Space Odyssey from Abandoned Mining Space Station

Chapter 911 - 265: Psychic

Chen Ming was very hesitant.

Because he really had seriously thought about this matter.

All the various issues that spun off from this, most of what Bai Quan and the others could think of, Chen Ming could also think of.

He of course knew that this matter would be very beneficial to many people, himself included.

And Cheng Xinghai’s conditions really were quite suitable.

But the problems were just as obvious.

He didn’t have the time or energy to do something that was a bit far from his own goals; if he casually agreed, he’d definitely be holding someone back.

This was a lifelong matter, which was why he was hesitating.

So earlier, when Bai Quan had deliberately brought up that he was going to be away for a few days, and that Cheng Xinghai would come over to help substitute teach for him, with all the hints between the lines.

Chen Ming still hadn’t given Bai Quan a clear stance, he only agreed to continue having contact with Cheng Xinghai.

Even if you didn’t look at it from the emotional side and only from the angle of interests, this was indeed something worth him putting some energy into.

Of course, if it was purely about interests, that wouldn’t work either.

If Cheng Xinghai was unwilling and also not suitable, and they still bound themselves together purely out of利益,

it wouldn’t be a good thing for either of them.

Anyway, he already saw Bai Quan’s attitude clearly enough, but he still wanted to figure out Cheng Xinghai’s attitude, and figure out whether they were actually compatible.

Chen Ming stared at the terminal for over ten seconds, thinking.

Once he’d roughly sorted things out, he connected the call.

Cheng Xinghai waved and greeted, "Hey hey, hello, Chen Ming."

While controlling An Wuping to snap a Zuo Jing soldier’s neck, Chen Ming used the prosthetic to act like everything was normal and greeted back, "Hello."

Cheng Xinghai suddenly tilted her head to the side. "Why do I feel like you’re a bit distracted?"

"Look at what time it is."

"Oh right, it’s already this late. Don’t you sleep?"

Chen Ming casually included the workbench beside the prosthetic in the recording; on it, several pages of densely packed, complicated data were displayed on the computer. "I’m getting ready for the next step in my research. In a few days there should be a Catalytic Core delivered to me."

"And you’re the one—calling at this hour, what did you want?"

"Um..."

Cheng Xinghai looked a little hesitant; she tilted her head to the other side and said, "Did Uncle Bai talk to you?"

"He said you’ll come help me teach classes later."

"Mm, that’s it. I just wanted to talk to you about that."

Even her own tone lacked confidence, so naturally Chen Ming didn’t believe that explanation either.

Calling in the middle of the night like this, she had definitely wanted to tell him something else at the start.

It was just that, like him, Cheng Xinghai was also hesitating.

Chen Ming didn’t call her out on it; instead, like her, he tacitly avoided that topic.

The two of them looked at each other and were quiet for a moment.

Then Cheng Xinghai abruptly broke the silence. "I’ll go prepare the lesson plans then. The plans Uncle Bai gave me aren’t really what I want, so I’ll go make a set myself. Might take a few days."

"Sorry to trouble you."

"It’s no trouble. I’m hanging up then."

"Bye, and thanks."

"Mm."

After the call ended,

Cheng Xinghai casually tossed the terminal toward the side of the bed and fell back, lying on it.

She raised an arm to cover her eyes; her mind was a jumble of thoughts.

She really was hesitating.

Over the past while she had already been in contact with Chen Ming for some time.

During that half-month deep simulation where she was a prisoner, playing games every day, she’d basically gotten to know Chen Ming fairly well.

Because on account of Bai Quan, Chen Ming usually answered all her questions.

And through these days of contact and getting to know him, she felt she didn’t dislike Chen Ming, but she also didn’t really have much fondness for him beyond normal friendship.

Maybe there was a little, but only a little—nowhere near the level where their relationship could move to the next step.

But right before she made this call, she’d thought that this was already enough.

There weren’t many paths she could choose for her future: either grow old alone, or find someone for a political marriage.

And with other potential marriage partners, it was entirely possible she wouldn’t even have this level of feeling.

So her original idea was simply to come out and lay things on the table with Chen Ming.

But just in that short moment before the call connected, she suddenly thought of something else.

What if Chen Ming didn’t have that kind of idea at all? What if his thoughts were completely different?

Cheng Xinghai remembered that in the simulation, she had never seen any particularly obvious emotional ups and downs on Chen Ming; everything seemed like nothing to him, including her.

Only near the end of the simulation battle, when all his teammates had died and the situation was overwhelmingly disadvantageous, did Chen Ming seem to find a bit of fun.

No, that wasn’t quite right—suddenly she remembered that back when the simulation had just started, when Chen Ming found an opportunity to come assassinate her, his emotions seemed to spike once.

Thinking of the usually calm-faced Chen Ming, who always looked like nothing could faze him, suddenly bursting out with a string of swear words because of that one kick of hers that almost killed him, the sharp contrast somehow made the corners of her mouth curl up.

Even so, she was still hesitating, still torn.

She was planning to wait until tomorrow, when Uncle Bai was more or less done with his work, and then go ask him more about Chen Ming, and about Chen Ming’s attitude.

At that moment, after Chen Ming hung up the phone, his mind was also a bit muddled for a while.

But the situation on An Wuping’s side didn’t give him much time to think.