Asak Star, First Star Station.
The spaceship landed slowly.
After waiting for ten minutes, the indicator light on the room door turned from red to green, and Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng walked out with their suitcases.
Little robots were already waiting outside, "My luggage! My luggage!"
Putting the suitcases on, they ran out.
Going down the escalator, the capital city of Asak Star was revealed.
Jiang Ye had expected to see towering buildings that blotted out the sky like a steel forest.
But to his surprise, there were no large buildings at all, only small buildings of a dozen stories.
The roadside was full of large trees, their canopies covering the entire street, with green vines wrapped around their trunks. People were floating around on hoverboards, men and women alike wearing long skirts and carrying umbrellas, possibly a local trend.
The sun was intense.
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng picked up their suitcases from the heads of the little robots and walked forward.
Just as they exited the star station, a small red car descended.
The car door opened, and Li Nannan sat inside, "Get in!"
"Greetings, Chief!" Jiang Ye said, pushing his suitcase onto the car.
Li Nannan was also wearing a long skirt, pale purple, with a lavender scent.
As soon as Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng got into the car, Li Nannan handed them two boxes.
"Put them on," she said.
Jiang Ye opened the box, and inside were folded clothes. He picked one up and shook it... a black long skirt with lace trim at the neckline.
Cen Yemeng's skirt was the same style as Li Nannan's.
"I... I don't think I'll wear this, will I?" Jiang Ye asked with an awkward smile.
"Not wear it? If you don't wear it, you'll be going to jail!" Li Nannan snorted coldly, reached out, and tapped the control screen. The car took off, flying over the treetops.
"Is there something special about skirts on this planet?" Cen Yemeng was already putting hers on.
"Long skirts are the planet's designated attire by the planetary governor. Everyone, regardless of gender or age, must wear long skirts in public. The standard is that knees must not be exposed," Li Nannan explained. "Failure to wear a long skirt can result in a 20-day detention."
Jiang Ye's face turned green. "Is the governor of this planet a bit eccentric? I'm a commander, which should make me his equal. Can't I get some special treatment?"
"No," Li Nannan shook her head. "Asak Star has a history of over five hundred years and is a star specially designated as advanced by the Galactic Empire. Every month, delegations, governors, and commanders from hundreds of planets come to observe, learn, and pay tribute. To use a historical analogy, during the Spring and Autumn period, there were many small states. Theoretically, the kings were all equals, but in reality, the Spring and Autumn Five Hegemons were the strongest. The governor here is like Duke Huan of Qi; his actual rank is higher than yours."
"How snobbish!" Jiang Ye reluctantly put on the skirt.
The skirt was easy to wear. He just slipped it over his head, zipped it up, and it was done. The length reached his ankles.
"You look quite good in a skirt," Cen Yemeng and Li Nannan said in unison.
"Thank you!" Jiang Ye lifted the hem of his skirt and performed a courtly curtsy, looking every bit the European noblewoman.
The car flew like a ship above the lush green treetops. The traffic laws on this planet were strange, with different altitudes designated for different people. Ordinary citizens could only travel below the trees, which was the most congested. Those with slightly higher status, such as military officers, the wealthy, artists, and representatives of virtue, could fly above the trees, choosing any altitude, unimpeded.
Soon, the car landed at a luxurious hotel.
A large azure swimming pool, red shade trees, and a team of handsome and beautiful service staff. The guests seen everywhere were no ordinary people; their demeanor and attire exuded an air of "I am of the upper class."
"Your rooms are the top-floor governor's suites. You can consume whatever you wish here, and all expenses will be reimbursed by the Asak Star treasury," Li Nannan said. "You should rest for a few hours, take a bath, and have something to eat."
"Alright, Chief, you've worked hard!" Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng got out of the car and took their suitcases.
Li Nannan drove off.
A team of hotel bellboys immediately ran over to help with the luggage.
Jiang Ye then noticed that all the hotel bellboys had the same faces: round cheeks, big eyes, dark skin, as if they were copied and pasted. The only difference was the number on their collars.
"Why do you all look the same? Are you artificial beings?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Reporting to sir, we are all real people, multiples," said the hotel bellboy with the lowest number.
Jiang Ye was stunned and counted the number of people. "Are you... octuplets?"
"Actually, we are twelve, the eldest brother is James Zi Shu, the second brother is James Chou Niu, the third brother is James Yin Hu, and I am James Mao Tu..."
"Named after the twelve zodiac animals?" Jiang Ye interrupted him before he could list all his brothers' names. "Is it some kind of ex-utero embryo technology?"
"It's just simple IVF, cultured in an artificial womb," James Mao Tu replied. "We've reached your rooms. Do you need help unpacking?"
"No need, you can go about your business." Jiang Ye took his suitcases. The suitcases contained personal items, including Cen Yemeng's underwear, which he certainly didn't want these little kids to see.
The hotel bellboys didn't leave, staring at Jiang Ye with blinking eyes.
Cen Yemeng reacted first. "We are from another planet and are not familiar with your local customs. Do we need to give you a tip?"
"The law in this city prohibits accepting tips, but every hotel does. Just a little bit is fine, and we can buy fried potato sticks tonight," James Mao Tu said, leading the way in bowing, and all the children bowed in unison.
Jiang Ye took out his phone. "Do you have a payment code?"
"We only accept cash," James Mao Tu shook his head. "If we accept online payments, we'll be caught by the Anti-Corruption Bureau and lose our jobs."
"Your planet still uses cash?" Jiang Ye was surprised, then showed a troubled expression. "But I don't have any cash on hand... Is there a place to exchange money at the hotel?"
"Yes, I can take you," James Mao Tu nodded. "You can exchange more cash. This planet has two monetary systems, one online and one offline. Sometimes, dealing with things offline is more effective. You are top VIP clients, so there's no handling fee for exchanging money. If you go to a bank outside, there's a 5% handling fee, which is very uneconomical."
"I'll go, I wanted to look around anyway," Cen Yemeng said.
"Okay, call me if anything happens. I'll start unpacking," Jiang Ye pushed the door open and entered the room.
The room was larger than expected, at least a thousand square meters. There was a layout map on the wall by the entrance, designed with a migratory flow and a dual-flow combination.
Jiang Ye kicked off his shoes, and two robotic insects immediately jumped out from the shoe cabinet. Their claws grabbed the shoes and began to gnaw on them, sterilizing them with ultraviolet light, and finally licking clean all the dust from the shoes and soles.
Jiang Ye walked around the room and opened his suitcase on the living room carpet to sort through his belongings.
His phone suddenly rang.
It was Cen Yemeng.
Jiang Ye answered, "Honey?"
"I've encountered a group of people who claim to be negotiation representatives of the Three Giants..."
Jiang Ye's every hair stood on end. How did they find her? What did they want by intercepting Cen Yemeng?
He immediately pulled out his pistol from the bottom of his suitcase, cocked it with a click, "Where are you? I'm coming over right now!"