Chapter Fifty: Baiqiao Museum

Baiqiao Museum is the largest and oldest museum in the entire Shuchuan system, with a history spanning more than two centuries. It is the only six-star tourist attraction on Baiqiao Star. The museum itself is divided into three distinct exhibition areas: History, Technology, and Culture. Each area covers an immense space, easily accommodating billions of visitors.

"Every year, Baiqiao Museum hosts dozens of exhibitions, large and small. But exhibitions open to the entire star system are rare—one only happens every few years," Zhou Shun explained to Yin Jian as they approached the entrance, taking advantage of the fact that the doors hadn't yet opened.

Yin Jian lowered his gaze to take in the building below—a structure meticulously carved into the planet’s surface. Its overall shape resembled a crystal lotus in full bloom, with three tiers: upper, middle, and lower. Every petal possessed its own unique style, and together they shimmered and intertwined, creating a wondrous tableau. Though Yin Jian had seen it countless times during his school years, every sight of this masterpiece left him awestruck by its extraordinary craftsmanship.

When artistry reaches its pinnacle, every creation becomes a treasure of the universe.

As he admired the museum, opening time arrived. The colossal doors, reminiscent of city walls, slid aside. Because this exhibition was open to the entire star system, there was no admission fee—it was more a festival of cultural heritage than a commercial event. After a brief registration on the light-brain system, Yin Jian and Zhou Shun entered the Technology section of Baiqiao Museum.

Zhou Shun checked the navigation and said, "Brother Yin, the technology exhibition this time is divided into Life, Concept, and Military zones. Let's start with Life."

"Alright," Yin Jian agreed. He was here to enjoy himself, so any arrangement would do.

Guided by the navigation, the two soon arrived at the Life zone. Most of the exhibits here showcased technology designed to improve daily life. Many were new products companies hadn't yet released, displayed here as a form of publicity. Visitors were often encouraged to try them out for themselves.

"Ether Maid!"

Hearing an exclamation, Yin Jian looked over and saw the source—a maid whose appearance and behavior were indistinguishable from a human, but who was actually a robot.

"Any form at your command, instant heating with no wait—the Ether Maid is the friend who will accompany you for a lifetime."

Yin Jian recited the pitch and couldn't help but twitch with amusement. It brought to mind some rather provocative thoughts.

"Two hundred thousand for one. Might as well get one to help clean up my rooms," he muttered.

Zhou Shun, hearing this, glanced over, then briskly went to pay and reserve one. Yin Jian wanted to ask if Zhou Shun really intended to use it just for cleaning, but he held back—no matter how Zhou Shun answered, the question itself would be less than proper.

They spent half the day wandering the Life zone, only seeing a fraction of the exhibits, yet their horizons were vastly broadened.

"Let’s head to the Concept zone," Yin Jian suggested after a while, feeling he'd seen enough of the Life offerings.

"Sure, nothing too novel in the Life zone. The wild ideas are all in the Concept zone," Zhou Shun replied, and together they headed toward the other area.

"Whoa! Yin Jian!"

"Luguo! What are you doing here?"

Both spoke almost simultaneously as they met.

Yin Jian sized up Luguo’s outfit—a staff uniform for the exhibition—and asked, "Weren’t you working at the bookstore? How did you end up here?"

Luguo coughed twice, clearly unwilling to admit he'd quit his job after making a little money from his first game, only to realize he needed more funds for a second. He scratched his springy hair, then spotted Zhou Shun standing beside Yin Jian and quickly changed the subject. "You must be Yin Jian’s friend? Hello, I’m Luguo, his college classmate."

"Hello, Zhou Shun."

After brief introductions, Luguo asked, "You two heading to the Concept zone?"

"Mhm. Are you going to tell me what's fun there?" Yin Jian looked at Luguo. As a staff member, he must know the area well.

Luguo patted his bouncy hair. "There is a special place, but it’s not the Concept zone—it’s a separate area open only to the upper class. If you want, I can take you."

"Won’t you get in trouble for that?"

"No worries. With so many people here, no one can tell who’s upper class anyway," Luguo replied.

Catching each other's interested looks, Yin Jian and Zhou Shun nodded. "Thanks, then."

"No big deal. Follow me," Luguo said, leading the way. "This little area is for individual developers to sell copyrights of their research results. There’s lots of fascinating stuff—much more fun than the main exhibition."

Soon they arrived at the elevator. Luguo tapped twice, gestured for them to enter, but stayed outside himself. "I’ve got to work. You two explore on your own," he said, waving as he started the elevator.

When the doors reopened, Yin Jian and Zhou Shun found themselves in a much smaller space compared to the main exhibition.

"This must be the lowest tier. I’ve never been here before—looks like I’m benefiting from your connections," Zhou Shun remarked, scanning the area.

Yin Jian smiled. "No need for formalities. Let’s see how this place differs from outside."

With that, they stepped inside. Unlike the main exhibition, there were no storefronts here. Instead, people had staked out their own small areas on the floor like stalls. The crowd was sparser, and the average age noticeably higher.

Yin Jian glanced around, focusing on the various patents on display.

— Automatic Water Replenishing Cup: Separates water molecules from the air to refill itself.
— Jinke Fertilizer: Instantly grows plants to maturity (side effect: prohibitively expensive).
— Repulsion Shoes: Allows wearer to escape gravity’s pull (directional control system not perfected yet).
...

"Definitely more interesting than outside," Yin Jian remarked, marveling at the peculiar inventions. This place was full of talent.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, he stopped at a particular stall. Zhou Shun paused too, reading the sign: "Virtual Consciousness Shielding Sprite? Can block memories of entering the virtual world for a short time… What’s the use of that?"