The bus started and set off toward that sea bridge.
On the way, Miaomiao the tour leader went over some of the more important matters again.
It could be seen that Miaomiao the tour leader was very conscientious.
After all, the Dragon Palace Starport was no ordinary tourist sight.
While listening to Miaomiao the tour leader explaining things, Jiang Yumeng looked at the scenery through the front window.
The space elevator in the distance, soaring into the clouds, she had seen in her textbooks who knew how many times.
There were the latest video reports on it every day.
But seeing it in reality, the shock in her heart was still beyond describing.
Very soon the bus came to the entrance of the sea bridge; a barrier stood here, and soldiers in Fierce Dragon uniform stood guard here, fully armed.
Beside it several combat mecha could be seen, and farther off even an artillery position.
And this was only what they could see.
It was said that the military units deployed around this space elevator could make sure the space elevator withstood sixty minutes of saturation fire.
One could imagine just how many war machines were hidden in this area.
The bus stopped, and an officer came aboard; he glanced at everyone in the bus.
"Would everyone please have your identity papers ready; we'll scan them one by one." The officer came over with a checking device.
Jiang Yumeng was more nervous still this time.
If something went wrong when her identity was checked, would she be locked in a little black room, and her university career be finished?
Not only that; her future could be said to be finished too.
At the thought of these things, Jiang Yumeng's heart tensed.
The officer noticed Jiang Yumeng's somewhat nervous look too; he looked at the identity details the device had scanned, then at the little girl beside Jiang Yumeng.
"You two are traveling together? Where are your parents? Didn't they come along?"
Having told the lie so many times, said often enough one sometimes came to believe it oneself.
Jiang Yumeng said readily, "Our parents are rather busy; they promised us before that we'd come to see this space elevator, and that Dragon Palace Starport. They didn't have time to come, so they could only let us come on our own."
Hearing such a reason, it passed well enough.
And with no problem in the identity scan besides, the officer did not check further.
He walked past Jiang Yumeng and Nannan and went on checking the others' identities.
Though everyone present was rich or noble, worth billions, tens of billions or a hundred billion and more,
they all cooperated meekly; no one dared make trouble here.
Outside the bus, another squad of soldiers was checking this bus with other devices,
making sure no contraband was carried, inside or outside this bus, across this bridge onto that island in the distance.
"The check is clear. I imagine your tour leader has told you once already. But I still have to stress it. From here on, once you're inside, follow your tour leader's arrangements and keep the rules. If anyone doesn't keep the rules and does something they shouldn't, whatever your standing, whatever is behind you, you'll all pay the price for what you've done. You've all come as tourists, to experience something you've never experienced, so none of you want anything to go wrong with your trip, do you? Have a pleasant journey."
With that, this officer got off the bus.
The bus was let through too.
Jiang Yumeng could not help letting out a breath of relief.
At this point the bus drove onto the sea bridge, and looking at the sea on both sides of the bridge, Jiang Yumeng's heart could not help growing excited all over again.
They were drawing nearer and nearer to that island in the distance.
Theirs was not the only bus on this bridge either.
This bridge had an upper and a lower deck; trains ran below, and cars above.
Jiang Yumeng had read up on this bridge.
Because the space elevator could carry not only people but every kind of goods quickly as well,
there was a dedicated railway running straight to the island; container after container of goods was carried onto the island, and then sent by the space elevator straight to the Dragon Palace Starport, which saved a great deal of manpower, material and time.
On the upper deck some trucks could be seen at times too; the goods these trucks carried were rather special, either things the trains could not take or goods of a very special kind.
There was a great deal of traffic coming and going.
Jiang Yumeng suddenly saw one of the elevator cars of the space elevator in the distance climb sharply, rush into the sky at great speed, break through the clouds and vanish from sight.
"So that's the space elevator." Jiang Yumeng swallowed.
This space elevator had eight cars in all, which could also be called cargo pods, able to carry people or goods.
These eight cars were spread around at positions like a ring.
So almost every minute a car of this space elevator took off or came down.
Above all when they came down: the cars swooping down at astonishing speed and stopping dead a mere hundred meters above the ground.
The feeling was truly stunning.
Staring like this at the space elevator, time passed without her noticing.
And their bus drove onto the island.
Vehicles driving onto the island were under strict requirements and had to keep to their assigned routes.
Their bus stopped at a spot not far from the space elevator.
"We've arrived. Next we'll transfer to electric shuttle carts straight to the space elevator. In ten minutes we'll be standing in the space elevator's car. In half an hour, everyone, we'll be at the Dragon Palace Starport," Miaomiao the guide said.
Everyone present looked excited.
Even those rich and noble people were the same; after all, they too were all experiencing this for the first time.
To experience in person this thing at the very peak of human technology: it would be strange not to be excited.
They got off the bus.
Jiang Yumeng looked around without thinking.
All around, hardly any sign of people walking could be seen,
only vehicles of every shape.
There were no traffic lights, for every vehicle entering here came under smart management and ran efficiently.
As soon as they got off the bus, they boarded an electric shuttle cart.
The electric shuttle cart was driverless too; once the doors were shut, Miaomiao the guide entered the command to depart.
This electric shuttle cart set off toward the last stretch of the way to the space elevator.
Jiang Yumeng's palms were all sweat at this moment; she was truly too nervous now.
Without thinking she looked at Nannan beside her, but found that on this little girl of five or six's face there was, of all things, no shock or nervousness at all.
"This isn't your first time here?" Jiang Yumeng said quietly.
"First time," Nannan said.
"Then why aren't you nervous at all? Aren't you excited?" Jiang Yumeng asked in surprise.
Nannan thought a moment and answered, "I don't know why either; I feel all this really is amazing, but it doesn't reach the point of making me nervous."
What a strange child.
"Everyone off; we're going into the space elevator." Miaomiao the guide led the way in front.
A passenger car appeared before them.
There were already some people in the passenger car.
Half of them wore uniforms; they must all be staff connected with the Fierce Dragon Kingdom or the Dragon Palace Starport.
And there was a woman sitting by the window, her eyes on the view outside, her profile very beautiful.
Some of the rich merchants, on seeing this woman, looked astonished.
But they were not too surprised; they lowered their heads and sat quietly in their seats.
"It's actually the Nancy Empress!" Jiang Yumeng covered her mouth, unable to keep from making a sound.
In an instant everyone's eyes around fell on Jiang Yumeng.
It made Jiang Yumeng realize her bad manners, and she lowered her head, red in the face.
Fortunately, that Nancy Empress opposite only glanced at Jiang Yumeng, and then her gaze fell on Nannan, and lingered on Nannan for a long time.
"Hurry and sit down." Jiang Yumeng looked at Nannan, still standing there, and without thinking pointed at the seat beside her.
But Nannan went on standing there, looking out the window, and said, "When riding the space elevator, you aren't required to sit down. The space inside won't do anyone any harm. At most some people get something like carsickness or seasickness."
Jiang Yumeng was taken aback; only now did she remember that the textbooks had indeed mentioned this.
But in her nervousness she had forgotten it all.
The Nancy Empress beside them, hearing this, looked at Nannan with some surprise.
"This is your little sister?"
Jiang Yumeng was taken aback; someone seemed to be asking her a question.
She looked up at the Nancy Empress beside her, somewhat puzzled: was she asking her?
Only the moment their eyes met was she sure.
That's right: she had just been asking her!
"Ah… yes… she's my little sister," Jiang Yumeng said hurriedly.
"Where are your parents? They didn't come along?"
The same question again, and Jiang Yumeng answered with the same excuse.
"What's your name?" The Nancy Empress looked at Nannan curiously.
"Nannan," Nannan answered.
"Nannan?" The Nancy Empress was somewhat surprised.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Yumeng noticed this change in the Nancy Empress's expression and at once grew tense.
Could there be some problem with this name?
"It's nothing; it's only that a friend of mine has a daughter called Nannan too, about the same age as your little sister," the Nancy Empress explained.
"But the two are different in temperament. That goddaughter of mine is a real handful, never settled for a moment. Your little sister looks very sensible and well behaved."
Jiang Yumeng let out a breath of relief and squeezed out a smile, saying, "My little sister has been like this since she was small; everyone says she's a genius. In some things, people even think without meaning to that she's really my big sister."
Perhaps from having lied too much, she could now begin to invent a lie of her own accord.
The Nancy Empress did not ask more, only sat there,
glancing now and then at this rather adorable little girl before her.
The her of the past had not liked little children much, but ever since she had come to know her best friend's daughter a few years ago and taken her as her goddaughter, she had found little children rather lovable too.
It had even given her thoughts of having a child.
But thinking of having a child, naturally one first had to find a man.
Yet around her there was almost no man she thought worth a look.
No, wait.
There was one.
A figure rose in the Nancy Empress's mind:
the Fierce Dragon Emperor, Zhao Chen.
That man was very special.
His presence at times was like a king lording over the world, yet at other times he seemed an idle ordinary man,
who would joke with you, tease you, with no airs at all.
And at the same time he would bring you a great many surprises.
If there was any man in this world for whom she would willingly bear a child, it was probably only this Fierce Dragon Emperor.
Thinking and thinking, the Nancy Empress's cheeks went somewhat red.
What was the matter with her?
Thinking about a man, of all things.
If her subordinates knew of this, who knew how they would laugh at her?
Thinking of this, the Nancy Empress looked again at this little girl before her.
Somehow she felt this little girl before her was a little like that Fierce Dragon Emperor.
She had probably been lost too deep in her thoughts.
How could a child she had only just met have anything to do with the Fierce Dragon Emperor?
Could she be some love child of his?
Even if he wanted children, in the Fierce Dragon Kingdom and other countries there were women lined up ready to offer themselves for his bed, every one of them throwing herself at him.
"Where is your family from?" the Nancy Empress could not help asking Nannan.
"The Aalborg Federation," Nannan answered.
"Is your family in business?" The Nancy Empress, hearing this sweet baby voice answer so politely, could not help asking a few more questions.
"Yes."
"What business?"
"I think they make things, things to do with the Fierce Dragon Kingdom; they work together."
On this planet now, almost every business that made big money could not get around the Fierce Dragon Kingdom.
After all, technology, the production end, the sales end, even the transport in between, could all involve ties with the Fierce Dragon Kingdom.
"Are you in kindergarten now?"
"Mm."
"Do you like kindergarten?"
"No."
This answer was normal enough; most children did not like school, and that goddaughter of hers was the same.
She still remembered how once, on a whim, she had wanted to take her goddaughter to school, and the girl had clung to her leg at the kindergarten gate, crying.
Seeing it, she could hardly bear it, and decided on her own that she could keep her that day instead of sending her to kindergarten.
Who would have thought that the moment she agreed,
the little madam burst out laughing?
Later she learned from her best friend that this goddaughter of hers was best of all at acting; several times even her own mother had been fooled.
And the goddaughter's dream was to be an actress, a big star.
She said that then perhaps she could meet the Fierce Dragon Emperor and become the Fierce Dragon Emperor's rumored girlfriend.
Truly, who knew how a little scrap of a thing could fit all that nonsense in her head.
"Why don't you want to go?"
"Because the people at kindergarten are too childish; it's boring."
This answer took the Nancy Empress by surprise.
"Too childish? Don't you learn new things at kindergarten?"
"I've already taught myself all of middle school."