Salwen Square, located in the heart of Mist Capital, was named after its former “owner,” Earl Salwen of the Empire, who was very fond of this island.
By class, Earl Salwen was indeed a heinous colonial ruler, but from a purely humanitarian perspective, this cultured grand noble was actually a rather enlightened and benevolent leader.
He built a large garden-style square across a river from his resident city, allowing all citizens, including Earthlings, to enter and play.
After some thought, he then built three underground levels beneath the garden, designing them as an underground shopping mall and complex.
This place quickly became the largest shopping mall on the Three Islands, with a constant flow of people and merchants daily.
It is said that when the Commonwealth and Earth gained independence, some people proposed renaming this square, which symbolized the remnants of colonialism, to Independence Square or Freedom Square.
However, the Empire had ruled for so many years, and many old-timers and their descendants remained.
These people transformed themselves and still managed to get into the new government, continuing to be their powerful gentry and local dignitaries.
They began to lobby, offering very grand reasons: “To remove traces of the previous era by renaming is a betrayal of history and shows a lack of confidence in the future.”
Anyway, with this series of maneuvers, the name was never changed, and coupled with Marshal Li’s death, which led to a period of chaos in the government, this name, full of the flavor of the former dynasty, was thus preserved.
“Salwen Square, oh, I know it well! Before I was twelve, I went there almost every day.
I’ve been to almost every shop,” Gongsun Qing introduced to Yu Lian.
Yu Lian was skeptical about this.
One must know that Salwen Square had three full levels, with tens of thousands of shops, and a daily footfall of over a million people.
Security was not very good, and there were many nooks and crannies where surveillance cameras couldn't reach.
If a delicate little girl went to play there without an adult, she might disappear today and end up in a slave market hundreds of light-years away tomorrow.
However, thinking about it more carefully, given Gongsun Qing’s genius, she might be the type who awakened her psionic abilities at three and evolved her Star Ring at five, so ordinary human traffickers would simply be delivering themselves to her.
“I also know that antique shop you mentioned! It used to be called Terrence’s Home, but later, the old man brought his granddaughter over, and it was renamed Terrence and Nair’s Home.
How about I take you there directly?”
The other party spoke like this, still showing great enthusiasm.
Perhaps she was grateful that Yu Lian had finally brought her onto the right path.
Yu Lian was very touched but still refused her without hesitation.
Gongsun Qing once again expressed considerable admiration for someone’s straightforwardness, made an appointment to “see you on the moon,” and then took her leave.
Yu Lian went directly to the lowest level of the square, which was also the smallest level.
Walking here, the lighting became a little dim, and the crowd thinned out considerably.
However, this was understandable.
Under the dim lights, the signs of the shops on both sides of the walkway flickered like ghostly flames in the shadows—brilliant and splendid, yet always with a hint of strangeness.
Those shops were also far less mainstream than those on the first and second floors, being filled with old items, calligraphy and paintings, handicrafts, and decorations.
The shopkeepers here were also far less enthusiastic than those upstairs; they hardly ever came out to greet customers, staying in their own shops, either painting or carving, or cleaning objects, at most occasionally looking up to give passersby a forced smile or two.
For a moment, Yu Lian even felt as if he were strolling through a ghost market at night.
Of course, it would have been even more like it if these antique shops didn't always have one or two small taverns emitting ambiguous lights in their crevices, with big sisters who looked very open-minded always sitting at the entrance.
Walking through the passage of this underground mall, Yu Lian could even hear the rumbling sound of the city’s rapid transit coming and going nearby, which immediately added a touch of everyday life to this self-contained underground commercial street.
These subway transportation networks, built before light-rail technology matured, allowed for almost seamless connection between city and intercity transport, enabling one to reach any place on the British Isles from any station.
Now, these rail trains have been operating for nearly two hundred years, and they are still running in good condition.
One has to admit that the facilities built by the Empire were truly honest, at least in terms of durability.
The citizens of the Three Islands and Mist Capital were already accustomed to the “rumbling” sound of the tracks and trains, and the city government naturally would not remove them to save expenses.
“Don’t buy anything here, and even if you see something you like, absolutely do not show any expression of liking it.
Also, they don’t accept cards or electronic payments here; only cash.
Precious metal currency is the most popular, and you can even get a discount,” Gongsun Qing reminded him before they parted ways.
Yu Lian was grateful for the girl’s reminder, but this feeling of being treated like a naive rookie who hadn't experienced the harsh realities of society was still not very pleasant!
Those who opened shops in such a place might not be good people, but they certainly couldn't be extremely evil.
Otherwise, they would have gone directly to rob graves; why bother doing fake antique business here?
Yu Lian walked for a few more minutes, winding through the twisted paths between the shops, intentionally avoiding two gazes that seemed to be eyeing his wallet with ill intent.
Then, as he passed a fast-food cart, he habitually scanned it, and the words “Nair and Terrence Fast Food” immediately caught his eye.
Yu Lian stopped and gently tapped on the fast-food cart’s table.
A figure bent slightly and emerged from behind the steaming heat of the fast-food cart.
It was a girl of sixteen or seventeen, petite and delicate, with a rosy complexion and a hint of moisture on her forehead.
She was also a very pretty girl, not a stunning beauty that would shock people, but she had a comfortable appearance, full of energy and a sweet smile, brimming with life.
“Um, excuse me…” The little girl looked at Yu Lian doubtfully and shook her head.
“Excuse me, are you Miss Nair? Mr. Terrence’s granddaughter?”
The girl paused slightly, then showed a wary expression: “Sorry, we don’t buy insurance, nor do we need financing.”
Do I look like someone in finance?
Are people in finance as handsome as me?
I really want you to apologize seriously!
“Also, we don’t trade stocks, we don’t buy futures, and we definitely won’t sign any gambling agreements.”
Although Yu Lian was a little annoyed, he still managed a slight smile.
“If you want to eat, please have a seat.
We have three meal choices today: A, B, and C.
Of course, we also have fried chicken and hot dogs for takeout.
A box of fried chicken, a hot dog, plus a cold drink is only 15 yuan.”
“...You fry chicken and grill hot dogs on the third underground level; aren’t you worried about the oil fumes?” Yu Lian asked, surprised.
“No worries, no worries! You have to believe in the Empire’s architectural integrity!
The ventilation system is excellent, and the garden on the very top is planted with Rainbow Fig trees personally cultivated by the first Earl Salwen.
Those are the best super trees in the Universe at regulating climate.
They can even purify acid mist and atmospheric flows, let alone my little bit of oil fumes.
We could even eat hot pot down here, no problem.
You’ve been down here for so long; haven’t you felt any difficulty breathing?”
There were Rainbow Fig trees planted in the park on the first level?
Yu Lian was a little surprised.
In his memory, those super giant trees cultivated by the Imperial Academy of Sciences could easily grow hundreds of meters tall, and a single tree’s canopy could form a vast forest, much like the elven capital in a certain fantasy strategy game from his previous life.
However, he had just entered the underground commercial street from the edge of the garden and hadn’t seen such a prominent towering giant tree!
“Earl Salwen had great taste… or perhaps he was a very obsessive person.
He believed that giant towering trees within the city would affect the city’s aesthetics.
You know, the entire Mist Capital is essentially his work; he wouldn’t allow any imperfections.
However, to regulate the city’s climate to his desired level, Rainbow Fig trees were also necessary.
So, he simply focused on tree cultivation, and he actually succeeded.
The new city Rainbow Fig trees don’t grow very tall, but their effect is not affected at all.”
So, it truly is the obsession of a cultured person?
Yu Lian sighed.
But for a cultured person to have the initiative and technical ability to realize all his whimsical ideas, that’s a bit terrifying.
“This customer, seeing how interested you are in Earl Salwen!
Then you must not be from the financial circle.
After all, most people in the financial circle don’t have much historical aesthetic.”
Yu Lian felt that this little girl’s prejudice against the financial circle was too great, but he wasn’t going to correct her; people in that circle deserved whatever blame they got.
“Then you must be a distinguished guest who came to our antique shop by reputation!
Our master used to be a retainer of Earl Salwen, haha, so, you understand! Hahahaha~~~”
Facing the little girl’s bright eyes, Yu Lian shrugged emotionlessly: “After hearing your introduction, I’d be embarrassed if I didn’t buy something from you… However, I’m afraid I’m here to find someone.”
Nair’s smile began to falter, but it stopped halfway and solidified again, because Yu Lian slightly bent his arm, with a glistening Imperial Golden Dragon coin clutched between his fingers.
“Please ask,” she said with a beaming smile, but after thinking for a moment, she added, “However, I can’t remember that many people.
If I don’t know them, there’s nothing I can do.”
“Do you remember this person?” Yu Lian pulled up the portrait of “Shirley” he had personally drawn on his personal terminal.
Yu Lian could, of course, have taken out the photos obtained by the Shared Foundation, but that would have been too conspicuous.
Anyway, he was quite confident in his drawing skills.
Indeed, the little girl merely glanced at it, and her eyes narrowed slightly.
She then looked up, sizing Yu Lian up and down, quite impolitely.
Yu Lian simply raised his face, letting her get a clear look.
After all, being handsome meant he wasn't afraid of being looked at.
“Please follow me.
Grandpa will know more clearly,” she said, smiling even more sweetly.