Chapter 37: Twenty-Four Hours
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Jiang Hui rose early the next morning. At last, she had enjoyed a normal night’s sleep, temporarily escaping the misery of insomnia—and she had finally confirmed one thing.
That space—
That strange space was not endless. After spending twenty-four hours there, she would invariably return to the interstellar world of reality.
How did she know?
The previous night, in order to test her theory, Jiang Hui had forced herself to spend a full twenty-four hours inside that space without sleeping for even an hour. Then she had opened her eyes and awakened in her bedroom in the interstellar world.
What was more, she discovered that hardly any time had passed in reality between falling asleep and waking up…
And what did that mean? After all, she needed time to fall asleep in the first place.
In other words, the time Jiang Hui spent in that space most likely did not exist in reality. The flow of time in the “dream” space neither interfered with nor overlapped the flow of time in the interstellar world. Put simply, whenever she entered, she would return at the corresponding moment.
It was very likely a completely motionless space.
Ever since arriving in the interstellar world, Jiang Hui had entered that strange space almost once every day, and each time she had remained there for roughly the full duration before returning in a daze. Could she therefore assume that her cycle of entry into the space was also twenty-four hours?
She had to spend twenty-four hours in the real world, and after entering that strange dream, she likewise had to spend twenty-four hours there…
Good heavens. Even livestock did not live like that.
Although she still had not fully realized what sort of bizarre ordeal she had landed herself in, her instincts were already shrieking about the misery that awaited her in the days to come—
Still, this matter had to remain marked with a question for now. It required further confirmation.
For the moment, Jiang Hui’s first priority was today’s negotiation. She had not forgotten that she had arranged to meet a lawyer and visit the Hailusi Group today.
The girl threw off the covers, changed into the casual clothes she had prepared the day before, tidied herself up, slipped on her shoes, and walked out into the living room.
Because she had forced herself to stay awake in the strange space, Jiang Hui had naturally fallen asleep the moment she returned. She had slept soundly through a dreamless night. Thus, although she had risen rather early, she was still in excellent spirits.
Today was her first time traveling alone in the interstellar world.
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Although she did her best not to show it, she could not help feeling a little excited inside.
Even after boarding the levitation train, Jiang Hui found it difficult to suppress her faint excitement.
This levitation train was yet another form of transportation she had never used before. It ran without rails and did not travel close to the ground. Instead, it passed between stations along some sort of magnetic field—in other words, it operated without any fixed track.
Nevertheless, this mode of transport was remarkably smooth. Jiang Hui lived in the Fourth Ring of the Central District, and to reach the First Ring surrounding the city center, taking one of these rail-less trains was far more convenient—and much faster—than taking a city bus.
There was just one drawback: this form of transportation was expensive. Its fares were more than three or four times those of a city bus. Unless they had a special need, most people did not particularly care to use it.
Jiang Hui, however, did not mind. According to the regulations, the Hailusi Group was required to reimburse her travel expenses and meal allowance for this trip.
The other party had originally offered to send a flying car to pick her up, but Jiang Hui had declined. She had also arranged to meet Lawyer Jian near the Hailusi Group headquarters.
The Hailusi Group’s headquarters stood in the First Ring of the continent on this planet—in other words, in the central urban district of the entire continent. All the planet’s famous conglomerates and corporations were concentrated there. It was also the most opulent and indulgent place on the entire continent, where virtually all the wealthy had gathered.
Clearly, this planet possessed an economy of extraordinary concentration.
Jiang Hui had already browsed countless images of the interstellar world’s astonishing cityscapes and astronomical vistas on her optical computer. The initial shock had gradually given way to acceptance, yet even now she was still struck speechless by the sights before her. Admiration for grand and magnificent scenery was an instinctive part of being human.
Passing through stretches of skyscrapers, nearly every one of them hundreds of stories tall, and moving beyond all manner of strange buildings, Jiang Hui finally found the tea salon where she was to meet Ms. Jian by following the directions on her navigation system.
It was a small, detached villa only four or five stories high, surrounded by a lush little garden. Amid the surrounding forest of skyscrapers, it looked exceptionally short—and conspicuous.
Oh, it was obvious that the owner was not short of money. Land in the interstellar world was astonishingly valuable. In a place where every inch was worth its weight in gold, choosing to build a low villa instead of a skyscraper—one whose total floors did not even amount to a fraction of the neighboring towers—required a certain amount of extravagance.
Leaving aside everything else, this reproduction of a Rococo-style building, so reminiscent of Blue Star, was remarkably convincing. It was far more authentic than the faux European towns Jiang Hui had visited back on Blue Star.
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The girl stepped into the little courtyard, pushed open the heavy wooden door, and entered the tea salon. The moment she crossed the threshold, she heard the delicate chime of wind bells. A slightly cool breeze brushed against her face, and her gaze naturally turned toward the main hall.
The tea salon was divided into a series of private booths. Its decorations, lighting, and ornaments all possessed a distinctly antiquated style. It was probably the sort of place beloved by enthusiasts of ancient cultures. Jiang Hui, however, had no time to admire the surroundings. She was focused on finding the Ms. Jian she had come to meet.
Fortunately, Ms. Jian was not as face-blind as Jiang Hui. She spotted her at once and waved.
Only after walking past the woman several times without noticing her did Jiang Hui realize who she was. Embarrassed, she approached and said, “Hello, Ms. Jian. I’m Jiang Hui. I’m sorry—have you been waiting long?”
“Not at all. I only just arrived myself. You’re Ms. Jiang Hui, correct?”
Her counterpart was clearly a young woman with a very approachable appearance. She had brown hair and brown eyes, with distinct European features, yet her facial contours also possessed the gentle softness of an Eastern woman. There was a certain classical beauty to her, and her overall bearing was warm and comforting.
Jiang Hui’s impression of her was excellent—better even than the impression she had formed from seeing her photograph.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two quickly turned to discussing their upcoming meeting with the Hailusi Group. They went over the circumstances surrounding the matter. Although most of it had already been explained during their meeting the previous day, it was clearly best to verify everything once more before proceeding.
Ms. Jian again expressed her deep sympathy for Jiang Hui’s plight. She also condemned the Hailusi Group as an irresponsible corporation and assured Jiang Hui that she would handle the commission properly.
The two soon reached an agreement, and the atmosphere was quite pleasant.
When it was nearly time, they paid the bill and walked directly to the nearby headquarters of the Hailusi Group to attend the meeting they had arranged.
Along the way, Jiang Hui felt calmer than she ever had before.
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