getting to know you.
Though it was said that Asta would be notified to see off the Astral Express Crew, in the end, Ms. Herta and Qi Zhimu personally went to bid them farewell.
The Astral Express could be credited with the greatest achievement for Qi Zhimu's reunion.
Especially that little girl named March 7th.
If March 7th hadn't invited Qi Zhimu to travel with the Astral Express temporarily, but instead left him in a random star system, then—
Who knows when she would have met Qi Zhimu again.
Thinking in the worst direction, it's very possible that she would have remained oblivious even after Qi Zhimu finished this life and entered reincarnation again.
As the great benefactor who brought Qi Zhimu to the Space Station, Ms. Herta was quite willing to be accommodating, and her mood was excellent.
March 7th expressed her reluctance to part with Qi Zhimu, but was chided by Stelle.
Are you really reluctant to part with him, or are you just thinking about his wine? I'm too embarrassed to expose you.
As a result, Stelle's slender waist was pinched hard by the cute pink-haired girl, making her grimace.
After seeing off the Astral Express, Ms. Herta and Qi Zhimu finally left the platform.
Asta and Arlan followed behind them, one after the other.
Every staff member who saw them along the way respectfully bowed.
However, there was an exception.
Upon arriving at the Master Control Zone, Qi Zhimu saw a young man sitting by the entrance, looking utterly dejected.
Noticing a figure stop in front of him, the man finally looked up.
After realizing who the visitors were, he was first stunned, then forced a smile.
"I never expected to see Ms. Herta in person; I'm deeply honored. This must be your lover; you two look very much like a married couple."
Hmm?
Ms. Herta raised an eyebrow.
Whether it was compliments and praises from Space Station staff, the Company, or other factions, sincere or not, her ears had grown calloused from hearing them, and she often became impatient from too much.
These words were also compliments, but they sounded pleasant to her ears.
The young man had good judgment, was sharp, and had a future.
"Speak up, kid, why the long face?"
"Ah? Me?" Rocky pointed at himself in astonishment.
"Nonsense!" Ms. Herta said, exasperated.
"If you have something to say, say it. She's in a good mood now, and she might be able to help you depending on the situation," Qi Zhimu interjected, stopping Rocky from continuing his ineffective communication.
Rocky was flattered.
He wasn't stupid and knew this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so he quickly poured out his troubles.
Only then did the group understand that Rocky was troubled by love.
Simply put, he had a crush on someone named Lesley.
Lesley had joined the Gravity Effect Expedition Team some time ago, traveling to the Abundance Starfield light-years away for on-site investigation.
Unexpectedly, the spacetime curvature near the planet they were on changed, separating the two lovers into different spacetime coordinate systems, making it difficult to maintain contact.
This caused the time difference between Lesley and the Herta Space Station to gradually increase.
It could go from one month to a year, or even extend to ten years, and eventually, every month she journeyed in the galaxy would cost Rocky decades of waiting.
For Rocky, Lesley became a ghost lingering in the future.
For Lesley, Rocky would grow old and even die.
One conversation between them might require Rocky to wait a lifetime.
Being unable to be with the person he loved was undoubtedly the cruelest future for Rocky.
Rocky was helpless; he couldn't cross the chasm of time and space.
After listening, Qi Zhimu felt a slight pang of emotion.
He couldn't help with this situation; that kind of spacetime curvature change phenomenon was very rare, called a starquake, and the resulting time difference couldn't be solved by light-speed vehicles.
The time of one party would always continue to flow, and only the Astral Express, the fastest interstellar vehicle in the entire galaxy, could possibly overcome it.
"What's the big deal? It can be solved with just a step."
Ms. Herta snorted lightly and casually took out a key-shaped Scepter.
"I'm in a good mood today, so I'll reluctantly help you, kid. Be grateful! Now, quickly bring the Galactic Radio Relay!"
Rocky was stunned, but fortunately, his hands reacted faster than his brain, and he handed over the relay.
Ms. Herta lightly tapped the relay with her Scepter, read its frequency source, and completed the positioning within 0.1 seconds.
"Come out, First Mirror. Input coordinates, prepare for spatial warp."
"As you command, Ms. Herta."
A full-length mirror suddenly appeared and spoke human words.
"Preparation complete. Ready to begin at any time."
Ms. Herta nodded in satisfaction, then pointed her chin towards Rocky.
"Go, kid. Enter it, and you'll arrive at the planet of the girl you like within ten seconds."
Rocky was almost knocked out by the sudden surprise, but his mouth moved faster than his brain, showering Ms. Herta with praise and not forgetting Qi Zhimu.
He knew that his unconscious praise had hit Ms. Herta's sweet spot.
Praising Ms. Herta herself was useless, but praising the person she liked and saying they were a good match was different.
In many social situations, instead of praising how successful a person is, it's better to praise their female companion.
The same logic applies when the genders are reversed.
However, Qi Zhimu's expression became uncomfortable from all the compliments.
Ms. Herta rolled her eyes and directly kicked Rocky, sending him into the First Mirror.
"Alright, go do what you need to do. Oh, right, Asta, prepare a universal staff card for him," Ms. Herta gestured to Qi Zhimu.
"Understood, Ms. Herta." Asta didn't ask, though she was very curious.
Even if Ms. Herta's lover tore down the Space Station, no one would dare to gossip, so what's a universal staff card?
Just listen and do as told.
The reason for Asta's curiosity was not complicated.
Qi Zhimu had suggested he wanted to find something he enjoyed doing at the Space Station to pass the time.
After all, they couldn't be together 24 hours a day; that would be too self-indulgent.
They were humans, not Stingbugs on The Propagation Path, whose only instinct was to eat all day long.
Over the next two days, Qi Zhimu first completed the upgrade of the control and defense system, then joined the Medical Department to resume his old profession.
In the Medical Department, his identity as Ms. Herta's lover had to be kept secret, otherwise, absolutely no one at the Space Station would dare to seek his diagnosis.
Temporarily leaving the life of a Galaxy Ranger, his rhythm became regular, and Qi Zhimu rediscovered the relaxation and ease he felt when he retired.
During work hours, he and Ms. Herta each did their own things.
Their private time after work was spent sweetly and intimately, like any ordinary couple.
They revisited old places on Azure Star, and even returned to the misty world of the memory substance deep sea, where Azure Star was located before its warp.
Unfortunately, most of the Memory-Substance Worlds they experienced back then could no longer be found.
After all, those worlds were originally born from the creations and obsessions of Azure Star's humanity.
Centuries later, very few still existed.
One day, during work hours, Ms. Herta suddenly sent a message asking Qi Zhimu.
—Genius Society #81 Ruan Mei is about to arrive at the Space Station. Do you have time to meet her?
Coincidentally, Qi Zhimu was about to perform major surgery on a patient.
A staff member's life was at stake, so he couldn't leave.
Ms. Herta didn't mind.
"Alright, anyway, with Ruan Mei's personality, she probably wouldn't be in the mood to meet you."
...
Onegai! Dear readers who want more updates, please take 30 seconds to click 'Power with Love'. If I don't get charged, watashi...
End of Chapter 264PreviousNext ChapterAll chapters