Chiliu! Get Out Here!

Piloting the Shuttle, Tang Chuan took a proper aerial tour of the main city on Heka Star 18.

This was the future world most humans had imagined in Azure Star film and television works, filled with all manner of conceptual sci-fi creations.

Only those who delved deep into it could understand that the sci-fi world was not as infinitely prosperous as imagined. Even in a high-level Level 9 Civilization, the Sea of Stars remained an exploration frontier belonging to only a small number of people.

Just like the strict traffic controls on aerial lanes, the Heckarian civilization was also filled with all kinds of rigorous regulations.

For example, certain sci-fi products could only be purchased after adulthood, and the products bought also came with unalterable foundational settings in their backend master permissions, much like the "Three Laws of Robotics."

Take a Shuttle's flight altitude. You could select a designated altitude, but you could not exceed its upper or lower limits or rashly enter another aerial lane.

Even in manual driving mode, you could not fly into no-fly zones. Once you approached one, the Shuttle would automatically slow down and land.

And tampering with such backend permissions was not only difficult, but illegal even if it could be done.

As the saying went, without rules, nothing could stand. The more advanced a civilization's system was, the deeper its understanding of that phrase seemed to become.

This was what a truly orderly sci-fi civilization, one where technology and civilization developed together in prosperity, should actually look like.

Tang Chuan also landed the Shuttle several times and wandered through the streets and alleys of this sci-fi civilization.

He personally tried many entertainment facilities unique to this civilization, including a fully immersive game.

Not bad—it was pretty thrilling. Even the sensation of pain had been fully replicated. It really hit the spot.

As for his Shared Shuttle, after he landed and confirmed that he had left, it would automatically take off and return to a nearby Shared Shuttle Pad.

When Tang Chuan needed to use one again, he could simply go to a nearby Shared Shuttle Pad and swipe his card to rent another, or spend money to purchase VIP client status...

That way, as long as he applied through the Heka Star network, a nearby Shared Shuttle would naturally arrive before him within a minute.

How should he put it?

It was certainly sci-fi, and it certainly felt great.

It was just that everything cost money.

No matter where he went, a rotten, money-grubbing stench came rushing straight at him.

Especially after the merchants saw Tang Chuan's face and realized he was not a native of Heka Star, their eyes practically glowed green. They wished they could strip him clean before letting him leave.

Of course, as a high-level Level 9 Civilization, Heka Star's streets still had many interstellar immigrant species of other appearances. Tang Chuan was not the only exception.

It was just that wherever he went, he looked curious while also giving off the air of a clueless rich guy. If the locals did not fleece him, who would they fleece?

After more than half a day of sightseeing, Tang Chuan had successfully spent nearly ten thousand units of information currency.

It was quite a rip-off, but since money came easily, he did not pinch pennies. He played however he wanted and even visited the Heka Star Red Light District. Some of its bizarre tastes made Tang Chuan's kidneys ache, and he quickly left.

Night was about to fall.

Tang Chuan ended his day of sightseeing and finally found a high-end hotel centered around a "Retro" theme. He swiped his card, declined the hotel's VIP client invitation, and checked in empty-handed.

The room was huge, with many decorations from Heka Star's ancient civilizations. There was even a massive ornament beside the living room, resembling a Mammoth Tusk—some unknown prehistoric creature's horn that had been polished through craftsmanship.

The paintings hanging on the walls, the strangely constructed windows, the patterned coffee table, and the oddly styled wardrobe all exuded a Retro atmosphere.

Yet no matter how Retro it was, the hidden technological products in the room were still leagues beyond those of high-end hotels on Azure Star.

Whether he wanted to boil water, cook food, or watch film and television works, Tang Chuan only had to give an order in one of the hundreds of Universal Languages stored in his database, and the Artificial Intelligence hidden somewhere in the room could instantly do it for him.

And this was what Retro looked like in the eyes of a high-level Level 9 Civilization. Automatic water boiling, automatic cooking, automatic television playback—was that not Retro enough?

Did they really have to live like primitive humans, of whom there were barely any records left? Start fires themselves, wield knives themselves, and have no film or television to watch? Was that what counted as Retro?

No, that was called torturing yourself.

They had spent a fortune merely to experience a Retro atmosphere, not to play refugees.

Tang Chuan threw himself back onto the integrated thick, soft bed. It was so comfortable.

There was no bed frame or mattress—just something shaped like a bed, neither too soft nor too hard. Yet lying on it automatically soothed his nerves and made his body incredibly comfortable. He had no idea what material it was made of.

There was only Tang Chuan in the room.

Quintessa did not disturb her master's rest, and Chiliu was nowhere to be seen.

After being disliked by him a few times, that fellow had simply run off. Tang Chuan had no idea where he had gone to play.

At first, Tang Chuan had been startled. Don't lose the Communicator Meatball gave me.

But later, he discovered that as long as he shouted, "Chiliu! Get out here!"

Then, when he turned his head, that fellow would abruptly appear in some corner within his field of view and wiggle toward him.

That left Tang Chuan both relieved and somewhat amused.

As expected of a Communicator produced by the Main God. It even knew how to find its way home. Call it once and it appeared—more Cao Cao than Cao Cao.

Although Tang Chuan did not know how it did it, once he knew he would not lose him—and could not lose him even if he wanted to—he stopped bothering with it.

He let him go play.

At that moment, the Metal Watch on his wrist vibrated. Quintessa's voice came through. "Master, don't sleep yet. Intelligent life has emerged on Cangmang Star and formed a community."

Tang Chuan immediately sat up upon hearing that.