Chapter 45

Chapter 45

How could Lu Wei possibly abandon the easily obtained potatoes?

They were potatoes, something that was delicious no matter how you cooked them.

Not only did he not abandon the crops from Asmo Planet, but he also worked on a proposal overnight.

The proposal outlined his plans in detail, including how to improve pre-cooked meals and how to utilize the crops to promote a chain of restaurants.

It emphasized the crucial role of "potatoes" in his pre-cooked meals and even mentioned that he was willing to offer a portion of future shares in payment.

Although the chain had yet to start, he was already painting a grand vision.

Lu Wei had skillfully utilized the bluffing techniques he learned from his superiors in his previous life to create this proposal.

Hmph.

He didn't believe that any ordinary human would refuse to cooperate with him after reading this magnificent plan!

Upon logging onto the Star Network, he sent his proposal to the contact on the opposing planet.

The grand journey of the pre-prepared food chain empire was about to take off from here!

-Or so he thought.

The contact from the other planet replied to him.

"Hello, sir. We have reviewed your proposal and confirmed that there are no issues with it. It has been forwarded to our upper management. Ordinarily, we wouldn't present such plans, but yours was exceptionally well-written, so we made an exception. As expected, the royal family didn't even glance at it; their aide directly discarded your proposal into the digital trash. We apologize for this."

Lu Wei: Grass.

Don't send my proposal back!

Return my colorful resume.jpg

Lu Wei was baffled.

Did a typical leader lack any decision-making ability? Were they really passing up on such a flawless, obvious opportunity for profit??

Scanning the interstellar network for information on Emperor Star.

One wouldn't know until they looked.

Upon investigation, it turned out that His Majesty's reputation was quite damn abstract.

Directly searchable information was scarce, as if everyone was tip-toeing around the subject. What could be confirmed was that he had an image of being a brutal and insane ruler in the minds of the general public.

No wonder he didn't even glance at such a perfect proposal!

He wasn't that deeply sick.

Lu Wei commented succinctly, "Perhaps Your Majesty has been working too hard and is in a bad mood. Could you please try to negotiate again? Asmo Planet currently has no commercial transactions and few inhabitants. Isn't that a waste of land resources? Once my fast-food chain expands, I can allocate 20% of the profits to your planet."

Earth Pepper gritted his teeth, typing the message with trembling hands.

20%.

He might as well engage in charity work.

After a while, the other party replied again.

"Sir, I apologize, but this is not something we can decide. Allow me to share a bit of insider information with you. This planet actually belongs to our Queen. His Majesty adores the Queen deeply and would never consent to such a transaction. It's best for you to abandon this notion sooner rather than later..."

The sender trailed off with a string of ellipses, implying that the protagonist's life could be at stake if he persisted.

This was the second time Lu Wei had heard about this Queen.

Who on earth would be interested in a planet that offered nothing?

Could anyone besides him, a pre-prepared dish cook, desire this "potato" that seemed to resemble someone dearly missed?

Feeling frustrated, the Earthling waited for his companions.

Danjiao returned, carrying a small backpack, while Pang Qiu's head was adorned with a yellow bucket.

Alone and Cheerful: "Daddy, I'm back from scavenging!"

Lu Wei couldn't be bothered to comment.

There was no stopping his love for scavenging.

Danjiao took out the scraps he found at the junkyard from his backpack and carefully stored them in his treasure box, alongside his tools.

In Danjiao's little corner of discarded treasures, he arranged the "somewhat useful trash" that he had synthesized from garbage.

With three more pieces of "somewhat useful trash," he'd soon be able to synthesize something valuable.

Mm-hmm, a synthesis of grand trash.

Lu Wei looked at him with affectionate eyes: "You'd definitely make it into three episodes of 'I Love Inventions,' as part of the Invincible Human Squad."

Danjiao: "Daddy, what's the Human Squad?"

Lu Wei gently patted Danjiao's head. "They're the ones who always lose in every round."

Danjiao puffed up his cheeks. "Then I don't want to join the human team."

Lu Wei replied, "If your dad had more money, you wouldn't have to scavenge for trash every day."

Danjiao tilted his head slightly.

Nope.

Even if Dad was rich, he would still go pick up trash every day.

Fortunately, Lu Wei didn't hear the inner thoughts of this trash king, Danjiao.

Looking up, Danjiao's tender face glowed with a lustrous sheen. "Then when will Dad have money?"

Lu Wei chuckled. "A guy named Hao shattered your dad's dreams of instant-food riches that were about to take off."

What a foolish person.

Rejecting a sure-profit project.

Lu Wei sneered, "That unlucky fellow surnamed Huo is at odds with our family. Remember that."

Danjiao responded obediently, "Ahh ahh."

Kids like him mainly adhered to their father's words, not asking any extra questions.

"Bam bam bam."

There was a knock on the door at that moment.

Pang Qiu, being closest to it, went to open it.

It was Aunt Sabato, the rent collector.

Pang Qiu frantically signaled to Lu Wei, who replied with a helpless "…."

Pathetic, that freshly earned bonus.

The moment Auntie entered the door, she began discussing the rent, making it clear and straightforward.

Lu Wei suspected that this woman had some insider information; they'd just gotten some money, and she was already here.

Thus, all of Pang Qiu's hard-earned bonus went towards the rent.

The father and son duo were once again left penniless.

Grandma Landlady wrapped herself in her mink coat. "Actually, I saw Danjiao participating in 'Innovations by the Young Pups.'"

Pang Qiu: "So Auntie Sabato came to watch Danjiao!"

Grandma Landlady coughed. "Actually, my grandson also joined this competition."

Director had enlightened Lu Wei, explaining that 'Innovations by the Young Pups' was a highly reputable and influential contest in nearby star systems. It essentially represented a planet's competitiveness, which is why many parents were eager for their children to participate. Achieving a good ranking would bring great honor to their family.

Danjiao: "Wow, will Grandma's grandson continue in the competition?"

Grandma Landlady: "Hehe, Little Yu has already passed the preliminary round."

The landlord Sabato's grandson was called Little Yu, attending the same kindergarten as Danjiao, two years older.

This landlord aunt, who had swindled millions from him, had an unquenchable fondness for boasting about her beloved grandson, constantly comparing him favorably to the plump Pang Qiu.

In any case, Earthlings found it quite annoying.

Lu Wei gently played with Pang Qiu's palm-sized toy.

Based on experience, this elderly aunt would not stop talking once she started, narrating her grandson's life from birth to four years old.

After showing off, the landlord grandma asked, "Did Danjiao not make it through?"

Danjiao snuggled up to his dad, saying, "It was an audition, right? Danjiao passed too, ooh."

The landlord grandma understood, "Yes, the preliminary rounds in our Wu Star sector are quite easy to pass. The real elimination starts from there. Although Little Yu breezed through the initial round, Danjiao might need to learn more from his elder brother."

Danjiao inquired, "Has the preliminary round already begun?"

The landlord grandma replied, "Yes, that's probably why Grandma didn't see Danjiao at the site. Maybe Danjiao didn't pass the screening, so you didn't receive the notice for the initial round."

Lu Wei pretended not to hear, leaving Danjiao to handle the situation on his own.

In reality, though,

Auntie wasn't a bad person; she just suffered from a common ailment of her generation: bragging about her grandchild and belittling others to demonstrate her child's intelligence.

That was often the case with parents who had children.

They wore "parent goggles."

Danjiao nodded. "Danjiao didn't participate in the preliminary round, ah."

Grandma landlord was pleased. "I wondered why I didn't see you that day."

"Ah."

The auntie started her routine again. "After all, Little Yu's mother is from Rite Star, so his genetic rank is quite high. It's relatively easy for him to stand out in the Wu Star division. Our Little Yu has always been clever. I said back then that he shouldn't have been born on Wu Star. If he had grown up on a more advanced planet, he would have already achieved great things."

Pang Qiu supported his chin. "Mm-hmm."

The infant's sparkling eyes evoked a tender affection in others, especially since he was attentively listening without being perfunctory.

After her display of pride, the landlord grandma left with a refreshed spirit.

Before departing, she smiled and said, "Danjiao, take good care of the shop for your father. You'll make a fortune on Wu Star someday."

The plump little one waved energetically, "Mmm-hmm, goodbye, Grandma!"

The landlord chuckled, "We won't see each other for a while. Grandma is taking Little Yu to the main city for the Wu Star finals."

The chubby toddler replied, "It's okay, Danjiao will be there too. See you in the main city, Grandma."

"..." The landlord grandma asked, "Why is that?"

"Danjiao is also going to the finals," the little one announced.

Grandma loosened her sable fur cloak, chuckling, "Huh, didn't Danjiao not pass the preliminary round?"

Little Fat Ball shook his head, "Nope, a director gave Danjiao a direct pass to the finals."

She wasn't unfamiliar with the concept of a direct pass.

But such an item surely wouldn't be given to an ordinary child, right?

Landlady chuckled, "Little Danjiao, losing to Big Brother Little Yu isn't shameful. After all, our Little Yu has exceptional genes; it's only natural for him to advance."

As for you, a poor kid without a mother who scavenges trash every day.

How could you compare with Little Yu?

---

Then, she really saw Danjiao in the finals of the Wu Star main city.

On the day of the Wu Star finals.

The landlord was speechless.

If not for the rule that parents couldn't enter the waiting area, he would have gone in to confront this poor brat.

Lu Wei was also standing in the parents' section, waiting. When the landlord saw him, she approached and inquired, "When will Danjiao be participating in the finals? I didn't see him during the preliminary rounds."

The earthling replied with satisfaction, "Because my big brother Danjiao has a direct pass to the finals."

Landlord: ??

Not only her, but Little Yu, who saw Danjiao in the waiting area, also found the situation perplexing.

Little Yu stared at Danjiao with a skeptical look.

"Danjiao, did you pay the show's producers to get you into the finals?"

Children spoke bluntly and candidly.

Little Pang Qiu shook his head. "Nope."

In Little Yu's impression, Danjiao was an impoverished child who scavenged for trash every day and didn't even know who his biological mother was.

How could he possibly have made it to the finals?

Little Yu: "I didn't see you during the preliminary round."

Danjiao: "Uncle Director gave Danjiao a direct pass. He said I could go straight to the finals, woof!"

Little Yu: !!

He had heard of such a thing as a direct pass, but the director had never used it before, so they always thought it was just a myth.

Little Yu immediately dismissed it: "How could that be?"

Seeing Little Yu's reaction, the cunning Pang Qiu offered, "Is it really that amazing? If it is, how about I sell it to you for a hundred star coins?"

Little Yu: ...!!

Damn, was this little fatty trying to show off to him??

Soon enough, the production team confirmed that Danjiao indeed had a direct pass, as he was promptly assigned to the first position area.

All the young ones turned their attention to Little Fat Ball.

The final round had an open theme.

Using the materials provided by the show, contestants were to create something within their capabilities, which would then be scored by the judging panel. The one with the highest score would emerge victorious.

The winner would become a member of the Wu Star team and have the chance to participate in interstellar competitions.

The elimination rate was high; only the top three among the thirty participants would be selected to compete in the leagues of other planets.

The league matches on other planets carried a vastly different level of prestige and credibility compared to those on Wu Star.

These young ones genuinely had the opportunity for direct admission, allowing them to study and research on foreign planets, potentially securing a chance to stay there.

Therefore, this position was eagerly eyed by all.

It was no surprise that Danjiao, who held a direct entry pass, would attract their attention.

After the director announced the final rules, Little Yu took the initiative to approach Danjiao.

"Danjiao, shall we sit together?"

The trashy cub had roused his competitive spirit.

He intended to observe from the side to see if the cub truly had any talent, so he could expose his fraudulence.

Danjiao blinked innocently. "Sure."

Little Yu folded his arms. "Then you'll have to come up with something more impressive than my invention."

He had always been a prodigy since childhood. On a backward planet like Wu Star, his lineage allowed him to outshine the other young cubs in the vicinity. It was impossible for him to admit that he was inferior to a two-year-old cub.

After the emcee announced the rules of the competition, the young cubs were allowed to select their preferred materials from the designated area before proceeding to their individual workstations to create their inventions.

Little Yu sat beside Danjiao, watching as the latter pulled out a pile of seemingly worthless items.

—It was evident that these materials couldn't possibly yield a functional tool, indicating that Danjiao's skills might only be superficial and lacking substance.

Despite being clearly inferior to him, he had even managed to charm the production team into getting a direct pass!

"Hmph, as I thought," Little Yu grumbled, his tone filled with resentment.

The finals of Wu Star were broadcast live.

Everyone on Wu Star could become an on-site audience member for "Cub's Great Inventions."

Three-dimensional cameras captured each cub's face in high definition, zooming in on their every expression.

This cub must have never seen it before; it's their first time participating in the Young Cubs' Great Invention Competition, right?

This year's winners will likely be the same few individuals, who will then represent Wu Star in the larger competition.

But who wins makes no difference anyway. We're always at the bottom of the rankings on Wu Star; we've grown accustomed to it.

The director could see these comments, but he didn't let them bother him.

In his heart, the director knew that this year's Wu Star was different. They had an incredibly talented cub, his secret weapon.

—And yet, his ace was still picking through trash.

In the Materials Zone.

All the cubs tended to choose materials with higher completion rates and easier assembly, ones that could be found in textbooks. Yet, Danjiao was essentially panning for gold in feces.

He was selecting his desired scraps from a pile of miscellaneous items, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Danjiao exclaimed, "I really want to take all these things home! Can I have the leftovers after the competition's over?"

Other cubs: "......."

No one would compete with you for those scraps you've picked, so rest assured.

The other cubs sighed collectively.

Feeling embarrassed by the curious yet disdainful looks from the other children, Little Yu, who stood beside Danjiao, couldn't maintain his composure.

"Are these things really useful to you?" Little Yu couldn't help but ask as he watched Pang Qiu fiddle with the scraps.

Danjiao nodded and replied, "I'm more accustomed to using these materials. Usually, I go out with my dad to collect them."

Little Yu: "..." Just as poverty-stricken as he had imagined.

How on earth did such a person get a direct pass?

[Is this cub's family very poor? Why does it sound like they often scavenge for trash?]

[Hahahaha, that's hilarious! Although the cub isn't very smart, they're still adorable, and that's enough.]

[I have a feeling that this cub is being groomed by Wu Star for stardom in the future. He doesn't seem to be here to compete.]

[Indeed, and it seems like they're going for the 'dumb but cute' cub persona.]

Unaware of the opinions circulating outside, Danjiao continued to utilize the tools to arrange the scraps in his hands.

He was now even more adept, as the tools available here were far superior to what he had at home.

The two of them returned to their designated invention zone together.

Looking at Danjiao fiddling with scraps, Little Yu chuckled and said proudly, "My invention is almost complete."

Pang Qiu glanced at him and asked, "What do you want to do, Brother Little Yu?"

Little Yu replied with a chuckle, "Heh heh, the invention I'm working on now is an intelligent robot."

Indeed, in his hands was a tiny robot.

From the assembly of its parts, it seemed capable of movement.

Danjiao assessed it seriously.

It felt like something that many young participants in this show could accomplish.

Danjiao asked, "Can it still move?"

Little Yu looked at him as if he were a country bumpkin, "Yes, this one can reassemble broken items. It has some degree of artificial intelligence and can automatically piece together fragments."

Egg Jiao: "Ooh."

Their conversation was heard almost verbatim by the live stream audience.

[What? This invention involves smart circuitry!]

[This kid is impressive. It's been years since we've seen such a technically sophisticated invention on this show.]

[After watching so many stationary and writing tools, it's truly refreshing to see something as innovative and intelligent as this.]

It seems like this year's champion has already been decided.

This isn't due to the speculative live-stream viewers, but rather because among this group of seemingly not-so-bright youngsters, Little Yu's invention stands out uniquely.

It has already reached the average level of the Interstellar League, exuding a charm that surpasses most other young talents from Wu Star.

Many of those who made it past the preliminary rounds haven't even managed a decent invention, still requiring the guidance of their mentors.

As they had anticipated, Little Yu's mentor also showed great favor towards his creation.

The mentor's eyes gleamed with delight, "Little Yu, does your robot actually move?"

This is a child with exceptional potential, a true golden prize contender. He couldn't let such a promising seedling slip away.

Little Yu nodded demurely. "Of course, I've delved into the realm of dynamics."

The teacher exclaimed, "This is material from an introductory course on interstellar studies. Little Yu is incredibly talented."

Little Yu stole a glance at Danjiao beside him, only to find the latter engrossed in his own heap of junk as if he hadn't heard a thing.

From every angle, that pile of junk didn't resemble anything capable of producing something useful.

The mentor smiled, encouragingly, "Teacher is eagerly anticipating your creation."

Little Yu nodded with pride.

After all, he wasn't just carrying the genes of Wu Star.

He and Danjiao were side by side, inseparable.

Upon seeing him, one would naturally notice Danjiao standing beside him.

In contrast with Little Yu, the plump youngster in the junk pile appeared even more out of place.

This Pang Qiu's invention lacked any remarkable features; even others on the scene had performed better. As for Little Yu, he had already advanced to the beginner's curriculum, making the comparison even starker.

[What's the deal with this kid called Danjiao? Didn't he get a direct pass?]

[According to the Beginner's Curriculum book, there was nothing in that pile of trash that could lead to a proper invention. He's just a good-looking vase, after all.]

Those who had been closely observing this young one found it utterly uninteresting by now.

Because from the beginning until now, there wasn't a single remarkable moment from this kid. Surely, he couldn't have invented anything significant from these mundane materials.

They couldn't fathom why the director had given him a direct pass.

As time passed, Little Yu's machinery had taken form.

His mentor repeatedly expressed admiration for his invention.

Having praised Wu Star for nurturing such a promising talent, the teacher began to inspect the other students.

Approaching the handsome youngster, the instructor asked, "What do you plan to do, Danjiao?"

Danjiao replied, "I'll figure it out as I go."

The mentor smiled warmly, then wiped his brow. "So, young Danzai, you have no specific plan before embarking on your inventions, right?"

Danjiao answered cheerfully, "Mostly, yeah. I usually just think as I work, and whatever comes up, I do."

The mentor responded, "I see… Will you be able to come up with ideas when the time comes?"

Danjiao nodded confidently. "Sure can! There are so many ideas swirling around in Danjiao's head, they just keep flowing out nonstop. Feels like there's an endless supply!"

The mentor nodded affectionately.

"Alright, I'll keep an eye on you too."

He was simply here to participate in the competition as if it were a game.

[Why on earth did the director give this kid a direct pass? His invention doesn't seem remarkable at all; it's even below average.]

[He's truly no match for that Little Yu fellow standing beside him.]

[But to be fair, although this kid's invention isn't impressive, he could consider debuting due to his good looks. After all, his face is incredibly attractive.]

[111: Appearance is justice! The baby is too adorable, Auntie wants to hug~ I've never seen such a cute and lovely kid before, unintentionally or not.]

[......The reason why the Five Stars have fallen behind is because of aunties like you who only talk about affectionate hugs.]

Yet, there were also serious analysts discussing possible explanations.

A meticulous researcher typed out a lengthy response:

[From this description, it seems to resemble racial memory that occurs in species with A-grade genes or above. Many fortunate young ones are born with inherited memories across their race. If these youngsters have an interest and talent in it, they can activate certain memories. Hence, it's theoretically possible for the young one to have many invention ideas in his head.]

This was promptly followed by criticism from realists:

[Chuckling, when has Wu Star ever had an A-grade gene, let alone the lottery of inherited memories? Would you believe it if you said that out loud yourself?]

[Impossible, move on to the next one.]

[Impossible, proceed to the next.]