The next morning, as dawn broke, Lu Wanqing realized that the rescue she had expected hadn't arrived. Instead, she and Xiao Yi found themselves in a small spacecraft, speeding through the void. They had been flying for so long, she had no idea how far they had traveled.
Why hadn't Zhong Li Feiyu come for them? Hadn't they already located her and Xiao Yi?
"Zhong Li Feiyu?" Lu Wanqing's voice was hoarse after a sleepless night as she tentatively called out.
"Hmm," came Zhong Li Feiyu's prompt reply.
Hearing his voice, Lu Wanqing felt a sliver of her unease recede.
Mu Sijie was also present. He heard the rasp in Lu Wanqing's voice and quickly asked with concern, "Wanqing, how are you? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
"Si Jie?" Lu Wanqing was surprised to hear his voice.
Mu Sijie confirmed, "Yes, I'm with Zhong Li Feiyu now. You can tell me anything you need."
"I'm fine," Lu Wanqing replied hesitantly. After a moment's thought, she couldn't help but ask, "Have Xiao Yi and I flown very far away?"
Lu Wanqing felt they must have traveled a great distance. If so much time had passed, it seemed unlikely that no rescue personnel had arrived. Especially since she had kept her Guang Nao on; they should have been able to find her location easily with just a simple positioning.
The communication fell silent. After an unknown period, Zhong Li Feiyu finally spoke, explaining, "Wanqing, you are currently... possibly outside of Federation territory."
In space, Lu Wanqing heard Zhong Li Feiyu's words and was stunned. Upon processing his statement, she reacted with shock, "Not within the Federation?"
Zhong Li Feiyu looked at Lu Wanqing's projection and nodded gravely, "Yes."
"Wanqing, don't be scared. Someone else has been dispatched and is on their way to you," Mu Sijie quickly added.
The military was powerful, but its greatest limitation was its operational scope, confined to its own national borders. Crossing those borders was forbidden, as it would inevitably lead to war.
"Then... where are Xiao Yi and I now?" Lu Wanqing asked after a long pause.
Silence returned to the communication line. After a considerable time, Zhong Li Feiyu said, "We can only track your location within the Federation. Outside of it, we can only determine a general direction."
A general direction?
Lu Wanqing's heart sank. She had thought that by escaping the space pirates, the situation wouldn't be too dire and rescue would come soon. Now, she realized she had underestimated the predicament.
"Wanqing, why don't you start a livestream? We can monitor your situation in real-time, and perhaps someone can recognize your surroundings and help locate you faster!" Mu Sijie suggested urgently.
Zhong Li Feiyu paused, then quickly added, "Yes, Lu Wanqing took a 'recording ball' when she left."
The recording ball could broadcast live. Lu Wanqing had used it before when she was stranded on the desolate planet.
Lu Wanqing was utterly bewildered but, after some thought, decided it might be acceptable.
She vaguely recalled the influx of netizens during her previous livestream from the desolate planet, their kindness, their concern for her safety.
It had been manageable on the desolate planet, but now, adrift in space and confined to the spacecraft, with nothing to do but consume a nutrient paste daily, it was quite boring. If she started a livestream, watching the comments and chatting with viewers might actually be nice.
Lu Wanqing also thought about the worry everyone on the Star Net felt for her. If she went live, they could see her and Xiao Yi's condition, and perhaps their worry would lessen.
"Okay," Lu Wanqing agreed, contemplating.
After agreeing, Lu Wanqing turned to Xiao Yi beside her and asked, "Xiao Yi, are you willing to go live?"
Mommy's Guang Nao had already added Little Zhong Li Yi as a friend. When Mommy had been communicating with Daddy and Uncle Mu, Little Zhong Li Yi had overheard. He understood that this decision had their approval and would help Daddy and the others find him and Mommy faster.
"Yes!" Little Zhong Li Yi readily agreed.
Lu Wanqing couldn't help but lean down and kiss her child's forehead, then took out the recording ball.
Having operated it many times on the desolate planet, Lu Wanqing was familiar with the recording ball's livestream function. She quickly made a few settings, and the livestream was activated.
As Lu Wanqing initiated the broadcast, on the other side, the reviewers at Xingxing Live were, as usual, processing submissions. But today, as one reviewer was examining a video, he suddenly saw Lu Wanqing and Little Zhong Li Yi?
The reviewer's head buzzed. He raised his head, then his hand, and rubbed his eyes hard.
Was that Lu Wanqing and Little Zhong Li Yi? Was he seeing things?
The reviewer confirmed multiple times, rubbing his eyes repeatedly. When Lu Wanqing and Little Zhong Li Yi in the video remained visible, his heart pounded, followed by elation!
"It's Lu Wanqing, it's Miss Lu!" the reviewer murmured to himself and immediately reported it.
Miss Lu now had a very special relationship with Xingxing Live. Her previous livestream from the desolate planet had propelled Xingxing Live to its peak, making Miss Lu a great benefactor to their company.
Xingxing Live's executives were quickly informed. Upon hearing that Lu Wanqing was going live, they too became excited. One executive hurried over to check and, finding that the livestream request indeed came from Lu Wanqing, his heart pounded with anticipation. He immediately sent a message to Lu Wanqing to inquire.
Lu Wanqing, waiting for her livestream to be approved, received a message from a Xingxing Live executive. She was momentarily taken aback, then opened the chat box and replied.
Panda (Executive): "Miss Lu, hello. Are you intending to start a livestream?"
Lu Wanqing: "Yes."
Panda (Executive): "Then, shall we sign a contract similar to the last one?"
Lu Wanqing recalled the previous contract. With the assistance of the Mu and Zhong Li families in reviewing it, Xingxing Live had offered her a very favorable contract, ensuring the company wouldn't dare to take advantage of her.
"Okay," Lu Wanqing agreed.
At Xingxing Live, Executive Panda received Lu Wanqing's assent and became ecstatic. As if fearing she might change her mind, he immediately sent the contract to Lu Wanqing.
In space, Lu Wanqing also received the contract link. It was an electronic contract. She browsed through it, found no issues, and then signed her name at the end, submitting the document. The contract was now finalized.
The contract took effect immediately upon signing. Panda, the executive, promptly approved Lu Wanqing's livestream request and also granted her the platform's most prominent banner advertisement, placing her livestream on the homepage's most conspicuous central location for a grand display.
That wasn't all. After completing these operations, Panda immediately contacted the official Weibo staff, instructing them to post a breaking news update on Xingxing Live's official Weibo account, informing everyone that the Lu Wanqing and Little Zhong Li Yi, whom everyone had been worrying about, were now live, exclusively on their platform!