o— [Welcome to the Herta Space Station!
If you pursue the question of how far the frontiers of life have extended across the cosmos; if you seek to know whether the debates of reason have found their absolute answer; if your deepest desire is to map the primordial state of the galaxy; if you have lost yourself in the profound vortex of symbols and scrolls; then, welcome once more, and congratulations on your arrival at the Herta Space Station!
Here, wisdom and answers lie hidden amidst the unknown and the novel, and you shall take up a small pickaxe—to unearth the solutions you have yearned for day and night.] This museum-like starship, built under the direction of the universally renowned Genius Society member, the great Ms.
Herta, orbits a planet and is known throughout the galaxy as a prominent gathering place of intellects.
It scours the cosmos, selecting talents from countless worlds and choosing the most outstanding to enter the station.
Even if they cannot keep pace with a genius, they can still contribute their modest intellect to the study of the universe’s natural laws and the galaxy’s unsolved mysteries.
This is a stage that far surpasses the center of attention, reaching a level that draws gazes from every corner of the universe.
Ms.
Herta is its brilliant banner, while the Interastral Peace Corporation provides powerful economic and material support, promoting the station’s remarkable research findings to the endless starry sky.
First-time visitors to the station, mesmerized by the magnificent cosmos, are bound to feel their blood boil with excitement upon reading the introductory manual, feeling as though a new chapter of their lives has begun.
How exhilarating!
And upon learning that the manual was personally written by Ms.
Herta, with the profound philosophy of that cosmic genius so close at hand, one would imagine the blood in their veins would surge even faster, overcome with the heroic feeling that the very gates of truth were slowly swinging open for them— —that is, if they hadn’t seen the latter half of the manual.
[However, to experience the aforementioned wonders, you must meet the simplest of prerequisites: become a humble researcher.
If you, reading this document, are merely a cosmic enthusiast, then I regret to inform you that your journey of exploration has reached its end the moment it began.
Cherish your tour of the reception hall.
It may well be the closest you come to true wisdom in your short life.] With merciless words, the genius shatters the illusions of the mediocre and extinguishes their impractical passions, even though applying for and being granted a tour of the Herta Space Station is no simple feat.
So, how does one become a “humble researcher”?
Either by being a young scholar selected and sent here for advanced study by various powerful factions, or by being a talent recruited through a rigorous selection process.
To meet the former condition, one would have to come from a power great enough to deal directly with a cosmic behemoth like the Interastral Peace Corporation.
As for the latter, which seems simpler, it involves a competition spanning numerous planets to determine the chosen few.
The talents recruited by the station do not meet the standard of “genius,” yet on the countless stars that have birthed civilization, they are absolute geniuses in the eyes of ordinary people.
When so many of these worldly geniuses gather in one place, a hierarchy naturally forms.
A minority ignite sparks of inspiration through intellectual collision, while the vast majority can only serve as ordinary researchers on the station.
So ordinary that they are like cogs in a machine, perhaps not even leaving a strong impression on their colleagues.
They silently toil on their assigned projects, get criticized by their superiors for making basic mistakes, and accept the criticism with meek nods.
But later, when they are alone, staring at the error report, they discover that what others call a “basic mistake” is a problem so difficult they cannot comprehend it, no matter how much they rack their brains.
—o— “Are you reading the old version of the station’s introductory manual?
Even though Ms.
Herta wrote it, you’d be best off forgetting its contents—specifically, the second half.
Otherwise, you’ll discover that ‘humble researcher’ is the most fitting term imaginable.” In the Base Zone, a researcher glanced at the booklet in the newcomer’s hands, then quickly averted his gaze as if to escape, looking down at the reception center below.
A group of visitors was gathered there.
Admirers of Ms.
Herta, tourists drawn by the station’s fame, travelers seeking truth or the station’s aid…
They logged into the Interastral Peace Network, found the Herta Space Station’s official website, sent an email based on a template, and waited one hundred and eighty working days for a result.
The few lucky ones whose applications were approved became the crowd in the reception hall.
They came and went, every single day.
“Look at their expressions.
Curious, excited, overjoyed…
full of passion and hope.
They even look envious when they see a researcher passing through the reception hall.
Sigh…” “Aren’t you a member of the station yourself?
You’re one of the people they envy.” “I am.
I passed the selection, became a researcher, and dreamt of seeking truth, only to end up mired in mediocrity.
Forget exploring the unknown; just following the path laid out by others takes everything I have.
Can you imagine it?
You pour your heart and soul into a project, turn it in, and your superior spots its flaws and fallacies at a single glance.” As he spoke, the researcher covered his face, his voice trembling.
“But I stare at that project report, at the formula derivations and calculations…
I go over it again and again, but I just can’t see where the problem is!
I’ve already given it my all!
I swear, I haven’t left myself a single moment of leisure; my entire being has been poured into research and study!” “Perhaps what you need right now is to calm your mind and get some proper rest.” “How could I possibly sleep!
The moment I close my eyes, all I see is this unfinished project.
If I keep delaying, I…
I really don’t know what I’m going to do.” He had intended to give the newcomer from his department a basic tour of the station and help him get familiar with the environment.
How had it turned into this?
A one-sided venting of stress.
And yet, the person listening showed no sign of disgust, shock, or any other rejecting emotion.
He just listened patiently.
“Sorry, I kind of lost control…” “What’s the security level of the project you’re in charge of?
Am I allowed to see it?
Perhaps I could try to help a little.” “For a ‘humble researcher’ like me, the projects are obviously ordinary.
You can look if you want.
But…
even if you arrived at the station some time ago and have read a few books in our Department of Lumina Archives, it’s not so easy to just jump right into research work.” “I understand.
I’m just trying my luck.
In a little while, I might still need you, my senior, to clear up some of my own questions.” “Haha.” The researcher’s frayed nerves inexplicably soothed by the brief exchange.
He rubbed his bloodshot eyes and looked at the newcomer across the table with a hint of emotion.
“In any case, thank you, Hua Yi.”