Professor Zhao Zhihong was explaining knowledge related to the companion star to Li Banfeng. During this time, he blew up more than a dozen balloons, each in a different shape.
His obsession with balloons was somewhat baffling to Li Banfeng, but the man genuinely possessed real learning and expertise.
Yet whenever certain concepts came up, the professor grew evasive. Li Banfeng asked, "What sort of interactions have taken place between the planets of the companion star and Earth?"
Zhao Zhihong's eyes flickered, and he shook his head slightly. "This is beyond the scope of my research..."
Judging by his expression, Zhao Zhihong had indeed researched questions of this nature; he simply did not want to tell Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng cut straight to the point: "Do you know about Puluo Province?"
Zhao Zhihong froze and asked, "Who are you?"
Li Banfeng said, "I'm a student from the School of Science."
"Do you have a student ID?"
Li Banfeng produced his student ID. He had never turned it in, and had merely had his lady use some tricks to change the name to Li Qi.
However, his lady had forgotten to alter the student number.
Zhao Zhihong inspected it closely. "The class year isn't right—you graduated a long time ago!"
Li Banfeng gestured for Zhao Zhihong to calm down, then showed him his Dark Star Bureau credential.
Now Zhao Zhihong was even less calm. "I-I'm telling you, I... I... everything I do is legitimate research! I... I'm not like Yu Yaoming and the rest of them..."
Li Banfeng pressed his hands downward, signaling for Zhao Zhihong to settle down. "We've been talking for this long. You should be able to tell that I'm a good person. I haven't come to harm you; I'm here to learn from you."
Zhao Zhihong did not believe him. "I can't even see what you look like with your hat brim pulled down so low."
"But I'm wearing a suit. I'm dressed very formally! A person dressed formally is bound to be upright!"
Li Banfeng spent five minutes expounding to Zhao Zhihong the inherent relationship between formal wear, formality, and uprightness.
Professor Zhao Zhihong blew up another balloon and calmed down somewhat.
He decided that Li Banfeng made a great deal of sense—this truly was an upright man.
"I do know some rumors about Puluo Province, but..." Professor Zhao looked around, hesitant to speak.
Although no one else was in the office at the moment, it was not his private office—he did not have one at all—and people could walk in at any time.
Moreover, Professor Zhao Zhihong had long suspected that his office contained surveillance and eavesdropping devices, a suspicion confirmed by the projector.
"Director Qi, they have become my friends."
The projector had taken control of the monitoring and listening devices while simultaneously creating an audiovisual illusion so that anyone entering the office would neither see the professor and Li Banfeng nor hear their voices.
Of course, this was the last line of defense; Li Banfeng still preferred that no one enter the office at all.
Mengde had transformed into a vintage calendar poster and hung on the door. If anyone tried to enter, they would feel severe moral self-reproach.
The music box stood guard at the doorway. If anyone proved immune to moral reproach and insisted on forcing their way in, she would make them feel utterly drowsy, prompting them to abandon the idea of entering and go look for a place to sleep as soon as possible.
If someone tried to sleep right inside the office, Mengde would wait until they fell asleep, then use dreams to induce sleepwalking so they would go sleep elsewhere.
With everything in place, Professor Zhao was finally willing to talk.
Clasping a balloon, he first stated his stance: "We scientific researchers have no love for money."
"Give me a moment!" Li Banfeng stepped out of the office, returned to the companion dwelling, retrieved a hundred thousand in cash, packed it into a backpack, and handed it to Professor Zhao.
Was it worth so much money?
The conversation that followed convinced Li Banfeng of the true value of those hundred thousand dollars.
The professor had never been to Puluo Province, but in a sense, his understanding of it exceeded even Li Banfeng's.
"In truth, planets belonging to the companion star established contact with Earth many years ago. Because it was so long ago and much of the evidence is fragmented, I cannot determine the exact era.
"The mode of interaction between the companion star's planets and Earth relies on wormholes, and the environment inside certain wormholes satisfies the conditions necessary to sustain life."
Li Banfeng listened intently. "Could you elaborate on that part in more detail?"
Zhao Zhihong blew up an oblong balloon. "The lifeforms of the companion star's planets possess advanced civilizations. They can direct the expansion of a wormhole along a specific trajectory, just like this long balloon—inflating larger and longer, extending from their planet all the way to Earth.
"Exactly what technology they used to control the wormhole is something I don't know; by comparison, Yu Yaoming's research in that area was far deeper."
Li Banfeng harbored doubts about this. "If the companion star planet you speak of is the Inner States, as far as I know, their civilization has remained stuck in the steam era. How could a steam-era civilization control a wormhole?"
Holding his balloon, Professor Zhao said to Li Banfeng with a grave expression, "Your perception of civilization is flawed. You equate a steam civilization with backwardness."
Li Banfeng was taken aback. "What's wrong with that? Compared to an electrical civilization, a steam civilization is backward."
Zhao Zhihong shook his head. "That is a classic cognitive fallacy. The category of a civilization and its degree of advancement are two entirely separate concepts. Earth chose an electrical civilization because electricity suited Earth's environment better.
"In the companion star system, however, their environment was perhaps more suited to the development of steam civilization, and so they pushed steam civilization to its absolute pinnacle."
The Inner States had indeed carried steam civilization to its limits; Li Banfeng agreed completely on that point. As for which was more advanced between steam and electricity, it was difficult for Li Banfeng to overturn his preconceived notions all at once, but that did not hinder their discussion.
Zhao Zhihong continued, "When the companion star's civilization opened the pathway to Earth, Earth's civilization must have still been in its infancy. Had the lifeforms from the companion star successfully stepped out of the wormhole, it would have dealt a catastrophic blow to Earth's civilization, because back then, the two were operating on completely different dimensional planes.
"Yet at the time, perhaps due to technological limitations or because the wormhole's physical properties altered, the outlet originally designed for one-way ejection instead turned into one-way accretion.
"Do you understand the concepts of accretion and ejection?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. He did not really understand.
Zhao Zhihong picked up the balloon again. "Take this oblong balloon as an example. If there's a hole in the balloon, by all logic the gas inside should spew out. But for some reason, the balloon's properties changed, causing it not to expel gas, but rather to constantly suck air in.
"This passage connecting Earth and the companion star's planet constantly sucked matter from Earth. This isn't just nonsense on my part; it represents the collective findings of numerous scientists, along with contributions from many historians.
"In numerous ancient texts, there are accounts of great whirlpools. In our historical records, there are descriptions of turbulent whirlpools and rapids, and folklore tells tales of the Dragon Gate.
"In Western Homeric epics, there is the sea monster Charybdis; in the Kingdom of Norvei, there are records of the Moskenstraumen maelstrom.
"The whirlpools recorded in these documents share many identical or similar descriptions. In truth, what they documented were the wormhole outlets of that era. Of course, they are called outlets because the companion star beings originally intended them to serve as exits, whereas in reality, those outlets had turned into one-way entrances that swallowed everything without ever spitting anything back out."
Li Banfeng caught an issue. "Professor Zhao, how do you know what the beings on the companion star's planet were thinking? Did you infer that?"
Zhao Zhihong shook his head. "It isn't an inference. The companion star people once had deep contact with Earth's inhabitants—a period we refer to as the honeymoon period.
"The companion star beings once lived peacefully on Earth for a time, leaving behind many documents. Most of those documents have been lost, however, and the small remainder is kept under strict control."
"When was this honeymoon period?"
Professor Zhao said, "Pinpointing the exact era is complicated, but it should have been before the First Steam Revolution. During that stage, after ages of accretion, a great deal of life from Earth had accumulated inside the wormhole.
"These lifeforms integrated with the wormhole's indigenous life, forging a unique civilization—the wormhole civilization."
Li Banfeng understood. "You could just call it Puluo Province civilization."
Professor Zhao shook his head again. "That isn't entirely accurate."
Li Banfeng was well-educated and had basic knowledge of biology. "There was indigenous life in the wormhole? Life could evolve inside a wormhole in just a few thousand years? Isn't that far too brief a timeframe?"
Professor Zhao shook his head. "Your thinking remains tethered to Earth. The rate of biological evolution on Earth depends on Earth's environment, whereas the environment inside the wormhole is vastly more extreme, so life evolves at a far faster pace.
"Through special channels, I once made contact with some people from Puluo Province. Under the influence of the wormhole environment, their temperaments became extraordinarily extreme, and their bodily tissues exhibited varying degrees of mutation."
On this matter, Li Banfeng certainly had the right to speak.
He was intimately familiar with people from Puluo Province, and he had never thought there was anything extreme about them.
"What do you mean by extreme?"
"You belong to the Dark Star Bureau, so you surely know something about them."
Li Banfeng smiled. "I really don't."
Zhao Zhihong explained, "If they love food, they will gorge themselves to madness. If they love travel, they will run frantically. If they wish to drink, they will consume amounts of alcohol far beyond what the human body can endure.
"Such mad behavior grants them abilities that violate the laws of classical macrophysics. That is the obsession instilled in them by their unique environment."
Banfeng's cheek twitched. He countered, "If someone loves balloons and can never put them down, does that count as an obsession?"
Zhao Zhihong hugged his balloon and said with utter seriousness, "Balloons are different. Balloons bring people joy. Those who love balloons are people who love life. How could loving life ever be considered an obsession?"
Li Banfeng glanced over the documents Zhao Zhihong provided. His theory indeed had extensive empirical support; traces of wormhole outlets had been discovered across the globe.
Wait—across the globe!
Li Banfeng looked at Zhao Zhihong. "Just how many wormholes run between the companion star's planet and Earth?"
"There is only one wormhole, but it has many outlets."
"What is the logic behind that?"
Zhao Zhihong picked up an octopus balloon.
Seeing him blow up yet another balloon, Li Banfeng was speechless.
Once the octopus balloon was inflated, Zhao Zhihong pinched the octopus's head. "This is the wormhole."
Then he squeezed its tentacles. "These are the outlets."
Li Banfeng caught his meaning. "There's more than one outlet."
"And there's more than one civilization," Professor Zhao said, pinching the tentacles one by one. "The properties of each outlet differ, and over time, different changes have emerged.
"Some outlets still permit entry only and no exit. The situation there is impossible to investigate; according to records left by the companion star beings, the people there have been completely enslaved, reduced to inferior lifeforms under their rule.
"Other outlets permit small amounts of matter to leave the wormhole. Where there is both entry and exit, humans from Earth take the initiative to venture into the wormhole. Through years of infiltration, Earth humans reached a certain equilibrium with the companion star people, jointly administering the local wormhole dwellers."
Li Banfeng said, "Jointly enslaving them, you mean."
Professor Zhao pondered for a moment. "One could put it that way. The Land of Slumber in the State of Lavsha is a prime example."
At this point, Professor Zhao pinched one tentacle hard. "There is one outlet that is extraordinarily unique. It underwent a profound transformation.
"It no longer actively accretes matter, and under certain conditions, it permits vast amounts of matter to exit the wormhole. In other words, it is a genuine opening with two-way passage. That outlet is Santoucha, and that tentacle is Puluo Province.
"By all rights, this tentacle ought to have been the ideal route for the companion star beings to reach Earth. Yet that route was blocked off, because the wormhole dwellers inside this tentacle refused to be enslaved by the Inner States. Time and again they revolted, forging their own distinct civilization—that is the Puluo Province civilization you spoke of."
Li Banfeng sat stunned for a long time, slowly sorting through his thoughts.
Professor Zhao said, "I can give you a copy of the materials, but that's as much as I can tell you."
"Don't be in such a rush. What about the honeymoon period?"
Professor Zhao waved his hands frantically. "Don't ask me about the honeymoon period! You shouldn't be asking me about that at all! You're from the Dark Star Bureau—you should already know more than I do!
"Are you trying to trick me into confessing? I really have nothing to do with Yu Yaoming and his crowd. I've never killed anyone, and I've never broken the law..."
The effect of the Fool Cultivator skill had gone a bit too far.
Li Banfeng coaxed, "I'm only conducting academic research with you. Everything we just discussed was academic. No one else knows what passed between us. Give me a copy of the materials, and we'll call an end to today's discussion."
...
Li Banfeng sat in his office at the Dark Star Bureau, examining file records.
Several of Zhao Zhihong's social media accounts had indeed been sanctioned.
His academic theories might look somewhat absurd on the surface, but there were far more ridiculous content-farming accounts out there. Why had his accounts received such special attention?
It turned out the Dark Star Bureau had noticed Zhao Zhihong long ago, and there was quite a collection of records on him here.
Chen Changrui knocked and entered the office. "Director Li, thank goodness I found you! The phones from up top have been ringing off the hook. Higher-ups want to stop the Demon Lord from sparking a war by communicating and negotiating with the Inner States..."
Li Banfeng cut Chen Changrui off. "Slow down. I don't follow. Why would communicating with the Inner States stop a war provoked by the Demon Lord? Aren't the Inner States and the Demon Lord the same thing?"
Chen Changrui pursed his lips. "In principle, they really aren't the same thing."
Li Banfeng invited Chen Changrui to sit, asking patiently, "Then explain the difference."
"They belong to different factions and organizations, which means they have different..." Chen Changrui spoke evasively, struggling to explain.
Li Banfeng helped him along: "Just tell me straight: are they on the same planet?"
With things put so bluntly, Chen Changrui no longer knew how to evade, so he simply shut his mouth.
Li Banfeng frowned. "Sometimes I truly don't understand why these things must be kept from me. Just because I'm from Puluo Province?"
Chen Changrui looked around.
Li Banfeng said, "No need to worry. I've shut off all surveillance equipment."
Chen Changrui used his Peep Cultivator skill to verify; indeed, no spying devices were active.
He lowered his voice. "Actually, I know that you aren't from Puluo Province at all. You are Li Banfeng, the Li Banfeng who graduated from Yuezhou University."
Li Banfeng did not deny it. "And so? If I'm an Outer States native and the head of the Dark Star Bureau, why keep these things hidden from me?"
"Because there are things even I don't know, and Bureau Chief Shen didn't know either. No single person knows the full picture. That has been the rule the Dark Star Bureau adhered to for years."
"I think that rule ought to be changed." Li Banfeng handed Old Chen a cigarette. "Start by telling me what you know, or I won't be able to mediate."
Chen Changrui took a deep drag. "Ever since graduating from college, I've been in this line of work. College graduates were still rare back then.
"I worked at the Extrastellar Research Institute, served in the Garrison Office, and spent many years at the Dark Star Bureau. I do know a bit more than others.
"Since you asked about planets just now, you must have learned a few things already. The Dark Star is actually the Sun's companion star—you should know that by now."
Li Banfeng nodded.
Chen Changrui continued, "Beneath the Dark Star, there are eleven planets in total: five terrestrial planets similar to Earth, composed mainly of rock, and six Jovian planets similar to Jupiter, composed mainly of gas.
"All eleven planets harbor life. What we refer to as the Inner States is the Great Shang Kingdom that resides on the Third Planet."
"The Great Shang Kingdom?" Li Banfeng was deeply shocked. "Between them and the Great Shang Dynasty in our history..."
"There are countless tangled ties between them, things I cannot clearly explain. But on the Third Planet, the Great Shang Kingdom is not the only power. There is also the Demon Lord Kingdom, the White Falcon League, and dozens of other factions large and small whose strength rivals the Great Shang Dynasty.
"The Great Shang Dynasty was once the most formidable power on the Third Planet. Yet due to internal strife and persistent conflict with Puluo Province, its power has declined, allowing other factions to gradually take the initiative.
"If we can align our objectives with the Inner States—that is, with the Great Shang Dynasty—we can balance mutual interests and stop this war from breaking out."
Li Banfeng understood. "All that talk simply boils down to wanting the Great Shang Dynasty to step in and tie down the Demon Lord so he won't attack the Outer States."
Chen Changrui nodded. "This benefits Puluo Province as well. If the Demon Lord breaks through Santoucha, it would be devastating to Puluo Province too. This is something beneficial to all three sides, so..."
Li Banfeng set down the file in his hand and stared at Chen Changrui for a long time. "I'm asking you with all sincerity, and I want an equally sincere answer. If this benefits all three sides, why don't you negotiate directly with the Inner States?"
"Because the Inner States never communicate with us—"
"Don't give me any talk about tradition. Tell me the reason directly." Li Banfeng's tone was easygoing, but Chen Changrui could sense that if he failed to tell the truth or continued beating around the bush, the consequences could be dire.
"It has to do with a piece of history."
"Do you mean the honeymoon period between Earth and the companion star people?"
Chen Changrui recalled what he knew of that history. Some pieces were quite fragmented, and he needed a moment to string his recollections together. "To be precise, it wasn't a honeymoon period between Earth and the companion star people at large; it was a honeymoon between the Great Shang Empire and Earth.
"The Great Shang Empire established a passage leading to Earth, but for certain reasons, the passage didn't function as intended.
"Because of that, the Great Shang Empire shifted strategy: they decided to cooperate with Earth humans, elevating Earth's overall strength to achieve a degree of equilibrium."
Li Banfeng pondered for a moment and gave a slight shake of his head. "Put it more plainly."
Chen Changrui was torn; being more blunt would hurt feelings. "Take Puluo Province, for example. Back then, a whole series of plans by the Great Shang Empire met resistance and sabotage from Puluo Province. The Great Shang Empire wished to establish closer ties with Earth to jointly contain Puluo Province.
"At the time, however, Earth had not yet entered the First Steam Revolution. With Earth's strength, it possessed no capital to confront Puluo Province. So the Great Shang Empire sent emissaries to Earth through various channels to help Earth develop a steam civilization.
"Earth's civilization did indeed advance tremendously. Once developed to a certain degree, it did possess the ability to intervene in affairs in Puluo Province, the Land of Slumber, Inner Amican, and similar places.
"Yet Earth humans gradually realized that many practices of the Great Shang Empire ran counter to Earth's interests. Every time Earth's people sought to secure their own interests, they were strangled by technological bottlenecks.
"Back when I worked at the Extrastellar Research Institute, documents weren't managed so strictly. I read some historical records; according to them, even a trivial clash could result in an entire region's or even an entire country's industrial production grinding to a halt.
"Beyond seizing the industrial lifelines, the Great Shang Empire used similar methods to infiltrate their lifeforms into the Outer States. Many factory workshops were themselves Inner States lifeforms."
Li Banfeng nodded. "Like the centipede workshop at the Ruirong Textile Factory."
Chen Changrui nodded. "The Ruirong Textile Factory is a textbook example. We gained advanced technology from the Inner States, yet the technology itself was a living organism capable of reproduction.
"Not only did it multiply inside the textile mill, it also opened an exit leading to the wormhole. Such instances were countless back then. To counter this, Earth's people adopted a strategy to temporarily balance relations between the two sides."
"How did they balance it?" Li Banfeng was curious about the method used.
"Earth entered into a series of collaborations with the Demon Lord. The specific details are unknown, but that cooperation severely undermined the Great Shang Empire's power, causing it to lose control over many passages leading to Earth—the Land of Slumber, for instance.
"The Great Shang Empire viewed this as a shameless, unforgivable betrayal. From then on, they refused all forms of communication with Earth humans.
"They severed their technical aid to Earth, and Earth turned to the Demon Lord for assistance instead. In subsequent dealings, the Demon Lord began exhibiting the exact same problem as the Great Shang Empire: whenever a conflict of interest arose, the Demon Lord would threaten Earth's security with technology.
"Fortunately, the Second Technological Revolution arrived soon after. Earth's humans shifted toward an electrical civilization, gradually casting off the technological shackles from the Third Planet. The interests of all parties reached a new equilibrium."
"And that's what you call balance?" Li Banfeng chuckled. "Nothing more than backstabbing. The method may be effective, but hearing it described is downright pathetic."
That remark made Chen Changrui bristle. "When I was young like you, I also felt it was dishonorable. But the gap between Earth's civilization and the companion star's was simply too immense, and even today the disparity in power remains enormous.
"I just got word from Gao Yina: the magnetic storm weapon that appeared this time is terrifyingly potent. This isn't the sort of electromagnetic interference you read about in military magazines.
"This weapon is powerful enough to disable every single electrical component. According to the soldiers on the warships, even the lights wouldn't turn on, and not a single loudspeaker worked.
"Meanwhile, all defensive installations on the enemy's offshore base were driven by steam, and every steam-powered apparatus operated without a hitch. You can imagine how brutally tough that fight was.
"That is the technology the Demon Lord taught them! Just because they don't wish to develop an electrical civilization doesn't mean they can't. Facing an adversary like that, isn't it unrealistic to think of confronting them head-on?"
Li Banfeng said gravely, "Yet someone has confronted them."
"Who?" Chen Changrui was stunned. "You mean the people of Puluo Province? They..."
"Aren't they humans from Earth?"
Chen Changrui sighed softly. "Their situation is even more peculiar..."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Balancing this and balancing that, robbing Peter to pay Paul—is that truly the right way?"
Chen Changrui pondered for a moment. "I believe it is right, because we need time—more time to elevate our technological capabilities!"
"I think you have a point," Li Banfeng said, picking up the file. "This professor achieved numerous research results in the field of the companion star. Why place restrictions on him?"
Chen Changrui recognized Zhao Zhihong. "Some of his research touched upon classified matters."
"Then let him research classified matters!"
"Certain matters aren't quite so simple..."
"Let professionals handle professional matters—isn't that the key to elevating our technological capabilities?"
Chen Changrui fell silent.
Li Banfeng stood up, put on his suit jacket, and donned his fedora.
"Director Li, about communicating with the Inner States..."
Li Banfeng nodded in agreement. "Book me a train ticket. I leave tomorrow."
"I'll arrange a dedicated train for you!"
"No need. No special train," Li Banfeng waved a hand. "A single ticket is enough. A private compartment."
Chen Changrui said, "I'll notify the Garrison Office so they can coordinate with you."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "No need for their cooperation. We'll talk about that once there's progress."
Chen Changrui felt that something was amiss. He asked, "Is there anything else you need me to do?"
Li Banfeng turned back, tilted up the brim of his hat, and looked at Chen Changrui. "I know that in this world, sincerity has always been a luxury.
"But when dealing with your comrades in the Dark Star Bureau, I hope you can preserve a bit of sincerity going forward.
"You're a man of courage, and having to resort to twists and turns was out of necessity.
"But good is good, and bad is bad; there's no need to play coy. Twisting and turning for a time is fine, but don't twist yourself up for your entire life."
Li Banfeng turned to leave.
Chen Changrui hurried after him and asked, "Director Li, will you be coming back?"
"I will," Li Banfeng nodded slightly. "Keep my office for me, and keep my living quarters as well. Tell the new bureau chief to maintain a proper attitude and report to me regularly—don't wait for me to come looking for him."
Leaving the Dark Star Bureau, Li Banfeng headed to the hospital.
Zhong'er's family members were inquiring about his condition, and Song Qianhun was answering with solemn pomposity:
"Qin Minghui's condition cannot be summarized in just a word or two. I am not a man who seeks empty fame, and for now I cannot make further promises..."
Seeing Li Banfeng, Song Qianhun looked a bit embarrassed. He sounded impressive enough, but in reality he knew nothing about medicine.
Li Banfeng came to Zhong'er's bedside. Mijian said, "Director Li, all ten of his fingers can move now."
"Really?" Li Banfeng leaned down by Zhong'er's ear and whispered, "Once your wounds heal, I'll take you to Puluo Province!"
Zhong'er's right hand clutched into a fist. Li Banfeng smiled.
He took out a bank card and shoved it into Mijian's hand. "Thank you for all your hard work. Buy him some good food, and treat yourself too."
"It's not hard at all, not in the least." Mijian held Zhong'er's hand, rubbing it hard for a long time.
That evening, Li Banfeng went to the Cultural Palace to catch a movie. While there, he took a stroll through the black market and picked up a few souvenirs.
Fourth Mother Yin avoided Li Banfeng the moment she saw him. Ever since meeting him, she had been thrust into mortal danger multiple times, and her good friend Jin Shunying had vanished without a trace.
Li Banfeng instructed Tang Changfa to look out for Fourth Mother Yin; she was competent at getting things done and possessed wide connections.
At his residence, there was also a group of ghost servants who had done a great deal for Li Banfeng. He handed them all over to Tang Changfa to give him more hands. "Don't fret over profits and losses in business. If you run short of money, let me know. If the wind starts blowing the wrong way, get back to Puluo Province and find me immediately. No business, no matter how immense, is worth risking your lives. Understand?"
Tang Changfa nodded. "Shopkeeper, don't worry."
Yan Cui'er said with reddened eyes, "Shopkeeper, you're going back already? You've barely been here any time at all."
Yan Hong'er glared at Yan Cui'er. "What are you crying for? It's not like the shopkeeper isn't coming back."
Just as Li Banfeng was about to leave the black market, Lin Fojiao, the market's proprietor, was waiting in the adjoining private room.
He brewed a pot of tea and asked Li Banfeng, "Seventh Master, care for a cup of tea?"
Li Banfeng sat opposite him, and the two clinked cups.
Lin Fojiao said, "Once we drink this tea, we are friends."
Li Banfeng nodded. "Friends."
"Good." Lin Fojiao lowered his head and closed his eyes.
He fell asleep.
What a sincere man: he said have a cup of tea, and a cup of tea was all it was—not a single superfluous thing.
...
The next morning, Li Banfeng arrived at the train station. Chen Changrui came to see him off but failed to find him.
Li Banfeng had used his Dwelling Cultivator talent to evade him; seeing people off was the sort of thing he loathed most.
The train arrived at Santoucha. Li Banfeng had taken away tens of thousands of people from here across multiple trips, yet passing by the station, crowds were still begging.
This time Li Banfeng had come prepared: he brought out mounds of food from the companion dwelling, tossing it out the window without pause.
The train conductors were furious, but Li Banfeng had merely ignored the recommendation not to open the windows without violating any actual regulations. There was nothing the conductors could do except glare at him coldly from the carriage doorway.
The situation in Santoucha was exceptionally convoluted. Li Banfeng had visited Mount Zhouzi only once, and he knew far too little about this place. Rescuing all these people would be a long road.
He needed to find an opportunity to spend some time in Santoucha and thoroughly figure out how things worked here.
...
The train departed Santoucha Station. Not long after it began rolling, someone knocked on the door: "Sir, your luggage."
"What luggage?" Li Banfeng paused. He hadn't asked anyone to transport luggage.
The voice sounded rather familiar.
He opened the compartment door. A man wearing a white shirt under a checkered vest, sporting a newsboy cap and dragging a massive suitcase, slipped into the carriage.
Li Banfeng recognized him, but what act was he putting on?
Li Banfeng lowered his voice. "Lightbulb, what do you think you're doing?"
Lightbulb took off his newsboy cap, smoothed his hair, and grinned. "It's me, Seventh Master."
"I already called you Lightbulb! Do you think I didn't know it was you?" Li Banfeng snapped. "I asked what you came here for!"
"From now on, we're following you—heading to Puluo Province to make our way with you!"
"'We'?" Li Banfeng looked toward the suitcase.
Lightbulb unzipped the suitcase, and Tangyuan squeezed out from inside. She smoothed her hair as well: "Seventh Master, it's me!"
"You too..."
"I'm following you as well, Seventh Master!" Tangyuan's eyes reddened with excitement.
Before Li Banfeng could speak, a train conductor heard the commotion, shoved the door open, and stepped in: "Do you two have tickets?"
Li Banfeng looked at Lightbulb and Tangyuan. "Do either of you have tickets?"
Lightbulb shook his head. "We're going with you; we never planned on coming back."
Tangyuan puffed out her chest. "We don't have tickets!"
Li Banfeng tried explaining to the conductor, "We're with the Dark Star Bureau, traveling to Puluo Province on official business. The two of them came in a rush, so they didn't get around to buying tickets..."
*Clatter!*
Tangyuan and Lightbulb were shoved right off the train by several conductors.
Lightbulb skidded across the ground without serious harm.
Tangyuan tore her clothes and scraped her skin.
*Thump!*
Li Banfeng had fought a bout with several conductors, lost, and jumped off the train himself, holding a pole he had wrestled away from one of them.
Lightbulb asked, "Seventh Master, what are you holding that for?"
Li Banfeng smiled at the two of them. "Both of you start running. Whichever one is slower gets beaten to death on the spot."
"Seventh Master, listen to me..." Tangyuan had a look of absolute sincerity.
"Seventh Master, watch me run!" Lightbulb took off at a sprint.
End of Volume Two: Mystery of the Dark Star!
***
### Volume Afterword
Under the soft lamplight, exquisite silverware reflected a faint sheen on the tablecloth.
The clock pendulum and the earring sat beside the piano, playing a duet of "Carmen."
Li Banfeng adjusted his shirt, loosened his tie slightly, and spoke to the gramophone across the dining table: "My lady, what would you like to drink?"
The gramophone replied tenderly, "Today is my husband's birthday. Whatever my husband wishes to drink, your humble servant shall drink with you."
Li Banfeng snapped his fingers at the waiter.
Banfeng B walked over carrying a tray and a menu, asking Li Banfeng, "What would you like to order?"
Li Banfeng looked over the menu: liquor, yellow wine, aged rice wine, foreign spirits—everything was accounted for.
After some consideration, Li Banfeng made up his mind: "Bring me a glass of soda from Qishuiyao, orange-flavored, garnished with two freshly sliced lemons from White Falcon Commandery, a leaf of bitter herb from Kucaizhuang, a spoonful of strawberry jam from Piaoxiang Courtyard, plus a cherry from Suihuang Plain. Full sugar, seventy percent ice, and make it extra fizzy."
Banfeng B noted down Li Banfeng's request, then turned to the gramophone: "Honored lady, what may I get for you?"
The gramophone took the menu and told Banfeng B, "The same as my husband: a glass of orange soda, paired with two cups of engine oil from Xiaolian Shop."
Banfeng B returned to the counter and prepared the soda for Li Banfeng, only to find there wasn't quite enough froth.
"*Ptui!*" Banfeng B spat into the glass to top up the froth.
As the family dined, the glove set down its knife, picked up a fork, and asked, "Head of the house, earlier you mentioned cooking up some sort of Mad Cultivator—is that real or fake?"
Li Banfeng gave a profound smile. "Whatever comes out of my mouth is naturally real."
The projector chimed in, "Yet I feel both techniques Director Qi came up with were made up out of thin air."
The Tang dao whacked the projector with its flat: "Watch your mouth! That wasn't made up out of thin air—it was my lord's heartfelt fabrication!"
Ninth Lady held the liquor gourd, pouring herself a cup. "Counting it all up, that makes five disciplines open for business."
Hong Ying sighed in awe: "Five disciplines! I wouldn't even dare imagine it!"
The gramophone swung her wooden board: "If you don't dare imagine it, don't! After dinner, go squat by the wall and reflect on yourself!"
Li Banfeng called out, "Brushie, if you don't eat now, the food will get cold."
"Hmph!" The Judge's Brush rolled over, watching the Red Lotus unfurl its petals.
"You're all full, but I'm still starving." The Red Lotus stroked Li Banfeng's back, only to be shoved aside without mercy.
"My lady is watching right here—how could I allow you to act so brazenly!"
*Clatter!*
The companion dwelling shuddered.
"Everyone sit tight! Shovel the coal and add water—we're speeding up!"
Chapter 637