Chapter 4: The Fourth Day of Being a Salted Fish

When Goudan returned, Lu Yuan was curled up on the sofa reading a novel.

Even in the interstellar era, the art form of using text to carry and express stories had not disappeared. On the contrary, with the updates and iterations of language, it had become even richer.

Lu Yuan didn’t have any particularly strong feelings toward novels.

Of course, that didn’t mean he disliked them. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have chosen to read one right now.

It was just that his interest wasn’t high, nor was it special. At most, a novel was simply an option for when he was bored.

Just killing time, as Lu Yuan put it.

He would choose other things to pass the time as well. For instance, the TV dramas Goudan liked, or music, games, even paintings and sculptures… Lu Yuan didn’t mind trying anything in this world that people enjoyed.

After all, he was very free right now.

Very free, and very much a “salted fish.”

The war had ended. In just one short year, the citizens of the Empire had already cast off the shadow of the Zerg, which hadn’t been particularly heavy to begin with.

One could tell just by looking at the current prosperity and extreme entertainment focus of the StarNet. People had begun chasing happiness again.

And as a Marshal who was officially dead, he naturally no longer had an endless pile of daily tasks. He could join them in chasing that happiness.

Lu Yuan had no grand life ideals, and currently, he had no goals to strive for.

He had undergone the most rigorous training, experienced the deepest sorrows, commanded the fiercest wars, achieved the greatest victories, escaped the harshest desolation, and carried the highest honors.

The first half of his life had been magnificent and tumultuous; now, he just wanted to lie down.

To lie down peacefully and waste the rest of his time easily and without pressure, allowing the genes for comfort and pleasure-seeking – passed down through tens of thousands of years of human history – to take over.

Effort and creation were always exhausting. But watching the efforts of others and deriving joy from their creations was a delightful and addictive experience.

Without needing to expend any mental or physical energy, one could easily experience bizarre worlds, exquisite and interesting stories, and deep, complex emotions. It was a sense of happiness akin to getting something for nothing.

Following the words into the world of the novelist, Lu Yuan wandered through it, lingering with no desire to leave. It wasn’t until Goudan tossed the outsider onto the floor and sat back down in the seat by the counter that Lu Yuan finally spared a bit of attention.

“What did you bring him here for?” Lu Yuan asked.

“Just letting him stay for a bit, don’t be so stingy.” Goudan reached out and turned on the tablet.

The tablet was currently unused. Lu Yuan wasn’t very willing to hold a massive tablet to read novels; it was too heavy, and he found holding it tiring.

He had made this tablet after arriving on the Desolate Planet.

On the way here, his Command Ship and all the electronic equipment on board had been destroyed – including his Optical Computer.

And the technology on the Desolate Planet was so meager. If he wanted to access the internet or find entertainment, he had to do it himself.

Fortunately, Lu Yuan was one of the best Mecha Mechanics in the Empire.

Making a few small gadgets wasn’t difficult for him.

However, the variety of materials on the Desolate Planet was limited. Even for him, it wasn’t easy to create an electronic device capable of playing color motion pictures with a screen large enough to be comfortable. Reducing its weight was even harder.

Lu Yuan didn’t obsess over it.

If it was heavy, it was heavy. If one tablet couldn’t satisfy all his needs, he could just make something else.

Reading text-based novels didn’t require a large or high-quality screen, and the internal structure was simpler. So, Lu Yuan had made a palm-sized e-reader specifically for his novels.

Beside him, Goudan found his show, hit play, and continued, “He won’t be waking up anytime soon anyway. Leaving him here won’t bother you. Once I finish this episode, I’ll take him back to my place.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to educate him properly. I won’t let him become a nuisance to you.”

“…Is that so?” Lu Yuan’s voice sounded a bit subtle. He propped himself up and glanced toward the outsider.

The outsider was lying on the floor.

Perhaps “lying” wasn’t the right word. Goudan hadn’t been the least bit gentle when he threw him, simply tossing him aside, leaving his posture somewhat contorted.

The outsider had medium-length black hair and was indeed quite good-looking. More importantly, he kept himself very neat; his face was clean, and his clothes were tidy. Even lying there in such a position, he didn’t look too disheveled. His fingernails were carefully trimmed, and his fingers were well-defined, long, and powerful.

On the Desolate Planet, such people existed, but they were rare.

Usually, people only had the leisure to care about their appearance once they were sure of their next meal. And on a place like the Desolate Planet, survival wasn’t easy.

No wonder Goudan said he could be a male lead, Lu Yuan thought idly, glancing at Goudan.

Goudan was a bit surprised. “You’re actually interested in him? You actually sat up for him! He’s got quite the presence!”

As he spoke, Goudan even turned around to size up the outsider with an evaluative gaze, seemingly trying to figure out exactly what about this man was worth Lu Yuan making the effort to sit up.

“Well…” Lu Yuan fell silent for a moment.

“What is it?” Goudan asked.

It was nothing, really.

Lu Yuan looked at Goudan.

It was just that this person had been awake for a while and was merely faking unconsciousness, and you didn’t notice at all.

But…

Lu Yuan lay back down. “Nothing. Just watch your show.”

“?” Goudan looked bewildered.

However, the person lying on the floor suddenly moved, letting out a low chuckle.

Goudan froze, suddenly understanding Lu Yuan’s earlier hesitation. He whipped his head around in shock. “This guy isn’t out? Your Anesthetic Bullets didn’t work?”

“I’ve undergone very high-intensity drug resistance training,” the outsider said, sitting up.

His contorted posture didn’t seem to hinder his movement at all. Or rather, perhaps that posture had been intentional – seemingly unnatural, but actually perfectly suited to his specific physical habits for exerting force.

He opened his eyes, his gaze moving past Goudan. Although the counter blocked his view of Lu Yuan, he still took a stance as if he were speaking directly to him.

“As I suspected, you’re the one actually in control of this place, aren’t you?” he said with a faint smile. “I knew it. This shop of yours is quite interesting. You are, too. However-“

He shifted his focus, glancing toward Goudan. “This subordinate of yours is a bit too useless. Why not replace him? What do you think of me?”

“…”

Lu Yuan didn’t say a word, his breathing remaining steady and calm. Suddenly, a muffled gunshot rang out, and a bullet appeared out of thin air.

The outsider’s pupils constricted.

He hadn’t sensed any movement from Lu Yuan at all!

It was too late to dodge. Even pushing himself to his absolute limit, he only managed to shift enough for the bullet intended for his chest to strike his shoulder instead.

But the potency of these Anesthetic Bullets was overwhelming. The moment he was hit, his vision plunged into darkness.

“…He seems a bit mentally unstable,” Lu Yuan’s voice drifted into his ears as he slipped into a semi-conscious state. “Remember to take him away in a bit.”