Rora Starsea's idea of producing nutrient solution herself wasn't just for her own sake—it was also for the inhabitants of this planet.
Ever since she had uploaded that video, she had completely offended Mokyuan Star, the very planet that had been dumping most of its excess food supplies here.
It was safe to assume that, from now on, Mokyuan Star would no longer be sending its expired food to this planet.
Of course, even without that fallout, Rora had already been planning to manufacture nutrient solution on her own. Aside from meeting her own needs, she also wanted to provide it for the other residents here, so that they too could have enough nutrition to live properly.
She had already ordered a batch of raw materials for nutrient production through the StarNet, and the manufacturing machines were currently being rushed through assembly. It wouldn't be long before everything arrived.
As for the nutrient formula itself, she could find countless versions on StarNet—just like in her previous world, where searching "cooking recipes" online would return dozens of pages of results.
Although most of those formulas were considered outdated and discarded, they were more than sufficient for their current situation.
In the future, if they wanted long-term development, they would need to train their own specialists to research new types of nutrient solutions.
Thinking this far, Rora glanced toward Xuanxi. Since he had come from another planet, he should have a fair bit of knowledge in this field.
Xuanxi nodded slightly before speaking. "Your idea isn't impossible. The biggest weakness of this planet is its lack of self-sufficiency. As long as we can sustain ourselves without depending on other worlds, even if Mokyuan Star cuts off our food supply, we'll still survive."
Rora nodded in agreement. "Exactly."
She then explained her plan in detail.
"However," she added, "these decisions still need to be discussed with the others. Tomorrow, I'll take you to meet them."
Xuanxi had been about to respond, but when he heard her final sentence, his expression suddenly turned grave.
For now, nothing else mattered—after tomorrow's meeting, Xuanxi had to make sure he secured the position closest to Rora Starsea.
As he pondered what outfit and hairstyle would best help him intimidate the others at first sight, he scrolled through his wristband's virtual wardrobe, carefully selecting clothes that struck the right balance between authority and elegance.
At the same time, he didn't forget to respond to her. "Got it, I understand," he said, still half distracted by his search.
Seeing that he was busy, Rora simply decided to head out. She still needed to expand her little private savings account.
Now that her wristband had a Level-2 StarNet connection, she could directly trade with people online, or scan items to instantly view their market value—extremely convenient.
Although this planet didn't have any particularly valuable resources, its sheer abundance made small-scale trading a steady way to earn some hard cash.
Before long, Rora wrapped up her day's work and returned home. After downing her usual supply of nutrient solution, she washed up and soon drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.
By the time morning light seeped in, Rora Starsea was up and ready. She opened her door—and froze for a second at the sight before her.
Sitting on the sofa was Xuanxi, dressed head to toe in a sleek black uniform, every crease pressed to perfection. His slightly tousled hair somehow managed to look artfully styled, and there was even a faint trace of fragrance in the air around him.
Rora raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She merely gestured for him to follow and, along with Acha, set off toward Han Hu's residence.
When they arrived, Wannian Qing, A Mao, and Dan Bing were already there waiting.
The moment they entered, all eyes landed on Xuanxi, the tension in the room palpable.
"Who's he?" Han Hu asked, his gaze flicking over Xuanxi's spotless uniform before dropping to his own worn-out clothes. His fingers twitched slightly.
He silently admitted it—he'd lost this round.
Just as Rora was about to step forward and introduce them, Xuanxi suddenly moved ahead of her in one smooth stride.
She couldn't help but glance at his long legs—his stride really was impressive. Though honestly… did he have to be that dramatic?
Xuanxi had no idea what sarcastic thoughts were running through Rora Starsea's mind at that moment.He simply extended his right hand toward Han Hu, the corners of his thin lips curving into a perfectly practiced smile.
"Hello," he said warmly, his voice smooth and composed. "I'm Xuanxi, personal steward to Star Lord Rora Starsea. I look forward to working with you."
Personal steward?
Han Hu's brows furrowed deeply. He didn't take the offered hand. Instead, his sharp gaze shifted past Xuanxi to land squarely on Rora.
"Is he trustworthy?" he asked bluntly.
Rora answered evenly, "He's still under observation. He accidentally figured out my identity as the Star Lord.Also, he came from another planet—he knows a lot about Star Lords, so… I've decided to keep him around for now, to see how he does."
Han Hu gave a slow nod before turning back to Xuanxi."I'm Han Hu, the administrator of this settlement. You'd better make sure you really are just a 'personal steward.'If I find out you've done anything suspicious…" His tone hardened, eyes narrowing. "You won't like the consequences."
Xuanxi's expression didn't flicker. The same gentle smile remained on his face as he looked lightly at Han Hu, as if the man were no more than a stray cat or dog on the roadside.
"Of course," he said softly. "I am just a personal steward."
The sheer arrogance in his tone made Han Hu's blood boil. His fists clenched, and a dangerous light flashed in his eyes.
Their gazes locked—neither willing to back down. For a tense few seconds, the air itself seemed to crackle, like static electricity ready to spark into flame.
Then, Acha's hoarse voice broke the silence."All right, enough. Time's short—stop wasting it on meaningless chest-thumping."
At her words, both men turned their gazes away, the sharp tension slowly dissolving.
Everyone gathered around the low table, refocusing on the task at hand.
Han Hu took the lead. "Did any of you finish the building model I asked for last time?"
Acha was the first to respond, tapping her wristband. A three-dimensional projection instantly appeared above the table."This is my design," she said.
The hologram displayed a structure forged entirely from interlocking metal panels—cold, sleek, and industrial in appearance, exuding a metallic chill.
Han Hu studied it for a moment. The design was competent, but far from impressive; he'd seen too many buildings like it before.
His gaze moved on to Wannian Qing and A Mao, skipping over Dan Bing entirely.
Seeing that there was no way to avoid it, Wannian Qing and A Mao both reluctantly projected their own architectural designs.
Wannian Qing's model was quite similar to Acha's—a conventional metallic structure, clean but uninspired.A Mao's, however, immediately stood out. His design took the form of a large tabby cat, its walls soft and furry-looking, the building itself almost radiating warmth and whimsy.
Han Hu gave an approving nod. "A Mao's is not bad," he said.
Then, all eyes turned to the pair sitting side by side—Rora Starsea and Xuanxi.Rora looked toward Xuanxi, signaling for him to display their design.
The next instant, a series of miniature architectural models shimmered into view above the table.Black-tiled roofs and whitewashed walls peeked out from clusters of green trees.Graceful pavilions and towers rose in harmony, linked by winding covered walkways.Each roof curved upward elegantly, exuding a subtle sense of ancient charm.A gentle stream wound its way through the courtyards, the sound of water adding movement to the stillness.The entire scene felt serene, poetic—like a dreamscape from a forgotten age.
The four—Han Hu, Acha, Wannian Qing, and A Mao—had never seen this style of architecture before.They were transfixed, silent, unable to look away.For a long moment, the room was so quiet that even the hum of the projection device seemed distant.
Finally, Acha broke the stillness with a breathless voice."This… this is beautiful! I vote for this one!"
Her words seemed to wake the others from a trance.
"I vote for this one too!" said Wannian Qing and A Mao at the same time.
They quickly realized that what lay before them wasn't just a single structure—it was an entire complex, designed to fit the shape of their settlement.Did that mean… they could all live in houses like these someday?
The thought alone made their hearts race. Both of them could barely restrain the urge to start construction immediately.
Han Hu gave a resigned sigh, glancing at Xuanxi."Well, it seems having you as her personal steward isn't such a bad thing after all," he admitted."Your design is excellent. The next phase of construction—the one-star level housing—will follow your layout.I'll make sure you get contribution points for it."
Xuanxi opened his mouth to explain the misunderstanding, but just as he did, he felt a small, firm pressure against his back—something pointed was writing on him.
"Take the credit."
He instantly realized it was Rora Starsea, though he couldn't fathom why she wanted to hand her success to him.Still, he hesitated only a moment before nodding slightly and accepting the misunderstanding without protest.
Rora Starsea had Xuanxi claim the architectural credit because the body she inherited had never seen southern-style garden architecture; it would look impossible for a little local girl to invent those designs so quickly. To protect her identity as a time-crossed stranger, she handed the credit to Xuanxi.
After that, Han Hu reported manpower: roughly five hundred people could be mobilized — which, given the settlement's total population, implied he'd reached into neighboring encampments for help.
Next Wannian Qing presented what he'd built over the past few days from materials downloaded off the StarNet: a fully automated garbage-sorting machine, essentially a semi-intelligent robot.
"Pour the trash in and it separates everything by type automatically," Wannian Qing explained. "It picks out useful materials for us, and the leftover waste can be processed to power the unit itself."
"Good work — you really are a genius!" Rora Starsea praised without holding back. Others joined in the applause. The visible left mechanical eye of Wannian Qing brightened; he raised his chin with a modest smile. A Mao sneered at him in mock jealousy.
Then Rora brought up the Mu Yuan waste ship incident that had killed civilians. She explained that Xuanxi had found relevant footage and she'd posted it on the StarNet.
"Really? That's fantastic!" A Mao jumped up, excited.
"Sorry — I acted impulsively and didn't consult you all first," Rora apologized.
Han Hu waved it off. "Doesn't matter. Even if you hadn't posted it, I was going to."
The group shared a laugh; the mood was warm.
Outside LX045's atmosphere, seven black ships hung motionless in the starry void, their hulls painted with a snarling tiger head — the emblem of the Thebes system's Bils planet.
Inside one of those ships, Nis sat at a console, staring with contempt at the oddly colored planet on his screen.
"Are we certain the last signal from the desecrator Xuanxi's ship vanished here?" he asked.
"Yes, sir."
Nis nodded, his face hardening. "Find him. At any cost. Any obstruction — kill without mercy."
His eyes narrowed: if they failed to locate the target, they would have to accept losing this planet.