"This deeply worry me, whether your civilisation might go backward due to nuclear war." Xi P sighs.

  Min offers no objection, merely echoing the sigh in tacit agreement.

  Moments earlier, they'd encountered an alarming news report. At his first press conference since taking office yesterday, Trump fiercely berated a group of American journalists, denouncing the so-called Russian dossier as utter nonsense while maintaining an ambiguous stance toward Russia himself.

  Viewed in isolation, this's merely another episode in his already eccentric presidency. The problem is that last Christmas Eve, both Trump and Putin had simultaneously declared their intent to strengthen their nuclear arsenals. Given Trump's willingness to defy all boundaries, the sudden launch of nuclear missiles worldwide isn't entirely unimaginable...

  "I believe even if this place is bombed so only cockroaches survived, after the nuclear war, Lierus will eventually find this place. But will we still be alive at the time? They likely won't even know I was here." Xi P sighs again before continuing.

  "You actually know the cockroach radiation resistance anecdote? Wow." Min remarks in surprise, "I do not think any nuclear-armed nation would target the city where we live though. So we probably have a chance to survive. Then we can use excavators to dig our story out of the ground."

  "Too many earthquakes here. That won't work. Should consider, launch a metal plate into orbit, that would be a more… reliable solution. Nothing beats carving large words onto a solid plate, for preservation's mean."

  If Min's interpretation is correct, then Xi P is also trying to shift away from the heavy topic, as is Min. This suddenly prompts a question: "What would a unified world look like? Like, in your Palirian Republic?"

  Realising the question is a bit vague, he adds: "In terms of society."

  "It's hard to say... Much of the difference I see comes from technological differences, then by cultural differences. Hard to define differences from being unified. Nations... less militarized? fewer political jokes... no need to consider war at all... possibly lower prices? Everyone is pride in the word 'unified'. It bringed many tangible benefits, though I can't pinpoint them..."

  No surprise. Xi P has never truly lived on a divided planet, while Min has never lived on a unified one. As the old saying goes, "Those who haven't seen paradise don't know they are live in hell." One needs to know both sides to judge. This does makes Min suddenly think of SpaceX. Musk must be deeply frustrated by humanity's division — especially when he realises building a rocket requires thousands of imported parts, with politically driven tax rates constantly fluctuating costs, and domestic industries is hollowing out.

  Seeing that Xi P can't elaborate further, Min changes the subject, interrupting him: "What exactly do you do on the research vessel? I mean, what are your daily tasks?"

  "You really want to hear about it?" Xi P gives him a peculiar look, a mix of suspicion and other emotions. Seeing this, Min nods firmly and steels himself.

  "It's boring... Most of the time, I just follow instructions — more about... action skills than scientific ability. Or rather, I function as an adaptive, self-repairing robot. Only when the signal drops do I get to do my own thing." Due to his poor impression of certain practices at the Central Academy of Sciences, Xi P slightly exaggerates the truth.

  After voicing these thoughts, his mood lightens considerably: "During FTL travel, I'm free — no signal then. If I want, I could play forever, but they will check my usage logs. So FTL time is mostly... following the schedule: research, exercise, thinking... Ra... philosophical questions."

  Glancing at the time, Min sees that there is still time before the end of their daily chat. He poses another question: "Have you undergone astronaut training?"

  Few people would admit to having no interest in experiencing weightlessness, and Min is no exception. But setting aside the exorbitant prices for private space trips, the basic aerospace training alone is enough to make him hesitate. Most roller coasters deliver 2G acceleration, yet in this training, even tourists must experience accelerations exceeding 10G momentarily. And that's just one part of the regimen.

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  Though Xi P's experience couldn't be taken as the definitive future for humanity, Min still wishes to use it as a reference to glean more insight.

  Xi P narrows his eyes, seemingly diving deep in thought. Typically, Xi P would then launch into a lengthy monologue. Min shifts his body, straightens his posture, and figuratively perks up his ears in anticipation.

  Xi P remains silent for a long time, occasionally opening the mouth several times as if to speak, before finally uttering a simple "Yes."

  What a letdown.

  Xi P, however, has his reasons. Astronaut training is so gruelling and intensive that Xi P, originally a scientist specialising in ecology, emerged from it with the physical stamina of an amateur athlete. He'd also mastered orbital calculations, spacecraft piloting, maintenance, following commands, and more. The training had practically transformed him into a different person. Yet despite the vast amount covered, trying to articulate anything about it proves surprisingly difficult.

  The scheduled conversation time has ended. Min is sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed, emptying his mind and relaxing. Talking with Xi P, especially about such complex and challenging topics, is indeed quite exhausting. Not only does it require piecing together fragmented sentences, but the grammatical errors are genuinely headache-inducing. For someone like Min, who tends to be quite precise in his speech, it can even be a bit nauseating.

  Min came up with the idea of this routine conversation time not long ago. As the name suggests, it involves setting aside a fixed period each day to engage in lighthearted chatter with Xi P. Not only does it help Xi P improve his language skills, but it also indirectly broadens Min's own knowledge base. At the very least, Xi P's understanding of the universe seems boundless. While his limited expressive abilities prevent him from delving into finer details, it still serves to expand one's horizons...

  Usually, after their conversation ends, Xi P would rest briefly before departing to attend to his own affairs. But today is slightly different. Xi P is leaning forward, adopting a posture reminiscent of "The Thinker" sculpture. This goes on for quite some time until Min opens his eyes, stands up, and prepares to leave. Only then does Xi P suddenly reach out, grabbing him by the sleeve and gesturing for Min to sit back down.

  "I was pondering a question. How much does a private plane cost around here?"

  Min is taken aback. This question clearly doesn't fit the usual tone of their conversations. Still, he searches his memory for a moment before answering: "I don't know… Why do you ask? Renting one probably costs anywhere from a few thousand to a hundred thousand per trip. I'm not sure about buying. Helicopters are much cheaper, though, and easier to learn to fly. Wait, you wouldn't be thinking of — "

  "Yes." Xi P replies slowly in a rather peculiar tone. "One day, I'll need to leave this city without being detected. Cars are too risky. A private... helicopter would be a good option. And since it's affordable and we have the money now, when you get your vacation, we can pick a place to get away and relax."

  Seeing Min staring at him with a blank expression and vacant eyes, Xi P added helplessly: "I want to say this for a long time, now — you don't think I actually enjoy staying in one place for too long, do you? It's been nearly half a year now, no Lierus's network supporting me, and I've barely left the house. It's... torture. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

  To be fair, Min largely agrees with Xi P's point. Putting himself in that situation, it does feel like a form of torment. Considering that it's not just unfamiliar surroundings for him, but an entirely alien society, it's remarkable that he hasn't developed any mental health issues. Aside from the plane part, this request isn't unreasonable at all. But where and when should they go for this vacation...

  "Hmm..."

  Min begins to ponder, but it seems that Xi P has more than one topic on his mind. Seeing that Min is already deep in thought about the specifics of the holiday, Xi P taps him on the shoulder and continues: "Another thing I want to talk. It's about... making money."

  The effect is immediate. Min instantly halts his thoughts, stares at Xi P in even greater surprise, waiting for his next words. Seeing this, though his face remains completely expressionless, Xi P's inner feelings could only be described as utterly speechless.

  Pushing that emotion aside, he says earnestly: "Those... wages and funds definitely won't be enough, right?"

  Min first wants to nod his head, then snaps to attention and shakes vigorously. If Xi P is bringing this up, he must have a way to make money. He didn't save the alien for the cash, but who could turn down the chance to profit from alien technology?

  "Discovery and invention are two different things... Inventions pay much better." He pauses before continuing, "I have a lot of invention's data, including rough concepts. We just need to work out the details..."

  "..."

  Essentially, Xi P's computer and the experimental equipment he brought down contain numerous inventions that are not yet present on Earth. Xi P also broadly understands the principles behind most of them; once fully presented, they can then patent them. Moreover, beyond physical inventions, there are biological techniques directly documented in his computer — some even ready for immediate use. But there's a small issue...'

  "If I'm not mistaken, biological techniques typically exhibit relatively high specificity. Are you certain these will be effective on Earth's organisms?"

  Hearing Min's words, Xi P first points a finger at Min, then gestures towards the silver fox curled asleep in the corner of the living room, saying nothing. Min roughly grasps what he's implying, though Xi P's manner of conveying this thought is rather odd...