The sky in the young girl's eyes was shining brilliantly.
Looking at Xu Xiaoyou before her, Tang Xin clearly knew that this might just be a careless boast from the other girl.
Such an absurd and impractical idea—two penniless girls, reduced to gnawing on bread in the street, yet talking about swearing by the stars and making their names known throughout the universe.
Yet a voice inside her told her that it wouldn't hurt to believe her once. There was a strange conviction in her words, as if they possessed a kind of magic.
Even though she had been tricked by her not long ago.
"You're making it sound like I even have room to refuse..." Tang Xin said. "The contract is signed, I don't have a penny on me, and I have nowhere else to go."
Seeing that Xu Xiaoyou was still standing in place, Tang Xin thought for a moment and said seriously:
"If you lied to me..."
"What would happen?" Xu Xiaoyou asked curiously.
"Nothing would happen. As long as you can live with your conscience, it’s fine." Tang Xin brushed the snow off her dress.
Watching the girl's receding figure, the smile in the corner of Xu Xiaoyou's eyes slowly faded.
The first step had been taken.
Next, she had to think about how to fill the hole of debt she owed to Universal Heavy Industries.
Returning to the old rental room.
Looking at the messy environment—plastic bottles rolling on the floor, instant noodle cups left on the table, and even a few pieces of clothing scattered about—Tang Xin's brow furrowed.
She looked at Xu Xiaoyou, who seemed completely unfazed, as if this were a common sight.
Just as Xu Xiaoyou found a chair and was about to sit down, Tang Xin grabbed the chair away.
"How can you live in such a messy place?"
Xu Xiaoyou blinked and looked around.
"Is it that messy? It's okay."
Compared to her living conditions back in the corrupt hive city, this little security booth could practically be described as cozy. There were no cockroaches or bugs crawling everywhere, and no foul-smelling garbage piles.
She began to miss Lin Ran. During their time in the employee apartments, Lin Ran had been the one taking care of her and Anya's daily lives.
"Are you and Yuzu really the same person?" Tang Xin couldn't connect the two at all.
"That curtain, that number, that outfit, that temperament... where on earth did they all come from?"
Seeing that the girl was a bit upset, Xu Xiaoyou shrugged.
If she could, she would also love to sell the curtain and the number to some rich person in the Star of Art. She wasn't someone who cared much for formalities; as long as something was functional, it was fine by her.
However, Kowloon Information had added a technical lock to every light curtain. From the moment a light curtain was activated, it was bound to an individual's vital signs and could not be transferred or sold.
There had once been a research team that tried to dismantle the delicate little gadget to study it and crack its technology. But once they did, the light curtain's technical defense measures were triggered, and the entire research institute was blown to the heavens in a magnificent blaze.
In this world, technical patents were supreme—even the right to life was beneath them. Any attempt to probe into the technical field was strictly forbidden and regarded as a taboo.
Every major company held at least one core technology—such as heavy military industry, spacetime leaps, gravity manipulation, or clean energy. These were the foundations that allowed them to stand in this world, casting shadows across the land and growing into massive behemoths by siphoning off the world's wealth.
Everyone had their own secrets, and Tang Xin knew better than to ask too many questions. She simply quietly organized the messy room.
After sweeping up the dust on the floor, Tang Xin clapped her hands, tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and wiped the sweat from her forehead, only to find Xu Xiaoyou staring at her intently.
"What are you looking at me for?"
"Thanks. You reminded me of someone I know," Xu Xiaoyou said.
"Hmph, at least you're appreciative."
Seeing that she was actually being polite, Tang Xin's resentment toward Xu Xiaoyou lessened quite a bit.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
A black figure appeared outside the window.
"Excuse me, is Miss Tang Xin inside?"
"Are you looking for me?"
The figure was dressed in thick robes with a desert fox fur scarf and a dark gray cloak. The fabric was soft and delicate, its exceptional quality obvious at a glance—a product of the 'tailor' life class, possessing transcendent properties.
Just standing outside the door, a solemn and majestic aura spread into the room.
The person's expression couldn't be seen; his entire face was covered by a mask of deep black prism-like crystals. One could only barely tell it was a man from his mechanical, grinding voice.
"A tuner..." Xu Xiaoyou's brow furrowed.
The order management organization of the Star of Art was also its only official violent agency. They reported directly to the academy's board of directors, and Principal Belvedere held the highest authority over them.
The Star of Art was a long piece of music, and everyone here was a note flowing within it. In the day-to-day performance, it was inevitable that a few discordant notes would appear.
That was when it was their turn to step in and level the melody, using violent means to erase all discordant sounds.
She looked at the badge on the man's shoulder.
The symbol was an open eye with a pair of wings behind it, shaped like a palm spread out to protect the eyeball. Around the symbol were rings of faint golden radiance circling it.
Xu Xiaoyou was reminded of descriptions of certain angels—monstrous in appearance, fulfilling the duty of punishing crime and evil while suppressing the darkness of the world.
Likewise, these tuners were also members of the Eye Association within the Fixer Association. They were responsible for maintaining public security and order in the hive cities directly under their control, monitoring whether the hive cities were still operating under the will of the association.
With the backing of dual powers, these tuners naturally held immense authority. In the entire Star of Art, the only people they likely feared were the few elders on the board of directors.
She quietly stepped back into the shadows of the room.
"It's me. May I ask what business you have with me, Lord Tuner?" Tang Xin stepped forward.
Xu Xiaoyou noticed that Tang Xin became visibly uneasy once this figure arrived.
"Don't be nervous. It's nothing serious, just the routine monthly rank assessment," the tuner said in a mellow voice.
"Can I... can I pass?" Tang Xin was still anxious.
Xu Xiaoyou picked up some information from the conversation.
"The arrangement you posted on your social account last month, 'If I Could Sparkle,' has been assessed by the school and has reached the level of an apprentice. You may continue to stay in the Queen's District."
Hearing those words, Tang Xin finally relaxed. She smiled and said, "Thank you."
The tuner paused after seeing the girl's beautiful smile. He scratched his head and said, a bit awkwardly:
"Miss Tang, actually, I'm a fan of yours too."
"Ah, me?" Tang Xin pointed at herself.
"They all call you the Little Blue Bird. I noticed you quite early on, back when you were still an apprentice..."
"In any case, believe in yourself. You can definitely do it."
"I still have official business to attend to, so I won't disturb you further."
As if sensing that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, the tuner quickly left after finishing his sentence, heading toward the upper floors of the apartment.
"Little Blue Bird?" Xu Xiaoyou raised an eyebrow.
"Wh-what Little Blue Bird?" Tang Xin's ears turned red. "I don't know, what is that, haha..."
"So you actually have a social account. Let me search for it."
Xu Xiaoyou tapped the light curtain, and Tang Xin lunged at her with a shout.
"You're not allowed to look!"
Rate on N.U.
