In the general public's impression, those called professors are usually cultured and slender scholars, or those with white-streaked hair, wearing glasses, and exuding an air of bookishness.
However, these traits would hardly be discernible on a mountain of a man standing over two meters tall.
This mountain of a man now flashed a warm smile at Ai Qing, his face shining brightly with grease, blinding like the sun. His hands kept moving, skillfully manipulating instruments that seemed excessively delicate for his thick fingers.
"Coffee or tea?"
"Coffee," said Ai Qing, "without sugar."
Soon, a steaming cup of coffee was served in a fine cup, placed on the saucer before Ai Qing.
The Professor swiveled in his enormous, comically large chair, opened the refrigerator beside him, and began taking out all kinds of exquisite cakes, puddings, chocolates, macarons, fruits from Yingzhou, a mille-feuille pastry from Rome...
"It's just about time for dinner. Let's eat together."
He chuckled as he tied a napkin around his neck and picked up a knife and fork, "I'm on a diet recently, so I'm not eating meat in the evenings."
As Ai Qing looked at the table laden with calories, a rare look of temptation flickered across her face, but she soon shook her head in regret, "You're going to die of high cholesterol if you keep this up."
"If it's a cerebral thrombosis, I've had that several times already."
The Professor chuckled, lifting a finger to tap the surgical scar on his forehead. "Thanks to the Astronomical Society, the medical technology of the Existence Institute always allows me to continue this little hobby of mine."
"Flattery won't get you anywhere. Regardless, I'm just a newcomer who's only recently been made permanent." Ai Qing lifted her coffee, took a sip, and nodded in satisfaction.
Though she was reluctant to admit it, the Professor's coffee was indeed the best in all of Xinhai. Despite having plenty of rare coffee grounds at home, her own brewing skills couldn't compare to this man's.
"Promoted at this critical juncture? You must be having a hard time—"
A slight frown creased the Professor's brow. "Will the war in the Dragon Triangle affect Xinhai?"
"There'll be some impact, I suppose."
Ai Qing tapped on the table and sighed.
This was a perfect example of the saying, "When the city gates catch fire, the fish in the moat suffer."
As the colossus at the forefront of the world, the power of the Astronomical Society was indisputably grand. It was, in essence, the shadowy counterpart of the United Nations.
Ninety years ago, to deal with threats from beyond the Border and at the instigation of the Guide Association, the International Astronomical Association was established. It was jointly formed by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council: Dongxia, Rome, the Russian Federation, the America Community, and the First Dynasty of Egypt.
And now, the Astronomical Society's ruling body, the Jurisdiction Bureau—which had replaced Utopia—was composed of prominent politicians and major conglomerates.
That's why the First World War came to be known as the war that ended all wars.
True, since then, there had been no more global wars. But that didn't mean war itself had vanished; it had merely shifted to places beyond ordinary sight. How many proxy wars had been fought over the years as nations vied for influence within the Jurisdiction Bureau?
Otherwise, how else would Baghdad have been reduced to ruins?
Dozens of Borders had been sunk by warring Natural Enemies, plummeting into the depths of Hell, and the repercussions had yet to subside.
Although nations and corporations maintained the Astronomical Society due to the pressure from beyond the Border, internal strife was ever-present.
Just like this time with the Border war in the Dragon Triangle.
Over the years, it had become an unspoken agreement that the nation and organizations in which a Border Domain was located held the primary development rights for that Border. However, Borders were so named not only because they lay at the edge of the Current Circumstances, but also because, like actual frontiers, they were areas of diluted sovereignty.
Especially under unusual circumstances, they could move.
In recent years, the internal battle within Yingzhou for the Xiematai Empire's relic—the Border known as the 'Dragon Triangle'—had been incessant. The conflict was between the ducal houses of the Tianjin System and the warrior families of the Kunitsujin System. This wasn't their first bloody conflict, and Border sovereignty changed hands more frequently than the country changed prime ministers. The fighting raged back and forth until they actually managed to break the Boundary Wedge that anchored it.
They actually broke the Boundary Wedge!
Seriously, were they *trying* to break it?
Anyway, according to the Astronomical Society's calculations, the Dragon Triangle had begun to drift. It first headed toward the Australian archipelago for a stretch, then suddenly turned northwest.
That's right, heading towards Dongxia.
Dongxia could hardly contain its excitement. The Border Development Group, Tai Qing Heavy Industries, was already rubbing its hands in anticipation, waiting for this prize to fall right into its lap.
Then Yingzhou started to protest. But by then, the Dragon Triangle had already drifted into the Open Ocean. Yingzhou was displeased? Tough. The people's joy was the only true joy.
Moreover, with such a large object drifting over, if you kept it hidden and didn't allow others to intervene, what if there were dangerous items inside?
Dongxia clamored, "Let us take a look!"
Whether it was developing normally or not was uncertain, but the situation was definitely bound to grow more tense.
And what troubled Ai Qing now was that if Dongxia did intend to take action regarding the Dragon Triangle, Xinhai City would soon become one of the most convenient ports for departure.
That meant more and more Sublimators seeking to make money, hunt for treasure, grab a quick fortune, and stir up trouble would flock here.
What worried Ai Qing was not just the inevitable rise in Sublimator crime, but also the mutual attraction between Borders.
What if the Xiematai Border within the Dragon Triangle drifted into Dongxia's coast and collided with another Border?
That would be like a comet hitting Earth!
Of course, she wasn't the only one concerned, but when the time came, her name would definitely be on the list of those who took the blame. Becoming a formal Inspector of the Astronomical Society at this moment was hardly good timing.
On the contrary, if she wanted to play it safe, she'd need to arrange a transfer within six months.
The Border's drift wasn't fast, but at its current momentum, it was feared that major turmoil would erupt around Xinhai within a year at most.
"Found a way out yet?" the Professor asked casually. "With your connections, surely arranging something like that isn't beyond you?"
Ai Qing glanced at him and said nothing.