Chapter 90: An Absurd Mechanism

Tingyun’s gaze swept their way, and in an instant, all the deep philosophical and mechanical questions swirling in Chen’s mind were bulldozed by a single, far more primal thought:

Who gives a damn? I just need to touch him to find out!

He immediately put his plan into motion.

Chen dashed forward, plastering an incredibly sincere and enthusiastic smile onto his face. He shot out his right hand and firmly grasped Tingyun’s—the very same hand that had just sent a Mara-Struck soldier flying, and which was, at that moment, preparing to form a polite, cupped-fist salute.

“Hello, hello! Mr. Tingyun, I’ve heard so much about you! It is an absolute pleasure to finally meet you!” Chen shook his hand with vigor, his tone so warm and effusive it was as if he’d stumbled upon a long-lost brother.

The very instant his palm made contact with Tingyun’s, a tremor, perceptible only to him, connected from the depths of his consciousness.

In the corner of his vision, a crisp, clear icon rapidly transitioned from a dull gray to a brilliant, full-color image.

It… it actually unlocked?!

Chen was stunned for a half-second, a reaction immediately chased by a tidal wave of absurdity that left him speechless.

This broken system’s unlock mechanism is truly baffling! Does it just decide who the ‘true owner’ is based on when they first appeared on the Warp Banner? Forget it, I’ll never figure it out. The point is, the icon lit up. That’s a huge win! A four-star Tingyun… I wonder what it feels like to transform into him… Why am I kind of looking forward to it?

His thoughts raced, but his hand remained firmly clasped around Tingyun’s.

Tingyun was clearly taken aback by this sudden, overly enthusiastic greeting. It was, without a doubt, the first time he had ever experienced a handshake so active, so forceful, and so… intensely fervent.

However, his professional composure as a high-ranking merchant allowed him to recover quickly, though his smile was now tinged with a hint of surprise. He maintained his polite demeanor and gently returned the handshake, allowing his hand to be moved by Chen’s force.

“Uh… friend, you are far too kind. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?”

“Oh, right! My name is Chen, a Trailblazer from the Astral Express.” Only then did Chen finally release his grip and proceed with proper introductions. “This is Ms. Welt, March 7th, and Qiong. We all arrived aboard the Express.”

“The Astral Express?” A glint of recognition flashed in Tingyun’s eyes. “No wonder you all possess such an extraordinary presence! You are the renowned Trailblazers! My apologies for my earlier lack of respect!”

Tingyun nodded in understanding, but a sliver of doubt remained in his gaze.

“However… please forgive me for asking one more question. The entire Xianzhou Luofu is currently under lockdown, and the Star-Chariot Sea-Crossing Spaceport is strictly closed to all entry and exit. The docking system should have been shut down long ago. How exactly did you all manage to arrive here and penetrate so deep into the port area?”

Ms. Welt’s expression remained placid as she answered in a steady voice, “We applied for entry through a standard interstellar channel and received a docking permit and beam guidance. Upon arrival, we found the port completely deserted. We followed the signs of unusual activity, which led us here, where we happened upon Mr. Tingyun in a moment of danger.”

Tingyun’s brow furrowed. “Such a thing occurred? The docking system responded automatically… It seems the chaos in the Central Starskiff Haven is deeper than I imagined.” He paused, then his expression shifted, the professional smile returning to his face. “However,” he changed the subject, cupping his hands in a formal salute toward Ms. Welt and Qing Que, the Cloud Knight Captain.

“Regardless of the circumstances, you have shown me the kindness of a rescue, your strength is extraordinary, and the Astral Express has always enjoyed an excellent reputation. This place is not suitable for a prolonged stay. In my humble opinion, allow me to guide you all to the Sky-Faring Commission to meet with Lady Yukong. Given the current situation, the Helm Master must be the one to decide how to accommodate you and investigate the source of this anomaly in the port. Captain Qing Que, what are your thoughts?”

Qing Que pondered for a moment. The Astral Express was indeed famous. The strength this group had displayed was obvious, and they had helped subdue a Mara-Struck soldier; by all accounts, they were friends, not foes. With communications down and the port’s command system half-paralyzed, bringing such powerful external personnel to a higher-ranking supervisor was the safest and most logical course of action.

“Agreed. Lord Tingyun is familiar with the path, so you shall lead the way. We will provide an escort.”

Qing Que instructed his subordinate Cloud Knights to briefly handle their subdued, Mara-Struck colleagues, then signaled for the group to depart.

Tingyun made a gesture of invitation and led the way toward a passage deep within the container yard. Ms. Welt and her group followed closely, with Qing Que and the remaining Cloud Knights bringing up the rear.

They hadn’t gone far when their path was blocked by several large shipping containers, strewn about haphazardly as if they’d been violently displaced. The mess left only a narrow gap high above, and beside the blockage was a mechanical control panel that clearly required manual operation. The console for the freight crane looked dauntingly complex.

Tingyun stopped, looking up at the stacked containers with a hint of difficulty on his face. “This is a shortcut to the main artery of the port. If we take a detour, it will likely cause a great deal of trouble, and there’s no guarantee the other paths are clear. However, cracking this mechanism might take some time…”

Before he could finish, Chen’s undisguised, disdainful complaint cut through the air.

“I knew it! It’s this trash puzzle again—moving boxes to open a door! What kind of genius designs a process that forces people to play Sokoban during an emergency?”

Hearing this, Tingyun smiled awkwardly. “What this Benefactor says… is indeed true. However, there is no other way right now. These containers are incredibly heavy, and manpower would struggle to…”

“Aunt Yang,” Chen didn’t even let him finish. He turned directly to Ms. Welt, his eyes brimming with absolute trust and expectation. “We’re counting on you.”

Ms. Welt: “…”

She glanced at the pile of containers. Then she looked at the eager face of Chen, and the equally trusting gazes of March 7th and Qiong. She adjusted her glasses and let out a soft, almost imperceptible sigh.

Without any unnecessary movement, she simply raised her right hand again, pointing her palm at the containers blocking the passage.

An invisible force field, far more pronounced than the one she had used on the Mara-Struck soldier, descended upon the area.

Under the dumbfounded gazes of Tingyun and the entire contingent of Cloud Knights, the colossal metal containers, each weighing many tons, were lifted as effortlessly as a child’s building blocks. An irresistible, immense force raised them into the air. They floated silently several meters to the side and were set down gently in an open area nearby, stacked so neatly they barely kicked up a speck of dust.

The blocked passage was now completely clear.

Ms. Welt lowered her hand and nodded to Chen as if she had just performed the most trivial of tasks. Then, she turned her calm gaze to the somewhat petrified Tingyun.

“The path is clear. Please continue to lead the way, Mr. Tingyun.”

Tingyun: “…”

He opened his mouth, looked at the wide-open road, and then at the neat stack of containers that had been instantly relocated. Finally, his gaze returned to Ms. Welt’s impossibly calm face. A thousand words of shock and awe ultimately condensed into a single, slightly trembling exclamation:

“I… I have truly had my eyes opened today… Benefactors, please, please follow me!”

Qing Que and the Cloud Knights exchanged looks of pure shock before silently falling in line behind him. In their minds, their assessment of this Astral Express crew had just been elevated by several ranks.

Chen followed along contentedly, feeling utterly delighted.

See? Look how much trouble we saved! Who needs puzzles? Brute force is the one true king! Aunt Yang, The Eternal G.O.A.T.!

[Elysian’s Note:

Having a good time with the story?

Every single bit helps immensely:

Thanks a ton for making this journey possible!]