Chapter 2830: Unease

Alfred was shocked by Chu Chuyan’s beauty, but he quickly snapped out of it and performed an impeccable bow. “Young master Zu and Miss Chu, welcome to our Conglomerate.”

Chu Chuyan’s face reddened. The only way Alfred could have recognized her was if Isabella had also recognized her from the hologram call and given him a heads-up. This is embarrassing. It’s all Ah Zu’s fault!

You have successfully trolled Chu Chuyan for +55... +55... +55...

Zu An burst into laughter. Chuyan must be thinking of that incident. “It has been a while, but your complexion looks better than ever, Alfred.”

“It’s all thanks to you, young master Zu. Otherwise, I’d have died in that demon spider lair.” Alfred trembled in fear, thinking about what had happened then.

They traded some pleasantries before Zu An casually asked, “Speaking of which, where’s Isabella?”

Alfred explained, “An important matter that requires our big miss’ intervention has cropped up recently. She has her hands full at the moment, so she entrusted me to take good care of you. I hope you don’t mind it.”

Zu An replied with a smile, “Work comes first.”

But his heart sank. Isabella had already excitedly mentioned that she would receive him when he arrived several times, but it had been days since he last managed to contact her. Given their relationship, she would have squeezed in some time to welcome him before rushing off to handle her business.

Could something have happened to Isabella?

But since Alfred refused to speak, Zu An withheld his thoughts.

Alfred brought the two of them to a sedan which, considering the lack of wheels, appeared to be a low-altitude aircraft. The sedan was extravagant, installed with all sorts of high-technology items.

Chu Chuyan sat upright, showing none of the excitement and curiosity she had displayed on the spaceship. She didn’t want to appear like a bumpkin in front of Isabella’s subordinate.

Zu An quietly took in the scenery outside. The streets were lined with glowing travelators and towering skyscrapers that appeared to be alive. He had already seen the skyscrapers change their shapes and positions several times now.

Alfred explained, “They are made out of liquefied metal or Memory Crystals, which allows them to change their form when required. More often than not, they are used for advertisements.”

And indeed, the skyscrapers were projecting all kinds of immersive, holographic advertisements.

Zu An was rendered speechless. I guess ads can’t be avoided no matter where we go.

The streets were filled with beings from all over the Myriad Worlds. Zu An could spot a cultivator riding on an immortal crane bickering with an octopus-shaped mecha lifeform. At this rate, it looked as if they could get into a fight.

Colossal beasts of over fifty meters tall were patiently carrying mountainloads of goods on a specified pathway on the streets.

...

The sky was filled with low-altitude aircraft, cultivators riding on swords, and monsters with unfurled wings, inundating the sky with all sorts of lights. There were no traffic lights, but these beings still moved in a fast and orderly fashion with zero risk of collision.

Zu An looked up at the blue sky, where there was not only a majestic golden interstellar river visible, but also trade data that kept refreshing every second. He asked, “That isn’t the real sky, is it?”

Ever since entering the port, he'd noticed that there was an artificial ceiling above them.

“Young master Zu is indeed sharp-eyed. Most people fail to notice that. This information is confidential, but young master Zu is our Conglomerate’s benefactor, so it isn’t a problem to tell you.”

Alfred opened an interface. Zu An and Chu Chuyan saw something flicker across their eyes, then the blue sky abruptly vanished, replaced by three blazing fireballs that were much bigger than the sun.

The land beneath them wasn't true earth, either. It was an amalgamation of flowing digits, energy, and all kinds of materials. They continuously reconstructed and expanded at a pace visible to the naked eye, forming a massive ring around the three stars.

Zu An sensed that the massive ring world served to contain the three stars.

“The Conglomerate requires a colossal amount of energy for its daily operations, which is why the Fortune Palace is constructed around three stars to allow for easy harvesting of energy. The golden interstellar river you saw earlier doubles as a system of energy mirrors to prevent the stars’ energy from leaking out, thus maximizing our energy efficiency,” Alfred explained. “We only constructed an immersive hologram and an atmospheric layer to accommodate the habits of most living beings.”

Scientists in Zu An’s previous life had proposed the concept of a Dyson sphere[1], though their civilization had been nowhere close to achieving that feat. But the Universal Conglomerate had gone a step further to harness the power of not just a single star, but three stars.

Chu Chuyan widened her eyes in astonishment.

People of the Cultivation World were grateful to the sun’s bestowment, and there were even religions that worshiped it. Yet stars much larger than the sun were being treated like servants here. Is this the coldness of high-tech civilizations?

Zu An asked out of curiosity, “As large as these three stars are, their energy will eventually run out. What will you do then?”

Those three stars had to harness an unimaginable amount of energy, but judging from what he had seen along the way, the Fortune Palace was constantly expending an astronomical amount of energy as well. Surely the energy from the three stars would be depleted one day.

“We’ll just look for new stars to harvest from. The Fortune Palace is mobile. It can search for new stars when required,” Alfred replied casually. “But at the current pace, these three stars can still sustain us for at least ten thousand years.”

Zu An and Chu Chuyan fell silent. They felt a sense of powerlessness compared to the ridiculous feats performed by high-tech civilizations.

Looking at the three stars, a ridiculous notion suddenly emerged in Zu An’s head.

I wonder if my Sun Slaying Bow could shoot them down. But considering the Universal Conglomerate’s technological prowess, I’m sure countless defensive weapons would emerge to block my arrow as soon as I shot it.

Soon, the sky and the earth reverted to normal, and the extravagant sedan stopped at a quiet but luxurious manor.

“This is one of our old master’s favorite accommodations. Please stay here for the next few days. Feel free to request anything from the maids and the servants here,” Alfred said as he brought them on a tour around the manor.

“When can I meet Isabella and the Third Elder?” As beautiful as the manor was, Zu An wasn't here for a holiday.

Alfred looked troubled. “I’m afraid the old master and the big miss have their hands full at the moment. However, you can be assured that they will meet you as soon as they are done with their business.”

Zu An and Chu Chuyan exchanged looks. They could see unease in each other’s eyes.

1. A Dyson sphere is a hypothetical megastructure that encompasses a star and captures a large percentage of its power output ☜

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