The driver kept glancing sideways. "Little miss, what's that good thing you're holding? There's a silver line on it that's glowing!"
Qiqi answered casually, "It's a high-tech compass. We use it for experiments at school."
Before she finished speaking, a sudden flash of strong light burst from the surface of the jade pendant—the silver line's glow surged abruptly, indicating they were close to the target!
"Stop the car—"
Qiqi yelled, and the driver screeched to a halt. "Little miss, what are you doing! So jumpy!"
"Sorry, sorry, I'm here..."
Qiqi apologized repeatedly, stuffing the jade pendant into her bag—close call, she'd nearly slammed the Moon's Guide into the windshield.
She pulled out all the cash from her wallet to pay the fare, got out amid the driver's grumbling urgings, and found herself in the city's most bustling area—Financial Street.
Financial Street, as the name suggests, was the city's financial hub, a dense cluster of major banks, securities firms, and investment companies. Towering skyscrapers lined the area, luxury hotels sprouted like bamboo shoots after rain, and flagship stores for high-end brands were everywhere... truly a place where everyone coming and going was a white-collar worker, no commoners in sight.
Before Qiqi stood a skyscraper that seemed to stretch endlessly upward—the city's tallest, most expensive, and most renowned landmark: the Imperial Financial Tower. That was her destination.
The Imperial Financial Tower sat at the city's heart. Legend had it that the feng shui here was excellent, a treasure trove for gathering wealth and fortune. Any financial company that managed to rent an office in this building ended up making big money—of course, these were just legends Qiqi had read online.
Still, the building was undeniably impressive: a resplendent lobby, a grand and imposing main entrance, and in front of it, a massive LED screen scrolling the words "Y City Government Land Auction."
It seemed an auction was underway inside the building, and the attendees were no small fry. Qiqi spotted many media personnel gathered at the entrance—some carrying cameras, others holding microphones or notebooks, lingering in small groups as if waiting for some important figure to appear.
Of course, there were even more white-collar and gold-collar workers in suits, constantly streaming in and out of the Imperial Financial Tower, all brimming with energy and confidence.
Qiqi looked down at her plain white cotton dress and flat sneakers, suddenly feeling that her image clashed badly with the CBD vibe.
She pulled out the Moon's Guide. The silver line on the jade pendant was much brighter than before, and the arrow trembled, pointing straight at the building's main entrance—so the Moon Gem was indeed inside the Financial Tower!
Qiqi walked to the entrance and noticed the security was exceptionally tight; everyone needed a pass card to get in or out. The security guard standing at the door was imposing and handsome, his face wearing an expression that said, "No photos, no loitering here."
As Qiqi approached, his face added another unspoken line: "No soliciting, and no part-time jobs needed either."
Qiqi thought to herself—this security guard has quite the personality. She'd have to figure out a way to sneak in.
Just then, some media colleagues launched an attempt to breach the security checkpoint—
Media Person A: "I have a friend working inside. Can I go find him?"
Security Guard: "Sorry, ma'am. Please call your friend to come down and escort you."
A retreated in defeat...