… ...Silly girl, he's clearly making things difficult for you!
Also, looking at his respectful but unyielding attitude towards you, he's clearly under pressure from your family's elders! Yu Lian looked at Miss Gongsun Qing, who was on the verge of tears, and suddenly felt a little guilty.
To be honest, this girl's performance just now was almost perfect; at least she fooled everyone except himself. Of course, encountering him was like saying, "Heaven wants me to perish, it's not my fault in battle."
She had not systematically studied acting, nor did she have much experience in this area. From this alone, her talent in acting was probably already superior to most famous natural-born actors.
Perhaps it was only second to her talents in sword dance, swordsmanship, psionics, and combat.
The universe spirit truly favored this girl.
"I'm really sorry... Actually, you did very well. See, most people in the restaurant believed you, didn't they?" Yu Lian said.
"But, but, didn't it still fail to move you?" Gongsun Qing shook her head, still looking devastated and sorrowful. Then, realizing she might be losing her composure, she quickly said, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I've been talking about myself this whole time; it must be boring."
"No, you need to have confidence in yourself. If you truly love acting, then work hard to develop in that direction. Dreams require effort to be realized, and besides, you're not at the point where you'd starve if you pursued an unattainable dream, are you?" Yu Lian encouraged her earnestly. He didn't think there was anything wrong with a future Sword Saint becoming an actor.
"This, you're right..." The girl nodded, a hint of gratitude in her eyes as she looked at Yu Lian.
"Furthermore, today's issue isn't about your performance, but about luck." Yu Lian added, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Yu Lian, a senior at Central Defense University. This time, I'm here to invite you to participate in the Navy Day's single-ship combat exercise."
"Ah? This, this..." The topic change was so abrupt that Gongsun Qing was a bit stunned.
"This is a major event that will be broadcast live nationwide, and it seems some foreign media will also be broadcasting it. It's estimated to be the highest-rated program nationwide this year. If you're willing to join my battleship, I'll appoint you as the Assault Captain, responsible for commanding all boarding actions and leading the charge." Yu Lian paused, then smiled, "You can imagine the exposure this position will get, right? This will play a huge role in the future development of your acting career! It's much more efficient than running around auditioning for these Three... um, not-so-famous theater groups."
"Ex-exposure? This, this..."
"Yes, to put it plainly, it's fame and buzz. That's an actor's biggest asset!"
"Eh, but aren't actors supposed to have lines, physicality, charisma, expressiveness, and it also depends on your knowledge and cultural cultivation? If possible, good looks are even better. Don't you need these to become a good actor?"
"Yes, but that's in the Past. In the Present world, as long as someone supports them, even a shrimp can become a great dragon envoy. But how do you get people to support you? First, you must prove that you can generate buzz and have the ability to create topics."
Yu Lian paused, propped his hands up to cover half his face, and said in a deep voice, "A top student from an art academy, a young lady whose future career model is a dancer, yet she participates in the Navy Day's single-ship exercise, and her position is the formidable Assault Captain. What could be more newsworthy than that?"
"Hmm, this, oh, but, I..." Gongsun Qing was completely confused. After being dazed for almost a minute, she belatedly asked, "But, I'm a dance student, aren't I? Oh no, did you know me before? How did you know I could fight?"
"Oh, I have indeed heard of you. A friend of mine participated in the Galactic Youth Martial Arts Competition in 824 and also made it to the finals. Of course, she heard of you, who was invincible in the adjacent equipment group... Oh, she was in the unarmed combat group, so it's normal that you don't know her."
Feifei really did participate in the Galactic Youth Martial Arts Competition in 824, but after reaching the finals, she narrowly lost to her opponent, stopping at the top 128, but she still won 50,000 letter stars in prize money. She immediately bought a glidewing for herself and Yu Lian, both the same model and type with more color options.
As for Gongsun Qing, she was indeed one of the top four in the equipment group that year, and she didn't lose; she dropped out of the semifinals after reaching the top four due to an unknown reason.
Therefore, Yu Lian's reasons were not improvised; all his excuses were well-founded and very real.
Gongsun Qing nodded in sudden realization, then showed a troubled expression: "But, this is really too sudden. To be honest, I did awaken my psionic ability a long time ago, and I also learned some swordsmanship... Heh heh, the elders in my Gongsun Family family felt that learning swords was also a family tradition, and it could train physical fitness, maintain shape, and even self-defense, so they found some teachers for me. By Present, it's true that three to five strong men can't get close to me. But, swordsmanship and psionic ability are just my hobbies! I usually don't spend much effort studying them. Participating in combat exercises or something... Can I do it?"
Yes, dancing is your profession, and acting is your dream. However, there are indeed people in this world who are favored by a great, unseen existence!
"Still, the same words: have confidence in yourself! When you step onto the field, you'll find that within that small space, you are truly invincible!" Yu Lian smiled, "And, it's also good to see how the military operates. Aren't you going to be an actor? This is also a rare opportunity to gain experience. I just said that actors need traffic to become famous, but traffic always sinks. You were right about one thing. A good actor indeed needs continuous learning and continuous accumulation."
"Indeed, if I hadn't actually encountered a Luminar person preparing to bury a bomb behind the Light-Year Stadium yesterday while strolling on Celtic Street, I wouldn't have thought of that scene just now." Gongsun Qing nodded.
Yu Lian felt that the information in her words seemed a bit too much, and he almost wanted to slap his forehead.
"Sorry, what did you just... say?"
"A Luminar person, preparing to bury a bomb behind the Light-Year Stadium." Gongsun Qing said earnestly. Seeing Yu Lian's slightly subtle expression, she explained, "Yes, it was yesterday. The team hasn't been doing well recently, and I felt I should support them, so I wanted to buy something at the souvenir shop. Because I've been grounded recently, I could only sneak out while everyone was having dinner, and by the time I actually got to Celtic Street, it was already evening."
Yu Lian knew that Celtic Street was behind the Light-Year Stadium and was where most of the team's merchandise stores were located.
When Gongsun Qing arrived at Celtic Street, it was after 9 PM, and most souvenir shops were, of course, already closed. She left the main road, intending to go to a 24-hour fan bar for a drink or two. But at that moment, she felt something was off, so she followed her intuition and walked all the way to the innermost part of the block. Then, she indeed saw a Luminar person crawl out of a sewer, carrying a pile of homemade bombs, furtively preparing to act.
Although Luminar people are considered semi-amphibious, able to live in the sea and Swamp, why do they always seem to crawl out of sewers lately?
"My intuition has always been very accurate. Every time I feel something is off, it turns out to be true." She said proudly for a long time, then touched the back of her head, "For example, it was like this during the last game, sigh... never mind, let's not talk about it."
This isn't intuition; it's "Killing Intent Perception" from the "Asura" pathway, an enemy detection radar that absolutely leaves "Driving" and "Co-fusion" in the dust. It's a psionic skill that can be mastered by "Wind Callers" of the Three Rings or "Duel Experts" of the Four-Ring. Most importantly, it's not a skill that every "Asura" is guaranteed to awaken, but rather the exclusive domain of highly perceptive geniuses.
He couldn't help but want to touch his neck again.
"What happened next?"
"Later? That guy was pretty skilled, but he was still no match for me. Of course, as soon as I knocked him down, a few military gentlemen in black appeared. They looked quite fierce, but once I stated my identity, they all behaved, though they didn't dare let us leave. So I had to call old Master Austin to come. That Luminar person was taken away, and as for what happened next, to be honest, I couldn't be bothered to care." Gongsun Qing spoke as if it was truly an insignificant matter.
That being said, as soon as Luminar people were mentioned, Yu Lian's first thought was of the troublesome incidents he had encountered in Big Apple before, and his mind wandered for a moment.
However, this doesn't mean there's any connection between the two incidents. To put it plainly, Luminar people constantly plotting rebellion and causing trouble on Earth isn't news; it would be news if they didn't cause trouble.
Besides, since the Internal Guard had already taken over, it was no longer his concern.
"Is it okay to tell me this kind of thing?" Yu Lian asked.
"Those military gentlemen in black didn't say I couldn't tell anyone!" Gongsun Qing said in a matter-of-fact tone. It was hard to tell whether she was truly naive or just pretending.
She thought for a moment, then said, "However, given my identity, is it really suitable for me to participate in this kind of... military activity?"
"Are you a Commonwealth citizen?" Yu Lian retorted.
"This, of course I am!"
"Then, are you a current university student?"
"Of course I am! I can graduate this summer. Actually, I can graduate anytime I want, it's just..."
“Then isn’t that fine? I know that when Gongsun Family is mentioned now, everyone’s first reaction is the Duke of Yongdi of the Galactic Empire. But no matter how hopeless the Commonwealth Government is, it’s impossible for them to implicate you just because of a distant relative who split from your family over two hundred years ago, right?”
Yes, Miss Gongsun Qing’s distant granduncle, many generations removed, was indeed the Duke of Yongdi of the Galactic Empire. This was not just an ordinary one-generation honorary title, but a legitimate top-tier noble of the Galactic Empire with a fief.
Don’t find it strange; these are all historical issues left over from the colonial era.
At that time, Earth had already become part of the Empire, and a considerable number of Earthlings naturally began to enter the Imperial government, military, and even the palace to serve.
Also at that time, it is said that two brothers, descendants of Gongsun Dajiang from Earth’s classical Tang Dynasty, both awakened their psionic abilities—Yu Lian also has great doubts about this, wondering why Gongsun Dajiang’s descendants are surnamed Gongsun? Although saying this might make some people angry, shiver, and cry, there are indeed issues in this regard.
In short, the two brothers were already geniuses in sword skills and combat, and they resolutely went to the Empire to hone their techniques.
Thus, after a millions-of-words-long space martial arts adventure story that can be omitted, the two brothers combined their peerless sword dance and the mystical psionic energy, creating the top-tier practical sword art belonging to Gongsun Family: the Spirit Sword Dance, which remained magnificent and dazzling, yet became even more lethal.
But at this point, a divergence appeared between the brothers. One hoped to expand the fame of their swordsmanship and family, wanting to serve the Empire; the other was a patriot, absolutely unwilling to serve the “foreign enemy.” Neither brother could persuade the other, but neither was willing to commit fratricide, so they could only have a big argument and then go their separate ways.
Finally, the one who stayed in the Empire quickly gained the appreciation of the then-Emperor of the Empire for his bravery and military merits, becoming a Sword Viscount. Subsequently, after three generations of effort, the Imperial Gongsun Family family transformed from a Sword Viscount to a Duke with a fief. “Yong” was the name Gongsun Family gave to the planet bestowed upon them by the Emperor, presumably to commemorate their hometown.
The Emperors of the Dawn Dynasty were always very generous. As long as someone was capable, no matter where they were born, even if they were a deformed non-human, they would not hesitate to bestow honors.
As for the one who returned to his hometown, he lived in seclusion, leading the life of a reclusive master while never neglecting to teach and impart knowledge. It is said that during the Independent War, the swordsmen of the Volunteer Army were taught by Gongsun disciples.
“So, what if you’re surnamed Gongsun? No one from the Gongsun family in the Empire appeared on the battlefields to suppress the Commonwealth’s independence movement, and the Gongsun Family family here on Earth never hesitated to shed their blood for the Independent War! I remember, there’s a Commonwealth senator now who’s surnamed Gongsun Family, right?”
“Ah, that’s my paternal aunt!”
“The current Chief Martial Arts Instructor of the Commonwealth Assault Team is also from Gongsun Family, right?”
“Ah, that’s my uncle!”
Yu Lian subtly rolled his eyes and spread his hands: “See…”
“But, you don’t understand, my situation is a bit special now. You really don’t understand…”
I understand, even better than you do. I know your granduncle has no heirs; I know he has taken a liking to you, the most talented in the family; I also know that he has already convinced the Imperial College of Arms; and I know even more what price the future you paid to protect your hometown. Yu Lian thought.
…However, for the future Miss Sword Saint, the number one martial force of Earthlings, to dream of becoming an actress, this butterfly effect is really too off-kilter, isn’t it? No, no matter what, this must be corrected!
Thinking of this, Yu Lian showed a (what he considered) very approachable, professional smile and said earnestly: “Oh, what’s the special situation? I haven’t heard of it. The most crucial thing is your own identity, your own choice, what it is now. A person’s position in this world doesn’t depend on where she was born, nor does it depend on what so-called stance or responsibility others have given her… Ultimately, it all depends on her own choices!”
Gongsun Qing must have taken it to heart. She bit her lower lip, gradually revealing a look of being moved, as if convincing herself: “Yes, at least now, I am still a citizen of the Commonwealth, a student of the Commonwealth, right?”
“Yes, who can say what the future holds?” Yu Lian smiled: “Moreover, precisely because of your special identity, the Commonwealth bigwigs might be delighted. So, just let go of the pressure and fully show yourself.”
“Yes, I really should fully show myself! Make myself famous! That way, there will definitely be companies willing to sign me… Yes! At least in terms of skill, I am very confident, even if my acting isn’t up to par for a while, I can definitely be an action star in the Alliance!”
Not good, it seems to have had the opposite effect…
Perhaps out of the dignity of a young lady from a prestigious family, Miss Gongsun Qing pondered for a few minutes. Although she was clearly completely swayed, she still said: “Can I think about it a bit more?”
“Of course! This is a big deal, and I really hope you discuss it with your family,” Yu Lian said with a smile.
“I won’t discuss it with them, I’ll only discuss it with myself!” Gongsun Qing said lukewarmly.
The two exchanged smiles, but their personal terminals rang almost simultaneously. Yu Lian received an email, while Gongsun Qing received a call.
The two exchanged smiles again, but their smiles were a bit awkward.
“I’m going out to take a call,” Gongsun Qing said, a little embarrassed.
“Mm, no problem, I’ll check my email first,” Yu Lian said.
As soon as Gongsun Qing answered the phone, her expression immediately turned a bit ugly, and she quickly strode out of the restaurant. Yu Lian was a bit curious about the caller, but he still opened his email first.
Needless to say, it was another anonymous email with no sender, which he had been receiving a lot of lately.
As soon as Yu Lian opened it, he saw the highly artistic, mysterious, and high-class scroll-like logo at the top of the email. It was the symbol of the Shared Foundation.
…Why would an underground intelligence dealer make himself so high-profile?
Thinking again, today seemed to be the tenth day, precisely the date agreed upon with the Foundation.
“Sorry, Mr. Mysterious 007, we can only do this much. If you want further investigation, you’ll need to pay more~~~”
As is well known, the Shared Foundation is a group of conscientious, legitimate businessmen who will do anything as long as they are paid enough. If there is an opportunity in the future, he would be quite willing to cooperate with them.
Yu Lian opened the email and quickly found all of “Sherry’s” whereabouts over the Past year, presented in a catalog table, with detailed annotations for time, location, and duration of stay, done very thoroughly, clearly and intuitively. Yu Lian felt that, regardless of the content, the person who made this set of documents was absolutely a talent, overqualified for preparing annual economic reports for multinational corporations or governments.
Yu Lian quickly scanned it and was slightly disappointed; even with the Shared Foundation’s capabilities, they could only find three confirmed whereabouts of “Sherry,” and all were concentrated within the last two years.
Of course, to prove it, the other party also provided surveillance footage and restored it using their technology.
“The most recent appearance… was half a year ago, at Gibraltar Starport? As expected?”
“But… hey, before Gibraltar, she actually came to Earth? And she was actually in Mist Capital? ‘Terrence and Nair’s House’ antique shop? Salwen Square? That place is really too big…”
Yu Lian was still pondering when he saw Gongsun Qing push open the door, enter the room angrily, sit down in front of him, pick up the cup on the table, and gulp down its contents with the same unrestrained manner as if drinking vodka.
Unfortunately, the cup only contained ice water.
Evidently, that phone call just now was very unpleasant.
“I’ve decided! I’m joining you right now! Assault team leader, right? I’m doing it!” she shouted.
“Good, welcome aboard. From now on, please call me Captain. Oh, by the way, we’ll be having group training starting in March. I hope you can participate. The Celebration Organizing Committee will cover round-trip airfare and room and board. Of course, if it interferes too much with your main business, then never mind. After all, you’re graduating soon…”
Anyway, I’m just counting on you to be a vanguard. Whether you participate in group training or not doesn’t really make a big difference.
“No, I’ll participate. Hmph, this degree isn’t worth getting anyway. Besides, hey, classical dance, huh? Do they dare not give the young lady of Gongsun Family a degree?” Gongsun Qing sneered, then slammed the table: “Then let’s set off now. Yes, I’m going to the Moon right now!”
“Setting off now? Without even saying goodbye? Without even packing your luggage?”
“No need, I’ll just buy things there.”
Yu Lian scratched his head, a little unaccustomed to her extravagance.
“Alright. Once you get to the Moon, you can contact a Miss Eaglet Tsukasa Ruri. She is currently our ship’s purser. I’ll send you her contact information now.”
“Hmm, aren’t you coming with me?”
Yu Lian said earnestly: “Student Gongsun Qing, as the captain, I have a lot of preparatory work to do! Don’t tell me you can’t even report for duty by yourself?”
The young lady of Gongsun Family blinked her big eyes, her eyes lit up, and she suddenly opened her terminal, earnestly beginning to record: “There really are such hopelessly dense people in this world! Indeed, one must have life experience to more fully understand this world! This is truly the first step to becoming a good actress! I finally made the right choice!”
“Gongsun Qing, you can do it!”
6k big chapter, 2 in 1, so only one update today! So don’t think I’m updating less!