Hu Yu was taken aback when he saw this. Handshakes are a form of etiquette for Earthlings, but he didn't expect them to apply here as well. However, Hu Yu quickly came to his senses and immediately extended his hand. The two of them clasped hands tightly, expressing their feelings that they could not express in words.
"Let me introduce myself, General Hu Yu. My name is Li Shun, and I am the supreme leader of our human group. These are the important officials here. They've been so excited about the arrival of another human group that they haven't slept for days."
Hu Yu briefly introduced the people accompanying him, and then Li Shun Shunyuan pulled him onto an open-top, low-flying aircraft, which led him to a building that was not particularly grand.
"Chief Li Shun, we actually knew about the existence of another human race, but we never expected that we would actually meet."
"This is fate, General Hu Yu. I know why you've come. Actually, when I received your message a few months ago, I could hardly believe it. I thought some civilization was trying to deceive us."
"Chief Li Shun, when I first learned that other humans existed, I felt the same way you did."
"Hahaha." The middle-aged man laughed loudly, "Now it's all good, we all believe it. I have to say, this is truly a miracle of the universe. Same faces, same living environment and physical structure, I even think we speak somewhat similarly. Even without a translator, I can understand what you mean. Isn't that a miracle?"
"It really is amazing."
"General, you have come from afar, and I, Li Shun, must treat you well. This is the most luxurious residence in our civilization. General, you may lead everyone to rest for a while to relieve the fatigue of your long journey. If you need anything, please let the staff know. I will come back in two hours to have dinner with you all. At that time, I would like to ask for your comments on the cuisine of our civilization."
"Yes, thank you for your trouble, Your Excellency."
"Of course, of course."
Head of State Li Shun left with a smile, leaving Hu Yu and his group behind. They chuckled at the idea of leaving their guests behind, completely understanding. They figured the head of state must have gone to verify their identities, and there must be countless eyes watching them, scanning them from every angle.
The guards' identities should have been revealed long ago. Although they weren't carrying conventional weapons, anyone with eyes could see that their steps and movements were powerful and resolute, definitely not those of ordinary officials. However, Li Shun didn't say anything, perhaps because he understood this behavior. After all, both sides were strangers and couldn't completely trust each other. Hu Yu believed that not everyone around the head of state was an official; there were also guards mixed in, as could be seen from their wary eyes.
" Old Hu."
"Since we're here, let's not overthink it. Instead, let's calm down and enjoy the exotic atmosphere. Wouldn't that be better?"
"Haha, I agree with the general's opinion. Look at this building. Although the style is different from ours, the luxury is the same. Even the ground is made of diamonds. I dare say that these diamonds must have been formed naturally. Do you believe me?" Academician Xiao laughed.
"I agree with Old Xiao's point of view. Look at these paintings on the wall, don't they have the feel of postmodernism that we've been talking about?"
" Academician Zeng, you also know how to paint?"
"Of course, it's just a way to appear cultured."
"..."
"..."
"..."
The group chatted and laughed heartily, unaware that their words contained a hidden meaning. In such situations, using another language to communicate would be pointless, as the other party would quickly decipher the meaning. However, when a normal conversation contains other implications, no one can decipher them.
For example, when Wen Zhonghua called out to Hu Yu but didn't speak, it meant everyone should be careful. Hu Yu's reply was also clear: don't worry, just accept it as it is, and don't fret. There weren't many of these pre-arranged words, but they were enough to convey the key meaning. They also agreed on some subtle gestures. Academician Zeng had studied the other party's language system, and it was straightforward and direct, unlike the profound and complex Chinese language. Even without these coded messages, people could understand the hidden meaning in normal conversation.
Two hours later, President Li Shun arrived on time and led Hu Yu and the others to another huge banquet hall, where several thousand people had already gathered, waiting for Hu Yu's arrival. President Li Shun began with a clichéd welcome speech, rambling on for half an hour. Even Hu Yu admired the president's ability; if it were Hu Yu speaking, he probably wouldn't have been able to finish in more than ten sentences.
Finally, the time had come to begin. Everyone was very excited about the delicious food in front of them. Indeed, the food looked appealing to Earthlings, and since everyone had the same physiological structure, eating it would definitely not be a problem. Hu Yu also believed that they wouldn't tamper with the food.
Li Shun sat next to Hu Yu, enthusiastically introducing the delicacies to Hu Yu. Everyone tasted them and found them indeed delicious. Although the ingredients differed from those used by Earthlings, the flavors were excellent, even reaching a level of culinary delight. Several times Hu Yu tried to ask Li Shun about the origins of their civilization. Wei Kaiyuan's previous descriptions were not detailed enough, and since Wei Kaiyuan had never actually lived in the civilization, his account had been passed down through seven generations of inheritors, making its accuracy questionable, let alone the details. However, Li Shun continued to talk incessantly about the food, seemingly uninterested in the existence of two human civilizations in the universe.
Hu Yu didn't want to interrupt President Li Shun's enthusiasm, so he could only keep smiling and nodding to appease him. He finally made it to the end of the banquet, but President Li Shun still didn't give Hu Yu a chance. It seemed that he wouldn't be able to get any answers from him today.
The next morning, President Li Shun came again. This time, he was neither there to offer greetings nor to invite Hu Yu to a banquet, but to discuss cooperation.
"General Hu Yu, we have been a part of Small Star Sector Civilization for over ten thousand years, while you are still stuck at the Star System Level. Why don't you move here with us? That way, we can look out for each other. What do you say?"
"President Li Shun, I'm sorry, I can't make this decision. Actually, I'm only one-third of our human race. Our leader is still somewhere else in the Milky Way, and we lost contact a long time ago."
Although Hu Yu resisted this idea, he didn't directly refuse. After all, they were currently on someone else's territory, and in Hu Yu's and everyone else's minds, they would never side with anyone other than their leader. This Li Shun leader was talking about cooperation right from the start, and clearly wanted to incorporate him into their civilization. Was he just too ambitious or too confident in his own strength?
"General Hu Yu, it's alright. I know that cooperation can't be finalized overnight. The weather is nice today, why don't you come with me to inspect our fleet?"
"When in Rome, do as the host says; everything will be arranged by the head of state."
"Alright, the target ship is ready. Let's all go to space to observe."