Chương 150: Chapter 149: The Pacific Recovery Zone and the Global Commendation Ceremony

The Pacific Recovery Zone sat under an internationally supervised quarantine line, a small translucent blue residual core held inside a floating containment platform. No smoke. No lingering magma. Along the guarded perimeter, recovery ships from several governments and international agencies waited for audited access under the new safety protocol. On a temporary platform overlooking the ocean, a Korean emergency official and a UN coordinator stood before a modest international press pool.

The UN coordinator held up a modest recognition plaque, speaking through the microphone in a resonant voice.

"Mr. Lucian Vance - founder of Vance Earth Holdings - helped identify and shut down a local legacy failure mode. The recovery work remains international and supervised." Measured applause rolled through the platform. Lucian, in a crisply tailored black suit, stepped up to the podium and pulled the microphone slightly closer.

"Thank you for the kind words." He pulled an iPad out of his jacket, opened a holographic draft of an energy contract, and spoke in an even tone.

"On this occasion, Vance Earth Holdings is offering technical-service, salvage-research, and training proposals for the supervised recovery process: Any energy or material recovered from the core remains under the authorities' custody until testing and allocation are complete. Our work will be paid through declared, regulated accounts with full provenance records. Any future supply agreement will require safety approval, transparent pricing, and the relevant governments' consent."

Lucian glanced around at the agency representatives and recovery officials gathered below the stage.

"A few pilot memoranda are available for agencies and utilities that want to explore the work after their own review. Thank you." The officials on the platform exchanged guarded, relieved looks. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Several delegations asked for copies and formed working groups instead of rushing toward a single contract table. Ting! Ting! Ting! [UNIFIED SYSTEM V2. 0: EARTH ARC STATUS NOTE] Earth route verified; first supervised dungeon-concession pilot secured.

Vance Earth Holdings established subject to ordinary review; international recovery negotiations opened. The Pacific Calamity was neutralized through a local legacy fail-safe, not planetary ownership. [SYSTEM ASSET ASSESSMENT:] Host's Earth assets remain provisional, documented, and subject to the jurisdictions involved. At the edge of the supervised observation platform.

Astra, in her modest flower-print dress, sat in the observation area with a bamboo fishing rod in one hand and strawberry ice cream in the other, eating happily. Sylvia sat beside her, scrolling through an iPad full of international headlines calling Lucian a "young reformer," while flagging the ones that overstated the facts. A short distance away, on an observation balcony overlooking the Pacific sunset. Eleanor stood in a long white coat, her golden hair drifting in the cool sea breeze.

She leaned against the railing, hands clasped together, watching the blazing red sun sink slowly into the ocean. Eleanor tilted her head toward the recovery ships.

"You opened one small door on Earth, and now half the paperwork is trying to walk through it." Lucian stood beside her, hands in his trouser pockets, looking out at the distant sea of clouds.

"Still not enough. We need to make the pilot work before we can even pretend to have a comfortable retirement." Eleanor laughed out loud and gave his hand a light squeeze. Clack! Clack! Clack! Hurried footsteps rang out from the crystal staircase — Evelyn and Sylvia. Evelyn, sleeves rolled up on her hoodie, held a tablet showing a new authenticated signal routing through the already-established transit channel.

"Lucian! The Pacific device did not give us any root access, but the signal is carrying an authenticated Solaris family stamp." Before Lucian could respond, Sylvia hurried up, holding out a cross-border magical communication mirror.

"Lucian! We just received an urgent magical signal from the Solaris world!" The crystal mirror's surface lit up, displaying Mother Valeria's familiar black-flame seal and a short priority tag.

'Lucian: return when you can. Your father has created a Bifrost Bridge repair problem, and I need a second pair of hands for the bill. - Mother Valeria' Lucian read the message, the corner of his mouth slowly curving into a wary smile.

"The Divine Realm, huh?" He turned to look at Eleanor, Astra, Sylvia, and Evelyn.

"Pack up. We're going home... to audit a family repair bill."