Sunday: I Can't Wait for Him to Go Meet Nanook

After the hatch of the Chasing the Moon Flyer closed, Jingxing remained seated in the driver's seat.

The engine roared back to life, the lights on the control panel came back on one by one, and the light patterns on the star chart resumed their flow. The eerie stillness that had frozen even the inertia seemed to have never happened.

But Jingxing stared at the slowly rolling star chart in front of the cockpit for several seconds before realizing that his palms were covered in sweat.

He loosened his grip and stretched his stiff fingers.

"Hiss--" It's a little sore.

I was probably too nervous when I was facing Kafka just now, so I gripped her hand too tightly.

"Stellaron Hunters, huh..." Jingxing Xing muttered to himself.

Previously, this word was just a name hanging on the company's wanted list, belonging to those people in Galaxy News who were far removed from him. In any case, there was absolutely no possibility of him having any dealings with this group of people in his previous life.

But things are different now.

He had already met Kafka twice.

The first time, she helped herself and the Robin leave the Vesna IV refugee camp.

The second time, she directly stopped her own Chasing the Moon during the leap and said some things that seemed completely incomprehensible.

But what truly concerned Jingxing was not Kafka's suggestion, but the way the black cat looked at him.

Given his understanding of cats, it was quite strange that he showed no hostility or condescension towards strangers, but rather appeared very familiar with them.

I definitely haven't seen that cat before.

Jingxing stared at the sea of stars outside the porthole, which had resumed its flowing motion, and its blue vertical pupils uncontrollably surfaced in his mind.

Although there was no evidence, his intuition told him that the cat was Elio, the only Stellaron Hunters whose bounty on his head required him to "survive and not lose his ability to think independently."

"Forget it, I'm not a bounty hunter. Kafka helped me and Robin once before, so who cares what they have to do with the company?" Jingxing raised his hand and rubbed his temples. He decided to put aside things he couldn't figure out for now.

At least Kafka did not show hostility.

Moreover, her statement seemed to genuinely reflect her own interests— Ismael shouldn't go there, but rather to the Dual-Phase Paradise.

The first sentence might simply mean that the Stellaron Hunters didn't want to run into any trouble, but the second sentence clearly shows that he was considering artistic matters for himself.

After all, the World-Painting Academy has a good reputation, and going there to exchange ideas with local artists might actually be useful.

But this was only Kafka's dissuasion; it couldn't overpower Screwllum's authority.

Just then, his phone lit up. Jingxing looked down; it was a message from Robin—

[Robin: Jingxing, how did your field trip go?]

It was just a greeting, but Jingxing felt his heavy mood lighten because of Kafka's appearance.

He looked at the screen, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

The shadow cast by Kafka was also suppressed.

[Jingxing: Everything went smoothly. I've already sold the painting, and I've paid back one percent of the profit.]

[Robin: Even one percent is progress. Although we're still far from paying it all back, at least we're moving forward.]

[Jingxing: Perfect timing. I have something I'd like to ask your opinion on. I was originally planning to follow Mr. Screwllum from the Genius Society's advice and go to Ismael, known as the 'Galactic Library,' for research and learning.]

[Jingxing: But just now, Kafka showed up uninvited.]

This time, the Robin replied very quickly.

[Robin: Kafka?]

The next one popped up immediately.

[Robin: Are you alright? Did she do anything to you?]

[Jingxing: It's nothing. She just told me not to go to Ismael, but to go to the Dual-Phase Paradise instead.]

[Jingxing: Say this is Elio's intention.]

The screen remained silent for a few seconds. This time, the Robin did not immediately offer its judgment.

[Robin: Wait a minute.]

[Robin: I don't know much about Ismael, or about Dual-Phase Paradise.]

[Robin: I'll go ask my brother. Jingxing, please don't make a decision now, wait for my reply!]

Jingxing raised an eyebrow. As the person in charge of Penacony on Sunday, he definitely knew more information than he did.

[Jingxing: Thank you, Mr. Sunday.]

[Robin: No trouble at all. Wait for my message.]

Jingxing simply replied with "okay," then gently placed his phone on the dashboard.

Chasing the Moon leaping out of the Star Rail, it began to maintain a low-speed cruise and did not immediately move towards the next segment of the Star Rail.

Jingxing reopened the star chart and looked at the coordinates of Ismael that had been marked for him. This pale gold route, which had initially filled him with anticipation, stretched all the way into the depths of the starry sea.

Not long ago, Screwllum himself told him that the bookshelves there could hold almost all the knowledge left behind by an entire civilization: manuscripts from lost civilizations, theories of imaginary numbers, art history, illustrated books of artifacts...

For a newly graduated painter, that place was like a treasure trove prepared for him, which is why Jingxing agreed so readily.

Now we have to change course because of unclear risks...?

Jingxing leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest.

The Stellaron Hunters and Penacony's the Families have completely different family stances. Logically, their conclusions shouldn't overlap, but what if they end up giving the same answer?

He tapped the control panel lightly twice with his fingertips. If even these two sides felt that Ismael shouldn't go, then the "Galactic Library" was probably beyond what could be described as "dangerous" at this point.

Penacony.

In the living room of the Oak Family, dusk was slowly descending through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

In the Moment of Morning Dew, the distant clock tower ticks away, and the people here seem never to truly tire. They believe they are making every effort to contribute to the "The Family's" cause.

On Sunday, holding her phone, she stood by the window, looking rather pale.

The Robin just hung up the phone.

Ismael, the Dual-Phase Paradise... My sister rarely calls back, and it was to inquire about the painter who had luckily accompanied her for a while on Vesna IV.

"You didn't seem too happy when you received the call from the Robin?" came the adoptive father's voice from the other side of the living room.

Sunday sighed, "While I should be happy, she called to ask another man for information..."

Gopher Wood, standing atop the bookshelf, asked with interest, "The man you met on Vesna IV? What did the Robin ask?"

I briefly recounted it on Sunday.

Gopher Wood flapped its wings. "The Stellaron Hunters told him not to go to Ismael?"

"Yes."

"Truly worthy of being called a 'slave to fate,' it seems Elio has already seen the internal risks of the company that we were unaware of."

"How should I reply to her?" Sunday frowned.

In his opinion, he couldn't wait for this bastard who made his sister so worried to see Nanook.

"Could you bear to see Robin weep and grieve?" Gopher Wood knew his adopted son all too well. "Besides, our plan doesn't need her involvement. Let that man draw her attention; that's just right."

After a moment of silence on Sunday, he sighed and said, "I understand."