Chapter 1

Prologue

A brilliant light bloomed in the distance.

At first, it was just a point, gradually transforming into a line. When the light fully blossomed, the brilliance became dazzling. It seemed to fill the entire world, yet also to destroy it.

The universe, vast and boundless.

Behind the light, there is always darkness.

Looking at the endless light before him, he smiled.

"Goodbye, Hera."

A massive shadow appeared behind him, and he gracefully retreated, merging into it.

The shadow flickered, covering a thousand miles in an instant.

...

Tianhuo Planet, Tianhuo City, Tianhuo Avenue.

This famous street does not allow any vehicles or robots, let alone mechs. Even the patrolling police must walk, the oldest method. This is a pedestrian street, a noble avenue hidden amidst high technology.

The street, about 2,048 meters long, is paved with smooth blue stone slabs. The buildings on both sides are unique, each with its own distinct history and background.

There are Gothic buildings with pointed spires from the Shangyuan era, grand and majestic Chinese-style buildings with carved railings and jade steps, and even Romanesque buildings.

This street, which shows no signs of high technology, is located in the most bustling central area of Tianhuo City. It is said that each square meter of land here is worth a top-of-the-line latest model of the high-altitude flying car, the Maxelli P12.

In the middle of Tianhuo Avenue, there is a small, not very conspicuous shop. It is considered small in comparison to the surrounding large and noble buildings.

The shop has a width of about ten meters along the street, with an overall design that blends classical luxury with a minimalist neo-classical style. The deep blue walls are like mirrors, and the bright display windows showcase several dazzling pieces of jewelry. At the top center, four letters form the store name, which glows in a deep blue: Zeus.

The door is made of an unknown deep blue metal, with no excessive decoration, only a lightning bolt pattern that almost runs vertically.

Zeus, the ancient Greek god of thunder and lightning.

Thus, the store is called Zeus Jewelry.

Inside the store, everything is in a deep blue world: deep blue carpets, deep blue velvet-covered walls, and even the display cases have deep blue backgrounds.

Behind the counter of Zeus Jewelry stand two young women, both wearing low-cut white dresses. They are both beautiful, but in different ways.

One is tall and slender, with eyebrows like distant mountains, a face like a lotus, and long black hair cascading over her shoulders. She looks like a clear and beautiful painting, with a classical charm.

The other is charming and cute, with neatly trimmed light blue short hair, a chest that is full and impressive, and large, deep blue eyes that often change, giving her a mischievous look.

"Boss, I want to eat ice cream," the short-haired girl said in a sweet, cloying voice.

A lazy voice followed, "Are you eating mine, or am I eating yours?"

The voice came from behind the counter, revealing a third person in the store. He looks to be in his twenties, sitting in a leather swivel chair with his hands behind his head, comfortably leaning back. He has black short hair, a black shirt, black pants, and a white vest with patterns of ancient Greek temples.

"Both are fine!" the short-haired girl giggled.

"Ke'er, stop fooling around," the long-haired girl said, somewhat helplessly.

The young man sat up straight, his movements graceful and elegant. Despite his slightly messy hair and stubble, he does not look unkempt.

His eyes are very bright, and although his smile is a bit lazy, every movement is elegant and pleasing, clearly the result of years of noble etiquette training.

He took out a silver pocket watch from his pocket, with many small but exquisite gems embedded on the surface, forming a beautiful starry sky pattern.

"It's about time. I'll tidy up and go for a drink. Xiuxiu, Ke'er, you should go back too."

The long-haired girl, Xiuxiu, smiled gently, "Boss, go ahead and get busy. We'll take care of the store."

The young man smiled warmly, "Xiuxiu is the best."

The short-haired girl, Ke'er, pouted, and the young man added, "Yes, Ke'er is also good."

"Jingle jingle." The doorbell rang as the door was pushed open, and a woman walked in.

Seeing this woman, the young man's eyes became even brighter.

She is a very beautiful woman, with heavy makeup that makes it hard to guess her age. She is about 1.7 meters tall, with a slender figure. She wears top-of-the-line luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels custom-made silver crystal high heels, which perfectly highlight her slender, straight legs. She wears a white knee-length pleated skirt and a white cocktail dress, with her long hair neatly tied up on top of her head.

Her eyes are a very special color, a deep green like emeralds, and looking into them seems to captivate the soul.

She paused slightly as she walked into the store, her gaze sweeping over the display windows.

Xiuxiu approached, smiling, "Hello, welcome to Zeus. Can I help you with anything?"

The woman did not look at her but fixed her gaze on the young man, "I want a fifty-carat or larger royal blue star sapphire pendant. Do you have one?"

The young man walked out from behind the counter, smiling, "Of course. Xiuxiu, please take this lady to the VIP room."

Xiuxiu gestured for the woman to follow, and on the other side, Ke'er had already opened the deep blue leather-covered door to the VIP room.

The VIP room is not large, only about ten square meters, with blue carpets and blue walls. There are also six blue safes embedded in the walls.

In addition, there is a table and three chairs in the VIP room, one on the inside and two on the outside.

This is the true trading area, where the most top-tier jewelry is never displayed in the windows.

The young man invited the woman to sit on one of the two chairs on the outside of the table.

Xiuxiu brought in a cup of warm water and handed it to the young man, not directly to the woman. The drink served by the boss naturally has a different flavor than that served by an employee. This is a detail, but often, details determine success or failure.

Xiuxiu quietly closed the VIP room door without making a sound. There is an unwritten rule in the store that when the boss is present, he personally attends to VIP room guests.

The young man walked to the woman's side and handed her the cup of water, "Please have some water."

The woman took the cup but also looked up at him, "Zeus!"

The young man's smile faded, and he took the cup back from her.

The cup glowed, and the clear water inside suddenly turned blue, composed of countless tiny lightning bolts.

The young man looked at her calmly, and the woman's body trembled slightly, as if she had been frozen in place.

He drank the water, which was now swirling with electric light, and pushed open the VIP room door, walking out.

"She is not here to buy anything. Please ask her to leave. I'm going for a drink."