Jasper worked incredibly fast.
In just ten minutes, a rumor swept silently through the entirety of Project Zero-
Transit.
The Predator's Den was the first to explode.
Everyone aboard Project Zero-Transit was there for profit. Those hunters-men and women who walked on the edge of a blade, willing to throw away their lives for a massive payout—saw red the moment they heard the news.
"Did you hear? The Sanctum Vault is hiding Living Assets more precious than tonight's finale!"
"Are you serious? I heard tonight's finale is the research serum left behind by Elyndor's top female professor, Aria Wynn, from thirty years ago. It's the only one of its kind in the world. They say if you can acquire that serum and reverse-engineer it, it can repair necrotic nerves. The profits from that would be astronomical."
"What could possibly be worth more than that serum?"
"Where did this intel come from? Could someone be feeding us garbage to use us as cannon fodder?"
"If the organizers really had cargo of that caliber, there's no way they'd let it slip." Initially, many hunters were skeptical.
Information on Project Zero-Transit was a mix of truth and lies. Everyone knew that in a place like this, a single tip could be worth millions. But it could also be bait tossed out to hook fools.
These were seasoned killers, after all. Even blinded by massive potential payouts, they hadn't completely lost their judgment.
Doubts festered in the crowd.
Someone scoffed. "What a joke. Do you know what The Sanctum Vault is? It's the crew's restricted zone! Who would dare touch it? Besides, if they actually had something that valuable, they'd keep it buried."
That logic instantly cooled the crowd's excitement.
Jasper lounged lazily against the second-floor railing of a bar in The Predator's Den.
His silver-gray mask reflected an eerie, cold glint in the dim lighting.
Listening to the chorus of doubts below, his beautiful eyes curved beneath the
mask. A low, ambiguous chuckle escaped his lips.
Though it wasn't loud, it was enough to make several people instinctively look his way.
"The Grinning Wraith?"
He was the top information broker
on The Obsidian Dark Web and a notorious lunatic in The Predators Den. Shouldn't he be at the Obsidian. Sun High-Value Auction right now? What was he doing here?
Jasper tapped his fingers lazily against the railing, his tone laced with a mocking edge. "If the intel is fake..."
"Then tell me, why is The Sterling Sovereign taking it so seriously?"
The crowd froze. "The Sterling Sovereign? The Black-Gold Tier Investor?"
Jasper chuckled again, the strange smile on his mask seemingly deepening "Haven't you noticed? Director Silaselen, along with several other top executives are currently gathered in The Sterling Sovereign's VIP suite."
"Even the staff from The Technical Oversight Cell were urgently summoned there."
The hunters exchanged uncertain glances.
"What does that prove?" someone frowned.
Jasper laughed lightly. "Nothing, of course."
"Perhaps The Sterling Sovereign just invited all the ship's top brass to his suite for a
nice cup of tea and a friendly chat."
It sounded like an explanation.
But the heavy sarcasm in his voice
painted a completely different
picture. Who in their right mind would believe a ruthless figure like The Sterling Sovereign called every high ranking official just socialize?