Jade

A senior manager in the IPC Strategic Investment Department and one of the Ten Stonehearts, known for her cornerstone "Jade of Credit."

A beautiful and elegant moneylender, skilled in deciphering the depths of people's minds, she often exacts a price from her adversaries and secures the IPC's profits through collateral and contractual agreements.

She is willing to go to great lengths to lay the groundwork for acquiring something of greater value, and to extract benefits from seemingly penniless clients.

In the Silverchain Galaxy, a rare once-in-a-hundred-Amber-Era ion storm approached. A young woman from a family involved in the jewelry trade stood on the terrace, gazing out at a sky inundated with unusual colors.

"It's time to leave, miss. Mr. Horus has hired an entire starship, and we need to make our way to Basvia Starport for shelter."

"But the commoners in the Silverchain have not heard of the storm, no?"

"We don't have a choice. It's to prevent possible riots."

"...Leave if you want, but I'll stay here and seek that lady's help."

"But this ion storm will obliterate all your wealth..."

"There are always things that can't be measured simply by price, such as... kindness and life."

The aged butler let out a deep sigh.

The young lady walked into the pawn shop.

"Welcome to Bonajade Exchange. Who are you? And what do you seek?"

An unfamiliar and elegant voice rang from behind the curtain.

"Oh, kind lady. The worries in your soul seem as turbulent as the raging calamity in the Silverchain Galaxy."

The speaker in the shadows emitted a warm light. The young lady looked up anxiously.

"Yes, this is why I'm here. I seek... for a hope."

"A hope of saving the Silverchain Galaxy, I see. What price will you pay in return?"

"The Oceanic Dream, the Sacred Blood, and the Jewel of the Century... Each of these gems would be sufficient to redeem ownership of an asteroid..."

"You know they are not nearly enough."

"A lease on a third of the Silverchain Galaxy's mining industry... and the contract lasts for eternity."

"Your sincerity is impressive, but I'm afraid that's still not enough."

"But I don't have anything else to give to you..."

"Do you believe that everything in this world can be traded?"

A hand reached out from the darkness, white and slender.

The young lady looked up, and the flicker that was fading in her eyes began to pulsate anew.

"I will bring peace to the Silverchain Galaxy. As for the price... I want the entirety of you."

"You will become the IPC's agent in the Silverchain Galaxy. From this moment on, every huff of your breath and every minute of your life will contribute to the Amber Lord's great cause..."

"Until the very end of your life."

"The Silverchain Galaxy has been officially included in the IPC's commercial sphere. Our profits for the next cycle are expected to increase by 47%."

Three P46-level representatives sat around the table in an opulent conference room.

"That place should just get destroyed by the ion storm, straightforward and simple."

The man kept his gaze fixed at the window as he talked. The dusk in Pier Point is purplish red, while the towering buildings reflected the opalescent glow.

"My opinion is the opposite. Prey that dies a natural death... what fun is there in that?"

The woman sitting across the round table remarked, gently swirling the wine in her goblet, red as blood.

"I am unlike the two of you. I am simply a merchant."

Jade rose, smiling as she finished her statement. She knew this outcome would come to pass, that there was no chance of the three people in this room coming to an agreement.

"My expertise is but waiting for that critical investment to present itself in transaction after transaction."

"The desperate will give anything to see their desires manifest, and these desires will also imbue them with unparalleled power."

"Witness: The Silverchain Galaxy that once rejected the IPC have now become reliable allies of the 'Strategic Investment Department.'"

"So, look forward to it. The seeds I plant today will be sown as tomorrow's fruits."

In the Borderlands, there exists a legend that when one is in utter despair and ready to give up everything they have, they may request the IPC's help, and if fortune favors them, a moneylender, who never declines any client, will arrive.

"Welcome to the Bonajade Exchange. Who are you? And what do you seek?"

For countless times, she repeated the greeting, awaiting the desires from the entire cosmos to surge toward her.

A beautiful dancer came to her, seeking the possibility of eternal beauty. She took a portion of her lifespan and granted her access to the Intelligentsia Guild. Time and time again, the dancer regained her youthful years, only to return again when age caught up with her. Until one day, she left hiding her face in her hands, never to return.

A soldier from a fallen country pledged all his emotions for the chance of vengeance. Having lost all grief and anger, he transformed into a war machine sowing death. Eventually, he eradicated all his former enemies and was forever trapped in his past, leaving only scorched earth in the aftermath — territories that later fell under the IPC's possession.

A couple from Baviru traded their memories in exchange for absolute wealth. They visited her Bonajade Exchange at different stages of their lives, seeking wealth, fame, and social standing... until they had squandered all of their memories. They lived a content life, only to forget it all in the end.

Rumor circulated that anything could be used as collateral at the Bonajade Exchange, and even those without any possessions would have a chance to gain a new lease of life.

"You call that charity!? Nah, she's an evil witch! A cursed demon who enjoys collecting souls!"

"Never ever talk to her, or you'll end up losing everything..."

"You're talking about Lady Bonajade? No, she's not like that at all! Without her help, my hometown would have been taken over as a colony ages ago."

She listens to the rumors about her circulating among the stars, but she pays them no mind.

"There is but a thin line between right and wrong, and good and evil."

"Once a desire, however tiny it is, is ignited, more desires will ensue. All that we need to do is to... wait and reap."

She meticulously counted her collections, the remnants of people's burning desires.

On a different day, two young individuals arrived at her door. The door swung open silently, revealing a room veiled in smoke. Amidst the smoke, she momentarily paused her evaluation of collateral on the scales, and graciously offered fresh tea for her visitors.

"As I anticipated, Opal chose you to handle the Penacony case, but it seems... you've found a new ally."

She remarked, gesturing for them to take a seat on the ornate chairs that still retained warmth from the previous visitor.

"What do you need to collect bad debts owed by Penacony?"

"Your Cornerstone." the young man replied, meeting her gaze.

"Well, this is the first time anyone has asked for such a thing. What price will you pay in return?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"Our Cornerstones." the young lady replied.

"And my life, too. I have no choice except that if I want to tear open a gash in Penacony." A glimmer of light flickered within the bottomless pupils of the young man.

When their eyes met, various memories of the past flickered past, then settled on the image of her first encounter with these two.

She let out a soft sigh, placing a miniature model of Penacony on one end of the scale.

"Each of us has our own beginnings and endings."

The topaz stone was placed on the other end of the scale.

"This journey together may be long or short, but as long as we haven't reached the end, we must honor our contract."

The aventurine stone followed.

"In this world, nothing is truly beyond value. Everything can be measured, leveraged, and traded..."

In the end, the jade stone was placed on the scale, and the scales tipped completely and fell.

"Now, let's trade them for the future of Penacony."