MPWATMBC Chapter 56

Hello, Everyone!! A New Year, a New Beginning!! I wish everyone a happy, healthy and wonderful year ahead. Happy New Year!!🥳

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In the employee lounge on the same floor as the first-class suite, the spacious room was nearly empty, with only two people present—Martin, responsible for Room A16, and his colleague, jokingly calling themselves the “Boredom Duo.”

Glancing at the time, Martin noted it was already half-past one in the afternoon. “I guess they’re not heading to Rui de Star.”

“Probably. It’s fine; not going down is quite nice. We get to openly relax for half a day. Very comfortable.”

Leaning back in his chair, Martin gazed outside, bored. While those less accustomed to interstellar travel might find the diverse and beautiful scenery of planets, asteroid belts made of fragmented rocks, and distant celestial bodies fascinating, for those who floated in the cosmos regularly, these views were the most insignificant aspects of their lives. They were even less captivating than the latest games released on the star net.

However, the place they were staying in was called a lounge, but in reality, it was a waiting room where they awaited guests’ instructions. Sitting here counted as working hours, and if the supervisor caught them playing games, reading idle books, or doing anything unrelated to work, half a month’s work would be in vain. Having a little chat was still acceptable.

“Uncomfortable,” Martin admitted truthfully. Sitting in the lounge, idly enduring time, felt like a waste. It was better to go to Rui de Star and see the white ice plains.

Ding dong!

His colleague’s personal terminal chimed, indicating that the guests in the suite he was serving had a request. The colleague stood up, and before leaving, he first looked at his own face in the mirror, making sure his smile met the appropriate standards. Only then did he open the door. “I’m heading out. Maybe I’ll be back later.”

“Let’s go,” Martin said expressionlessly, “It’s best to take a stroll downstairs if we can.”

“Sure.” The colleague, wearing a service smile, nodded and turned away. In Martin’s view, only the slowly closing door remained.

Martin withdrew his gaze, staring lifelessly at the opposite wall. He felt like an hour had passed, although it had only been five minutes since half-past one. The chime rang, reminding him that the guests he was serving had a request. Subconsciously, he looked up at the clock.

Facing the mirror, Martin’s facial muscles began to move. His lips curled up, revealing his flawless, bright teeth—a perfect, standard smile. The sliding door opened, and he walked out. Within two minutes, he reached the door of A16, rhythmically knocked twice, and the door swung open. He heard a gentle voice from inside, “Come in.”

Martin walked in and saw the two gentlemen staying in A16 wearing similar black snow suits. The gentleman with a slightly cold expression had a white little creature snuggled at his feet. The fluffy creature wore a small garment matching its owner’s color, with specially designed shoes for cat-like animals on its four small paws. It seemed uncomfortable wearing clothes for the first time, moving around restlessly. It softly raised its head, calling out to its owner, hoping he would take off the restrictive clothes.

With Martin’s years of experience in attending to guests, he could tell that the little pet’s clothing was not cheap.

Gryphons, native to the relatively cold climate of B612, could withstand severe cold. Adult gryphons could swiftly traverse through cold winds, rain, and snowstorms. However, in their early years, they were quite vulnerable. Gryphon cubs would stay close to their parents for up to five years, seeking refuge under their warm and thick fur to escape the biting cold.

Da Fu, being a mutated atavistic gryphon abandoned by its parents, couldn’t benefit from the warm and thick fur like its peers. As its master, the only option was to equip it with human-made clothes, covering its entire body, even including a hat on its head. Only the wings with white flying feathers and the agile, constantly moving tail were exposed to the air.

Martin politely greeted the two guests and asked with a smile, “Is there anything you need, gentlemen?” Although he noticed their attire and knew they were heading to Rui de Star, according to his job standards, he still had to ask.

Ryan, holding three pairs of goggles, said, “We are going to Rui de Star now, planning to have dinner there and come back later.”

“Very well, sir,” Martin raised his arm and opened his personal terminal to book a small starship, “Mr. Smith, do you have any specific requests for the itinerary?”

“We want to visit the Ice and Snow Museum, experience the charm of the ice city, take a tour on the ice lake, and then find a local restaurant for dinner,” Ryan had a detailed plan and was about to implement it according to this plan, “During the ice lake tour, we’d like to try ice fishing, and for dinner, we want to taste some of the local specialties, such as lake fish and lake shrimp.”

“Very well, Mr. Smith,” Martin quickly recorded the details on his memo pad. After finishing, he looked up with a smile at the two guests. “The small starship is ready. Please follow me, gentlemen.”

It was the first time Da Fu wore clothes to go out. Uncomfortably, it used its small teeth to bite the surface of the clothes, feeling very uneasy being wrapped in them. However, it couldn’t get rid of the clothes’ constraints, especially the little shoes on its paws, hindering it from directly touching nature with its soft paw pads.

Bad review!

Da Fu shook its head and swayed its body, occasionally emitting irritated cries.

The small starship provided by the Shakespearean was designed in a luxurious and extravagant style. During the twenty-minute journey to Rui de Star, Martin provided continuous service with drinks and snacks. The various exquisite snacks not only had a high visual appeal but also tasted quite good. Da Fu guarded its owner’s feet, occasionally receiving a piece of the delicacies, quickly forgetting the discomfort brought by the clothes.

The small starship entered the atmosphere of Rui de Star, shortly after passing through a “meteor,” one could see through the window a vast expanse of white. This was a planet mostly covered by ice and snow, with no visible land, and it was hard to distinguish between lakes and oceans. In such a harsh environment, plants hardly grew, and the majority of the five million residents on Rui de Star relied on imports for vegetables and fruits.

The small starship directly brought Ryan and Auston to the docking port of the Ice and Snow Museum. As the cabin door opened, the cold air rushed in unabated. Fortunately, there was a protective door at the entrance to prevent passengers from suddenly facing the cold. Da Fu, who disdained the clothes, looked outside with its amber eyes. The vast expanse of white snow instinctively instilled fear in the young griffin, who stuck closely to Auston’s feet, cautiously stepping outside.

The wind carried dancing snowflakes, and Da Fu folded its wings tightly against its body, its small tail nervously tucked in. It no longer minded the clothes; give it another piece of clothing, and it would cover its wings and tail. With pleading amber eyes, it looked at Ryan, who crouched down in front of it. It regretted not thinking about how its wings were exposed when getting dressed. Now, the griffin was freezing with its wings exposed.

Ryan put goggles on Da Fu and patted its small head. “Don’t look at me like that. If I cover you completely, you won’t be able to dissipate heat. Taking off the clothes will make you lose feathers.” Balancing its tail, which couldn’t be tucked into the clothes, was also important.

Da Fu made a small whimpering sound, leaving Ryan to put on its goggles. It trotted over to Auston, crouched down, and leaned against its master’s legs. Through the goggles, it curiously observed this unfamiliar world. Rui de Star was covered in ice and snow, and staring at it for an extended period could easily induce snow blindness. The locals, adapted through generations of genetic mutations, could endure it, but outsiders couldn’t. Whether someone was a local or a tourist could be distinguished by whether or not they wore goggles.

The Ice and Snow Museum is one of the must-visit places for out-of-town tourists. It displays numerous snowflakes, with the oldest one dating back over eight hundred years, discovered during the military period when Emperor Qin Feng Anderson marched with the army.

“This Wuyang flower was taken from the Emperor’s goggles. Everyone, look at the large picture. It’s a perfect hexagon, with six large forks and twenty-four small forks in total. Each small fork has six branches, symbolizing continuous reproduction and abundance. It perfectly aligns with the Emperor’s policy of ‘resting with the people,'” explained the local guide, pointing at the large image with emphasis. “That’s why this Wuyang flower is also known as ‘endless life.'”

Ryan: “…” It seems there’s no escaping the influence of Qin Feng Anderson, even here. The fact that a mere snowflake from his goggles can evoke so much thought, coupled with the terrifying words in those diaries, puts him in a rather unpleasant mood.

There are now many voices within the empire criticizing Qin Feng. People are scrutinizing his words and actions, finding fault in what he said and did. The Wuyang flower displayed in the Ice and Snow Museum has become a target of ridicule. Some claim that the people of Rui de Star are adept at drawing far-fetched connections, suggesting that even the frozen lump of sh*t that he supposedly left here symbolizes eternal glory.

The wonders of nature surpass everyone’s imagination. All the snowflakes exhibited in the museum are unique and without duplicates. At the end of the tour, the guide explained to Ryan and Auston, “As long as you find a unique snowflake on the planet, you can bring it to the museum. Once its uniqueness is confirmed, it can be displayed, named, and kept here permanently.”

Upon leaving, Ryan and Auston purchased a series of books produced by the museum, containing photos of all the snowflakes in the collection. The first book they opened showcased the “Endless Life” piece, placed on black velvet with gold powder embellishments, radiating a sense of reverence. Ryan closed the book expressionlessly, deciding never to open the first page again to spare his eyes from the potential discomfort.

“Ryan,” Auston walked over, holding souvenirs he bought from the gift shop. He waved what he had in his hand, two cufflinks crafted in pure silver, modeled after the “Endless Life” snowflake and adorned with some artificial diamonds. “Let’s wear these.”

Ryan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he struggled to swallow saliva, then replied, “Alright.”

He reached out to take the cufflinks from Auston, but Auston said, “I’ll do it.”

Unfastening the cuff strap of the snowsuit, revealing the sleeves of the wool sweater inside, Auston was momentarily dumbfounded. He had forgotten that Ryan wasn’t wearing a shirt underneath and had eagerly bought cufflinks, intending to fasten them for Ryan. It was quite foolish. Holding the cufflinks, Auston wondered how to attach them since this wasn’t a shirt?!

“Just fasten them directly,” Ryan said. “Consider them decorative pins.”

Auston nodded, earnestly fastening them for Ryan. The light brown wool sweater paired well with the silver snowflakes, looking quite nice. Then, Ryan fastened the “Endless Life” cufflinks for Auston. They proceeded to their next itinerary, exploring the city with a detour. The city where the Ice and Snow Museum was located served as the capital of the entire Rui de Star, with the densest population, nearly three million people residing there.

Perhaps due to the perennial exposure to ice and snow, the people of Rui de Star didn’t let the architectural style lean toward coldness. Boldly, they used vibrant, rich colors—enthusiastic red paired with dignified black, lively orange mixed with lime green and lemon yellow. On the brown ground, a variety of colors “bloomed.” The buildings, not exceeding sixteen floors, seemed like defenders of the human race in the ice and snow world, offering a unique aesthetic pleasure to the inhabitants of this place.

Along the streets, instead of ice sculptures, there were artificial trees and flowers. Tall “trees” with branches adorned in bright red “flowers” cascaded down, and spiky “cacti” sported vibrant yellow “blooms” with a striking red center.

The city wasn’t large, and a walk along the central street took no more than forty minutes. During this time, Martin vividly described the city’s origin, the various festivals celebrated throughout the year, and the names of different shops.

“That Jasmine Restaurant over there is the most distinctive and renowned one here. How about having dinner there tonight?” he suggested.

Ryan and Auston looked at the restaurant located on the third floor of the building. Its exterior walls were covered in purple mosaic tiles, giving it a unique appearance. Ryan nodded, “Sure.”

Martin breathed a sigh of relief, and his nearly stiff smile seemed to gain a bit more vitality, curving upward a few degrees. Being able to serve the Smith couple was fantastic—non-demanding, gentle, without any troublesome requests or unreasonable demands. Martin felt that the departure of Shakespeare was a rare “break” for himself.

The ice lake fishing that followed brought joy to Ryan and Auston, but there was a small incident. A group of guests fishing wanted to listen to live music and insisted on it, rejecting the sound system and demanding a live performance. Adhering to the philosophy of sincere service for guests, the staff brought down the performance team from the cruise ship. Several performers, some playing the violin, some playing the oboe, and others playing the accordion, wore thin performance costumes and performed one piece after another in the cold.

Ryan and Auston exchanged a glance, revealing their dissatisfaction. Ryan waved Martin over and whispered a few instructions. Watching Martin jog over to the band leader, who was also the band owner, Ryan commented, “Quite a hassle.”

Auston no longer paid attention to the band. “Joy built on the suffering of others.”

“Let’s forget about it. We’ll go to the restaurant for dinner. Fishing here is quite challenging,” Ryan said, packing up the fishing gear and placing all the tools aside, knowing that someone else would come along soon. On the vast expanse of the ice lake, there were not many concentrated fishing spots with holes drilled. This place was sheltered from the wind, and the ice surface was free of snow accumulation, attracting many visitors.

Auston stood up and looked around. Surprisingly, he didn’t see Da Fu . “Where’s Da Fu?”

“Look over there,” Ryan noticed and pointed in the direction.

Auston glanced over and couldn’t help but laugh. “Doesn’t it realize it’s wearing shoes?” Da Fu was using its claws to dig a hole, attempting to create an opening in the ice.

“Maybe it found something good. Let’s go check it out.”

Indeed, Da Fu had found something special. Beneath the ice was a frozen fish, much larger than itself, with beautiful scales and a row of spikes along its back. Ryan could tell it was a specialty from the Rui de Star ice lake—plentiful with spikes but tender and succulent meat, perfect for making a delicious bone broth.

“Woof~” Da Fu ran behind Auston, letting out a soft bark and nudging Auston with its head, hinting that it wanted its master to dig out the fish.

Auston was also intrigued.

But Ryan gestured on the ice surface, expressing regret as he informed them, “It’s not possible unless we have large machinery. This fish is over six meters long as an adult, and what we see now is just a bit over one meter. However, surface features indicate it’s already an adult. It’s clear that it’s far beneath the ice, and we can’t get it out.”

Both Auston and Da Fu felt a bit disappointed.

Martin, who had already complained to the band leader, approached and said, “I can summon a construction team to dig out the fish. Mr. Smith, do you want this one?”

“No need,” Auston was not pleased with the idea of expending significant manpower and resources for personal desires. He believed it was not worth the effort.

However, Ryan had a slightly different perspective. Since there was a specialized fish-digging construction team, it seemed to have become an industry serving tourists and was one of their sources of income. As Auston and Da Fu liked it, he didn’t mind having the fish dug out. It could be part of their dinner that evening.

“How much?”

Martin quickly smiled and replied, “Five thousand star coins.” Worried that the guests might misunderstand or be dissatisfied, he hurriedly explained, “According to the laws of Rui de Star, all aquatic products belong to the government. If someone is found digging and claiming them as their own without permission, it’s a violation of the law. Once discovered, there’s a penalty of twenty days’ detention or buying the fish at market price. The market price for the Iron Spine Fish is three hundred Star coins per kilogram, and this type is quite rare, making it expensive.”

A fish of over six meters would weigh at least over six hundred kilograms, making the entire fish quite expensive.

“But hiring the construction team to dig the fish costs only five thousand star coins, and the fish will be yours without any additional expense.”

Upon this calculation, it seemed like a very reasonable deal.

“Contact the construction team. After the fish is dug out, take the fish neck and part of the tail to the restaurant. The rest can be sent to the ship for preservation. At the end of the journey, we’ll take it with us.”

Martin restrained himself from laughing too exaggeratedly and said, “Certainly.” He could earn a commission from all the expenses incurred by the guests during their ground tour. With five thousand star coins, he could at least get a cut of five hundred. Just thinking about it made him ecstatic. Guests staying in first-class cabins were indeed generous when they decided to spend.

The construction team, on standby, quickly arrived upon receiving the notification. Once the orientation was confirmed, they started digging. Due to the extremely cold weather, the machinery produced creaking sounds at the joints, strained under the heavy load. In order to dig out the fish as quickly as possible, workers used semi-automated shovels to break the ice, creating an unpleasant, screeching noise with each shovel hitting the ice.

Da Fu stood excitedly not far from the fish-digging site, jumping and frolicking around. Occasionally, it let out a howl, its young and tender voice yet to reveal the future dominance of the seas and lands.

Watching the workers fervently at work, Auston fell into contemplation. After about five or six minutes, he asked, “Ryan, have I been thinking about this the wrong way? I’ve been concerned about wasting resources, but I didn’t consider that many people make a living this way. If we stop them, they might not earn much for a month. I’m not much different from the nobles standing high up; the Dalton family itself holds power… My thoughts are still too detached from the common people.”

“I don’t think so. Your thoughts are valid, just a bit one-sided.” For someone who hadn’t truly experienced the life of common people, it was challenging to understand the mentality of the masses—resenting the wealthy yet relying on them. Ryan had come to understand this bit by bit through continuous observation and reflection. In a society with ever-changing environments and evolving human thoughts, it’s impossible to fully grasp what the people are thinking. The key is to have a clear conscience. “In the future, let’s consider things from both perspectives. When it comes to the livelihood of the people, let the politicians worry about it. Your focus should be on managing the military.”

During the ancient era of Earth, there was a great man who said, “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun¹A phrase coined by Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong.” Holding onto military power is undoubtedly correct. The foundation of the Dalton family lies within the military. As the young helmsman of this family, Auston shouldn’t blindly expand into other areas. Stabilizing the existing strength is more important than anything else.

Auston nodded, contemplating the words.

The commotion of digging the fish surely attracted attention. Soon, the gaze of the onlookers shifted from ice fishing to the activity on the ice. Some people discovered the fish and, imitating Ryan and Auston, hired construction teams to dig. The ice surface became lively and bustling.

The band, forced to stop playing due to guest complaints, hadn’t left yet. Their leader, also their boss, wrapped in a thick snowsuit, was delivering a stern speech. His sharp and cutting voice emphasized putting the needs of the guests first. The central idea was to endure the hardship, focus on the task at hand, and not forget that they had signed a contract.

The contract was as vast as the sky, and a million-star level penalty was something they couldn’t afford.

Once the boss finally finished his speech, the musicians shivered as they reluctantly put on their thick clothes and prepared to leave, carefully storing away their instruments. The violinist, gritting his teeth, took a glance at the small starship that hadn’t arrived yet. Seizing this opportunity, he ran over to Ryan, bowing in gratitude. “Thank you.”

“Thank me for what?” Ryan’s gaze quickly swept across the violinist’s face—a face with nothing particularly remarkable, seemingly timid and shy. “I’m the one who complained about you.”

The violinist nervously fiddled with the violin case, glancing up at Ryan before lowering his head and speaking in a soft voice, “Thank you for the complaint. It allowed us to end the performance. Thank you.”

He didn’t have any particularly creative words of gratitude, just repeatedly expressing thanks. He bowed over ninety degrees without waiting for any response from Ryan. He turned and walked away, almost like fleeing, returning to his companions but frequently glancing back at Ryan, as if wanting to etch the image of his benefactor into his memory.

“What’s he looking at?” Auston was completely unaware that his question was dripping with jealousy.

Ryan explained in detail, “I used to work for Dawn. Even though I’ve left, I still receive bounty notices in my inbox. Some adventurous types also double as pirates. When I see someone suspicious, I tend to be extra cautious.” The moving star coins, the cradle of wealth—how could a man supporting a family afford to miss out on such opportunities?

After hearing Ryan’s explanation, Auston felt much more at ease. Although he still didn’t realize that his question was akin to expressing jealousy, he asked, “Is there something wrong with that violinist?”

“He probably did some disguising on his face, making it hard to recognize at a glance.” Ryan nodded subtly towards the band leader. “That’s right, ‘Musician’ Evan. There’s a 5000-star bounty on him, equivalent to the cost of digging up the fish. It’s quite a valuable catch.” That’s why he planned to find the right time to make some quick money by apprehending Evan and claiming the reward at the police station.

During his university days, Ryan participated in “Dawn,” a semi-official organization affiliated with the public security system, specializing in hunting down famous adventurers or pirates listed on the bounty board. Since he discovered a task listed on the board, being a former member of Dawn, there was no reason for him to let a dangerous individual escape.

As for the violinist, Ryan chuckled. “Let’s just watch how things unfold. I don’t mind making some extra cash.”

With the efforts of the construction team, they finally dug out a nearly six-meter-long iron-spine fish from seven meters below the ice after twenty-five minutes of excavation. The fish would have probably been frozen in the ice when the lake froze over, unable to swim away in time. Ryan examined the gills and looked at the fish’s eye, determining that it had been frozen for no more than three days, making it very fresh.

Not far from them, someone else had dug up a fish from three meters below the ice. With a quick glance at the fish’s eye, Ryan could tell that it was an old fish that had been frozen for a long time.

The workers used an electric saw to cut off the fish head, a portion of the meat, and some of the tail. The remaining parts were placed in a blue preservation bag to be transported to the Shakespeare for preservation, and later, they would be taken to Ryan’s small starship. Fish treated with this method could be preserved for more than six months, allowing them to enjoy the delicious fish for quite some time.

After being sent to the Purple Jasmine Restaurant, the fish was prepared according to the local specialty. What appeared in front of Ryan and Auston was the bright red and spicy dry-fried fish, as well as the spicy grilled fish tail. They also ordered several types of shrimp, with shrimp mixed in spicy peppers and shrimp in spicy soup.

Ryan can handle spiciness quite well, and he usually drinks some tea to ease the heat. Auston, on the other hand, has a love-hate relationship with spicy food. Although he enjoys it, he can’t bear the heat, and eating it leaves him sweating profusely and his face turning red. No amount of tea seems to alleviate the spice.

Watching Auston’s red lips, Ryan’s gaze dimmed a bit. He regretted trying the local specialties, as the recent consideration for Auston’s health had limited their ability to have deep conversations.