Chapter 52

Chapter 52

052

All the other children had been picked up.

Haiyun Star was an incredibly beautiful planet. Its location in the entire galaxy was unique, and combined with a special substance in its clouds, the colors reflected were a vast and mysterious sapphire blue, blending seamlessly with the sky. It seemed as if an ocean was suspended above one's head.

That was how "Haiyun" got its name.

Haiyun Star was massive, twice the size of Blue Stripe Star. There were also many indigenous inhabitants, but their cognitive abilities were undeveloped, still living in a Stone Age-like era.

In the interstellar age, people classified these individuals as "non-intelligent humans," implying that they couldn't grasp concepts like space travel. The approach towards them was one of protection and concealment, avoiding unnecessary appearances before them to prevent disruption to their own cultural evolution.

The natives' activity range was restricted, and on the first day of settling the new planet, an invisible barrier was constructed near their dwellings. Any entrance or exit would trigger an alarm, prompting a specialist to handle the situation.

Of course, this typically involved discreetly knocking out the person and returning them within their designated area.

After the Expeditionary Force established itself on Haiyun Star, these responsibilities fell to them. Ya Lan spent her days frantically dealing with the indigenous matters. After going missing for three or four days, she finally reappeared in Jing Baiyuan's office.

"Admiral, we need to establish that underground base sooner rather than later. Otherwise, it'll be discovered eventually."

"The indigenous population might not have a high level of civilization, but they've undergone some degree of socialization. They're capable of thought and will eventually notice something amiss."

At this point, Ya Lan grew agitated. In her opinion, any planet with an intelligent species shouldn't be developed. Although the minerals they were extracting were currently useless to the natives, there was no guarantee that these beings wouldn't enter an interstellar age thousands of years later.

Imagine their reaction when they dug only to find their ancestral home hollowed out.

How unethical would that be?

But the resource-starved empire and alliance certainly wouldn't pass up the rich deposits on this new planet.

As a mere aide-de-camp, she didn't have the authority to make such decisions.

"Tell them to speed up the process..." Jing Baiyuan had just finished speaking when hurried footsteps echoed from outside.

Both men paused. After a moment, the office door was knocked on, and Feng Yichen entered with a grave expression. He whispered, "Admiral, we've just discovered a mine in the depths of the Rift Valley Forest."

"A mine?" Ya Lan frowned. "Aren't we still in the exploration phase? How could there already be a mine?"

Feng Yichen shook his head and said, "It's hard to explain in just a few words. Let's just go take a look."

They left the temporary office and headed for the location Feng Yichen had mentioned.

Haiyun Star was vast, but its species were relatively simple. Apart from the indigenous inhabitants still in their Stone Age, there were only small to medium-sized animals. Their evolutionary development hadn't reached a high level, so their attacking power and speed were quite limited.

Exiting the transport vehicle, they coincidentally encountered an animal with short ears running past them. It had blood-red eyes that stared at Jing Baiyuan and the others for a moment before dashing away.

Feng Yichen led the way, saying, "This mine was discovered yesterday. At first, a large rock covered it, so it was overlooked during the initial scan. The second scan revealed that this spot was suitable for excavation without disturbing the native inhabitants, so we planned to dig here... Little did we know that after blasting the mountain, we found another passage inside."

By the time he finished speaking, they had arrived at the entrance of the tunnel. The passageway was constructed with special materials that shimmered with a metallic glow under the sunlight.

The floor of the tunnel was flat, and if concealed properly, it would be almost invisible from the outside.

This couldn't have been the work of the local inhabitants of Haiyun Star.

Jing Baiyuan's expression darkened. "Did you check inside?"

Feng Yichen replied, "We've already sent people down."

Approximately ten minutes later, he received a message and promptly jogged over to Jing Baiyuan's side. "Admiral, the area below is clear. We can go down for a look."

They descended along the passage, only to be astonished by the discovery of a vast underground mine with comprehensive facilities and tight security measures in place.

However, the mine was now abandoned, with much of its equipment removed, leaving behind an empty shell.

After the dating department conducted their investigation, they approached Jing Baiyuan and reported, "Admiral, this mine was definitely constructed within the last year... Assuming nothing unexpected happened..."

It had been built after their conflict a year ago.

The war back then had even drawn the attention of the Interstellar Court. Although the Empire emerged victorious, they had to surrender the governance of the planet to the court for a period of time.

"The remaining mineral reserves here are now less than ten percent compared to what we initially detected."

"How could this be..." Ya Lan looked at the facilities in disbelief. After guarding this planet for over a year, all they got was an empty shell?

"That can't be right..." Ya Lan muttered softly. "Although we didn't have a permanent presence on Sea Cloud Star during this time, we were stationed in its outskirts. How did they manage to transport the minerals away?"

They were minerals, not microchips... Their volume was enormous! It would take more than a dozen ships to completely empty the reserves.

Without Jing Baiyuan's prompt, Ya Lan naturally accessed the recent spaceship traffic logs.

However, after several thorough checks, they found no records.

Interstellar transportation differed from ordinary ground transport; both people and goods had to pass through ports. Without a jump point, they could go nowhere.

But the only jump point near Haiyun Star was under the watch of the Expeditionary Force, and there were no records of any civilian, military, or commercial spacecraft.

After a moment of contemplation, Jing Baiyuan said, "The lack of records means they're still on Haiyun Star. They deliberately left the mine idle to create the illusion that everyone has vanished."

Otherwise, destroying the mine outright would have been a more secure option.

Ya Lan was startled and immediately turned to Feng Yichen, saying, "Arrange for a search party to comb the entire Haiyun Star right away."

Yet, she knew it was impossible even as the words left her mouth. Apart from the indigenous population that couldn't be disturbed, the vastness of the planet made a comprehensive search impossible in a short time.

Furthermore, if the other side was so confident, they must have prepared a hiding method.

With this conclusion, the atmosphere among them grew somber.

After a moment, Jing Baiyuan Yuan Ting declared, "Starting from today, all incoming and outgoing spacecraft must be registered."

He paused slightly, emphasizing his words, "This includes those from the Empire."

Ya Lan's eyes widened in surprise, as if she grasped the hidden meaning behind Jing Baiyuan's words but was hesitant to confirm it.

---

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and Chu Li's internship application was swiftly approved.

It was said that this time, a large number of interns were being recruited, but usually, internships were applied for voluntarily.

Despite this, many still came forward to register.

One month later, the list was announced. Including Chu Li, there were twenty-one individuals in total.

This was just the quota for one school, the Comprehensive Academy.

On Blue Stripe Star, there were at least ten schools.

"How can there be so many?" Yuan Tan had come to see Chu Li off, and as he looked at the crowd gathered at the door, envy tinged his eyes. "I wish I could go with you."

Chu Li had been promoted twice, and now he was no longer Chu Li's desk mate.

Chu Li smiled. "Next year, it'll be possible."

Yuan Tan's spirits sank. "But you won't be here next year!"

Chu Li chuckled wryly. What did his internship have to do with him being present or not?

Before they could finish their conversation, the bus arrived. Chu Li bid farewell to Yuan Tan and boarded the coach heading for the harbor.

They needed to take a spacecraft to Haiyun Star in another galaxy.

Interstellar travel required passing through artificial starports located outside a planet's atmosphere. Thus, they had to pack up and head to Busi Harbor, a port city where they would board the spacecraft.

Chu Li had passed through Busi Harbor on his way to school from Chu Heyang's place, but that was just a transfer, and he hadn't ventured into the harbor itself. Now, as the bus slowly entered the harbor area, he realized it was far more bustling than the neighborhood where Chu Heyang lived or the area around the school.

Tall buildings stood upright, and suspended monorails glided orderly overhead. The road network not only accommodated ground-level traffic but also had elevated lanes for faster-moving hovercars.

The two-dimensional city transformed into a magical five-dimensional metropolis.

Their escort was an old acquaintance, Cao Yun from the military academy.

She oversaw the infirmary at the military academy and could be considered half a medical faculty member.

Upon arrival, everyone alighted from the vehicles, only for Cao Yun to rush over hurriedly. "There's been a minor issue with the spacecraft. Apparently, there are too many people, and it can't transport all of you in one trip. You might have to stay here temporarily."

"Temporarily?" "Where will we be staying?" "How long for?"

The students bombarded her with questions, causing Cao Yun a headache. She waved at them, gesturing for silence. "Too many students went for internships ahead this year, and for some reason, the Expeditionary Force has tightened its supervision on spacecraft travel recently. There's only one spacecraft that has been approved for now. It will return after the first batch of people reach Haiyun Star, and then you can board it."

Anything related to the Expeditionary Force always piqued Chu Li's interest.

However, he had not heard of any recent incidents involving them.

"As for how long... I'm not sure about interstellar travel, but it should be around two or three days," Cao Yun said before waving everyone off. "Alright, alright, stop clustering by the roadside! Follow me to the hotel."

There were numerous hotels near the artificial spaceport, and Cao Yun randomly picked one by the roadside. She led the twenty-one students inside to book rooms.

In pairs, everyone found their accommodations, leaving only Chu Li and the substitute teacher, Cao Yun, unaccounted for. Although Cao Yun was a Beta, they felt that sharing a room with a student might not be appropriate. Just as they were about to ask Chu Li for their thoughts, Chu Li spoke up, "Teacher, could you arrange a single room for me? I'll cover the extra cost."

Upon hearing this, Cao Yun heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Let's split the difference, and the school can cover the rest."

With the rooms settled, the students retreated to their respective quarters. Chu Li's room was on the first floor, the first one on the left after turning from the staircase.

The room wasn't spacious, nor were its facilities new, but it was well-maintained and free of unpleasant odors.

After putting down his belongings, Chu Li activated his personal terminal to inform Jing Baiyuan Yuanting of his plan to stay for two or three days.

As usual, there was no response. Jing Baiyuan Yuanting seemed particularly busy these days.

Chu Li was accustomed to this silence, merely updating his itinerary without expecting an immediate reply.

Switching off his terminal, Chu Li stepped out of the room and into the hotel lobby, noticing that the others had also emerged. They greeted him, asking, "Want to join us for dinner? After a long journey by car, we're exhausted, so let's treat ourselves to a nice meal!"

With nothing else to do, Chu Li accompanied them.

They chose a nearby restaurant specializing in local cuisine, which featured elegant decor and a rustic charm.

There were six of them in total. Since the private rooms were fully occupied, they had to squeeze together outside, but fortunately, their spot was in a corner, and with two extra chairs, it was still quite spacious.

While waiting for their food, everyone engaged in casual conversation.

They were all about to embark on a journey through space, even if it was just an internship, and that alone was thrilling enough. Among them, two had previous experiences of traveling to outer space. They shared with the others, "If we're going to Haiyun Star, we'll definitely have to pass through a jump point. That's a torturous experience, like being stuffed into a can and shaken vigorously. It's much worse than motion sickness on a car or plane!"

"Is it really that exaggerated? Wouldn't that mean many people can't travel through space?"

"Well, not entirely impossible, but those who usually suffer from motion sickness have a higher chance of feeling nauseous on a spaceship... However, the jump point only lasts a moment, maybe up to ten minutes at most. No matter how terrible it is, once you step off the ship and rest for a day or two, you should be fine. You can still travel through space, just that you might need to prepare a few extra days for recovery."

"Those who can afford interstellar travel won't mind a few extra days, but for us interns, it's a different story. We won't know if we're susceptible to jump point sickness until we get there. Imagine being too weak to get up when we arrive, supposed to treat patients, but ending up as one ourselves. That'd be quite awkward."

As they discussed this, Chu Li grew a little worried. He didn't experience motion sickness since arriving here, but in his previous life, he couldn't even handle an electric tricycle without feeling dizzy. What if he was affected by the jump point?

He asked, "Is there no preparatory method to prevent this?"

Everyone shook their heads and replied in unison, "No, it's not a condition that medical instruments can address. Thankfully, with today's full immersion games, they're directly connected via game pods. If it were still the old VR technology, many more would probably feel dizzy."

"This must be a flaw in human evolution! Our ancestors probably never imagined the level of technological advancement in the future. There isn't any technological solution for this yet..."

Amidst their laughter, it was clear that they didn't take Chu Li's question seriously.

Of course, in their minds, motion sickness on a vehicle or spaceship wasn't considered a 'disease.' If it wasn't a disease, there was naturally no need for treatment.

Chu Li couldn't help but sigh. In her previous life, she would at least be given motion sickness medication when she experienced car sickness.

Now, she could only hope that she wouldn't be the unlucky one to suffer from space sickness.

At that moment, the dishes arrived, drawing everyone's attention away. Chu Li put aside her concern and picked up her chopsticks, ready to eat.

Unexpectedly, an aged and gentle voice rang out beside them, "There is a way to deal with space sickness. Proper therapy can alleviate physical discomfort."

None of them had anticipated a passerby to join in the conversation, so they all fell silent for a moment.

Chu Li looked up in the direction of the voice. It was an elderly lady sitting at the table beside them, smiling warmly at them.

She wore a long dress adorned with sunflowers, and her lips curled into a kindly smile.

After a brief silence, the medical students from the Comprehensive College chuckled and replied, "Grandma, please don't joke with us. We're medical students, and our professors have always said that motion sickness can't be cured, only treated through desensitization... Do you have a method to treat space sickness?"

"Since it's an ailment, why can't it be treated?" the elder chuckled.

"One that even medical scanners can't cure? You think you can fix it?"

Hearing the students' stubbornness, the elder shook their head and sighed. "Medical scanners aren't omnipotent. Aren't there numerous illnesses in this world that they can't treat?"

The students had been taught for so long on how to use medical scanners to heal patients.

In their eyes, any illness that couldn't be cured by a scanner was considered 'incurable.' And if it was incurable, then no method could heal it.

Now, this person was claiming that medical scanners weren't all-powerful.

Could she really cure illnesses that even the scanners couldn't handle?

This statement seemed laughable, but considering her age, the students didn't argue with her. They waved her off, saying, "Alright, old lady, we're healthcare majors. Surely we understand better than you, an ordinary person, which illnesses can be treated and which cannot. You can deceive others, but not us. That's going too far."

Seeing that they truly didn't believe her, the elder didn't bother explaining further and turned back to their meal.

The group of students also turned to each other, laughing. "This old woman, talking nonsense... We've told her that motion sickness isn't a disease, yet she insists she can cure it."

"So many prominent figures get airsick, if she could cure it, would she still be dining with us? Wouldn't she have soared to success long ago?"

The students clearly didn't believe the old man's words. Chu Li, listening by the side, was uninformed about the situation and thus refrained from commenting.

This was merely a small interlude. Soon, their attention was drawn to the delectable food.

The meal concluded swiftly. Afterward, three of them expressed their desire to rest, while the other two girls wanted to go shopping. As for Chu Li, he had no intention of returning to the hotel. After some contemplation, he decided to stroll around the harbor and observe the local customs and scenery.

This port city was beautiful. Anyone on Blue Stripe Star who wished to travel to another planet had to transfer here, making it a bustling transportation hub. The only downside was its intricate terrain.

You might think you're walking on flat ground, only to realize upon turning a corner that you're actually on the eighteenth floor of a skyscraper; or, you might believe you're in a high-rise, only to look up and find yourself underground.

It was easy to get lost.

After less than half an hour of wandering, Chu Li found himself unable to locate his way back to the hotel. He took out his personal terminal, accessed the map navigation, and after another half-hour walk, discovered that he was moving further away from the hotel.

Well, no wonder everyone wanted to return to rest after the meal.

In such a place, anyone could easily lose their way.

It was still early, and despite being lost, Chu Li wasn't in a hurry. He sat by the roadside, calmly pondering his options. Beside him stood a female Omega, engrossed in typing a message on her personal terminal with her head lowered.

Unable to view the content she was sending, Chu Li could only witness her fingers dancing swiftly across the keyboard.

After a while, the Omega began to send voice messages.

"All the other children have been picked up, why haven't you come to get me yet?"

"Unless you come soon, I'll have to follow another Alpha!"

Chu Li: "..."

So she was texting her Alpha.

He couldn't help but glance at the girl sideways, feeling a twinge of jealousy. When would his own Alpha come to take him home?

It seemed that chance wouldn't come anytime soon.

Realizing that despite having an Alpha, he was no different from a single person, Chu Li resignedly stood up, ready to ask for directions again. As he turned around, he unexpectedly spotted a familiar face — across the street, at the flower shop, an elderly lady was stepping out and placing a vibrant bouquet of joy on the stand by the entrance!

It was the elderly lady he had met during the meal earlier.

Chu Li's eyes lit up, and he hurried over. "Granny, sorry to bother you."

Upon hearing his voice, the old lady lifted her head. Her memory was still quite good, and she recognized Chu Li from their previous encounter. "Hm? It's you, young man."

"It's me," Chu Li said, slightly embarrassed. His companions had just contradicted and even mocked this elderly lady. He lowered his voice and continued, "I'm sorry, my companions... They were somewhat impolite just now and offended you."

The old lady smiled and replied, "It's alright, I understand. After all, your generation has grown up under the care of medical devices and wouldn't know about these things. It's quite normal."

She was polite and gentle, not appearing like someone who would speak recklessly. Chu Li originally intended to ask for directions, but now he was curious about the method to alleviate motion sickness. "Are you also in the healthcare industry?"

The old lady shook her head. "Not really. In this era, they don't acknowledge the traditional medical skills passed down in my family anymore."

"Traditional medical skills passed down through your family?" Chu Li became even more intrigued. "Could you tell me more about it?"

The old lady glanced at him and saw his genuine curiosity. She smiled and said, "Of course, come sit in my shop for a while."

Chu Li followed her into the flower shop, only to discover that the interior was quite different from the outside.

Extravagant and vibrant, the flowers displayed outside were large and soft, exuding a delightful fragrance. In contrast, the blooms inside seemed more subdued, mostly in shades of white and yellow, smaller in size, with some not yet in bloom.

Yet, these flowers emitted a pleasant aroma that filled the air... It didn't quite resemble the scent of flowers but rather, an herbal fragrance.

Chu Li inhaled deeply and asked, "What a unique scent. What kind of flower is this?"

The elderly lady chuckled, "You have a good eye. These are called 'Niru Flowers.'"

She handed Chu Li a bunch of small, freshly bloomed white flowers and said, "Their aroma has a calming effect on the mind. Take them with you. If you experience motion sickness during your journey, having these nearby will be beneficial."

"Thank you..." Chu Li hesitantly accepted the Niru Flowers, adding, "But I won't be departing for a few days. By then, these flowers might wilt."

The old lady was unconcerned, "When that time comes, just visit me again, and I'll give you another bunch."

At this point, Chu Li finally recalled her initial purpose for visiting and laughed wryly, "Can I really find my way back to this shop? This area is so confusing. I wandered here and now I can't find my way back to the hotel... I actually came to ask for directions."

The old lady was taken aback before she chuckled, "So that's why you sat across from me for so long."

She stood up, "Are you staying near that restaurant we just passed by? I'm going there later to deliver some flowers. Wait for me a moment, would you like to accompany me back?"

Overjoyed, Chu Li promptly agreed, "Of course, that would be wonderful. Thank you."