Three Inches Into Iron

The Astral Express Crew's dinner at the Starlight Restaurant ended amid everyone's laughter and cheerful chatter.

Faced with the dazzling array of exquisite dishes covering the long table, everyone lamented their woefully inadequate eating capacity.

Even though March 7th turned her desire into appetite, she soon admitted defeat.

In the end, Pom-Pom stepped up, unleashed a Super Saiyan's worth of fighting power, and polished off every last dish.

Looking at Pom-Pom's small frame, Lin Feng marveled at how that body worked. Was there a black hole inside that stomach?

With nothing much to do, Lin Feng took an evening stroll through Herta Space Station and encountered quite a few researchers who greeted him warmly.

Perhaps Asta had been right: his reputation as a great hero had already spread throughout Herta Space Station.

There were even plenty of young female researchers who shyly asked for his autograph and to exchange beacon contact details.

With gathering information in mind, Lin Feng responded with perfect sincerity and showed no intention of refusing.

Herta Space Station was the size of a city. Even after six lifetimes of path simulation, the information he knew was probably no more than the tip of the iceberg. That was clearly nowhere near enough.

Having enough information might just prove useful to his plans for this round of path simulation.

After all, as someone walking the Path of Elation, he was supposed to experience every facet of life and find a little amusement along the way.

The end result was that a whole host of groups appeared on Lin Feng's Supreme Limited-Edition Phone.

Watching the endless messages and banter in those groups, Lin Feng simply enjoyed the show. It felt as though he had returned to the world he had lived in before transmigrating.

"This really is something. Come to think of it, the researchers on Herta Space Station aren't all stern, humorless types."

"Right, most of these groups are anonymous. Since nobody knows who anyone else is, they can say whatever they like..."

Lying on the large bed in his sleeping quarters and scrolling through the messages on his phone, Lin Feng wore a faint smile and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

Among all those groups, a thousand-member group called the "Ms. Herta Solo Fan Association" caught his attention.

Whatever else could be said about it, that group name sounded fun.

Herta was the station's nominal owner, an Emanator of Nous, and member number 83 of the Genius Society.

Even across the vast sea of stars, she was a renowned scientific genius.

Herta Space Station had originally been built merely to house Herta's collection of curios.

Even with the wholehearted financial backing of Asta's family, it would hardly have been possible for the station to flourish as it had today.

After all, in scientific research across the stars, money and facilities mattered, but top talent was even harder to come by.

Many of the research project leaders currently on Herta Space Station had come because of Herta's reputation.

Admiring and following scientific geniuses was a prevailing trend even within academic research circles.

As far as Lin Feng was concerned, until he found a better way to earn points, winning over beautiful girls was his main line of business now that he had embarked on the Path of Elation.

So, naturally, he also felt a peculiar interest in Herta herself.

In his previous six lifetimes of path simulation, following the plot step by step had led to Herta inviting him to participate in testing the simulated universe.

However, he had only ever interacted with a Herta Puppet. He had never had the chance to meet her in person.

That was why the appearance of this group had genuinely piqued Lin Feng's curiosity.

For instance, the "Ms. Herta Solo Fan Association" was currently discussing a topic that interested him.

Mars Robot: Speaking of which, have any of you ever met Ms. Herta in person?

Bill Gaiwa: Nope...

Unlicensed Spaceship Pilot: Neither have I...

Purple Shirley: The station may be named after Herta, but Ms. Herta has barely ever visited, right?

Green Fatty Sea: I've been on the station for seven years, and I've never had the honor of meeting Ms. Herta even once...

Starry Sky Mystery Explorer: Why are you asking about that? What we pursue is Ms. Herta's spirit of scientific exploration, not Ms. Herta herself...

Diligence Is the Path Through the Book Mountain: Explorer is right. Uncovering the mysteries of the universe is the true calling of researchers like us...

Red-Haired Turtledove: Give it a rest, you two old fossils above me. If you want to discuss academic attitudes, go to the work group next door!

Dating and Friendship: DM Me: Exactly, exactly. You're ruining the relaxed, free atmosphere here.

Dating and Friendship: DM Me: A quick personal ad here. I earn 3,500 a month and am looking for a fair-skinned, beautiful woman to marry. A mature beauty would be ideal...

Za Warudo: In your dreams! Eat my Road Roller!

The Wise Don't Fall in Love: Speaking of Ms. Herta, those mechanical puppets really are cute...

The Wise Don't Fall in Love: They say the Herta Puppets possess seventy percent of Ms. Herta's beauty. Just imagine how stunning she must be!

Watching the flurry of messages scroll past, Lin Feng smiled faintly, changed his nickname, and joined the conversation.

Since the group was completely anonymous, nobody could discover his real identity just from his messages, not even his friends.

Three Inches Into Iron: Honestly, a Herta Puppet would work too. Cute... want one...

Mars Robot: That's an interesting nickname you've got... Haha, hopefully I'm not taking it the wrong way~

Unlicensed Spaceship Pilot: Even a pervert like me thinks the guy above is a real pervert!

Name Withheld: You... really are an animal, aren't you? The Herta Puppets all have automatic defense mechanisms. Careful you don't get flattened by a giant hammer!

Three Inches Into Iron: Kurukuru, spinning, spinning! I'd just throw a punch back, then pin her down...

Bill Gaiwa: Hahaha... I'm dying! Brother Iron, you're a true hero of our age. I bow before you!

Unlicensed Spaceship Pilot: Tone it down a little, bro. The group owner warned you personally. Watch yourself...

Three Inches Into Iron: Group owner? What group owner? One backhand slap and straight onto her back...

His fingers tapped rapidly as he kept sending messages. Lin Feng wasn't afraid of any group owner.

Looking at the cute anime avatar of the group owner, Name Withheld, Lin Feng figured she was probably a girl.

Name Withheld: Aaaah! I'm so mad! To think there's an animal like you on Herta Space Station!

Name Withheld: Don't let me find out who you are, or you're finished! You have my word...

Inside a pink room, Asta lay on her stomach on the bed, holding her phone in both hands. Her long, lovely legs swayed gently, and her face was full of anger.

That was right. The owner of that mysterious anonymous group, the one with the nickname Name Withheld, was Asta herself.

She had created the anonymous group to gain a genuine understanding of the Herta staff's true state of mind.

Usually, her authority as the group owner worked quite well. She had never expected some reckless idiot to slip in today and act so rudely and shamelessly. It completely upended her view of the world.