Chapter 10
The United Star System’s Fourth Planet was the most resource-rich of all its worlds, abundant in various energy ores and fresh water. Unfortunately, its geographical location was awkward, bordering the star sectors of both the Interstellar Empire and the Beastman race. The United Star System had expended considerable effort to secure this planet back in the day.
The Fourth Planet was home to a population of nearly one hundred million, primarily divided among five major cities. The main city had inherited the name of a famous city from ancient Earth and was called Xihua City.
Zheng Qian was an ordinary citizen of Xihua City, working as a records clerk at the Energy Management Bureau. In an interstellar society that was already fully mechanized, her job was considered quite relaxing. All she had to do each day was check the energy transmission data via her photon-computer. It took less than half an hour to finish a day’s work, and to make it even more absurd, the position was staffed by four people.
There was no other way. With most jobs now handled by robots, the social labor force was in massive surplus. The government could only expand employment through such means. After all, history had taught them that if the populace was left idle, more uncontrollable things would happen. It was better to give them a place to slack off and pass the time.
“Qianqian, are you going to get nutrient solution after work? I’m out at home. I heard there’s a new energy bar, a cherry-flavored one newly developed by the Science Academy. Want to go buy some together?” her colleague in the next cubicle asked while browsing shops on her photon-computer.
Zheng Qian’s interest was piqued at the mention of cherry-flavored energy bars. “I still have some at home, but I can’t miss out on cherry flavor!”
“The Science Academy is finally doing something useful. I really hope Anran starts streaming again soon. I want to see Earth so badly!”
The colleagues chattered amongst themselves. Just as they were about to pack up and leave at the end of the day, their department supervisor, a man they hadn’t seen in months, suddenly pushed open the door with a grave expression.
“We need to work overtime today to take inventory of the energy reserves. We are entering a state of wartime readiness!”
Panic instantly spread through the office. Zheng Qian and her generation had been born in an era of peace. The Beastman race had been quiet for decades, so they had never experienced war.
Xihua City wasn’t on the Fourth Planet’s border, so troops hadn’t been deployed yet, but they needed to transport energy to the border cities.
Trembling, Zheng Qian began her first-ever overtime shift. Just as she finished inventorying the stock and opening the transport channels, her photon-computer’s subscription alert suddenly notified her that the host she followed, Anran, had gone live.
Zheng Qian: Why is she streaming at a time like this!
It was clear her other colleagues had received the notification as well. They exchanged glances, then opened the livestream interface and put it on the public projection screen, deciding to watch the stream while they worked.
…
Back on Earth, Xia Anran was completely unaware that a war was breaking out in the interstellar future. The entire production team was still in the middle of tense final adjustments. Based on the intelligence that the interstellar audience was particularly interested in fruit, Director Huang had chosen the back garden of the Princess’s Mansion as the location for this stream. There was a peach grove here, and it was currently the season for ripe peaches. They hung from the branches, blushed with red, and emitted the unique, sweet fragrance of honey peaches.
The interstellar viewers, receiving the notification of Anran’s broadcast, immediately flooded into the stream. Ever since the stream in the Great Hall, the app had automatically enabled the projection function. The cameraman held Xia Anran’s phone to maneuver the shots, while the livestream image was stably projected onto the screen wall behind her.
Director Huang and his team, watching from the side, were gobsmacked by the rapidly climbing viewer count. Although they had been mentally prepared, seeing several hundred million viewers and a torrent of comments the moment the stream started still left them shaken.
The cameraman’s hand was steady. As planned, the shot panned from the white jade pavilion in the center of the garden, along the winding mahogany corridors, and across the lush, colorful flowers and rockeries on either side.
[Wow wow wow wow wow, where is this place! It’s so beautiful!!!]
[Are those flowers? Are they flowers?]
[So many flowers and green plants, I can’t take it! I’m overwhelmed!]
[My psychic power is being soothed. It feels so comfortable, like I’m floating on clouds.]
[Sob, why wasn’t I born on Earth!]
[It’s too beautiful, I’m captivated! So many flowers and plants! That white building is gorgeous, too! It’s glowing!]
[I feel like I can smell the fragrance of the plants…]
[These buildings are so beautiful. Give me back my ancient Earth life! Damn that planetary collision!!!]
[So beautiful. Our ancestors’ aesthetic taste is truly trustworthy.]
[Where’s the host? Where’s my beautiful Anran?!]
In the Interstellar Empire, Emperor Phileas was also watching the stream in his private courtyard with his teacher, Director Hukeni of the Imperial Academy, and several decorated imperial generals. Just moments before, they had been discussing the Beastman invasion of the United Star System, but when Xia Anran’s stream started, they decisively chose to watch it first.
As Phileas saw it, the Beastmen weren’t attacking their Empire anyway. At this point, it was better to watch the stream.
“These green plants…” a blond, middle-aged general suddenly stared, his eyes fixed on the flowerbeds the camera swept past.
The breathing of the other veteran generals also grew heavy. Their breaths became ragged as they watched the stream, their eyes turning slightly red.
“Your Majesty, it seems these green plants also have the ability to heal psychic instability!”
These generals were all top-tier psychic power users and were extremely sensitive to the effect of plants on their abilities. Phileas’s own psychic power was only at a “passable” level, so for now, besides finding the plants very pleasing to the eye, he didn’t feel anything special.
Phileas stroked his chin, contemplating the colorful, delicate plants on the screen. Such vibrant flora didn’t exist in the current interstellar era. The concept itself had been brought by the migrants from the United Star System. They were said to be a specialty of their mother planet, but they couldn’t be reproduced among the stars. He had heard that the United Star System had even created a bunch of synthesized images for public display.
Could these little things, not of their time and space, truly possess such great power?
After sweeping past eaves that curved like a bird in flight, the camera gradually focused on the depths of the long corridor. A woman in a layered, moon-white hanfu appeared at the far end, walking slowly toward them.
During the rehearsal, Xia Anran had been incredibly nervous about her positioning, terrified she would trip over her own feet during the actual broadcast. But when the time came, she found that seeing the livestream interface actually helped her adapt.
“Lights, add some fill light! Pay attention to the light and shadow on her face! Props, move the peach branch forward a bit!” Director Huang commanded in a low voice through his walkie-talkie.
The staff nearby hurried to make adjustments, determined to present Xia Anran in her best possible state.
[AHHHH ANRAN!!!]
[So beautiful! What is that outfit?]
[Anran’s hair looks longer! That hairstyle is gorgeous! How did they braid it like that?]
[So beautiful, so beautiful! The host is so beautiful!]
[There’s an entrance design today!]
[It matches the scenery so well. There’s an indescribable sense of beauty to it, who gets me?]
[What was that tree that flashed by just now? I think I saw something round and red!]
[Are those shiny things on her head accessories? So pretty!]
[Just got here. Is Anran always this beautiful?!]
Director Huang saw the wave of positive comments and nodded in satisfaction. This was exactly the effect he wanted. To give these interstellar fans and future descendants a little taste of Chinese aesthetic shock!
Xia Anran smiled shyly at the compliments. “Hello, everyone. Today’s theme is the classical culture of our Hua nation. The clothes I’m wearing are a classic style from our ancient times. The pattern? This is handmade embroidery. It was stitched needle by needle by a master artisan.”
Seeing that the viewers were very interested in her look today, Xia Anran answered a few of the most common questions.
“My hair was styled using hair padding. The hairstylist sister spent a long time braiding it for me. I think it’s very pretty, too.”
“These accessories are hairpins and hair clasps, also classic handicrafts of our Hua nation. This one is a butterfly clasp made with an ancient filigree and enamel technique. The red one is agate.”
The jewelry Xia Anran was wearing today were old pieces the production team had specially borrowed. At first, she had tried to refuse, feeling immense pressure from wearing antiques, each worth a house, on her head. She thought that some exquisite modern replicas would have been just fine.
This idea was righteously rejected by Director Huang. It was a joke! This was an interstellar livestream; of course, they had to use the real thing. So, Xia Anran could only step onto the set, trembling, with a priceless fortune on her head.
Director Huang directed the cameraman to focus on the butterfly clasp Xia Anran was showing. The close-up made the already exquisite clasp appear even more quaint and elegant. The filigree butterfly was delicate, lively, and lifelike, instantly capturing the attention of the viewers.
[Handmade? Made by a person? Amazing!]
[Something so intricate was made by hand? I don’t believe it!]
[Wow wow wow wow wow, it’s too beautiful! So beautiful I want to cry.]
[Frantically taking screenshots. I’m doing my hair like this today!]
[What does ‘hair padding’ mean? Never heard of it.]
[Butterfly? Is that the thing with wings up there? What is it?]
[What were ancient humans thinking, to have such beautiful clothes and accessories! Can’t modern designers go back to ancient times for further study? The stuff they design is garbage!]
[Butterfly… so beautiful.]
[What is a butterfly? Please explain.]
“A butterfly? A butterfly is a very beautiful little animal, and a very common one here. They often appear where flowers are in bloom.”
Xia Anran glanced at the nearby flowerbeds. The production team, seeing the great interest in butterflies, had already started searching among the flowers. Luckily, it was summer, and they actually managed to find a few.
Receiving a signal from Director Huang, the cameraman turned the lens towards a butterfly fluttering among the flowering crabapple bushes. The moment the viewers saw the small insect with large, flapping wings and long antennae, the chat exploded.
[What is that! A Beastman?!]
[Holy crap, holy crap, it reminds me of the Winged Race! Those two big wings…]
[It really looks like them, but so much smaller.]
[AHHHH BEASTMEN! DAMN BEASTMEN!]
[Ptooey, ptooey, don’t compare those damn Beastmen to such a cute little thing!]
[Whoever mentioned Beastmen, get out of the stream, thanks.]
[Why is the United Star System so sensitive about Beastmen today?]
[The United Star System is already at war with the Beastmen, and the Empire is still living in peaceful bliss…]