"The New Space Gate Has Opened"

Not long after.

Lei Ruoya's red sports car smoothly entered a top-level berth in the multistory parking structure of the commercial district under AI control. The magnetic anchoring system emitted a faint hum as it precisely secured the vehicle.

She opened the door, her boot heels striking the alloy floor with crisp echoes.

The parking structure was nearly full.

All kinds of hovercars were stacked in dense layers like a hive, most of them family-use multifunctional hover pods.

The sides of many streamlined pods were covered in cartoon stickers: glowing little asteroids, grinning starships, or chibi Imperial dragon designs.

The lingering sounds of children playing even drifted through the air. With Lei Ruoya's exceptionally sharp sense of smell, she could also catch the sweet scent of candy. Clearly, many families had arrived ahead of time.

She looked up at the sky.

The azure canopy was cut into geometric blocks by crisscrossing aerial routes, while sightseeing craft marked "Parent-Child Express" glided past, full of laughter and cheer.

Sunlight passed through the glass curtain walls of the high-rises, refracting flowing patches of light across the car's paint.

As she passed through the connecting corridor, she noticed a holographic screen on the wall cycling through a holiday announcement—

"According to Article 55 of the Imperial Minors Welfare Act, all public facilities are free today for children under fourteen. Accompanying parents may enjoy double consumption-point returns."

Below the subtitles flashed live footage from the zoo's genetic revival exhibit and the lunar theme park. Children in interstellar uniforms were reaching through force fields to touch genetically modified, gentle Triceratops hatchlings.

Today was June 1st, Imperial Calendar 0055, as well as Children's Day in the Imperium of Man. Children under fourteen, along with their parents, were entitled to a day off.

Lei Ruoya, meanwhile, headed straight