Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“Mr. Lu Wuchen, male, passed away three days ago at the age of 72 due to a sudden heart condition. Now, with our deepest respect, let us reflect on Mr. Lu’s life.”

“Born in an unassuming fringe star system, he was diligent and ambitious from a young age. Through his tireless efforts, he became an exceptional mechanical technician. He never shied away from adversity, finding his life’s purpose amidst the vast expanse of stars. He…”

In the mourning hall, the officiant’s sorrowful voice resonated through every corner.

The black-and-white funeral setting featured a large screen displaying a montage of the elderly man’s life, flanked by solemn wreaths. Apart from the officiant and two staff members, only a young man with silver-grey hair stood ramrod straight before the memorial photo, his eyes clouded with a profound sense of loss.

He appeared deeply moved by the eulogy, his eyes glistening. After a prolonged silence in the somber atmosphere, he finally cleared his throat, his voice tight with suppressed emotion: “That’s enough. We can proceed to the next step.”

The officiant, with empathy, asked: “Would you like to say a final farewell to the body?”

The young man shook his head: “No need.”

“Then we’ll continue,” a staff member said, opening the side control panel and pressing the confirmation button. “The subsequent process will be displayed on the large screen. You may choose to observe based on your comfort level.”

The young man nodded, remaining silent.

The rear hatch slowly opened, and the coffin, previously centered, was gently pushed inside.

Soon after, the large screen switched to a live feed.

The footage showed the capsule carrying the body embarking on a short-distance jump, launching into the boundless cosmos. As it progressively disintegrated, it ultimately dissolved along with the remains, vanishing completely into the vast universe.

Like a brilliant firework, it bloomed amidst countless stars, leaving a final, dazzling flash before settling into ultimate tranquility.

The Star Burial Ceremony was thus concluded.

“The ceremony is complete. Please accept our condolences,” the staff member said, offering a tissue with a look of regret. “You’ve held such a magnificent funeral for Old Mr. Lu. If he knew in the afterlife, he would surely be deeply touched by your filial devotion.”

“The star burial was his last wish, after all. It’s only right to fulfill what I promised him.”

The young man took the tissue, lowered his gaze, and wiped away the lingering tears. “Not just him, even I’m quite moved.”

His silver-grey hair fell slightly with the movement, and as a breeze passed, the tips brushed against his sharply defined cheek.

The tear stains had not yet fully dried, lending a vulnerable quality that made his handsome face even more striking.

The staff member was momentarily taken aback by the sight, feeling a surge of emotion, and instinctively wanted to offer more words of comfort to the bereaved. But then she heard the young man continue slowly: “The process should be over, right? If there’s nothing else, let’s settle the bill.”

The abrupt shift from a sorrowful, subdued atmosphere to such a business-like tone was so sudden that the staff member’s emotions couldn’t keep pace: “Huh?”

Wait, how did we fast-forward? Weren’t we just mourning the deceased a second ago?!

The young man looked puzzled: “What, you don’t want the final payment?”

His poorly masked eagerness practically screamed, “Is this really happening?!”

“Ah! Yes, yes, of course we do!” The staff member snapped back to reality and immediately retrieved the payment device. “Hello, the total cost for this Star Burial is 83,444 Star Coins. After deducting the prepayment, you still need to pay…”

“I know, 52,333.4538 Star Coins, right?”

The corner of the staff member’s mouth twitched uncontrollably: “Th-that’s correct.”

It was the first time she had ever encountered a bereaved family member who, despite their grief, could calculate the final payment down to four decimal places!

The young man looked pained: “Paid.”

“Excellent!” The staff member completed the transaction, a professional smile spreading across her face. “Mr. Lu Ming, congratulations on becoming a Super VIP at our Zoudehao Star Burial Service Center. From now on, you’ll enjoy an exclusive twenty percent discount on all our services. Please accept our sympathies, and we welcome your next visit.”

“Condolences accepted. I’ll definitely accept them,” the young man, referred to as “Lu Ming,” said, tossing the tissue dismissively into a corner trash can with perfect aim.

He cast a deep gaze at the vast, now empty, starry sky on the screen, then turned to leave: “But as for the chance to visit again, you can keep that for yourselves.”

*

Stepping out of the Star Burial Service Center, the first thing Bai Luming did was check his account balance.

The displayed number filled his eyes with a sorrow no less intense than during the funeral.

As the staff had addressed him, “Lu Ming” was the identity he was currently using—

He was the son of the old mechanic Lu Wuchen, separated from his father years ago during a sudden Zerg attack, and only reunited three years prior. Since then, he had become a typical dependent on this desolate planet.

And just minutes ago, he had spent his entire inheritance to give his father a Starsea Funeral that most poor people could only dream of. After the funeral, his account balance stood at 355.3452 Star Coins, barely enough for a week’s worth of food. Without any other income, he could starve to death at any moment.

Looking at the bleak, meager sum in his account, even Bai Luming had to admit—preferring to fulfill his “father’s” last wish even if it meant he couldn’t survive, he was truly “filial”!

“Old Lu, I’ve arranged the romantic funeral you always wanted, so you can rest content. As for the rest, I’ll take care of it for you too. Just go in peace, and if you think of anything else, appear to me in dreams. And then… well, I guess that’s all.”

Bai Luming waved toward the vast sky and turned to walk toward the lower district: “Well, I’m off now. See you in my dreams, if fate allows.”

Who would have thought that after freeloading for three years, the “old” would be gone.

With the funeral over, this “dependent” now had to figure out how to be self-reliant and solve his basic survival needs.

The desolate planet was isolated and underdeveloped. To live relatively comfortably, one had to put in at least ten times the effort compared to developed star systems.

As he neared the lower district, the originally broad roads gradually narrowed, and the constant stream of space vehicles faded into distant, faint honking echoes.

Screw Street was one of the most dilapidated areas in the lower district. The street, barely wide enough for two people to walk abreast, was paved with old, potholed bricks. After the rain two days prior, residual puddles dotted the area like abandoned plant beds.

Most of the shabby shops lining the street, whose ages were impossible to guess, had long closed. The few still open emitted dim light, flickering intermittently due to an unstable power supply.

A few people sat hunched by the roadside, making idle conversation with cigarette butts in their mouths. They occasionally glanced up when someone appeared on the street but quickly lost interest upon recognizing familiar faces.

Another tall figure appeared.

The group glanced over, and their previously loud voices unexpectedly quieted.

“Huh? Isn’t that Old Lu’s kid?”

“If I remember correctly, today’s the day Old Lu was buried. I passed by his place this morning and saw a luxury hearse carrying his coffin away.”

“I heard about that. It seems it was a car from the funeral center in the wealthy district, that specializes in whatchamacallit… oh right, Star Burial!”

“Tsk—! I always thought that A Ming was lazy but not entirely useless—at least his looks are first-rate. But now it seems, no matter how good-looking, if he’s not smart, it’s worth little!”

“Exactly. Look at Old Lu, who worked hard his whole life running a repair shop, only for all his savings to be spent by little Lu on some Starsea Funeral. That’s not something people like us can afford.”

“Haha, true. Now he’s got nothing left. I wonder how this dependent will survive without Old Lu. Coming back now, maybe he’s taking inventory, planning to sell the repair shop?”

“Hard to say. Not only is the money gone, but the body’s been dispersed like pyrotechnics. I wonder if Old Lu would regret not lifting the coffin lid if he knew… Hey, why are you all blinking at me? Got sand in your eyes?”

The middle-aged man was curious about the others’ meaningful glances when he heard a smiling voice behind him: “I am here to take inventory at the repair shop, but I don’t plan to sell it for now.”

The middle-aged man turned around to see Bai Luming standing behind him with a wry smile. He awkwardly coughed twice: “That’s Old Lu’s life’s work. It really shouldn’t be sold.”

“Thank you, neighbors, for caring so much about our family affairs. Old Lu would be deeply touched if he knew how much you all care.”

Bai Luming thoughtfully brushed the dust off the man’s shoulder. “But the fireworks made from human remains are indeed different from the ordinary ones. I still have the footage the funeral home sent. When I have time, I’ll show it to everyone. Gotta say, the scene was… quite romantic.”

“Ah, okay… huh?” The middle-aged man responded instinctively, only realizing a few seconds later and hurriedly waving his hands. “No, no need. Such a romantic thing really doesn’t need to be shown to roughnecks like us.”

Bai Luming pressed cheerfully: “Brother Wang, don’t be polite with me. Good things are meant to be shared. Believe me, our Old Lu went off real pretty, really.”

The middle-aged man gave a strained chuckle: “No, really no need.”

The guy with the buzzcut nearby, seeing how skittish Wang was being, couldn’t help but laugh. After staring at Bai Luming silently for a moment, he asked: “Lu Ming, what are you planning to do next? I have some connections at a club in the upper district. Want me to refer you?”

Though they talked privately, everyone knew exactly how much Lu Wuchen’s long-lost son was worth—at least, since their reunion, no one remembered him doing a single decent thing.

Now that Old Lu was suddenly gone, this good-for-nothing leech had completely lost his support. As longtime neighbors, they still wanted to help when they could.

Bai Luming got a kick out of that: “A club? That’s not someplace that just lets anyone in.”

Buzz-cut affirmed: “Don’t worry, with your looks, you’ll have no problem getting in!”

Bai Luming said sincerely: “Buzzcut knows what’s up.”

Buzz-cut: “Then you…”

“Still, I can only appreciate the thought.” Bai Luming smiled. “As I said earlier, I don’t plan to sell the shop for now. After all, it was Old Lu’s life’s work. I have to keep it running for him.”

At this, Bai Luming checked the time and finally let go of the middle-aged man trying to weasel out of the fireworks video. He waved to the others: “I need to go sort through the shop orders now. Everyone, see you later.”

“See you, see you.”

Bai Luming smiled at them, making them instinctively wave back. Only after watching his tall figure enter the repair shop across the street did they finally look at each other, confused.

“Wait, what did he say? He’s going to keep Old Lu’s repair shop going?”

“Does that kid know how to fix mechs and all that?”

“As far as I know, I doubt it?”

“Should we try to talk him out of it? If he breaks something, he’ll have to pay even more!”

“Honestly, working at a club is really not bad. If I had his looks, I’d have gone long ago—probably counting money ’til my arms got tired.”

…

The rest of the conversation drifted into his ears intermittently.

Bai Luming seemed oblivious to the neighbors’ deep concern, paying no mind as he arrived at the repair shop’s entrance. After unlocking it, he lifted the rolling door forcefully, and a cloud of dust came down that made him cough repeatedly.

He waved a hand to fan the air, then ducked inside.

The shop had motion-sensor lights that turned on the moment he entered.

Bai Luming wasn’t new to the repair shop. He deftly found his way to the corner desk, used a key to open the third drawer from the inside, and pulled out a document folder.

It contained the unfinished orders for the small repair shop.

“Pretty thin…” Bai Luming frowned disdainfully.

From what he remembered, Lu Wuchen always had a decent income. Were these really all actual earnings from the repair shop?

Bai Luming untied the string around the file and was about to open it when a voice came from the entrance: “I thought the guy named Lu was dead. Why is this shop still open?”

Bai Luming had only raised the rolling door halfway when he entered. From his angle, he could see a row of people standing outside the door now, with several hovercars faintly visible behind them, making the already narrow Screw Street even more cramped.

Just from their appearance, each vehicle was a high-end new model that had no business being in the lower district.

Bai Luming silently raised an eyebrow, a barely noticeable glint flashing in his eyes.

He seemed—to have caught the scent of a big, fat cash cow.