Chapter 269: Universal Planting System (8)

The next morning was still good weather. After the mother and son each had a Nutrient Solution to soothe their stomachs, they set off for the Zone 1 Garbage Dump.

Although this was Xie Yang's first time Driving a Flying Vehicle in the Interstellar Plane, it was quite simple after watching Xiya Ma operate it previously; it was even easier to operate than the latest model of Flying Vehicle that had appeared on the market when she had passed away from old age in her "Disaster Survival" lifetime.

It was like comparing a manual transmission to an automatic one.

One-touch start, one-touch cruise, one-touch emergency landing... everything was handled by pressing a single button.

During this time, there was no need to constantly control the steering wheel or stare at the flight path.

After inputting the destination coordinates, the Flying Vehicle would automatically adjust the flight route based on traffic congestion, unless the Flying Vehicle malfunctioned or encountered force majeure.

Overall, the Flying Vehicle was indeed the most comfortable, easy-to-use, and fastest mode of transportation she had experienced to date.

She would buy one once she saved up enough Star Coins!

When the time came, she would take her Half-Beast son flying everywhere whenever she was free; he would surely love it.

Yesterday, when chatting with Xiya Ma about children's education, she learned that there were no schools on Garbage Star, and children on Garbage Star grew up wild.

If one really wanted their child to receive an education, they could apply for a virtual school on the Star Net. Xiya Ma had this intention.

"The tuition is free, but you need to buy a Virtual Learning Pod. That's expensive, and you can't even buy one on Garbage Star. Xiya's dad asked a friend to inquire; the purchase price plus the service fee for someone to help, it costs nearly Wanyi. Too expensive!"

What Xiya Ma worried about was Star Coins.

Besides Star Coins, Xie Yang also worried about the restricted Star Net.

Even if she bought an expensive Virtual Learning Pod, it would be useless if she couldn't log onto the Star Net.

If only she could scavenge a Learning Robot that could be used after repairs, she could teach Zai Zai at home.

When that time came, with a robot for teaching and her, this cheap mom, for traveling, combining reading ten thousand books with traveling ten thousand miles—that was the correct way to open up children's education.

"Mom, look down there!"

Xie Ting pointed out the window with great interest.

Ever since the little guy sat on the Flying Vehicle, he had been pressing his face against the window glass, looking down.

This flight path was one he hadn't taken before, and the scenery along the way was also something he hadn't seen before.

Although, in Xie Yang's view, what she saw was either desolate and uninhabited, or abandoned mining areas and messy garbage dumps, no different from the area around their home; there was nothing worth looking at.

But the little guy was very enthusiastic, sharing with Xie Yang as he watched:

"Mom, look, we passed a river!"

"Mom, Mom, we flew over a mountain!"

Although the river was a toxic river with radioactive sediment and the mountain was a bald mountain where not a blade of grass grew, he was leaving District 31 for the first time, so he found everything novel.

District 31 and District 1 were over a thousand kilometers apart, and the Flying Vehicle arrived in less than an hour.

And this was still an ancient, decrepit machine that they didn't dare to push to full speed.

If it were replaced with a currently popular high-speed Flying Vehicle, it was said it wouldn't take ten minutes to arrive.

Xie Yang couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of technology; it seemed endless. There was nothing humans couldn't think of, only things they couldn't do.

"Mom, is this the Zone 1 Garbage Dump?"

"Yes! Isn't it a bit different from the one in our District 31?"

"It is, the smell here is so strange..."

The little cub wrinkled his cute little nose.

With the keen sense of smell of a Half-Beast, he had smelled the odor emanating from the garbage dump before even getting off the Flying Vehicle.

Xie Yang had taken a Physical Fitness Potion, so her five senses were sharper than the average person's, but she only smelled it after getting off the Flying Vehicle and walking a few steps.

This was the stench of rotting ecological garbage.

It was fortunate that people in this era almost exclusively ate Nutrient Solution for every meal, and only the top of the pyramid enjoyed food made with natural ingredients, so there wasn't much kitchen waste dumped; otherwise, it would probably be even smellier.

Looking at it this way, District 1 wasn't necessarily better than District 31. Although the garbage dumped here was ecological garbage with less radiation, the stench was heavy! The District 31 garbage dump was relatively less smelly, but it belonged to a high-radiation disaster area.

For a moment, it was hard to say which district was more suitable for living; they were both much the same, six of one and half a dozen of the other.

Fortunately, she had a protective mask, but the little guy was exposed to the air; who knew how many bacteria were in these odors.

Xie Yang hurriedly asked the Main System to help redeem an Anti-Bacterial Mask and put it on the little guy.

"Mom, what is this?"

"A mask, it can help you block out some of the smell."

"Really! With this, Zai Zai can't smell the strange odor anymore! So amazing!"

"..."

Son, don't act; your mom has worn a mask before.

"Mom, that person is so tall!"

The little guy in her arms raised his hand and pointed diagonally ahead.

Xie Yang looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a young man with a crew cut. His height was visually estimated to be nearly two meters; he was indeed the tallest adult male the little cub had ever seen.

"Mom, he isn't wearing an Anti-Radiation Suit."

The little beast cub, not yet five years old, still couldn't pronounce some sounds perfectly, but that didn't mean he didn't understand the importance of an Anti-Radiation Suit.

Seeing the other person wearing only a currently popular silver-gray Battle Wind Suit, with his arms, ankles, and everything above his neck exposed to the air, the little guy was surprised and ignorant.

When he was little, he didn't understand why adults had to wear thick and heavy Anti-Radiation Suits and protective masks, while he and children like Xiya didn't need to.

It wasn't until one day he heard Xiya's dad tell Xiya's mom that they must check their Anti-Radiation Suits before going out; he had a friend who didn't notice a small tear in his Anti-Radiation Suit, wore it out every day, and died in less than a month.

He didn't understand what death was at the time, so he went to ask Xiya.

Xiya told him that death meant never seeing your mom and dad again and never being able to eat Nutrient Solution again.

So, when people die, others can never see them again? No wonder he couldn't see his dad.

Mom had once angrily told him not to mention his dad, saying his dad was dead!

It was already sad enough to never see Papa, so if she couldn't see Mama either, how sad would that be!

From that day on, he would secretly help Mama check her Anti-Radiation Suit every day.

But this uncle didn't even wear one; was he not afraid of death?

Xing Lan walked out of the garbage dump with long strides, one hand in his pocket.

His sharp, cold, and stern face, even without the words "Don't touch me" carved into it, gave off a sense of indifference that kept strangers at a distance.

Seeming to hear Xie Ting's childish voice, he lifted his eyelids, his indifferent gaze sweeping over the little cub in Xie Yang's arms, pausing slightly before shifting away, and with a leap, he climbed onto a silver Flying Vehicle nearby.

A moment later, a streak of silver cut through the sky and vanished in an instant above District 1.

The little one stared at the sky, clicking his tongue and muttering, "So fast! Mama, this Flying Vehicle is so, so fast!"

Xie Yang nodded in agreement; it was indeed fast.

This must be the latest model of super-speed Flying Vehicle that Xiya Ma mentioned, the one that flies one thousand kilometers in ten minutes, right?

"I only just found out he is Major General Xing, a Gene Warrior! But why doesn't he go to Yilan Star? Why does he prefer staying on Garbage Star?"

At some point, a group of onlookers had gathered at the entrance of the garbage dump.

"You don't understand; Major General Xing's mother was once kidnapped by Star Pirates and originally intended to perish together with the Star Pirate leader, but she unexpectedly survived, though she lost her memory and lived in exile on our Garbage Star for a period of time."

"I've heard of this too. Later, Lady Xing's memory recovered, but because she was severely injured and didn't receive timely treatment, news of her passing came not long after she returned to Yilan Star. Since then, every year on the anniversary of Lady Xing's death, Major General Xing comes to stay on Garbage Star for a while."

"How come I heard that Lady Xing was killed by a mistress? The Star Pirates who kidnapped Lady Xing were in cahoots with that mistress, and after she returned, she was provoked by the mistress, which is why..."

"No way!"

"Tell us more!"

"That's a long story..."

Xie Yang, who was silently eating her melon: "..."

So it turns out interstellar people are this gossipy too.