[Typhoon Haikui Sweeps Across Sakura Paste]
"According to our station’s report, just as this year’s Pacific Ocean typhoon season begins, Typhoon Haikui—the seventh of the season—has struck Sakura Paste. The disaster has damaged nearly 3,000 homes, leaving 18 dead, 7 missing, and 154 injured.
"As of press time, hundreds of residents remain trapped. Nearly 100,000 households are without power, multiple transit lines have been suspended, and 500 flights have been canceled across the two major airports in Kyoto and Feng Yu.
"Preliminary estimates suggest the total damages caused by this typhoon will reach 300 million Huaqi Coins.
"The World Meteorological Organization reports that as global warming intensifies, weather patterns are shifting dramatically. The average seawater temperatures across all major oceans have risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius. These warmer waters provide typhoons with even more abundant energy.
"Against this backdrop, this year’s typhoon season has started earlier and is significantly more active. Both the frequency and intensity of storms will likely surpass those of previous years, posing a severe threat to nations along the western shores of the Pacific Ocean."
Gu Zhao returned to the Daluo Palace with the Silk Embroideress, the sisters Bai Ke and Bai Yiqi, and four Star Officials. After spending an intimate night with Zhuo Qingyan, he crossed back to the modern world.
The moment he arrived on Blue Star, his phone started vibrating—BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ—and the aforementioned news report popped up on his screen.
"It’s typhoon season again," Gu Zhao remarked with a sigh.
"Fortunately, our preparations are very thorough. Under normal circumstances, we won’t have any issues," Xiao Ya said with a smile.
Jiang Shishi chimed in playfully, "Most of the typhoons get blocked before they can reach us. In that regard, Sakura Paste and Lü Zon actually deserve some credit."
The two women had been living in Yangcheng for three years now, so they had naturally experienced their fair share of typhoon days. However, due to the complex terrain of the mainland, colliding cold fronts, and the protective ring of island nations on the periphery, severe typhoons rarely made landfall on the coast. Most storms were either intercepted along the Sakura Paste, Ryukyu, and Lü Zon line, or veered off course as they approached the mainland. Even if the remaining typhoons managed to reach the interior, their destructive power was significantly weakened.
"But there are still severe ones," Gu Zhao said.
While it was true that no major typhoons had made landfall in the past two years, he still remembered the storms from his childhood. When he was around thirteen or fourteen, raging winds had wreaked havoc, making it seem as if the sky itself was pouring down. Massive trees were uprooted, and small cars were even blown onto rooftops. Rumor had it that many people died that year.
Later, even with massive infrastructural overhauls to strengthen mountain flood defenses and urban drainage systems, fatalities had indeed decreased. Still, whenever a typhoon made landfall, heavy property damage was inevitable. Take Sakura Paste, for example. Aside from the tragic loss of life, every typhoon brought massive property damage. It was the equivalent of bleeding out resources for no reason. It was no wonder that for hundreds, even thousands of years, they had constantly coveted the mainland coast.
Unfortunately for them, the enemies waiting on those shores were far more formidable than any typhoon!
Jiang Shishi checked her phone and then glanced at the bright, sunny day outside. "It’s about time. Let’s go."
Before Gu Zhao returned, the two women had made plans to have dinner with Erin and Song Qiuqiu. Since Gu Zhao was back, it was only natural to bring him along, which meant Zhang Hang got to tag along for the perks as well. The two women began to change their outfits, treating Gu Zhao to quite a feast for his eyes.
Half an hour later, they headed downstairs. With Gu Zhao playing the role of chauffeur, they quickly arrived at the Tianhehui Commercial Center.
"Erin!"
"Xiaoya! Shishi!"
Upon entering the first-floor lobby, Gu Zhao spotted Erin standing amid the flow of people. Not far from her lingered several men who exuded either trendy or elite auras. Seeing Gu Zhao and his two companions, Erin’s eyes lit up. She hurried over and pulled Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi into warm, enthusiastic embraces. She then smoothly attempted to give Gu Zhao a hug as well.
Just then, Zhang Hang’s voice rang out from nearby. "Gu Zhao!"
Song Qiuqiu had arrived, bringing Zhang Hang along.
"You were in seclusion for quite a while this time, weren’t you?" Zhang Hang’s eyes burned with curiosity. "Or did you go off on some secret mission?"
Gu Zhao teased, "What kind of secret mission could possibly keep me away for that long?"
"Going to the Moon!" Zhang Hang lowered his voice. "I saw the photos you posted online. Is there really a Guanghan Palace on the Moon?"
Erin and Song Qiuqiu also turned their attention to Gu Zhao. Song Qiuqiu’s eyes were filled with pure curiosity, while Erin’s gaze was a mix of curiosity and sheer excitement.
Of course, Erin knew the news about a Daoist from Celestial Xia landing on the Moon; after all, samples of Moon Rock and Moon Soil were already on display in the aerospace exhibition hall. However, she had no idea if Gu Zhao was the one who had actually gone up there to retrieve them, and even her brother, Lawrence, couldn’t say for sure. This was because, up to this point, none of the Extraordinary Daoists who had made public appearances possessed their own social media accounts. For all they knew, Gu Zhao might merely act as their publishing channel. He simply looked too young for the part.
Hearing this, Xiao Ya and Jiang Shishi giggled softly.
They had already asked Gu Zhao about the matter. They knew that he was indeed the one who had built the structure on the Moon. He had done it on a sudden whim the first time, making the initial construction rather crude, but he planned to return and renovate it further.
As students of classical music, the two women couldn’t say they had zero knowledge of classical architecture, but their expertise was admittedly quite limited. However, upon hearing about his lunar project, they immediately transformed into avid students of ancient architecture. They threw themselves into researching classical designs and decorations while ordering various necessary materials online.
Seeing the two laughing, Erin and Song Qiuqiu immediately linked arms with them. It was glaringly obvious that Gu Zhao might hold his tongue on certain topics, but as long as no state secrets were involved, they would have much better luck interrogating the women instead of him.
Gu Zhao waved his hand dismissively. "Let’s eat first. We can talk while we eat."
A short while later, a dual-broth Haidilao hotpot was placed on their table. Zhang Hang filled everyone’s glasses with drinks while Gu Zhao casually chatted about his landing on the Moon and how he had conveniently dropped off some roast goose and char siu at the space station along the way.
Zhang Hang was speechless.
Rubbing his hands together, Zhang Hang asked expectantly, "Next time you go up, could you take me with you?"
Erin pondered for a moment before she couldn’t help but ask, "If you can fly into space and possess a gourd that can hold a massive amount of cargo, couldn’t you transport all sorts of supplies and equipment to the space station? You could even establish a permanent base on the Moon."
Hearing this, Jiang Shishi grinned and teased, "Whose side are you on anyway? Why are you suddenly giving us ideas?"
Erin threw her hands up in mock surrender and joked, "Consider it goodwill from the old revolutionary base."
Even though Gu Zhao hadn’t taken that approach, Erin wasn’t afraid to bring it up. It was an obvious strategy, and she absolutely refused to believe that the Celestial Xia System hadn’t already considered it. In fact, they might have already coordinated with Gu Zhao and begun preparations. Erin knew she couldn’t stop them, and the Celestial Xia System probably wouldn’t even bother keeping it a secret. But if she could send word back to her superiors ahead of time, it would ensure her trip hadn’t been a waste. At the very least, she would justify the bills Lawrence was footing for her.
Gu Zhao shook his head, refuting Erin’s speculations. "There’s no need to force things to grow before their time."
"Huh?" Erin was confused.
"The value generated during the process of a lunar landing far outweighs the final result itself. Once all the technological advancements born from that process are fully digested, successfully landing on the Moon will be nothing more than a natural progression," Gu Zhao said evenly, taking a sip of his herbal tea.
Erin fell silent for a moment and took a sip of her own herbal tea. "I really ought to advise my family to transfer our assets over here as quickly as possible, and relocate our industries while we’re at it."