271: The vest is off

The members of the Special Support Section were still immersed in the shock brought by the highly advanced technological creations in the lobby, when Tio Plato's cat ears suddenly twitched violently.

She spun around, her pupils contracting sharply, as if she had sensed an incredible presence.

"Tio Plato?" Lloyd noticed her abnormality and followed her gaze, seeing a woman he knew well entering from a side door of the lobby.

"Doctor Katja?!" Tio Plato and Lloyd exclaimed in unison, their voices trembling with disbelief.

The others were stunned; they were not unfamiliar with that name. They had investigated her not long ago.

After Tio Plato returned from her advanced studies at the corporation headquarters, she had also mentioned this mysterious Scholar, who was said to have made groundbreaking research in the field of communication and had even reached some kind of cooperation with the corporation.

However, within two days, she had vanished without a trace.

Yet, before they could react, the holographic projection at the reception desk bowed slightly and respectfully said, "Director Topaz, your scheduled visitors have arrived."

"Director... Topaz?" Randy's mouth twitched, realizing something very important.

Lloyd's gaze instinctively fell on Topaz. It was confirmed, she was indeed 'Doctor Katja' with whom he had traveled in Altair City.

It seemed 'Topaz' was her real name.

"Oh, Tio Plato-chan, long time no see~" Topaz smiled slightly, her tone as relaxed as if she had met an old friend, "I didn't expect to see you here."

A complex emotion flashed in Tio Plato's blue eyes: "You... are from the Interstellar Peace Corporation?"

"Mm-hmm~" Topaz tilted her head, a sly curve playing on her lips, "Our little Tio Plato is quite surprised, aren't you?"

Her gaze swept over the members of the Special Support Section, finally resting on Lloyd: "What are you here to investigate? A request from the Imperial Embassy? Or a 'friendly reminder' from the Republic Consulate?"

By now, Lloyd no longer reacted to being 'seen through.' Or rather, in front of such mysterious and powerful people, it would be strange to have any secrets.

Lloyd took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down: "Director Topaz, we are from the Crossbell Police Department's Special Support Section, entrusted by the Imperial Embassy to investigate a... uh, gambling dispute."

"Gambling dispute?" Topaz blinked, then suddenly chuckled, "Oh~ you mean Aventurine's business at the casino, right?"

Her tone carried a hint of teasing, as if discussing a trivial matter: "Don't worry, he's just playing."

Randy's brow furrowed even deeper: "Playing? Was that white mech also 'playing'?"

From the section chief, the Special Support Section knew a little about what happened at the top of Lanka Tower that day, which was one of the reasons they chose to accept this commission.

Topaz shrugged, her tone light: "That's just one of the company's 'security measures.' After all, Crossbell is now an important partner of ours, so we have to ensure its safety, right?"

"So, Mayor Dieter did indeed reach a cooperation with you, didn't he?" Elie understood the meaning in Topaz's words.

Topaz smiled, offering no further explanation, but instead turned to the holographic projection at the reception desk and said, "Give them temporary visitor access and take them to my office."

"Yes, Director." The holographic projection nodded slightly, then a pale blue light curtain rose from the floor, surrounding the members of the Special Support Section.

Lloyd instinctively took a step back, but the light curtain caused them no harm; instead, it seemed like some sort of identity verification system, dissipating without a trace a moment later.

"Let's go~" Topaz turned, walking briskly towards the elevator, "We'll talk upstairs."

The office decor was simple yet luxurious, with a huge floor-to-ceiling window overlooking Crossbell's bustling cityscape, but even more striking was the holographic projection suspended in the air.

It was a three-dimensional map of the Zemuria continent, marked with various complex data and light points.

Topaz walked to the desk and, with a wave of her hand, the holographic projection disappeared.

"Sit down~" She gestured to the sofa nearby, "Don't be shy."

The members of the Special Support Section exchanged glances, eventually sitting down.

Topaz leaned against the edge of the desk, arms crossed, her gaze sweeping over everyone: "So, what do you want to ask? I'm in a good mood today, so I can offer you a free Q&A session."

Lloyd took a deep breath, looking directly into her eyes: "Director Topaz, what exactly is the Interstellar Peace Corporation?"

Topaz's lips curved slightly upward: "That's quite a big question~"

Her fingers tapped lightly on the desk, her tone relaxed: "Simply put, we are a business group, with our main business including resource development, commodity trade, security services... Hmm, that's pretty much it."

Randy's brow furrowed even deeper: "Business group? Then why do you support Crossbell's independence?"

Topaz tilted her head: "Because it's profitable~"

Her tone was matter-of-fact, as if discussing something utterly ordinary: "Crossbell's geographical location is special, and its economic potential is huge. It's as simple as that."

"Is that so?" Elie's voice carried a hint of doubt and confusion, "But if that's the case, why have I never heard of you?"

Topaz chuckled softly: "Well, that's not really important. Because, you'll know everything very soon."

Lloyd could feel that Topaz was definitely hiding a lot of crucial information. After much thought, he decided to rephrase his question: "If it's just commercial interests, IBC and other corporations could fully meet your needs."

"What exactly do you want?"

Topaz was silent for a moment, then smiled slightly: "Well... that's classified for now~"

Her gaze swept over everyone, finally resting on Tio Plato: "However, if Tio Plato-chan is willing to join the company, she might know more, you know?"

Tio Plato's cat ears shot up, her eyes filled with shock: "Me... join the company?"

Topaz nodded, her tone light: "Your talent is very suitable for the company's research department, and I can assure you that you'll have access to technology far beyond what the corporation has."

Tio Plato's breathing quickened slightly, her fingers unconsciously tightening around her orbal staff.

Lloyd suddenly stood up: "Director Topaz, we are here to investigate, not to listen to you poaching people."

Topaz blinked, then chuckled softly: "Oh, are you angry?"

Her tone carried a hint of teasing, as if she were playfully teasing a child: "Don't worry, I'm just making a suggestion~"

"Ultimately, how you choose is still up to you; the company won't force you."

Her gaze swept over everyone, finally resting on Lloyd: "So, do you have any other questions?"

Lloyd was silent for a moment, then shook his head: "Not for now."

"Mm~" Topaz nodded, then turned and walked towards the desk, "Alright then, the receptionist will see you out."

Her tone was relaxed, as if the conversation just now was just an unimportant chat: "If you have any other questions in the future, feel free to come find me anytime~"

The members of the Special Support Section exchanged glances, finally leaving the office under the guidance of the receptionist.