The rocket settled.
Sunlight streamed in through the windows.
A message appeared on the television:
[Thank you for flying with us]
[Please wait patiently for the rocket inspection to complete and for lower deck passengers to disembark]
[Estimated waiting time: 59 minutes]
Jiang Ye got out of bed, changed into a black suit, and put his pistol back into his luggage. He couldn't bring a gun to a meeting; he'd be caught the moment he entered and end up in jail.
After changing, he walked to the window.
The landscape was a red wasteland with sparse green trees, resembling the East African plateau.
Some white birds flew above the trees in flocks. The ecosystem of this planet was clearly better than Jiang Ye's original one; at least he hadn't seen any birds in the past six months.
Many white spacecraft, the size of cars, were coming and going, moving at speeds like cannonballs.
And in the distance, shrouded in mist, a vast city sprawled across the land!
The city's scale was visibly spectacular, like a gray tide eroding the red earth. White smoke drifted above the city, possibly from numerous factories emitting fumes.
He could see some incredibly tall buildings, dozens of them as tall as the Jin Mao Tower. The tallest building was comparable to the Burj Khalifa, appearing to pierce the clouds from afar.
After waiting for over fifty minutes, the message on the screen finally changed:
[Please take the nearest elevator to disembark. We wish you a pleasant journey.]
Jiang Ye grabbed his luggage and walked out, heading for the elevator.
A few seconds later, the elevator doors opened. Standing inside was none other than the "white girl" who had slipped a card under his door yesterday. Her purple eyeshadow was gone, her makeup subtle and elegant. She wore a pale pink top and black pants, looking like an ordinary office worker.
Upon seeing Jiang Ye, the white girl instinctively flinched back, her eyes filled with fear.
Jiang Ye didn't mind. He entered the elevator, pressed the [1st Floor] button, and stood facing the doors.
The elevator doors closed, and the advertising display had changed to an advertisement for watermelon juice.
A few seconds later, the elevator doors opened again, and Jenny, the flight attendant, stood at the entrance with a smile.
"This way, please. We wish you a pleasant journey!" she said, giving a slight bow.
"Goodbye," Jiang Ye replied, smiling back at her. He pulled his luggage and walked out, heading down the inflatable slide.
This was a large rocket port. He could see over a dozen towering rockets parked around, spaced a hundred meters apart, each emitting steam. About a kilometer away, there was a wall and barbed wire, likely marking the boundary of the rocket port.
As soon as Jiang Ye stepped onto the concrete ground, a small sightseeing vehicle stopped in front of him. It was entirely white, with empty seats, capable of holding about a dozen people.
"Get on, get on! We'll take you to the rocket port exit!" The driver was a burly man with a full beard, looking like a Mongolian. "It's free! We'll leave when it's full!"
Passengers disembarking from the rockets began to board. Jiang Ye followed suit, taking the last available seat.
The sightseeing vehicle started, driven by the driver at a fast pace, but without any noise. Along the way, they encountered many similar sightseeing vehicles, all filled with various travelers.
Soon, they reached the rocket port exit.
After passing through security, Jiang Ye, pulling his luggage, arrived outside the rocket port.
Many small spherical spacecraft were parked at the entrance, creating a crowded scene, filling the area, much like the traffic outside an airport. They were all there to pick people up.
"Jiang Ye! Are you blind!" a childish voice called out.
Jiang Ye turned his head to see Li Nannan waving at him. He quickly pulled his luggage and walked over.
"Hello, Commander!" he said, bowing obsequiously.
"Good, the flight wasn't delayed. I'll take you for breakfast first, and then we'll go to the meeting in three hours," Li Nannan said, smiling uncharacteristically.
The two navigated through the crowded spacecraft, turning left and right, until they reached a wine-red small spacecraft. It was only slightly larger than a car, with windows and doors that resembled those of a car. The only difference was the absence of tires; it rested on the ground, plump and round, clearly a feminine model.
"Put the luggage in the back," Li Nannan said, patting the spacecraft's rear. The trunk lid immediately popped open, revealing several dark cases inside, all weapon cases.
Jiang Ye carefully placed his luggage inside and closed the trunk lid.
Li Nannan pulled open the car door and got in. Jiang Ye followed and sat down.
The interior was quite spacious, with circular black leather seats. There was no steering wheel or accelerator; only a control screen.
Li Nannan reached out and tapped the screen, and the car doors immediately locked.
"Go to Qingzhou Xiaolongbao," she said.
"Destination confirmed: Qingzhou Xiaolongbao restaurant, Basong City. 200 meters south of the intersection of Mars 1st Road and Mercury 4th Road. Estimated travel time: 12 minutes," a synthesized voice announced.
The spacecraft immediately lifted off, instantly separating from the crowded ground and flying towards the distant city. This thing seemed to be on autopilot; once the destination was set, it would go without any further input.
The flight was completely silent, floating in the air like a jellyfish.
"What the heck is Qingzhou Xiaolongbao?" Jiang Ye was confused.
Li Nannan looked at him with a strange expression. "You're an ancient person, you should know about Qingzhou Xiaolongbao, right? Qingzhou on ancient Earth was famous for its xiaolongbao, very small steamed buns, one bite each, a delicious breakfast."
"I've only eaten Hangzhou Xiaolongbao. Where are Qingzhou Xiaolongbao from? Cao Cao raised his troops from Qingzhou soldiers when he fought his way to conquer the world," Jiang Ye said, bewildered.
"Hangzhou? Now it's Li Nannan's turn to look confused. Doesn't Hangzhou produce ramen? Hangzhou ramen is quite tasty."
"That's Lanzhou Ramen!" Jiang Ye exclaimed.
"Isn't Lanzhou known for Hu La Tang?" Li Nannan glared.
"Hu La Tang is from Zhengzhou!" Jiang Ye retorted.
"Nonsense, Zhengzhou doesn't eat Hu La Tang at all. Zhengzhou is the capital of chicken wraps!" Li Nannan stated with certainty. "I took a course in ancient Earth history in college, don't try to fool me!"
"Why would I fool you? I've eaten all the things you mentioned, the authentic ones!" Jiang Ye puffed out his chest, completely self-righteous.
"Bullshit! Let me emphasize again: Qingzhou Xiaolongbao, Hangzhou Ramen, Lanzhou Hu La Tang, Zhengzhou Chicken Wraps!" Li Nannan enumerated them fluently, counting on her fingers.
Jiang Ye opened his mouth, about to continue, but was interrupted again.
"Stop arguing. Dare to make a bet!" Li Nannan pointed her finger at his nose.
"Why wouldn't I dare!" Jiang Ye acted tough.
"Bet a hundred thousand!"
"A hundred thousand it is!"
Half an hour later.
Jiang Ye sat in the Qingzhou Xiaolongbao restaurant, his mouth agape, staring in shock across the street.
From east to west, several signs read: [Hangzhou Ramen], [Lanzhou Hu La Tang], [Zhengzhou Chicken Wraps].
"What the hell, something must have gone wrong," Jiang Ye muttered. "The truth of history isn't like this! Everything is mixed up!"
Li Nannan picked up a xiaolongbao with her chopsticks and put it directly into his mouth. "Shut up. The one that's mistaken isn't the historical inheritance, it's your brain. You've been in hibernation for too long and your memory is deviating. Remember to transfer the money to me after this meal, a hundred thousand!"
Jiang Ye bit into the bun, feeling disoriented in the morning sunlight.