A chance encounter

The buildings of First Oasis were coated in a special nanomaterial that automatically regulated the temperature and humidity indoors.

It kept the interiors comfortable and pleasant in any conditions.

But standing among a crowd of glamorous ladies, Shen Que...

-broke into a cold sweat.

Inside the hive-like shop, every compartment was filled with light screens of all sizes.

Service robots buzzed like bees around the lavishly dressed customers, helping them virtually try on all kinds of jewelry.

"Honey, I want this gemstone pendant~"

"Sweetheart, red doesn't suit you. I think blue looks better."

"Really? But I like red more... Remember the pigeon blood red the Young Lord's wife wore at the lord's banquet? It's the trendiest color in First Oasis right now!"

Shen Que stopped in his tracks, quickly pulled up his cloak's hood, and turned away from the fitting room.

His social anxiety had kicked in.

This place was an introvert's hell.

A service robot flew up to him.

[Dear customer, how may I help you?]

Shen Que edged closer to a corner.

"I'd like a custom necklace."

[Will you be supplying your own rough gemstone?]

"Yes."

[Would you prefer mechanical crafting or handcrafting?]

"Handcrafting."

[We offer Master Artisans, Special Grade Artisans, Senior Artisans, and Assistant Artisans. Which tier would you like?]

Shen Que replied patiently, "The best, please."

[A Master Artisan has been selected for you. Checking availability now.]

[In the meantime, you can swipe through the light screen to choose a design you like. Our shop carries all the trendiest designs in First Oasis!]

The light screen opened instantly, and a familiar figure appeared amid a sickening display of sparkling stars.

Shen Que froze.

The person on the screen was him!

It was a photo taken before the banquet, before he had changed into his military dress uniform.

In the photo, he wasn't looking at the camera. His head was tilted slightly toward the tip of a chin visible on the left.

He was looking at Pei Ji.

Whatever equipment these people had used, it had captured his face in a three-quarter view with incredible clarity. Even the fine down on his skin was visible in the scattered sunlight.

His forehead pendant, necklace, and every ornament on his clothes had clickable icons for enlarging them, with detailed descriptions beside each one.

The caption beneath the photo read:

[The hottest matching styles worn by the Young Lord's wife! Popularity: 999+! Positive reviews: 100%!!]

Cold sweat.

Shen Que broke into a cold sweat again.

He numbly closed the light screen, tugged at his hood, and waited anxiously.

Fortunately, the service robot didn't keep him waiting long. After a brief loading pause, its voice sounded again.

[There are 265,588 people in the queue for a Master Artisan.]

"How many?"

[265,588 people. Estimated wait time: 785 days, 12 hours, and 37 minutes.]

Shen Que: "..."

Next shop, then.

Two hours later.

Shen Que stared wearily at the [Estimated wait time: 306 days] displayed on the robot's screen and rubbed his aching temples.

This was already the shortest wait he had found.

306 days.

...Pei Ji would be on annual leave by then.

Shen Que couldn't understand where the people of White Sand Star got their obsession with jewelry. Perhaps it was similar to the Life Sciences Academy students' obsession with the Sea of Life.

He suddenly realized that he didn't have any particular hobby he was deeply passionate about.

Joining the Command Division and then the Fleet had both been natural next steps, with little personal desire involved.

The light screen displayed an entire row of recommended pigeon blood red pieces matching those worn by the Young Lord's wife.

Shen Que sighed silently and left the fitting room.

Display cases stood throughout the hall like scattered pieces of deadwood, reflected in a floor as pristine as the surface of water.

He walked up to one of the cases, picked up a larkstone ring, and examined it out of habit.

The quality was excellent, but the purity was lacking.

It was probably A-grade.

As for whether it was A+ or A-, he couldn't tell.

The face of a certain beautiful deputy minister flashed through his mind.

A thought came to Shen Que unbidden.

If someone really could distinguish the finer grades of ore by sight alone, he would be a one-in-ten-thousand genius.

Most of the gemstones in this shop were B- or A-grade, with the occasional S-grade stone. Including the craftsmanship fee, they cost over a million Starcoins.

A purer larkstone caught Shen Que's eye. He stepped forward and was about to pick it up.

But another hand reached it first.

His outstretched hand froze in midair.

Shen Que glanced at the man.

He had bronze skin, sharp, narrow eyes, and amber irises.

The man curved his lips and turned the gemstone over to inspect it.

"An S-grade larkstone. You have a fine eye."

He put the stone back and gestured for Shen Que to go ahead.

Shen Que readily picked it up.

It was indeed S-grade.

"Are you an appraiser?" he asked out of politeness.

"Not at all." The man regarded Shen Que with amusement, seemingly curious about the face beneath his cloak. "Just an interstellar merchant. When you've seen enough, you naturally pick up a thing or two. And you?"

An interstellar merchant?

Shen Que put down the stone, discreetly scanning the muscle definition faintly visible beneath the man's thin shirt.

"An ore appraiser."

"Oh?" The man laughed. "So I've been showing off in front of an expert. Oh dear, I didn't get anything wrong just now, did I?"

"No," Shen Que said. "You have a very good eye."

"That's a relief." He made a show of exhaling. "Shall we introduce ourselves? I'm Ling Yu. I've been trading ore on White Sand Star lately."

Shen Que paused briefly. "Xingyao. Appraiser."

"Are you here to choose some jewelry?" Ling Yu asked warmly.

"No," Shen Que said. "I'm here to have something custom-made."

"But... the artisans here... seem to have rather long waiting lists."

"Of course." Ling Yu's lips curved upward. "In Oasis, good artisans all have long waiting lists. If you want it done faster, you'll have to go to the desert districts."

"There, as long as you have enough Starcoins, you can get ahead of everyone else."

He shrugged.

"But in Oasis, money alone won't do. You also need... connections."

Shen Que silently mouthed the word.

It meant relying on personal ties.

He caught Ling Yu's implication. "From the sound of it, you have connections?"

"They're not my connections." Ling Yu gave a meaningful smile. "I got in touch with an important figure a while ago. He was kind enough to introduce me to an old artisan."

"Is that so?" Shen Que looked at Ling Yu. "Mr. Ling, would it be possible for you to... put in a word for me too?"

He paused.

"Money isn't an issue."

Ling Yu laughed. "You certainly get straight to the point. I'm a businessman. If there's money involved, I'm easy to talk to. I have a fairly large order with that artisan, so adding one small piece of jewelry shouldn't be a problem."

"Since fate brought us together..."

Ling Yu's smile widened as he spoke, his narrow eyes crinkling slightly.

"Come on. I'll take you to meet him."