Chapter 22 — ILK Chapter 22

Instant Noodles—A Massive Success

Jiang Siwei ultimately left Black Tower with her 100 packs of instant noodles and sauce. Before departing, she even snagged a cream-filled baguette Sang Ye had just researched, carrying the long loaf in her arms in a very conspicuous manner.

Jiang Sili noticed what his sister was carrying when he personally saw her off. He had, of course, heard about the new Guide at the base—the one who had awakened Wu Jianing’s sleeping spiritual form and triggered her limb regeneration. Moreover, the hospital doctors had recently been purchasing large quantities of food from her to feed the hospitalized Sentinels instead of nutrient solutions. Not even the Sentinels on his floor—the ones who were either unconscious or violently unstable—were an exception. However, the doctors said this food was precious; since his own mental state was stable, they hadn't shared any with him.

Even so, he could sense the mental energy radiating from the food just by smelling it. It was softer than any Guide’s output, yet more irresistible, as if he were receiving a miniature mental channeling session through the air. Like most Sentinels at the base, he held a nonchalant attitude of "if it can be cured, fine; if not, death is whatever." No one was going to rashly disturb Sang Ye.

Jiang Siwei broke off a piece of the baguette about the size of a palm and handed it to her brother, letting him taste it for himself. This was the first time he had ever tasted Sang Ye’s cooking. The freshly baked bread gave off an enticing aroma—soft, dense, and sweet with the cream. Jiang Sili ate quickly, finishing it in two bites. Such a small piece of bread was naturally insufficient for an adult male, yet he felt a long-lost sense of satisfaction.

Back when he served as a Legion General, his team of scientists had explained a concept to him: despite plants and animals gradually going extinct throughout human development, miraculously, human senses of smell and taste had not evolved away. The neuronal centers in the brain that control hunger still existed. Current nutrient solutions were developed from the perspective of "satisfying" those neurons and the body's nutritional needs through supplements.

Having traveled the stars in his youth, Jiang Sili knew it was impossible to create such a delicacy using only seeds or meat blocks preserved for thousands of epochs—otherwise, Imperial scientists would have mastered it long ago. That new Guide has a very miraculous secret, he thought, glancing thoughtfully toward the West Building.

He listened to his sister’s plan. Jiang Siwei intended to place the noodles in the center of the largest shopping mall on the Capital Star to test the market and the mental energy they provided. She could market it as a "Mental Energy Auxiliary Channeling Tool." Her assessment was that sales wouldn't be an issue; the production methods and material ratios would be easy to crack with Interstellar technology.

The only problem would be the raw materials. At least within the Empire and the surrounding Federal space, such materials didn't exist. If they couldn't secure the raw materials but wanted to run this business, the Jiang family would be completely at the mercy of others. Jiang Siwei had been meticulously raised as an heir, and her thinking leaned toward profit maximization. Furthermore, her elders felt a sense of indignation over losing their interstellar freight rights, even if it was for the family’s safety. This mindset had projected onto Jiang Siwei.

Jiang Sili looked at his little sister, who was nearly as tall as he was, and listened to her aspirations.

"Siwei," Jiang Sili called out as she stepped onto the gangway. Jiang Siwei stood higher than him now, looking down at her brother. "It is far better to have a friend than an enemy. You can only achieve something by moving with the tide. A raw material, a factory, a production line, or even a single freight route—these are all immediate interests. They aren't that important. You must look toward the distant future."

This differed from the education Jiang Siwei had received, but this was her brother—the pillar of the family. She had heard that before he entered Black Tower, he had demanded the family cut off the freight routes that belonged to them. He had made them give up those profits, choosing not to compete. He knew he couldn't protect the family forever, but once his sister grew up, everything would change.

Jiang Siwei hesitated but eventually nodded. It didn't matter if she didn't understand yet; she had an entire life with a high margin for error to learn these truths. After all, an exiled Guide like Sang Ye was a rarity; she was the first in a thousand years.

…

Back in the kitchen, Sang Ye had finished chopping another roasted duck for the adjutant to take back for Wu Jianing’s snacks. Children had high activity levels but small stomachs; they were the group that best followed the rule of "eating small amounts frequently."

The Snow Mountain Base sent back a long-awaited message, reporting that the instant noodles were extremely effective. With their help, Mu An’s efficiency in channeling the Sentinels had increased significantly, and the soldiers were more stable than before. The noodles were disappearing faster than Wu Huansheng had anticipated—largely because, once they had the noodles, the Sentinels refused to take nutrient solutions or soothing agents. They didn't care if the base spent a fortune transporting them; the base wasn't short on money anyway.

Thus, Wu Huansheng’s email had another purpose: to ask Sang Ye for a second batch. One Sentinel at the Snow Mountain had learned quickly; she mastered everything after watching Sang Ye’s video once. Therefore, Sang Ye could send more semi-finished products that the base could finish themselves. The quantity doubled, but the funding Wu Huansheng applied for only increased by 1.5 times—in her words, this was a "compromise" to prevent General Asu from rejecting the request if it grew too fast.

Additionally, regarding the joint account the adjutant had suggested, Wu Huansheng agreed and authorized her identity, iris, and fingerprint data to be handled entirely by the adjutant. Wu Huansheng never liked interfering with others' decisions or prying into their thoughts; she only did what she deemed correct and reasonable. Her speech was concise, conveying only useful information; when it didn't involve her family, she was devoid of personal emotion. Consequently, her emails never mentioned her or Mu An's condition; she saw that as useless noise for the outside world.

Both the adjutant and Sang Ye "followed orders," making Sang Ye feel as if she were under military management. As a result, the hospital’s funds would go to Sang Ye’s Operating Account, and the garrison’s funds would go to the Joint Account.

Two months after arriving in the Interstellar world, Sang Ye was about to have her first savings. What could be more exhilarating than a business with zero costs and high profits? She felt energized enough to make a thousand portions of noodles.

…

Capital Star · Ginger Mall

In the center of the Capital Star’s hyper-expensive central district, a fifty-meter-high wall served as a sparkling white backdrop, with a massive "G" logo hanging above it—an atmosphere of high-end luxury looking down on the world. The massive precious-metal trees that usually stood there for "wealth-attracting" symbolism had been lowered into the ground, replaced by VIP seats separated by emerald glaze-and-gold screens. There weren't many seats.

The crowds shopping at the mall watched with curiosity. Rumors had spread through the central district that the eldest miss, Jiang Siwei, had brought back "medicine" more effective than soothing agents—and that it tasted a hundred times better. Today, several Sentinels and Guides had been invited for a public tasting.

If Sang Ye were here, she would likely laugh out loud. In her memories of the ancient era, instant noodles were considered "junk food" of no status. Yet here, in a food-deprived Interstellar era, they were treated with such solemnity. But this was Jiang Siwei’s marketing strategy; in this world, nothing opens sales faster than an endorsement from Sentinels and Guides.

Sang Ye had already taught Jiang Siwei the methods. When the robots brought out the noodles and toppings, the aroma made every Guide and Sentinel present perk up. They could all sense the mental energy spreading through the air. Once the first bite was taken, they were true believers. This was far more effective than a soothing agent! While it couldn't replace a proper mental channeling, it was more than enough to stabilize a Sentinel or soothe a Guide’s nerves.

Among the Guides present was Jiang Siwei’s teacher, a career military Guide. Thinking of the difficult Sentinels under her command, she immediately asked: "How many of these... noodles do you have left? I’ll take them all."

"Hey, hey, hey!" another Guide protested. "Why do you get to snatch them all for yourself? Are the rest of us invisible?"

Amidst the bickering, the crowd divided the remaining noodles among themselves before Jiang Siwei could even say a word. Even the world-weary Jiang Siwei was stunned. She knew they would sell, but she hadn't expected this level of fanaticism.

Jiang Siwei’s gaze fell on a vacant storefront next to the mall's highest-priced jewelry luxury store. Since she knew mass production was possible, she understood this could never be a high-priced "luxury" item; the most important factor of luxury is scarcity. However, the first floor was where everyone passed through. Opening a shop there specifically for noodles and future foods was perfect. Placing it next to a luxury store would subconsciously elevate its status and emphasize its "exclusivity."

She decided to name it "Flavor Dream Factory."

Watching the Guides still arguing over who got more, her thoughts drifted back to Black Tower. The next step was securing that "exclusivity." She had taken her brother's words to heart—she no longer thought of "total monopoly," but she wasn't willing to share such a lucrative interest with others yet. Whether it would sell nationwide was a separate matter. Since only Sang Ye held the raw materials, she might as well sit down and discuss "Exclusive Agency Rights." Within a set timeframe, Sang Ye would only be allowed to provide noodles to the Jiang family, or face a high penalty.

However, thinking of Sang Ye’s ten-thousand-year sentence and massive debt, she felt a flicker of worry. When you have too many lice, you stop itching. With debt at that level, money was just a number; she feared a fine wouldn't truly constrain Sang Ye.

After much thought, Jiang Siwei decided to go to Black Tower once more and ask her brother to help mediate.