Volume Six: What She Lost, What I Gained - Welcome

"So, Xiao Ye, what were you daydreaming about? Let's go!"

Before she even needed to say anything, the crowd from behind completely engulfed us; it was packed with people on all sides. Haoyue held my hand like a parent afraid their child would get lost. Seriously, what was going on? Haoyue was holding my Xiao Wu was grabbing Little Ying and Sin Annihilation like chicks, and... when did that Sick Spider get riding on my neck?

"Hurry! We're going through Exit 46!"

Guided by the bright moon and directed by Winnie in my mind, I was led astray in a daze. No matter where I looked, there were countless people, people, people. Some were dressed in suits and ties, walking and speaking obsequiously to the person on the other end of the spiritual communicator; some wore clothes that looked like Hawaiian shirts and sunglasses, seemingly on a family trip; some were dressed in worn clothes and carrying large bags, looking like stowaways. But no matter who they were, they were all in a hurry, pulling huge suitcases. The constant rumbling of the wheels was almost unbearable. Combined with the signs and repetitive station scenes that would satisfy obsessive-compulsive people, it had a strong hypnotic effect. Suddenly, I felt as if I had entered a bizarre world hidden beneath Human Society.

"This way!"

The bright moon was so close, yet her voice seemed to come from a great distance. My gaze shifted, and I was pulled into an exit passageway. Though called a "passageway," it was far too spacious. The arched ceiling was illuminated by lights like a sky full of stars; the smooth walls were inlaid with a grey starling logo in an unknown precious metal; and the luxurious marble floor tiles were etched with bas-relief lines. Countless passengers bustled through, and I couldn't help but quicken my pace, trying to maintain my balance amidst the dazzling crowd. What a fast-paced world! Everyone is blindly rushing towards their own destination. Is there even one person here who stops to consider the needs of others? Probably not.

The further we went, the stronger the atmosphere of that massive commercial city became. Huge billboards appeared on both sides of the walls, advertising everything from food and cosmetics to clothing and insurance, with all sorts of bizarre and creative designs and slogans that were dazzling to the eye. A little overwhelmed, I closed my eyes, shook my head, and looked up, only to find that they were countless huge billboards belonging to the official business of the Business Capital — the Gray Starling Group.

Welcome to the City of Wealth and Power

"May you have a wonderful time here."

"Welcome, wealthy tycoon! Here you may become even richer, or you may experience the carefree life of a vagrant."

"Welcome, destitute loser. Here you might take a step closer to hell, or you might turn your fate around overnight."

Money is the lifeblood of society; wealth is proof of power; status is an all-powerful passport; glory is a tribute offered by fate.

"To control money, or to be controlled by money?"

"Hmm..."

No, my head is spinning. The influx of all sorts of information is making it hard for me to keep up. Looking at the others, Moon God natural, Xiao Wu a little impatient, Sin Annihilation is expressionless, the Sick Spider is riding on my neck so I can't see its face, Little Ying is looking around curiously. Am I the only one feeling uncomfortable? I seem to have an instinctive aversion to overly prosperous society and overly abundant material possessions.

"We're almost at the lobby!"

"Stay close, don't get separated!"

Xiao Wu was the strongest, led the way, pushing aside those who were walking slower. We followed behind her, and after passing through the crowd, our view suddenly opened up, and we arrived at the hall.

"Ahhh..."

A lobby? Is this really just a transportation hub? This enormous, modern circular space looks like several football fields pieced together. The overhead structure resembles a giant steel frame, like the Bird's Nest stadium, and you can see the shimmering sea through the gaps in the steel frame. But who would imagine that this place is over a thousand meters below sea level? Countless exits radiate outwards from the lobby, and countless people pour into it like water overflowing a reservoir, keeping the flow of people in a perpetually exaggerated dynamic equilibrium. The clatter of footsteps, the clatter of wheels, the announcements, and the clamor all blend together, echoing throughout the lobby.

This single hall alone has dozens of service stations, with employees in suits and ties waiting behind the counters with their ever-present smiles. Everywhere you look, there are more than ten large supermarkets, luxury stores advertising duty-free shopping, upscale restaurants that don't seem like they'd be in a transportation hub, small banks with an impressive but understated presence, and...

"... Slot machines?"

Along the bottom of the wall at the edge of the hall were rows of slot machines, fruit machines, and many other gambling machines I couldn't recognize. I could see many tourists, who seemed to be waiting for someone, throwing large sums of money into the machines and having a great time.

"Business Capital is also the world's largest gambling city, with gamblers everywhere. Many places even have mini slot machines in the toilets and changing rooms," Winnie explained to me.

"I don't really understand rich people..."

"It's not just the rich; gambling is a very normal form of entertainment anywhere in the Business Capital. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that gambling is rampant. It's not just the rich; even the poor... no, we should say those who 'don't have as much money' are very enthusiastic about it."

"This kind of thrill-seeking stuff isn't for me."

"What are you saying, A Ye? Don't you always risk your life in every battle? You play much more sophisticatedly than those guys."

"This isn't funny at all... What is that?"

In the very center of the hall was a huge fountain, which sprayed not water, but some kind of liquid that was gold and silver, and was extremely dazzling under the lights. In the center of the fountain was a gray bird-shaped sculpture that was 100 meters tall. At first glance, it was gray, but upon closer inspection, it was actually a product carved from a single piece of diamond and then frosted.

"If you look at it from a different angle, you'll see that it's the logo of the Gray Starling Group."

"Does this mean this is the grey starling's business?"

"Everything belongs to the Grey Starlings. There's no profit-making organization in Human Society that the Grey Starlings can't reach; they're all more or less connected to them. However, the presence of sculptures like this usually indicates that it's a key location directly under the control of the Gray Starling Group, not through subsidiaries or puppet companies."

"I see..."

In other words, you must be extremely vigilant in places where these signs are present.

As I chatted with Winnie, I finally reached the exit of the hall. My hand, which I had been holding with Haoyue, had unconsciously slipped away; they seemed to have left before me. I sighed, fed my ticket to the automatic ticket gate—and believe it or not, it was exactly the same as the one on Earth—and passed through the main entrance of the hall, finally reaching the outside world.

Ooh!!!

It felt like I'd been punched in the face; I stumbled and almost tripped. Was this what they called culture shock? Or was it just homesickness? The scenery before me was practically identical to those world-famous tourist cities—but far more bustling. If you were to perfectly combine Monte Carlo, Sun City, Las Vegas, Dubai, and Atlantic City, this would probably be the view outside the bus station. Everywhere I looked were ultra-modern skyscrapers—and much more.

Even if you haven't actually been to one, you've at least seen pictures of world-class hotels on TV or online, right? The Burj Al Arab in Dubai, the International Plaza in Orlando, the Sky Hotel in Las Vegas, the Emirates Palace in Sun City, the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi—each one is a world-class place to spend money. The first dividing line between them and ordinary buildings is their visually striking exteriors, combining grandeur, creativity, and luxury. Just standing there, the aura of opulence they exude is enough to make the poor hesitate.

If a city has one or two buildings like that, it goes without saying that they will become city landmarks.

But what if there are more, ten, twenty, thirty?

Eighty, ninety, or even three digits?

What if half the buildings in a city were landmark-level grandeur and luxury, and the streetlights, car headlights, decorative lights, and searchlights alone were enough to illuminate the entire seabed? What would that city look like?

The scenery that greeted me as I stepped out of the bus station perfectly answered my question.

I finally understand what it feels like for a country bumpkin to come to the city.

I consider myself to have seen enough in this other world. After all, I am a woman who opened up a canal spanning half a continent with a single blow, and I have also witnessed the sensory world distorted by the Madam.

Even so, faced with a city like this... I'm at a loss for words.

I've always felt like the protagonist of a story. Whenever I visit a unique place, I try my best to describe its general appearance using my mediocre Chinese language skills. I've become more and more proficient at this, and I've even thought about becoming a travel magazine writer if I ever return to Earth. But this time, I'm out of ideas. Okay, Business Capital, you win. Yu He, you win. I really can't come up with the right words to describe it this time.

In short... I now understand that the phrase "human will can conquer nature" is absolutely true. The Business Capital, a manifestation of human materialism built upon countless riches and manpower, has shocked me more than any other place on Spirit Star, even the Crystal Island in the center of the Northern Boundary.

Yu He, I'm so sorry, I've always underestimated you.

Perhaps it's because I've been too influenced by online novels, but I've always subconsciously thought that the super-rich and powerful can only ever be stepping stones for the protagonist, posing no threat in the face of absolute power and cheat codes. But now I've changed my mind. Blood Fiend is strong, Madam is strong, Huang Huo is strong, Gustav is strong, but these people's "destructive power" far outweighs their "creativity." For them, destroying a civilization is easy, but creating one is far too difficult.

Besides Yu He, which other high-ranking official could bring out the value of Human Society so thoroughly?

"Hey, Xiao Ye, I understand your feelings. I was completely shocked when I first went to Business Capital too."

"Oh, Winnie, you're still here?"

"You don't welcome me?"

"Of course you're welcome, you'll always be my number."

"One, I can't imagine how I could live without you, my dearest Winnie, I love you, love you, love you, love you the most."

"... Even though I know this is just your nonsense, Xiao Ye, I'm still hopelessly smitten."

"Alright, stop talking nonsense."

"You know you're talking nonsense, huh? There are some situations..."

"What's up?"

"Actually..."

The projection in my mind pointed me in the right direction, and I looked over there—

"It seems that Haoyue Sakura Dance others are being bothered by some strange people... Is it a talent scout?"

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