The members of the Red Hair faction and other organizational personnel had just finalized their battle plans and stepped out of the Silver Talisman Hotel. Hearing what Ziye said, they couldn't help but exchange knowing smiles. Red Hair even made a point of walking over and tugging at one of Ziye's stiff, upright strands of hair. "Little Stinky, you’re actually on time for once. That’s rare!"

Ziye rolled her eyes in exasperation. Was it really worth holding a grudge over her being one day late for her cycle last year?

Seeing her displeased expression, Red Hair reached out and pinched her cheek. "Oh, you can even get angry now! Too bad Sis has work to do. Don't leave, okay? Wait for me to get back."

Ziye sullenly swatted her hand away. Red Hair suddenly flashed behind Ziye and pressed her ample chest firmly against Ziye's shoulder. Ziye turned her head back, glaring at her fiercely.

Red Hair acted as if she hadn't noticed, coquettishly smoothing her naturally curly red hair before gliding away with an alluring gait.

The entire exchange had Leg-Soggy standing by the side, his eyes wide and fixed. Only after Red Hair was far away did he turn his neck red and bellow with a thick voice, "Little Stinky Zi, can you stop calling me that? You’ve ruined my reputation!"

Red Hair was his goddess! Ziye had actually called him Leg-Soggy in front of his goddess, and his goddess actually smiled! Leg-Soggy’s face cycled through shades of white and red, turning an ashen blue, and finally pitch black. That detestable Little Stinky Zi had embarrassed him in front of his goddess, which was why his goddess hadn't even spared him a glance!

What was even worse was that his goddess had gone over to rub against that hateful Little Stinky Zi. It was simply unbearable!

Ziye blinked in confusion. "Do you even have a reputation left to ruin? Everyone on this planet knows your name..."

Leg-Soggy fumed in frustration. "I have an excellent reputation! If you hadn't said that just now, my goddess definitely would have smiled at me and pressed herself against me with those big breasts!"

This guy was hopeless. Ziye stuck out her tongue, deciding to placate him. "Alright, alright, Brother Soggy, don't worry about it. If you want to ask her out, I’ll help you, okay?"

Leg-Soggy nearly wanted to smack her dead.

What Brother Soggy, Leg-Soggy, wasn't it all the same? The point was 'soggy,' not 'leg'! He truly couldn't understand why his legs had gone weak when he stepped off the airship. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been disgraced to this day. The word 'soggy' made it impossible for him to stand up straight wherever he went.

How hateful! How hateful!

Fortunately, Leg-Soggy was a giant in imagination but a dwarf in action, daring not to actually hit her. He just stood there, puffing out his belly and gasping heavily. Ziye considered it best not to provoke his fragile little heart further and changed the subject. "Regarding the wormhole matter..."

The moment his professional field was mentioned, Leg-Soggy immediately lifted his chin and snorted, "Do you know what to call me now?"

Ziye paused, then weakly called out, "Uncle Leg-Soggy?"

Leg-Soggy’s face turned green. He turned his back. "Wormholes are such complicated things, I don't understand them. Go ask someone else."

Ziye rushed forward and quickly blocked him. "Wait, wait, Big Brother, Handsome, don't be like that. I know you're the best."

"While I may not deserve the title Handsome, since you like it so much, I will accept it," Leg-Soggy replied with a show of 'modesty,' stopping his steps. "Shall we go sit in the restaurant?"

The Silver Talisman Hotel had two restaurants, one on the top floor and one on the ground floor.

Before coming to Silver Talisman, Leg-Soggy had a habit of putting on airs and looked down on the ground-floor restaurant. Ziye had no choice but to accompany him to the rooftop one to pass the time. He had only arrived on Silver Talisman Star recently and had low living standards, constantly struggling on the poverty line. Therefore, upon encountering Ziye, this "wealthy person," he showed no restraint whatsoever, ordering several bottles of the only fruit wine supplied by Silver Talisman and a table overflowing with dishes. He didn't invite Ziye to eat, devouring everything himself like someone who hadn't eaten in three days.

Ziye was almost reduced to tears of frustration and laughter, leaning back in her chair sipping tea while waiting for him to finish. Once he was satisfied, he poured himself a glass of fruit wine before finally addressing the serious business.

"Most of the data has been shared, but, Little Stinky Zi, the tension in this wormhole is unusual. I analyzed the subatomic particles you sent over and found the gravitational field distribution inside the wormhole is very chaotic. There's a strong sense of squeezing in the vertical direction and severe stretching horizontally. Many of the subatomic particles are actually debris from the ship and its crew, torn apart like that by the tension."

Ziye was dumbfounded, unable to utter a single word. That wormhole sounded terrifying! It was more than just luck that An Junlie had survived!

Seeing her mouth hanging open, Leg-Soggy elegantly picked up his wine glass, swirled it, and downed the contents in one gulp. "There is one piece of good news, though. I’ve studied that wormhole before. Its structure is excellent and quite stable, with low radiation. The Federation once intended to pump negative energy particles into it to prop the space open, but the cost was too high, so they gave up. Given the current conditions, as long as there are enough particles, finding the optimal point for spacetime curvature to form a smooth trajectory, there's a pretty decent chance of passing through safely."

Ziye was about to ask a question when the Silver Talisman Hotel broadcast suddenly chimed in: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Silver Talisman Hotel. Please familiarize yourselves with the hotel rules and avoid making mistakes, as one mistake will result in a fine of ten thousand Silver Talisman coins! Additionally, please note the dining times; missed meals will not be served again. For any inquiries, please consult the information desk. Thank you for staying with us, and we wish you all the best."

Every year, the voice and words of the Silver Talisman Hotel broadcast were the same; Ziye could recite it by heart and paid it no mind. As soon as the broadcast stopped, she immediately opened her mouth, but Leg-Soggy was quicker. "I almost forgot the important stuff! I still need to ask the front desk which room my goddess is staying in. I’m moving in next door to her!"

Uh... all the questions Ziye had were suddenly stuck in her throat. Leg-Soggy didn't give her a chance to speak, already standing up as he said, "I'm leaving now. We can talk about any issues later." By the time he finished speaking, he was already at the restaurant doorway.

Ziye gave up the impulse to stop him, drooping her head dejectedly and resting it on the cool tabletop.

Little Sprout wriggled out of her pocket, climbed onto her head, and shook back and forth. "Master, Master, what’s wrong?"

Ziye clenched her fists. "I... I absolutely despise Leg-Soggy!"

Next time they met, see if she didn't torture him!

The annual gathering, besides being for 69, was also an important social event on Silver Talisman Star. As criminals, their personalities tended to be rather solitary and eccentric. They usually didn't like visiting each other, so this rare excuse to gather saw them sitting in twos and threes, either showing off their scientific achievements, playing chess, drinking tea, bird-watching, or more commonly, arguing heatedly over trivial matters.

Fundamentally, Ziye found them quite endearing. It was only at times like these that they seemed like normal people. Even when they bickered, they weren't truly angry; they just wanted to say more.

Life on Silver Talisman was even more monotonous than life in ancient society three thousand years ago.