Gold Hold, Gold Hall.
Today was an important day—the preliminary press conference for the Whale Fall Trials was being held here at Gold Hold.
Bai Shuang was practically bouncing up and down, dragging Zhuang Mo along as she darted around the omni-directional spiral stairs.
"Shuang'er!" Zhuang Mo grabbed her hand and said, "No need to rush. We already have the tickets—there'll definitely be seats for us once we get inside."
"That's not what I'm worried about!" Bai Shuang was so anxious she looked like a little rabbit, hopping in place even when standing still. "We have to get there early to catch those people hiding in the VIP boxes. If they stay up there, I won't be able to see them from the main hall!"
Zhuang Mo tousled her hair. "We can pretty much guess who the special guests are. Don't worry, I'll keep you safe no matter what."
Bai Shuang blinked her big eyes and suddenly leapt onto his back, clinging to him. "I knew you were the best, Brother Xiaohei. Even if the whole world turns against me, you'll always be by my side."
Carrying her on his back, Zhuang Mo walked steadily toward the Gold Hall.
The six major families were hosting the Whale Fall Trials preliminary press conference here at Gold Hold. Today's event would reveal key details—how to register, the game rules, the rewards for the winners, and more.
Like Whale Fall City, Gold Hold was also built by retired Space Expeditionary Army soldiers. In all the satellite cities in space, Gold Hold was the second largest, second only to the capital of Ivory Land.
There were many urban legends about how Gold Hold came to be.
One said it was built from tens of thousands of small spacecraft linked together, with each ship becoming a shop. The designers created the omni-directional spiral stairs to connect them all.
Another claimed the Expeditionary Army prefabricated the components on Earth, then transported them into space for assembly.
The real history of Gold Hold's rise remains unverifiable. But for space residents, Gold Hold was indispensable.
All sorts of people roamed its interior—nobles, commoners, merchants, gangsters.
Inside the massive golden fortress were glitzy places like the Gold Hall, shadowy luxury casinos, and even hidden gang enclaves.
As long as money could buy it—be it high-class opera or anonymous assassination, lawful services or depraved indulgences—Gold Hold always delivered.
Naturally, this made Gold Hold the biggest headache for the Space Police Bureau. Over half of their criminal suspects came from here.
Zhuang Mo stayed highly alert as they walked, constantly scanning the area for potential assassins lurking in the crowd.
After extensive internal analysis, the Space Police concluded Bai Shuang was in grave danger.
It was now clear: Wu Qiong wanted Whale Fall City. So did the other six major families.
Wu Qiong's plan was to protect Bai Shuang until the time was right, then publicly declare that she held the legal inheritance rights to Whale Fall City.
As her adoptive father, once Bai Shuang controlled the city, so would Wu Qiong.
Conversely, for the other families to seize Whale Fall City, they had to eliminate Bai Shuang before her identity was revealed. Only by removing the legal heir could the city truly become "ownerless," giving them a chance to vie for it.
During a previous conversation with Lady Camellia, she revealed a critical piece of information: Bai Shuang's identity had already been exposed. At the very least, the seven space families already knew she was the daughter of the late City Lord.
The Seven Major Space Families were:
Ivory Land – Ranked 1st
Dencity – Ranked 2nd
Gold Hold – Ranked 3rd
Ferry – Ranked 4th
Bank of Space – Ranked 5th
Whale Fall – Ranked 6th
Federation University of Space – Ranked 7th
The rankings were based on each family's GDP. Together, these seven giants controlled 80% of all space productivity—20% of the elite owning 80% of the resources.
Naturally, the remaining families—and even ordinary citizens—coveted Whale Fall City.
For anyone, no matter how humble their origins, inheriting this ownerless city would mean instant wealth, power, and status—rising overnight to stand alongside the space elite.
Who wouldn't dream of striking it rich overnight?
Within seconds of the press conference announcement, all tickets to Gold Hall were sold out. The next day, scalper prices soared fivefold.
Luckily, Bai Shuang was no ordinary girl—she was a wealthy heiress. Five times the ticket price? A mere trifle. She bought two tickets with a wave of her hand and dragged her "boyfriend" along to join the fun.
When Zhuang Mo heard she invited him to the press conference, he accepted without hesitation.
The Police Bureau's leadership fully supported the idea—Zhuang Mo could protect Bai Shuang closely while undercover officers observed how the other families interacted with her.
Thousands of small spacecraft streamed toward Gold Hold from every direction. Crowds surged up the spiral stairs in endless waves.
Ferry's business was booming. To ferry passengers to the press conference, Ferry launched all their large passenger aircraft.
Massive shuttles docked slowly at the unloading gates. As soon as the doors opened, hundreds of people burst out—men and women, young and old, tall and short, from every ethnic group—all merging onto the stairs.
Every shop at Gold Hold had doormen outside, trying to attract business. Such bustling scenes were rare in space—perhaps only comparable to Earth's temple fairs.
Where there were people, there was business. The doormen pulled out all the stops, advertising their stores' food, drinks, and entertainment with auspicious slogans that drew crowds in.
People bought things not for the value, but for the good luck—perhaps a little luck today could change their fortunes forever.
"Miss Shuang, you're here!" one doorman lit up at the sight of her—though the way she clung piggyback to a young man was... unusual, to say the least.
"Of course!" Bai Shuang waved boldly at him and shouted with heroic flair: "When I become the next City Lord of Whale Fall, I'll treat all of you to feasts and luxury!"
"Yeah!" several doormen echoed. "We're counting on you to rescue us from our misery!"
Zhuang Mo cringed at their words.
After they walked off, he asked, "Where did you meet those people?"
Bai Shuang replied casually, "I gave them vaccines once!"
Zhuang Mo frowned. "You're making bold promises. If you really become the next City Lord, are you actually going to help them escape their suffering?"
"Of course!" Bai Shuang said matter-of-factly. "A lady's word is her bond—no turning back!"