“Did you not see that battle standard with the mermaid on it? That’s the Star Ocean’s Emperor’s symbol. It was one of Atlantis’ diplomatic ships. As one of the 10 permanent members on the Milky Way Alliance, they possess significant influence,” Zhao Jing said.
Yan Xiaosu rubbed his nose. “Are we not also a diplomatic ship? Why aren’t people receiving us?”
Zhao Jing smiled and shook her head. “We are an ambassador ship that belongs to Earth. We do not possess such a high stature. In the entire Alliance, there are no more than 30 ships that possess such influence… Furthermore, the Solar System is no longer in its heydays.”
Regardless of whatever era one was in, strength makes right. It was unknown how many numerous Alliance members had requested for Earth’s special status to be revoked.
At this time, yet another ship flew past. It was very clear that it possessed a high priority. All of the patrolling warships gave way to it and allowed it to enter the port. The New Olympus, which had been preparing to enter the port, could only stop once again.
It possessed a deep black hull, with jagged spikes all over, much like the sharp teeth of a wild beast. Just looking at it made one feel a chill.
There was no need for introductions. With such an exaggerated appearance, everyone could identify it. It was a Blacksteel Warship.
The Arbiter Republic. During the exploration era, it was only second to Aslan in strength. They expanded their borders quickly and ruthlessly.
They were different compared to the well-integrated Aslan. The Arbiter Republic chose to seal themselves off. Aslan prided itself on its honor and glory, choosing to walk the path of a righteous knight. On the other hand, the Arbiter Republic was cold-blooded and was like a locust swarm. They were more like space pirates.
It was now one of the permanent members of the Milky Way Alliance. During the Exploration Era, they accomplished one of mankind’s greatest discoveries. To be frank, they did so through plundering. As fellow members of the Alliance, no one said anything. The Arbiter Republic did not care about rules. Once, they even devastated three entire planets.
This black ship was also a diplomatic ship.
After the New Olympus docked, the Solar System’s embassy staff rushed out to receive them. This was them showing their respect for Xiao Fei and Marcus.
The ceremony seemed a little grand. Wang Zheng and the rest had their Skylinks directly connected to the main net, obtaining a licensed pass for them to move around. They were given access on the level of a member of the embassy.
After the procedures were completed, the embassy staff prepared lodging for the group.
Xiao Fei declined the arrangements provided by the embassy. This was not her first time at Roland Garros, and she had many close friends here.
“The opportunity to come here is rare. You can go and explore. Each country’s area is interesting. Just remember one thing: this is Roland Garros and we represent the Solar System and Earth. So act the part.”
Xiao Fei chased Wang Zheng and friends away. She had many friends she had to visit.
Wang Zheng and friends had no intention of resting. There were three days until the ceremony, and it was also their summer vacation. If they didn’t take the chance to play, that would be going against God’s wishes.
Touring Roland Garros was a strange experience. It allowed one to see the customs and cultures of all the different countries. It was like touring the Milky Way itself.
Everyone enjoyed themselves immensely, especially in the special areas allocated to each country. For a first timer, they were able to receive free memorabilia, models, hats, and keychains. Free goods were king! Regardless of what it was, anything free was happiness. An Mei and Ye Zisu were avid collectors, and they felt indebted to Wang Zheng and Yan Xiaosu for bringing them here.
Before long, Yan Xiaosu and An Mei were distracted by a claw machine. However, the two of them were not very lucky. After half a day, they failed to catch anything. The staff, who were watching from the side, couldn’t help but laugh. They wanted to continue playing, but they realized that they had used up all of their free credits. They had even used up Wang Zheng and Ye Zisu’s credits as well. If they were to continue, they would have to pay 10 dollars per game.
“It’s so expensive!” An Mei blinked her eyes, indignant that they had not managed to win anything.
“Keke, it’s expensive for a reason. All of these toys inside are all handmade goods. These are not your cheap, run-of-the-mill items. Furthermore, they are made with Anmar Yeti fur. This is one of the most popular items in our country, the Principality of Lyon,” the staff member said very politely. In his eyes, a trace of amusement could be seen. It was clear that being able to catch a toy required hand-eye coordination and dexterity.
The true value of an item could only be seen in comparison with other items. If it truly was yeti fur, it would fetch at least two to three thousand dollars on Earth. Furthermore, that was just a conservative estimate. These furry toys were adorable, and girls all wanted to own one.
Wang Zheng walked over. “Let me try. 10 dollars per try, yes?”
“Yep.”
Wang Zheng smiled and took out 100 dollars. “Give me 10 tries.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
The staff member was very happy. This amount would be kept by him as commission. However, he was not a mean person; he was planning on giving these Earthlings a souvenir after they had spent 300 dollars.
An Mei pulled Yan Xiaosu over. “Is this okay? I don’t want to cause someone to go broke over a toy.”
“No worries. When Boss acts, there’s no problem.”
Yan Xiaosu said as he patted his chest.
An Mei and Ye Zisu blinked their eyes at him before cheering Wang Zheng on.
However, just 30 seconds later…
Student Wang’s first attempt had caught him a plushie!
The staff member looked quite shocked. “Your luck is pretty good.”
“It’s not bad. Let’s continue.”
Wang Zheng smiled before turning his head at Yan Xiaosu. “Which one do you want.”
“The polar bear!”
Yan Xiaosu said excitedly.
“Okay.”
The staff member just smiled. The polar bear was heavy. With the strength of the claw, it was an impossible task…
However, just another 30 seconds later..
Bang! The claw machine played a song to congratulate Wang Zheng. The polar bear rolled out of the machine.
“Okay, what else do you guys want?”
“That fire-spitting dragon looks quite cool.”
This time it was even quicker. Within 10 seconds, it rolled out of the machine as well.
“Any others?”
“Zisu?” An Mei probed her. She had to take advantage of these opportunities to develop the relationship.
“I want that small sunflower.”
The staff member who had looked as though he was going to cry couldn’t help but to look gratefully at Ye Zisu. What a wonderful person!
Wang Zheng smiled and just as easily grabbed the toy.
Everyone had had a chance. Wang Zheng still had six tries. After deeply sighing, Student Wang set his sights on the largest plushie.
“Brother is truly an expert. Please let this little one go. This is a souvenir. Please count the plushies before as gifts from this little one.”
The staff member was crying as he pleaded.
Wang Zheng smiled. “Forget it. We won’t bully you anymore.”
The staff member quickly thanked him profusely. After refunding them and satisfying the two ladies, he couldn’t help but think of how all the previous Earthlings who came by had been tricked. Now the tables had turned.
After leaving the area of the Principality of Lyon, everyone was very satisfied. “Why are you still laughing? That fellow almost died of sadness,” An Mei said as she hugged her polar bear. After becoming contented, she began to pity that poor guy.
“He has earned enough. He only suffered under us,” Wang Zheng said as he laughed.
Everyone turned away when they saw them. Perhaps they had seen Wang Zheng’s performance and hence many people were struggling to decide if they ought to entertain him…
After enjoying themselves, the sky had become dark. Everyone was hungry. An Mei grabbed Yan Xiaosu and asked, “Do we still have that list of recommended places to eat?”
Yan Xiaosu looked over it. After a brief discussion, they chose the highest rated restaurant. He used his Skylink to book a table for four before they headed over.
The service at the restaurant was excellent and the atmosphere was amazing. There were numerous customers and the building was made of sound-absorbing materials, so as long as one did not shout too loudly, each table’s sounds were unlikely to disturb another. It was suitable for people to eat and chat with their friends.
“You booked a table for four. Please follow me.”
The service staff was very sweet and demure-looking. Her voice was also very mellow.
She seemed like a soft-spoken girl.
Yan Xiaosu and Wang Zheng looked at each other. There was no need for words. They knew what was in their hearts without saying a word. This girl was truly very sweet!
The décor was amazing. All that was left was to see how the food was.
They ordered the restaurant’s most popular set meal and the food quickly arrived. The taste was pretty decent. However, Wang Zheng was not as enthusiastic. Even though the food was good, the portion was just too small.
They ate and chatted. Yan Xiaosu suddenly spoke, “Take a look over there. Do you think that those people over there have been staring at us?”
Wang Zheng smiled. Ye Zisu and An Mei looked over surreptitiously. The table Yan Xiaosu was pointing to had three individuals. One of them was currently looking over at their table.
Ye Zisu had a slight frown. These people did seem slightly familiar, but she could not recognize them.
At this time, the person who had been looking at Ye Zisu stood up and walked over. “Sorry to disturb. May I know if you are Ye Zisu from Beijing?”
“You are…?”
“I am Nicoise. I am from one of your classes.” Nicoise let out a refreshing smile. “We have even received a scholarship together. My parents were transferred to Roland Garros, so I moved over here as well.”
“Ah, Nicoise. It really is you. It has been a long time. Please sit.” Ye Zisu smiled. Truthfully, she had only met him a few times and only had a brief impression of him. However, being able to meet someone familiar in another planet was still something worth celebrating.
“How might I address the rest of you?” Nicoise sat down and immediately smiled at the rest of them.
“I am Yan Xiaosu and this is my girlfriend, An Mei. And this over here is my brother, Wang Zheng.” Yan Xiaosu smiled as he introduced the rest of them. Deep down he knew that the two of them were from completely different circles. The people Zisu met when she was young were definitely extraordinary.
“Keke. What might the group of you be here for?” Roland Garros was not a place people came to tour. Those who were here either possessed significant stature or were here on official business. These individuals did not seem to be like that.
“Wang Zheng has won this year’s Milky Way Science and Technology Award,” Yan Xiaosu said proudly.
“Ah. So you are that Wang Zheng. You are extremely famous,” Nicoise said politely.
Wang Zheng gave a wry smile as always. He could feel that the individual sitting before him was just exchanging pleasantries. He was not really interested in meeting new friends.
“I was lucky.”
Nicoise smiled yet again. “Haha. With Xiao Fei as your professor, I believe you are extremely lucky.”
Yan Xiaosu blinked. This brat was trying to insinuate something.
Wang Zheng just continued to smile. At this point, Nicoise took out a holographic name card before saying, “I am very familiar with Roland Garros. If you have any problems, please give me a Skylink call. I have friends who can help. Let’s meet again.”
After which, he politely excused himself, bowed towards the group, and then returned to his original seat.