Chapter 214: Future Markets 『 Part Three 』
〜Journey To The West World〜
"Repay, repay, repay! Repay my ass!"
Watching Bronya's brows knit tightly together, Nezha, seething with rage, leapt from his meditation cushion. With a violent kick, he overturned the stone table before him, sending the platter of tea and refreshments flying. Crimson fruits rolled and bounced across the floor.
"That woman, Topaz, is kicking them while they're down! Belobog has only just broken free from the Stellaron crisis, and she shows up now? Couldn't she have waited a few decades? What a bastard!"
Ao Bing waved a hand gently, manifesting a stream of water from thin air that deftly caught the falling lampstand before it hit the ground.
He lifted his gaze to the thunderous Nezha, his voice as soothing as a clear spring flowing over river stones:
"Nezha, calm down. Many things are not as they appear on the surface."
"Calm down? How do you expect me to be calm?!"
Nezha spun around to glare at Ao Bing before plopping angrily back onto the cushion.
"You saw that woman, Topaz! She's hiding a dagger behind that smile! Every other word out of her mouth is 'debt' or 'contract'—she acts exactly like those stiff-necked geezers in the Heavenly Court! Belobog has barely caught its breath from that damned Eternal Freeze, and she's already forcing them to pay up?"
Ao Bing shook his head unhurriedly.
"But the Interastral Peace Corporation did indeed provide reconstruction funds. According to the spirit of the contract—"
"Spirit, my ass!"
Nezha slammed his fist into the stone pillar beside him, sending cracks spreading like a spiderweb.
"Belobog struggled so hard to escape the brink of extinction, and now the IPC is pushing them right back to it! Rather than waiting to be captured, they should fight until the fish dies and the net breaks—"
"Nezha!"
Ao Bing's voice rose sharply, a flash of pain crossing his eyes.
The stone cave fell into a momentary silence, broken only by Nezha's ragged breathing.
From outside came the clear cry of a crane, and a ray of the setting sun spilled in, stretching their shadows long across the floor.
Ao Bing lowered his gaze, and after a long sigh, he was the first to break the silence.
"I know you are indignant, but one cannot simply resort to mutual destruction in all matters. This debt concerns every resident of Belobog; it is no small trifle. While the Interastral Peace Corporation's methods are heavy-handed, they are not demanding without cause. According to the history Bronya recounted, this debt was signed voluntarily by the original Architects."
"Voluntarily?"
Nezha scoffed.
"When a starving man sees a mantou, does he care if there's poison inside? That contract they signed back then—are you telling me there wasn't any trickery involved?"
Ao Bing shook his head.
"You cannot put it that way. Without those funds, the people of Belobog would have perished in the blizzard long ago, and there would be no story to tell today. Besides, Director Topaz has offered other solutions."
"My master always says, 'Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise.' We might as well see if there is a glimmer of opportunity within this great calamity."
—
「 "Before you even entered, Topaz had already warned me… if the debt remains unpaid for too long, the Corporation has granted her the authority to take 'coercive measures'."
Bronya was well aware that the Interastral Peace Corporation is a colossus spanning the galaxy. With the sheer volume of the IPC, suppressing Belobog would likely be as easy as turning over one's hand. Thus, she wished to seek aid from the Astral Express, hoping the crew could attempt to persuade Topaz.
The duo naturally accepted without hesitation. After determining her itinerary through Topaz's contact number, Stelle quickly arrived at the Belobog History and Culture Museum to find her.
Originally, March 7th had intended to put on a fierce front, but the moment she met Topaz's smile, her rehearsed speech died in her throat. She could only anxiously seek help from Stelle at her side: "We… Oh, come on, Stelle, help me out! I'm really not good at this…"
"I think the Corporation's demands are unreasonable." Stelle did not mince words, cutting straight to the chase.
"Indeed, I understand. From your perspective, this matter must seem quite unreasonable, correct?" Topaz smiled faintly. "Different standpoints lead to different perspectives on the same issue. That is normal. Debt collection is my job—and I have seen cases far more dire than Belobog's."
"…Most individuals or organizations that cannot repay on time have their own hardships. But if I treated every project as a [Special Case]… then the economic system of the entire galaxy would likely collapse."
She had long since grown accustomed to debtors being unable to pay, and for this reason, she also provided a variety of solutions.
However, because Belobog had exceeded the performance deadline for too long, gentle solutions were no longer applicable. She could only resort to some radical plans. As for the details of these plans… she remained tight-lipped, kicking the ball back to Bronya's court.
But thinking of Bronya's troubled expression, March 7th still could not bear to stand by and watch. She spoke up to plead: "Um, Miss Topaz, what exactly can be done to make the Corporation show mercy to Belobog?"
She did not want to watch the world Bronya had fought so hard to change be stripped of all effort by the Corporation in the blink of an eye. It was too cruel.
Topaz smiled slightly. "What do you think the Corporation is, March? Don't forget. We, like the Architects here, are followers of the 『 Preservation 』."
"No matter what, the plan we propose will certainly take the welfare of the Belobog people into account. If we couldn't even do that, wouldn't the Strategic Investment Department just become an unreasonable gang like the Legion?" 」
「 .....」
〜Bleach World, Future Timeline〜
The night sky over Karakura Town was studded with stars.
Inside the clinic, Ichigo Kurosaki and Orihime Inoue were watching the sky screen together. Although Topaz's arrival had made the newlyweds simultaneously tense, hearing that her plan would consider the welfare of the Belobog people caused Ichigo's tightly furrowed brows to relax slightly.
"Topaz didn't explain that radical plan of hers in detail, but I guess… it should be something similar to debt restructuring."
"Debt restructuring?"
"Yeah. It's when a new agreement is reached between Belobog and the Corporation regarding the unpaid debt."
Ichigo took a sip of tea and set down the medical journal in his hand.
"If Belobog lacks the liquidity to repay the money, they can use things like labor or land as repayment. Of course… I'm not clear on the specific plan Miss Topaz has proposed."
Orihime looked at Ichigo.
"But the way I see it, Miss Topaz isn't being aggressive. She's much better than that… Skott guy. Communicating with her suggests there should still be room for negotiation, right?"
"I'm afraid you might be disappointed. In my view, Stelle and the others have absolutely no room to maneuver."
Ichigo smiled bitterly.
"Usually, the guys without much real strength bark the loudest before a fight. They use hollow bluffs to crush the opponent, attempting to avoid trouble with the minimum cost."
"But those truly capable of handling trouble usually disdain shouting—this Miss Topaz is clearly the latter. Furthermore, her status within the Corporation… I have a feeling it's much higher than Skott's."
—
( Translator-kun: Why both future timeline is here? )