After the survivors from the Fifth Star Ring completed their registration, they received a warm welcome from everyone on Kyushu Star.
Boss Dong and Dong Yuxuan, on behalf of the Kyushu Star administrative government, threw a lively welcome party for them.
The party was set up as a buffet. On one side, rows of Kyushu Star’s self-produced nutrient solutions were laid out, and on the other, a selection of Kyushu Star’s specialty delicacies.
Boss Dong had worked with the military commander of the Fifth Star Ring before, so they were already acquainted.
That’s why Lin Xiaohe entrusted him with the task of hosting these people.
The welcome banquet for the senior officers and technical staff was held in the hall on the second floor.
Boss Dong walked ahead, introducing everything to the group: “These nutrient solutions come in a variety of flavors, all of them high-concentration formulas produced right here on Kyushu Star. One bottle contains all the vitamins and energy an adult needs for an entire month.”
“Impressive. Do you have a senior pharmacist on Kyushu Star?”
Boss Dong offered a polite smile, a hint of pride tugging at the corner of his brow. “That’s right. Our Ms. Lin Jingqiu is an outstanding senior pharmacist and the dean of the School of Pharmacy at Kyushu Star University.”
The chief scientist raised an eyebrow. “You even have a university?”
“Haha, don’t let our size fool you—we may be small, but we’ve got everything we need. Kyushu Star University is a comprehensive institution. Lin Xiaohe is our president. Former Central Military Academy Chancellor Kassian serves as the dean of the Military Academy. The former head of [Mechanical Life] is the dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering. The former director of Tigre Star’s First Hospital is the dean of the School of Medicine…”
One renowned name after another—all of them big shots—were now associated with Kyushu Star University.
The further the list went, the more numb the expressions on the listeners’ faces became.
By the time Boss Dong finished rattling off the names like a menu, Hardy, the Fifth Star Ring’s military commander, gave him a look that said it all.
“So… all those scientists and experts who mysteriously disappeared from the First Star Ring were abducted by you!”
Back then, that incident had caused an uproar in the First Star Ring, with many scientists living in fear.
Boss Dong disagreed. “They were all won over by the personal charisma of our chancellor, the great party leader Lin Xiaohe.”
The chief scientist of the Fifth Star Ring twitched at the corner of his mouth. Given what he knew of those distinguished individuals, they had held strong prejudices against the Star Grain Party and Lin Xiaohe.
The “conquest” Boss Dong was talking about might very well be a different kind of conquest altogether.
After showing off Kyushu Star’s soft power, Boss Dong moved on to flexing their military might.
“This spicy crayfish is the most famous dish in the entire Federation. The ingredient is the larva of the Void Devourer. Ah, but these crayfish are getting harder to find these days—we’ve only got a few thousand tons left in our cold storage.”
The chief scientist was hesitant to pick up his chopsticks. After all, who would dare to casually try an ingredient that had even knocked out Chu Huaizhi?
Boss Dong casually grabbed one, expertly peeled the shell, and took a bite—delicious!
He waved everyone over. “Come on, come on, everyone give it a try. We have a special way of cooking these bugs, so even ordinary folks can have a little. Don’t worry, we won’t let you overeat.”
But honestly, they couldn’t relax at all.
Who knew if he was just trying to throw his weight around?
Hardy politely declined. “My stomach’s not great—I can’t handle spicy food. I’d prefer something milder.”
Boss Dong clapped his hands, delighted. “That’s easy! Try this cold salad of Void Floating Algae—it’s from the batch you guys happened to grab on your way here. Fresh!”
The group grimaced and shook their heads in unison.
Can you even eat that stuff?
Fortunately, Weslie didn’t treat them like bugs. After that little display of dominance, he switched to serving normal dishes.
Steaming white rice, big fluffy steamed buns the size of fists, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, braised chicken with mushrooms, stir-fried peas with meat…
One after another, all-natural, incredibly delicious dishes had the guests wolfing them down without ever lifting their heads.
Setting everything else aside, ingredients like these—completely free of stardust—would have been considered premium tribute in the old days. Even if you had the money, you couldn’t buy them.
Every extra bite was a win.
After they’d eaten and drunk their fill, Hardy and the others patted their round bellies and prepared to have a heart-to-heart with Boss Dong.
“Boss Dong, you really had an eye for investment, throwing in your lot with Lin Xiaohe so early. Sigh, I won’t hide it from you—the state of the Federation, no, the state of humanity, is a complete mess! I can say with confidence that if things keep going like this, there’s no way humanity will survive the apocalypse.”
Boss Dong led the group to the lounge on the east side of the second floor. The sofas here were made from crushed corn stalks and wheat straw, fused together—sitting on them felt like being in the middle of a field.
The guests’ slightly tense nerves began to ease in the nature-filled lounge.
Dong Yuxuan sat obediently beside Boss Dong like a little mascot.
Boss Dong let out a long sigh. “Yeah, fate works in mysterious ways. No one ever imagined that the skyscrapers human civilization spent so many years building would crumble overnight.”
Hardy picked up the teapot, filled Boss Dong’s empty cup, and spoke humbly, “Lin Xiaohe saved us, and we’re deeply grateful. In our view, if there’s one person in the entire universe who can survive the apocalypse, it’s definitely Lin Xiaohe.”
“Great minds think alike.”
“Sigh, but there are countless heroes in the universe. From what I know, several Awakened from prehistoric civilizations have already pledged their allegiance to Lin Xiaohe.”
“You’re well-informed.”
“Ah! With all the ruckus those Awakened have been making, it’s impossible not to know.” Hardy counted on his fingers.
“I don’t know exactly how many prehistoric civilizations have come to join her, but let’s say at least three. Add in the Zerg, the Stardust Plants, the Giant Sound Whales… just a rough count gives Lin Xiaohe six affiliated civilizations. Each has its own strengths and specialties—except us ordinary humans, who have nothing at all.”
Hardy’s eyes pleaded. “You’ve been by Lin Xiaohe’s side for so long, you must know more than we do. Would you be willing to give us some guidance? A race without value will eventually be abandoned. We ordinary humans just want to follow Lin Xiaohe further down the road.”
Boss Dong swept his gaze across the group.
Just a few years ago, humans stood at the top of the universe’s food chain, wiping out indigenous life on countless planets.
How the tables had turned—almost overnight, humanity had sunk to the bottom of the civilizational ladder.
The disparity is so vast that many people struggle to wrap their heads around it.
Fortunately, there were still those willing to rack their brains and pour their hearts into ensuring the continuation of their civilization.
After a moment’s thought, Boss Dong spoke candidly. “There are things the Federation won’t tell you, but we will. There have been six prehistoric civilizations in total. We are the seventh—and we will be the last. Either we survive this, or we disappear completely. So every civilization pulls out all the stops to prolong its existence.”
The group sat up straight, listening intently to Boss Dong.
Boss Dong continued, “In every civilization, there are a few destined individuals. They receive preferential resources and are the most likely to survive the crisis and break free from the cage. At the same time, each of them is granted three slots for affiliated races.”
“Lin Xiaohe…”
“Yes, she’s a candidate for the destined one—but she gave up that position. Chu Huaizhi is also a destined one.”
“No need to test us. Since we’ve chosen Lin Xiaohe, we’ll follow her unwaveringly.”
“Good! Then your value as humans lies in this: rebuilding the Ark!”
