Shen Yunyun's heart pounded violently. It took her a long moment before she asked, "You mean... nuclear war?"
Caitlyn nodded. "Yes, nuclear war. At first, most people thought it would be like one side firing a shot and the other firing back. But in reality, once one country launched a nuke, every nuclear weapon on the planet started launching indiscriminately. Blue Star's radiation levels became severely超标—no longer fit for human habitation. It turned into a paradise for some animals, like zebras."
Shen Yunyun could hardly believe what she was hearing. In her mind, nuclear war was like the two bombs the US dropped during World War II. But what Caitlyn and the others described was completely different. If it was as they said, once nuclear war broke out, wouldn't everyone just perish together? No wonder the nations of her past life had constant conflicts but never actually deployed nukes. So this thing was just for deterrence. If you had it, you could stand tall and fight back; if you didn't, you had to take the beating.
Well, that wasn't her concern. She had a purpose for coming today.
Before she could state her purpose, Caitlyn stepped forward and grabbed her hand. "Miss Yunyun, welcome to the Seti Galaxy as our guest."
Shen Yunyun gave an awkward smile.
Caitlyn turned to Grand Marshal Rossetti. "Marshal, let's prepare a banquet to honor Miss Yunyun." Her eyes sparkled with a strange light.
Grand Marshal Rossetti nodded.
Soon, what they called a banquet was ready. On each person's plate was a single Shanghai bok choy, twelve red grapes, six cherry tomatoes, a corn cob the size of two fingers, and a sweet potato also the size of two fingers. Rossetti's eyes lit up, and Caitlyn looked pleased with the meal. The corn and sweet potato had been roasted—cooked food.
"This is the finest food in the Seti Galaxy, a token of our sincerest gratitude," Grand Marshal Rossetti announced happily.
Shen Yunyun smiled awkwardly, thinking to herself: If I pulled out something truly delicious, would that be a slap in their faces?
"But this meal isn't free. I have a favor to ask," Grand Marshal Rossetti said bluntly, glancing at Karl.
Karl's earlobes turned red, and he fidgeted nervously.
Shen Yunyun was completely baffled.
Lady Caitlyn said, "Marshal, let's enjoy the food first."
"Very well."
Shen Yunyun's mouth twitched. This counted as fine cuisine? Still, she followed local customs and ate a sweet potato. It was so small it wouldn't even fill a gap between her teeth, yet after just one finger-sized piece, she felt full.
"Not to your taste?" Karl asked gently.
Being addressed by a handsome young man with such a perfect face lifted Shen Yunyun's spirits. "I'm full."
"Just that little bit?" Caitlyn frowned.
"Mm, I'm full." She really was. Shen Yunyun hadn't expected the food in the Seti Galaxy to be so different from Blue Star's. It seemed she shouldn't underestimate the power of advanced technology.
Lady Caitlyn and Grand Marshal Rossetti exchanged a glance. Rossetti set down his fork and waved a hand. Immediately, a robotic dog came to clear away all the plates.
"Now, let's talk."
Shen Yunyun didn't refuse.
"When our ancestors migrated from Blue Star, they brought only a small population. Later, many couldn't adapt to the Seti Galaxy and died, leaving fewer and fewer people. Now, the entire galaxy is filled with close relatives—including Lady Caitlyn and myself. We cultivated hundreds of embryos in capsule pods, but only Karl turned out normal. So I want to ask you to help us exchange genes, to prevent the Seti Galaxy from heading toward extinction."