Chapter 45: The Surprising Luo Ri Star

Chapter 45: The Surprising Luo Ri Star

Li Xiaoxiao studied nursing in college. After five years of hard work, she was assigned to a hospital as a nurse.

She thought being a nurse would provide job security and a stable life.

But then, everything changed.

Working for less than five months and still in her probationary period, Li Xiaoxiao unfortunately became a scapegoat.

An AI misdiagnosed a mutated toxin, and the attending physician failed to detect the issue, resulting in the patient not receiving timely treatment. The patient's limbs became necrotic, and they had to be amputated before limb reconstruction technology could be used to give the patient new, healthy limbs.

This was pure torture.

Originally, this had nothing to do with Li Xiaoxiao.

But the attending physician, who had connections and used his influence, shifted all the responsibility to Li Xiaoxiao, an intern with no connections. He claimed that she had given the wrong medication, which worsened the patient's condition.

Li Xiaoxiao was made to take full responsibility.

Afterward, she was falsely accused and burdened with a massive debt. She had to sell her house to repay the debt and was imprisoned for three years before being released.

When she got out of prison, no hospital was willing to hire someone with a criminal record. With no money left, she ended up in Luo Ri Star.

Li Xiaoxiao had planned to just get by, living day to day.

However, the hospital recruitment notice on Luo Ri Star reignited her hope of living a life with dignity.

Maybe she should apply?

Even if she got rejected, it wouldn’t be the first time.

With that thought, Li Xiaoxiao submitted her resume.

At the same time, Wang Hao, a driver who had served five years in prison for taking the blame for his rich second-generation roommate, also immediately sent in his resume after seeing the recruitment notice.

Life had hit him hard, but he wasn’t about to give up so easily.

That night, many others were rekindled with the hope of living a good life because of the nearly 300 new job positions.

Even the struggling border town of Luo Ri Star was working hard to grow. If the governor hadn’t given up on Luo Ri Star, why should they?

They not only had to survive, but they also had to thrive.

Luo Ri Star would not be their end, but a new beginning.

*

The next morning,

Cang Cheng had a good night's sleep, waking up when it was already bright outside.

His breakfast was once again prepared by Hilmeth.

Yesterday, Simon had brought back several sets of high-end kitchenware and gifted a set to Cang Cheng. While Cang Cheng was asleep, Hilmeth replaced all the equipment in the dining room.

From that day on, the tall, large-tailed exotic no longer needed to use a flamethrower or laboratory instruments to prepare food.

Today’s breakfast consisted of apple jam bread, chicken and egg salad, and sweet milk.

The bread, baked to a golden brown, exuded a unique wheat fragrance.

A green salad was drizzled with vinaigrette, refreshing and appetizing. Paired with chicken and eggs, it made for a well-balanced meal.

Hilmeth asked, "How is the bread with jam? Is it too sweet? I followed the recipe and added a lot of sugar."

Cang Cheng took a bite of the bread. The light-colored transparent jam spread in his mouth, and the apple fragrance awakened his just-awakened taste buds.

Cang Cheng's eyes lit up, and after swallowing the bread, he replied, "Not sweet, I think it's just right. But I can handle sweetness well. In the future, you can add some other slightly sour fruits to balance it out."

"Okay."

Hilmeth felt genuinely pleased with the suggestion, his expression softening.

His tail peeked out from under the table, swaying back and forth, trying to catch Cang Cheng's attention.

Cang Cheng's gaze indeed fell on the furry tail. It was impossible to ignore that little tail wagging back and forth.

Hilmeth grabbed his tail and pressed it down.

Pretending his tail hadn't done anything childish, he calmly finished his breakfast in the cozy morning atmosphere.

Cang Cheng took a sip of sweet milk, feeling a bit puzzled.

The tail just now seemed very happy.

Hmm... So, is Hilmeth as happy as his tail?

Hilmeth always kept a straight face, but maybe he just wasn't good at showing his emotions.

The tail was truly honest.

*

After breakfast, Hilmeth put the tableware into the automatic dishwasher and began tidying up the table again. He was very skilled at the entire process.

Five minutes later, Cang Cheng received a message from Philip: "Sir, I am outside the Central Mansion."

After sending the message "Come in," Cang Cheng felt puzzled.

Hmm... Philip has access to the Central Mansion, so why does he always ask me for entry permission now?

That's weird.

Dressed in a white suit uniform, Philip walked straight to Cang Cheng without glancing around.

He bowed and began briefing Cang Cheng on today's schedule.

"Sir, the delegation from Planet Sha has arrived. Do you have any arrangements for them? The monthly market on Luo Ri has also opened today. Would you like to inspect it?"

"The delegation from Planet Sha arrived so quickly? That was fast."

Cang Cheng was surprised by their speed, as he had only returned from Planet Sha a few days ago.

Without much hesitation, Cang Cheng made a decision: "Go and receive the delegation from Planet Sha first. I'll wait for you all at the market."

On the Planet Sha shuttle, Lobuo led 200 Awakened individuals selected overnight, waiting for further instructions. Most of these 200 Awakened individuals were of class C, with a few being class B.

*

Since Cang Cheng created a small lake on Planet Sha, the people in the lower district have practically worshiped him as a god.

As soon as they heard that Lord Lobuo was selecting people for a permanent assignment to Luo Ri, they all rushed to sign up, starting a fierce competition.

"I'm about to meet Lord Lobuo. What if he thinks I'm not dressed formally enough?"

One person, who had layered every piece of cloth they could find at home, making them look like a clothesline from afar, was filled with anxiety.

"I absolutely don't mind the barrenness of Luo Ri. As long as there's water, I'll work a full 20 hours a day."

Another person, dressed in traditional Sha Star clothing that barely covered 40% of their body, was determined.

"Luo Ri is just a border planet. The living standards definitely won't compare to Sha Star," said Nana Luo, who was neatly dressed in a light yellow summer uniform with silver jewelry, standing out from the others.

The first group sent to Luo Ri couldn't consist entirely of people from the lower district.

And Nana Luo was one of the chosen ones from the upper district to go to Luo Ri in the first batch.

She was the less favored second daughter at home. Her parents originally wanted to send her youngest sister to Luo Ri, but the youngest was spoiled and refused to go, while the eldest daughter was already married, so the parents didn't want to separate her family.

After half a day of persuasion from her parents, Nana Luo finally agreed to go to Luo Ri for work.

Nana Luo felt resentful. Why did she have to go to the lower-tier Luo Ri?

Why did she always have to yield to her younger sister?

But thinking about how she could leave her biased parents and receive 500,000 credits, Nana Luo thought going to Luo Ri wasn't too bad.

At worst, she'd build a house from scratch and live a more primitive life.

Nana Luo had already come to terms with reality.

"I checked the Star Net, and all I found about Luo Ri were descriptions of 'backwardness and poverty.' I wonder just how poor it will be."

"I've built stone houses in the mines before. If anyone needs help, feel free to ask me."

"I can build houses too. Don't worry about not having a place to live. No matter how poor Luo Ri is, it can't be worse than what we've left behind on Sha Star. It's not like it rains acid outside, and we're all Awakened, so sleeping in the open for a few days won't be a problem."

"That makes sense."

"Since we still have some time, let me share some wilderness survival tips with everyone!"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

The team leader, Lobuo, watched as a group of people with smiles on their faces showed no sign of worry about leaving home but instead were eagerly teaching each other wilderness survival skills.

They were like students heading out on a field trip, full of curiosity and excitement.

Compared to how desperate things were on Sha Star…

But all of that was in the past now.

Lobuo had never been to Luo Ri before, and he too was curious about it.

He didn't think the living conditions on Luo Ri would be too bad because the Lord, who was like a benevolent creator, would never let his planet's inhabitants live in hardship.

"The shuttle's communication device chirped, signaling that Lobuo had received the docking permit for Luo Ri.

The deep yellow shuttle descended and parked, its hatch opened, and the delegation from Planet Sha officially arrived at Luo Ri.

One by one, dark figures emerged from the hatch, lining up in an orderly fashion. Many took a few deep breaths as soon as they stepped outside.

"My goodness, the air here is amazing! I can even smell the plants."

"It's not hot at all, even standing under the sun. So this is what an outside planet is like."

"The humidity is just right, not dry at all."

...

After just a few seconds of breathing in Luo Ri's air, those who had grown tired of Planet Sha's climate were already won over.

They were already thinking about staying, no matter what the living conditions were like, just because the climate was so much better.

Dressed in a white suit, Philip, the steward, accompanied by a diplomatic official and a support officer, came to welcome the visitors from Planet Sha.

"Welcome to Luo Ri," Philip greeted Lobuo with a nod. "Today happens to be the market day on Luo Ri. Would you like to head to the market first? Cang Cheng is waiting for you there."

"Alright."

Lobuo naturally had no reason to refuse.

There were markets on Planet Sha as well, but ever since Tataru took office, the markets were only held in the upper district.

The people from the lower district hadn't seen a market in years, so they were very pleased to hear that there was a market on Luo Ri.

At least they wouldn’t have to worry about getting their daily supplies.

Seeing that many of them were carrying large bags, Philip suggested, "If you don't mind, you can hand over your luggage to us. We'll deliver it to your accommodations later."

"Yes, yes."

"I was just thinking it would be inconvenient to shop at the market with my luggage."

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, sir."

...

After placing their luggage in the designated area, the white-masked Guard, acting as volunteers, arrived in a hot air balloon to transport the luggage.

The massive flying device drew gasps of amazement as soon as it appeared.

"What is that? It’s such a unique flying machine!"

"The people in uniform coming down from it look so impressive."

"I heard online that Luo Ri doesn’t have any flying vehicles. So what is this?"

...

Philip then explained, "This is Luo Ri's signature mode of transportation, the hot air balloon. It’s currently in the testing phase and is expected to be fully operational within two weeks."

The inhabitants of Planet Sha gaped in awe, nodding slowly.

I can't believe Luo Ri has its own unique transportation system. That's impressive!

After Philip took them on a tour of a corner of Luo Ri’s central district, the inhabitants of Planet Sha realized how ridiculous their earlier discussions about surviving in the wilderness had been.

Look at these clean roads, much neater than the roads on Planet Sha.

Look at these rows of houses, a thousand times better than the dirt huts in the lower district!

There were also comfortable climate control systems, lush greenery, and a bustling shopping street, even though it was closed today.

And there's more! It is said that a hospital is under construction and will be operational in a few days.

Is this really the supposedly barren and backward Luo Ri?

The facilities on this planet are no worse than those on Planet Sha... No one would question it being classified as a B-grade planet.

When did the border planets get so advanced? Why didn’t they hear about this before?

The inhabitants of Planet Sha stood there with their mouths hanging open, completely blown away by what they saw.

Their amazement hit its peak when they arrived at Central Plaza, where the market was in full swing.

The enormous plaza was packed with people.

The temporary market stalls set up by the merchant guild were selling not only essentials like nutrient solution, clothing, and healing potions, but also incredibly expensive houses and buildings.

Decorative ornaments: 500~2000 star credits

Kitchen set: 3800 star credits

Bathroom extension for bathing (15 sqm): 8000 star credits

Outdoor gym with equipment (30 sqm): 20,000 star credits

Outdoor swimming pool extension (80 sqm): 30,000 star credits

B-grade fully furnished three-story villa (400 sqm): 2,000,000 star credits

...

Summer new fashion: 200~2000 star credits

Swimwear: 200 star credits

Makeup set: 100~2000 star credits

Skincare set: 600~3000 star credits

Face mask set (10 pieces per box): 100 star credits

Fishing set: 5000 star credits

...

Unlike the markets on Planet Sha, which only sold basic necessities like nutrient solutions, the Luo Ri market was filled with items designed to enhance daily life.

Not only were these items plentiful, but people were actively purchasing them.

"I make around 6000 star credits a month. Is it really too much to splurge on some basic cosmetics?"

"I still have plenty of savings, so why not buy a swimming pool?"

"I'll buy a set of kitchen appliances, so I can cook delicious food at home."

"Get me a dozen of the new summer outfits!"

...

Some people were spending hundreds or thousands, while others were even splurging on cozy cottages.

"Finally, there's a small cottage for sale! I've long thought my house was too small; I can't even fit a fish tank."

With his retirement fund more than covering him, Charlie went on a shopping spree.

He now worked as the manager of a food truck specializing in egg-based dishes, working just 5 hours a day and achieving self-fulfillment without being overly busy.

He was completely happy with life on Luo Ri.

"I need to update my fishing set too—bought it. And the facial masks are great for gifting—buy!..."

Charlie went on a shopping binge.

The inhabitants of Planet Sha were in disbelief.

Wait a minute?

Is this really the supposedly desolate Luo Ri?

They wondered if it was all staged.

Just as the delegation was so shocked they couldn't move, a mouth-watering aroma filled the air.

"What's that smell? It's so fragrant!"

"I just had nutrient solution; why am I suddenly hungry again?"

"Look, the smell is coming from over there."

...

The group looked over and saw a row of white food trucks with blue patterns, displaying foods that were quite expensive in the galaxy.

Crispy fries, ice-cold pumpkin porridge perfect for summer, the highly praised chicken sandwich, and the limited-edition sweet milk drink.

Since many employees of the food trucks had taken leave to shop at the market, today's number of food trucks was less than one-third of usual.

But even so, the food was enough to astonish the delegation.

Moreover, almost all the food items were priced below 50 star coins.

?

Weren't they dreaming?

"How does Luo Ri have so much food? And why is it so cheap?"

Someone couldn't help but ask aloud.

"The food on Luo Ri has undergone special genetic intervention processing, allowing the cultivation of uncontaminated edible food at a very low cost. Everyone can eat without worry."

The response didn't come from Philip, but from a cool, composed young man's voice.

Everyone turned to see a figure in a pristine white cloak, smiling warmly as he greeted them.

His smile was warm, and his pure black eyes gleamed with an almost otherworldly intensity. Despite his friendly demeanor, no one could overlook the commanding presence of a leader.

"Welcome to Luo Ri Star for work. I am the Governor of Luo Ri, Cang Cheng."

Wow!

Ah!

It's him!

The one who performed miracles!

For a moment, the inhabitants of Planet Sha were stunned into silence, but then their faces broke into expressions of sheer joy.

One by one, they dropped to one knee, bowing deeply before Cang Cheng, and shouted, "From Planet Sha, [Name] pledges my loyalty. I swear to follow you until death, and never betray!"

Their voices rose in unison, echoing across the sky and drawing the attention of everyone nearby.

Cang Cheng froze for a moment.

That all-too-familiar, toe-curling awkwardness...

He let out a resigned sigh. "Oh well..."