Stranger

After nearly an hour of research, Hao Ren finally confirmed one thing: there was nothing seriously wrong with the Data Terminal he had received, but it was riddled with minor problems. Even as a layman encountering this kind of high technology for the first time, he could tell that something was off with the little device's system. Many of its functions seemed inexplicable, and much of its information had nothing to do with him. He had even asked the Data Terminal's AI what all that stuff was for, only to find that even the AI didn't know—it had simply installed everything because Raven 12345 had told it to.

That was right, Raven 12345 had ordered it installed; it hadn't come with the system. Every Data Terminal issued by the headquarters of the Time-Space Administration Bureau had actually undergone initialization. In theory, once they were sent to local areas, they should all have been identical. However, local administrators had the authority to add special-purpose programs according to local conditions, such as a local encyclopedia of lifeforms, a local interstellar flight map, or a guide to preventing miscarriages and calming the nerves, specially prepared for female inspectors. In any case, no matter how strange, anything could be found in the Xiling Empire's central database, so the programs available for installation on a Data Terminal were practically infinite. And that was where the problem lay. Hao Ren's local superior was a woman with a screw loose (a Goddess?), and despite knowing nothing about technological devices, she hadn't thought to apply for a few more mystical-type tools. On top of that, she was the sort who liked to personally meddle in everything she encountered. After Hao Ren's Data Terminal was sent here, the first thing she did was play with it for half a day...

Now Hao Ren and Vivian were staring blankly at the enormous number of "PT-385 Universal Encyclopedia of the Universe" volumes on the Data Terminal (a set of two thousand books). He discovered that this headache-inducing thing couldn't be deleted. In fact, none of the assorted junk Raven 12345 had installed on the Data Terminal could be deleted; it had all been locked by higher-level permissions...

"This unit recommends that you... make do with it," a line of text appeared on the Data Terminal. "This unit's functions are all intact, and it contains everything you might need. You only need to suppress your obsessive-compulsive tendencies and get used to having a massive amount of useless information on your personal device. Because if you ask Officer Raven 12345 to exchange it, she'll only give you something even worse than your current situation. This unit discovered this after checking the local network message board—all those who have dealt with Officer Raven 12345 have complained about similar incidents, and the rate of repeat complaints has reached one hundred percent. She is very skilled at breaking things."

"Forget it, forget it." Hao Ren hurriedly waved his hands. He had only been depressed for a short while before his optimistic nature took over and he put the matter aside. "You're the one who handles the management system's data, anyway. Whenever I need something, I'll just have you find it for me. Out of sight, out of mind. Can't I just pretend all that junk doesn't exist? That won't be a problem, right?"

A line of smug text immediately popped up on the Data Terminal: "This unit's performance is outstanding, and its search function is powerful. The user need not worry."

In the near future, Hao Ren would come to realize just how correct a decision he had made today.

"Let's go downstairs and eat, too." Hao Ren stuffed the Data Terminal back into his pocket, banishing the matter from his mind completely. Then he looked up at the stately and handsome antique clock in the corner. "Lily's been downstairs for an hour already. Why haven't we heard anything? Did she get lost or something?"

"That Big Dog is a bottomless pit. Breakfast here is a buffet, so she'll definitely eat until she has to crawl out while holding onto the walls," Vivian said with a curl of her lips. "No manners. That's all she's good for."

Hao Ren silently shrugged and led Vivian out of the room. They soon arrived at the restaurant on the first floor.

Britain was a country with a slow pace of life. In many situations, there was a somewhat languid, unhurried atmosphere here. The locals generally began their day at nine in the morning, including breakfast. Hao Ren clearly hadn't adapted to this schedule yet; his jet lag hadn't worn off, and he was first greeted by an unprecedentedly deserted breakfast. There were only a few people in the huge buffet restaurant, so he and Vivian easily spotted Lily in the very center. The Werewolf girl had an exceptionally strong presence. She had occupied an entire large table and was eating like a tiger pouncing on its prey. Three or four empty trays already lay before her...

Hao Ren blinked. "Everyone says Britain is the headquarters of the dark-cuisine world. Judging by the way Lily's eating... it doesn't seem as serious as the rumors claim?"

"She's simply an omnivore. Her species was born without any pickiness about food," Vivian said disdainfully.

Hao Ren carried his tray around the long food counter. Fortunately, he discovered that not all British dishes were as bizarre as unidentified substances. Of course, that might have had something to do with the buffet. In any case, he managed to gather enough food he was willing to eat from among the strangely colored dishes, then carried his tray over beside Lily. "Still not full?"

"Mmph-mmph." Lily's mouth was stuffed full. She swallowed with great effort while trying to speak clearly. "The vegetable salad here is delicious! The fruit is delicious too! I just don't like the roast meat here. It's not as good as the meat at home..."

Looking into Lily's eyes, Hao Ren muttered quietly, "As a Werewolf, don't you feel ashamed of your diet?"

Lily answered righteously, "Who told them not to sell big bones!"

Hao Ren felt that there was no way to communicate with this Werewolf anymore.

Then he turned his head and saw Vivian sitting on the other side. He couldn't help but say a few words to her as well. "You were just saying she had no ambition. How accomplished do you think you are?"

The plate before Vivian could almost be described as a moving hill. She had picked out several pieces of every dish, including some things that Hao Ren would have classified as mysterious food. The impoverished Vampire girl had come to a buffet where she didn't have to pay and, sure enough, hadn't been able to suppress the excitement stirring deep in her heart. She had just mocked Lily for being hopeless, yet in the blink of an eye she had become even more of a country bumpkin!

"I've never experienced such a good life before!" The Vampire girl quickly stuffed a large amount of food into her mouth as well. Her second sentence came out as indistinctly as ventriloquism. "If I don't eat my fill today, who knows when I'll get another chance to have a meal like this..."

Hao Ren was now incredibly thankful that most people in Britain began their daily lives around nine o'clock. Otherwise, with only a dozen or so people in the entire restaurant, including the staff, he really wasn't sure he could afford to lose face while leading these two starving ghosts around!

While the three of them were busy dealing with breakfast, a tall, slender man came over with his food at some point. Hao Ren heard a very gentle voice from above and to the side. "Excuse me, may I sit here?"

Hao Ren looked up and saw an unfamiliar man. The other party wore a thin white shirt and black trousers. He was tall and slender, neat and trim, with a spirited head of short black hair. He wasn't particularly handsome or dashing, but he gave off a capable and reliable air. What drew the most attention, of course, was his distinctly East Asian facial structure. After one glance, Hao Ren was almost certain that he was Chinese.

"Oh, no one's sitting here. Go ahead." Hao Ren nodded when he noticed an empty seat across from him. At the same time, however, he saw that there were empty tables everywhere in the restaurant. There was no reason for the tall, slender man to come over and "share a table" with him, so he instinctively grew a little curious and wary of the stranger before him.

He still remembered his "top-secret mission," and his vigilance was considerably higher than usual.

With an outsider suddenly appearing, Vivian finally remembered that she was a high-ranking member of the Bloodkin. She hurriedly slowed her eating, trying her best to hold a dignified expression and pretend to possess the bearing of a refined noblewoman—if only she had wiped the grease off her face, it would have been more convincing.

"It isn't easy to meet a fellow countryman here." The tall, slender man sat down. His tone was quite friendly, not at all as difficult to approach as Hao Ren had initially assumed. "Are you here on vacation?"

"A fellow countryman?" Hao Ren had never expected his guess to be right. Because of the translation program, he could no longer distinguish from speech whether the other person was speaking Chinese or some other language. Only after hearing the man call himself a fellow countryman did he finally dare confirm his guess. "You're from China too?"

"A genuine Chinese, though I'm often wandering all over the world." The tall, slender man laughed cheerfully. "It's not easy to run into a fellow countryman here, so I came over to join your table... I'm not causing you any trouble, am I?"

Hao Ren hurriedly waved his hands. "No, no, not at all."

"Good." The tall, slender man nodded, then said as if casually, "Are you looking for a place called Yuefu'erde?"