Seclusion

According to interstellar custom, a grand banquet should have been held once the partnership was finalized.

But Tang Ping and Luo Xiaoyu had just arrived at Storm Port, and aside from the security team led by Ling Shuang, they didn't even have a single subordinate to run errands. More importantly, both of them loathed the hollow formalities of business banquets, so they simply suggested "a simple meal."

Gao Sheng was quite straightforward, immediately booking the meal at the hotel's revolving restaurant on the top floor.

The restaurant's dome was made of transparent energy glass, and looking up, one could see the lavender nebula of the BX10081 Star System. The dining table was crafted from rare Star Marrow Wood, feeling as warm and smooth as jade to the touch.

Once Tang Ping and his companion were seated, the dishes the waiter brought out left them stunned: crystal shrimp dumplings shimmering with a translucent luster, Dongpo pork coated in an amber glaze, and even the tableware was in a blue-and-white porcelain style. There was even a bottle of Wuliangye labeled "Galaxy Liquor Custom Edition," with exquisite dragon patterns carved into the bottle.

"I specifically invited a master chef from Earth to make these authentic Jiangnan-style dishes." Gao Sheng rubbed his hands together proudly, picking up a shrimp dumpling and bringing it to his lips. "You just arrived from the Dark Universe, so you must miss the taste of home. Want to try some?"

Tang Ping picked up a piece of Dongpo pork; it melted in his mouth, fatty but not greasy. Even Luo Xiaoyu let go of her usual cold demeanor, occasionally laughing at Gao Sheng's exaggerated gestures.

For instance, when Gao Sheng got excited from drinking, he would slap the table and imitate the way Luo Feng used to "save people from injustice" back in the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, his round eyes wide open, looking just like a child who had snuck a drink.

The atmosphere suddenly froze when the final dish was served, leaving Tang Ping dumbfounded.

It was a plate of West Lake vinegar fish, the fish served whole and drizzled with a brownish-red sauce.

Gao Sheng pointed at the plate and laughed, "I raised this fish myself in an artificial lake here at Storm Port. It was caught just this morning and transported at top speed to ensure it's fresh! Besides, I heard this was Lord Luo Feng's favorite dish, though the taste is a bit... unique."

As he spoke, he called over the Earth chef. The chef was a man in his fifties wearing a white uniform, his face wearing a nervous smile, his eyes filled with pleading as he looked at Tang Ping and his companion.

As the saying goes, when fellow countrymen meet, they shed tears of joy, so the two had to grit their teeth, pick up their chopsticks, and take a bite, both mentally prepared for a "catastrophe."

After one bite, however, Tang Ping froze: the fish was fresh and tender, and the sauce had only a faint acidity, highlighting the natural sweetness of the fish. Clearly, the chef had modified the recipe, reducing the vinegar to a minimum just to remove the fishy smell.

"The taste is quite good," he praised sincerely. Luo Xiaoyu nodded as well, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes.

"Hahahaha! I told you!" Gao Sheng slapped the table and laughed, pouring them more wine. "Come, drink! Speaking of Lord Luo Feng, the first time I saw him, I knew his eyes were different. I knew he was destined for greatness, and I was right!"

After three rounds of drinks, Gao Sheng became more talkative, rambling on about the past: "Back then, I bet on Lord Luo Feng to win and earned 50 billion Black Dragon Coins, plus a few life-bearing planets! It's a pity I got cold feet halfway through and stopped betting after losing a few times. If I had stuck with it until the end..."

He slapped his thigh, his face full of regret. "Regret! I regret it so much!"

It wasn't until the moon climbed over the nebula that Gao Sheng was helped away by his subordinates. As he left, his tongue was tied, and he was still muttering about "drinking again next time."

Luo Xiaoyu stood up, intending to return to the starship to cultivate, but Tang Ping called out to her, "What do you think of Gao Sheng?"

Luo Xiaoyu tilted her head, her usually sharp gaze softening like a confused kitten. "He's not bad, and the food was good."

Tang Ping couldn't help but laugh. "Indeed, he's quite interesting."

An hour later, the moment Gao Sheng returned to his starship, he opened his eyes. The drunkenness on his face vanished without a trace, and his eyes were as shrewd as a fox's. "Quick, prepare the starship. We're going to the star territory of Luo Yanchang."

Shasha, who was standing to the side, hurried forward to hand Gao Sheng a clean robe.

Shasha was the Mengbei Race woman who had been by Gao Sheng's side earlier. She was the first slave Luo Feng had rescued on Black Dragon Mountain back in the day. Later, Gao Sheng not only bought her but also redeemed her parents, relatives, and thousands of her tribespeople from slave traders, settling them in his own territory.

Over the years, Shasha had grown increasingly close to Gao Sheng, and every time he had a business partnership or met the Luo family, he would bring her along.

"Master, our partnership with Mr. Tang this time is clearly a loss," Shasha asked, confused, as she helped Gao Sheng tie his sash.

Gao Sheng stroked his chin, a hint of triumph flashing in his eyes. "Shasha, there is an old saying on Earth: 'Taking a loss is a blessing'!"

Shasha scratched her head, still not quite understanding how "taking a loss" could be a blessing.

A month later, in Luo Yanchang's star territory, Gao Sheng was once again "chatting happily" with the descendants of the Luo family.

At the dinner table, Gao Sheng held his wine glass and said to Luo Yanchang with a serious face, "Young Master Luo, I have studied Earth's physiognomy. A spiritual light shines from your crown; your features are extraordinary, and your forehead is as full as if it were embedded with a bright pearl, glowing brilliantly. This temperament, this appearance—it is no less than that of Lord Luo Feng. You will surely possess the aura of an immortal in the future!"

Luo Yanchang was so flattered that he laughed out loud and downed three glasses of wine.

When the food was served, however, Luo Yanchang was stunned. On the plate sat "Old Beijing Douzhi," emitting a strange odor.

Gao Sheng introduced it proudly, "I specifically looked this up; it's a local dish from your mother's side. I had the chef make it especially for you. Do try it..."

Three hours later, a tipsy Gao Sheng returned and hurried off to the next star territory.

"Young Master Luo Kedi, I see that your brows are clear and your spirit is bright; your demeanor is extraordinary. Among the younger generation of the Luo family, you must be the best!..."

Half a month later, the Weidi Family's reputation within the Luo family continued to rise.

Tang Ping had not wasted the past half-month.

Various treasures for enhancing his strength, ordered online, were arriving at his residence one after another via interstellar logistics.

Hidden within those exquisitely sealed alloy cases were the light-blue "Spirit Condensing Dew" that could nourish mental power. When dripped into water and consumed, one could feel a cool sensation traveling along the meridians, slowly soothing the agitation in the sea of consciousness.

There was also the "Crimson Flame Body Tempering Liquid" for tempering a warrior's force. When poured into a special tub, it turned into rolling golden-red bubbles. Soaking in it felt like countless heat currents surging beneath the skin, scouring the blocked force channels.

These treasures were not chosen at random; they were the optimal package customized for his physique by the "Rare Treasure Shop" of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire.

This shop had a deep partnership with the Luo family, and thanks to this connection, Tang Ping even enjoyed a ten percent discount. The package also contained rare treasures like Wood Bud Crystal and Azure Wave Marrow.

The Wood Bud Crystal needed to be ground into powder and mixed into nutrient solution to gently repair the hidden injuries left by cultivation, while the Azure Wave Marrow had to be kept in a special glass bottle, with a wisp inhaled daily to slowly expand the upper limit of his force capacity.

More rare materials would follow, arriving in batches over the next few years according to the interstellar shipping cycle.

However, while this package was reliable, the rate of improvement was not exactly rapid.

According to the manual's calculations, breaking through each minor realm would take about three months. If he wanted to advance from his current early Planetary Rank all the way to the peak of the ninth level, it would actually take several years of time.

Not to mention, the package fee for each level hovered around one million Black Dragon Coins, which would accumulate into a staggering expense over five years.

It was not that there were no faster-acting or higher-quality cultivation resources on the market, but those Star Core Crystals brimming with dense heaven and earth spiritual energy, or the Dragon Blood Essence capable of directly cleansing the marrow and cutting the meridians, easily cost tens or even hundreds of millions of Black Dragon Coins, far beyond what he could afford at present.

By comparison, relying on this package for steady improvement without having to worry about a thing was at least ten times faster than the speed at which he would reach the Star Rank threshold if he were to fumble through cultivation on his own for decades.

Furthermore, with this saved time, he could also gain greater benefits from practicing secret techniques.

As for the mining business of the Weidi Family, Tang Ping had already made arrangements.

He dispatched two experienced guard slaves, paired with an artificial intelligence system, to jointly take charge of the daily monitoring of the mining area.

The system would record the ore output and energy consumption data of every transport ship in real-time, and at the end of each month, it would automatically generate a detailed financial report and send it to his terminal. Once issues like abnormal output or unclear capital flow occurred, the artificial intelligence would trigger a red alert immediately, or even directly freeze the mining area's capital account.

In this highly intelligent era, with the strict monitoring of an intelligent system, it had become almost impossible to cut corners or line one's pockets during the mining process.

After all, human hearts could be swayed by interests, making it inevitable for favoritism and malpractice to occur, but artificial intelligence would only strictly follow preset programs and have zero tolerance for any violations.

Having properly arranged these miscellaneous matters, Tang Ping was finally able to calm his mind and dive headfirst into the cultivation room prepared for him by the Luo Family.

Not only was a Spirit Gathering Array capable of converging heaven and earth spiritual energy set up here, but it was also equipped with a constant temperature and pressure Cultivation Chamber; Luo Xiaoyu had long since come here to go into seclusion in preparation for breaking through to become a Star Rank powerhouse.

When the two occasionally emerged from seclusion, they would sit in the small tea break area next to the cultivation room, sharing a cup of warm spiritual plant tea or chatting about the confusion they encountered during cultivation.

After all, even the coldest person has a warm heart.

The relationship between the two gradually warmed up as well.