Chapter 55
Recently, the most popular trend on the StarNet was making detailed analysis videos about Xia Anran’s livestream. Her broadcasts were always packed with information. Besides the content she intentionally shared, the interstellar audience was also extremely interested in the various details of Earth that appeared in the stream. They would watch with magnifying glasses, and a series of analysis videos had become incredibly popular.
Zheng Yixian was one of the most popular creators of these videos. His “Earth Analysis” series had garnered three billion views across the StarNet, turning him into a minor celebrity.
[Yixian’s analysis videos are so interesting! It feels like listening to history stories in class.]
[I’ve been binge-watching all day, it’s so good! I really love the detailed analysis of Earth. It’s so strange to connect the things on ancient Earth with the knowledge from our textbooks.]
[It’s really, really interesting! Highly recommended!]
[The new episode analyzing ancient Earth furniture is so good!!! So many of our modern furniture pieces actually have traces of ancient Earth in them. It’s strangely touching.]
[I get it, I get it! It’s the feeling of truly knowing that’s our old home!]
[So Yixian is really amazing. The way he combines the ancient and modern is so smooth.]
[Does anyone not know that Yixian graduated with a degree in history?]
Today was the day Xia Anran’s livestream was scheduled to resume. Zheng Yixian had opened his photon-computer early in the morning, first logging into his video account to check his income and popularity over the past two days. The steadily increasing earnings made even the dry, tasteless energy bar in his mouth feel a bit more delicious. The praise from the netizens, in particular, made him feel wonderful. He even started humming a little tune.
For the past few days, Xia Anran had posted a leave of absence and hadn’t streamed. She had been mysterious about the reason, only saying that she was preparing a special and unique broadcast for them and that she couldn’t stream while in the middle of preparations.
There were only ten minutes left until she went live!
Zheng Yixian psyched himself up, opened her channel, and began to rub his hands together in anticipation. Speaking of which, he had been lucky enough to win the dumplings from her last stream in Yanshan Village. He had won three “three delicacies” dumplings, along with minced garlic. The United Star System had long since stopped forcibly confiscating lottery winnings from the public, so after a routine inquiry from the officials, he had chosen not to hand them over. And then he could enjoy the delicacy to his heart’s content!
Although he had already known what the dumplings and garlic tasted like through the shared senses during the stream, when the plump, steaming dumplings actually appeared in front of him, he truly understood what the idiom “mouth-watering” meant.
He wiped his drool and, both anxiously and carefully, picked up a dumpling, stuffed it into his mouth, and took a bite. The savory juice instantly exploded in his mouth. Actually eating it was a completely different experience from the shared senses of the livestream! On the spot, he felt the fragrance rush straight to his head. The dumpling skin was soft, tender, and smooth, and the filling was rich in texture. After eating one dumpling, he felt like he had been living in vain for the past forty years. He was so amazing for having survived on energy bars and nutrient solution!
He couldn’t bear to eat the remaining two dumplings and put them in the freezer. During the stream, Xia Anran had mentioned that most of the food on Earth could be preserved by freezing.
Through the stream, the interstellar people all knew that the people of the Hua nation used two long, thin utensils called chopsticks to eat. They were very dexterous with them, picking up food with a simple movement of their fingers. Now, chopsticks were also very popular in the interstellar era. Because they were simple and easy to replicate, a large number of various chopsticks, spoons, bowls, and plates had quickly appeared on the market. But not many people knew how to use them yet. Most people would buy them, practice for a long time, and still move as slowly as if they were a hundred and eighty years old. He had also scratched his head and tried to learn for a long time, but unfortunately, he hadn’t quite gotten the hang of it. So, to fully enjoy the delicacy, he had chosen the most primitive method: using his hands.
One of the main reasons his analysis videos were so popular was that he was a history graduate. He was naturally interested in the content of the stream, and with some foundational knowledge, it was like a fish in water for him.
“Brother Zheng! Professor Hong from the Academy of Sciences is here!”
His communication line suddenly rang. He switched from the livestream page and saw it was a message from his colleague. Professor Hong had been his mentor during his studies and was also a renowned research expert in United Star System history.
Zheng Yixian glanced at the time, feeling torn. “Why did he have to come at this exact moment?” Xia Anran’s stream was about to start. He gritted his teeth and got up to greet his teacher.
…
On the StarNet, Xia Anran’s livestream started on time after a long absence.
[Here, here, my little stool is ready!]
[Anran! You’re finally back, your child is starving to death!]
[Will there be delicious food today? slurp, slurp]
[The dumplings were so good! The piggy was so fragrant!]
[The three delicacies dumplings were to die for. I can die without regrets now that I’ve eaten them.]
[I’m going to fight all of you who got to eat the dumplings!]
[I didn’t win even with over six hundred dumplings… I’m going to throw a fit!]
[I’m going to curse the Interstellar Empire again. They’re still doing that forced confiscation thing even now.]
[I won but couldn’t eat it, ahhh! Imperial government, I will curse you for the rest of my life!]
[Huh? Didn’t they cancel the forced confiscation?]
[Yeah, yeah, the United Star System has long since just been going through the motions.]
[It’s not forced, but you have to pay a ridiculously high tax if you keep it.]
[To be fair, the reward for handing it in has also been increased a lot.]
[Hmm… so how is that not voluntary?]
[In that case, our Beastman race is the best, hehe. There’s no such thing as handing it in. Whoever wins, it’s theirs!]
[The dumplings are so good! The primitive beasts are so good!]
[And it can even enhance Horn Power! I love primitive beasts!]
[I’m here, I’m here! I thought I’d have to wait until the end of time to see Anran stream again.]
[Quick, form a line to welcome her! The host is coming!]
The moment the stream started, the interstellar audience saw a field of lush green grass. As the camera panned up, it revealed a boundless prairie dotted with colorful flowers. The morning sun, with a faint red halo, hung in the sky. A flock of white sheep was leisurely grazing, and the soft, long bleating of sheep could be heard in the distance. A gentle breeze brought a light fragrance of grass and wildflowers, instantly filling the entire stream.
The moment the prairie appeared, the entire audience was stunned into silence. The vastness of the sky and the wildness of the land, the magnificent shock brought by nature, was different from the shock brought by the people and objects in the previous streams. Although they had never seen a prairie before, the interstellar audience was instantly immersed in this beautiful scenery.
The Beastman people, in particular, felt their blood begin to boil the moment the stream started. Their souls were drawn in, as if they were naturally meant to live here.
“…What is this place?” Jeqi murmured, his eyes fixed on the screen. He felt a restless power within him, about to burst out and rush forth like a river.
“This is a type of ancient Earth ecosystem called a prairie,” Director Li said, his arms crossed, in a very good mood. See? It’s us, the descendants of Earth from the United Star System, who know more! Of course, this was a little tidbit Xia Anran had given them in private.
Jeqi ignored him, his entire being focused on the prairie. Ruoya sat on the side, a little angry. Humans were indeed difficult to deal with. She didn’t know what this director from the Academy of Sciences was so proud of. So what if you know it’s a prairie?
Today was not only the day of Xia Anran’s return to streaming but also the day of the Beastman high command’s secret visit to the United Star System. Ever since the dumpling lottery, the Beastman race had completely confirmed that anything related to animals on Earth, whether it was their eggs or their meat, had a promoting effect on their Horn Power. So, after a few meetings, the Beastman high command had quickly formulated a strategy to establish friendly relations with the United Star System. To show their friendship and sincerity, Jeqi and his sister Ruoya had personally come to represent the Beastman race.
It was fortunate that they had given the Aler System to the United Star System. This time, they had come through there, successfully avoiding the Interstellar Empire’s notice. As it happened, they had arrived just in time for Xia Anran’s stream. So, after the two sides met, they had unanimously decided to watch the stream first and discuss cooperation later.
Xuan Mo had already finished negotiating the Aler System matter with the United Star System, so he had come along as well, to serve as a military deterrent and to make a show of force. The viewing location was set in the United Star System’s supreme great hall. Both sides had sent many people, filling the entire auditorium. Jeqi and Ruoya sat at the very front, with the United Star System’s Consul General and the consuls of the various planets beside them. Xuan Mo, Qin Feng, Director Li, and others sat in the second row.
From the moment he sat down, Qin Feng had been secretly observing Xuan Mo. He had come this time to use his 2S-class Horn Power user status to put pressure on the United Star System, so he had deliberately released his Horn Power. Although ordinary people didn’t have psychic power, they could still feel the suffocating pressure. And Qin Feng, who had successfully broken through to 2S-class with the help of the oranges, was on par with him. Horn Power and psychic power were very similar in nature, so when he recklessly released his Horn Power, Qin Feng keenly sensed that it seemed to be much stronger than before.
He immediately told the Consul General and the others about this discovery through his photon-computer. The Beastman race had briefly communicated with them before they came, explaining that the things from Earth had an effect on their Horn Power. But for the sake of the upcoming negotiations, they would certainly not reveal all their cards, so they definitely wouldn’t say that the things from Earth could allow their number one person to leap from S-class to 2S-class.
After receiving Qin Feng’s message, the Consul General and the several consuls exchanged a look of tacit understanding, and then they all smiled. Now that the United Star System knew that the things from Earth had such an important effect on the Beastman race, they would have a solid foundation for future negotiations.
…
After a scene of the vast, vibrant, and pure scenery of “wind blowing through the grass to reveal cattle and sheep,” Xia Anran appeared in the local traditional attire.
“Long time no see, everyone! This is the surprise I’ve prepared for you. We’ve come to the prairie!”
She wore a blue and white hat with white pearls hanging down, and a silver tassel forehead ornament. Her long, deep blue dress was trimmed with fluffy white fur, and the exquisite, complex embroidery shimmered in the sunlight. Behind her was a winding river, the water gurgling as it hit the stones on the bank, making a crisp sound. The river sparkled, a translucent blue, like a flowing blue crystal.
Xia Anran mysteriously held up two fingers. “I have another piece of good news to tell everyone today. Today’s livestream will be two hours long!”
Now that the system had stopped playing dead, she had finally learned many of the app’s hidden rules, such as being able to apply to combine several days’ broadcast time into one day, which allowed for long, uninterrupted streams. It was just that this application button was hidden in a ridiculously obscure place. When the system had directed her to find it, she had almost missed it. For the ten-thousandth time, she felt the undisguised malice of this cursed app.
“This is the great prairie in the northwest of our Hua nation. The scenery is very beautiful, and it’s also a wildlife protection area,” she said, pointing to the forest behind her. “Through this forest and a few hundred meters further on is a protection area for all kinds of birds. And further back is the gathering place for fierce beasts like tigers and lions.”
[WILDLIFE!!!]
[The moment I saw the prairie, I knew this was a place that belonged to our Beastman race!]
[I want to live here!!!]
[So beautiful, so stunning! This is where we Beastmen should be!]
[I can feel my Beastman nature awakening!]
[Such a beautiful place, sob, my heart is bleeding. Why aren’t we on Earth anymore?]
[TWO HOURS! TWO HOURS!!!!]
[I can watch the great prairie for two hours!]
[I can smell the prairie! It smells so good, I can’t describe it.]
[Looking at the pitch-black darkness outside, the contrast is too great.]
[When will the interstellar era have scenery like this? No more synthesized images!]
[The Imperials send their congratulations! Anran, you’ve worked hard!]
The prairie scenery was beautiful. Even though she had been here for a few days, she still felt her mood lift the moment she arrived. She stepped across the grass and into the forest, and the temperature immediately dropped. Birds flapped past her ears and over her head. The fallen leaves crunched under her feet, as crisp as music. Pine branches, laden with pine nuts, stretched out like little pagodas. She even saw a brown squirrel with a big tail, holding a pine nut and peeking at them. The moment she got close, the little creature scurried up a tree and disappeared.
Thanks to the upgraded image quality that the system had given her phone, the livestream had captured this cute scene clearly.
[What a cute little animal! Its tail is so big!]
[Its little short hands are holding a pile of nuts, hahahaha!]
[Are you being polite? What little short hands? Those are mighty and strong forelimbs!]
[A primitive beast has appeared! Mark it, mark it!]
[Hahaha, so clever! It climbs so fast!]
[Big tail! Big sister wants a hug!]
[So fluffy, so small, so cute!]
[The forest is different from the prairie! The feeling of being surrounded by trees is also great!]
[This is heaven, right? To think such a place really exists.]
[So many trees, so many small animals! I even saw a butterfly!]
[Hahaha, Anran is so mean, deliberately scaring the big tail.]
[I want to raise one so bad, my heart is itching!]
This forest was not large and was man-made, mainly serving to separate the nature reserve from the outer tourist area. So, it didn’t take them long to pass through it.
The scenery after the forest was different from the prairie just now. Although it was still grassland, it was wilder, with more hills and shrubs. From here on was the wildlife nature reserve, with no protective measures. Tourists were normally not allowed to enter.
The production team had received special approval. Even with the government’s permission, the staff of the reserve still felt this decision was a bit reckless and life-threatening. Filming deep in a dangerous area was something they would absolutely not allow. So, even with the government’s documents, they had still tried to stop them. But in the end, of course, they had not been able to persuade them. The head of the reserve had been shaking his head in worry as he saw them in.
Xia Anran felt like she was sitting on pins and needles under the worried and angry gazes of the staff, who thought they were playing with their lives. She walked quickly when she got out of the car.
Of course, they weren’t just plunging into a dangerous area without any protection. For one, Ren Yi was there to protect them. And two, the system had also provided protective measures. It had made her spend a huge sum to buy a protective shield. As long as the production team stayed within a fifty-meter radius, they could open it with a single click to ensure everyone’s safety. It was just that they couldn’t tell anyone about these things, so they could only be seen as reckless artistic workers who valued their footage more than their lives.
At the final fence before the wildlife gathering area, a long-haired woman in a brown coat was waiting for them.
“Ta-da! This is the third surprise I’ve prepared for everyone,” Xia Anran said, pulling the smiling woman in front of the camera. “This is Professor Qi Yunhan, the most brilliant expert in the field of biology at our Hua Nation Academy of Sciences. Today, she is also a special guest on our livestream, to introduce the prairie and wildlife to everyone!”