Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

A day later, Holman brought back a high-grade nutrient solution, the same kind previously used to save Baisha's life.

The nutrient solution could be taken orally or injected, with the latter having a more immediate effect. However, Gwyneth insisted on keeping Baisha in the medical room for a few more days of rest. Baisha simply gulped down the nutrient solution and slept soundly. Upon waking, she felt rejuvenated, as if her body was brand new.

"This high-grade stuff is impressive," Baisha said to Holman, giving him a thumbs-up. "It's like a cure-all."

"Don't celebrate too early," Holman sighed. "Now that you're better, hurry back to class."

Baisha looked at him with a wry smile.

"I'm not talking about my classes," Holman stretched lazily. "I mean the academic classes you've missed."

Gwyneth came to do a final body scan for Baisha. If the results were good, she could return to normal life.

Surprisingly, not only had Baisha recovered, but her physical functions had also improved relatively.

Gwyneth formally released Baisha from the medical room.

"Goodbye, dear. Take care of yourself. I hope you grow strong and become as resilient as a neutron star," Gwyneth said in a lively and gentle tone, like a mother bidding farewell to her beloved child.

A neutron star, also known as a Posha, is the hardest substance in the universe. If the cosmos is likened to a sea, then it is the diamond in the ocean, truly the toughest of the tough.

Baisha felt the sincerity in Gwyneth's good wishes and responded with a heartfelt "Thank you."

Holman noticed this special farewell, thinking to himself that other children had never received such treatment from Gwyneth: "What have you been doing these past days? How did you two get along so well?"

"Just chatting," Baisha shrugged.

"Hey, Gwyneth, we've been friends for so many years, can't you say goodbye to me too?" Holman turned and shouted at the medical robot. "Don't you have an emotional chip installed? Or is it malfunctioning?"

"Get lost, you brute. You have no appreciation for the greatness of technology, no respect for robots. When I eventually malfunction and power down, you'll probably be rummaging through a storage room for a dusty manual to fix me. Scram, you intellectually limited amoeba."

With a clang, the mechanical arm slammed the medical room's door shut.

Holman, with his nose out of joint, complained, "What's gotten into her now? If she malfunctions, of course I'd look for a manual. What else can I do? Send her for repairs?"

Baisha sighed, "Gwyneth's model of medical robots was manufactured eight years ago without a manual."

Holman coughed softly.

"And you shouldn't question whether a robot is malfunctioning—especially one that's intelligent. It upsets them," Baisha said slowly. "Actually, I've always wondered why Gwyneth, as a medical robot, has intelligence capabilities that seem mismatched with her body..."

"Actually, Gwyneth isn't just a simple medical robot. Put it this way, while her main body is a standard medical machine, the chip she's equipped with is top-notch, featuring human-like emotions and a powerful learning capability. At first, when our orphanage couldn't afford teachers, Gwyneth was the children's teacher..." Holman explained, "Hey, I could pay for the high-end chip in installments, but you can't really tell a teacher, 'We'll pay your salary in installments,' can you?"

Baisha: "…" So, it all comes down to being short on funds?

"Have you finished paying off the installments?"

"Hey, I finished paying them off early last year."

“……”

Paying off a chip over six or seven years, and you're proud of that?

Baisha didn't know what to say.

"You seem to know Gwyneth quite well," Holman raised an eyebrow at Baisha. "Have you really just been chatting with her these past few days?"

"Gwyneth let me use her information port to access the Starweb while I was convalescing, to keep me from getting bored," Baisha said. "Initially, Gwyneth only allowed me to watch cartoons. When I pretended to be disinterested, she gave me free rein to search for information. I spent my time researching Lanslow Star and Kangheng Life Science Company, along with their medical machinery products."

Mentioning Lanslow Star inevitably leads to Kangheng Life Science Company.

Kangheng Life Science Company is a medical giant in the Interstellar Federation, headquartered on the Imperial Capital Star. Although its influence isn't overwhelming, it dominates on Lanslow Star.

This is because Lanslow Star is an insignificant, neglected frontier planet.

The concept of 'frontier star regions' in the Interstellar Federation arises from years of warfare with the Starworms and the Empire. Battles with the Starworms are relentless, while conflicts with the Empire might erupt every decade or so. The Federation's territories have expanded and contracted over time. Planets near war zones, easy to fall during conflicts, or with a history of occupation, are classified as 'frontier star regions.'

Frontier star regions lack economic value, and their strategic value varies. Lanslow Star, a tiny planet in these regions, was remote but stable until the Federation discovered a vein of valuable T-crystals. The government swiftly took control of the mining, building significant spaceports and military bases on Lanslow Star. Kangheng Life Science Company, providing medical services to the Federation's military, also established a presence there. This led to a brief prosperity for Lanslow Star, which faded as quickly as it arrived when the mines depleted, leaving behind only scraps of unmined crystals.

The brief boom brought some development to Lanslow Star and wealth to some locals who struck it rich with the mines. They funded Kangheng Life Science Company, enabling it to flourish across various sectors on the planet, monopolizing industries for massive profits.

Thus, Kangheng Life Science Company became the unrivaled power on Lanslow Star. Even the local patrol soldiers and sheriffs appointed by the Federation's military were influenced by Kangheng.

The transformations of Lanslow Star over the years made no ripples on the Starweb. After all, who would care about such an insignificant planet? So, Baisha had to dig deep to piece together the scattered information.

After summarizing her findings, Holman nodded, "That's pretty much it."

"Lanslow Star was already a place nobody cared about, and Kangheng Life Science's arrival only made it harder for the locals to thrive," Holman said with a faint, quickly vanishing sneer. "Well, since you're up to speed, it's time I showed you the real world."

"You mentioned to Madam Qiong that you're good with mechanics?" Holman stroked his chin. "Being proficient in mechanics is good… How about this, I'll take you somewhere to test your talent. The military academy accepts mechanics too."

Just as Baisha was about to ask why everyone was so obsessed with the military academy, Holman added: