[Master, a hidden space is a space connected to your soul. You can use it as a storage. You can plant inside. And you can also build a home.]
"The space is hidden inside my soul, so it can't be noticed or extracted by other people, right?"
[Don't worry, Master. High-end technology has already created conditions for people to store food without perishing, and they have also expanded the size of the largest space button. No one would think you have a special storage, but they would think you came from a wealthy family.]
"Thankfully, that gives me enough reassurance not to be chased or killed by other forces."
Shang Ruoyan continued her walk up the mountain. She found bell peppers, chilis, and lemon grass on the road. She also collected fruits like oranges, papayas, and coconuts. She was only missing rice, sugarcane, and salt. But this did not discourage her. She was happy.
[Master, be careful! I found a wormhole.]
"What's within the wormhole?"
[Zergs!]
With the appearance of a wormhole, several optical brains and news from Skynet erupted. Warnings were given to the residential area closest to Bimu's largest forest. Military vehicles appeared in the forest where Shang Ruoyan was standing.
[Master, we need to escape now. The military would detain you if they found you here.]
"Why would they?"
[Because civilians are expected to hide when Zergs occur.]
"That's it?"
[Yes, Master. And please don't forget that you are a minor.]
Shang Ruoyan rushed down the mountain without alerting anyone.
It was almost evening when she returned to the villa. The light in the property shone brightly. She wanted to cook, but she stopped the urge to buy ingredients online.
I'd better find an opportunity to study the animals on this planet, as well as the kinds of Zergs. It's better to hunt than spend the general's money.
She sighed and drank a nutrient solution. It did not matter to her if the taste did not match the description on the vial. The strawberry-flavored drink tasted awful, like a poisoned drink.
She changed her clothes and went to check the seedlings she had planted.
"The seeds have grown well."
[Master, they are healthy-looking plants. Congratulations!]
"Can you check when I can transplant some of these into the space? I want to try using the soil inside the space, it's more fertile."
[Master, leave the plants for three more days in this kind of soil, then you can transplant them inside the space.]
Shang Ruoyan chose a batch of plant samples from her harvest and planted them in the backyard of her house. She aimed to grow more plants and benefit from their products. Being a planter is a hard task in the interstellar era. One needs the qualifications and resources to plant.
Being a chef is also an arduous task. The nutritional value of food needs to be balanced before it comes to the market, and all recipes need to be approved by the Food Interstellar Research Institute. It is widely known that foods in the interstellar era do not match the taste of simple dishes back on Earth, since recipe books have long been lost.
Another factor for the bad taste of natural food is the amount of toxins absorbed by living things from the sun's radiation. So more and more people prefer to drink a nutrient solution than buy natural food and cook. Shang Ruoyan sighed. The downside of prosperity in the interstellar era is the lack of food choices.
"Yuebao, will I get rich by being a farmer and a cook? I mean, I can build restaurants, right?"
[Let's look forward to it, Master. The future is unknown, and you still have a lot of tasks to complete.]
Since the two were busy, they did not notice that something was wrong with Jing Yichen.
Jing Yichen was stuck in a dream.
In the dream, he was pushed by his closest friend into a horde of Zergs.
"Why did you betray me?"
"Do you need to question that? Wasn't the answer obvious enough? I want you to disappear."
"But, why? What did I do to earn your hatred?"
"You outshone me, Yichen. When we joined the same school, we had the same goal. We have the same strength, but you shone brighter than any of your companions on the battlefield. You made me question my worth. Am I not on par with you even if I worked harder than you?"
"You..."
"You have a big family to back your growth. You have enough resources to reach your full potential. You are as bright as a star. And you never forgot about us. But it left us ashamed of ourselves. You always pretended to be kind!"
"Was it my fault? Is my kindness an act to you?"
"Yes! It is your fault for being too outstanding! You just need to die peacefully so you will no longer stand in other people's way. Just die as a hero! Let us shine after you're gone."
Jing Yichen couldn't believe that the people he trusted the most would want him dead. He never saw the greed and jealousy in their eyes. He gave his back to them, but they stabbed him without mercy.
"Why?"
"Stop asking why! Just die, General!"
"General, please die!"
"Die for us!"
"Die!"
"Die!"
"Die!"
A dangerous surge of energy erupted from the room where Jing Yichen was sleeping.
[Master, quick! The general is having a mental riot! You must save him!]
"Again?"
Shang Ruoyan rushed to the room next to hers.
She tried to calm Jing Yichen through her mental power, but it was useless. She tried to enter his mind, but the energy surrounding him was too ferocious, and it kept denying her entry. She reached out to hold his hand, hoping her energy could flow, but nothing happened.
"Is there a potion he could drink to calm him down?"
[No, Master, mental riots couldn't be calmed by ordinary potions. You must keep in mind that the general was kidnapped and experimented on when he was very young. His body is immune to most medicines and poisons.]
"It's really difficult to live as the villain. Anyway, I guess when Snow White was in danger, her prince charming arrived to save her with a kiss. Will it work if I try it?"