NoGift

A LOUD thunder was followed by a huge lightning that flashed across the already dark sky. The heavy rain poured down like a torrent, one could even hear the loud rustling of the wind. The angry waves smacked againts both sides of the huge ship. It was, no doubt, a big thunderstorm.

Argent was inside her cabin looking through the project plan that Finn sent to her just now. But she couldn't focus because of the booming thunder. Everytime it sounded, her body couldn't help but tensed up. As if it was telling her that the thunder was a sign of something bad happening. Argent took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. Then she continued reading the plan. The longer she read, the calmer she became. Once she's done, she couldn't help but smile.

That Finn. He really had some great ideas in that head of his.

She closed the plan sent to her light brain. Then she contacted Finn. Her call immediately connected.

Finn stared at her, looking at her face intently. "Your face look pale, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's this stupid weather, it's getting on my nerves."

"Uncle Jax told me about what happened to Aunt Thea. It's the reason you're going to Xing, right? If you have told me, I would have thought of a plan much sooner. Or am I that unreliable?"

"Stupid. If I think you're unreliable, then I wouldn't have asked you to make a plan for a big project. Telling you would just cause unnecessary worry. You didn't tell Felicia about this as well, right?" Finn shook his head. "Because you know she would just needlessly worry. It's the same principle."

Finn just sighed and no longer argued with Argent. Because with this guy's character, Finn knew the argument would just go nowhere. "Have you read the plan I sent you?"

"Yes. It's perfect. Good job, Finn."

The plan involved the best-selling novel in [Quill&Ink] - The Revenge of the Reborn Fifth Miss. It's a story filled with drama, revenge, stupid villains, and countless men falling in love with the female lead. It's filled with cliched tropes and yet the audience still loved it. The setting of the story was a made up country called Qin. But anyone who read it could tell that the author used Xing as the model for that made up country. It was probably because the author grew up in Xing but then moved to Amexem during her teenage years. That's why even though the setting was in a country modeled from Xing, the author used the common tongue to write it. Which gave the author a much larger audience.

So in Finn's plan, Silver Corporation would invest in making a live-action adaptation of the said story. An idea like that would be a first in this world. Sure, some classic literature works in this world had been adapted as theater plays and operas. But an adaptation that could be watched by everyone in the world was a first. Because Finn planned to make a recording of that adaptation where actors and actresses would play the characters in the novel. And of course, Xing would be the setting.

Once the recording was done, the people would be able to watch it on the Silver Corporation's [VideoFlix] channel. But since the novel was too long, it would be divided into a few parts. The people who wanted to watch it would have to pay a certain amount of cyber coins.

If it was done right, then it would definitely be a huge source of money. The problem was the equipment that would be used for recording. But that could be easily solved by her. Argent could just tell White to program the robots that mechanically manufactured the sPhones to make a camera based on one of her blueprints stored in the lab.

Then the reason why Argent would come to Xing herself was to search for locations for the adaptation. It would be the perfect cover for her to go around Xing without anyone suspecting that she was up to something. As for why the founder of the Silver Corporation would search for the location herself, let's just say that they're being careful with their investment.

"Is it feasible though?" Finn asked.

"Yeah. A special camera will be made in my lab. Once it's done, I'll ask Felicia to take it to you along with a manual on how to use it. Then you just have to train people on how to use the camera."

"Okay. Then what should we call it? I'm not really good with names. So..."

"Let's call it a series and then each part would be called an episode."

Finn nodded. "I think that's perfect."

They talked a bit more before ending the call.

Argent leaned back on the chair she was sitting on and let out a tired sigh. She could still hear the rumbling thunder and rain outside. Just when would this thunderstorm end?

----------

Argent walked towards the ship's deck. It was already the middle of the night. The storm already passed but there was still light rain falling from the sky. When she arrived at the deck, she noticed that there wasn't even a hint that the ship just went through a huge thunderstorm. It's probably because during that storm, a huge barrier surrounded the whole ship. She heard it was the Gift of one of the prince's guard.

She raised her hand and felt the raindrops on her palm. [Cold...]

Then she felt a warm cloak suddenly wrapping around her shoulders. Argent looked up and saw the serious face of the young general. She didn't even feel his approach.

"You should go inside or you might get a cold," Zhang Lei Feng said in that baritoned voice.

She was about to talk when she noticed something. The rain was still falling and yet none of it was dropping on her body. She looked back at the general. "Are you doing this?" she asked, referring to how the rain seemed to avoid her. The general nodded. "I thought your Gift is lightning?"

"I can also control the wind."

Argent was kind of surprised when she heard that answer. She was just not sure if she was more surprised by the answer itself or that the general didn't even hesitate to answer her. "A double Gift user. That's rare." Almost as rare as her special constitution. Or rather than rare, it's better to say that it's unheard of. "Are you sure it's alright to tell me that? I might used that against you, you know."

"I won't give you a chance to do that."

She smirked. "Why? Because you'll silence me before I do?"

"No. Because I won't ever let the two of us become enemies."

Argent was startled by that answer, especially once she saw the determination in those obsidian black eyes. She remembered that the general has a tell when he lied, but he wasn't showing that now. Meaning that he really meant what he just said. Somehow, she didn't know how to react to that. So she just chose to be a smartass about it.

"Then you better hope that that time would never come."

"It won't," he said with equal decisiveness.

She just shook her head and gave the cloak to the general. "Well then, I think I'll take your advice and go inside. Good night, general."

Argent was about to walk inside when the general spoke and stopped her.

"Lei Feng. Please, call me Lei Feng."

She turned around. Even with the spar lighting on the ship's deck, Argent still noticed the reddening of the general's ear tips. Was that weird disease of his acting up again? Argent just shrugged and chose to compromise. It's not really a big deal to call someone by their names.

"Good night then, Lei Feng."

"Good night, Argent," he said with a small smile on his lips.

Argent wasn't sure if it was just her imagination but she literally felt that the guy was suddenly emitting happy bubbles. Even though the expression on his face didn't really change. She just ignored it and continued to walk back inside the ship.