Chapter 32: Farce

"Good morning, Mr. Andy." Jiang Hui was not entirely sure if it was still morning. After all, she had been asleep for so long, and she had spent such a vast amount of time in that strange space that it could easily have been a day or two by now.

She stared at the empty test tube on the table. The mental stabilizer inside had been completely drained, leaving only a thin film of residue clinging to the glass.

Andy, naturally, did not take issue with her uncertainty, responding instead with a tone that sounded somewhat flattered: "Good morning, Ms. Jiang."

"Is there something you need?" Having just emerged from that bewildering dream, Jiang Hui felt mentally scattered and lethargic, her voice carrying a careless, languid quality.

Andy did not think much of it. After all, she was a patient and an unawakened individual under twenty years of age. The corporation’s behavior toward someone like her was already aggressive and inhumane. If she were a more formidable person, she might have dragged them to the Interstellar Court long ago, rather than waiting for him to arrive to negotiate a settlement.

Seeing that she seemed to be in a fair mood and had not yet lumped him together with the Helus Group in her disdain, Andy breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly chose a topic that seemed less volatile: "How are you feeling today? I apologize for taking up so much of your time yesterday; I expect it must have interfered with your rest."

*Poor thing,* he thought, looking at her weary expression. *This is a textbook case of mistreating an unawakened minor.*

"You said that yesterday, didn't you? It’s no trouble; I agreed to it myself. Hmm... but did you call me several times?" Jiang Hui idly checked her communication logs and was surprised to find that he had already called multiple times—this was the third attempt.

"Yes. You didn't pick up the first call, so I assumed you were busy and didn't call back immediately. But after a while, when you still hadn't answered, I grew worried that you might be unwell and unable to pick up, which is why I made this third attempt." Andy felt a bit embarrassed, likely feeling that he had been slightly overstepping his bounds.

She must have been asleep. Jiang Hui recalled that she had indeed heard a rhythmic sound in her dreams. Because the dreams were so chaotic, she had dismissed it as an illusion, not realizing it had been an incoming communication from Andy.

"Thank you for your concern. I suppose I was asleep and didn't hear it," Jiang Hui said, her voice softening. The sharp edges of her tone dissipated, returning to her usual calm. She was only human, and she could not maintain a cold facade in the face of such genuine kindness.

However, regardless of her demeanor, there was business to attend to. He must have called for a reason, and she had not forgotten who Mr. Andy represented. Recalling the message she had received earlier that morning, she understood the situation.

"So, what is it you wish to discuss? Please, be direct," Jiang Hui said.

Andy looked somewhat apologetic. "It’s regarding yesterday’s matters. Ms. Jiang, you remember what we agreed upon, don't you?"

Jiang Hui nodded, though her expression grew cold. Seeming to recall something unpleasant, she frowned and said, "Mr. Andy, you are a step too late. This morning, an employee claiming to be from the Helus Group sent a message to my terminal, rambling on and on. I had no patience for her, so I blocked her."

It wasn't just rambling; the woman’s attitude had been incredibly arrogant. She acted as if she were a member of the board of directors. It was truly a case of a powerful entity bullying a customer. Besides, even if she *were* a board member, it would be none of Jiang Hui’s concern. Since it was the Helus Group that needed things from her, and having been educated on some interstellar laws by Mr. Callet, she knew her standing.

Her resentment toward the Helus Group had reached its peak. The only reason she still had the patience to speak with Andy was out of respect for him—the one person who had actually engaged in a meaningful conversation with her since she arrived. Otherwise, she would have filed a lawsuit long ago, and even a wealthy and powerful firm like the Helus Group would have struggled to deal with the fallout.

At the mention of this, even Andy, who seemed to be a man of mild temperament, looked quite grim. His grimness, however, was not directed at Jiang Hui, but at the Helus Group he worked for.

When he had returned to the group yesterday and faced friction, this was the exact reason why. They were the ones who had pushed him to the front to avoid trouble, and now they were the ones objecting to the resolution. The group had established a special task force to settle this, supposedly to seek Jiang Hui's forgiveness and resolve the crisis. But when Andy brought back the results, one of the board members seemed displeased. Andy suspected it was Jiang Hui’s second additional condition that had caused the friction, as the director likely felt it damaged the conglomerate's reputation.

The director had immediately refused, demanding that Andy renegotiate. He even wanted to apply pressure and cut the compensation in half.

Andy had protested, trying to advocate for Jiang Hui. Bullying an unawakened minor was already unethical; the Helus Group was clearly the offending party, and they were walking a tightrope that could snap at any moment. To resolve this properly, they naturally had to pay the price. Moreover, the requirements Jiang Hui had proposed were not excessive. He truly believed that if the Helus Group wanted to settle this, they should cut the losses quickly rather than worrying about their pride.

However, that director held significant influence within the Helus Group and had his own faction. He was adamant about his stance.

And so, Andy had directly fallen out with the Helus Group. He stated plainly that he had delivered the message and would not be held responsible for what happened next. He then resigned on the spot, despite the group's attempts to hold him back.