Star Railway: The Pioneer's Journey

Chapter 36 Possible Debts

What do you want to ask?

"When did you arrive in the lower district?"

"I've been here for about ten years."

Has she really been away from that home for so long without realizing it?

Natasha seemed to be looking into the distance, reminiscing about the happy past long ago.

Unfortunately, with the separation between the upper and lower levels, those past experiences have become fragmented memories. Now, all she can do is try to make life a little better for the people in the lower level.

Ten years or so? Sambo said the upper and lower levels of the blockade would only last for a dozen years at most, which means that Natasha was here before or after the lower level was blocked.

At least they should have a fairly clear understanding of the history of the Yalilo-6.

"I've heard quite a bit about the situation with Yalilo-6 from Sambo. Not long after the Antimatter Legion arrived, the cold wave appeared, right?"

"Yes, the cold wave not only stopped those strange creatures, but also brought more dangers." Natasha seemed to remember something: "Those rift creatures appeared after the cold wave arrived, and the lower zones... are about to fall."

Rivet Town has been taken over by the Rift, and the former orphanage is gone...

Yunzhi was somewhat disappointed.

Natasha said "the cold wave is coming" instead of "the star core is coming".

She probably didn't know about the star core.

"I remember that Belloberg was built by the 'Builders,' so they should be worshipping 'Preservation.' Hasn't the company made a single move?"

While it's true that the capitalists in the company won't act without a profit, isn't it unlikely that they haven't made any moves at all?

At least when the builders first started constructing Beloborg, they must have come to see if there was any profit to be made.

And that group of people...

Suddenly I felt quite dangerous.

Based on Yun Zhiyong's experience of living for thousands of years, the company had probably been here before, but Yalilo-6 has been isolated from the world for so many years, so they probably thought there was no life left here.

With the influence of the star's core, the company's assessment of this location is that it is a "worthless" planet.

But what if they find there are still signs of life here?

Yunzhi didn't believe the company had come here to do charity; at the very least, they had taken out a loan, and perhaps received other forms of assistance...

Faced with Yunzhi's question, Natasha paused for a moment, then lowered her head in thought.

After a long silence, she looked up and answered seriously:

"It is said that in the early days, when the cold wave arrived, outsiders in Belleburg sensed the crisis and left one after another, perhaps including people from the company."

She paused for a moment: "However, these are all just legends. Bellberg has been isolated from the world for too long, and there is no evidence to prove it anymore. I think it's probably just a legend."

Yun Zhi barely heard the last sentence.

"So, people from the company did stay here for a while, right?"

The company used to work here... When something like this happens, you have to lend them some money to prepare.

Whether this legend is true or false, it's enough to conjure up a picture in someone's mind—the image of money flowing away in a rush.

Yun's brow twitched. Right now, her mind was filled with irresponsible thoughts like, "If we just leave, we won't get caught up in this shipwreck crisis, right?"

He knew it was inappropriate to think this way, but the things the company had done made him unconsciously start calculating how much money Belloberg owed the company.

Assuming the company invested here from the beginning, it's been 700 years now. Even if the company only borrowed one credit point from them back then, according to those capitalists' thinking, it should be calculated with compound interest. How many zeros would Bellberg have to pay back over all these years?

Moreover, they certainly wouldn't borrow just one dollar. Over the past 700 years, corporate loans must have had fixed repayment dates, with penalties plus interest to cover both principal and interest...

How should I put it? Even selling Bo Shizun wouldn't be enough.

Okay, now we can think about whether it's better to just destroy this place, so we won't fall into a debt crisis later.

Even if the Star Core bewitched the Great Guardians into establishing the so-called "New World," don't expect such a small place to compare to the behemoth that is the company.

That's hopeless, next one.

"What's wrong?"

As Natasha watched Yunzhi's expression shift from shock to speechlessness to giving up, her heart pounded with anxiety.

Did the Interstellar Peace Corporation leave something here?

Yunzhi: Yes, it's very likely that he left behind an IOU with zeros that couldn't be filled even with an Oxford dictionary.

Wait, don't give up yet. It's just a possibility; the company may not have actually lent them money.

Yun took a deep breath, banishing the company from her mind.

"You'd better pray that the company didn't lend you money, otherwise the real relief would be if the Yalilo-6 were completely destroyed."

Either destroy it, or hand the planet over to the company to do with as they please.

The latter may seem convenient, but it is actually quite dangerous.

Who knows what they're going to do on Yalilo-6?

Unable to resist adding that sentence, Yun Zhicai completely banished the company from his mind.

"Putting company matters aside, what are your thoughts on the current Grand Guardian?"

I hope Cocolia knows about the debt...

Wait a minute, isn't this back to the company?

Natasha thought for a moment: "I'm not particularly familiar with her, I just remember she was a very strong woman... but guardians are all very strong."

Who is the person who knows her best?

Natasha knew about this: "It must be her daughter. Sambo once said that her daughter was also an excellent Silvermane Iron Guard."

Bronya?

Speaking of Bronya...

"One last question, do you know Seele?"

"Seele?"

Natasha's expression changed.

She knew, of course, that Seele was one of the core members of "Earthfire" and an outstanding child.

Why would this newcomer to the lower district know her?

Yun ignored Natasha's wariness.

The female doctor's reaction confirms that Seele does exist, lives in the lower district, and seems to have no connection with Bronya for the time being.

However, judging from Honkai Impact 3, Seele and Bronya have a very good relationship, and Seele likes to stick to Bronya and call her "sister" the most—these two seem to have come from the same orphanage, right?

Cocolia and Bronya are definitely not mother and daughter, but Seele and Bronya can be good sisters without any blood relation.

"...May I see her?"

Can I ask her to talk to Bronya to find out what Cocolia is thinking?

This is much better than being stuck in the lower levels waiting for a limited amount of intelligence.

As for how to meet Bronya... that's not difficult.

Although kidnapping violates the rules of the Immortal Ship, this is not the Immortal Ship, so there is no need to worry about it.

Natasha just felt something was off.

Why do I always feel like this person in front of me is about to do something terrible?