Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Welcome Banquet
Lea rubbed the spot between her eyebrows and said with a smile, "Even if I shrink, I’d still be bigger than your beans."
Ji You: "..."
Ji You deliberately glanced at Sister Liya and said, "Sister Liya, you’ve turned naughty, even starting to tease me now."
Lea extended both her fists, watched Ji You with a smile, and said, "Cheer up! There’s plenty of time for you to grow. Sister Liya is looking forward to the day you do!"
Ji You huffed, "I suspect you’re driving [making fun of me], but I have no proof."
Lea blinked her beautiful eyes and giggled, "Alright, no more fooling around, come downstairs now, I’m here to pick you up."
Ji You quickly slipped on her shoes, saying, "I’m coming down now."
As soon as she left the dormitory building, she saw Lea waiting by the side. Lea was dressed in a black standard uniform, with disciplinary buttons and Dr. Martens boots, looking absolutely spirited and dashing!
Ji You trotted over, "Sister Liya, I’m here. Where are we heading?"
Lea glanced at Ji You, noticing her face not only hadn’t darkened or thinned but also seemed fairer and plumper. She felt somewhat reassured and said, "We’re going to the school’s commercial restaurant."
Ji You suddenly stopped in her tracks, "That place is so expensive!"
The school canteen served communal meals at low prices for all teachers and students, but the commercial restaurant was different. It offered individual servings and à la carte orders, costing at least twice as much as the canteen.
Of course, Ji You knew about this place and had passed by it countless times, but she had never set foot inside, not even daring to entertain the thought.
She’s poor now, so she doesn’t dare think about it.
Even if she becomes filthy rich in the future, she doesn’t want to go there. In Ji You’s view, the canteen’s food was already tasty enough to satisfy her, and she had no intention of spending money on these businesses that ripped off students.
Hmph—
Seeing Ji You’s penny-pinching behavior, Lea knew what she was thinking and chuckled, "You don’t have to treat, we are inviting you to celebrate your smooth enrollment."
If she were facing Sheng Qingyan, Shen Changqing, Chu Jiaojiao, Yue Qiguang, these tycoons, these fat sheep, Ji You would undoubtedly latch on without a second word. But she knew the financial situation of Sister Liya and Brother Qiong was comparable to her own, even feeling that after generating income from making Soul Devices, despite having squandered millions, she now had more money on hand than Sister Liya and Brother Qiong combined.
Thus, Ji You insisted firmly, "Still no, let’s go back to the canteen later, it’s cheaper, more substantial, and filling!"
Lea raised her hand and tousled Ji You’s head, saying, "Don’t worry about the money. Come on, Aqiong and Lingzhi are already inside waiting."
Taking advantage of her height and physical strength, Lea directly picked up Ji You.
Literally picked her up.
Ji You: "..."
Is it not shameful to bully a little dwarf?
Ji You quickly pulled away Lea’s hand, saying, "I can walk! I can walk myself!"
Ji You, burdened by the weight of her 200-pound star image, secretly thought: After all, I am the best freshman, a person of some significance. If others saw this, wouldn’t it ruin my reputation for a lifetime?
Lea let go and put down Ji You as told.
The two took a Floating Car and quickly arrived at the commercial restaurant. This was a commercial street with shops lined up, offering a variety of foods and all sorts of fancy novelties...
As soon as she entered, Ji You was instantly dazzled.
What kind of place is this?
This is surely where immortals dwell, Ji You could hardly believe that she would see a glimpse of the Hua Country’s commercial streets from her previous life in the interstellar era. She was absolutely ecstatic!
Surrounding her were all kinds of restaurants - stir-fry, hot pot, barbecue... wafts of aroma hit her face, tempting Ji You’s appetite as her cravings surged forth!
Lea watched Ji You’s shocked expression and smiled, "Surprised? This is a vintage design. Thousands of years ago, humans liked to come together in the evening to dine, drink, brag, and chat...
Therefore, the school specifically designed this street in memory of those times."
Ji You nodded vigorously: "It is surprising."
Not just surprising, she was also delighted. How to describe this feeling? It was like a traveler in a foreign land suddenly returning home, everything so familiar, so moving...
Ji You’s feet paused at the barbecue stall, almost unable to move.
Grilled wings!
Skewers!
Beer!
My God...
This is just criminally tempting.
Lea glanced at Ji You and couldn’t help but smile, "We’ll come back here for this another time. Right now we’re going to have hot pot! You haven’t tried it before, right?"
Ji You’s eyes lit up: "Yes, yes..."
Although barbecue was a temptation to crime, hot pot was also irresistibly enticing!
One cannot have both the fish and the bear’s paw...
So be it!
Today, she would indulge in one.
The welcoming robot escorted Lea and Ji You to the elegant seats on the second floor, where Xie Chuanqiong and Xie Lingzhi were already waiting. Xie Chuanqiong sat motionless in the chair, waving to Ji You and Lea: "You, Lea... this way."
Ji You ran over briskly, ready to crack a few jokes, but her expression suddenly froze, asking, "Brother Qiong, what happened to your leg?"
One of Xie Chuanqiong’s trouser legs was completely empty.
On hearing this, Xie Chuanqiong’s eyes were warm as he gently shook his head, saying, "Don’t worry, there was a bit of an accident during a task, and I’ve had an amputation. I’ve already harvested cells to cultivate a new leg, and it will soon be ready to attach."
Ji You frowned and asked, "What exactly happened?"
Xie Lingzhi gave Ji You a glance and said, "Why stand there like a dummy? Sit down and we’ll talk slowly."
Ji You sat down as told.
Lea also sat down immediately.
Only then did Ji You find out what exactly had happened. Xie Chuanqiong was a junior this year, and it wasn’t his first or second time going out for a task, but his talents were limited, so he didn’t join the Combat Department. His major was Mechanical Manufacturing.
And Lea?
Lea was a sophomore studying Mechanical Manufacturing for Mecha.
Coincidentally, both of them followed their respective mentors to go out for a task and ended up at the same Space Station, both working in logistics. Xie Chuanqiong was responsible for maintenance and repair of large mechanical equipment.
Lea worked on maintaining Mecha and Mechanical Materials.
This Space Station was situated behind the frontline, where countless soldiers were battling against Star Beasts. The station maintained a certain number of guards to ensure its security, under normal circumstances, Xie Chuanqiong and Lea would not be in danger.
But—
The reason accidents were accidents was because they were completely unpredictable.
At the Space Station, a level 5 Star Beast suddenly sprang out, and it landed right in the midst of the student group, causing instant chaos. Xie Chuanqiong was injured by the Star Beast’s claws while trying to help a fellow student.
Fortunately, the injury wasn’t severe, otherwise it wouldn’t just be a matter of amputation.
Xie Chuanqiong looked at everyone, smiling, "Anyway, there’s no serious harm, and being alive is the best comfort."