Chapter 150 (2/3): Nice Weather, Please Enter the Trap

Su Fu was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

“That sounds really nice.” She nodded, then abruptly changed the subject. “But Chief Inspector, I have a question.”

“What question?” Elena maintained her perfect smile.

“If you believe that I cannot protect my artifacts,” Su Fu said curiously, “then after you take them away, who will protect them?”

Elena’s expression remained calm, as if she had anticipated this question.

“We will follow procedure and invite capable organizations to discuss becoming guarantors.” She explained meaningfully, “Of course, it’s not simply handing them over to a single organization, but a system of responsibility.”

“That means if harm occurs in the future due to improper storage, the responsible organization must bear full liability.”

“Including compensation for such harm.”

She paused, her tone sympathetic. “You, Student Su Fu, are too young. You are not yet able to take responsibility for your own decisions.”

“If we forcibly leave them with you and harm results… what will you use to take responsibility?”

“You must understand, some responsibilities are beyond your ability to bear.”

“Or, to put it more bluntly…”

“What can you use to take responsibility?”

This combo made Su Fu laugh.

‘How high‑sounding, how utterly hypocritical.’

‘They clearly covet my artifacts, yet they have to pretend to be concerned for human safety.’

“Brilliant!” She couldn’t help clapping.

‘Isn’t this just a roundabout way of saying I’m too poor to pay compensation?’

‘So this is what power is?’

‘The so‑called safety regulations are nothing but a fig leaf for the great families to monopolize top‑tier resources.’

‘They make the rules, they hold the power of interpretation, and they use these “regulations” to justify plunder—thus creating a monopoly.’

‘As for who is qualified to keep these super‑specification items?’

‘Do I even need to think? It’s bound to be the lofty Seven Great Clans.’

‘What a well‑calculated scheme.’

She was just about to say “come and take them if you can” when she suddenly heard a ding sound.

It came from Parks, the Principal of the Genesis Academy, who stood in the center of the room.

He glanced down at a message, then looked up at everyone:

“Sorry, I forgot to turn off the sound.”

Everyone: ‘We were right in the middle of an intense moment, and you had to ruin the atmosphere.’

Elena was about to continue, but Parks raised a hand:

“Just a moment.”

“Elena, I just received news that Su Fu has been accepted to our academy.”

He waved his hand, projecting the acceptance notice as a hologram.

The acceptance notice glowed with gold, floating in front of everyone.

Parks spoke calmly: “That means Su Fu is now a student of our academy.”

“In light of what you just stated, I, in the name of the Genesis Academy Principal, will act as Su Fu’s guarantor.”

He paused, sweeping his gaze across the room.

“Is that sufficient?”

Parks said it as if it were a trivial matter.

But those words plunged the entire room into deathly silence.

The family representatives exchanged glances, clearly not expecting Parks to actually intervene!

They had thought he would turn a blind eye, given that it meant tearing off all pretense with the Seven Great Clans.

Who knew he would step in so forcefully?

In other words, the Genesis Academy was determined to protect Su Fu?

Elena’s expression flickered, but she quickly regained her composure: “Principal Parks, even the Genesis Academy cannot override the Interstellar Supreme Law…”

Parks calmly interrupted: “So, you are questioning our academy’s qualification to act as guarantor?”

No one dared to answer.

‘Of course he can be a guarantor, but is that really the point?’

‘From now on, will all super‑specification items be guaranteed by the academy?’

‘Then what use are these regulations?!’

‘They’ll all belong to the Ministry of Education anyway!’

But no one dared say it.

Elena no longer had the nerve to be stubborn.

In that delicate silence, Parks was about to speak again when he suddenly stopped and looked toward the door.

Dit. Dit. Dit…

Clear footsteps echoed from the corridor. The rhythm was unhurried, yet it inexplicably made everyone’s heart tighten.

Creak—

The door swung open.

A tall figure stepped into the room. A black coat draped down; black hair was pinned up high; her brows and eyes carried a sharp, cold edge.

She was like an unsheathed sword.

No introduction was needed. Just looking at her, anyone could tell she was a figure standing at the peak of power.

The moment she appeared, the entire room’s atmosphere shifted.

The representatives of the Seven Great Clans actually rose to their feet in unison, their expressions respectful, even tinged with fear.

“Lady Vivienne!” The Fujiwara Clan Head bowed first.

The head of the Verdanti Family also lowered his head in greeting, his posture humble.

Everyone else followed suit.

Su Fu raised an eyebrow, her gaze fixed on the uninvited guest.

The woman first swept a casual glance across the entire room, then finally landed her eyes on Su Fu.

Her lips curved slightly in a faint, ambiguous smile:

“You are Su Fu?”

Vivienne had just taken a step when Parks stood up, his voice cold:

“Vivienne, are you representing the United General Bureau, or the Five God Dawn?”

Su Fu’s heart skipped a beat.

‘Oh my god!’

She looked at the group from the great families with an expression that said it all—each one was already a clan leader, and they still called for backup?

‘How shameless, to actually bring in the highest institution, the Five God Dawn?!’

This was the topmost echelon of the great families, the core power circle formed by the strongest of the five divine pantheons.

It stood above all institutions, and together with the representative council of the four bureaus, the Council of Dawn, it formed the United Divine Administration Bureau—the supreme decision‑making body of the interstellar order.

Truly the highest group that held the fate of the interstellar realm.

At Vivienne’s words, she paused mid‑step, shifting her gaze from Su Fu to Parks.

Her expression sobered slightly, and her tone was calm:

“There is no difference, Principal.”

“I merely received a report. According to safety regulations, I need to review the items Su Fu obtained.”

She deliberately slowed her speech, a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth:

“Principal, you wouldn’t be thinking of violating the regulations, would you?”

“A friendly reminder: refusal to cooperate will be considered a violation of the Interstellar Supreme Law.”

As she said that, the air in the room seemed to freeze.

Hermann, Elena, and the others held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

This was, after all, the Genesis Academy—Parks’s territory.

If Parks grew angry, no one present could walk away unharmed; they would all be finished!

The only one who wasn’t particularly tense was probably Su Fu.

She was even watching the two with interest.

She had roughly grasped something—

She herself seemed to be a trigger.

The real struggle behind the scenes was a power contest between the Ministry of Education and the God Bureau.

The so‑called safety regulations were just a means for the God Bureau to suppress and check the Ministry of Education under the guise of compliance.

The great families wanted to snatch food from the Ministry of Education’s plate, so they invented safety regulations.

And this time, the “food” they had targeted happened to come from her, Su Fu, and coincidentally, this “food” was a little too good.

After all, they were all top‑tier concept‑type artifacts.

If she were Parks, she would never let these people easily make off with those supreme artifacts.

But for Vivienne and the others, if they opened this crack because of her, wouldn’t the Ministry of Education gradually encroach on their power from now on?

Could they still pull out “food” later?

Thus, they absolutely could not back down.

To that end, they had even brought in the biggest boss above them—Lady Vivienne of the Five God Dawn.

The atmosphere reached its breaking point.

Behind Vivienne stood the Seven Great Clans and the Five God Dawn, while Parks represented the dignity of the Genesis Academy and even the entire Ministry of Education.

Just as tensions were at their peak, Parks suddenly smiled.

“Of course not.”

“A review? That’s fine.”

“We will fully cooperate.”

He turned slightly, and the space behind him twisted, extending into an independent domain.

“Let’s talk inside?”

Vivienne stared at Parks for two seconds, then also gave a meaningful smile.

“Very well.”

“I’ve long heard that the Principal’s Space Dao has reached perfection. Having witnessed it today, the reputation is well deserved.”

Vivienne stepped calmly into that space, and she, along with Parks and the others, vanished instantly.

Vivienne had gone in, but the people she brought surrounded the entire room. For now, no one dared to act rashly.

Fortunately, the room was spacious enough to hold so many people without feeling crowded.

For a while, many family representatives and bureau representatives crowded around Su Fu, greeting her with beaming faces.

“Student Su Fu, truly a hero from youth! Are you interested in developing with our Amaterasu Pantheon?”

“Don’t listen to him. Our Olympus Saint Land just has a visiting slot open. If you’re interested, you’re welcome to come anytime.”

“…Our supreme Lord of the Underworld is very interested in you. If you’re willing, you can enter our Underworld for training.”

“Let me introduce myself: I’m a representative of Celestial Vault Shipping. If you have the chance, do come visit us at Celestial Vault!”

The scene was as lively as a job fair.

Su Fu turned them all down.

‘Courting me?’

‘She knew perfectly well: these people weren’t valuing her.’

‘They only wanted the top‑tier artifacts on her and the benefits she could bring in the future.’

‘What did a momentary treasure matter? As long as they won her over, they could harvest endlessly from now on.’

‘Like leeks in a field—cut one batch, and another grows.’

‘But she, Su Fu, was not a leek to be manipulated.’

‘She wanted to find someone to cut for a change. Could some rich woman come and take her along?’

After coldly dismissing them, Su Fu looked curiously toward the spot where Parks and the others had disappeared, pondering:

‘The Genesis Academy Principal should be human, right? But that Vivienne…’

She felt a bit troubled. ‘Pseudo‑gods are far too hard to distinguish.’

Just then, her peripheral vision caught Master Yan holding a brush, painting with focused attention.

Su Fu was intrigued and walked over.

On the rice paper, ink washes had already sketched the outlines of everyone in the room.

Family representatives, inspection officials… all kinds of figures, vivid and lifelike.

And the newly arrived Vivienne was being added.

Her figure stood within the painting, rendered only in ink strokes—just a few lines—yet she stood out like a crane among chickens, her edge fully exposed.

“As expected of Master Yan,” someone nearby praised. “Your painting skill is truly divine; you even captured Lady Vivienne’s aura perfectly!”

“Yes, you can recognize her at a glance!” another chimed in. “If this painting were auctioned, it would surely fetch a sky‑high price!”

“The composition, the brushwork—simply indescribably wonderful!”

Master Yan smiled faintly, not responding to the flattery, and continued to refine the painting with his brush.

Just then, a young man from one of the great families suddenly asked:

“Master Yan, I heard you were invited by the Genesis Academy to become a teacher?”

“What subject? Combat?”

Master Yan shook his head, his tone gentle. “I am but a scholar, not skilled in fighting.”

The man nodded as if suddenly understanding. “Indeed, indeed. So what subject do you teach?”

Master Yan’s brush paused, and he said flatly:

“Cosmic Sociology.”

“Cosmic… Sociology?” The man was startled, then frowned. “An elective?”

His tone subtly cooled, and the enthusiasm in his eyes faded considerably.