At the same time, in Pier Point.
On the top floor of a certain building belonging to the Interastral Peace Corporation, the atmosphere was magnificent and luxurious.
Yu Qingtu sat in the VIP seat, paying no attention to the fawning smiles of the executives around her. She casually took out several potions and set them down.
She accepted the black card handed over by the leading executive with a respectful bow and prepared to activate the teleportation coordinates to return to the Bamboo House.
Today marked the Great Cold season in that world... and it was also the death anniversary of that poor little fellow.
Just as the teleportation light was about to glow, Yu Qingtu's peripheral vision swept across the auction catalog. Her gaze suddenly froze.
"Forget-worry plum blossom brew?"
Yu Qingtu's slightly unusual expression made the Company executives tremble. Cold sweat nearly broke out on their foreheads.
Everyone knew that this genius pharmacist had an unpredictable temperament. She must not be provoked in the slightest.
The Company's Board of Directors had long issued a clear order: even if a Genius Society member wanted to dismantle an entire branch building, they had to accommodate her first.
The leading executive hurriedly stepped forward and inquired with great caution.
"Distinguished Ms. Yu Qingtu, may I ask if there is something wrong with this forget-worry plum blossom brew..."
This executive was none other than Abigail Des, a descendant of the family that Charlie Des belonged to.
Yu Qingtu's expression softened slightly, returning to her usual indifference.
It had been over a thousand years since Tomomu Kanzaki passed away. To this day, only three jars of that precious Plum Blossom Wine remained, held respectively by her, Black Swan, and Ruan Mei.
Everyone cherished them as priceless treasures. It was impossible for them to sell an item of such special significance.
Unless Black Swan had met with an accident and her legacy was being divided up.
As for Ruan Mei, Nous had cast a glance in her direction, meaning the Genius Society had extended an invitation to her. Not many people possessed the ability to trouble her.
Tomomu Kanzaki had not named the wine back then, but the meaning behind "forget-worry" perfectly suited its effects.
The Plum Blossom Wine itself was not particularly extraordinary. What was extraordinary was seeing it appear at the Company headquarters auction.
"Tell me, who produced that forget-worry plum blossom brew? And what makes it special enough to become an item in the Company's auction?"
Hearing no impatience in Yu Qingtu's tone, Abigail breathed a secret sigh of relief.
"Distinguished lady, it is a consumable Curio produced by the owner of Qingxin Residence, a hot spring resort located in a certain delve of the Xianzhou Luofu within the Xianzhou Alliance."
"Drinking a single cup can soothe one's mood and allow them to temporarily forget their worries."
"According to the owner, only he can refine the Plum Blossom Wine into a Curio and mass-produce it. The Company has researched it for hundreds of years without success in replication, confirming that his claim is true."
"Today's jar is the last one for this year. Qingxin Residence only supplies a hundred jars annually."
Xianzhou Luofu... hot spring resort Qingxin Residence... Long-Life Species owner...
No matter which piece of information it was, each one made Yu Qingtu's brow furrow.
None of it matched.
"What is the name of the owner of Qingxin Residence?"
"His surname is Qi, and his name is Lord Kanzaki."
What?!
Yu Qingtu's breath hitched.
"Which 'Qi,' which 'Zhi,' which 'Mu'? And what does he look like?"
Meeting Yu Qingtu's gaze, which seemed capable of burning a person alive, and hearing her rapid series of questions, Abigail nearly cried from fear and nearly slumped to the floor.
Everyone knew that geniuses had eccentric temperaments and were extremely difficult to deal with.
Yu Qingtu had a notable track record within the Company. There was once a blind fool who offended her for some reason and was turned into cocktail ingredients on the spot.
It was said his rank was P44, yet the Board of Directors did not dare utter a word. Instead, they personally apologized to her.
If he provoked Yu Qingtu's wrath, his own death would be a minor matter. He feared the entire Des family might vanish from history.
Thinking of these possible consequences, Abigail did not dare delay any longer. He directly pulled out the profit-sharing contracts signed over the years.
"P-P-Please... please see for yourself..."
Seeing the familiar name, Yu Qingtu could still maintain a measure of composure.
But when that face, in which many familiar contours could be vaguely discerned, came into view, her breathing suddenly grew heavy.
He looks... so much like him!
There are countless civilizations and countless diverse worlds in the galaxy. There is no shortage of people whose appearances are ninety percent similar. The difference lies in their experiences.
There might be eighty or ninety million people named Tomomu Kanzaki, but when multiple unique characteristics belonging to him overlapped, it could no longer be explained by mere coincidence.
She wanted to rush to the Xianzhou Luofu immediately to confirm whether that Long-Life Species Kanzaki was indeed the little fellow she thought of day and night.
But right now, there was one thing she had to do.
"Give me an entry ticket to the auction."
"O-Okay..."
Abigail did not dare ask any questions. He quickly handed over the highest-specification VIP seat credential.
Watching this great figure depart, he finally slumped down as if exhausted. His back was already soaked with cold sweat...
The items at the Company's auctions were usually of extraordinary value.
Although the forget-worry plum blossom brew was a Curio, there were so many Curios in the universe. As long as something possessed a special effect, it could be crowned with the name of a Curio.
What truly determined its value was its level of utility for life.
But there were exceptions.
This type of Curio that provided emotional value was not actually that expensive to the ultra-rich. It relied more on the aura of luxury created by branding and scarcity.
Wealthy individuals were happy to use it to entertain distinguished guests and show off their status. Face was often more important than pure utility.
Thus, for hundreds of years under the Company's operation, the forget-worry plum blossom brew had become a luxury item among wines.
The starting price was usually set at five million Credit Points, with the final transaction price fluctuating around ten million.
However, this time...
"One hundred million."
A certain pharmacist in the VIP seats, whose original voice could not be heard and whose appearance could not be seen, pressed the bidding button next to the seat without hesitation.
The voice was calm, yet it caused an uproar throughout the venue.
Countless gazes turned in that direction. Even the experienced host was stunned for several seconds, forgetting to start the countdown.
"Are you not going to drop the gavel yet?"
Yu Qingtu reminded her coldly.
She was already very impatient.
"Uh... congratulations to this distinguished guest for winning the forget-worry plum blossom brew!"
As soon as the gavel fell, Yu Qingtu immediately left her seat.
Many bidders secretly felt relieved. It seemed the other party's target was clearly that jar of wine, and she would not participate in the competition for the subsequent highlights.
Just as Yu Qingtu walked out of the auction venue, a Company employee respectfully presented that jar of wine, as if they had known who the winner would be.
In fact, even if she had not bid, the Company would have found a way to deliver the wine into her hands.
When Abigail made his report, the current Obsidian almost wanted to chop him up and feed him to the dogs.
When a genius takes an interest in something, what are you waiting for instead of proactively offering it?
Even if there was only a sliver of a chance to gain goodwill, any loss was negligible.
Abigail was on the verge of tears. He wanted to say his brain had stalled from fear, but he knew he could not explain.
Yu Qingtu had no mind to pay attention to these schemes. She casually tossed out a credit card and disappeared from the spot the next moment.
Inside the Bamboo House, the teleportation glow dissipated.
She hurriedly slapped open the seal of the wine jar. A wisp of clear plum blossom fragrance wafted out, so familiar that it intoxicated her soul.
She opened the jar she had personally treasured for comparison. The fragrance was almost identical.
With trembling hands, she poured a small cup and tilted her head back to drink it all.
"It's this taste..."
It's this taste!!!
There is no mistake. It must be him!
Just as she stood up to rush to Luofu, a seductive figure in a deep purple dress silently floated in from outside the door.
Her gaze fell upon the two jars of Plum Blossom Wine on the table, and she could not help but be taken aback.