Ava gritted her teeth. "That is not reassuring."
Lucas chuckled, tilting the tablet toward her. "That's because you're looking at this like a problem, Beauty. I see an investment."
Ava folded her arms. "Explain."
Lucas tapped the screen, letting his system overlay its data.
[MONOPOLY APPRAISAL SYSTEM – ACTIVE]
[ANALYZING LINKED SYSTEM POTENTIAL]
[INVESTMENT RISK: LOW]
[RETURN PROJECTION: HIGH]
[RESOURCE MERGER – PROJECTED GAIN: +32% OVERALL EFFICIENCY]
Ava narrowed her eyes. "Your system thinks this is a good idea?"
Lucas grinned. "My system sees value, Zhang. It sees connections as assets, not risks."
Ava exhaled sharply. "And me?"
Lucas sighed dramatically. "Beauty, you are a walking, talking high-value investment."