Ran Into an Overachiever

Harvey ate lunch while Sonia selected construction companies that met the requirements.

As long as the pay was good, there were plenty of reliable construction companies, but far fewer that could also work quickly.

Fortunately, Mr. Kassadin had said money was not an issue, which gave Sonia a much broader range to choose from.

If one company was not enough, she could hire three and have their employees handle different areas.

Just ten or so minutes after Harvey finished eating,

Sonia had found three construction companies that met the requirements.

"Mr. Kassadin, there are three companies that can guarantee immediate construction and complete the development of an island within a month."

"Do you have any requirements for the buildings and facilities?"

Sonia came to Harvey’s side and asked.

"There’s no need to completely redevelop the entire island."

"The main thing is to build a grand Void Temple, so visitors seeking an audience have a suitable place to do so."

"And when others who believe in the Void first join, they’ll need a place to practice and adapt to their powers."

"So gravity devices and facilities capable of withstanding greater impacts are essential."

"Then there should be villa districts in different styles, so I can occasionally change my surroundings."

"As for the undeveloped areas beyond these main points, think through a plan and report it to me."

"As long as there are no issues with the plan, tell me however much funding you need."

Having just finished lunch and taken a sip of his drink, Harvey heard Sonia’s question and gave her more detailed requirements.

If new members of the Void did not adapt to their newfound power right away, it would be easy for them to cause trouble during the early stages.

So it was necessary to provide a training ground where they could learn and adapt.

"Alright."

Hearing that she could oversee the later construction beyond those basic requirements, Sonia nodded.

Normally, developing an island and getting it operational enough to make money would take several hundred million at minimum.

But based solely on Mr. Kassadin’s initial requirements, the necessary funds would not be excessive.

The training grounds would be more expensive, but with ample land available, building villas was not particularly costly.

That island was Mr. Kassadin’s Private Island. As long as it was not operated for profit, there would not even be taxes to pay.

That gave Sonia a whole series of development plans.

Routes and transportation for entering and leaving the island were also necessary.

There was no doubt that Mr. Kassadin could fly and perhaps even teleport, so he did not need such things.

But others did not possess those abilities. Since they intended to establish the Void Cult on Xandar, they needed to connect with the outside world and give people a way to reach it.

Moreover, Mr. Kassadin had said that she would manage the place when he was not around.

That meant Mr. Kassadin would not remain on Xandar at all times, so she needed to figure out how to keep the island running.

Harvey sat to one side, drinking a delicious beverage and eating fruit as he watched Sonia serve herself a meal, eat, and study the design plans at the same time.

Once Sonia calculated the expected expenses, all he had to do was pay.

Harvey could not help but sigh. Finding a reliable assistant and being a hands-off boss really did feel great.

Sonia, meanwhile, did not mind. With her left hand, she sketched the overall architectural layout on the Universal Communicator’s projection while calculating the costs.

The biggest issue with building the temple, the land, had been settled. She could draw the plans herself, so it would not be expensive or difficult to construct.

The main issue was the statues and inscriptions within it. She needed to think those through carefully.

The doctrines of the Void Cult were not complicated. When Mr. Kassadin had spoken with Mr. Dam, she had already committed them to memory.

Sonia had seen some terrifying behemoths of the Void and could draw them as well, but she needed permission first.

"Mr. Kassadin, may the statue in the Void Temple be sculpted in your likeness?"

So Sonia looked toward Mr. Kassadin, who sat on the soft sofa playing games to relax, and asked softly.

"Yes."

Harvey’s eyes remained fixed on the large projection in front of him as he played. Without even turning around, he responded.

The identity of Kassadin was an image he had deliberately chosen to present to the outside world, so it was only natural for the temple to contain a statue representing that image.

"As for the inscriptions, should they be engraved according to the commandments and doctrines of the Void Cult?"

Seeing that Mr. Kassadin was gaming, Sonia did not interrupt him unnecessarily. After receiving his approval, she asked another question to avoid any mistakes.

"Mm. At present, the Void Cult only has three commandments and one doctrine, so engraving those four will be enough."

"There may be more in the future, but we can rebuild when that happens."

Hearing the question, Harvey paused his game, thought for a moment, and replied.

"Alright, I understand."

"According to my calculations, the total construction cost will be 153 million."

Having received a clear answer and resolved the problem that had been troubling her, Sonia breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"The total is only 153 million?"

Harvey turned around in surprise and looked at Sonia.

Based on his estimates, he had expected Sonia to request at least 100 million in initial funds. As long as the final total did not exceed 500 million, he would have considered it acceptable.

But Sonia had used the word "total," which made even Harvey feel that it was cheap.

"Yes, only 153 million."

"I can draw the temple and villa designs myself. I’ll just need to ask you some questions about your preferences."

"So we can save a great deal on the costs of all the design plans."

"For the various villa styles, we can initially build four villas in different styles. That should be enough for you to stay in for now."

"If you want more later, just let me know in advance. Adding more construction then will not be difficult."

"So we only need to pay for construction, decoration, and all kinds of furniture."

"As for the Stone Tablet inscriptions, it would inspire greater reverence from other believers in the Void if you, Mr. Kassadin, personally wrote them."

"I believe that with your abilities, carving words directly with your finger should not be difficult, so we can save quite a bit more on engraving the Stone Tablets."

Sonia nodded slightly and explained.

"You even know how to do all that?"

Harvey was even more surprised.

"The reason Celebrity Hotel became the most famous hotel on Xandar among all hotels,"

"is partly because its accommodations and food are beyond reproach."

"Partly because it can provide venues especially suited for socializing, allowing important figures to meet and discuss more partnerships."

"And partly because those of us responsible for service—different villa managers have different guiding principles, attitudes, and skills."

"My guiding principle is that if I do something, I do it to the best of my ability."

"So I learned a few things in the past and picked up a few skills."

"I never expected them to come in handy today."

Sensing Mr. Kassadin’s surprise, Sonia replied with a smile.

"…"

Hearing that guiding principle, Harvey could only marvel. He knew he had run into an overachiever.

Please vote.