At the eastern edge of Solar System #50, the last stop of the newly built Ten-Sun Greenhouse Ring smelled like roasted garlic, sweet honey, and sizzling peanut oil.
On the massive iron observation deck of the Border Terminal Station, Pei Xuan stood with his hands tucked into his warm cotton sleeves. He took a slow sip of hot goji-berry tea from his enameled tin mug and looked out past the brass safety railings.
Behind him, the fifty solar systems of Dry-Well Village’s territory were glowing like a string of warm, golden lanterns across the starry sky. High-speed Spirit-Furnace Star-Trains whistled cheerfully as they glided along glowing sword-beam rails, carrying millions of tons of Golden-Ear Spirit Corn and fresh boxes of Honey-Glazed Space-Shrimp to a trillion happy citizens.
Down on the station plaza, former Cult Master Gu Chong—wearing a tall white chef’s hat and a clean yellow Debtor Apron—was tossing a fifty-ton iron wok with both hands. His Rank 8 Late Wind-Fire Qi roared under the pan as he flipped a mountain of crispy locust-shrimp into the air.
“Come get your fresh Garlic-Butter Space-Shrimp!” Gu Chong shouted proudly into a brass megaphone, his face shining with grease and honest sweat. “One Grain-Note for a full lunchbox! Two boxes get you a free cup of Sweet-Spring Radish Soup! Don’t push, folks, the Queen laid three million tons of custard eggs this morning!”
