Chapter 39

After nearly an hour of research, Hao Ren finally confirmed one thing: the data terminal in his hands had no major issues, but it was riddled with minor ones. Even as a complete novice when it came to high-tech gadgets, he could tell that something was off with the system inside this small device. Many of its functions seemed inexplicable, and a lot of the information had nothing to do with him. He even asked the AI of the data terminal, but even the AI didn't know what these things were for—Raven 12345 had just ordered them to be installed.

Indeed, they were installed by Raven 12345's order, not pre-installed. Each data terminal issued by the Time-Space Administration Bureau's headquarters was initialized, and in theory, they should all be the same when they reached the grassroots level. However, local administrators had the authority to add special-purpose programs based on local conditions, such as a comprehensive encyclopedia of local flora and fauna, local star maps, or even a guide for female inspectors to maintain their health during pregnancy. No matter how strange the content, it could be found in the vast database of the Hailing Empire, so the programs that could be installed on the data terminal were endless. The problem was that Hao Ren's local administrator was a woman (or goddess?) with a screw loose. Despite her complete lack of understanding of technology, she had a habit of getting involved in everything. Hao Ren's data terminal was first played with by Raven 12345 after it was sent to her...

Now, Hao Ren and Vivian were staring blankly at the vast number of "PT-385 Universal Encyclopedia Series" (a set of 2,000 volumes) on the data terminal. He discovered that this headache-inducing content couldn't be deleted. In fact, nothing that Raven 12345 had installed could be deleted; it was locked by high-level permissions...

"The system suggests you—make do with it," a line of text appeared on the data terminal. "The system's functions are still complete, and you have everything you need. You just need to suppress your OCD and get used to having a lot of junk information in your device. If you ask Raven 12345 for a replacement, she'll give you an even worse one. This is based on the feedback in the local network's message board—everyone who has dealt with Raven 12345 has complained about similar issues, and the complaint rate is 100%. She's very good at messing things up."

"Alright, alright," Hao Ren waved his hand. He was only upset for a moment before his optimistic spirit took over, and he put the matter aside. "Since you're the one managing the system's data, I'll just ask you to help me find what I need when the time comes. I'll pretend those messy things don't exist. Is that okay?"

A line of boastful text immediately appeared on the data terminal: "This system has excellent performance and powerful search capabilities. Users need not worry."

In the near future, Hao Ren would realize that he had made a very wise decision today.

"Let's go down for breakfast," Hao Ren put the data terminal back in his pocket, completely forgetting about the issue. He looked up at the grand and stylish antique clock in the corner. "Lily has been down there for an hour, why hasn't she come back? Did she get lost or something?"

"That big dog is a glutton. They serve a buffet for breakfast here, and she'll eat until she's leaning against the wall," Vivian said with a sneer. "She has no manners, that's all she's good for."

Hao Ren shrugged silently and led Vivian out of the room, quickly arriving at the restaurant on the first floor.

The UK is a country with a slow pace of life, and a somewhat lazy and unhurried atmosphere often lingers in many places. The locals generally start their day at around 9 AM, including their breakfast. Hao Ren, of course, couldn't adapt to this schedule yet. He was still jet-lagged and found himself facing an unusually quiet breakfast: the large buffet restaurant had only a few people, making it easy for him and Vivian to spot Lily, who was sitting at a central table, her presence overwhelmingly noticeable. She was eating like a queen, with several empty trays already in front of her...

Hao Ren blinked. "They say the UK is the headquarters of dark cuisine, but looking at Lily's eating... it doesn't seem as bad as the rumors?"

Vivian was quite dismissive. "She's just an omnivore. She was born not to be picky."

Hao Ren circled the long food counter, lucky to find that not all British dishes were as bizarre as unknown substances. Of course, this might have something to do with the nature of the buffet. In any case, he managed to gather a plate of food he dared to eat and brought it to Lily. "Still not full?"

"Mm-hmm," Lily's mouth was full, and she struggled to speak clearly while swallowing. "The vegetable salad here is really good! The fruits are delicious too! I just don't like the grilled meat here; it's not as good as at home..."

Hao Ren looked into Lily's eyes and muttered, "As a wolf, aren't you ashamed of your diet?"

Lily was indignant. "Who doesn't sell big bones here!"

Hao Ren felt he couldn't communicate with this wolf anymore.

Then he turned his head and saw Vivian sitting on the other side, unable to resist commenting, "You were just saying she has no ambition. Where's your own ambition?"

Vivian's plate could be described as a moving hill. She had picked a few pieces of what Hao Ren considered mysterious food. The vampire girl, who was used to poverty, couldn't resist the temptation of a free buffet. She had just criticized Lily for being a glutton, but now she was even more of a country bumpkin!

"I've never experienced such good days before!" The vampire girl's mouth was soon full of food, and her words were muffled like ventriloquism. "I have to eat as much as I can today; who knows when I'll have another chance..."

Hao Ren was now incredibly grateful that most people in the UK start their day around 9 AM. There were only about a dozen people in the restaurant, including the staff. Otherwise, leading these two gluttons would have been embarrassing!

While the three of them were busy with breakfast, a tall, thin man appeared and approached with his food. Hao Ren heard a gentle voice from above: "May I sit here?"

Hao Ren looked up and saw a man he didn't recognize. The man was wearing a white shirt and black pants, tall and lean, with a neat and tidy appearance. He had short, black hair and a face that, while not particularly handsome, exuded a sense of reliability. The most noticeable feature was his East Asian face, and Hao Ren almost immediately concluded that he was Chinese.

"Oh, this seat is free, go ahead," Hao Ren nodded, noticing an empty seat across from him. However, he also noticed that the restaurant was full of empty tables, and the tall, thin man didn't need to sit with them. This made Hao Ren curious and a bit wary.

He still remembered his "top-secret mission" and was more cautious than usual.

With a stranger suddenly joining them, Vivian finally remembered her status as a high-ranking vampire and slowed her eating, trying to maintain a dignified noble demeanor—though it would have been more convincing if she wiped the grease off her face.

"It's not easy to meet a fellow countryman here," the tall, thin man said warmly, unlike his initial impression of being hard to approach. "Are you here on a trip?"

"Fellow countryman?" Hao Ren was genuinely surprised that his guess was correct. Due to the translation program, he couldn't tell from the language whether the man was speaking Chinese or something else. It was only when the man called him a fellow countryman that Hao Ren was sure of his guess. "You're from China too?"

"A genuine Chinese, but I travel around the world a lot," the tall, thin man smiled. "It's rare to meet a fellow countryman here, so I came over to join you... I hope I'm not causing any trouble?"

Hao Ren waved his hand. "No, no trouble at all."

"That's good," the tall, thin man nodded and then casually added, "Are you looking for a place called Jofford?"