Edward quickly arrived at Penacony and checked into Bai Luan's room.
Robin was also very helpful; after learning what Edward wanted to experience in Penacony, she directly found an expert in that field for Edward.
Bai Luan didn't have to worry much; Edward was properly taken care of.
From now on, if the Songblight has any collaborative projects, Robin must be given priority.
She was simply too thorough.
The matters in Penacony were temporarily unrelated to him; Stelle and her companions would resolve all problems encountered in Penacony.
He had originally thought Elio would make a move this time, but he didn't.
He had thought this meant that even if he did something in Penacony, it wouldn't interfere with the main storyline, and he was ready to experience Penacony's grand event.
It turned out Elio didn't act purely because there was no need—this time, he didn't even need to act; the instant explosive bomb Lars secretly made sent him directly back to the Space Station.
Although he took a heavy boomerang hit, compared to the previous simulated universe development, it was still acceptable.
After all, he had already completed most of the gold and gears DLC in advance, and at that time, his mind was entirely focused on how to "entertain" the mastermind, which diluted the pain of the development process.
Most importantly, coming back wasn't entirely bad.
He met the Knights of Beauty, Argenti, and solidified his path.
As long as my path is solid,
Then I am invincible.
Moreover, the geniuses also established a leave mechanism, ensuring his rest time.
In a sense,
He was considered released from prison.
As for the next simulated universe dlc, the Unknowable Realm, Bai Luan no longer intended to avoid it.
After all, this simulated universe dlc involved Kakamond, which was a crisis of no small measure.
Kakamond's track record was evident; a considerable number of Genius Society members had fallen to her, and it was fair to say she was the Genius Society's strictest mother, but Bai Luan was not afraid of her.
After all, he now had the blessings of three paths—oh, four, including Ark's blessing.
If you specialize in Erudition, then I'll use the power of other paths to elbow you.
Am I really out of options?
Besides this, the key to breaking the situation in the original plot—Aha—had also been watching him.
If things really got tough, he could just call out to Aha.
Taking another step back, assuming Aha didn't respond at that time for the fun of watching him fail... Bai Luan wouldn't panic; he still had Ark.
However, if Aha didn't respond when he needed him, then he would just have to create a curio to cut off his fun-watching gaze.
Raise Aha for a thousand days, use Aha for an hour.
If you can't even help with this much, what good are you?
When one holds enough trump cards, unexpected events no longer cause panic.
Although he always disliked using force, still—you don't really think I'm weak and easily bullied, do you?
Bai Luan was quite satisfied with his current life; work intensity had decreased, and risks were within an acceptable range.
Most importantly, when he was bored, he could still go torment Lars.
After days of probing, Bai Luan discovered something interesting.
This Lars really had something going for him; all the projects Bai Luan had assigned him these past few days, he had met the standards and submitted on time.
He even managed to submit some of them early.
Good, good, good, this Staff Member of yours is truly delightful.
Bai Luan finally understood the joy Herta felt when dealing with him.
However, Herta was for research projects, while he was purely for honing Lars.
This time, he deliberately raised the project's difficulty by another notch.
Tomorrow was the deadline; he wondered if Lars could once again bring a surprise.
However, based on the information he had secretly gathered by observing him these past few days, it didn't look very optimistic.
As Bai Luan was thinking this, the door to his room suddenly opened.
It was none other than Lars.
However, Lars's expression was not good at all; frustration, guilt, disappointment... It was obvious he couldn't complete the project.
Honestly, Lars's performance had already surprised Bai Luan.
This kid actually only ran out of ideas now.
Lars felt helpless.
The Station Master assigned him such a project, which meant he believed he could do it.
But he couldn't, no matter what, he couldn't.
He had already asked almost everyone he could in the entire Space Station, but unfortunately, no one could help him.
In such a large Space Station, there was no Staff Member who could help him.
By now, there was no more time for him to think about what to do.
At this point, he could only confess to the Station Master that he couldn't do it.
He should have been able to... He had truly failed the Station Master's trust.
Filled with overwhelming shame, he came to Bai Luan the day before the deadline.
"Station Master... I think my abilities have reached their limit. I truly cannot overcome that technical difficulty and meet your standards. Perhaps I should withdraw."
Bai Luan looked at Lars, a gentle smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Of course, he wouldn't let Lars leave just like that. If he let him off so easily, how could others experience the "good times" he had once gone through?
"No one is born good at everything."
Bai Luan's voice was calm and powerful.
"Even I grew step by step. If you stop here, you will never reach the finish line."
"But... I've already asked everyone I could in the entire Space Station; there's simply no one who can help me."
Bai Luan spread his hands:
"You haven't asked me yet, have you?"
Lars was stunned.
He hadn't even considered that option.
Asking a genius and getting a response was something Lars didn't even dare to imagine.
Seeing Lars's reaction, Bai Luan laughed heartily and said:
"You're much better than those people I taught back then; at least you know to ask when you don't understand."
"Those people back then?"
Lars was first a little confused, then he realized.
"Is the Station Master referring to the first batch of Staff Members at the Space Station?"
"That's right..."
Bai Luan nodded with a smile.
"I used to call them 'Old Novices'—teasing them for not having made much progress after all this time, just getting older."
Thinking about it now, it really brought back memories.
Although he called them Old Novices, in reality, he hadn't watched them grow old, and they... weren't always novices.
Lars asked with a hint of curiosity:
"Then, Station Master, what were those senior Staff Members like when they first started?"
"Them, huh...?"
Bai Luan's gaze became distant.
"Each one was arrogant, thinking they were among the best geniuses in the entire universe."
Lars pouted and mumbled softly:
"How dare they..."
Bai Luan chuckled softly.
From the "Old Novices" of back then to the Lars of today, from arrogance to self-awareness.
Perhaps this transformation was the Space Station's greatest gain.
"When building the Space Station, I, who was not yet a genius, met them, who thought they were geniuses, and it was truly a difficult encounter."
"Did they even make the Station Master feel it was difficult?"
Lars couldn't help but ask:
"What exactly were they like?"
Bai Luan thought back for a moment, then recounted as if listing treasures:
"They wouldn't listen when told, wouldn't understand when they listened, wouldn't do when they understood, would do wrong when they did, wouldn't admit when wrong, wouldn't change when they admitted, wouldn't accept when they changed, and wouldn't speak when they didn't accept."
Bai Luan rattled off a string of words like a rapid-fire monologue.
Lars listened, completely bewildered.
Had he even summarized patterns?
After reciting these, some memories unexpectedly surfaced.
Bai Luan recalled the days of building the Herta Space Station in the past.
Those times arguing with the Old Novices, mostly getting angry and stomping his feet, but also not lacking in one or two interesting daily occurrences.
Although he didn't feel happy at the time, looking back now, there was a hint of nostalgia.
People, indeed... can only remember the beautiful things.
He smiled, his smile tinged with a faint sadness, his eyes flickering with complex light.
Bai Luan smiled and shook his head, saying:
"Damn... now that I mention it, I really miss them."
Lars gazed at Bai Luan silently, never feeling so close to this genius.
It was like an older Staff Member reminiscing about a golden age that could never be returned to.
Soon, Bai Luan composed himself and slowly revealed the answer to the problem that had troubled Lars for a long time.
"If you don't understand in the future, just come ask me. I'm not not going to teach you."
"Station Master... do you still remember those Old Novices?"
"I do."
Bai Luan remembered Conrad and Stark—the two "Old Novices" who had remembered his words for a lifetime.
From those two, his memories slowly extended until he remembered the appearance of every Old Novice on the Space Station back then.
"Just as they remember me, I remember them."
"Station Master... am I considered an Old Novice?"
"You? Want to be an Old Novice?"
Bai Luan looked at Lars with interest.
When he called those Staff Members Old Novices back then, they considered it an insult, but now, it seemed different.
Lars felt Bai Luan's scrutinizing gaze and immediately tensed up.
"You're not an Old Novice yet... you should be considered a Novice."
Hearing Bai Luan say that, Lars immediately felt a little disappointed.
"However... if you persevere, you should be able to become an Old Novice. Keep it up."
Bai Luan stood up,
and patted Lars on the shoulder.
"Perhaps one day, I'll mention you to another Novice."
...