42: Missing Vivian

“Congratulations, Vivian.”

Meng Yun congratulated her from the bottom of his heart.

There were no more than five S-level containment objects in the entire Foundation. And Vivian was the only containment object that existed in the form of a human girl.

She was the most unique existence in this world.

“No, it’s all thanks to Big Brother,” Vivian’s voice echoed in his mind.

Being able to move freely in the sunlight and personally witnessing her Big Brother’s significance, Vivian’s state of mind had been sublimated, and her realm naturally improved.

The money-stealing boy shivered, everything before his eyes had already exceeded the limits of his comprehension.

Meng Yun stretched out his hand to him: “Give me the money pouch, and I won’t pursue your responsibility.”

The boy hesitated for a moment, then directly knelt on the ground: “Your Excellency, I beg you for a silver coin!”

One silver coin, if spent frugally, would last at least a week, or even half a month.

Meng Yun crooked his finger, and the money pouch flew into his hand out of thin air.

The boy looked up, the light in his eyes gone.

He still couldn’t get food for his younger siblings.

A deep sense of powerlessness assailed his heart.

Gripping the money pouch in his hand, Meng Yun took out two silver coins from it: “Want them? But I believe in equivalent exchange.”

The silver coins gleamed in the dim light, and the boy’s eyes were filled with light once more: “Sir, I am willing to exchange with you!”

“Very good.” Meng Yun commanded: “Stand up, look at me, what’s your name?”

The boy obediently stood up, looking timidly at Meng Yun: “Sir, my name is Tom.”

“Where are your adults?”

“They died in the Foundation’s crackdown on the Anti-Resistance Army; they secretly helped the Anti-Resistance Army…” The boy’s face was expressionless, perhaps he had no right to be sad, or perhaps he was already numb.

Anti-Resistance Army.

This was the first time Meng Yun had received this information.

Interesting.

“It’s truly a miracle that you’re alive and made it to Satellite City, Tom,” Meng Yun concluded.

“The Foundation is severely short-staffed, and I’m just a child.”

Meng Yun nodded, then extended an invitation: “Want to work? If so, follow me.”

Child labor?

In the Foundation’s Satellite City, there was no such concept.

Except for infants waiting to be fed, all people without value were potential D-level Personnel.

Meng Yun took Vivian and turned to leave.

After walking a distance, he tilted his head slightly and found Tom cautiously following not far behind him.

“Big Brother, where are we going?” Vivian’s voice asked in his mind.

“The Arcane Association,” Meng Yun smiled: “A place where I can get rich quickly.”

During his month as a B-level employee, Meng Yun would occasionally come to the Arcane Association branch in Satellite City, acting as an Alchemy Master, and at the same time quickly learning all the Arcane knowledge within his authority.

He had already finished learning all Level 4 knowledge.

He also amassed a fortune through Alchemy.

The Arcane Association was almost diagonally opposite the Foundation, so Meng Yun decided to use Levitation, carrying Tom, and quickly arrived at the association’s entrance.

The main entrance was quite simple and solemn, seemingly wanting to convey the ancient and long-standing status of Arcanists to the world.

Meng Yun didn’t care about these things and stepped inside.

The Arcane lady at the front desk, who had been in a daze, her eyes lit up, and the surging waves of her uniform constantly rippled with her movements: “Oh, welcome, my Alchemy Master!”

Seemingly noticing Vivian’s cold gaze beside Meng Yun, the Arcane lady swallowed, and unconsciously became more mature and composed: “Mr. Meng Yun, how can I help you?”

Meng Yun: “…”

Honestly, he still preferred the Arcane lady with all the benefits.

Although her graceful posture sometimes affected the purity of the potions Meng Yun refined.

But even if he messed up, he could still sell them cheaply to poor people who didn’t have much money.

Meng Yun always made a profit.

A win-win-win.

Meng Yun said: “I came to check the sales of the consigned intermediate life potions, and by the way, I’d like to recommend this boy, Tom, to you.”

“We don’t trade in people!” The Arcane lady shook her head like a rattle drum, completely dismissing the dirty Tom.

“I think I’ve just mastered the method for making advanced life potions…”

“Oh, what are you saying, Tom, right? Come, come, let big sister test you first!”

The Arcane lady immediately put on an expression that said, “You’re such a good judge of character.”

“Go,” Meng Yun watched Tom leave.

Inside, there was a sanity monitor that could discern whether the boy had the potential to learn Arcane.

“The atmosphere here is very good.”

Vivian’s thought resonated in Meng Yun’s heart: “It’s just that I don’t like that lady just now.”

She was flirting with her Big Brother.

She didn’t like it.

She hated it.

Could she kill her?

The way containment objects solved problems was very simple.

Just eliminate the person causing the problem.

If the skin does not exist, where can the hair attach?

Noticing Vivian’s dissatisfaction, Meng Yun shook his head helplessly and pointed to the dazzling array of goods on the shelves, asking: “Which one do you like? I’ll buy them all for you.”

Vivian’s spirit was instantly soothed.

She cast her gaze, and in her golden pupils, all sorts of strange objects were reflected.

“What is this?” Vivian pointed to an exquisitely crafted brass portable kerosene lamp.

“A lamp, used for illumination.”

“But isn’t this enough?” Vivian snapped her fingers, and an illumination spell was activated, a ball of light appearing above her head.

Meng Yun: “…”

“What about this? Is it a broom as I understand it?”

“This is a Firebolt 3000. Riding on it can replace Levitation.” Meng Yun looked at the streamlined golden broom and patiently explained.

“Sit?” Vivian tilted her head: “Straddle or side-saddle? Will I fall off? Will it hurt me?”

Meng Yun: “…”

Alright.

Who would have thought that the elegant and beautiful Vivian was actually an out-and-out romantic destroyer, a straight-laced woman?

After much careful selection, Vivian still chose the straight man’s death gift—a crystal ball.

But it wasn’t an ordinary crystal ball; it could record an image, and as long as the crystal ball wasn’t broken, the image would always exist.

Meng Yun spent a fortune, paying 10 silver coins, to buy this rather useless crystal ball for Vivian.

“Big Brother, let’s put the image in!” Vivian didn’t think it was useless. Her thoughts were filled with joy, seemingly looking forward to a photo with Meng Yun.

“Okay.”

Meng Yun was not pretentious. He gently put his arm around the girl’s shoulder and placed the crystal ball in front of them.

“May the one and only Vivian in the world be forever happy and joyful.”

With these blessings, their image was thus recorded.

Meng Yun let go of Vivian, completely unaware that a faint blush had quietly crept onto the girl’s unchanging face.

“Thank you… Big Brother,” Vivian opened her mouth and spoke softly.

Just as Meng Yun was about to say something, a dazzling golden light suddenly erupted from the detection room behind him.

This was… at least A-level elemental affinity and extraordinary sanity!

Was it Tom?

Before he could react, several subtle yet powerful auras flashed towards the detection room.

“Nobody fights me for this kid! He’s mine!”

“Kid, listen to me, I’m an Arcane Envoy, the most powerful existence here…”

“Follow me, I’ll give you money and help you find a wife!”

Meng Yun looked at Vivian: “I’ll go in and take a look.”

Vivian nodded, watched Meng Yun leave, then lowered her head again, playing with the crystal ball with great interest.

Suddenly, her body froze, and her eyes abruptly turned hollow.

Vivian turned and left, her body carried by the wind, disappearing instantly.

Only a wisp of clear wind remained, gently guiding the crystal ball towards the carpeted floor.

“Thank you for your cultivation, 9527…”

AVicissitudes voice, seemingly present yet absent, echoed, then returned to silence.