Chapter 80: The Shen Family Estate

Chapter Eighty: The Shen Family Estate

The sedan cruised steadily along the broad road, trees on either side rushing past in a blur. Liu Shaoyu had never truly taken the time to quietly appreciate the scenery on Kyushu Island before. Lush greenery lined the road; even from above, this artificial island was enveloped in a verdant embrace. The car’s soundproofing was impeccable, and Liu Shaoyu felt no jostling at all as he sat in his seat. It was clear the vehicle’s anti-gravity propulsion system performed admirably.

“Mr. Liu, where are you from?” The man in the suit sitting opposite suddenly spoke. Though the question came without warning, his tone was pleasant, not abrupt in the least.

“I grew up in the underground city of the Jinling Military District,” Liu Shaoyu replied, turning and smiling at him.

The man was visibly surprised at Liu Shaoyu’s origins—he hadn’t expected someone who was being received with such fanfare to hail from a slum. Yet the expression was quickly masked by his professional smile, leaving no further trace.

Liu Shaoyu caught that fleeting surprise perfectly, but felt no offense at the reaction. Many people still discriminated based on birthplace, but Liu Shaoyu never believed that being born in a privileged place made one inherently superior.

This bias was, in fact, quite pervasive: those born on Earth looked down on those from colonized planets—a deeply entrenched notion. Though the roots of this sense of superiority were unclear, it was undeniable that anyone who could claim a place on Earth was hardly ordinary, and such pride had been cultivated by certain individuals with ulterior motives.

As a steward of the Shen family, Banxin had clearly received excellent training. His own origins were hardly illustrious—he was from Glainam, a mineral planet on the fringes of the Earth Federation. A child from the mines, he had suffered contempt until he turned eighteen. But today, he was a steward of the Shen family. While in elite circles he was but a menial, back in his hometown, Banxin was celebrated.

So Banxin’s earlier reaction was not disdain, but a momentary reminder of his own past. Liu Shaoyu sensed this, and thus took no offense.

A shared smile conveyed mutual understanding.

The ability to read people was a skill many spent a lifetime honing, and some benefited from it throughout their lives. Liu Shaoyu’s talent was not born of training but from heightened senses—a mysterious power that had sharpened all his faculties to an extraordinary degree. This strange transformation had long troubled him.

He resolved to discuss it in depth with Wang Weifu once today's business was concluded.

“Is this your first time on Kyushu Island, Mr. Liu?” Banxin asked, noting Liu Shaoyu’s constant fascination with the scenery. It was part of his duty as a steward to care for the Shen family's guests, anticipating their needs before receiving further instructions.

“I’ve been here a few times before, but always in a rush. Never really had the chance to look around,” Liu Shaoyu answered truthfully. He might be staying here for a while, and welcomed someone who could answer his questions.

“During your time on Kyushu Island, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me. I’ll be happy to help,” Banxin said, offering a professional smile.

His sense of honor came from resolving the doubts of those he served, and in this, Banxin had always excelled.

Banxin found it curious that he had been assigned to receive Liu Shaoyu. Though not as venerable as the chief steward, he was a standout among the younger generation, a prime candidate for the next chief steward. The senior steward favored him, intending to groom him for the Shen family’s inner household.

Thus, his assignments were always distinguished, often involving prominent figures from business and politics. The decision to send him to welcome someone with no prior connection to the Shen family left him perplexed.

Just what sort of person warranted his involvement—and the use of the Dawn, such a high-end vehicle? Outsiders might know the name, but insiders understood that only six of these sedans existed on Earth. The patriarch of the Shen family used this very car as his personal conveyance.

Ordinary people would never have the privilege, yet today it was dispatched for a young man.

Banxin had already placed Liu Shaoyu in a position of great importance before meeting him, but upon seeing his youth and attire, Banxin even wondered if he had the wrong person.

He had, of course, done his homework beforehand, but Liu Shaoyu’s public records were astonishingly clean; even the Shen family’s internal network, reserved for stewards, only listed his achievements in the Battle of Fengta, with nothing else noted.

Though Liu Shaoyu’s exploits on the battlefield were impressive, Banxin still felt that using such resources was excessive.

“Mr. Liu, here is my communication code. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me,” Banxin said, activating his personal computer and displaying a string of encrypted digits.

Liu Shaoyu saw the gesture and opened his own computer. Although Thomas could automatically detect and record the communications, Liu Shaoyu did not wish to reveal the unique capabilities of his device. From this moment, he knew he had to be cautious. He became vigilant.

“Thank you,” Liu Shaoyu replied with a smile.

Banxin found the young man's politeness very agreeable. Though unremarkable, Liu Shaoyu exuded a distinctive aura. Banxin trusted his own intuition implicitly—it had brought him this far—and he could tell this young man was anything but ordinary.

Liu Shaoyu noticed Banxin’s gaze and felt a bit uneasy, as if being appraised in a way that made him uncomfortable.

Banxin realized his lapse in emotional control and mentally berated himself. He didn’t understand why, but Liu Shaoyu always seemed to bring out people’s most authentic selves.

He quickly spoke to ease the awkwardness. “Mr. Liu, we’re about to enter the Shen family estate. The landscaping here is the finest on Kyushu Island.”

Banxin’s phrasing was clever; faced with such an opulent estate, he praised its greenery rather than its grandeur or value. In cities dominated by steel and concrete, such expansive landscaping came at great cost.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen so much green,” Liu Shaoyu sincerely admired. The Shen family estate resembled an ancient European garden, its buildings hidden amidst lush, orderly foliage. The arrangement clearly reflected meticulous attention.

Perhaps because he had grown up in a place paved entirely with iron, and later served in the interstellar fleet, Liu Shaoyu cherished such verdant scenes.

The sedan came to a stop before a vast structure fronted by sweeping lawns.

Banxin was the first to disembark, bowing to Liu Shaoyu, who remained seated.

“Mr. Liu, please, come inside.”

To Readers:
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