Tang Ying was completely unaware that his movements were being monitored. Three days after leaving Ice Star, the Giant Beast arrived at Somi, the second relay point he had selected.

Unlike Bante, Falu, Ice Star, and others Yang Ying had previously visited, Somi was a Class I supply planet. This meant the entity establishing this supply hub was a High Civilization, and in fact, the High Civilization backing Somi was the Gexing people.

Since the diplomatic relations between Gexing and Earth were currently amicable, Yang Ying made no special preparations upon arriving at Somi. He didn't anticipate any issues arising on Gexing territory.

After traveling a while longer, the Giant Beast entered the planet’s gravitational influence and began its descent toward a port city on the surface. The surrounding spacecraft traffic increased; some ascended, others descended—a hustle and bustle far surpassing the Class II supply planets Yang Ying had visited before.

“Class I supply planets usually see thousands of ships taking off and landing daily,” Yang Ying mused in the bridge. “And those star-spanning metropolises, which integrate functions like transportation, logistics, economy, and finance, are said to host hundreds of thousands, even millions, of ships daily—a ceaseless flow, creating endless wealth every single day.”

Warren Gas picked up on Yang Ying’s thread: “We Burkes have two planets qualified to be star-spanning metropolises, and I’ve visited both. The sheer prosperity there dwarfs Somi by an immeasurable margin; the gap between them is beyond description.”

“We are making contact with the atmosphere. Landing is estimated in twenty minutes,” Howard reminded them.

“Understood,” Yang Ying replied.

“I have been to Somi before,” Warren Gas stated. “I recall there is a military barracks here, but the garrison isn't large—only about five or six thousand troops. Additionally, there are three port cities. Combined, these three cities possess over fifty large docking pads, capable of handling the landing and takeoff of up to a hundred thousand ships. Among Class I supply planets, this puts Somi squarely in the middle tier.”

Yang Ying turned to Warren Gas. “There are no markets on Class I supply planets, correct?”

“That’s right,” Warren Gas nodded. “Markets are something established only on Class II supply planets opened by Low Civilizations. If a High Civilization wishes to conduct business, they either transport goods directly to residential planets, head to a star-spanning metropolis, or to a secondary commercial planet—those are the places for business. Supply planets, as their name suggests, are purely for resupply purposes.”

He paused. “Of course, wherever there are people, commerce exists. Even Class I supply planets won't be entirely without markets, but what you can buy here are merely daily necessities, nothing particularly rare.”

Yang Ying nodded. “Having someone well-traveled beside me truly makes a difference.”

Warren Gas made no move to be humble; he stood tall, chest puffed out, his large belly prominent, projecting an air of self-importance. The Burke people never understood modesty. Although Yang Ying had changed his allegiance, his inherent personality remained largely unchanged.

A while later, the Giant Beast settled smoothly onto a docking pad. Yang Ying disembarked and surveyed his surroundings, noting that unlike Class II supply planets, there was no throng of eager guides rushing forward.

Stretching out before him, the hundreds of ships on the pad each maintained their own course. Crew members from various races moved to and fro, boarding and disembarking, maintaining a remarkable level of order.

“First, we need to register. Class I supply planets differ from Class II; they have very strict entry management,” Warren Gas also disembarked, glancing around before pointing toward a five-story building at the edge of the landing field.

“Good, let’s go,” Yang Ying affirmed, heading toward the structure, Warren Gas following behind him.

This building resembled the security checkpoints at Earth airports, checking incoming individuals for dangerous materials like micro-nukes or biological agents, and screening for any Galactic wanted criminals seeking refuge here after committing offenses.

Yang Ying carried no dangerous items, nor was he a wanted criminal. Warren Gas had undergone complete cosmetic surgery, his appearance significantly altered, and he was even a bit heavier, so there was no fear of recognition.

While queuing near the checkpoint, Yang Ying suddenly heard an exclamation behind him: “Are you by any chance Master Yang Ying of Earth?”

Unexpectedly running into someone who knew him here, Yang Ying turned around. About twenty meters away, a young Gexing girl was waving at him. Around her were five or six other Gexing individuals, young and old. The girl currently had her arm linked with a male companion, and standing in front of them was a middle-aged man who was clearly their leader. Seeing Yang Ying, he too displayed a face caught between surprise and elation.

“It’s you all,” Yang Ying quickly recognized them. It was the same group of Gexing people he had encountered on Bante. The waving girl and the male Gexing beside her had previously fought a group of Kusta people in the streets of Bante’s Disney district. They were losing until he intervened, cutting down all the Kusta people.

The surrounding aliens of various species, hearing the Gexing girl’s shout, turned their attention toward the commotion. She had cried out, “Master Yang Ying!” Among the Gexing, the title ‘Master’ usually referred to a Tier Three expert. Although the galaxy was vast and there were many Eight-Heart individuals mastering psychic powers, they were relatively few compared to the immense population base. Tier Three was already extremely rare—like an Earthling encountering a billionaire ranked in the Forbes Top One Hundred on the street; it was worthy of admiration. If they knew Yang Ying was at the peak of Tier Three, it might have caused a genuine stir.

After parting ways on Bante, the captain of their vessel had looked up Yang Ying’s background and discovered he was a peak Master expert from Earth. For a crew that didn't even have a single Tier Three member, a Peak Master was an astonishing figure. Back then, from the captain down to the crew, they had all breathed heavily afterward, regretting not fostering a better relationship. Now, they unexpectedly met again on Somi.

The girl wanted to greet Yang Ying, so she grabbed her boyfriend’s hand and moved forward along the queue. The other aliens caught between her and Yang Ying were slightly displeased by her cutting in line but didn't show it overtly. Her boyfriend offered wry smiles and apologies to those they bypassed, promising they would return to their original spot in line once their conversation was over.

The girl reached Yang Ying, scratched the back of her head, and said, “What a coincidence, Master Yang Ying, we meet again.”

“It is quite a coincidence. Do you visit Somi often?” Yang Ying asked, remembering Somi was Gexing territory, prompting the casual question.

The girl nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes. Our ship runs cargo runs in this area, so we come to Somi frequently. You could say this is our base of operations.”

Yang Ying smiled. “In that case, if you have time later, you’ll have to give me a proper tour.”

“Of course! You saved our lives! This is just a small favor. The captain just gave us two days leave, so we can show you around,” the girl glanced toward Warren Gas, then leaned in conspiratorially. “Master Yang Ying, is this big fatty next to you also your companion?”

“Ahem!” Warren Gas coughed pointedly.

“Oh! You have excellent hearing,” the Gexing girl stuck her tongue out playfully.

“This is Master Voss,” Yang Ying introduced, stretching out the name and using telepathic communication.

The girl gasped sharply, her face immediately adopting an expression of someone awaiting punishment.

“It’s fine, don't mind him. Master Voss has the capacity to hold a whole ship in his stomach; he won't mind you calling him a big fatty,” Yang Ying shot a look toward Warren Gas. Warren Gas raised an eyebrow and nodded, sending back telepathically, It’s nothing major, I’ll let it go.

“That’s a relief, thank you, Master Voss,” the girl patted her chest, looking as if she had narrowly escaped disaster, and dared not speak carelessly again.

Yang Ying’s Earth identification proved very useful on Somi. He passed through the checkpoint without much effort. As for Warren Gas’s documents, he handled those himself. Yang Ying was surprised that this Burke exploration captain possessed the skill to forge credentials, though, upon reflection, it wasn't strange at all. A Tier Three psychic could easily be highly accomplished; possessing a few specialized tricks was perfectly normal.

Once they reached the main streets outside the compound, Yang Ying waited a moment longer. Seven or eight Gexing people emerged. They were all crew members from the same ship, but Yang Ying was acquainted only with the captain, the young couple, and perhaps one other Gexing girl—the one who always sat at the bow singing.

“Master Yang Ying, back on Bante, why didn’t you tell us you were a Peak Master?” the girl asked curiously. “Do you know how much we regretted it after you left? To have a living legend right in front of us and not recognize him—that feeling was maddening!”

Yang Ying countered with a smile, “Then tell me, why exactly did I need to tell you I was a Peak Master?”

“Well…” the girl scratched her head, mumbling noncommittally for a long time before shaking it. “It seems there’s no reason.”

Yang Ying said, “There you have it. You know now anyway, and we’ve run into each other here again, so let’s just forget about it.”

After leaving the building, the captain assigned duties. He asked the girl and her boyfriend to guide Yang Ying and Warren Gas around the port city. While the other Gexing crew members also wanted to join—spending half a day with a Peak Master would give them bragging rights later—the captain checked with Yang Ying first. Yang Ying mentioned that a large group on the street would be too conspicuous. To avoid displeasing Yang Ying, the captain refused their offers and led them down a different route.

Today will only be one chapter; the second will follow tomorrow. I am ashamed about the diamonds. Such situations might happen frequently in the future; changing back to my old writing habits is truly difficult, but regardless, sleep must be secured. I once heard of an author who pushed himself so hard from writing fatigue that he developed glaucoma and nearly went blind, forcing him to end his career. That truly frightens me. For the sake of these eyes, and for the sake of my health, this temporary arrangement is all I can manage. I hope everyone can understand.

Also, everyone try to sleep early too. Lack of sleep brings all sorts of problems. Health is the capital for revolution; take good care of yourselves.