Although Maier's words were harsh, they were undeniably true.
Had Maier and Evelyn's parents not perished, it would have been their family steering the upper echelons of M Nation.
"But Lacey's parents were also rightful successors, and with Lacey's intellect, she's certainly no less capable than us. Moreover, she's the founder of the renowned Legend Corporation. What do you make of that?" Evelyn asked pointedly.
"You needn't worry about that," Maier replied smugly. "From my observations over the past two days, Mejelo surely understands the situation. Besides, our Chesfield family has always passed leadership to men. When has it ever been a woman's turn?"
"Very well, I hope you succeed in rising to the top, dear brother." Evelyn raised her wineglass in a toast.
"Thank you, my dear sister."
Time flowed swiftly, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.
In those three days, earth-shattering events unfolded. Several small nations in the West were entirely overrun by extraterrestrial creatures, while one or two East Asian countries also fell, becoming playgrounds for the invaders.
Massive waves of refugees flooded into neighboring countries at an alarming rate.
Initially, major powers considered deploying their armies, but after facing devastating losses during the initial skirmishes, they fell silent. Everyone now understood that the age of conventional weaponry was waning.
Nations with powerful corporations were reluctant to send them into danger. The invaders capable of subjugating entire countries had clearly reached the formidable A-level classification. As a result, most nations adopted a wait-and-see approach.
Meanwhile, Z Nation proposed an international assistance pact, which many smaller nations agreed to. Yet, despite this cooperation, manpower was still woefully inadequate.
The most shocking incident, however, unfolded in R Nation, where M Nation's corporation stirred a hornet's nest.
R Nation, already on the brink of disaster, was plagued by hundreds of dimensional rifts it could not seal. Desperate, they sought aid from M Nation.
Backed by Z Nation's international pact, M Nation sent numerous ability users to assist. However, lacking the expertise of a powerhouse like Zhaotian Corporation, they prioritized sealing low-level rifts.
The situation turned tragic when M Nation's Scepter Corporation, intending to train new recruits, dispatched two C-level task force leaders with a group of novices. Within just three hours, the team retreated in disarray, and the two leaders had perished, torn apart by the creatures.
Following this debacle, the rift escalated from a D-level to a C-level dimensional anomaly. Scepter Corporation convened an emergency meeting, determined to salvage their reputation. They assembled eight B-level hunters and thirty-two C-level hunters to confront the newly upgraded rift.
But in less than six hours, the entire team was annihilated, leaving no survivors.
The upper management of Scepter Corporation was dumbfounded. R Nation's leaders were equally astounded.
Their goal was to have M Nation's experts close the rift, not inadvertently strengthen it. If escalation was the objective, they could have achieved that on their own, without hiring costly foreign aid!
As word of the catastrophe spread, other corporations involved in international cooperation began exercising extreme caution. No one wanted to become the next Scepter Corporation.
While this news sent ripples through the industry, an even more dramatic development occurred involving Legend Corporation.
Legend Corporation boldly announced its intention to stabilize the materials market by purchasing all materials at a fixed price point.
Those in the know merely scoffed, while the uninformed hailed the corporation as saviors. By the afternoon, every listed batch of C- and B-grade materials—some in the hundreds—had been bought out.
Prices that had previously tanked vanished without a trace.
Legend Corporation then proclaimed it would control the market for the next two weeks, warning that any attempts to disrupt the pricing would be met with retaliation.
Many trusted their words; after all, the materials hoarded by Legend Corporation were astronomical. No one dared risk challenging them.
Little did the public know, this elaborate scheme had been orchestrated entirely by Legend Corporation itself. They were carefully cultivating this illusion of dominance.
That afternoon, Xu Que, as usual, was focused on forging armor.
Although his forging skill had maxed out in experience, the external absorption rate of the *Nest Crystal* was excruciatingly slow, hindering his ability to level up. This, however, did not trouble him greatly. His primary concern remained increasing his strength and fire resistance.
As he pondered the news Ku Li had shared about interdimensional threats, Maier approached with a self-satisfied grin.
"Xu, I've got a tremendous surprise for you this time," Maier declared triumphantly.
Feigning curiosity, Xu Que responded, "Oh? And what might that be?"
Maier, pleased with Xu's apparent naivety, initiated a trade. "These are the only remaining C- and B-grade materials on Blue Star. You must forge us the best weapons possible."
As Maier dumped an overwhelming amount of materials onto the trade list, Xu Que was momentarily stunned.
Too many. An impossible quantity.
Even Xu, who prided himself on his composure, found this hard to believe. In his past life, he and Duan Jiude had painstakingly scraped together a fraction of such resources, only to have them snatched away by Tang Xue's faction before they could be put to use.
"According to your materials list, this should be sufficient to craft 200,000 B-grade armors, 150,000 B-grade shoulder guards, and 120,000 C-grade weapons. As for the rest, you can handle them as you see fit. In the meantime, I'll secure some A-grade materials for you," Maier added with a smug grin.
Xu Que, still processing the staggering volume of resources, nodded absently—a reflexive response. These materials were enough to arm an entire military division of Z Nation!
Unbeknownst to him, the Chesfield family had spared no expense, pouring everything into this operation.
Hiding his astonishment, Xu Que hesitantly inquired, "May I ask how much it cost to gather these materials?"
Maier's expression faltered briefly before he admitted, "The expense was immense, and the sacrifices even greater. But it's all worth it. As long as you can forge these weapons swiftly, the returns will more than compensate."
"Rest assured, I will complete the task on time," Xu Que pledged earnestly.
Satisfied with Xu Que's assurance, Maier's grin widened. "Then I look forward to your success."