Absolutely legitimate Star Iron, I've awakened the Underworld System?

　She released her lips, took a deep breath, and said in a slightly trembling voice, "Could you prioritize our planet for this year's supplies? We haven't received any supplies in a long time... Also, could you make the jobs assigned to our planet's inhabitants a little easier...?"

　As she spoke, she reached for the mouthwash cup and began brushing her teeth.

　The toothbrush moved mechanically back and forth in her mouth, and foam quickly filled the corners of her mouth.

　She bent over and spat out a mouthful of thick, white liquid mixed with toothpaste. It was something left in her throat from last night, stuck there for a long time, and it had a strong, fishy smell.

　"I'll consider this."

　The man responded perfunctorily, his tone devoid of any warmth.

　Toppa slammed the mouthwash cup down on the counter, cleared his throat, and tried to make his voice sound steady: "Thank you!"

　Her voice was tinged with an undeniable sob.

　A beep came from the other end of the communicator, and the call ended.

　Topa's hand fell to her side, the communicator slipped from her fingers and hit the floor with a dull thud.

　Her body seemed to have all its strength drained away. She slowly squatted down, covered her face with her hands, and tears welled up between her fingers, sliding down her wrists.

　Topa didn't know why she was crying. Was it because of the humiliation of last night, or because of the future of the planet, or both?

　Her shoulders trembled violently, and her sobs were suppressed and broken, as if squeezed out from her chest, like a wounded child who had no one to care for her.

　After a long time, her crying gradually subsided, leaving only intermittent sobs.

　Toppa stood up, walked to the sink, turned on the tap, and the cold water splashed on her face, mixing with her tears as it flowed down the drain. Then she walked out of the bathroom.

　She saw that Bai Qiong had already left, and the clothes she had worn the day before were neatly folded on the bed.

　Seeing the stack of clothes, Toppa felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

　She walked to the dressing mirror, looked at herself in the mirror, and her eyes were filled with unfamiliarity and shame.

　Her silver hair was disheveled, the marks from the collar around her neck hadn't faded in a long time, and the tally marks on her inner thighs were written with a special marker, which she had been trying to remove for a long time in the bathroom but couldn't...

　After standing in front of the mirror for a long time, Topa took a deep breath and turned to get dressed.

　……

　Star Train. Novel Group 6*; 4

　March 7th, having spent a sleepless night, paced back and forth in her room, filled with unease.

　The usually glamorous girl had prominent dark circles under her eyes, but she didn't care.

　She would pick up her phone every now and then to check for any messages from Bai Qiong, but each time she was disappointed.

　"Where did this guy go...?"

　March 7th muttered to himself, his tone filled with worry.

　Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

　"Dong dong dong..."

　March 7th's heart skipped a beat. She quickly walked to the door and opened it.

　Standing outside the door was Bai Qiong.

　He looked tired and listless.

　"Bai Qiong! You're finally back!" March 7 said excitedly, tears welling up in her eyes.

　"Yes, I'm back," Bai Qiong said calmly.

　Where did you go last night? Why didn't you reply to my messages?

　On March 7th, he asked, his tone carrying a hint of reproach.

　"I...I went to take care of some things. After seeing your message, I knew you were worried about me, so I came back to find you as soon as I finished," Bai Qiong said, her eyes flickering slightly.

　"What is it? Something more important than replying to my message?" March 7th pressed.

　"I'll explain later," Bai Qiong said, not wanting San Yueqi to know what happened last night.

　“You…” March 7th wanted to say something more, but ultimately held back.

　She looked at Bai Qiong, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

　"Never mind, it's good that you're back."

　March 7th asked, her tone tinged with worry and helplessness, "That Topa, he didn't bully you in any way, did he?"

　"Bullying... Don't worry, she didn't bully me."

　Bai Qiong nodded and then went into the room.

　March 7th looked at Bai Qiong's retreating figure, her heart filled with doubt.

　She always felt that Bai Qiong was hiding something from her, but he wouldn't say, and she couldn't get the answer out of him.

　"Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore. As long as he comes back safely, that's all that matters."

　March 7th comforted himself in his heart.

　She closed the door, then walked to Bai Qiong's side and asked, "Are you hungry? I'll go get you something to eat."

　"Okay."

　Bai Qiong said that he was indeed a little hungry.

　The doors opened on March 7th, and I turned and went to the train crew's kitchen.

　Bai Qiong sat on March 7's bed and saw the pillow still bearing traces of tears. He immediately understood everything.

　He could guess that March 7th must have had a sleepless night.

　"I'm sorry, Little March."

　Bai Qiong thought to himself.

　……

　Train carriage.

　The night was as dark as ink, and the deep cosmos seemed within reach, flowing slowly outside the transparent windows of the Star Train.

　Bai Qiong sat alone on the soft sofa, his gaze calmly fixed on the boundless starry sky outside the window. Yet, his thoughts, like the galaxy before him, were turbulent and restless.

　The current situation is that Belloberg's debt crisis has been resolved, and the company is now in a state of rebuilding.

　When Bronya learned that Bai Qiong had indeed helped them with the funds, she was so moved that she almost cried. She grabbed Bai Qiong's hand and said that she would definitely pay back the money as soon as possible.

　Bai Qiong, on the other hand, seemed indifferent. He didn't think Belloberg could repay the money at all, and told Bronya to relax and pay it back slowly.

　Topa completed this thorny project, not only keeping her rank but also receiving commendation from her superiors. The welfare benefits she applied for for her home planet were also implemented.

　I wonder what expressions they'll have when they meet again in the future...

　As for the train crew, Danheng was not interested in how to resolve the matter, and March 7 was only worried about Bai Qiong's safety.

　Uncle Yang and Ji Zi were both very curious about where Bai Qiong got such a large sum of money. Bai Qiong vaguely brushed it off by saying that he borrowed it from another friend.

　Although neither of them believed this claim, fortunately they did not pursue the matter further.

　That's how the matter was resolved.

　"But isn't this solution... absurd?"

　Bai Qiong murmured to himself softly, his voice so faint it almost disappeared in the silent carriage.

　He was asking himself a question, or perhaps he was questioning the cold, mechanical voice in his mind.

Chapter Twenty-Six: A Girl's Dream

　Is the host questioning the system's solution?

　The system's voice arrived as expected, still a completely emotionless electronic tone, devoid of any discernible emotion.

　Bai Qiong sighed softly and rubbed his throbbing temples. "I just feel... without you, without your system, I would never have been able to conjure up such a large sum of money out of thin air to solve Topa and Belloberg's crisis. It all feels like an unreal dream."

　The host does not need to concern themselves with the rationality of the process.

　The system remained coldly indifferent.

　Whether it's the so-called "12+ storyline" or the "other world" storyline, their core logic inherently contradicts the rigor of the real world.

　Just as the host said before, many things in this world don't stand up to scrutiny, like something a screenwriter made up when they couldn't continue writing.

　The important thing is that the crisis has been averted.

　The system's logic remains straightforward and utilitarian; it always focuses solely on the outcome, ignoring the morality and emotions involved in the process.

　Bronya protected Beloberg and was given the opportunity to repay her debts in installments.

　Topa retained his position, continuing to hold an important role in the Interstellar Peace Corporation, and showed no aversion to the host's actions.

　None of the personnel involved suffered any substantial losses.

　[Host, is there anything else you're dissatisfied with?]

　"I……"

　Bai Qiong opened his mouth, but was speechless for a moment. The system's words were like a cold blade, precisely dissecting reality, leaving him with no reason to refute them.

　He was silent for a moment, then sighed again, his voice carrying a hint of weariness, "I feel like I've lost something... something very important."

　What does the host feel they have lost?

　The system followed up with further questions.

　"My bottom line, even if it's worthless to those with abilities... it still hurts me a lot."

　Bai Qiong's voice was low and hoarse, as if it were squeezed out from the depths of his throat.

　“I should feel intense guilt about my actions. But that guilt is gradually fading. I’m starting to accept this…unscrupulous way of solving problems. I’m afraid that one day I will completely become a slave to my desires, and I have a feeling that day will come sooner or later.”

　Bai Qiong raised his head, looking at the twinkling starlight outside the window with a complicated gaze, as if he were peering through the endless universe at his future self, a self that had been devoured by desire and was no longer recognizable.

　That's a problem the host needs to face themselves, not within the system's scope of responsibility.

　The system responded indifferently.