Chapter 10: The Little Star Gate
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Xing Yuan was no stranger to laughing out loud; this pair of unrelated mother and daughter shared an unparalleled sense of humor. Especially Su Ninglong—whenever her little, soft voice rang out, it was impossible to predict whether she would cry or laugh.
Stepping outside, Su Ninglong sat atop an oversized suitcase, with two backpacks fastened to its sides. The suitcase hovered in midair, propelled forward by Xing Yuan dragging it along.
Zou Shuyi had specifically bought Su Ninglong bags to pack her things, but even with such a large suitcase, she hadn’t filled it up, instead taking up space in another ordinary suitcase as well. She had more luggage than someone moving house.
Xing Yuan bore the burden without complaint, towing both suitcases.
Passing by Xing Kui Street, Su Ninglong tilted her head to look. Number 3 Xing Kui Street was not far at the intersection. A black-and-white seal surrounded an ordinary apartment building with a small garden.
The dark red door was plastered with intact seals.
Xing Yuan stepped forward, blocking Su Ninglong’s view. “You haven’t learned about secret spirits yet, so don’t be curious about this for now, okay?”
Su Ninglong blinked. “But ‘curiosity’ stubbornly moved into my brain; I can’t ignore it.”
“All right, you may be curious, just don’t investigate.”
“Okay, okay.” Su Ninglong nodded perfunctorily and glanced back once more.
The swing in the small garden moved gently, and the small potted plants were arranged neatly on the shelves. The residents must have been filled with anticipation for this new home.
Unfortunately, weeds had grown wild, lending an unspoken loneliness that clashed with the bustling street outside.
Su Ninglong pushed the matter of number 3 Xing Kui Street from her mind and leisurely enjoyed the breeze, singing a song by a popular star.
Her voice was quite pleasant—no technique, just pure feeling—and passersby were utterly charmed.
Some complimented her as they walked by: “Such a cute girl.”
“A wonderful child.”
“Beautiful to hear.”
Within less than twenty minutes, the two arrived at the Star Navigation Building.
Su Ninglong had already been praised by no fewer than ten passersby. “Xing Yuan, I’m so popular!”
“You’re naturally adorable. Didn’t people praise you like this before?” Xing Yuan picked her up to pass through security.
“Yes, the patrons in the bar used to say I was cute, but I thought they were joking. I never imagined I’d be this beloved.”
Trying every way to praise herself, even the serious security lady checking her couldn’t help but smile. “So young, traveling with adults already?”
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“Yes, yes, I’m out here broadening my horizons with my brother.”
“Haha.” The security lady finished quickly. “Have a pleasant trip.”
“Thank you.”
Xing Yuan patted her head and led her to the right.
The sign read Star Command Department; in the opposite direction was the Starship Department.
“What’s the difference between the Star Command and Starship Departments?” Since it was Su Ninglong’s first time at the Star Navigation Building, everything was fresh and new to her. Here, she could even see Dwarves—commonly known as the short-statured race.
They were one of the oldest peoples and among the earliest volunteers to join the Interstellar Integration Plan.
It was said that Dwarves generally liked to stay home doing crafts. Most of the exquisitely crafted items popular online nowadays were their creations, according to the television.
Su Ninglong was half-skeptical; the TV also claimed that people with Chinese features included many notorious merchants with the highest average intelligence.
But Charlie was quite foolish; it was hard to imagine him as a crafty businessman.
Xing Yuan explained the difference between the Star Command and Starship Departments: “The Star Command Department is for quick shuttling between nearby planets, while the Starship Department involves traveling by interstellar starships.”
They quickly reached Gate SZ90 in the Gemini Star section and found the passage for quick shuttle travel. Xing Yuan handed their citizen IDs to a nearby robot.
The robot scanned their faces. “Verification complete. Please proceed.”
The gate opened, and the passage door swung wide. Xing Yuan and Su Ninglong stepped into an elevator.
Su Ninglong looked around and saw no buttons.
The elevator was controlled by AI; which floor it stopped on depended entirely on their destination.
The doors opened to reveal an egg-shaped safety shuttle.
Three people were already seated inside, and with Su Ninglong and Xing Yuan, there were exactly five seats.
“Hi, what a coincidence! We’re leaving in three minutes—come on in.” One of the seated men, a large fellow, greeted them familiarly.
Beside him sat a similarly chubby boy, the two looking like father and son.
Su Ninglong guessed correctly.
The large man quickly confirmed, “I’m Phoebe, and this is my son, Little Phoebe. He’s just been admitted to the Star Alliance. This is his guide, Ge Wei.”
The guide was dressed in a suit, impeccably neat from neck to shoes, exuding refinement and meticulousness.
He cleared his throat twice, signaling Phoebe to keep a low profile.
Phoebe smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I got too excited and wanted to share. Forgot to keep it a secret.”
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Su Ninglong was seated by Xing Yuan and secured with a safety harness.
Only then did she reply, “It’s okay. I’m also a student of the Star Alliance. You can share as much as you want.”
Phoebe chuckled awkwardly, suddenly losing the urge to share.
The universe was so vast—why did coincidences happen so often?
Xing Yuan arranged the luggage and finally handed Su Ninglong a small paper bag.
Su Ninglong asked curiously, “What’s this for?”
“I know—it’s for you in case you get sick. I have one too.” Little Phoebe opened his palm, but the paper bag slipped and fell.
At that moment, a voice without emotion came from the shuttle cabin: “Passenger readiness confirmed. Countdown to departure: ten, nine...”
“My bag!” Little Phoebe whined at his father, hoping he would pick it up.
“I’m not picking it up. You lost it yourself. Don’t expect me to give you my bag.” Phoebe rejected Little Phoebe’s unreasonable plea. Most people who didn’t often ride shuttles would probably get sick.
He was an adult and had to maintain dignity in front of the child.
Little Phoebe looked at Su Ninglong with a resentful glare. “It’s all your fault. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have lost it.”
Su Ninglong sat silently, thinking that oddballs weren’t only found in the cultivation world; every corner of the world had such fools who shifted blame around.
Little Phoebe’s guide frowned. “You caused this yourself. How can you blame others? Here’s mine—don’t touch it, it’s dangerous.”
Just about to cry, Little Phoebe got the paper bag back and stopped complaining, clutching it tightly.
The cabin quieted.
The countdown ended.
The spherical shuttle slid along the track, a wave of dizziness following as it accelerated continuously.
At a certain speed, a blue light gate appeared ahead.
The shuttle passed through the gate into a grayish space; everyone agreed this was hyperspace.
The gate they just entered was called a Small Star Gate.
It was used for travel within the same star system, between planets. For longer journeys, starships were needed to traverse the Great Star Gates.