Herta looked at Bai Luan, her assistant, who had rarely sought her out proactively.
"You said you want to learn mechanical construction?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I want to recast and upgrade a robot."
"Your armor?"
"No, not that one."
Herta pondered for a moment and finally found her answer.
"It's that material distribution robot, isn't it?"
Bai Luan was a little surprised and said with a smile, "I didn't expect Ms. Herta to still remember."
"They say important people are forgetful, but actually, it's just that those matters aren't worth remembering for a genius like me. I'll send you the files. Will that be enough time?"
Bai Luan smiled, looking at Herta, and said, "Ms. Herta, are you offering to help me?"
"Think carefully, my help is very expensive."
"Haha, this small matter doesn't require Ms. Herta's trouble. I learn quite fast."
"Is that so?"
Herta took out her phone and tapped on the screen a few times.
Herta: [File]
You have received Herta's file.
Bai Luan opened it and a large number of files popped up.
The total duration was estimated to be over five hundred hours.
No matter, he had the Little Black Room.
The one thing Bai Luan didn't lack was study time.
It's just...
Bai Luan's gaze locked onto the 'Main Speaker' column in the courses: Stark, Conrad.
Were these... courses they recorded?
Bai Luan looked at Herta.
"I didn't intentionally choose them; it's just that what they made best fits your requirements."
"Is that so? It seems they've also achieved something."
"From a mortal's perspective, yes, quite good. Go back and watch them slowly."
"Ms. Herta, whether it was pulling me out of the temporal turbulence, or allowing the robots to be, I thank you for everything this time."
Facing Bai Luan's sincere thanks, Ms. Herta nodded expressionlessly, rather perfunctorily, and said, "Hmm, alright, I know."
Alright,
Bai Luan admitted he was a little hurt.
"To prevent this scenario from repeating in the future, I'll tell you directly.
I do these things because I want to; not for you. I don't expect you to remember my kindness.
That you can make me remember you for so long is truly your own ability. You don't need to thank me."
During Bai Luan's absence, Herta had also thought about finding someone to replace him.
At least someone who could manage the Herta Space Station well.
But after searching for hundreds of years, she still couldn't find anyone.
After Bai Luan disappeared, she found a half-finished plan for the Herta Space Station's future development in his office. After she slightly improved it, she had been using it until now.
And this was just something Bai Luan had casually done for a few days, without even guaranteeing he hadn't been slacking off.
Could anyone else do it?
It was very difficult.
The others she found were either not as smart, not as efficient, or not as hassle-free.
The position of Station Master of Herta Space Station had simply remained with a Herta Puppet until now.
Herta crossed her arms, looking at Bai Luan, and reviewing her long life as a genius, Bai Luan's existence was indeed special.
"If you really want to repay me, after you've rested well, go manage the Space Station.
Or continue to use your 'ability to see the future' to save me more trouble. Either is fine, and both are more useful than saying these useless words."
Oh right, the prophet persona.
Recently, his attention had been entirely on the fact that over nine hundred years had passed in an instant, and he had almost forgotten about this.
"The Station Master position of Herta Space Station is still vacant?"
Herta glanced at Bai Luan.
"It won't be for long."
...
Now, it seemed there were only a few years left until the main story began.
"Ms. Herta, have any company families contacted you recently, preparing to report something?"
"You're so well-informed? It doesn't seem like you've been locked up for hundreds of years?"
Such things were troublesome to explain, so the best way was not to explain.
Bai Luan didn't answer, just smiled and said, "Ms. Herta can occasionally go and see; there might be unexpected gains."
Although the position of Station Master of Herta Space Station was good, it wasn't what Bai Luan wanted.
The most suitable person was indeed Asta.
"Since you mentioned it, I'll send a Puppet over then."
That would be enough.
Bai Luan smiled and nodded, then turned and left.
Before Asta arrived, he would first strengthen the Herta Space Station's firepower deployment.
After all, the Herta Space Station would soon be attacked by the Antimatter Legion. Both the Space Station and he needed to strengthen their combat power.
Bai Luan found a nearby laboratory, casually picked a spot to sit down, and entered the Little Black Room.
Inside the Little Black Room, everything remained as it was before he went to contain the Stellarore.
Herta had grown accustomed to the changes in the Little Black Room's environment.
"Was the containment successful?"
"Yes, it was successful, but a lot of things happened."
Bai Luan rummaged through the laboratory for a set of projection equipment, began to assemble it, and connected it to his phone for easy projection later.
"What happened?"
"There was an accident during containment. I was caught in temporal turbulence, and by the time you rescued me, over nine hundred years had passed in the outside world.
Many things have changed beyond recognition."
Herta fell silent for a moment, then asked, "...What about the Botanical Garden?"
"Luckily, the Inspiration Shroom is still there, but as for the others... I might go see them again later. Perhaps this notebook will only be used for writing diaries from now on."
"Are you alright?"
Bai Luan's assembling movements paused, then he looked at Herta and smiled.
He thought seriously for a moment before saying, "A little sad, but more than that, I'm grateful.
Around me now, there are still many things that can remind me of the past, for example... you.
No matter what, you are here."
Herta showed a faint smile.
"It seems I, a genius, don't need to figure out how to comfort you."
"I'm quite strong, aren't I?"
Just then, the equipment was assembled. Bai Luan wasted no more time and clicked on Herta's recording.
The file's recording began to play, and two figures were projected.
It was Stark and Conrad.
They were a little older than he remembered; Stark had grown a beard, and Conrad had more wrinkles.
Just a few days ago, he was still cursing these big shots from over nine hundred years ago.
Stark spoke first, "This course aims to help everyone get started, and also to summarize what we've learned in a year. We record once a year, and the duration is not fixed."
Conrad, standing nearby, smiled and said, "This idea started with a whim from the person next to me. As the saying goes, 'a bad person's racking their brains is not as good as a fool's sudden inspiration.'
Though I am not a bad person, nor is he a fool, I feel this matter will follow the logic of that saying; he won't last long."
Stark angrily punched Conrad and said, "If you don't want to record, then get out!"
Conrad deftly dodged.
"See, you're getting angry again."
Watching the two old geezers playfully bickering in this informal recording, a smile appeared on Bai Luan's face.
"Alright, no more fooling around. Let's start the class. First, we'll begin with the basics..."
After a brief moment of jesting, the two became serious.
They meticulously explained the basic knowledge, one narrating and the other supplementing, occasionally swapping roles, working in perfect harmony.
Bai Luan watched intently.
This was not only a condensed version of Stark and Conrad's life achievements but also a testament to their lives, and the only channel Bai Luan had to cross time and see them again.
Time passed little by little, the content of the video went from simple to profound, and the appearances of the two continually changed in the video.
As knowledge accumulated, the two also gradually aged, their faces no longer young, their temples turning from flecks of white to full patches, finally becoming completely white-haired.
Bai Luan watched as if enchanted, the existence of the Little Black Room allowing him to watch sleeplessly from beginning to end.
Over five hundred hours passed in a flash, and finally, the video content reached its conclusion.
Stark, trembling, finished explaining the last knowledge point and faced the camera with Conrad.
"You have completed all the courses. Congratulations. Besides that, there's one more thing that must be said."
Stark leaned on his cane, turned to look at Conrad beside him, and said with a hint of triumph, "Who said I couldn't keep it up back then!? Speak up!?"
"You still remember that... It's been over fifty years."
"You haven't forgotten either! Haha!"
"Alright, alright, I give up, I misjudged you, okay?"
"Hehe, it was worth it. These fifty-plus years of persistence were worth it."
The aging Stark and Conrad, just like in the past fifty-plus years, treated the viewers as if they were not outsiders, playfully bickering with each other.
"We... are both old now. Next year, we probably won't be able to record, so this should be our last episode."
"Yes, it's time for us to retire."
"In this last lesson, we want to teach you one last thing. This was taught to us a long time ago by a person named Bai Luan."
"Yes, listen carefully. This was something Stark got after being scolded."
Stark glared at Conrad and said, "Weren't you scolded too?"
"Hehe..."
"You really haven't changed at all."
In the end, both dropped their playful demeanor, looked at the camera, and said, "Technology, no matter what kind of technology, must ultimately serve people."
"And we, no matter how high our achievements, are just waiters."
"True good or bad can only be judged by those who are served."
"Only geniuses can judge themselves. As waiters, we have no right to judge."
Stark and Conrad exchanged glances, then said in unison, "No matter how great we perceive our technology to be, only when it helps those we want to help and serves those we want to serve, can we, these waiters or scientists, stand tall.
Children...
Class dismissed."
After saying this, the two old men exchanged glances.
Stark was the first to break, letting out an old but hearty laugh.
Conrad looked at him and also began to laugh heartily.
Their laughter was no longer young, no longer booming, but filled with the open-mindedness and satisfaction of having experienced life's vicissitudes, and the relief of having completed a long mission.
This course, which spanned their entire lives, over fifty years, ended with their hearty laughter.
Bai Luan stared blankly at the screen, unable to snap out of his daze for a long time.
Then the file continued to play, starting a loop, returning to the content of the first lesson.
"This course aims to help everyone get started, and also..."
Bai Luan sat motionless, his gaze hollow, looking at the image that had become young again.
On the wall projection, those two spirited faces, and the aged countenances from the last lesson, constantly overlapped, intertwined, and flickered before his eyes...
Tears slid down his cheeks without warning, leaving two clear wet streaks.
He raised his hand, his fingertips touching the dampness, as if touching the fifty years of time that had silently flowed and finally merged into the sea of stars.
"This..."
He murmured, his voice carrying a hint of an almost imperceptible choke.
"This is... their lives..."
"They..."
"Lived a worthy life."