CH 72

Thank you to Veren for the ko-fi~

Cheng Que inexplicably felt a strange sense of jealousy, akin to a mouse competing for the wind’s attention. However, he quickly dismissed this unreliable thought from his mind. He interpreted Shu Shuishui’s behavior as a pet’s possessiveness towards its owner. Of course, he couldn’t actually engage in a real contest with a mouse.

Shu Shuishui felt content, believing that he understood Gu Langu better than anyone. This reminded him of a question Cheng Que had asked earlier. “Spatial compression? Are you referring to the cube form of the simulator? I’ve seen a spatial compressor from Mao Jin. It can store the same items. It feels similar to a storage ring.”

Cheng Que’s heart skipped a beat. A storage ring? He didn’t know exactly what it was, but he could infer its basic purpose from the name. Before the apocalypse, only a few individuals received advance warnings. Elite talents like Cheng Que were among those few.

Unfortunately, as the seven-dimensional curved spaceship of the Seventh Dimension civilization entered the domain of the Canghai Galaxy and the Xian Ge Galaxy, and the button was pressed at the disposal site of the seven-dimensional civilization, chaos engulfed the world. This entire process took merely seven minutes and twenty-one seconds, with seven minutes of it being a state of stillness for the Seventh Dimension civilization. According to Cheng Que’s speculation, those seven minutes were likely used by the civilization to rapidly analyze the resource situation of the two galaxies and make decisions on collection. The remaining twenty-one seconds were the time of arrival and departure, a rather frightening piece of data.

It is precisely due to this terrifying superluminal speed that even with a warning seven minutes and twenty-one seconds in advance, no one managed to react in time and escape the grasp of the two galaxies.

Cheng Que was among the very few who witnessed the placement of that button into the centers of the two galaxies, swiftly devouring them. For some unknown reason, Cheng Que found himself thinking that the unknown button was oddly similar to the storage ring Shu Shuishui had mentioned. Despite his heart racing, Cheng Que’s face showed no hint of surprise. On the contrary, this strengthened his determination to stay.

“Space compression technology is actually a preliminary stage of dimensional application. In simple terms, one dimension is a point, two dimensions form a line, and three dimensions constitute a volume. It’s easy for higher-dimensional space-time to understand lower-dimensional space-time, but exploring higher-dimensional space-time from a lower-dimensional perspective is extremely challenging. The most unsolvable problem in this world is the infinite and the infinitesimal. This is also a major direction of scientific exploration…” Cheng Que’s heart raced as he thought he had discovered a key variable. Thus, he spoke incessantly.

Shu Shuishui (⊙⊙)???

The little dormouse sat on Gu Langu’s shoulder, experiencing a feeling of returning to the time when he used to listen to Gu Langu’s scientific explanations. Out of politeness, Shu Shuishui widened his eyes as much as possible, fighting off sleepiness.

Cheng Que’s excitement grew. These cutting-edge scientific concepts were quite complex, and even though he tried to explain them in simpler terms, there were many who wouldn’t comprehend them. Since arriving at the Cang Zhan Star, Cheng Que’s opportunities for communication had dwindled, and those willing to listen and capable of understanding had become even scarcer. Seeing Shu Shuishui’s earnest expression and recalling his previous mention of the spatial ring, Cheng Que naturally assumed he had encountered a scientifically inclined rodent.

A scientifically inclined rodent was quite improbable. Being a science “elementary school underachiever,” Shu Shuishui obediently sat for a few minutes, but eventually, his big eyes slowly closed, his small head bobbing like a pecking chick, and his tiny body tilted until it rested against Gu Langu’s cheek.

A fluffy mass approached, and Gu Langu dared not move his head, fearing that the drowsy Shu Shuishui might slip off.

Liu Du was thoroughly annoyed by Cheng Que’s various theories, yet Cheng Que was in high spirits and hadn’t provided a chance to interrupt.

Liu Po felt a slight sense of surprise. Cheng Que wasn’t much of a talker, and for some inexplicable reason, he exuded a deep sense of isolation. Even though Cheng Que had actively joined the B District, he hadn’t truly integrated. Liu Po had never seen Cheng Que so talkative before. It seemed the transformation of that mutated mouse was affecting not only his simple-minded little brother but also Cheng Que, the elite talent.

“The so-called spatial compression actually employs basic dimension reduction techniques. Let’s take a simple example: moving an entire villa is very difficult, but carrying a photograph of the villa is much easier—lighter and requires less space. Space folding and compression technology reverses the process, converting a villa into a photograph. Does that explanation make sense, Shui Shui?” Cheng Que concluded with a hint of excitement, looking at Shu Shuishui.

Shu Shuishui had already curled into a small ball, his warm brown fur nearly touching his chest, with his two small ears facing Cheng Que.

Cheng Que “…”

Yu Jin couldn’t help but chuckle. “Professor Cheng, do you really think Shui Shui is all-knowing? Even our leader’s lectures can put Shui Shui to sleep.”

Liu Po and Liu Du also couldn’t help but smile. Indeed, why did they assume that a mutated little mouse could comprehend these complex technological topics? Cheng Que’s expression stiffened slightly, puzzled. Could it be that he had misjudged the situation? However, Gu Langu’s reservoir of knowledge was certainly not inferior to his own. Countless people had attempted to extract information from Gu Langu’s mind to no avail. Since the little mouse could fall asleep during Gu Langu’s explanations, it was likely true that he didn’t understand.

Although Shu Shuishui had dozed off, business still needed to proceed. Fortunately, Shu Shuishui wasn’t the main force behind this transaction. He had no objections to the price of the simulator, and Liu Du and Nan Ge wouldn’t allow him to be taken advantage of.

What delighted Nan Ge was that apart from the hard currency of food and seeds from Cang Zhan Star, B District had also brought along a substantial amount of energy stones. It’s important to note that on Cang Zhan Star, the energy stone trade was quite rare among individuals. Most energy stones were handed over in exchange for desired goods, but the time for submitting energy stones was limited each year, making food the true hard currency.

“Besides the simulator, I’m sure Mr. Nan Ge has other valuable offerings. From the moment I saw the valley, I’ve been curious—how do you control the temperature in the valley? It’s simply incredible!” Although Liu Po’s initial purpose for this trip was indeed the simulator, the moment he laid eyes on the valley, his thoughts were captivated by the comfortable and warm climate within.

In truth, it’s feasible to convert energy from energy stones into heat using them, but don’t expect the Galactic Alliance to provide complete energy conversion devices to Cang Zhan Star. Such devices are strictly prohibited, and it’s difficult for the current resources of Cang Zhan Star to create them. The terrifyingly low conversion rate of energy stones within Cang Zhan Star is also a convenient method the Galactic Alliance uses to control the submission of energy stones.

No one would willingly trade their hard-earned energy stones for meager survival resources, so the strategy is to decrease the utilization efficiency of energy stones.

During the harsh winter, some bases might use energy stones as a heat source due to extreme cold, but this is akin to burning money. Unless survival is truly impossible, most people wouldn’t make such a choice. However, the vast expanse of the current valley, from lush jungles to flat farmlands, dense tents, and the azure lake—none of it could possibly be sustained by energy stones!

“Because we have Shui Shui.” Yu Jin proudly replied ahead of the others. The abilities of Shu Shuishui were not something Gu Langu and the others intended to hide. Moreover, the base’s personnel were intricate, and it was impossible to maintain absolute secrecy. As such, they believed that being open was a better approach. They had the confidence and capability to safeguard Shu Shuishui.

Liu Po gazed at the fluffy bundle on Gu Langu’s shoulder for a while, rendered speechless. He had observed it for some time, but he couldn’t believe that such a grand spectacle was truly created by a furry little bundle.

“Of course, and there’s also the assistance of our leader and Xie Feng, although he only helped a little bit,” Yu Jin added.

Liu Po breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that he had found a reasonable explanation for himself. It seemed that Gu Langu was the main driving force behind the transformation of this valley.

Xie Feng, on the other hand, shook his head repeatedly. “I didn’t really help much; it’s all thanks to Shui Shui.”

Gu Langu calmly added, “Yes, it’s all thanks to Shui Shui.”

Liu Po: “…”

Were the people from this base all so humble? Would they continue being humble even when the mouse woke up?

Due to the trembling of Gu Langu’s throat and the pleasant sound of his voice, Shu Shuishui instantly woke up. The little bundle didn’t rush to look around; instead, he sat up straight, attentively listening, apparently thinking that they were still in the midst of Cheng Que’s educational talk.

After a moment, Shu Shuishui caught on and turned his little head to inquire, “What’s my contribution? I heard Gu Gu praising me!”

Gu Langu raised his hand and gently touched the furry Shu Shuishui. “That’s right, praising Shui Shui. The reason the valley is so comfortable is thanks to Shui Shui’s efforts.”

Shu Shuishui tilted his small head, pondering for a moment before nodding in a nonchalant manner. “Yes, indeed, it’s my contribution. Since I can’t give Gu Gu a big villa, I’ll give Gu Gu a valley instead.”

Hearing this, Yu Jin protested from the sidelines. “Why does only the leader get mentioned? What about me?”

Shu Shuishui looked at Yu Jin. “You’re just a side note. Don’t worry, I don’t mind you.”

Xie Feng and Nan Ge tactfully refrained from joining in on this topic. It was quite evident that they were all just add-ons. Only Gu Langu was Shu Shuishui’s own.

Yu Jin’s disappointment lasted for about two seconds before he resurrected in high spirits. He knew well that even though Shu Shuishui often complained about them, he silently cared for them, including his bustling efforts in stewing braised pork, roasting grasshoppers, and cooking corn. He never truly left them out. “I’m fine with being a side note too.”

Liu Du cast an envious glance. “Can I be a side note too?”

Shu Shuishui looked over. “Xiao Du1TL’s note: I forgot to put a note from the first time this word appeared. “Xiao Du” can be translated as “Little Tummy”. That’s why Liu Du was weirded out by the nickname Shui Shui gave him., it’s best for you to stay by your family’s side. Here, you can’t even snatch a whisker from a grasshopper.”

Liu Du: “…”

After this conversation, Liu Po finally accepted with astonishment and a tinge of horror that Shu Shuishui was indeed the one who transformed the valley. Such a vast expanse of a valley, and it was truly the work of a mutated mouse. “Can I invite…”

“No, you can’t. Shui Shui is about to hibernate with the leader,” Yu Jin decisively interrupted Liu Po.

Nan Ge could only intervene from the side. “The transformation of the valley isn’t as easy as you might think. Therefore, this method isn’t suitable for B District. However, we can offer two other things.” Pausing for effect, Nan Ge added, “It’s getting late. Let’s have a meal together by the lake, with open-air roasted fish. I’ll have some large ones prepared.”

Naturally, the members of B District readily agreed. After all, it had been a long time since they had eaten fish, or rather, it had been a long time since they had eaten meat.

Arriving at the lakeside, the fish that had been caught had already been prepared and placed in clean bags. Beside them, a campfire had been set up, waiting for everyone to start roasting the fish.

The group settled around the campfire. Surprisingly, Liu Du began to feel warm, something he hadn’t experienced during winter before. He promptly took off his coat and eagerly started to work. “Does Shui Shui want to eat roasted fish? I’m quite skilled at roasting fish.”

In the midst of Liu Du’s words, Shu Shuishui had already hopped down from Gu Langu’s shoulder. He was clutching a seasoning jar that was about his size, moving with small steps. He used both his paws to sway the jar, evenly sprinkling the seasoning onto the fish. Upon closer inspection, one could notice that the strength with which Shu Shuishui shook the seasoning jar was consistent every time, and even his whiskers were raised due to his earnestness.

Shu Shuishui circled around the fish, having finished sprinkling salt. Then, he took out a chef’s hat and put it on properly. Due to the inconvenience of dealing with the large fish, he had Gu Langu help him put on a small apron. With his delicate set of small knives and utensils, he began to deftly carve and work around the fish, creating cuts that enhanced the flavor. His skilled movements were a pleasure to behold.