Chapter 127: Chapter 127: Beast Tide

The late-September wind was still somewhat hot and dry.

So, Jiang Qin went out wearing just a simple, light-green, slim-fitting floral maxi dress.

A dress like this could make one look elegant and beautiful, but if worn poorly, it just looked frumpy.

But on her, it looked quite good.

After all, her skin was perfectly fair, and her figure was tall and willowy.

In any case, it was more than enough to dazzle Lan Yuyan.

Since it was, after all, a dinner with a friend who was also her boss, Jiang Qin didn’t bring any security openly, but she did have three bodyguards following discreetly from the shadows.

Even on the Main Star, she didn’t dare let her guard down.

’Those research lunatics… I wonder if they’ve given up on me yet.’

“Good evening, Miss Jiang.”

Jiang Qin returned the greeting with a smile and got into Lan Yuyan’s Flying Car, and they set off toward the unique restaurant.

’Come to think of it, in this life, I still haven’t tried any food made by professional chefs in a restaurant.’

’I did in my past life, Later on, but it was never at any particularly high-end restaurants—even if the dishes were just as expensive.’

’My only impression was that it was very expensive and didn’t taste good.’

’I’m not sure if the ingredients were bad or the chefs’ skills were just mediocre. Well, maybe it was both.’

’I hope this famous restaurant on the Main Star has a pleasant surprise in store for me.’

…

Inside the Flying Car, the atmosphere was a little delicate with just the two of them, but thanks to Lan Yuyan’s wit and elegance, Jiang Qin quickly relaxed.

’I have to admit, he really is an elegant and gentle man.’

’And with his handsome features, distinguished family background, and stable career…’

’…if this were the modern era, he would probably be the ideal partner for many women.’

’Too bad this is the Interstellar age.’

***

The restaurant wasn’t located in the city center, but in a rather remote area.

So it was a bit of a long ride.

On the way there, feeling the breeze and watching the scenery pass by, it was truly hard to imagine that this was a world in constant danger.

Jiang Qin spaced out for a moment.

The trending topics this morning had long since pushed the buzz about her new song and the Flying Car race from the night before off the charts.

In its place was news of this year’s beast tide.

In the early hours of the morning, a planet designated 1069 had been overrun by Star Beasts.

Aside from those who had evacuated ahead of time, there were no survivors among those left behind.

And this morning, the Federation had issued a directive: at midnight tonight, Planet 1069 would be completely destroyed.

Regardless of whether anyone was still alive on it, after tonight, it would be utterly annihilated, lost to the vast cosmos.

If the planet weren’t destroyed, the Star Beasts would begin to multiply on its surface.

Once allowed to mature, they would pose an immense threat.

After all, Star Beasts had incredibly powerful reproductive abilities.

They could birth several litters a year, with multiple young in each, and on top of that, they employed a survival-of-the-fittest approach to child-rearing.

And for the Beastmen, the skewed female-to-male ratio was bad enough, but their survival resources were also steadily dwindling.

It took ten months to carry a child and more than a decade to raise them to adulthood.

So if the Star Beasts’ proliferation wasn’t controlled, it was only a matter of time before they overran the entire Interstellar region.

The Federation would send aid to planets that could hold their ground, but for those that had already fallen, there was no point in searching for survivors.

They couldn’t just throw away the lives of their warriors for a mere possibility.

And so, a fallen planet had only one fate: to be wiped from existence.

…

Seeing Jiang Qin staring absently out the window, Lan Yuyan also fell quiet.

His gaze was on her, but he also looked out the window.

The silence didn’t last long, however, because they had arrived.

After they got out of the Flying Car, Jiang Qin saw a lavish high-rise building.

A sign hanging at the third-floor level read: Lost Flavors.

Lan Yuyan explained to her, “The first to the third floor is all restaurant. I heard that the owner’s ancestors were successors to an Imperial Chef from ancient times.”

’That sounds pretty amazing.’

Jiang Qin was filled with anticipation for this visit.

As soon as they entered the main hall, a server came over to ask, “Hello, do you two have a reservation?”

“Yes, under Lan.”

“Mr. Lan, you reserved private room number 16. Please follow me.”

The server led them into a small private room on the second floor.

The private room was quite exquisite, and its decorative theme could be changed on a whim.

Lan Yuyan asked, “What style of theme do you like, Miss Jiang?”

“I’m fine with anything, as long as it’s on the simpler side.”

Lan Yuyan pressed a few buttons on the dining table, and the room’s decor instantly changed.

What had been a modern, minimalist style was now completely transformed into a natural wood finish.

Even the lights had transformed into lanterns.

In reality, the light sources were fixed; what had changed was just the holographic background projection.

It was purely a visual effect.

“I get the feeling you enjoy things related to ancient cultures, Miss Jiang, so I thought you might prefer this style of decor.”

Jiang Qin chuckled softly. “You’re quite observant, Minister Lan.”

“Not especially. It’s mainly that you’ve never tried to hide it, Miss Jiang. I’m sure many people can tell.”

Lan Yuyan handed her the menu.

“See what you’d like to eat.”

Jiang Qin didn’t refuse. Neither of them was short on money, so they could afford to order whatever they wanted for a single meal.

So, without holding back, she ordered three dishes, a soup, and a dessert.

’I hear it’s incredibly difficult to get a reservation here; waiting a month for a table is considered getting in quickly.’

“If we can’t finish it all, can we get it packed to go?”

Lan Yuyan chuckled softly. “Of course. I’ll probably need to get a couple of orders to-go myself. You can order more later, Miss Jiang, and take some back for your friends to try.”

“Then I’ll pick some out after we eat.”

’Mostly, I want to taste it first,’ she thought. ’If it’s delicious, I’ll get more. If not, then I’ll pass.’

While they waited for their food to be served, Lan Yuyan asked, “Miss Jiang, do you intend to release a song in October?”

“I probably will. The bar is reopening tomorrow, after all. I should prepare a few more songs to make sure Moonlight’s debut on the Main Star goes off with a bang.”

“I’ll come tomorrow to show my support, Miss Jiang.”

Jiang Qin’s eyes curved into crescents as she agreed. “Okay, I’ll have Uncle Yong Kang arrange a booth with a good view for you.”

“Would that be considered… using my connections?”

“Mm~ I suppose you could call it returning a favor. After all, I got on the show by pulling strings, didn’t I?”

Lan Yuyan chuckled and shook his head. “You didn’t pull any strings, Miss Jiang. You’re our specially invited ace; it has nothing to do with personal connections.”

The two chatted idly, neither one of them bringing up business.

It was a rare chance to relax, and both of them simply wanted to enjoy a pleasant meal.

As they continued to chat, their forms of address grew closer.

Lan Yuyan said that since they weren’t at the company, there was no need to call him Minister Lan. They were friends now, after all, so his name was fine.

Although Jiang Qin felt a little awkward, she grew accustomed to it after saying his name a couple of times.

She, in turn, told him to just call her by her name. Hearing “Miss Jiang” over and over was certainly a bit too formal.

They hadn’t been chatting for long when the servers knocked and entered, carrying their food.

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