if you show your intentions so openly.”
“But it’s also high reward scenario,” Alice said without hesitation.
Isaac could see the gears turning behind the chairman’s calm expression. He wasn’t objecting. He was analyzing, and calculating the possible future scenarios.
Alice shifted topics again. “There’s also a rare opportunity.”
Lucius raised a brow.
“Fennel Potion Company,” she said. “They started liquidating assets last night. A lot of their sponsors pulled out suddenly. Rumor is they backed the wrong political horse and lost.”
All three of them in the room knew exactly why Fennel Potion Company was suffering.
But they acted as if none of had a hand in it.
“They’re giving up their stores?” Isaac asked.
Alice nodded. “Including a prime location. Exactly where we were planning to set up. It’s in the middle and outer ring border, has wide space, and is already built to handle traffic and shipments.”
She looked at him.
“We can swoop in and take it. That way we will have a head start without wasting time on construction.”
Lucius glanced at her. “It’s a good plan.”
Alice nodded. “Thank you.”
Lucius leaned back in his chair and closed the folder. He didn’t speak immediately. His fingers tapped against the desk as he studied the ceiling for a moment.
Finally, he said, “I’ll connect you with my legal advisor. He’ll help you handle the Fennel acquisition quickly.”
Isaac blinked. “Wait, you’re supporting it?”
“I’m not blind,” Lucius said calmly. “The plan is solid. Risky, yes. But it’s built on a smart foundation.”
He looked at Alice. “You’ve grown. You’re making decisions with long-term vision.”
Then he looked at Isaac.
“You’re lucky she’s leading this with you.”
Isaac gave a light smile. “I know.”
Lucius picked up his tablet again. “Then go. Make it happen. But don’t forget—this is the easy part. The hard part comes after. When you have to keep it running.”
“We’ll handle it,” Alice said confidently.
As they left the office, documents in hand and a rough schedule forming between them, Isaac exhaled.
“Is it just me, or was that the nicest he’s ever been to me?”
“Because he knows you’re bringing in profit now.”
“Hearing that hurts a little.”
“Welcome to world of business.” Alice offered a rare, small smile.
They reached the lobby, the polished black floor reflecting the bright overhead lights.
The glass doors beyond showed a blue sky. Alice turned to him as they paused near the exit.
“I need to head somewhere,” Isaac said. “There’s someone I’m supposed to meet.”
Alice raised an eyebrow. “Not going home yet?”
He shook his head. “Not yet.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “Then I’ll stay at the Calloway estate. I’ll use the time to map out the finer details of our plan with Selene. We’ll need a presentation ready for the round-table review tomorrow.”
Isaac glanced at his watch. “That’s a good idea.”
“Text me when you’re done, and come get me before you go home,” she added, stepping away. “We’ll buy land at the Sanctum of Masters Main Registry Hall when we get back tonight.”
“Sounds good.”
With a nod, she turned toward Selene’s office.
Isaac watched her go for a second before heading toward the parking area himself.
His car—a sleek matte-black model assigned by Professor Catherine—was waiting, engine already running thanks to the auto-summon command.
His destination was Sector 8.
It wasn’t far, but it was busy.
Celia Rae, the city’s biggest idol star, was having her long-awaited release event today.
Selene had arranged a meeting between them today just before the performance. According to the message, he had thirty minutes.
“I’m honestly surprised, I even got an appointment today.”
Traffic hit before he even reached the ring interchange.
Hovercars hovered just inches apart, creeping forward in sluggish waves.
Pedestrian zones overflowed with people, most of them young, many wearing shirts, jackets, or wristbands emblazoned with glowing images of Celia Rae’s face or name.
And this was just the border of Central Sector, and Inner Ring (Region with Sector 1~9) of the city.
Isaac gripped the wheel, muttering under his breath. He glanced at the time. Twenty-seven minutes now.
Thankfully, he had a privileged clearance pass from the Sanctum of Masters.
A small icon blinked at the corner of his windshield interface—a golden badge with the stylized sage hat and wand.
He tapped it once, and the car’s AI kicked into override.
A soft beep sounded, and lanes parted automatically.
The AI bypassed gridlocked segments, rerouting him through restricted business lanes and staff access corridors.
As they moved forward, the full scope of the event came into view.
A massive circular stage had been constructed in Sector 8’s central plaza.
Drones hovered in a ring above it, projecting beams of light into the sky.
Holographic screens displayed countdowns, music video clips, and fan-submitted photos.
The crowd had grown dense, thousands of people crammed into every available platform, bridge, and balcony within viewing range.
As Isaac slowed near the entrance gate, a security drone scanned his car and beeped approval.
The side gate opened, letting him pass into the private staff lot behind the stage.
He parked and stepped out, adjusting his collar.
The hum of excitement was audible even here, like the whole plaza was pulsing with noise.
Somewhere out front, fans were chanting Celia’s name in rhythm, matching the booming bass that leaked from the sound system.
He walked quickly through the narrow staff corridor behind the stage.
Uniformed crew members were shouting over their comms, running checks on light rigs, sync tests, and energy feeds.
Most didn’t spare him a second glance, too busy or too stressed to care about visitors.
Isaac found himself slowing as he reached the edge of the backstage platform. From here, he could see the stage clearly.
It was massive.
The platform extended outward in a star shape, each of the five points rotating slowly.
Dozens of LED pillars rose and fell with the beat of the background track, glowing in shifting colors.
On the main screen, Celia’s logo—a stylized pair of demon-like wings shaped into the letter ’C’—glowed bright against a neon sky.
Thousands of fans waved glowing sticks in perfect sync.
Others held signs, banners, or full-body hologram projectors showing versions of Celia in her past outfits.
Cheers erupted as a countdown appeared on the main screen.
Two hours until the start of the show.
“This is surprising.”
Isaac whistled in amazement.
Up until now, it hadn’t hit him who Celia Rae really was.
He had seen her name, heard some music, seen a few posters, and talked to her more than once.
But only now did he realize how famous she was.
Even powerful guild leaders, Masters, and political figures didn’t receive this kind of admiration, obsession, and excitement.
A woman in a headset brushed past him.
“Careful there,” she said. “You’re standing in crew zone. Are you media?”
Isaac shook his head quickly. “No. I have an appointment with Miss Rae. Arranged by Selene Calloway. I’m supposed to meet her before the release event.”
The woman glanced at a nearby assistant and then pulled out her device.
“Name?”
“Isaac Hargraves.”
She tapped something, frowned, then nodded. “You’re listed for an appointment. This way.”
She waved for him to follow. As they moved deeper into the staff section, the volume of the fans increased.
They passed through another hallway, this one lined with glass panels looking out over the main event zone.
From here, Isaac could see just how huge the crowd was—thousands more packed into walkways, bridges, even floating drone-platforms rented just for the occasion.
He paused near one of the panels and stared for a moment.
It was just a single name.
It was only one person.
And yet, all of this… every light, every scream, every cheer… existed because of her.
The soundproof glass muted the chaos outside, but the vibrations still carried through the floor.
His gaze lingered on the main stage, where Celia would perform.
“Sir?”
A voice snapped him back.
He turned.
The same headset-wearing assistant had brought him to a woman dressed in a crisp dark skirt-suit.
She looked slightly older than Celia, perhaps in her mid-twenties, with shoulder-length auburn hair pulled neatly behind her ears.
Sharp glasses rested on the bridge of her nose.
“This is Miss Arlene,” the assistant said. “She is Miss Celia’s private secretary.”
Arlene nodded politely. “You must be Isaac.”
“Nice to meet you.” He shook hands with her.
She gestured toward a hallway leading off from the lounge. “Please follow me. She’ll be with you shortly.”
He gave the performance one last glance before stepping away from the glass and falling into step behind her.
The hallway was quieter here, lined with muted lights and faintly humming machines.
Music still played, barely audible through the thick walls.
They passed through a narrow corridor, then another turn, and finally reached a door at the end of the hall.
Without saying anything, Arlene opened the door and stepped inside.
Isaac followed.
The door slammed shut behind him with a sharp bang.
He turned to see her locking it.
And just like that, the mood shifted.
She didn’t speak right away.
Her back was to him, one hand still resting on the door handle. Her shoulders were tense, almost shaking.
Then she turned around, and whatever cold professionalism she had worn seconds ago was gone.
“Do you know where Celia is?” Her voice cracked slightly, though her expression was desperate more than panicked. “Please tell me you know where she is.”
Isaac blinked. “What do you mean? I thought she was—”
“No!” she snapped, stepping forward, her heels clicking hard against the tile. “That disappeared in the morning, and hasn’t contacted us since then. We’ve scoured the whole facility, the guild, her home, but she isn’t anywhere.”
There was a sense of frustration in her voice.
“Her last message to me was that she would be back by the time the event starts! Only two hours are left, and she still isn’t here!”
She turned to him sharply.
“You’ve been in contact with her, haven’t you? Over the last few days, she mentioned your name several times. It’s rare for her to talk like that about someone new. Please, say that she told you where she is.”
Isaac shook his head. “I’m sorry this is news to me.”
Arlene bit her lip and paced a few steps. “Then you haven’t spoken to her today?”
“No.”
“Not even a message? A hint? Anything?”