No matter where he lived, An Junlie was always an early riser, up at five in the morning for his physical training. This discipline was ingrained from the time he and his Master were vagrants; they would train at five, resolve breakfast by six, and then begin another day of wandering.
The early-rising miners who saw him were slightly surprised, but work was paramount, and they quickly piloted their mechs away. A moment later, a woman in coarse cloth approached him, her face gentle, a smile playing on her lips. “Hello, child. I am…”
An Junlie stopped his movements. “Good morning, Mama Ditar.”
The woman smiled. “A good child. Forgive my forwardness, but have you eaten breakfast yet?”
An Junlie shook his head. “Not yet. I’ll have breakfast after I finish my daily routine.”
Mama Ditar nodded. “Then come over for breakfast later, alright? It’s in the house just ahead.”
An Junlie nodded, thanked the woman, and continued his training. Upon finishing, he showered, feeling refreshed, and walked to Lan Li’s room. Lan Li was sprawled across the soft, jellyfish-metal bed, drooling slightly, clearly lost in some delicious dream.
An Junlie kicked him awake, and together they went to Old Man Ditar’s house for breakfast.
Mama Ditar was in charge of the meal.
All the children were gathered around a large oval table, sitting on standard-height chairs, their feet dangling, sipping the porridge in their bowls.
Seeing them arrive, Mama Ditar served two large bowls of porridge to the empty spots and gestured, “Eat here.”
The porridge was a bit thin, containing several different ingredients, perfectly balanced in flavor—soft, fragrant, and easy to consume. An Junlie looked at Mama Ditar with surprise. She was watching him. Their eyes met, and she offered a gentle smile.
An Junlie seemed to realize something. After finishing his porridge, he proactively sought her out.
Mama Ditar asked, “Forgive my forwardness, but do you have any desire to become a nutritionist?”
An Junlie paused. “A nutritionist?”
Mama Ditar explained, “I am a nutritionist, holding an advanced interstellar certification. After tasting the meal you prepared yesterday, I felt you have a great talent in this area. Would you be willing to become my student?”
An Junlie was silent for a moment. “Mama Ditar, thank you for your kindness. Everything I cook was taught to me by my Master. He was someone who paid no mind to nutrition; his sole objective was never to abuse his stomach, regardless of the circumstances. The dishes I make are purely for taste; I’ve never considered the nutritional balance. Perhaps I am not an ideal candidate.”
A trace of disappointment flickered in Mama Ditar’s eyes; she recognized the refusal in his tone.
An Junlie continued, “Mama Ditar, perhaps you could choose one of the other children to be your student. My goal isn’t to be a nutritionist; my goal is to re-establish the Angelic Star Domain!”
Mama Ditar froze.
The Angelic Star Domain. That name was already history.
She never imagined those four words would be spoken by a youth. His gaze was so resolute that not a trace of jest could be found within it.
Tears welled in Mama Ditar’s eyes, and she choked out, “Good child, as long as you have the heart for it, that is enough.”
An Junlie nodded to her and turned, walking out of the dining room.
Lan Li, who had been hiding by the window to eavesdrop, was also stunned. An Junlie was going to rebuild the Angelic Star Domain? What a monumental objective!
He felt a little conflicted. Should he follow An Junlie in this endeavor, or should he return to being the young master of the Lan Clan?
Rebuilding the Angelic Star Domain—those six words implied six corresponding concepts: difficulty, danger, and longevity. During this time, he had deeply understood that following An Junlie meant life would absolutely not be easy; never mind the period on the Devil Planet, even these few days out here had utterly overturned his worldview.
Did he truly possess the courage to wander the stars like An Junlie? Until just now, he had always thought that if he ever tired of being out in the wild, he could simply go back to his life as the young master.
Now, he suddenly realized that following An Junlie was a path of no return. If he didn’t want to step onto that road, he needed to extract himself right now and return to the Lan Clan as their young master.
Lan Li was deeply conflicted.
Lan Li rested his head against the wall, deep in thought.
The twins finished their breakfast, glanced at Lan Li, and then scampered off to follow An Junlie.
After walking a short distance, An Junlie spotted them. Seeming to recall something, he squatted down. “Do you want to pilot a mech?”
The twins’ eyes widened. “Pilot a mech to mine?”
An Junlie shook his head. “No. Pilot a mech to take back the Angelic Star Domain!”
The twins looked somewhat bewildered.
An Junlie patted their heads and stood up just as Lan Li walked toward him, head bowed, his expression hidden in the shadow of his hair.
An Junlie asked, “I plan to go buy a mech soon. Want to come along?”
Lan Li looked up. “You’re going to rebuild the Angelic Star Domain?”
An Junlie smiled. “I was just about to tell you, and you already know.”
Lan Li frowned. “You’re insane.”
An Junlie responded, “Perhaps I am. But this is the first time I’ve felt such an intense drive to do something, so I won’t give up.”
Lan Li waved his hand dismissively. “If you’re going to be this crazy, I’m not playing with you anymore.” With that, he turned his backly.
An Junlie nodded. “I understand.” He took out Lan Li’s card, approached him, and solemnly placed it in his hand. “This is your card, your money.”
Lan Li flared up in anger. “Do you think I lack this small amount of money? I am the young master of the illustrious Lan Clan; I don't value this petty cash!”
An Junlie paused, then retracted his hand. “In that case, could you lend me this money? I’ll write you an IOU. I will pay it back within five years.”
Lan Li: “…You’re infuriating me!!!”
He ignored An Junlie completely and stormed away.
An Junlie watched his retreating back, shook his head, and asked the twins to guide him to the mech market he intended to visit.
Lan Li waited, fully expecting An Junlie to apologize. When An Junlie never showed up, he became angry and went home!
An Junlie had originally planned to go to the arena, but on second thought, the people there still remembered him, so he decided against it and went to teach the twins instead. His plan was to have the twins fight in the ring while he handled the betting. In the words of his Master, the twins had excellent bone structure; if they started martial arts training young, they would achieve great things.
Thus, An Junlie partnered with Old Man Ditar. Old Man Ditar would contact his former comrades, and An Junlie would instruct the children. After hearing his wife about An Junlie's goal, Old Man Ditar was first incredulous, but then readily agreed. Whether rebuilding the Angelic Star Domain succeeded or failed, improving the living conditions for these children and his comrades was undeniable. He had no reason to hesitate.
In addition to teaching the children, An Junlie used his prize money to purchase a batch of optical brains and communicators, and hired teachers from various professions to instruct the children formally.
Three months later, all the children, except the twins, began regular schooling. As for the twins, they were accustomed to An Junlie’s teaching style and absolutely refused to transfer to any other instructor. An Junlie didn’t push it; he trained them well, took them to the arena, and swiftly multiplied the money he had several times over. Finally, they had enough money to live!
When Lan Li returned to the Lan Clan, the anger over his running away had long dissipated, but his supervision became even tighter to prevent him from leaving again. However, Lan Li had witnessed a different way of life and found it impossible to accept spending his days doing pointless activities with the daughters of prestigious families. Decent young people seemed capable of nothing beyond comparison and showing off. He struggled to imagine how he had ever been friends with such shallow individuals.
He lost his taste for attending various banquets and became much more taciturn at school. When he had free time, he preferred to stay in the library researching data—the history of past interstellar wars and the downfall of the Angelic Star Domain. The more history he read, the clearer one truth became: in space, no family that neglects self-improvement can remain stable and secure for long. The decline of the centuries-old Lan Clan was the best example. Moreover, the families constantly hosting elaborate banquets were mostly newly rich nobles. They had struck it rich through some means, becoming nouveau riche, and then their patriarchs toiled outside while their wives and children squandered fortunes everywhere. Such families rarely lasted more than a few generations.
With this realization, Lan Li had a serious conversation with his father. “Space cannot remain stable forever, Father. War might erupt again any day. If our family doesn’t strive harder, we might be swallowed up when the next conflict comes.”
Lan Li’s father was surprised by this sudden maturation and asked, “Then how do you think we should strive?”
Lan Li hadn’t fully formulated a plan, but this time he refused to brush it off lightly. He said seriously, “Father, let me go out and gain experience. In the future, I can surely sustain the entire family.”
Lan Li’s father pondered briefly, understanding the reason for his son’s transformation. “You’ve certainly grown quite a bit during your time away from home.”
Lan Li explained, “During my runaway period, I encountered pirates and nearly lost my life. I also met what you would call fantastical hermits, and I gained a good friend. I told him that one must have a goal and pursue it. But when I came home, I realized I had no goal.”
Lan Li’s father sank into contemplation.
Lan Li pressed on, “Father, give me a chance. I want to become a useful person.”
Lan Li’s father smiled slightly. “Perhaps I’ve been too strict, which has only stifled your growth. How about this: go out piloting a mech later, and I will dispatch five escort frigates to intercept you. If you can successfully evade them, I will let you go.”
Lan Li jumped up happily and hugged his father’s shoulder. “Father, I knew you were the best!”
Half a month later, Lan Li successfully bypassed the five frigates and cheerfully flew back to An Junlie’s side. To his dismay, An Junlie showed no reaction to his return, simply taking out the card that belonged to him. “Here is the money I owe you.”
Lan Li: “…”
Could he flip the table?!