Gu Jiaqi first rummaged through her space and found that she had almost nothing useful in there. She had spent most of the year stationed at the border, and no one lived in her house. The Empire’s capital star had excellent public security, so she did not even have a single alarm system.
In other words, if she wanted to secure this black hole, she would have to buy everything she needed.
Gu the Poor, Stingy, Penny-Pinching Jiaqi wondered if these 80,000 star coins would be enough.
Nan Qingchuan had never felt this exhausted before. It was as if he had run five kilometers and then trained for three days and three nights straight.
The moment he came out, he wanted nothing more than to head straight to the dormitory and sleep. However, his comrades waiting outside were looking at him with such eager anticipation that he could not go to sleep immediately.
“Xiao Nan!”
“Captain!”
Amid the expectant cries, Nan Qingchuan suppressed the urge to collapse on the spot and walked over to the square that had been converted into a training ground. He raised a hand, and a massive mecha appeared, eliciting a burst of astonished cries.
He then walked a few steps forward, and a dark, lumpy animal appeared beside him, startling everyone into raising their guns and pointing them at the monster.
Old Tao instinctively pointed at the lump that was the Tata Beast. “Xiao Nan… this is…?”
Nan Qingchuan unconsciously yawned. The square was practically operating around the clock now. A squad was constantly stationed at the black hole entrance, keeping watch, while the square had also been covered and fitted with floodlights. By the time Nan Qingchuan had left, it had already been well into the night, so he guessed it was probably dawn by now.
“The mecha is on the left, and the food that Planet Lord Gu gave us is on the right.”
“Food?”
Nan Qingchuan shook his head and forced himself to stay alert. “She said this is an edible animal from her country. The liver can’t be eaten, but the other parts taste very good, so she gave it to us. But I think we still need to test this thing before eating it. We can’t let our guard down.”
Old Tao stared at the Tata Beast in silence, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Although he had seen videos of Planet Lord Gu, he had never met her in person, and he was momentarily at a loss for words. She was far too enthusiastic.
“Xiao Nan, you look exhausted. Did something happen?” No matter how surprised he was, Nan Qingchuan standing before him was more important, so Old Tao asked with concern.
Nan Qingchuan could already hear a buzzing in his ears, which meant he was at the absolute limit of his sleepiness. He removed all the cameras and recording equipment from his body and handed them to Old Tao. “Everything is in here…” Before he could finish speaking, his body tipped backward, frightening everyone badly. They thought something had happened to him.
Old Tao shouted, “Quick, quick, quick! Get him to the infirmary!”
Nan Qingchuan had a magnificent dream. In it were dazzling flashes of mecha light, with all kinds of weapons displaying their power one after another, leaving him dumbfounded.
But before long, he caught the scent of something strange and fragrant. The aroma seemed to beckon him to open his eyes, so he obediently opened them.
Nan Qingchuan stared blankly at the white ceiling above him. After a moment of disorientation, he realized that this was the prefabricated building they had temporarily set up.
He turned over and got out of bed, only to find a small steel basin with a lid sitting on the bedside table. The fragrance was coming from inside.
Nan Qingchuan reached out and lifted the lid, revealing white rice, green vegetables, and some bright red meat.
Nan Qingchuan unconsciously swallowed. It smelled so good.
“Oh, you’re awake!” At that moment, a female soldier who worked as a nurse in the infirmary walked in.
“You slept so deeply that we couldn’t wake you no matter how much we called. You must be hungry. This is the meal that was just delivered.”
Nan Qingchuan wanted to speak, but the moment he opened his mouth, he realized his voice was a little hoarse. “What kind of meat is this?”
The nurse said, “The meat you brought back!”
The meat he brought back…
Nan Qingchuan’s eyes widened instantly.
That was monster meat. How could they just casually turn it into a meal?!
He got up and walked out of the infirmary, heading toward the offices of Old Tao and Vice Minister Zhong.
But when he passed the cafeteria, he discovered that everyone was eating. It turned out to be mealtime. Nan Qingchuan stopped involuntarily. Everyone here ate from the same communal kitchen, so Old Tao and Vice Minister Zhong would definitely be in the cafeteria too.
Sure enough, the moment he entered the cafeteria, he saw Old Tao, Vice Minister Zhong, and Platoon Leader Li Man sitting together at a table in the corner, eating.
Nan Qingchuan had excellent eyesight. He saw that the small bowls on their table also contained that bright red meat, and he could not help feeling anxious and worried.
“Eh, isn’t that Xiao Nan? You’re awake? Come and eat!” Old Tao quickly called out when he saw Nan Qingchuan approaching. His voice was quite noticeable in the quiet cafeteria, but everyone had good memories, so not a single person turned around to look.
Nan Qingchuan walked up to them and said worriedly in a low voice, “Leaders, how could you just turn it into food like this? What if something goes wrong after we eat it?”
Old Tao and Vice Minister Zhong exchanged a glance before breaking into laughter.
“Xiao Nan, sit down first. You just woke up, didn’t you?” Ignoring Nan Qingchuan’s objections, Old Tao picked up a piece of Tata Beast meat with his chopsticks and ate it.
“Yes.”
“Do you know how long you were asleep?”
Nan Qingchuan paused. “No.”
Old Tao smiled slightly. “You’ve already been asleep for more than twenty hours. During that time, we’ve conducted a lot of experiments proving that this monster’s meat is edible and rich in nutrients. The only drawback is probably that it’s too delicious. It’s easy to become addicted to it.”
Nan Qingchuan froze.
He had not expected to have slept for so long. Could using this spatial-folding ability really be that exhausting? If so, wouldn’t that mean…
Nan Qingchuan’s brows immediately furrowed, and he grew somewhat troubled.
At that moment, Zhong Hua brought over a bowl and chopsticks. “Don’t think about it so much. Eat first.”
Nan Qingchuan picked up a piece of Tata Beast meat and put it into his mouth. The taste was unbelievably good.
Li Man, who had been responsible for guarding the area around the square ever since the failed attempt to enter the black hole, was seeing Nan Qingchuan for the first time in two days. “Comrade Xiao Nan, the food has already undergone comprehensive testing. Aside from the internal organs containing trace amounts of hallucinogenic toxins, everything else is edible. Our security team watched the laboratory transport a lot of rabbits in last night. You really don’t need to worry.”
Nan Qingchuan nodded and began eating in earnest. Beside him, Old Tao continued speaking.
“You suddenly collapsed the day before yesterday. We thought something serious had happened and sent you to the infirmary for an examination. The results showed that you were simply overworked and mentally exhausted. That’s when we finally put our minds at ease.”
Nan Qingchuan listened as the leaders expressed their concern, one after another, and he was deeply moved. But he had never been one to say polite words for the sake of appearances. Deep down, he silently resolved to work even harder and serve his country.
After they finished eating, everyone went to the office together and began a meeting to study the spatial chip Nan Qingchuan had just learned to use.
Meanwhile, in a high-end hotel not far from the black hole, several people were also holding a meeting. They all looked like people from the Ming Country, but they were speaking a foreign language during the meeting.
“They’ve been buying fresh vegetables and meat everywhere lately. Based on my statistics over the past two days, the people at the site definitely can’t eat that much. Where all these vegetables are going is highly suspicious.”
“I’ve already bribed one of the vegetable vendors. When I make the delivery tomorrow, I’ll hide in the vehicle and livestream everything inside for you.”
When Nan Qingchuan arrived at Latt Star again, it was already 9 p.m. in the Ming Country’s time zone. However, when he arrived, he discovered that it was still early morning on Latt Star. He had not expected the planet’s sunrise to be so late.
Moreover, after entering, he discovered that several people were stationed beside the black hole. They were heavily equipped, each carrying a light gun, and the sight made Nan Qingchuan’s heart tighten.
He unconsciously stopped at the black hole entrance and did not continue inside. He figured that since Planet Lord Gu’s helpers had already arrived, someone who had just come out would surely have to go through some kind of registration.
However, Nan Qingchuan stood at the entrance for a full minute, yet the soldiers, armed from head to toe, paid him no attention. They continued standing there with their guns held proudly, staring straight ahead as if he did not exist.
Nan Qingchuan gave a slight, awkward cough.
He gave another soft cough, trying to remind the soldiers of his presence, but they showed no reaction.
Nan Qingchuan looked around and discovered that the steel trees around the black hole were gone. A small road led straight toward the mountain of mechas ahead, paved with tiles made of some material he did not recognize that looked extremely sturdy. There were also silver railings on both sides of the road. To Nan Qingchuan, an “ancient person,” their design was extremely futuristic.
It had only been a day since he had last come here, yet Latt Star had practically undergone a complete transformation.
Nan Qingchuan had no choice but to take out the communicator Gu Jiaqi had given him, intending to send her a message. Standing around here doing nothing was a waste of time.
“Mr. Nan, you’re here?”
Before he could send the message, he heard Gu Jiaqi’s voice.
Nan Qingchuan looked up and saw Gu Jiaqi walking over from the other side of the forest. She had changed her outfit. Every time Nan Qingchuan had seen her before, she had been wearing a one-piece combat suit, but this time Gu Jiaqi was wearing a red dress. She was tall and slender, with a sharp gaze. As she walked toward him from a distance, she looked like a rose covered in thorns. Nan Qingchuan could not help remembering the kick she had landed on his head and inexplicably shuddered.
“Planet Lord Gu.” Nan Qingchuan greeted her as well. He was just about to tell Gu Jiaqi about today’s mission when she interrupted him.
“Mr. Nan, are you feeling better?”
Nan Qingchuan found it strange. How did Gu Jiaqi know about what had happened to him?
Gu Jiaqi said, “After you went back, you fell into a deep sleep. Your Vice Minister Zhong came to see me right away. He carefully asked whether your current physical condition was serious. He really cares about you.”
Nan Qingchuan had not known that Zhong Hua had actually made a special trip over because of him, and for a moment, he did not know what to say.
With that, Gu Jiaqi smiled. “Actually, falling into a deep sleep is completely normal. It’s common the first time you use your mental power. Don’t worry too much. You just need more practice.”
Nan Qingchuan nodded in understanding. “Okay.”
“May I ask something? Are all the people in your country equal?”
Nan Qingchuan paused. “Yes. We are all citizens, and everyone is equal.”
“Oh…” Gu Jiaqi nodded thoughtfully and did not ask anything further.
She placed her left hand on her right shoulder. Under Nan Qingchuan’s astonished gaze, her clothes instantly changed, and the familiar combat suit reappeared on her body. She smiled.
“Come on, I’ll introduce you to the procedure you’ll follow whenever you come to Latt Star from now on.”