Chapter 6: Spatial Equipment

Hu Lingfei produced a contract from somewhere and said, "This is only natural. However, for the sake of a more pleasant partnership, please review this contract. If there is anything you are dissatisfied with, let me know, and I will have it amended."

Xiao Ningxue thought to herself that he was indeed a fox.

She suspected that the one hundred and fifty catties had been a predetermined result; if she had refused, they likely had a contract for one hundred catties ready as a backup.

However, such a small amount meant little to her; even two thousand catties a day was on the low side for her.

Judging by their demeanor, it seemed that the interstellar environment was ill-suited for plant life, making cultivation difficult for botanists.

She had not expected to see paper documents in the interstellar era, and the novelty in Xiao Ningxue's eyes was barely contained.

While looking at the *Federal Encyclopedia* earlier, she had noticed that the interstellar script was identical to the characters of the Huaxia people back on Blue Star. Could it be that these interstellar inhabitants were descendants of the Huaxia?

Xiao Ningxue stared at the familiar Chinese characters on the paper, lost in deep thought.

Seeing that she remained motionless for a long time, Hu Lingfei cautiously reminded her, "Mr. Xiao?"

Xiao Ningxue snapped back to reality. Seeing the strange looks on the two men's faces, she smiled and said, "I apologize, but I do not recognize your script."

Hu Lingfei laughed, "That is quite alright. You only need to sign your name."

It sounded a bit like a trap, so Xiao Ningxue refused, "I am sorry, but I will not sign a contract I cannot read."

Who knew if there were any predatory clauses hidden inside? What if she signed it and ended up as forced, undocumented labor?

The situation hit a dead end.

Hu Lingfei and Qin Yixuan had been puzzled by how she could speak the Interstellar Common Language while simultaneously claiming not to recognize the script. Neither could tell if she was being truthful.

Hu Lingfei suggested, "How about this? I brought this contract, and Bai Haiping has not seen it yet. Shall we have him read it aloud?"

Xiao Ningxue agreed, "But I must watch the document. I might as well take the opportunity to learn your script."

It was a reasonable request, and Hu Lingfei agreed.

Under the watchful eyes of his three superiors, Bai Haiping steeled himself, took the document from Hu Lingfei’s hand, and began to read it word by word.

As he read, the scent radiating from Xiao Ningxue filled his nostrils—a sensation only Bai Haiping could truly understand.

Xiao Ningxue stared at the familiar characters, trying to make her act more convincing. "Please point to the words as you read them."

Bai Haiping cursed inwardly while starting over.

Looking at the text, Xiao Ningxue found that, in general, it was no different from the script of the Huaxia, save for a few characters that had developed ambiguous meanings—a necessary process in the evolution of language.

She mentally noted her questions one by one, intending to ask Hu Lingfei once Bai Haiping finished reading.

Some of her questions were quite naive, but Hu Lingfei answered them honestly, fearing that this botanist he had finally secured might fly away.

"There are no issues with this contract," Xiao Ningxue said, quite satisfied after her inquiries. "You have been very thorough."

Even the term of supply was mentioned, with the price of edible plants to be adjusted every five years based on the average market price. This ensured that neither party would suffer a significant loss if prices fluctuated.

Ultimately, Xiao Ningxue was the one getting the better end of the deal. As a newcomer with little influence, this contract provided her with a safety net while she integrated into interstellar society. The cost of one hundred and fifty catties a month felt trivial to her.

"Then please sign the contract," Hu Lingfei said, a pen appearing in his hand out of thin air.

Xiao Ningxue ignored the pen, her interest piqued by how he had retrieved it. Her eyes brightened. "Are you a spatial ability user? No, wait—do you have a spatial device?"

She hadn't sensed any spatial energy on him, leaving only one explanation.

Seeing her interest in his equipment, Hu Lingfei smiled. "I have a five-cubic-meter space ring. Please accept it as a token of our sincerity in this partnership."

Xiao Ningxue was pleased by his initiative. "In that case, I will not charge you for the second month of supply. Consider that my sign of good faith."

She had just seen the price for edible plants for the first five years: one hundred and fifty catties at one hundred thousand per catty, totaling fifteen million. Xiao Ningxue calculated that she could easily afford a space device with that.

As for why the second month... well, she needed startup capital for the first month!

Seeing her reaction, Hu Lingfei realized she didn't want to owe him a favor, but fifteen million was a luxury for a five-cubic-meter device.

He offered a wry smile. "My offering was rather meager. A five-cubic-meter ring only costs one million."

Qin Yixuan immediately added, "I have a one-hundred-cubic-meter device. I hope Mr. Xiao will not mind taking it."

A one-hundred-cubic-meter device was worth about twenty million, so he wasn't exactly taking advantage of her. After all, the larger the space, the more advanced the technology required. A one-thousand-cubic-meter space was worth trillions and, like edible plants, was rare and highly sought after—even scarcer than the plants themselves.

This was because there were so few people capable of crafting them; the entire Federation had no more than five such artisans, and their order books were full for the next year.

Xiao Ningxue hadn't expected to gain so much from collaborating with these two. With a space ring, she wouldn't have to worry about exposing her own storage space. One hundred cubic meters was plenty—it was just a nice bonus.

"That will work."

Whether by design or coincidence, the negotiations went smoothly. Out of respect for their service in protecting the country and for saving her life, Xiao Ningxue didn't haggle over the quantity of plants; otherwise, there would have been room to negotiate.

Qin Yixuan and Hu Lingfei realized they might have asked for too little. If this little male hadn't been able to provide one hundred and fifty catties, they would have had to make concessions, but he had gritted his teeth and agreed! Both beasts realized then that they probably didn't need to bargain at all.

Too bad it was too late to go back on their word.

Xiao Ningxue finally took the pen from Hu Lingfei. After hesitating over her grip, she signed an artistic, calligraphic version of "Xiao Qingyu." It was so flourish-heavy that Qin Yixuan and Hu Lingfei couldn't even distinguish the three characters.

Xiao Ningxue couldn't tell what it said either; she just memorized the shape in case she needed to sign it again. She had actually forgotten how to write her own name, but it didn't matter—she had already claimed the script was different, so who was to say what it should look like?

Still, she needed to maintain the persona of someone who couldn't read the language.

"Might I ask Instructor Bai to teach me how to write your characters? Since I will be studying at your First Military Academy, I feel I need to prepare in advance."