March 7th seemed to possess the 'social butterfly' trait; as soon as one topic landed, she could seamlessly transition into the next.
Dan Heng had a rather reserved personality. Seeing her ask questions incessantly like a curious baby, he hesitated to speak several times.
Qi Zhimu wasn't a Trailblazer, just a temporary passenger on this journey. They had only just met; wasn't asking so much a bit inappropriate?
Qi Zhimu noticed Dan Heng's conflict and returned a reassuring look.
When it came to the skill of keeping a conversation going, any Galaxy Ranger who had wandered the universe for years could chat with someone for three days and nights without repeating themselves.
"Why did you want to become a Galaxy Ranger in the first place?" March 7th asked, resting her chin on her hand.
"..."
The previously talkative Qi Zhimu suddenly fell silent.
March 7th's heart skipped a beat, and she asked cautiously, "Um... did I ask something I shouldn't have...?"
"Sigh, the past is too painful to look back on... for his baby's sake!" Qi Zhimu drained his drink in one gulp.
"What baby?"
"...It's nothing, just a colleague's verbal tic. If you want to know why I became a Galaxy Ranger, it starts with my home."
"Ooh... I'm all ears (Xi Ting Zun Bian)." March 7th blinked her large eyes.
"It's 'I'm all ears (Yuan Wen Qi Xiang)' or 'listening with respectful attention (Xi Er Gong Ting)'." Dan Heng really wanted to facepalm.
Was her education level not very high before she fell into her slumber in the Six-Phased Ice?
Recalling that unforgettable past, Qi Zhimu couldn't help but grit his teeth, a thick sense of resentment appearing in his tone for the first time.
"Before becoming a Ranger, my main profession was a mercenary. I took money to get things done for people."
"Of course, I didn't just take any job. I won't say I was upholding justice, but I at least had a bottom line called fairness."
"I worked diligently for over a hundred years, dealing with all sorts of difficult employers. Finally, I escorted a massive shipment, helping a company protect goods of inestimable value, and received a commission I couldn't spend in several lifetimes."
"Then the idea of retirement sprouted. I spent all my savings to buy a private planet for seclusion, intending to live a carefree and peaceful life."
"But I never expected... I never expected—"
At this point, Qi Zhimu's face was full of grief and indignation.
"A female executive from a certain company promised one hundred million Credit Points to have me be her assistant for one month."
"What kind of assistant has a monthly salary as high as a hundred million?!" March 7th almost jumped up in shock.
"There are always some guys trying to get something for nothing. For big corporations, sometimes dealing with these people requires some underhanded methods."
Qi Zhimu spread his hands with an 'I knew you'd be shocked' expression.
"The targets were pretty tough, but it was no challenge for me. But who could have guessed that when I finished the month and headed back to my hometown humming a little tune, I found..."
"My home... had been razed to the ground by the Antimatter Legion!"
"I had only just bought it; at most, I'd lived there for less than ten days! Less than ten days!!"
"I sat on my spaceship in silence for a long time, pacing back and forth and desperately comforting myself that it was fine, it was fine, if the home is gone I can just earn more money to buy another..."
"But in the end, I still almost cried from the stress. I swore right then and there that I would be irreconcilable with the forces of Destruction for the rest of my life!"
"I will make the forces of Destruction know the meaning of lingering nightmares!"
March 7th understood instantly.
No wonder Qi Zhimu was so ruthless against the Annihilation Gang. Given what he did... it truly was a nightmare.
Stink mines didn't have high lethality, but they were extremely insulting.
After being blasted by that kind of thing, one would probably hallucinate that there were a few mines under the covers when going to bed at night.
"So you became a Galaxy Ranger and chased the Destruction faction across the galaxy to beat them up?" March 7th said.
"Pretty much. Initially, I just wanted to go back to my old trade, but then I happened to help a group of real Rangers out by taking down some throwbacks... after that, I was invited to join and naturally gained another identity."
"Working diligently for a hundred years... Are you a Long-Life Species? How old are you this year?"
"116 years old. I guess so. My father's home planet received the blessing of abundance, but he's already dead."
"...And your mother?"
"A Short-Lived Species. She had a difficult labor when she gave birth to me and passed away early."
Emmm... so he started working as a mercenary before he was even an adult.
March 7th scratched her head, feeling that asking any further would be like a background check and a bit impolite.
As it was nearly time for rest, she smiled and waved goodbye, skipping back to her room.
Dan Heng casually asked about Qi Zhimu's mercenary contact channels, and the latter frankly shared the details.
By this time, the conductor Pom-Pom had already arranged the guest room. Waiting for their conversation to end, Pom-Pom led Qi Zhimu there.
"Is this room to your liking, passenger Lord Zhimu?"
"I'm very satisfied. I'm not picky; as long as there's a place to sleep, it's fine. Thank you for taking the trouble to arrange such a nice room, Conductor," Qi Zhimu said sincerely.
Although Qi Zhimu's clothes were tattered and he had dirtied the floor when he boarded,
Pom-Pom was always tolerant toward polite and high-quality passengers, as long as they didn't break rules intentionally.
"I heard from passenger March 7th that you've been through a lot. You must be tired, so get a good night's sleep. The Express will stay docked here for one more day."
"If you haven't decided on a destination, you can travel with us for a while."
"I've gotten used to being a cosmic drifter... I really don't have a specific place to go, so I'll be troubling you for a few more days then," Qi Zhimu laughed.
Pom-Pom nodded and was just about to move those short legs to leave when the conductor heard the former ask a question.
"By the way, Conductor, where is the next stop?"
"A private space station. If you're interested, you can have passenger March take you for a tour when the time comes. I still have to go clean the kitchen, I'm leaving now, pam."
"Take care, Conductor."
Qi Zhimu stretched, took off the ornament hanging from his waist and set it aside, then collapsed onto the soft bed and fell asleep instantly.
...
The night passed in silence.
"Good morning~ Conductor! Morning, Himeko, Uncle Yang!" March 7th greeted them full of energy.
"Morning, little March."
Himeko and Welt sat down at the dining table one after another and picked up their water glasses.
"Where's Dan Heng?"
"There's still some data in the Data Bank he hasn't finished organizing. He told us to eat first. As for Zhimu... I didn't ask."
March 7th helped Pom-Pom bring the meals to the table and added casually:
"I don't know the daily routine of a Galaxy Ranger, and I was afraid of disturbing his rest, so I didn't knock."
Himeko nodded slightly, not minding.
The Astral Express had been sailing again for many years; passengers came and went in droves, and differing routines were the norm, nothing to be surprised about.
Welt, however, pulled up an investigation record.
"Based on the information Dan Heng provided, I asked someone to look into Mr. Zhimu. After filtering out irrelevant information, this is some data on his past deeds."
The Express wouldn't pry into the past of its passengers, but they at least needed a basic understanding.
If they let a dangerous element who wanted to blow up the train on board, it would be a real headache.
March 7th curiously leaned her head over to read along with Himeko, discovering that this data was almost entirely third-party perspectives on Qi Zhimu.
"Escorted precious 2D collectibles from the Tokiwa State, single-handedly repelling interstellar pirates composed of thousands of Borisin..."
"This one is actually from recent years... served as a bodyguard for a certain galactic superstar traveling to the Caimo Star System, successfully thwarting a plot by outlaws to bomb a concert."
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