“Do you have as big an appetite as I do?”
A flicker of understanding passed through Huang Xiu’s eyes as she quickly jotted down a few of the dishes she remembered as particularly delicious.
“Farmer’s Stir-fried Pork, Flavorful Pork Hocks, Braised Cabbage Hearts, Boiled Fish Head, Stir-fried Yellow Beef, and Corn Rib Soup.”
The purple ballpoint pen twirled gracefully between Huang Xiu’s fingers, slender as scallion roots.
“That’s four meat dishes, one vegetable, and one soup, Teacher Yue. Do you think that’s enough? Or would you like to order a few more?”
“Alright!” Yue Zhengyang put down his phone, took the wooden clip and menu, and began to flip through it.
Seizing this opportunity, Huang Xiu unwrapped the tableware, meticulously placing each piece before her, then scalding and rinsing them with the hot tea provided by the restaurant.
“I’ve traveled through so many provinces, yet only your Cloud-Top Province has this custom of washing dishes with tea before a meal,” Yue Zhengyang remarked, taking the bowl and chopsticks Huang Xiu offered. “Is there any particular use for it?”
“It’s just a habit, I suppose.” Huang Xiu poured the tea from her bowl into the plastic basin on the table. “Actually, the tableware is already washed and sterilized nowadays, but it’s been passed down through generations. Everyone’s just used to it; it’s a custom so ingrained that no one would willingly change it.”
“A custom, then?” As Yue Zhengyang spoke, his gaze suddenly shifted towards the private room door, which promptly swung open. A middle-aged man entered, dressed in a suit, a briefcase clutched in his left hand, and a bottle of Erguotou in his right.
He sported a full goatee, his handsome face carrying a faint air of roguish charm.
However, his flushed cheeks utterly ruined the impression.
“Haha, Little Yue, I’m here.” The man plonked himself down on a chair and took another swig from his bottle.
“You’re the one— *hiccup*!” He let out a loud hiccup, and a strong scent of alcohol wafted over. “The one… Huang Xiu, correct?”
Huang Xiu instinctively shifted backward in her seat.
“Professor Yuan, you’re drunk again!” Yue Zhengyang covered his face, a hint of exasperation in his voice. “Didn’t you promise to quit drinking?”
“Oh, who said I haven’t quit?” Professor Yuan fidgeted unsteadily in his seat, waving a dismissive hand. “I quit the day before yesterday, and I drank yesterday. Doesn’t that still count as quitting for one day?”
“We must view problems objectively. Quitting for one day is still quitting, a significant step forward. If I quit for one day this time, next time it’ll be two days. Why wouldn’t I succeed in quitting alcohol?”
‘No… he’ll probably be stuck on the first day forever, just like how learning vocabulary always starts with ‘abandon’…’
Huang Xiu silently grumbled in her mind.
This Professor Yuan was unexpectedly unreliable, and she was already beginning to feel a sense of worry.
At that moment, Professor Yuan continued to mutter, “Besides, the leader wanted to drink with me. How could I refuse?”
“You just wanted to drink, didn’t you?!”
Yue Zhengyang stood, walked behind Professor Yuan, and vigorously shook the old-fashioned armchair, making a series of creaking sounds.
“Please sober up quickly! Don’t leave a bad impression on student Huang!”
“Think about your annual review this year!”
“Cough, cough, alright, alright.”
Professor Yuan waved his hand, straightened up, coughed twice, and the flush on his face receded at a visible rate.
‘Holy crap, is this the legendary light-speed sobriety?’
Witnessing such an astonishing sight, Huang Xiu’s eyes widened like brass bells.
‘Damn, I really wish I had that ability, too.’
‘Then I wouldn’t be mocked by those annoying roommates for being such a lightweight, getting drunk after just one bottle.’
“Drinking is my only hobby, and you won’t even allow that. Sigh, how did I end up with a student like you?” Professor Yuan shook his head. “What a misfortune for our lineage! A misfortune!”
“It truly is my apologies for being your student!”
Yue Zhengyang sat back down, his expression unreadable.
“I hope Professor Yuan can find a better student in the future to replace me and take my place.”
“Regarding that… I think student Huang is quite excellent!” Professor Yuan clapped his hands and laughed.
He turned the conversation towards Huang Xiu. “Well, what do you say? Any interest in becoming my student? Taking over Little Yue’s position?”
“Um… May I ask who you are?” Huang Xiu asked softly.
“Allow me to reintroduce myself.” Professor Yuan crossed one leg over the other, resting his chin on his clasped hands. “Yuan Fei, currently a Level Two Professor in the Exploration Department at Tiandu University.”
He was impeccably dressed in a fitted suit, his sleeves pressed perfectly straight, complementing his deep-set eyes.
The undeniable charm of a mature man exuded shamelessly, giving off a highly dependable aura—
Of course, that was only when he wasn’t drinking.
‘What is the Exploration Department?’ Huang Xiu’s small brain was filled with a huge question.
She had only ever heard of departments like Mechanical Engineering, Electronics, or Dance. Where did this Exploration Department come from?
‘Is it a major specifically for training EZ players?’
‘And, exploration? Where would they explore? Learning from Bear Grylls and Ed Stafford to survive in the wilderness?’
“It seems Little Yue hasn’t told you anything yet!” Professor Yuan said, a smile in his eyes. “He’s always so rigid. I specifically told him to give you the basic rundown first.”
“Then, Professor Yuan, would you mind explaining it to me?” Huang Xiu asked with a serious expression. “Everything concerning me.”
“That’s not being rigid,” Yue Zhengyang corrected. “That’s called following rules and regulations. Do you really want your student to be arrested for leaking classified information?”
“Haha, I didn’t expect you to catch on.” Professor Yuan burst into laughter, then said, feigning seriousness, “I was actually planning to have you locked up for a few months for leaking secrets, so I could enjoy a couple of good drinks.”
Yue Zhengyang: “……”
Huang Xiu: “……”
‘What a filial disciple and virtuous master, truly filial!’
“Professor Yuan!” Yue Zhengyang’s tone suddenly sharpened.
“Cough, cough.” Professor Yuan covered his mouth and coughed twice.
“In any case, some things can’t simply be explained; they need to be experienced firsthand to be truly understood. However, you do need to grasp the basic situation first.”
Professor Yuan took a sip of the tea Huang Xiu had already poured for him. “Little Yue, apply for authorization from the Aether Brain.”
“The Aether Brain constantly monitors the current world. Without authorization, revealing information to you would be a violation,” Yue Zhengyang explained to Huang Xiu. “Only individuals at the professor level have the authority to lift restrictions for ordinary people.”
With that, he took out a black phone without a protective case, pressed nine ‘9’s on the dial pad, and then pressed the call and speakerphone buttons.
‘Nine nines… Isn’t that a non-existent number?’
Huang Xiu’s eyes flashed with surprise, but knowing the two men wouldn’t joke with her, she watched patiently.
[Hello, the number you have dialed is non-existent. Please check and try again!]
Amidst the busy signal, Professor Yuan suddenly spoke: “Code T245234, requesting to lift restrictions for Huang Xiu.”
One second, two seconds… An emotionless female voice suddenly emanated from the phone Yue Zhengyang held up.
[Whirr… Command received. Authority verified. Restrictions on Huang Xiu have been lifted. The Truth Wall is now open to them.]
The instant the voice faded, Huang Xiu’s phone in her pants pocket suddenly vibrated.
‘Whoosh…’
“Take a look,” Professor Yuan said with a smile.
Huang Xiu nodded, pulled out her phone, and saw a new text message.
The sender’s number was an unknown XXXX, and the content was a simple sentence: [Hello, Huang Xiu. You have been granted temporary access, code L-22312.]