Three hours earlier, the military forces stationed near Ning City had already brought everyone they could find to the black hole for a round of testing. They left behind everyone who had noticed something unusual about this place, meaning those who could see the black vortex.
Then they took turns charging in, one person at a time. By the time everyone had been tested, more than two hours had passed. Unfortunately, among the several hundred people who could see the black hole, not a single one had managed to enter successfully.
It was not until all the food Zhong Hua had arranged had been delivered that everyone decided to have Nan Qingchuan make the first trip to deliver the supplies. Precisely because of the uncertainty surrounding the black hole, they placed even greater importance on the efficiency of the trade.
This time, Vice Minister Zhong decided to accompany Nan Qingchuan and give it a try himself. At present, they could not find any pattern whatsoever among those who could enter, whether it was based on gender, age, or even whether they could see the black vortex.
Their only point of reference, Nan Qingchuan, was not particularly special either. None of the soldiers who were similar to him could get through, which had left everyone at a loss.
Unexpectedly, Vice Minister Zhong was able to enter successfully with him. Both of them were surprised and delighted.
Gu Jiaqi genuinely had not expected Nan Qingchuan to find someone who could cross over with him in such a short time, let alone bring over two tons of vegetables.
What did two tons even mean?
Although it was practically nothing to the Empire’s hundreds of billions of people, to Gu Jiaqi personally, it was an enormous amount!
What’s more, he had said that he would send two tons first, which meant there was more to come!
Gu Jiaqi instantly perked up. Although she had not slept for a long time and was feeling rather sluggish, these vegetables were practically life-saving medicine to her!
“You’re Planet Lord Gu, right? Hello, I’m Zhong Hua.”
Gu Jiaqi smiled. “Hello.”
Half an hour later, Gu Jiaqi and Vice Minister Zhong signed an agreement. For the time being, they would begin trading at a rate of five tons of vegetables and meat for one scrapped mecha.
Gu Jiaqi did not let them enter the interior of the planet, mainly because she felt a little embarrassed herself. After all, all she had was a shabby little shed. Fortunately, the two men sitting across from her did not seem to mind.
Vice Minister Zhong smiled and said, “Of course. Both sides still need to continue working to figure out the rules governing this black hole. Especially now that, all things considered, only two people can cross over, while mechas are so large that they have to be dismantled before being sent over. It’s very time-consuming.”
“Also, Captain Nan Qingchuan has been appointed by our side as the designated liaison responsible for coordinating with you. I will continue searching for people who can enter this place. If we work together, I’m sure we can make life better for both sides.”
Gu Jiaqi thought to herself that this leader really knew how to make polite speeches. Compared with him, she preferred straightforward people like Nan Qingchuan.
“Mr. Zhong, you don’t need to worry too much about the transportation. I can provide Mr. Nan with a spatial chip. The spatial chip will automatically create a folded space. He can store anything inside and take it out whenever he needs it, which is very suitable for our current situation.”
As she spoke, Gu Jiaqi took out a silver chip. Amusingly enough, this chip had originally been intended as a gift for Sois’ nephew. She had never expected that the bastard Sois would already have a child of his own, saving her a chip.
“This chip needs to be implanted beneath the skin, so I’m afraid I can’t help you with that.” Gu Jiaqi had heard that ancient people were very particular about physical contact between men and women, and she was worried that touching Nan Qingchuan might cause unnecessary trouble.
She demonstrated how to implant the chip, then handed it to Nan Qingchuan.
“Come find me after you’ve implanted it. I’ll teach you how to use it. This chip needs to be activated with mental power. You probably haven’t learned how to use mental power yet.”
Nan Qingchuan did not immediately implant the chip after taking it. They would definitely need to study it once they returned. Although their suspicions toward Gu Jiaqi had lessened somewhat, they still needed to be as cautious as possible.
Especially since, from a distance, the two of them could now see several people behind Gu Jiaqi who were very similar in both height and build, patrolling the area. These should be the soldiers Gu Jiaqi had mentioned earlier, the ones who had come to help her develop the planet.
Gu Jiaqi was no longer alone.
“I heard there’s a significant time difference between our two sides. Is your planet also twenty-four hours a day?”
“Yes.” Zhong Hua nodded. “It was already evening when we came over, but it seems to be daytime here.”
“The time difference is about twelve hours. Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Nan.” Gu Jiaqi smiled.
She had naturally noticed that Nan Qingchuan had not immediately used the chip, but that was normal, and she did not mind.
Nan Qingchuan shook his head without saying anything. Obedience was a soldier’s duty, and he had no hesitation about carrying out this mission.
“Planet Lord Gu, we’ll return now and prepare the remaining three tons of vegetables and meat. Thank you for your hard work.”
Seeing a trace of fatigue appear on Gu Jiaqi’s face, the two men from Ming Country tactfully took their leave. Gu Jiaqi, meanwhile, directly took ten bottles of nutrient solution from her supplies and gave them to the two men, telling them to take them back for research. Although the stuff did not taste particularly good, it was extremely useful. Especially when cooking was inconvenient during a march, nutrient solution could save lives.
After Zhong Hua and Nan Qingchuan left Latt Star, Zhong Hua’s expression was solemn, while Nan Qingchuan stared blankly at the chip in his hand.
Several people led by Old Tao came over and asked, “How did it go?”
Zhong Hua said, “This alien is very wary of us. She hasn’t told us some basic information, but we can confirm that the planet should indeed belong to her. I believe the trade can proceed. We’ve already signed a contract with her.”
Old Tao asked, “What were the terms?”
“Five tons of vegetables for one scrapped mecha.”
Old Tao nodded. “That’s quite cheap. Even our weapons right now are worth more than that.”
Zhong Hua said, “She also gave Xiao Nan a chip. She says the chip can create a folded space, making it convenient to transport things. What I’m worried about now is whether we should let Xiao Nan install it. What if it’s harmful to his body? What if she has some ulterior motive?”
Nan Qingchuan opened his hand. A small silver chip lay in the center of his palm.
Old Tao said, “Have Academician Li and the others study it first.”
The academicians from the Academy of Sciences had already arrived, and Academician Li was leading them.
Although that was what they said, everyone knew in their hearts that something this far ahead of its time was unlikely to yield any results from their research. Even if someone had tampered with it, they would not know.
Sure enough, without dismantling the chip, the academicians tried all sorts of methods to study it, but they could not get any results from the small chip.
Seeing how frustrated everyone was, Nan Qingchuan silently walked over to Vice Minister Zhong and Old Tao.
“I’ll implant it under my skin. I’m willing.”
Seeing the concern on their faces, he smiled. “Actually, there’s something Planet Lord Gu said that I strongly agree with: a backward nation will be bullied. Regardless of whether we choose to trade with her, the two worlds are already connected. Leaders, we can’t let an opportunity like this pass us by. When there’s such a disparity in strength, someone has to make a sacrifice.”
“To be honest, everything that’s happened these past few days has left me frightened too. But the wheel has already started rolling, so let me be a pioneer this time.”
“At worst, I simply won’t leave this place again. I won’t bring the threat to anywhere else.”
What Nan Qingchuan was also thinking was that if anything went wrong, he could simply go to the other side of the black hole and never return. That way, whatever threat there was would not be brought back to their side.
The young soldier’s eyes shone with the light of conviction, making Zhong Hua and Old Tao’s hearts tremble. No matter the era, there were always people willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.
“Xiao Nan, thank you.”
And so, under everyone’s watchful eyes, Nan Qingchuan implanted the chip into the back of his hand.
In fact, he had originally wanted to implant it in his finger. That way, if anything unexpected happened, he could cut off the finger and survive by sacrificing it. But for some reason, the chip could not be implanted in a finger, so Nan Qingchuan had to settle for the back of his hand.
“Xiao Nan, do you feel anything?” Old Tao asked.
Nan Qingchuan closed his eyes and carefully sensed his surroundings.
In reality, the spatial chip needed to be operated using mental power. That was also why Gu Jiaqi had asked Nan Qingchuan to come find her, since ancient people had no concept of mental power.
Sure enough, Nan Qingchuan opened his eyes and shook his head. “Looks like I have to go find her. I can’t sense the existence of that folded space.”
Zhong Hua nodded. “That’s normal. Something like this is still far beyond our understanding.”
Old Tao said, “I suggest Xiao Nan undergo another physical examination, just in case.”
Zhong Hua said, “You’re right. Xiao Nan, let’s go.”
Under Nan Qingchuan’s confused gaze, he went for another physical examination.
Latt Star.
“Xiaoshu, are you feeling better?”
When Gu Jiaqi returned to the shed, she found Xiaoshu sitting blankly on the bed.
The child’s complexion had already regained its rosy color, but what puzzled Gu Jiaqi was that the child was silently crying.
“What happened to you?”
To be honest, Gu Jiaqi was really not a gentle person. She was somewhat careless and reckless, and the type to act before thinking.
So when faced with a child who refused to speak and was crying, she was completely at a loss.
The medical pod had not detected any problems with Xiaoshu’s vocal organs or vocal nerves. That, in turn, proved that the reason Xiaoshu did not speak was psychological.
Hearing Gu Jiaqi’s voice, Xiaoshu slowly raised her head. She opened her mouth as though she wanted to speak, but after trying for a while, she eventually gave up.
She could not make a sound.
Gu Jiaqi guessed that Xiaoshu had probably experienced some kind of trauma in the past, causing her inability to speak to persist even now. It was a stress-related disorder.
Looking at Xiaoshu’s anxious expression, Gu Jiaqi was helpless too. She wanted to speak, but by this point, it was beyond her control.
“Big Sister doesn’t have any money right now, so I can’t afford to get you a doctor. Once I make some money, I’ll get you a doctor. You’ll be able to speak again.” Gu Jiaqi comforted her.
In the end, the formidable Gu Jiaqi pulled the trembling, frail little girl into her arms, looking almost like a gentle person.
“Big Sister will sell vegetables and get you treated.”
Gu Jiaqi held Xiaoshu in her arms and spoke softly.
Five minutes later.
“Master, someone has ordered your exquisite traditional meal!”
Speaking of which, the money’s here!
Gu Jiaqi was selling all the dishes as a set, with a total selling price of 80,000 star coins. Considering that Gu Jiaqi had spent 50,000 star coins on a medical pod and more than a dozen humanoid robots, 80,000 star coins was quite a substantial amount.
Upon learning that someone had finally bought it, she hurriedly checked the buyer’s address. It was actually Sand Star, which was not far away.
“I heard that Sand Star has lots of wealthy people. Eighty thousand for one table of food, and someone really can afford it…” Gu Jiaqi marveled.
Previously, to ensure her own safety, she had chosen private mode, meaning buyers could not see the seller’s location. This mode had very strict requirements for the products, but fortunately, Gu Jiaqi’s goods were quite good and had successfully passed the review.
Now all she had to do was prepare the goods and wait for the website’s unmanned cargo ship to come pick them up. Once the buyer received the goods, she would get her money.
At this point, Gu Jiaqi had already gone twenty-four hours without rest, but she still could not sleep. The two tons of vegetables and meat had not yet been dealt with. How could she possibly sleep?
After all, she could not afford to spend too much on shipping, so she had divided the two tons of supplies into two separate shipments to sell. There was also another important problem: the meat.
Gu Jiaqi looked at the pile of bright-red pork in the box and frowned.
In the history of the Empire, pigs had been completely extinct for nearly a thousand years. This pork was going to be difficult to sell.