[Stelle: Hello? Anyone here?]
[Stelle: What's this livestream room for?]
[Black Swan: Welcome, everyone, to the Dreamscape Livestream Room.]
[Black Swan: Here, we can relive memories of the past.]
[Black Swan: You'll be able to see both simulations Su Qing experienced before, and how he interacted with others in real life.]
[March 7th: Sounds pretty magical.]
[March 7th: Wait, does that mean we can see all sorts of embarrassing moments too?]
[Black Swan: That's one way to put it.]
[Black Swan: But if you're watching others' black history… don't be surprised if your own pops up too.]
[March 7th: Huh!? (nervous) I-I don't *think* I have any… right?]
[Stelle: Not so sure about that.]
[March 7th: Shut up! Beautiful girls don't have black history!]
[Firefly: Hehe, this sounds fun.]
[Firefly: (Even if it has nothing to do with me) (I'm still curious, so I'm in.)]
[Firefly: Simulation… that word sounds familiar, but I can't remember why.]
[Black Swan: Good question.]
[Black Swan: To avoid spoilers, once you enter the livestream room, I'll temporarily seal parts of everyone's memories—including my own.]
[Stelle: What kind of memories get sealed?]
[Black Swan: Mostly memories about simulations and about Su Qing. Depends on the context—goal is to preserve the viewing experience.]
[March 7th: Convenient plot device, huh?]
[Stelle: It really is.]
[Himeko has entered the livestream room.]
[Seele has entered the livestream room.]
[Bronya has entered the livestream room.]
[As more viewers arrive, Black Swan decides it's time.]
[Black Swan: Anyway, let's get started—you'll understand better as you watch.]
[Black Swan: (Initiating playback) Let's begin from just before the first simulation.]
———
The universe.
A massive white starship sails through space—though massive by design, it's still a speck compared to the vastness of the stars.
[March 7th: That's Herta Space Station! Wow, such nostalgia!]
Inside a finely furnished kitchen onboard the Herta Space Station—
Su Qing held a perfectly round egg in his hand, weighing it thoughtfully: "You're the best quality out of the whole batch."
He was checking the day's fresh food delivery.
As a transmigrator, Su Qing had been lucky enough to be born into a wealthy culinary family, known throughout the universe for their hotel and restaurant empire.
At the family's peak, it was said you could find their restaurant wherever the Interastral Peace Corporation had a branch.
Unfortunately, his elders eventually became obsessed with pursuing exotic ingredients and culinary extremes. They poured money into ridiculous ingredient hunts, eventually bankrupting the family business.
[On-screen narration floats slowly across the livestream, filling in what can't be seen.]
[Topaz: I was there—I can confirm. The Debt Recovery Division staff were ecstatic, buying out premium hotel chains for pennies.]
"And yet you're smiling like an idiot while holding an egg?"
Su Qing shook his head at the memory of his elders. "Didn't they realize the ingredient isn't the key? The love and passion for cooking—that's what matters most!"
"Wait a minute!"
He suddenly dropped the egg in his left hand and picked up another. "Are you… the actual best of the batch!?"
The first egg had a refined shell—aristocratic, proud, an egg among eggs.
But this second one? Quiet, humble… with overwhelming destiny in its aura. Clearly, the egg fated for greatness.
[March 7th: You're not really in a position to judge, are you!?]
[Stelle: Since when do eggs have fate stats? What happens if they hatch—do they get talent bonuses?]
"Well, in that case, I'll just fry them both."
Su Qing made his decision.
Side note: Su Qing now had massive debts due to his family's collapse. Naturally, he couldn't repay them.
So what did he do?
Of course, not *that*! He got a job!
Currently, he was employed at Herta Space Station by its administrator—and childhood friend—Asta.
Asta paid off his debts upfront. In return, Su Qing was her personal chef: breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, midnight snacks—everything.
At first, it was just a clean debt-and-labor deal.
But fate has a way of messing things up.
Somewhere along the way, Asta's "friendly support" started warping.
Maybe it was the taste of his food… or something else. She began offering prepayments of his salary for the *next few decades*, just to lock him down with a lifetime contract.
[Stelle: Rich lady… feed me… marry me…]
Su Qing would never forget the scene.
Against the backdrop of the universe, pink-haired Asta held out a black Interastral Peace Corp platinum card, smiling sweetly:
"Take this card, and cook for me… forever. Not a second less."
[Seele: That's… honestly a little scary.]
[Himeko: That kind of friendship is… heavy.]
Heavy—*way* too heavy.
If not for his debts, Su Qing would've escaped the station that very second.
Sure, her card had a stupid amount of money.
But take it, and he'd be swallowed into her gravitational pull. For life.
After verifying the new ingredients, Su Qing returned to his room.
His system display read: [Simulation System Fully Loaded. Newbie Simulation Available.]
He finally relaxed.
If he relied on this job alone, he'd need at least a year or two to repay the debt—assuming Asta didn't pull anything else.
Just thinking of her pink-sweet smile made his back sweat.
Thankfully, his transmigrator benefits had arrived.
He'd studied this new "Joyful Simulation" system—it had a dumb name, but good features.
Basically, it was like a roguelike game from his past life:
You pick some traits, get dropped into a random world, and live a simulated life there.
Finish it, and you get rewards. Real, usable rewards.
"Newbie Simulation" likely meant low difficulty.
Su Qing browsed the available talents:
[Choose Two Talents Below:]
[Photographer (Blue): You're a master photographer. Your eye catches beautiful compositions effortlessly.]
[Teleportation (Blue): One-time use per simulation. Short-range teleport. Grants temporary stat buff.]
[Keen Senses (Blue): Sharper vision and hearing than the average person.]
[Optimist (White): Naturally upbeat and emotionally resilient.]
[Left-Handed (White): Your dominant hand is the left.]
[Round Face (White): You… have a round face.]
—
[Bronya sends a live message: @Pela]
[Pela: ?]
Su Qing studied the list.
The white ones seemed minor. The blue ones were more practical.
He went with Photographer and Teleportation.
Photographer clearly tied into the setting, and he loved trying new professions.
Teleportation was life-saving—way more useful than just sharp eyes.
Closing his eyes, he initiated the simulation.
Lines of text floated in the darkness—
[AHHA Card (Text flickers) (Disappears instantly) (Like an illusion)]
[Preservation Brand Simulation System. At your service.]
[Reminder: This simulation is entirely fictional.]
[Moderation is healthy. Excessive simulation may cause side effects. Enjoy responsibly.]
Su Qing nodded—very in character for a Preservation-type system. It even came with safety warnings.
[Firefly: (Was bored at first) (But felt something) (Suddenly intrigued)]
[Firefly: "Joyful Simulation," huh? Let's see how joyful it really is.]
Then, Su Qing saw countless images flash before his eyes.
Finally—they stopped.
[Simulation Location: Penacony.]
[Summary: The City of Dreams, Star of Celebration. The dreamlike Penacony is a golden metropolis of joy and hope.]
[Main Mission: Capture the essence of Penacony using words or images.]
———
[Simulation Start.]
[Day 1: As you fall asleep, you enter true Penacony. You arrive at the Golden Hour.]
As a photographer, your curiosity awakens instantly. You begin exploring the dream city, determined to document its beauty.
But the dazzling sights are overwhelming—you waste the whole morning getting lost in the glitz.
Eventually, through asking locals, you arrive at the central road of the Golden Hour: Glaux Avenue.
In the square stands a statue of Clockie.
Clockie is based on the founder of this dream world, the one who turned dreams into reality—the Clockmaker.
So the statue is often seen as a symbol of dreams themselves.
Off to one side of the plaza, a silver-haired girl stares absentmindedly at the statue.
[Firefly: This is Penacony?]
[Firefly: And that dazed girl… is me???]
[Stelle: "Doesn't concern me" huh?]
[Stelle: You totally jinxed it.]
[Firefly: I-I didn't think *I'd* be the first one to appear…]
[Black Swan: (chuckles softly) Heh.]
[Black Swan: So? Seeing yourself from a third-person view—interesting, right?]
[Firefly: It is… I look kinda dumb.]
[Firefly: (dies of embarrassment)]
[March 7th: LOL]
[March 7th: Haha, don't worry! Watching yourself from outside always feels a bit awkward~]
Su Qing stopped at the plaza.
A system prompt appeared.
[You spot a girl staring at the statue. You decide to:]
[A. Ask her to move—she's blocking your perfect shot.]
[B. Throw a Pokéball…]
Click.
Before the options even finished loading, Su Qing raised his camera and snapped the moment.
As a photographer, he knew some moments vanish in an instant.
[Firefly: He's really into it.]
Whirrr.
The photo slid out of his camera—it doubled as a polaroid printer but also stored high-quality backups. Su Qing loved this model.
He handed the photo over and apologized for the intrusion.
The silver-haired girl blinked, then shyly took it.
[A conversation begins over the photo.]
[She learns you're a photographer. You learn she's named Firefly—a performer from the Gardenia Family, who occasionally works as a tour guide.]
Firefly gazed at the photo.
On the left: the statue of Clockie.
The normally silly cartoon was now bathed in dreamy theater lights.
On the right: Firefly herself, eyes fixed on the statue. Her side profile looked focused—but with faint sadness. Like something weighed on her heart.
She'd actually been standing pretty far from the statue.
But thanks to clever framing, they now seemed almost side-by-side.
[March 7th: Oh, I get it! It's like "Why is that pigeon so huge" photography!]
[Seele: What??]
Su Qing held the camera in his left hand. "My first photo in Penacony… I was gonna call it 'Land of Dreams.' But since I'm giving it to you, you get to name it."
Firefly cradled the photo in both hands. "It's a beautiful picture. And the name… fits perfectly."
Then she looked up and smiled. "Thanks. This really gave me a little hope."
"My pleasure." Su Qing smiled back.
[After putting away the photo, Firefly hears about your current troubles.]
[She offers to act as your guide for the morning—she's free anyway.]
[You happily accept.]
[You plan to visit several places, but after only a few steps, you pass a restaurant.]
[The smell of food is *incredible.*]
Firefly begins to explain: "This place serves nearly all of Penacony's finest cuisine—"
After walking all morning, Su Qing's stomach feels like an empty arena without a single spectator.
He pats his pocket… and realizes he forgot his wallet. He clears his throat and starts looking around, pretending to enjoy the scenery.
"If you're hungry, I'll treat. Order whatever you want—think of it as payment for the photo."
She clearly saw right through him. Smiling gently, Firefly pulled out her slim little wallet.
[You face the menu… and her generosity. You decide:]
[A. Buy everything. Eat like a king.]
[B. Choose one dish. Taste and move on.]
[C. Politely refuse.]
[D. "This place is too low-tier. Got anything upscale?"]
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