They were close enough now that there was no room to avoid each other.
Jiang Shasha saw Zhao Chen approaching.
Disgust flashed through her eyes.
She hadn't expected him to be this persistent. Just last night, she had made herself clear—told him plainly that they belonged to different worlds. And yet he had clung to talk of childhood bonds, begging her to reconsider.
Ridiculous.
Only after escaping that barren star system had she realized how vast and brilliant the galaxy truly was. How could she willingly return to a place of poverty and stagnation, to become a baroness with no future—where even her children wouldn't inherit a title?
She would never allow herself to live such a life.
Never.
"I'll reject him properly later," Jiang Shasha thought coldly. "I've already been polite. If he still doesn't know his place, then I won't mind humiliating him in public."
Her expression hardened as she prepared the words in her mind.
The young man beside her wore a faint, amused smile.
Zhang Haoran.
He had pursued Jiang Shasha openly and had long since investigated her background—including Zhao Chen, the declining baron from a poor star system.
Zhang Haoran enjoyed moments like this. Watching someone lose what they cherished. Watching pride crumble.
He waited eagerly for the scene to unfold.
But it didn't.
Zhao Chen didn't stop.
He didn't speak.
He didn't even spare Jiang Shasha a second glance.
He walked past them.
Jiang Shasha froze.
Zhang Haoran's smile stiffened.
Even Li Wei stared, stunned.
He had expected confrontation. Accusation. Anger.
Instead—nothing.
"Here," Zhao Chen said calmly, already pulling out a chair. "Best seats. You can see the starport from here."
He sat at a dining table beside a massive floor-to-ceiling window. Beyond it lay a bustling docking zone, dozens of starships anchored in orderly rows.
Li Wei looked at him, baffled.
Brother… you really came just to look at the scenery?
Zhao Chen's gaze had already locked onto the starships.
It was instinctive—something carved deep into a man's blood.
With the knowledge now etched into his mind, he evaluated the vessels one by one.
Most were T2-class starships, with a scattering of older T1 models.
T1 ships were obsolete in this era, suitable only for civilian transport or planetary patrol duties. On a real battlefield, anything below T2 was little more than cannon fodder.
T2 starships dwarfed their predecessors, their hulls several times larger. Destroyers and frigates dominated the docks, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the total.
The remainder consisted of cruisers and battlecruisers.
He even spotted a T1 interstellar battleship—clearly an antique.
What he didn't see were carrier-class vessels.
Interstellar battleships and carrier starships sat at the apex of ship design. One ruled space through overwhelming firepower, the other through absolute air superiority.
Then Zhao Chen's eyes caught a familiar silhouette.
The T2 Hyena-class medium interstellar destroyer.
Exactly the same model Li Wei had purchased.
This destroyer was the Star Empire's best-selling T2 vessel—favored for its balance of firepower, cost, and reliability.
The hull measured over 230 meters long, comparable to a large stadium. Its surface retained its original steel coloration, unadorned but imposing.
Three emblems were painted along the hull.
At the bow was the insignia of the Galactic Alliance—a mandatory marking for all alliance member states.
Behind it lay the seven-star crest of the Star Empire, representing the founding noble families.
The final emblem, largest and most prominent, denoted the ship's owner, registry number, and identity.
Together, they formed the starship's passport.
"What are you eating today?" Li Wei asked, forcing a grin. "My treat."
"Really?" Zhao Chen raised an eyebrow, then deliberately scrolled to the bottom of the menu.
Li Wei's smile immediately turned bitter. "Brother… you know my monthly allowance isn't exactly generous…"
Zhao Chen chuckled and stopped teasing him. "Relax. I'm not so desperate that I need to live off you.
"When you're truly rich, you can treat me then."
He ordered the cheapest meal set.
Li Wei followed suit.
Soon, a service robot arrived, placing two trays on the table.
"Nutrition Set A and Nutrition Set C. Please enjoy your meal."
Zhao Chen took a bite.
It looked appetizing.
It tasted like plastic.
Li Wei grimaced. "Food prices went up again. If I keep eating this artificial nutrition every day, I'm going to forget what real flavor is.
"I really miss artificially grown food."
"Ask your father for more allowance," Zhao Chen said without looking up.
Li Wei waved dismissively. "Impossible. Buying the starship already hurt enough. And do you know how expensive natural food is now?
"Even my dad only gets three meals and one soup a day—meat once a week at most. Wine-and-meat every day is something only top-tier nobles can afford."
Zhao Chen glanced down at his tray.
This era had everything—technology, power, efficiency.
Except taste.
With population expansion and planetary overexploitation, naturally grown crops had become luxury goods. Artificial nutrition dominated daily life.
Rice, steamed buns, vegetables—things once commonplace—were now indulgences even for mid-tier nobles.
"Isn't this Baron Zhao Chen?"
A mocking voice cut in.
Li Wei frowned and turned.
Jiang Shasha and the young man from earlier had taken the table beside them.
Zhang Haoran.
A viscount's son.
Zhao Chen didn't look up. He continued eating calmly.
"Oh, I almost forgot to inform you," Zhang Haoran said with a smile full of contempt. "Shasha has agreed to be my girlfriend.
"As for your engagement? If you have any sense, you'll cancel it yourself."
He leaned forward slightly, eyes cold.
"Do you really think you're worthy of her?"
Humiliation was something Zhang Haoran enjoyed.