Umamusume's days are numbered

After watching the convertible drive quite a distance, she spoke again: "Linda, how's the sound insulation in this car?"

"You're asking whether the window is open or closed? If the window is open, I feel he might be able to hear you."

"Although I already have the answer I wanted, I'm still curious and want to ask again: what happens if you close the window?"

"Same. This window is mainly for keeping out seagulls; they'd sink to the bottom in boiling water in no time."

"Sigh, it's still a bit of a guilt to gossip about someone behind their back and have them overhear you."

"The main person?"

Platinum was stunned.

"Thinking about it carefully, it's not surprising that they would come. Since we can be here, they certainly can too." The astronomer watched the car drive away and said, "See, I told you I wasn't making things up. That's exactly how Cheng Quanbao cried."

(Six bonus chapters still owed)

Episode 306 Surprise? Shock!

Linda previously said that the entire youth training base cost approximately one billion US dollars. Naturally, it wasn't just a single, isolated training field, but rather a complex surrounded by luxurious facilities—including an entire resort.

The youth training base is indeed for female racehorses, but as the saying goes, once a wonder is built, it's already built. It wouldn't hurt to create a new resort based on this location.

You can find almost any facility you can imagine here. Hotels, cinemas, folk bars, museums—if it weren't for the fact that this is a hub for horse racing fans, there would probably be casinos quietly popping up here as well. To develop the entire youth training base, a supporting railway line is under construction, and even a small airport has been reclaimed from the sea to facilitate travelers who come specifically to this training base without having to transfer flights.

Platinum didn't understand any of this. She didn't know that a large hotel with about 1500 rooms was under construction nearby to welcome the first wave of tourists; she didn't know that the small airport was already quite busy; and she didn't know that the youth training base had already stirred up a huge wave of public opinion around the world.

All she knew was that up close, everywhere she looked there were construction sites with their engines churning and cranes swaying. And when she asked about any building, the response was always, "Hello, we're still under construction."

Platinum did arrive quite early—but if she came for a vacation, then she arrived a little too early.

There isn't even a Walmart here now.

So all Bai Jin saw was that the group followed the guide to a detached villa—the kind of guesthouse often found in resorts, with a lush green lawn and a small swimming pool… Now they really could see the sea and soak in the pool. Bai Jin's hopes of staying in a luxury hotel were dashed once again, and she could only pack her bags and check into the standard dormitory prepared for racehorse girls coming to the youth training base.

Actually, there aren't many flaws here, it just looks a bit too new, so new that it's like it's filled with formaldehyde. I'm not used to the new Platinum – in Hong Kong and Honolulu, they live in the oldest of the old houses.

Linda didn't plan to stay here long, so the four of them—Excellent Quality, Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate, Platinum, and the Astronomer—noisily stuffed their luggage inside and sat together at the villa entrance, staring at each other.

If you're talking about sightseeing, the scenery is pretty much the same as Oahu. We've been there for a week already, and we're already tired of it. Besides, the whole area is under construction; are we really going to go sightseeing at a construction site?

They can just splash around in the pool and have some fun. Most of the girls coming to the youth training camp this time are there for summer training; the arrival of real tourists is still a long way off.

So you suggested we go out for a walk, but Platinum still felt like she'd missed out on something. As for exactly what she missed out on... it was probably lunch today.

Yes! Platinum didn't want to go out shopping for no reason. Staying at home and testing the internet speed was the best thing ever. But as Platinum walked along, he found that there wasn't a single restaurant nearby!

What do the construction workers in this area eat to keep going? The Hawaiian sea breeze?

"...Do you think KFC can be delivered if we order it here?"

Platinum's question resonated deeply with everyone.

"Since we were invited... surely the organizers won't let us starve to death," You Ziqing said, feeling uncertain.

“Let me see…” The astronomer flipped through the travel guide the guide had left him. “There’s a buffet at the base. Judging from the description, it’s at least as good as what we eat at Treson College.”

After all, apart from Platinum and the others who were invited, the rest of the horse girls all came with real money.

"Inside the youth training base, hmm." Platinum nodded solemnly, looked at the location of the resort where they were now, then looked up at the main building of the youth training base, which already seemed quite large, and measured the distance between the two.

"So, do you think the buffet at the youth training base can be delivered?"

Before Bai Jin could continue speaking, Li Yuelongmen grabbed her hand and pushed her back, leading her outwards.

Let's not say anything more, let's go. There are so many racehorse girls, if a few special Zhou and Oguri Hats suddenly appear, we won't have any lunch if we're late.

The astronomer had no objections and leisurely followed behind them, only taking out his phone to send a message.

On the street not far away, Ma Niang, who was jogging along the roadside, noticed that the bushes moved. A tall girl with a great figure emerged from the bushes. Not only were her golden hair covered with leaves, but she also had a tree branch tied to each of her ears.

The strange light watched the astronomers' departing figures and the messages they had sent him.

[Hey, have you arrived yet? I'll need your help for the next few days.]

Upon reading the words "help me," Qi Yiguang trembled with rage. "Help you," you mean, pretending to be a pervert with a bread bag over your head and wrestling with you?

The strange light had never suffered such injustice since it was a child.

She even asked herself if she had arrived yet. The strange light didn't have an invitation from the astronomers, and the astronomers absolutely refused to take her along, saying that they wanted the strange light to be used as an ambush to help her leap over the dragon gate.

...How can one enter without an invitation and the strange light emanating from it? The only way is to pay money.

Strange Light: A retired racehorse girl, in order to complete an ambush plan that an astronomer came up with on a whim, is actually willing to pay a hefty price for the location of a youth training base.

...A strange light appeared, and I paid.

What else could they do? The strange light simply couldn't refuse that idiot astronomer's request!

However, these days of disaster are coming to an end.

Under the strange gaze of the horse racer passing by, Qi Yi Guang Man gripped his phone tightly.

The phone screen, which was lit up, didn't display the astronomer's chat interface, but rather someone else, someone they both knew very well.

【Sea Star is the Best】: Little Radiance, tell the truth, how far has your relationship with Galileo progressed?

【Starfish is the best】: I've taken Starfish to Hawaii. This time, I absolutely must settle Starfish's lifelong happiness. What about you guys? Don't keep me waiting!

Strange Light has always been adept at extracting keywords.

Fly to Hawaii.

Finalizing a lifelong commitment.

The strange light took a deep breath and replied to Hai Du City.

"Sister, actually it's like this... I'm in Hawaii right now. Not only am I here, but astronomers are too."

Damn it, I'm going to explode!

Episode 307: Encountering a Ghost on the Street

Walking through the streets here, the island vibe is similar to Honolulu, but the number of female prostitutes has noticeably increased. That's my immediate impression of Platinum.

Walking through downtown Honolulu, you'd be lucky to find one person with horse ears out of every hundred. While you might see more female horses on the beach or at diving spots, that's because of the overwhelming number of tourists; the overall number of other people has increased, and the proportion of female horses remains very low.

Standing at the entrance of the youth training base, Platinum could see one with horse ears walking towards him, and then another with horse ears walking towards him... The proportion of female horses had greatly increased, almost reaching the 1:1 ratio of Treson Academy.

Moreover, unlike ordinary female racehorses, the racehorses here clearly exhibit a different mental state—more aggressive, more confident, and more distinctive. This mental state stems from both their own experience and their physical strength. Every single one of these racehorses is a racehorse girl.

The scale of this horse racing show is... well, it's terrifying.

“Oh, it looks really good…” The astronomer looked around with great interest. “Why don’t we go to the training ground after lunch? There must be a reason why it can attract so many active racehorse girls. Maybe it can really replicate the pastures of Europe and Japan one-to-one.”

Platinum rolled his eyes. At first, he was just saying he wanted to go to the youth training base to beg for food, how come he wants to try running on a racetrack now?

Didn't you mention we were going to vacation in Hawaii...?

Oh wait, it seems they really are here for summer training camp.

A week of blissful life made Platinum forget the purpose of her visit.

But even if it's summer training camp, what's one more day? There are still two whole months... Ah, yes, I admit I've been a bit lax, but as long as I maintain my current level, the Chrysanthemum Award is practically within my grasp. A little slacking off isn't a big deal, is it? I work really hard when I need to, I was working so hard for the two weeks leading up to the Takarazuka Memorial... Okay, I admit I've been lazy.

I thought astronomers were on my side, but it turns out they're a bunch of idiots. One Erishoko left, and now an astronomer has arrived. Platinum is devastated.

“But I didn’t bring horseshoes or a tracksuit. If I went to the pasture, it would be too late to turn back now.” Platinum made a last-ditch effort.

"I'm not telling you to run straight away, I just want you to check out the grassland first." The astronomer lightly patted Platinum on the head.

Have you ever watched the World Rally Championship?

"What's that? A race where racehorses pull cars?"

"Your thinking is truly remarkable only at times like this."

The astronomer didn't let go after patting Platinum's head; instead, he vigorously ruffled her hair: "You don't need to know more. All you need to know is that when a rally driver is driving his beast, he also needs a navigator."

Do you know what a navigator does?

"Like traffic police using hand gestures to direct race cars?"

"That's the starter. Rally drivers rely on their navigators to get information about the stage. In order to pursue the ultimate speed and to break through their personal limits, rally drivers must make the best performance in the shortest amount of time. Even racehorses running at high speed on the grass can have problems hearing the commentary or not being able to see the road conditions in front of them, let alone rally drivers."

"Horse racers run on man-made tracks, while rally drivers face much more extreme conditions. Snow, gravel, desert, and various extreme weather and nighttime threats. Navigators are there to help and guide rally drivers in these situations; they are the beacons of light for rally drivers."

"The navigator will carry a route book, which is a set of notes written by the two of them during the reconnaissance. It is a route map for the two of them. When it comes to the most critical moment, the rally driver can't see the conditions of the stage. He can only trust the navigator and the route book in the navigator's hand. It is no exaggeration to say that the two of them have a life-or-death bond."

"So, do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Platinum nodded as if he understood: "You want to recommend getting into the World Rally Championship? But I can't even ride an electric scooter."

I can't even ride a bicycle, let alone an electric scooter. I do have plenty of experience being chased by bicycles, though.

"I mean the route book! The route book!" The astronomer was so angry he laughed. He never expected to encounter such a difficult person to communicate with.

Ah, what an interesting woman. No wonder she makes my heart flutter.

"It is precisely because of navigators and route books that rally drivers can focus wholeheartedly on reaching top speeds on rugged and dangerous roads. The same applies to racehorses; only when you perfectly adapt to every inch of the ground beneath your feet can you single-mindedly surpass yourself!"

“During the race, you won’t have a navigator, so you have to memorize the route and make it a part of your muscles. That’s why I’m taking you to the training ground… We’re going to do a survey of the track and compile a preliminary version of the route book for you.”

The students, who were described as having excellent qualities and being like carp leaping over the dragon gate, were stunned and looked at each other, feeling that they had never heard of such a method before.

"Of course you haven't heard of this training method," the astronomer said with a sneer. "After all, improving one's physical abilities and maintaining peak performance is already a very troublesome matter. Instead of spending time worrying about these minor details that may not even be effective, it would be better to take more medication to regulate muscle structure."

"But this method is absolutely effective and is perfect for racehorses like Platinum with exceptional physical qualities. Don't worry that I'm giving random instructions; this training method has been tested, and I was the first test subject."

"After all, it was made by—"

"It's a training method I designed myself."

Before the astronomer could finish speaking, a gentle voice suddenly interrupted her, finishing her sentence for her.

"Right, Galileo?"

The astronomer showed no annoyance at being interrupted; instead, his body stiffened instantly. The astronomer, usually so bold, didn't even dare turn around to look at the speaker's face.

From bottom to top, pure black high heels clicked loudly, followed by a pair of slender legs. These legs hardly looked like those of a racehorse girl, as they were far too thin, devoid of any muscle. Perhaps to counteract this sickly thinness, a bright and bold orange trench coat was draped over her body, and a crimson scarf was wrapped around her neck; her lips and eyes sparkled.

Her fluorescent blue hair was tucked into her beret, which made her look more delicate and innocent, and even more playful.

The slender beauty looked at everyone with a serene smile.

"Long time no see, Platinum, Ali. How have you been?"

The astronomer was sweating profusely.

Episode 308: Meeting up with online friends is extremely awkward.

"Long time no see, Platinum, Ali. How have you been?"

The serene beauty smiled gently.

"Ah, Haidu City!" Platinum pointed at the newcomer, his expression immediately brightening.

It's truly a wonderful thing to bump into a friend in a foreign country. Especially since Platinum's English is just as good as her Polish, even though she doesn't speak Polish at all.

During his entire week-long trip on Oahu, Platinum didn't exchange a single word with anyone except for the Dragon Leap, the Excellent Qualities, and the Astronomer. There was no way around it; with a huge group of foreigners gathered together, and everyone speaking English, French, or Spanish, Platinum had no choice but to stay away.

With Haidu City around, Platinum feels much more at ease.

"It's not just me." Hai Dudu's smile didn't diminish; in fact, it grew even wider. She stepped aside, revealing the girl who had been following behind her.

A child about the same height as Bai Jin, and seemingly around the same age—which would be considered a child by Bai Jin's standards, as she always held a double standard in this regard. The girl in front of her also had very striking long hair. Although it wasn't as long as Cheng Quanbao's, which almost reached her feet like a cape, her pure black hair, reaching her waist, was still unforgettable.

What's even more striking about the girl is her expressionless face. It's not that she's deliberately aloof or disgusted; it's just that you really can't see any expression on her face, as if you're looking at a fine marble sculpture.

Platinum recognized the child almost immediately.

Isn't this the child I've been nurturing all this time, Haidu Star?

Platinum is feeling a bit embarrassed now. You can ask her to brag and make things up online for an hour, but when it comes to an offline meeting, she can't say a word for a long time.

No... this is really awkward! Platinum has never understood why online friends insist on meeting in person. Isn't it better to maintain an online identity? Online, I can be a warm-hearted older sister, a grumpy older brother, or even George H.W. Bush, but in reality, I'm just a complete loser.