Chapter 103: Stelle’s Trash Disposal, Stellar Train’s Growth And Expansion
“Boss Bai is back!”
“The number of people is the same as when we left, not a single one missing, that’s great.”
“Boss Bai, was it successful?”
“…”
Just returning to Dragon Bone Village, most of the villagers immediately surrounded them, chattering and asking questions.
Bai Yuekui looked around, and under the villagers’ expectant gazes, she nodded heavily.
“Oh! Awesome!”
The villagers cheered.
“Quiet down first, listen to me.” Bai Yuekui waited a moment, letting the villagers release their emotions, then spoke.
“In this operation, although Dragon Bone Village contributed some effort, the ones who truly resolved the Mana Ecology were March 7th, A Xing, Meng Huaifeng, Himeko, and other Nameless. Everyone must remember their names…”
“Heroes!”
“Heroes!”
“Heroes!”
“…”
A Xing stood tall with her chest out, accepting the villagers’ high praise.
“No need to exaggerate like this, everyone contributed.” March 7th said somewhat shyly.
Meng Huaifeng was slightly stunned, a strong sense of achievement and satisfaction swirling in his chest. Is this the feeling of being a savior?
Unlike being suppressed by Silver Wolf in Belobog and just goofing off, this time the feeling was so clear and real.
No wonder the Nameless left legends of outer space visitors saving worlds in countless worlds.
Isn’t this much better than Masked Fools seeking joy everywhere?
“Ah haha, this is bliss too, little guy.”
A voice sounded in Meng Huaifeng’s ear, startling him.
“Who?!”
“What’s wrong, Huai Feng?” Seeing Meng Huaifeng suddenly become vigilant, Himeko asked with concern.
“Nothing.” Meng Huaifeng smiled wryly. Good grief, they really latched onto us.
Anyway, they couldn’t do anything about It, so just pretend It doesn’t exist.
“Tonight, hold a banquet in the village center to celebrate, all villagers participate!” Bai Yuekui decided.
“I’ll go slaughter the pig I raised.”
“I’ll go pull some green vegetables from the field.”
“I’ll go build the stove.”
“I still have some old world wine hidden away, time to bring it out!”
“…”
“Everyone, do what you can, we still have to live after today!” Meng Huaifeng shouted to the villagers.
“Haha, thanks for the hero’s concern, we know!” The villagers responded.
“I still have lots of snacks in my space, might as well contribute them.” March 7th decided, feeling a bit pained.
When we get back, I need to restock properly. Let me calculate how many days until we return… Hmm, maybe keep a little?
“I think I still have some soul beast meat in my space.” A Xing suddenly remembered.
“Why do you collect everything into your space?” March 7th asked.
“What if it’s needed someday?” A Xing said righteously: “Look, it’s useful now, isn’t it?”
“I don’t even want to imagine how messy A Xing’s space is.” Meng Huaifeng thought of the things A Xing picked from the trash can.
“Eww~” March 7th stepped a few steps away from A Xing, suddenly finding her disgusting again.
A Xing looked aggrieved: “My space isn’t messy at all.”
“First take out the soul beast meat for the chefs. We’ll find a place, you bring out all your stuff, and we’ll help you organize it.” Meng Huaifeng said.
The group arrived at the village square. Everyone in the Pioneer Squad took out some food and materials from Ticket Space, enriching the evening banquet.
Meng Huaifeng, March 7th, A Xing, and Zhu Zhuqing came to an empty room. With a wave of her hand, A Xing made a pile of miscellaneous junk appear in the room.
“Fully automatic sweeping machine, broken? You didn’t pick this from a trash can, did you? Throw it away.” March 7th picked up an old sweeping machine first.
“Can’t throw it, I finally found it! It’s just a little broken, fix it and it works.” A Xing hurriedly stopped her.
“Then fix it.”
“No time.”
“Still throw it away.”
“Can’t throw it!”
“A stack of unsigned letters, sent to you?” Meng Huaifeng asked.
“I pulled them from Belobog’s mailbox…”
“Why did you take those? They’re not for you, throw them away.”
“No! Though I’ve never met the sender, I’ve taken them as confidants. Their letters are full of philosophy.”
“You understand philosophy?”
“A little.”
No matter what Meng Huaifeng and March 7th took out, A Xing had a reason not to throw it.
“What about this? A bag of pure trash, this can be thrown, right?” March 7th glared at A Xing aggressively.
“This can’t be thrown either!” A Xing objected.
“Reason!” March 7th asked through gritted teeth.
“It’s not ordinary trash.”
“What kind of trash is it?”
“It’s golden trash.”
“Whoosh!” March 7th flung it out the window.
“No!”
The next moment, A Xing flew out the window too.
Meng Huaifeng said to Zhu Zhuqing: “Zhu Qing, go hold back A Xing.”
Meng Huaifeng and March 7th exchanged a glance, then put away all of A Xing’s junk. By the time A Xing came back, they had handed it over to Dragon Bone Village’s Second-hand Repair Shop.
“Those are my treasures, give them back!” A Xing pleaded pitifully with the Second-hand Repair Shop boss.
“Ah? This, hero…” The boss hesitated.
Meng Huaifeng and March 7th hurriedly pulled A Xing away.
“A Xing, think about it: those things would never be useful with you, but handing them to Dragon Bone Village, once repaired, they can shine again. That’s more meaningful than following you.” Meng Huaifeng said earnestly.
“But…”
“Believe they want to be useful too, not just someone’s collection, right, A Xing? If you really care about them, don’t hold them back.” March 7th persuaded.
“I…”
“A Xing, didn’t you always say they’re useful? Now they really are, they’ve found a home. Shouldn’t you be happy for them? Or is your ‘liking’ just talk?” Meng Huaifeng continued.
“Stop! I get it.” A Xing’s expression firmed up. She turned to the Second-hand Repair Shop boss and said loudly: “Boss, treat them well, fix them up! Next time I come, I’ll check the places where they shine!”
The boss looked at A Xing in confusion. This hero’s brain seems a bit off.
Behind A Xing, Meng Huaifeng and March 7th high-fived.
“Let’s go.” A Xing turned away reluctantly.
“Here, for you.” Meng Huaifeng handed A Xing a silver trash can keychain.
A Xing’s golden pupils visibly brightened.
“Really?” A Xing asked delightedly.
“Of course, I modeled it, March sculpted it.” Meng Huaifeng said.
“Never thought my first handicraft would be a trash can.” March 7th grumbled.
“Thanks! I love it!”
…
Night fell, and Dragon Bone Village’s central square was unprecedentedly lively.
A huge bonfire burned, lighting up the entire Dragon Bone Village.
The Pioneer Squad and Dragon Bone Village villagers held hands, circling the bonfire and dancing.
Some drunk guys sang pre-Cataclysm songs, howling like ghosts and wolves, got chased off by the girls, and Boss Bai took the stage herself to sing.
Dishes of delicacies were served on dozens of dining tables. With such rich ingredients for once, Dragon Bone Village’s master chefs brought out their best skills, perfect in color, aroma, and taste.
Full from eating and drinking, A Xing stood on a table, vividly recounting her experiences in Crimson Vortex Space. Dozens of villagers surrounded her, exclaiming now and then, providing her emotional value.
Under half-hearted urging from the crowd, March 7th took the microphone and experienced being a pop star.
A Xing and March 7th had basically gotten familiar with Dragon Bone Village folks, so the villagers dared to egg them on.
But Meng Huaifeng was addicted to studying, rarely appearing, seeming aloof and unapproachable. Though people respected and were friendly to him, no one dared egg him on.
Meng Huaifeng enjoyed the peace, listening to March 7th sing while appreciating the girls’ casual dances.
“Chat?” Bai Yuekui sat next to Meng Huaifeng.
“What does Boss Bai want to talk about?” Meng Huaifeng asked.
“Tell me about the universe.” Bai Yuekui said.
“You guessed it?”
“I’m not an idiot. You didn’t say it outright, but didn’t hide it either.” Bai Yuekui rolled her eyes. Just the food and materials they brought out tonight—some weren’t on this planet, and the packaging text wasn’t any known language.
“If you want to hear, I’ll tell you.” Meng Huaifeng introduced the basics of the Honkai: Star Rail Universe to Bai Yuekui.
Sooner or later, the two universes would connect, so letting her know ahead of time was good preparation.
“Knowledge… I always thought I was a genius, but apparently not. I haven’t even stepped on a Destiny.” Bai Yuekui felt a bit struck.
“Haha.” Meng Huaifeng couldn’t help laughing.
“What are you laughing at?” Bai Yuekui said, somewhat displeased.
“No doubt, you are a genius. It’s just that Knowledge’s Destiny hasn’t extended here yet.” Meng Huaifeng said.
“Aren’t Destinies spread across the universe?” Bai Yuekui asked, puzzled.
“They used to be, but now they extend where we pioneer.” Here, Meng Huaifeng felt a bit proud.
Bai Yuekui pondered. The Stellar Train might be even more powerful than she thought.
“What do you think is behind Mana Ecology?” Bai Yuekui asked again.
“Really don’t know. We’re not from your universe. We don’t know how many civilizations or forces are here.” Meng Huaifeng shrugged.
Bai Yuekui asked a lot, and Meng Huaifeng didn’t hide anything, being completely open.
After a night of revelry, reality still awaited.
With Mana Ecology resolved, Meng Huaifeng no longer studied technology all night, starting a normal schedule.
Half the daytime for studying, the other half running around with others.
The Pioneer Squad and Awakened Walkers collected materials a few times, experiencing relic exploration.
Dragon Bone Village’s detectors showed the Scarlet Substance in the outside air steadily decreasing. It wouldn’t take many years for the outside ecology to recover to the point of growing plants.
The Pioneer Squad visited other known settlements, informing them Mana Ecology was resolved and ecology recovering, including Beacon.
Beacon’s three survival laws were made to endure. Now with Mana Ecology solved, who knows how long they’d last, but it was foreseeable they’d soon be broken.
That person might be Little Mark who experienced the Hong Kou incident, or someone else, but it didn’t matter.
Over ten days later, a train descended from the sky and stopped outside Dragon Bone Village.
Dragon Bone Village came out en masse to see off the Pioneer Squad.
“The signal tower is up. If the mastermind strikes again, contact us anytime, we’ll come help solve it.” Himeko said to Bai Yuekui.
Bai Yuekui held the mobile phone Himeko gave her, already added with all Pioneer Squad members as friends.
“Thanks. If we can’t handle it, I’ll contact you.” Bai Yuekui said gratefully.
Himeko turned to Hong Kou and Po Xiao: “So, will you stay in Dragon Bone Village, or leave with us?”
Hong Kou and Po Xiao glanced at Bai Yuekui, took a deep breath, and said: “Miss Himeko, we hope to leave with you.”
They initially wanted to stay in Dragon Bone Village to contribute to the world’s recovery, but Bai Yuekui’s talk changed their minds.
After the banquet that day, Bai Yuekui found them.
“What’s your relationship with the Stellar Train now?” Bai Yuekui got straight to the point.
“The Stellar Train is temporarily sheltering us, saying we can get off anytime when we reach a safe place.” Hong Kou said.
“If the train allows you to stay, I hope you’ll stay on the train.” Bai Yuekui said. Though Meng Huaifeng told her the train wouldn’t refuse anyone, it was still hard to believe.
Could such a powerful force really be joined by anyone who wants?
“Why?” Hong Kou asked, puzzled.
“Resolving Mana Ecology isn’t the end. Behind it, the mastermind remains—possibly other advanced civilizations, or… higher-dimensional beings. Our world hasn’t truly escaped threat.” Bai Yuekui said heavily.
“Does Boss Bai want us to desert in the face of battle?” Hong Kou’s brows furrowed.
“No.” Bai Yuekui shook her head: “The Stellar Train is great, a just and kind force. I believe if we’re in crisis, they’ll still help.”
“But that’s not enough. What if they’re tied up? What if other worlds need their help too? What if they don’t get our distress signal?”
“One-sided giving can’t last forever. We can ask them once, twice—can we ask nine, ten times?”
“So, I hope you follow the train, see the vast world, constantly become stronger. You’ll be our bond with the train, our strong backup.”
“I don’t want to keep bothering them, but I can always contact you. I don’t know how many people are on the Stellar Train, or if all are as kind to us, but I’m sure when we’re in crisis, you’ll come back to help.”
“Go—not for you, not for me, but for our world.” Bai Yuekui gazed deeply at them.
Hong Kou and Po Xiao’s hearts shook.
“Why don’t you go yourself?” Hong Kou asked.
“Because I can’t rest easy with this world. If I’m gone and the mastermind strikes again, can we hold out for rescue?” Bai Yuekui said.
Maybe she couldn’t hold out either, but if she couldn’t, no one could.
“We understand.” Hong Kou and Po Xiao said.
…
“Oh? Can you tell me why?” Himeko was a bit surprised.
Hong Kou and Po Xiao weren’t the type full of desire for exploration, expecting and enjoying adventure.
In other words, they lacked pioneering spirit.
Hong Kou didn’t lie, but said truthfully: “To become stronger, to protect my home in the future.”
Such a just reason, the Train Crew couldn’t refuse.
“Even if you die in some adventure?” Himeko asked.
“As warriors, we don’t fear death.” Hong Kou and Po Xiao exchanged glances.
“The train never refuses anyone.” Himeko smiled: “But we need to discuss one thing.”
The Train Crew gathered.
“Let’s vote.” Himeko said.
If the vote failed, they’d be ordinary passengers; if passed, future partners.
“Though not very familiar with them, their determination to protect is commendable. I agree.” Dan Heng said.
“Passenger Dan Heng is right, I agree too, Pam.” Pamu said.
As long as character wasn’t an issue, they generally wouldn’t refuse.
As for lacking pioneering spirit, was that really a problem?
“No objections.” Meng Huaifeng and the other three said together.
Welt also voted yes.
“Welcome to join the Stellar Train.” Himeko went out and handed golden train tickets to the anxious Hong Kou and Po Xiao.
“Thanks.” They said gratefully.
After bidding farewell to Bai Yuekui and Dragon Bone Village villagers, everyone boarded the Stellar Train.
The Stellar Train launched, soaring into the sky. Hong Kou and Po Xiao looked through the window at the planet of tawny and sea blue, eyes filled with reluctance.
“Hey, Sister Hong Kou, Big Brother Po Xiao, want me to show you around the train first?” March 7th said enthusiastically, breaking their melancholy.
“Sure, thanks March.” Hong Kou smiled.
“Right, these two gravity bodies, you can keep them yourselves now.” Meng Huaifeng took two gravity bodies from his space.
“We can buy two more advanced mecha from The Company. Probably won’t need gravity bodies anymore.” March 7th said.
Hong Kou stroked the cold shell of the gravity body, a product of her home: “I still prefer gravity bodies.”
“Then you must study hard, improve the gravity bodies to be stronger, to keep up with your pace.” Welt said.
“Where should we start learning?” Hong Kou hoped her home’s gravity bodies could accompany her onward.
“Finish these books, that’s entry level.” Welt waved, a pile of books appearing before Hong Kou.
《Basics of Mecha Repair》《Basics of Power Arm Operating Principles》《Basics of Mecha Power Systems》…
March 7th looked at the pile of books. Though not for her, she felt a palpitation. Too terrifying!
“We’ll study hard!” Hong Kou and Po Xiao said firmly.
Regardless of future progress, their attitude toward learning was very upright.
Welt nodded satisfied: “Ask me if you don’t understand.”
Welt was confident he was an expert in mecha.
March 7th suddenly realized a problem.
Dan Heng was always in the Knowledge Base, Meng Huaifeng recently addicted to editing, Zhu Zhuqing no longer needed soul power cultivation but Dragon Bone Village’s school opened new doors for her—not practicing soul skills or self-studying textbook knowledge.
Newcomers Sister Hong Kou and Big Brother Po Xiao seemed about to start learning mechanics too. Uncle Yang and Sister Himeko were already very knowledgeable.
Bad!
Only she and A Xing left as slackers!
What to do? Should she learn something too?
Learn what?
“March, didn’t you say you’d show us the train? Let’s go.” Hong Kou awkwardly stored the gravity bodies and books into Ticket Space, said to March 7th.
“Oh, oh, let’s go.” March 7th said absentmindedly.
“Sister Hong Kou, do you want one room or two? Don’t pick two, that wastes space.” Meng Huaifeng teased.
Facing everyone’s gazes, Hong Kou’s face reddened slightly, but she said domineeringly: “One!”
Then she dragged the absentminded March 7th and delighted Po Xiao away in a fluster.
“What’s wrong with March?” Dan Heng looked at the listless March 7th’s back, puzzled.
“Dunno, she just wilted suddenly.” A Xing said, confused.
“Make way, make way, Pa.” Pamu swept under everyone’s feet.
“A Xing, remember you lost and owe ten days of chores.” Meng Huaifeng suddenly said.
“Ah?” A Xing froze, then regretted deeply: “I should’ve kept that sweeping machine!”
“Train Conductor, leave it to me!” A Xing accepted her loss.
“Passenger A Xing is rarely so diligent. If you’d hurry and decorate your room, that’d be even better, Pa.” Pamu happily handed the broom to A Xing.
I will make the Stellar Train glorious again!
