Chapter 102

Chapter 102

Lu Cian said, "With the Love Pearl exploding in popularity, the market will definitely face a shortage. We need to hoard a large supply in advance to dominate the market at once."

Timothy, equally excited, replied, "Exactly! I’ll arrange for our bugs to buy up all the jade on the market right now!"

Nair Inan dampened their spirits—or rather, stated the harsh truth: "Making such a big fuss—have you two got a death wish?"

"Besides, where are we going to find so many subordinates?"

Without subordinates, they couldn’t split up to stockpile jade in large quantities.

Moreover, none of them had clean identities.

Timothy fell silent. In his excitement, he had forgotten this crucial point. He used to be a successful businessman, always composed and unreadable.

Wiping his face, Timothy suggested, "How about we keep it quiet, under the radar?"

Lu Cian frowned. "The Love Pearl story must be all over StarNet news by now. In a few months, the hype will die down, and the price won’t be as good."

That was true, but time was their biggest constraint.

Nair Inan added, "There’s another thing. Because of the Love Pearl incident, we’ve made it onto StarNet. There’s no guarantee it won’t cause a stir. What if some nosy bugs..."

He didn’t finish, but everyone understood. What if someone recognized their identities?

And Lu Cian wasn’t even in disguise. What if the incident at Larenha Prison was dug up...

While most wouldn’t associate a convicted slave with a noble male, it was better to be safe than sorry.

"This matter requires careful consideration."

Lu Cian sighed. Who would’ve thought a simple outing could lead to so much trouble?

As the group pondered their next move, the doorbell of the villa rang—someone was visiting.

Given that they were in Ximeno’s estate, it was obvious who was at the door.

After inviting the guest in, Ximeno excitedly gave Lu Cian a hug. "Bro! I saw it all over StarNet. You truly live up to being my good brother!"

Lu Cian smiled. "Yeah, yeah. I’ve always had good luck."

Ximeno disagreed. "How can you call this luck? It must be your charm!"

Lu Cian: "..."

His charm? So the Nine Rainbow Fish was attracted to his looks?

Though he was indeed handsome... but surely a fish-beast’s taste was different from a human’s?

Ximeno circled Lu Cian excitedly. "Where’s the Love Pearl the Nine Rainbow Fish gave you? Quick, show me!"

Lu Cian raised an eyebrow. Had the legend of the Love Pearl already been uncovered?

It seemed their plan to manufacture and sell "Love Pearls" couldn’t wait—they had to act fast before it was too late.

Lu Cian took out the Love Pearl and let Ximeno look his fill.

Ximeno stared at the lone pearl in his hand and exclaimed, puzzled, "Aren’t Love Pearls supposed to come in pairs? Is the legend fake?"

Lu Cian replied, "I don’t know if the legend is true, but this pearl does have a pair."

Ximeno feigned offense. "If there’s a pair, why not show the other one? Are you afraid I’ll steal it?"

Lu Cian rubbed his chin. He had thought the pearl was pretty and instinctively gave one to Nair Inan—only to later realize it was a Love Pearl! Given what it symbolized...

Lu Cian felt awkward.

But that wasn’t the worst part. The real awkwardness was that everyone wanted to see the Love Pearl, and sooner or later, they’d all find out he had given the other pearl to Nair Inan!

He couldn't very well ask for it back. His pearl couldn’t be given to anyone else either—he’d have to keep it himself.

Lu Cian sighed softly. "I gave it away."

Ximeno’s eyes widened. Gave it away?

A Love Pearl wasn’t something to be given away casually. Who else would a male give it to but his own female?

But... Lu Cian didn’t have an empress consort, did he?

Ximeno blinked, then glanced at the group of "female slaves" behind Lu Cian, his expression twitching. "You didn’t give the Love Pearl to one of your female slaves, did you?"

Lu Cian mumbled, "Yeah."

Ximeno nearly blurted out, "Have you lost it?" But with so many bugs present, including the female slaves, he couldn’t embarrass Lu Cian like that—a male had his dignity, after all.

Instead, Ximeno said tactfully, "You could’ve saved it for when you choose your empress consort and given it to her then."

Though females were all the same in the eyes of males, the empress consort held the highest status, the most power, and the greatest prestige.

Compared to other concubines, her background and lineage were also superior, making her stand out in the male’s eyes.

If a female came from a high enough status—say, a high-ranking noble or royalty—with a Love Pearl, she could easily be won over with just a gesture.

Yet Lu Cian had casually given it to a female slave—what a total waste!

To put it bluntly, even selling it at a high price would’ve been better than giving it to a female slave.

"Giving it to a female slave so carelessly is just reckless," Ximeno went on. "Wait, did you not know the legend of the Love Pearl? Even though we males can’t possibly stay with just one female our whole lives, what if your future empress consort finds out? Aren’t you afraid she’ll make a scene?"

Lu Cian smiled helplessly. He hadn’t known before, but now that he’d been educated, how could he not? "It has nothing to do with the legend. I gave it because I wanted to."

"Besides, if I really fall for someone, I won’t need a Love Pearl to win them over. I’m a male, after all. If they make a scene, so what? It’s not like they’d actually leave me."

Beside him, Nair Inan raised an eyebrow at those words.

Ximeno thought it over and realized Lu Cian had a point.

They were males. Females were the ones who had to please them—not the other way around.

Ximeno felt like he’d been brainwashed by StarNet comments, actually suggesting Lu Cian should cater to a female.

"Good brother, you’ve really set me straight. I almost got fooled by those StarNet comments."

Lu Cian felt a jolt. Testing the waters, he asked, "Comments? The news about me receiving the Love Pearl from the Nine Rainbow Fish is already on StarNet?"

Ximeno nodded vigorously, starting to complain. "Of course! It’s the top headline! There was supposed to be a limited-edition flyer released today, but because of this, the company pushed it back. They said they’re going to release a Love Pearl-inspired flyer instead..."

Ximeno’s anger flared. "Who wants some damn Love Pearl flyer? I only liked the original rainbow one! After all that waiting for the restock, they just yanked it. This is ridiculous!"

"I had my starcoins ready, waiting to snatch up the flightcraft as soon as it launched, but they just took it off the shelves! Pissed me right off!"

Ximeno spoke with his face turning beet red from anger, his expression clearly showing just how furious he was.

Lu Cian patted his back consolingly, saying, "Don’t get so worked up. It’s not worth ruining your health over some random insect."

Seeing Ximeno still seething, Lu Cian’s eyes flickered as he added, "If they made the rainbow flightcraft, they must intend to sell it eventually. Maybe they took it down now to release it alongside the new Love Pearl-themed flightcraft. When everyone flocks to buy the Love Pearl version, wouldn’t that make it easier for you to grab the rainbow one you actually want?"

Ximeno fell into deep thought at Lu Cian’s words, chewing on that idea.

His bro had a point!

When the rainbow flightcraft was announced for re-release, he’d already heard several guys at the party planning to rush for it.

Ximeno nodded, fully convinced by Lu Cian’s comforting words. "You’re right, good brother."

Meeting Ximeno’s trusting gaze, Lu Cian’s eyes wavered slightly. He hadn’t actually promised anything—he'd just been trying to calm Ximeno down.

If the rainbow flightcraft didn’t actually return, Ximeno better not blame him for it!

Still, Lu Cian hadn’t expected word getting out that he'd received the Love Pearl to blow up this much.

Apu Ban, as a tourist planet, usually had a decent but unremarkable flow of visitors—neither the busiest nor the quietest.

But after the headline "The Legend of nine rainbow fish Gifting the Love Pearl is Real" went viral, flights to Apu Ban were instantly sold out, and the planet became packed to the gills.

Even the business at "Oceanview" was booming, with queues stretching all the way to the beach.

Luckily, the owner had foresight and had already built two branch restaurants and several large terraces, barely managing to accommodate the influx of visitors.

Would you assume most tourists flocking to Apu Ban were female visitors?

The truth was, not at all.

While there were indeed many female visitors, most had come with their husbands or fiancés.

Their goal? The nine rainbow fish in Rainbow Lake—and the Love Pearl it gave out.

Thankfully, laws protected the privacy of male gentlemen, so the only image circulating online was Lu Cian’s hand holding the Love Pearl, not his face. Otherwise, Ximeno’s estate would’ve been overrun with visitors.

"How did so many bugs flood into Apu Ban so quickly? It’s only been two days!"

Lu Cian had originally planned to dine at "Oceanview" to use his half-off discount, but the crowds outside were so dense that even the flightcraft Ximeno had given him couldn’t get far before having to turn back.

There were just too many—the sky was jammed with aircraft, and the ground was a mob of people, packed like sardines… enough to trigger any bug with claustrophobia.

Nair Inan frowned as well. The situation was becoming unfavorable for them. This was just the beginning—more bugs would only keep arriving.

"We should get out of here."

Lu Cian paused at the words, then counted the days. They really had been away for quite a while.

"Yeah, we should leave soon. If we don’t, we might get swallowed by the tourist horde." Better to leave early.

Waiting any longer was asking for trouble, so they decided to depart at the crack of dawn the next morning and started packing their bags right then.

Originally, their luggage hadn’t been this much, but Ximeno was just too generous—not to mention all those male bugs who came to buy seduction kits.