After passing the checkpoint, Zuo Shihuan tightly clenched the Federation fake ID in his palm without letting go, until they had completely left those Federation police and the checkpoint far behind, and the surrounding scenery turned into bustling streets and buildings.
Zuo Shihuan finally let out a long breath, then couldn’t help narrowing his eyes and letting out a small laugh. He turned his head to glance at Gu Heng and continued smiling even more brilliantly.
Gu Heng’s gaze softened, and he followed with a smile. “Are you that happy?”
Zuo Shihuan covered half his face with his hand. His light brown eyes flashed with surprise and amusement as he said in a puzzled tone, “I don’t know either, I just feel like laughing…”
It was as if he had been walking a tightrope right under the federal police’s noses. While he was in the middle of walking it, he had been nervously uneasy, but once he made it across, only afterward did he belatedly feel novelty, excitement, and joy.
Gu Heng raised a brow and asked, “There’s even such a thing as not knowing?”
Zuo Shihuan proudly lifted his chin slightly and hmphed, “That’s none of your business.”
Gu Heng replied helplessly, “Alright, alright, I won’t ask.”
The corners of Zuo Shihuan’s lips curved slightly. He casually stuffed the fake ID into his pocket and then asked with slight curiosity, “Do you have a lot of fake documents like this?”
Gu Heng answered smoothly, “Quite a lot. Shihuan, do you want to see?”
Although Zuo Shihuan was a tiny bit curious, thinking about Gu Heng’s special profession made it seem normal, so he suppressed his curiosity and shook his head. “No need. I was just wondering, when you worked before, did you also need so many fake documents?”
Gu Heng paused for a moment, then smiled and said, “Not really. Just occasionally, in case of unexpected needs, like today’s special situation… What, Shihuan, are you very curious about my job?”
Zuo Shihuan glanced at Gu Heng and pressed his lips coldly. “Is that not allowed?”
Gu Heng touched his nose and quickly coaxed in a doting tone, “Of course it’s allowed. But you can rest assured, my work isn’t anything difficult. I can handle it all, and besides…”
Zuo Shihuan listened patiently and attentively to Gu Heng, opening his light brown eyes wide as he studied him with a hint of curiosity and confusion.
Seeing this, Gu Heng’s gaze turned gentle like water, filled with focused affection. He pressed his thin lips into a faint smile and said, “No job can compare to you, Shihuan.”
Zuo Shihuan suddenly froze, his pupils slightly widening. Meeting Gu Heng’s warm, doting eyes, he felt his heart pounding.
But just as Gu Heng leaned in to kiss him, Zuo Shihuan instantly snapped back to his senses and slapped a traffic ticket onto Gu Heng’s face, blocking him, and said arrogantly, “I haven’t forgotten the good thing you did just now! As punishment, after you pay the fine, then you can kiss me.”
Gu Heng stared at Zuo Shihuan with a resentful look. Seeing that he had no intention of changing his mind at all, he pursed his lips and said, “Fine.”
Then he resentfully put away the ticket.
However, Zuo Shihuan still didn’t know that he could pay the fine online through the star network. In just one minute he could finish paying it.
Very soon, Zuo Shihuan would have no reason to stop him.
Gu Heng secretly curled his lips into a sly smile, gripped the steering wheel, turned his head toward Zuo Shihuan, raised a brow, and smiled. His voice also became bright and excited as he said, “Then let’s set off for the next place. Next stop, Infinity Center Mall!”
***
Infinity Center Mall.
Entrance.
As soon as they arrived at the mall, before even getting out, Zuo Shihuan was already astonished by the sheer volume of people.
Perhaps because it was the weekend, unexpectedly many people had come. Layer upon layer of hovercars were everywhere, as if they were playing with building blocks.
It made both the open-air and underground parking lots look full of little block cars and little block people everywhere.
From a distance, Zuo Shihuan even found it a little cute.
But very soon, Zuo Shihuan heard a tragic and crisp bird cry. It felt as if, from deep within his heart, he sensed a kind of resoluteness and sorrow, which made him involuntarily look up.
Looking into the distance, a blue-green bird engulfed in flames was carrying a stone in its beak and dropping it from the sky. When the stone hit the ground, it would splash up waves of seawater.
Strangely, the bird kept picking up stones and continuously throwing them into the virtual sea in the air.
Never stopping.
It circled again and again around the mall’s domed building, constantly dropping stones and repeatedly letting out mournful, sorrowful bird cries.
It made Zuo Shihuan feel as if he empathized with it, feeling the same sorrow. He couldn’t help tugging at Gu Heng’s sleeve and asking, “What is that?”
Having just parked the hovercar and about to enter the mall with Zuo Shihuan, Gu Heng also looked up and immediately understood. He replied, “That’s Jingwei, a species of bird from Ancient Earth. It’s said that it was originally human and accidentally drowned in the sea. After death, it transformed into a bird called Jingwei. Every day it picks up stones and throws them into the sea, wanting to fill it.”
Zuo Shihuan showed a look of sympathy. “Is that a real event?”
Gu Heng said indifferently, “Who knows? It’s been so long since the Ancient Earth era; there’s no way to verify. Maybe such a bird called Jingwei really existed, or maybe…”
Gu Heng opened the Infinity Center Mall introduction on his communicator and raised a brow at Zuo Shihuan. “In the interstellar era, all kinds of races exist, even the insectoid race exists. Having a Jingwei in the Ancient Earth era wouldn’t be strange. Besides, the mall introduction mentions an ancient book called Shan Hai Jing, which talks about this kind of bird.”
The mall’s promotional video began to play.
Amid the cries of many rare and exotic creatures, they appeared one after another.
Strange and unusual beasts, beast-shaped, bird-shaped, fish-shaped, or even half-human and human-shaped rare creatures, emerged in succession: a beautiful yet dangerous mermaid leaning against seaside rocks; a dazzling three-legged golden crow shining like the sun atop a parasol tree; the Kun freely swimming through sky and sea; beautiful and agile elves leaping in the hidden forest…
Finally, the name of Infinity Mall appeared.
It was dazzling and overwhelming, firmly capturing attention with these novel ancient creatures.
“Welcome, dear customers, to a place of infinite possibilities, infinite joy, and infinite future, Infinity Center Mall. Our mall will bring customers endless new experiences!”
“This month’s theme at Infinity Mall is, Rare and Exotic Beasts!”
“Our mall will recreate the strange creatures of Ancient Earth before our customers’ eyes, including Jingwei who filled the sea from Shan Hai Jing, the mermaid with a human face and fish body, the sun golden crow upon the Fusang tree, the enchanting nine-tailed fox… as well as the hidden white dragon, treefolk, and the elven kingdom in the forest lake district.”
“It is divided into a total of ten zones, including ocean, forest, swamp, desert, winter snowfield… and various other climates and terrains, each containing different rare and exotic beasts of Ancient Earth.”
“Each rare beast has its own story and experiences. We welcome all customers to actively learn about them and use the mall’s supporting beast-language translator. With it, you can converse with these rare and exotic beasts and trigger side quests. Every time you trigger one beast’s story route, you can obtain a limited-edition rare beast themed stamp from Infinity Center Mall!”
“As a reminder, some hidden areas require customers to explore diligently. You may encounter mysterious and unknown rare beasts, as well as a sealed elven kingdom that does not permit outsiders to enter. You will need to obtain a special permit personally approved by the Elf King. These hidden activities may earn you a hidden prize, ”
“Collect all ten stamps and you will have a chance to receive the mysterious grand prize issued by Infinity Center Mall!”
“All customers are welcome to participate enthusiastically. The prizes are abundant and the activities are plentiful!”
“And secretly telling everyone, last month’s theme was angels, demons, and humans. The customer who participated in the Three Realms melee, won first place as part of the human faction, and took home a grand prize of up to five million federal credits, ”
“Each beast-language translator only costs 50 federal credits per day, allowing you to communicate with non-humanoid rare beasts!”
“Related rare beast themed merchandise includes a full set of Shan Hai Jing plush models, the Jingwei Fills the Sea alarm clock, the Sun Golden Crow lamp decoration, the Bai Ze reading voice pack… as well as companion robots in the same style as the nine-tailed fox and the Elf King.”
“Infinity Mall has a dedicated themed merchandise store where you can purchase directly in the mall, or order through the online mall for home delivery. Customers with customization needs may call the exclusive VIP service number of the mall at XXXXXX!”
After that, there were some more detailed introductions to sub-activities.
Gu Heng did not continue playing it. When he put down the communicator, he saw the sparkling, captivated look in Zuo Shihuan’s eyes and couldn’t help smiling as he said, “Shihuan, then let’s go in.”
Zuo Shihuan came back to his senses and asked in surprise, “Did Ancient Earth really have that many rare and exotic beasts?”
Gu Heng shrugged. “Probably possible. Archaeologists discovered a book called Shan Hai Jing. Some of the creatures recorded in it seem to have truly existed, so it wouldn’t be strange.”
Zuo Shihuan pondered thoughtfully and looked up toward the mall entrance.
Now the virtual projection had changed to another rare beast. It was no longer Jingwei filling the sea, but a golden-furred monkey that had leapt out of a stone, full of fighting spirit, brandishing a golden cudgel in its hand and standing on seven-colored auspicious clouds.
It looked extremely majestic.
Zuo Shihuan nodded silently. “…It would be good if they really existed.”
Gu Heng, however, was interested in another rare beast of Ancient Earth. In a slightly regretful tone, he said to Zuo Shihuan, “If they really existed, I would also like to see them… It’s a pity that many animals of Ancient Earth have gone extinct. Otherwise, I would truly like to see what the Kun, who soars upward ninety thousand li and swims between sky and sea, actually looks like.”
Zuo Shihuan thought deeply and speculated, “Since it can fly into the sky, it should have feathers.”
Gu Heng smiled. “Shan Hai Jing says it’s a kind of fish. It can also dive into the deep sea, and its body is enormous, stretching thousands of li. But later it can transform into a bird and fly into the sky.”
Zuo Shihuan found it hard to believe and said in surprise, “Thousands of li long? By that calculation, its weight must be immense. How could it possibly fly into the sky?”
Gu Heng frowned and, after thinking carefully, said, “It would indeed be difficult. Even if the book says that this fish called Kun can transform into another form called Peng and fly into the sky, based on its weight, under normal circumstances it would be impossible. Unless when Kun transforms into its bird form, like insects undergoing metamorphosis, it changes its fish characteristics into avian ones, and although the feathers appear massive, they are actually hollow and very light…”
Zuo Shihuan proposed another possibility, pinching his chin as he said, “It’s also possible that the gravity of Ancient Earth was different from now. For example, the moon’s gravity is one-sixth of Earth’s current gravity. A person on the moon can lift objects six times heavier than on Earth. The gravity of Ancient Earth might have been one-tenth of today’s Earth gravity, or even less.”
“That would explain how a giant fish thousands of li long could leap from the bottom of the sea into the sky. And perhaps it isn’t because it can fly, but because the time it remains suspended and floating in the air is so long that it looks like the fish is flying.”
This viewpoint also piqued Gu Heng’s interest. With furrowed brows, he said, “What you’re saying makes sense, Shihuan. And when Kunpeng flies in the sky, it has feathers because Kun borrows force from the seabed to leap into the sky, transforming into its feathered Peng form, then glides more effortlessly in the air.”
A glint flashed through Gu Heng’s deep eyes. He already felt he was close to the truth. Curling his lips, he said, “Then it’s simple. By averaging the weight of a fish thousands of li long, calculating the weight changes between its two forms, and estimating the gravity data of Ancient Earth, we can deduce that Kunpeng’s weight would roughly be XXX, and its flying speed in the sky would be XXX…”
Zuo Shihuan quickly ran through the formulas and data in his mind as well and added some supplements, saying, “In that case, the weight of the feathers could be reduced somewhat. The oxygen content of Ancient Earth was probably very high, approximately around this value. Otherwise, even if the planet’s gravity were lower, the energy required for any organism to grow to such an enormous size would still be very high.”
A trace of delight flashed through Gu Heng’s black eyes. Clapping his hands, he said, “Shihuan, what you said makes sense! If we keep calculating like this, I can simulate this Kunpeng creature on a computer!”
He looked at Zuo Shihuan with even more surprise and excitement.
Because when discussing these technical issues seriously with him, Zuo Shihuan’s brows were tightly knitted as he thought and calculated. It seemed like merely a virtual rare beast, with no historical evidence to prove whether it existed or not.
Yet in this world, there was someone willing to talk with him about such a topic. Even Gu Heng himself felt an unexpected sense of surprise, emotion, and warmth.
Perhaps he had walked alone for too long.
Gu Heng knew that some of his occasional ideas could be strange and unconventional.
There were always people who thought such ideas were boring and completely useless.
Gradually, Gu Heng stopped talking with others about these topics and instead chose to act on his own, personally putting his ideas into practice.
But the facts proved, Gu Heng kept thinking and coming up with ideas, thinking about how to optimize mecha parameters, thinking about how to formulate special methods targeting the insectoid race. Even a seemingly insignificant detail, if used well, could greatly reduce casualties.
For example, there was a type of insectoid that seemed to possess indestructible armor. Even the Empire’s electromagnetic impact cannons could do nothing against it. But Gu Heng used a simple and inexpensive glue.
He could make the insectoid with indestructible armor have its tiny joints glued shut, unable to move, and eventually it would stiffly and heavily collapse to the ground.
Gu Heng’s gaze shifted as he looked at Zuo Shihuan, who was also deep in thought. In his heart, he felt a sense of joy and relief as if something had finally arrived, like a traveler who had walked alone in the desert for a long time encountering a companion carrying sweet rain and dew.
The surroundings suddenly became quiet.
Zuo Shihuan couldn’t help raising his head to look at Gu Heng and asked in confusion, “Gu Heng, why did you stop talking?”
Gu Heng lowered his dark eyes deeply, pressed his lips into a smile, and said, “Because I’ve already truly found what I really want, what I long for…”
Zuo Shihuan became even more puzzled. “Found what?”
Gu Heng raised a brow with a smile and changed the subject. “I’ve already paid my ticket.”
Zuo Shihuan: “…Huh?”
But next…
A kiss landed on his lips.
Gu Heng cupped his face with both hands. In his deep black eyes was endless warmth and affection, as if in the entire world he saw only him.
Only his figure alone.
Zuo Shihuan froze for a moment, and then his face gradually flushed red.
—He finally understood.
—So when Gu Heng mentioned paying the ticket, he meant this.
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