Inside Herta Space Station.
Bai Ming and Asta walked out together.
Just as Himeko had said earlier, the enemies in this area had already been completely wiped out by her ridiculously powerful drones.
So, coming out now shouldn't pose any real danger.
However, Asta's mind wasn't exactly focused on safety at the moment.
After all, right beside her stood the fierce woman Arlan had described — the one who could stomp on void Rangers and beat Tramplers to death with nothing but a baseball bat.
But—
Asta's gaze drifted to Bai Ming's profile.
It was a perfect, flowing curve — the kind of outline that even a telescope might fail to capture.
Yet…
With such a flawless face, how could she laugh so unrestrainedly?
Just earlier, she'd been clinging to March 7th like a total creep.
Silent, she was pure elegance; the moment she spoke, she turned into the worst kind of slacker.
Was this what people meant by "a pity she has a mouth"?
Asta couldn't help but press a hand to her forehead.
"Um…"
Bai Ming's voice broke her thoughts. When Asta looked up, she found the girl scratching her cheek, holding her baseball bat awkwardly, looking almost guilty.
"What's wrong?" Asta asked cautiously, adjusting the grip on Bai Ming's hand while resting her other hand over her chest.
"Is there something you want?"
"Uh…" Bai Ming hesitated, then said, "Promise you won't get mad if I say it, okay?"
"No." Asta shook her head seriously. "I can't promise that."
"Even if you're Arlan's savior, if you do something that endangers the space station, I will get angry."
"Eh…"
Though petite and seemingly gentle, the moment Asta mentioned the space station, it was as if she'd gained a sudden buff —
Attack Up!
Authority Up!
Bai Ming actually found herself a little afraid to speak.
Seeing her hesitate, Asta softened her tone.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm not saying I'll definitely be angry. I just have my own principles, that's all."
"If it's something harmless, you can tell me directly. Within my ability, I'll do my best to accommodate you."
"I promise you this — in my name as Acting Station Head."
Asta's seriousness left Bai Ming unable to treat her like just another cute girl.
After a moment's hesitation, Bai Ming finally said:
"Well… actually, I was wondering — how do you usually reassure everyone in the space station? I don't really know how to do that."
"…"
Asta fell silent.
Seeing her like that, Bai Ming panicked.
"Hey, I didn't mean anything bad! It's just—"
"Just that things still ended up like this, right?"
Asta sighed, then gave a faintly proud smile.
"Forget it, I kind of expected that question. Managing the space station and reassuring everyone isn't something you can understand immediately."
"Follow me. I'll teach you."
With a confident flick of her hair, Asta started walking ahead.
She thought this would earn her some respect.
Instead, behind her, Bai Ming suddenly grabbed her own face and began wriggling with excitement.
"So cool~"
"What are you doing back there?" Asta asked, turning around when she noticed the silence. "Aren't you coming?"
"Coming! I'm coming!" Bai Ming waved and ran after her.
To be fair, Asta's pride was well-founded.
Even if she was only the acting station head, her professionalism was undeniable.
Everywhere she went, her presence carried authority.
East wing:
"You all, stay alert and stay safe!"
"Okay, okay, station director Asta!"
West wing:
"If you encounter any issues, contact me right away! I'll ensure your safety!"
"Thank you, director Asta!"
Bai Ming blinked as she listened.
Hmm… something felt a little off about how everyone addressed her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"So?"
Asta turned around, hands on her hips. "Do you understand what to do now?"
"Y-Yes!" Bai Ming nodded quickly. "It looks like really hard work."
"Of course it is," Asta replied with pride. "But even though it's hard, I'll keep doing it seriously!"
"Otherwise, I'd have to go back and inherit the family business. Facing endless, spendable Credits every day… just thinking about it gives me a headache."
"Endless Credits, that does sound painfu— wait, what?"
Bai Ming scratched her cheek. "What are Credits?"
"They're the currency we use to buy things," Asta explained, looking surprised. "You don't even know that?"
"What?! If you can spend them all, shouldn't that be super happy?!"
"But my happiness…" Asta began, only to be cut off by the sound of crying nearby.
Both of them turned toward the source — a little girl was sobbing loudly, with a worried boy standing beside her.
Bai Ming and Asta exchanged a glance, nodded, and hurried over.
"Waaahhh—!"
The little girl stood in the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks as she rubbed her eyes with her chubby hands.
Seeing her, Bai Ming's heart softened immediately.
"Whose kid is this?" she asked. "Crying like that—it's heartbreaking."
"This…" Asta narrowed her eyes slightly, studying the girl who was even shorter than herself.
"I know who she is," she said at last. "Wen Shiling. She's one of our—"
"So that's her name~" Bai Ming interrupted cheerfully, already extending her baseball bat toward Asta.
"Um, Asta, can you hold this for me?"
"Of course," Asta said, taking the bat. "But what are you—"
"Hehe~" Bai Ming cracked her knuckles, stretching her arms. "How could we just stand here and watch a child cry?"
"Doing that would make you lose every 50/50 and hit hard pity forever, you know."
Saying that, Bai Ming walked forward, gently picked up the crying girl, and held her close.
"Don't cry, don't cry. Big sister's here now."
"…Is she actually comforting the child?"
Asta blinked in surprise.
She felt as though she'd just witnessed something truly rare — something remarkable.
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A/n: While I am a new translator, I have a Patreon! While it may be a bit empty right now both this and the other book on my page has advanced chapters posted on patreon.
patreon.com/deadlygoober