Chapter 27
Qin Feng, currently the strongest psychic in the United Star System, had successfully broken through to S-class with the help of the Earth-exclusive products from Xia Anran’s livestream. Even in the Interstellar Empire, he would be considered among the top tier of powerful psychics. According to the United Star System’s intelligence, there were only about twenty individuals at S-class or above in the Empire.
The United Star System’s military uniform was a combination of deep blue and white, its cut both solemn and elegant. Qin Feng removed his cap and gave a military salute, the major general’s insignia on his shoulder gleaming brightly.
“Director Li, I’ve caught you this time. You’re always so needlessly polite with me, but I could tell long ago that you were heartbroken over it,” Qin Feng said, clapping Director Li on the shoulder and taking a seat beside him.
“Yuxing is here too. Long time no see. Have you missed me?”
Ye Yuxing’s expression didn’t change. “Occasionally.”
Qin Feng shrugged. “How heartbreaking.”
The moment he entered the conference room, Qin Feng had already felt the substance floating in the air that made his psychic power respond with fervent enthusiasm. One look and he knew it was the effect of the dish in the middle of the table, the one Anran called a scallion pancake. The impact on his psychic power was more potent than the lychees and cherries before it, almost scrambling to merge with his body and combine with his psychic power.
“Qin Feng, what do you feel?” the Consul General asked.
Of everyone present, only Qin Feng was a psychic. The rest of them, ordinary people, only had the most basic sensation: it smelled delicious, and they wanted to eat it.
Qin Feng suppressed the increasingly irresistible urge in his heart and stood up. “Consul General, the effect of the scallion pancake on psychic power is far stronger than that of the fruit.”
The Consul General nodded. “Given that the scallion pancake is difficult to preserve, two-thirds will be provided to the 115th Squadron. The Academy of Sciences can take the rest back.”
Hearing this, General Hong Yu couldn’t sit still. “Consul General, since we’re all gathered here, why don’t we all have a little taste?”
To have the food right in front of them, only to be told they couldn’t eat it and it was about to be taken away, was pure torture!
“These items were voluntarily donated by the public to support the nation’s development. How would it look if we ate them for our own gluttonous pleasure?” The Consul General shook his head firmly and told the two parties to take the items away quickly.
General Hong Yu was now filled with a million regrets. If he had known, he would have at least tried a bite of that chili and meat sauce!
….
After the Interstellar Empire confiscated the items, the distribution was much the same, except that in the process, Director Hukeni and several generals from the military nearly came to blows on the spot.
“Anran already said the scallion pancake can’t be kept for long! With your Imperial Academy’s pathetic research speed, the pancake will go bad before you’ve researched a single thing! It’s better to just let us eat it!”
“General Theron, your perspective is too narrow! Once our Imperial Academy has figured out the principles behind these things, we can give you as many as you want!”
“Wait for your Imperial Academy? It’s been so long, have you managed to grow any fruit yet?! How much has been wasted, you tell me!”
“That is a necessary loss during the experimental process!”
“Then may I ask, Director Hukeni, the materials have been lost, but where are the results?!”
“…”
A critical hit.
Damn it! There really are no results! Not a single thing has been figured out.
“Nothing to say, are you? Director Hukeni is getting on in years; you might consider retirement. Your arms and legs aren’t what they used to be. Don’t hold back the younger generation.”
You old coot, you’re over a hundred and thirty and you still haven’t retired!
…Alright, physically, he did seem a little stronger than him.
The military representative, General Theron, clutched the scallion pancake and peaches and refused to let go, dead set against handing them over to the Imperial Academy.
Director Hukeni was hopping mad but was no match for these brutes.
Forced into a corner, he wanted to ask his good student, His Majesty the Emperor of the Interstellar Empire, for help. But when he turned his head, he saw Phileas’s mouth agape, springing up from his throne and running out.
“Water! Water! Water!!!”
Hukeni: “…?”
What’s this now?
He looked down and saw that the box of red, unknown substance that had been packed with the scallion pancake had been opened. It had fallen to the floor when Phileas had jumped up.
General Theron, seeing that his own emperor had already taken the plunge, took advantage of Director Hukeni’s distraction, tore off a piece of the scallion pancake, and stuffed it into his mouth. The next moment, he felt like he was floating.
“Delicious… So delicious!”
“My psychic power! Heavens!”
Besieged on all sides, Director Hukeni’s heart was weary. It’s impossible to guard against! Impossible!
The other high-ranking military officials also began to fish in troubled waters.
“Let me have a bite! Quickly!”
“Theron, don’t eat it all yourself!”
General Navie’s hands were too slow. He didn’t manage to grab any of the scallion pancake; all he got was the little red box.
—Thud!
Director Hukeni, who was chasing after the old generals, was startled by the loud sound. He turned to see General Navie lying stiffly on the floor.
…What’s this now?
Director Hukeni forgot about the scallion pancake and rushed over to check. The general’s breathing and heartbeat were normal, even rapid. Sweat was beading on his forehead, and his face was an unnatural shade of red.
“What happened to General Navie?”
Phileas had to chug two large glasses of water to alleviate the burning, stinging sensation in his mouth. The moment he returned, he saw General Navie lying stiffly on the floor.
Director Hukeni silently held up the small red box.
Phileas: “…”
Understood.
“Ahem, someone get General Navie to the infirmary, quickly,” Phileas said, clearing his throat and trying to change the subject.
A few soldiers came in and were about to lift the general when the man on the floor suddenly opened his eyes and shot up.
“Hahaha! My psychic damage is gone! It’s gone!”
General Navie wanted to run two laps around the palace. For the first time in a long while, he felt the robust physique of his youth. The muscle aches and the faint, throbbing pain in his mind had suddenly all vanished. He only felt light and full of psychic power.
General Navie had been taking the fruit from Earth, but the quantity was small, as there wasn’t much in the entire Empire. Before today, his psychic damage had slowly improved from the highest Level 7 to Level 4. He never thought that a single taste of this inconspicuous little sauce today would completely heal his psychic damage.
The effects on the other generals who had eaten the scallion pancake also began to slowly manifest. The pancake didn’t seem to have a major effect on psychic damage, but it was very effective at enhancing psychic power. One general directly broke through a years-long bottleneck and reached SS-class!
Phileas was extremely interested in this little red thing that made his mouth sting with one bite but had a mellow aftertaste that made him want more. Anran hadn’t mentioned it during the stream.
In the end, it was the diligent Director Hukeni who found the explanatory note in the package. A group of people crowded around to look at it, then stared at each other blankly.
It was over. They couldn’t read the United Star System’s language.
The United Star System had always been in a weaker position in the interstellar community, and it was always they who learned the Interstellar Empire’s language for communication. These high-ranking officials of the Empire had never thought of learning the United Star System’s script. Because Director Hukeni had been cramming ancient Earth history recently, he recognized a few characters, but putting them together to understand the meaning was a bit of a challenge for him.
Ultimately, they had to rely on a photon-computer’s scan and translation to figure out what was written.
“Your Majesty, I suggest we add the United Star System’s script to our required curriculum. Otherwise, we will be unable to communicate with Host Anran,” Director Hukeni said.
Phileas considered it for a moment and approved the proposal, deciding to start with the high-ranking officials and then gradually roll it out to the entire nation. They had to let Host Anran feel the enthusiasm of their Interstellar Empire!
…
At this moment, Xia Anran was a bit baffled by the enthusiasm of her interstellar audience. Her earnings had stalled!
She had thought that the moment she started the stream today, she would definitely be able to level up. After all, she was only a little over ten million away from two hundred million. Based on past experience, she should have been able to get that in one stream. But to her surprise, when she opened her earnings tab after the broadcast, the numbers were frozen, not moving at all.
That shouldn’t be right.
Xia Anran scratched her head, feeling something was off. She tapped and prodded the livestream app, but couldn’t figure out what was wrong. The lack of an instruction manual was a serious service failure!
Unable to find the reason, she could only give up for now and observe the app’s future developments. After her call with the top leader, she had delegated the task of explaining Project Liuhe to Ji Minghui to his master, Director Huang. She herself had slipped out to the courtyard to fiddle with this cursed app.
…
Ji Minghui, suddenly surrounded by the production team, all of whom were staring at him with stern expressions, also felt the urge to flee, especially with Director Huang sitting directly across from him, glaring at him with a dark, menacing face.
“Teacher, if it’s too much trouble, then forget it…” He could just do odd jobs for the crew, without any official title.
Ji Minghui spoke dryly, but before he could finish, Director Huang interrupted him.
“Comrade Ji Minghui, what we are about to tell you is a top national secret. It is only because of the leadership’s trust in you that you are being allowed to join. Every word we tell you today must not be revealed to anyone, including your parents and your partner. Can you do that?”
Ji Minghui’s expression changed in an instant. He immediately sat up straight and nodded heavily. “I can.”
Director Huang took a breath. “Good. Our current project is called [Project Liuhe]. It is a Top-Secret National Project. The overall person in charge is Xia Anran.”
A top-secret project?
Even though he had been mentally prepared, Ji Minghui was still taken aback by this level of secrecy. Could it be that aliens have finally been discovered, and they need them to film a documentary? One had to admit, the young man’s mind was active. He had actually guessed half of it right.
But when Director Huang solemnly told him that their mission was to livestream Earth life and culture for interstellar humans from over ten thousand years in the future, who were also their own descendants, his brain still short-circuited.
Ji Minghui stood up with a worried expression and touched Director Huang’s forehead. “Teacher, do you have a fever?” He must be delirious!
Director Huang, who was almost made to laugh in anger by his dense apprentice, said, “This is a direct order from the Chief!” What is this kid thinking?
“Has the Chief also had a fever recently?” Ji Minghui asked with a serious, earnest expression.
“…”
Otherwise, how could he have been fooled by something that so clearly sounds like a scam?!
“A future livestream? This is obviously a fraud! This kind of behavior should be dealt with severely!”
Xia Anran, who had just entered the room and was about to be “dealt with severely”: “…Who’s going to be dealt with severely?”
Huh? Me?