The Most Powerful Brain in the Interstellar Space

Chapter 580 Under the Sun
"Your shooting skills are really impressive." Suddenly, the other person brought up a topic that was completely off-topic, leaving Jiang Hui momentarily bewildered.

“…Thank you.” Jiang Hui was a little confused, but still replied politely.

But the other person's sudden mention of that day seemed rather abrupt, leaving her unsure how to respond.

"How did you figure it out that day? Those prizes—" the young man, who looked quite young, asked.

Jiang Hui finally understood the other party's unspoken meaning: they wanted to ask her why she didn't redeem the jackpot that day.
Why? Jiang Hui's thoughts drifted away, the many twists and turns blurring her memory. It was only a few days ago, yet she could hardly remember it.

It seems, it seems... there's no particular reason, it's just that the other person's state is not right—they are suppressed and tense, poor and desperate, as if there is no way out.

The other person's entire aura was completely suppressed and dim, as if they were utterly exhausted but had no choice but to wear a mask. Such a person should not want to do anything at this moment, or should be fighting against their instinctive emotions. In any case, it is unlikely that they would be wearing a mask and wearing a shallow smile while setting up a stall in a busy place.

It's unlikely that simply lacking money is a motivator; it's more likely that he's forced to do it out of necessity—something compels him to put on a mask and step forward to earn this money.

Jiang Hui also noticed that the conveyor belt used to transport the lotus root pig dolls was cleverly designed, not at all like an amateur's work. Since she hadn't seen any similar products of this quality on the market, and given the strong personal touches, it was highly likely that he had made it himself.

This could already be considered a kind of technology, but it's being exaggerated and displayed at a shooting stall. What's certain is that the person who created this thing is quite talented.

Moreover, there were some issues with the prizes. It wasn't that the items were bad, but rather that they were too good. Many of these items were available on the market but difficult to obtain, and some were obscure or niche collectibles, mostly related to mechanical tools or parts.

Although the outer packaging looks quite old and even a bit worn, each item is exceptionally well-maintained and spotless. Some even have valuable protective cases and shelves, the presence of which is almost as long as the items themselves – meaning these items may have originally been intended as treasured possessions by their owners.

A person who may be talented enough to produce so many well-preserved, high-value artifacts, but is poor... something seems amiss.

Without further investigation, Jiang Hui would probably think this is a gambler's story. In fact—the other party was indeed the kind of reckless gambler.

But at that time, the students from Class Two were dominating the stall. When the children thought they had won big and received their prizes from the owner, the owner's expression was one of bewilderment, relief, and a touch of sadness, as if he were seeing off an old friend.

The students from Class Two who won his treasure showed no resentment, only sadness.

This is definitely not the expression of a shrewd businessman who has lost profits.

When she and Jia Yidi completed their bet, and Jiang Hui narrowly won the right to redeem the jackpot, she could even clearly see that the other person's eyes had turned gray and his whole person looked dull and lifeless.

Perhaps because the other person's expression was too distressing, Jiang Hui didn't want to be the one to steal someone else's good fortune. Thinking that the other person's small business wasn't easy to run, she decided to let it go, which is why she made that choice.

She just didn't expect that after so many things had happened, the other person would reappear in front of her and ask her such a strange question instead of asking anything else.

"Maybe, maybe it's because you look...poor, boss." Jiang Hui shook his head and chuckled, his gaze falling on his already faded cuffs.

The other party was probably genuinely strapped for cash; clothes were among the cheapest items in interstellar space. Even if they couldn't buy new ones, a quick repair on the automated machine wouldn't cost more than a few star coins. He earned over four or five thousand star coins a day, yet he couldn't even afford a few for repairs, so he must have his own difficulties. Now it seemed these items were so well-preserved because they were truly the stall owner's prized possessions. And the reason he brought out these treasured items… perhaps it was because he had nothing else but these things, nothing to use as leverage.

Jiang Hui didn't ask any more questions. Looking at Zhou Xiuwen who was walking towards her, she stood up and waved her hand: "Sir, you are very talented. If you can get out of your predicament, you shouldn't do this kind of business. Your collection is also very precious and rare. It's better not to use it for gambling. If you lose, you may not be able to buy it back with the same amount of money."

The young man watched the other person's departing figure with a flourish for a long while before finally whispering, "No, it's unnecessary now..."

Those collections are gone, but they have other ways to survive, a way for him and his brother to survive.

This time, the debt is truly enormous. Not only do I owe them money, but I also owe them a life. Debts are easy to repay; if that day ever comes, what harm is there in repaying tenfold or a hundredfold? But a debt of life is much harder to repay—

How can there be such a person in this world?
"Thanks--"

The girl didn't know if she heard him, but the person who had walked quite a distance with his friend was waving at him from afar with his back turned, as if in response.

The young man stood up and watched the two figures grow smaller and smaller until they disappeared completely from his sight.

Atlantis has no sunlight, the stars never set, and the deep sea is always cool and mild, without the alternation of day and night. But the young man felt a warmth here that seemed to come only under the sun.

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Zhou Xiuwen had already learned yesterday that Jiang Hui was going to be discharged from the hospital, so he came to pick her up today.

However, upon reaching the entrance, Zhou Xiuwen did not see the person he was looking for. He walked back a short distance before finally finding Jiang Hui, who should have been waiting for someone in the main hall, in the pavilion outside. It turned out that Jiang Hui had been stopped by an unfamiliar face.

When Jiang Hui saw him, she simply greeted him briefly and then walked towards him.

The boy looked at the unfamiliar-looking person with some curiosity and asked, "Who is that...?"

“I ran into the survivors from the underground corridor when I came out and we chatted for a bit,” Jiang Hui said.

Zhou Xiuwen knew that those people had come to thank Jiang Hui, and immediately realized that they were probably there to express their gratitude.

The boy shook his head and chuckled, "Then let's hurry up, I'm afraid we'll be surrounded again if we're any slower. You're really popular."

"...Hurry up and go, Huan Xian has been waiting for a long time."

(End of this chapter)