As soon as Bingdisi spoke, I finally understood why she pulled me out in such a hurry: I’ve been tormented by a bunch of issues with the Startup Terminal and the looming catastrophe these past two days, and this female hooligan probably thinks I need some guidance again...

It’s not surprising she thinks this way, considering I’ve indeed been a bit irritable lately. The repair project for the Startup Terminal has made no progress, there’s no sign of the Hometown World, the catastrophe is getting closer every day, and the experts from the three clans haven’t produced anything that can even be called a "result." It’s like everything is at a standstill; we’re running in place, waiting for the catastrophe to crush us slowly—who wouldn’t be depressed?

Every time this happens, Bingdisi steps up as a guide to clear the fog and point me in the right direction—even though I don’t want to admit that this female hooligan has such a righteous side, it’s a fact. I’ve received quite a bit of guidance from her over the years. Although her temperament and personality are hard to describe, this female hooligan has used her rich experience and extraordinary wisdom to help me find my way more than once. Even though her way of speaking is always full of rogue habits, what she says is always significant. Sandora’s wisdom is excellent in battle, Harlan’s wisdom is great in strategy, Bellavilla’s sharpness has long worn down, and the remaining two elders from the Great Void Clan only occasionally provide guidance in extremely rare situations. Looking at the long-lived seasoned veterans around me who have lived far beyond the history of the universe, only Bingdisi can truly be regarded as a "good teacher" to me over the years... unfortunately, she’s a hooligan.

I feel a bit moved, but this time I really think Sister Bing is a bit too sensitive: "It’s okay, I’m doing well mentally. The current situation is indeed a bit worrying... but didn’t Taville say the catastrophe won’t happen for a few hundred years? We’ve just started fixing the Startup Terminal, we’ve got plenty of time. It’s too early to despair now."

"Well, you’re thinking it through, but just thinking it through is useless," Sister Bing pouts and leans back on the bench in a very ungraceful manner, raising one long leg to rest it directly on the bench. "You’ve been obsessed with the Startup Terminal these past two days."

I scratch my chin awkwardly: "...Is it that serious? Oh, you pulled me out to give me some guidance, I already know, thank you. This isn’t the first time you’ve worried about me."

"Your mental issues have nothing to do with me," Bingdisi brushes it off just as roughly as before, "I just wanted to remind you occasionally. After all, no matter how awesome you’ll become in the future, for now, my life experience still crushes you. I’m not good at those sweet-talking ways, and heart-to-heart discussions clash with me, so I speak directly: you need to realize you’re not alone..."

"I know, I’m a Void Creature, I’m not originally human—even though I used to think I was human."

Bingdisi glared at me fiercely: "How is this flaw of yours still not fixed after all these years? Can you not interrupt when I’m speaking seriously? If you do it again, next time I’ll absolutely turn against you if I can take you down!"

I: "..." I feel like Sister Bing just said something rather unbecoming, but usually, only an idiot would point it out at this moment.

"You’re not alone—here it’s a classifier!" Bingdisi turns her head, finally softening her voice, "Your mindset and actions affect more than just yourself or your small inner circle. I know the problems with the Startup Terminal are overwhelming, even Sandora has been spending lots of time at the research center recently—but you shouldn’t also be pressed down by them. And look, even Sandora isn’t entirely focused on the project; she was just discussing the combination of tofu pudding and concentrated sulfuric acid earlier. If the Battle Song Princess can have some fun, is it necessary for you, a half-baked Emperor, to personally manage everything as if you’re ready to die any moment?"

If I don’t say anything, this female hooligan will really talk me to death, so I carefully raise my hand: "Well, don’t make it sound so serious... I admit I’m half-baked, but when did I act like I’m about to die from overwork?"

"That’s because you haven’t noticed it yourself," Bingdisi snorts, "Don’t you remember what I’ve told you about the royal way before? The way for you isn’t to handle everything personally because you don’t have the ability for that—your way should be that of a Navigator, maintaining an optimistic attitude and moving forward, leaving the worrying stuff to others. You need to have a good mindset, remain calm in the face of problems, be resilient, and create an atmosphere of never losing hope around you, so your people can spread this atmosphere, allowing your... oh, now it’s our Empire, allowing our Empire to progress in such an environment. If even you lose confidence and are gloomy all day, do you expect your subordinates to be full of fighting spirit? Xyrin Apostles aren’t easily influenced by emotions, but they’re not brainless either; a good environment and an optimistic leader are always significant." At the end, Bingdisi nods emphatically: "To sum up, your royal way is the mascot route..."

The corner of my eye twitches: "What you said before was great; if it wasn’t for that last line I would’ve taken notes."

"It basically means the same thing," Sister Bing waves her hand, "You’ve been getting gloomy recently, although the symptoms are minor and the others at home haven’t noticed, I felt it necessary to remind you now, as it might be too late if you get too deep into it. Don’t worry too much about the Startup Terminal, things will get better, and honestly, you don’t even understand those reports... Don’t give me that look, you really don’t understand them, even I find them hard to read, and I’ve noticed you only ever look at the titles and conclusions every time."

I’m caught between nodding and shaking, so I end up awkwardly chuckling twice while gazing at the sky: "Heheh... Alright, you win. Recently, I’ve been under some pressure, but don’t worry, I’ll adjust in no time. You know me, my nerves are as sturdy as if synthesized from special materials. But I didn’t expect you to be quite sensitive; I’ve just been a bit more invested in work, and even Shandora and the others didn’t notice, yet you did and came to guide me... I’m quite moved."

"Of course, after all, I’m like an enchanting nightingale... you dare utter a word otherwise and I’ll hit you hard!" Bingdisi casually clenches a fist, creating a vacuum with a crack in the air, then she shakes her head, "In truth, it’s not about me being sensitive, it’s just that I happened to see that doll girl standing at your study’s door today, wanting to go in but not daring to, it was heartbreaking—right Mr. Holy Dad, you’re so busy with work that your daughter feels neglected, if I couldn’t see that, I’d be blind."

I feel my face twitch: "Huh? Is that how you judged my recent bad mindset?"

"How else?" Bingdisi frowns, "If you even stop paying attention to your daughter, isn’t that serious enough?"

I think for a moment and decide to tell the truth: "...Do you know why that girl was like that today?"

Bingdisi shakes her head, but her expression seems to be subtly changing already.

"Because she stayed up all night causing chaos last night, ended up tying me to the bed with a sheet, and even locked Dingdang in her box—I decided to dock half a month’s allowance, that’s all."

Sister Bing’s expression immediately becomes quite spectacular, a look of "Oh, I rushed over to save the world thinking you’d hit a major life crisis, but it was just a spat with a naughty kid," she opens her mouth, finally spits out two words: "Just this?"

"Of course just this," I shrug, "No matter how tough it is, you can’t be tough on the kids, you’ve seen how busy I am but I’ve never neglected those naughty kids at home unless they dig their own grave. Even then, I can’t even bring myself to say a harsh word..."

Sister Bing takes a sharp breath, almost lowering the oxygen level in the surrounding air significantly: "Hiss—So you father and daughter were just fighting over this? That doll girl looking all resentful at the study, I thought you’d gone down the path of that ’career-oriented father who neglects family leading to children lacking fatherly love and hitting a rebellious phase early!’ Damn, I was on edge the whole afternoon!"

"Rebellious phase? That naughty kid has been in a rebellious phase since the day I met her! Her stinky temper will be rebellious for a lifetime!" I pout, "And where do you get these weird ideas? Why does it sound so familiar..."

Bingdisi slaps the bench distressfully: "Please don’t say anything—I’ve just been watching too many public service ads these days, alright?"

I could only chuckle awkwardly, trying not to let this female hooligan get too embarrassed and lash out violently, but honestly, I felt quite touched: misunderstanding aside, Bingdisi’s intentions were genuine.

"You have a weird smile." Bingdisi, usually bold and carefree, sometimes becomes surprisingly sensitive. The moment my expression changes slightly, she immediately looks over in confusion.

"It’s nothing, just thank you for your concern," The corners of my mouth slightly curve upwards, "Don’t give me that look, my mood really hasn’t been great these last couple of days... though not quite in the way you imagined, the Startup Terminal issue has really been pressuring me."

Bingdisi drops her gaze: "Did I unknowingly give you some encouragement?"

I just smiled, didn’t say anything, and quietly watched as the number of pedestrians on the street dwindled with Bingdisi. As dusk fell, and just as I was about to get up and call Sister Bing to head home, she suddenly sighed: "Do you see those people on the street?"

"Uh, I see them, is there a problem?"

"Ignorance really is bliss," Bingdisi rarely spoke with emotion, her eyes unfocused as she gazed into the distance, seemingly seeing through the tides of the world’s creatures all at once. "Look at them, they’re busy every day, completely immersed in their daily lives and short existence, unaware of the looming thing called Void Catastrophe slowly approaching all Order Worlds. They feel nothing about doomsday, ’Universal Destruction’ is a concept remote and unimaginable to anyone other than lunatics. No one knows that the catastrophe will happen in at most a few hundred years, and everything they’ve created—brilliant civilizations, magnificent histories, treasures—will all be turned to dust in a Zeroing reaction—of course, that’s if we fail."

I looked at Bingdisi in surprise, puzzled as to why she suddenly brought this up. It sounded far from optimistic, not fitting the carefree style of this female hooligan.

"Don’t look at me like that, I actually have a sensitive side too," Bingdisi smiled, "Look at the scene before us, isn’t ignorance bliss? For most short-lived mortals, even knowing that doomsday is hundreds of years away means nothing, but we can’t think that way. Whether it’s Star Domain, Huron, or Xyrin, we stand at the top, knowing many things, so we must bear the accompanying responsibility. Sometimes, I envy them... How nice it would be if you didn’t have to worry about anything, knowing that there are Gods somewhere saving the world. But it’s just occasional thoughts, if my dad knew about my lazy thoughts, he’d definitely hang me up and beat me for three days—you have to keep it a secret for me."

I glanced at Bingdisi in surprise, then smiled and nodded: "Alright, alright, I got it. Even usually carefree big sisters have their down moments, I’ll keep it a secret for you. Honestly, I’m kind of happy now, knowing even peculiar creatures like you would get downhearted, it really brings some balance to me."

"It’s to balance you... never mind, pretend you didn’t hear it," Bingdisi waved her hand, "I’m not being negative, just occasionally expressing my feelings. Gods are the most responsible beings in the world, but you should allow us to grouse a bit after work, right? And you’re becoming a God yourself, hm, the leader of all Gods."

By this time, darkness had completely fallen, and we had indeed spent a long time outside with Bingdisi. I figured if I didn’t head back soon, Sandora would be terribly hungry (she usually waits until I get home to start dinner), so I reached out to Bingdisi: "Let’s go, before Sandora brings her troops to catch us, let’s quickly head home."

Bingdisi held my hand and stood up, suddenly seriously pondering: "Chen, do you think if the two of us were to elope now, our success rate would be very high?"

Me: "..." How on earth does this female hooligan’s mind work?!

But before I could say anything further, an emergency communication from Shadow City echoed in my mind: "Your Majesty! This is the Research Center, we’ve found a replacement for the Startup Terminal core!"

It was Taville’s voice.

This unexpected news left me stunned, and Bingdisi couldn’t help waving her hand in front of my face: "What’s going on? Are you overjoyed hearing I’m going to elope with you? Don’t take it seriously, Sandora’s chase would be deadly..."

I barely heard what Bingdisi said, as I took a moment to recover from the shocking news, then seeing her in front of me, impulsively lifted her up and spun her around three times: "We’ve got a lead on the Startup Terminal! You’re really my lucky charm!"

"Whoa, you lunatic—" Bingdisi instinctively tried to punch me, then suddenly hesitated, staring at me, "Wait, what did you just say?"

I realized my impulsive action and hurriedly put the sturdy female hooligan back on the ground, first maintaining a distance of over five meters from her while cautiously checking the situation: "Uh... just promise you won’t use meteor hammers or any cruel weaponry on me first..."

Seeing Bingdisi indeed had no intention of retaliating, I approached with an embarrassed smile: "There’s a lead on the Startup Terminal core."

This groundbreaking news made us no longer waste time, and we immediately hurried home. Upon entering, I saw Sandora already prepared and waiting. By her side were Xiao Xue and Lin Xue, mother and daughter, who looked us over seriously and nodded: "Hmm, the two eloped back..."

I stepped forward and flicked Miss’s head: "Stop messing around."

Xiao Xue was also observing us, although the naughty kid merely wrinkled her nose and made a face without getting into too much trouble.

"I also received the news from Taville. Let’s eat dinner a bit later and first check out the situation," Sandora waved her hand to open a Teleportation Gate to Shadow City with an air of decisive action, "Xiao Xue and Lin Xue are coming too; they need to verify whether Taville’s ’alternative plan’ is feasible."

"I’m going over to check out the excitement too," Bingdisi decidedly didn’t treat herself as an outsider (though she really isn’t), dragging the military uniform she’d got, "After all, I’m technically an Advanced Officer too, right..."

"Just don’t cause trouble." Sandora nodded, then stepped into the Teleportation Gate first.

With a flash of light, we arrived at the Shadow City Research Center, yet the transmission point wasn’t at the ’surface’ of the Research Center, but an open and endless dark space: This was an extended space of a ’Supreme Limit Laboratory’, Taville had given us coordinates directly to the laboratory, was she already validating the feasibility of the alternative?

In the boundless dark space floated large structures as experimental facilities. We were on an open alloy platform, enveloped by an atmospheric environment, while in front of us were rows of already activated data terminals, with frequently refreshing data streams indicating some test had begun. Taville stood before us, face radiant with excitement: "Your Majesties, and Officers, it looks like the issue with the Startup Terminal is about to be solved!"

Rarely did I see such unabashed excitement on this calm and collected Scientist’s face, it seemed the matter of the Startup Terminal had pressured her greatly lately, and now with sudden progress, she couldn’t remain composed. Sandora looked up at the situation within the test site and suddenly noticed something, her expression turning peculiar: "Umm... is this your solution?"

I looked up and froze as well: "... This thing?!"

Suspended silently within the test site was a large peculiar object, entirely black, unimpressive, resembling a pile of semi-melted ice cream balls stacked together, quite familiar...

Exactly as Lin Xue mentioned, this solution really was right under our nose!

(Ah, I have to go out soon, so I updated in advance, also added a PS, requesting a monthly ticket please.) (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)