The first time was unfamiliar; the second came naturally. This time, Sun Hang was already thoroughly familiar with Tianshu Tower's internal layout and routes. On top of that, he possessed greater clearance than most of the researchers working at Tianshu Tower, so none of the security checkpoints or verification procedures could stop him. Within minutes, Sun Hang had expertly boarded a transit pod bound for the Primal Underground Palace.
The transit pod sped downward along its rails, quickly passing through the Houtu layer.
"Destination reached: Primal Underground Palace." The AI girl's voice rang out. "Is there anything else I can assist you with?"
"The snacks in the refrigerated cabinet need restocking," Sun Hang said.
"Feedback received. Searching... According to logistics and maintenance records, this transit pod was resupplied two hours ago. Do you have any other requests?"
"When I came last time, I remember there was a kind of spicy strip snack that tasted pretty good. Why isn't it here this time?" Sun Hang asked.
"Hello, the manufacturer of that spicy strip snack was penalized by regulatory authorities over sanitation issues and has been removed from Tianshu Tower's procurement list. If you would like, you may place an order through me, and I will dispatch a drone to purchase it from a nearby supermarket."
"Uh, then forget it."
The transit pod's hatch lifted open, and Sun Hang stepped out.
This was Sun Hang's second visit to the Primal Underground Palace. Nothing here had changed since his first visit. The surfaces of the Energy-gathering Rock flickered with orange-red "breathing lights," while cool-toned light pillars were embedded in the ceiling of the stone chamber. The warm and cool light sources formed a perfect balance—much like the constant temperature of twenty-four degrees Celsius maintained in this chamber year-round.
At the end of the