The Xi Er Tribe is located at the northernmost point of the geothermal planet, which is technically the coldest region in the entire star system. The mountain tops are covered in thick white snow year-round, and even at the warmest times, the temperature hovers around zero degrees. At its coldest, it can plummet to a chilling minus fifty degrees—truly a big ice cellar.

Geographically, the Xi Er Tribe sits in a valley between two peaks, with a total population of over five hundred. Their main staple food is potatoes. They only engage in activities within their residence throughout the year and never venture out unless absolutely necessary. The tribe is quite insular, neither going out nor welcoming outsiders. However, Ma Liu has interacted with them since taking office, and those encounters have gone smoothly. Unless something unexpected happened, he shouldn’t have been detained.

Cheng Xu had arranged with Ma Liu not to linger there, so excluding travel time, he should have returned three days ago, but now there was no news.

“He brought a communication device, but there’s no signal,” Cheng Xu said, meeting with the star leader on the geothermal planet, an elderly man named Ma Rui, who was already over a hundred years old. “Ma” is a very common surname on the geothermal planet; most of the indigenous residents share this surname.

Star Leader Ma Rui also appeared anxious. “It’s all because our infrastructure is too poor. Ma Liu went to a more remote area, so it’s normal that there’s no signal. It takes eighteen hours by snow vehicle to get from here to the Xi Er Tribe. Is it possible he encountered bad roads along the way and got delayed?”

“Impossible. I’ve already contacted the snow vehicle fuel station he needed to pass through, and they said he did go through but hasn’t returned,” Cheng Xu said, frowning tightly. “We need to find some people to set out and look for him!” He quickly added, “I have to go!”

Star Leader Ma Rui hurriedly said, “You might not be able to. You’re an outsider, and if you enter the tribe, it could anger them. I’ll go instead. I’ll call a few others to join me in taking the snow vehicle.”

“No way! You’re too old; you should stay here. The journey is long, and I’ll go!”

While the two were arguing, there was a knock on the door. When Cheng Xu turned around, he saw their recent business partner—Mr. Lian. Mr. Lian brushed the snowflakes off his shoulders and revealed an elegant smile. “Sorry to interrupt, but I think you might need some help right now, so please forgive my intrusion.” He looked at Cheng Xu. “Mr. Cheng, you’re looking to find Mr. Ma Liu, right? In fact, I have a very good candidate, and we also have a spaceship, which I believe could be quite useful.”

Before Cheng Xu could respond, Ma Rui’s eyes lit up. “A spaceship? That’s fantastic! It takes eighteen hours by snow vehicle, but with a spaceship, we should be able to save about ten hours, right?”

Mr. Lian replied politely, “It should take about two hours to get there, Star Leader. Our spaceship is the fastest model available on the Imperial Planet.”

“That’s great!” Ma Rui became excited. “Can we really borrow it?”

“Of course,” Mr. Lian smiled slightly, “but there’s one condition.” He looked at Cheng Xu. “My boss hopes Mr. Cheng will accompany him to complete this task.”

When Cheng Xu heard this, his straight back trembled slightly, and his right hand slowly tightened into a fist.

The concerns he had dreaded had finally come to pass.

Seeing Yan Qi again, Cheng Xu realized that even though he had prepared himself mentally, the shock was still significant. He held no hatred or disgust toward the other party; he just wanted to avoid him, to keep a distance and never see him again. Yet reality wouldn’t allow that.

But Yan Qi seemed to have changed a little.

Cheng Xu had imagined how Yan Qi would react upon seeing him—rage was a given, perhaps even some sarcastic remarks, followed by a forceful attempt to bind him close, threatening and humiliating him… Yet none of that happened. When Yan Qi first laid eyes on him, he paused for a few extra seconds, as if making an effort to look away, and then greeted the star leader like an exemplary young man.

He was tall and handsome; when not showing his true nature, he could genuinely make a good impression. The star leader was evidently deceived by his appearance, constantly praising him and thanking him profusely.

Yan Qi replied gently, “No need to thank me; it’s what I should do. We have a lot of cooperation in the future, and I hope the Star Leader will take good care of us.”

The star leader laughed happily, “Of course.” But he looked somewhat worried. “Are only you two going? The people of the Xi Er Tribe are very resistant to outsiders; I’m afraid you’ll get hurt.”

Yan Qi said, “It’s a small spaceship, so it can only carry two people. But don’t worry; I’m prepared and will definitely bring Mr. Ma Liu back safely, and we’ll also finalize the matter.”

Cheng Xu suddenly interjected, “Your preparations… don’t tell me you’re planning to use force?”

Hearing him finally speak, Yan Qi seemed delighted, his eyes sparkling with joy. “Of course not.” He gazed deeply at Cheng Xu. “There’s no time to waste; let’s set off.”

His spaceship was indeed the most advanced and compact, with only two seats, but the cabin seemed packed with items. Cheng Xu held back his curiosity and buckled his seatbelt once on board. The cabin door closed, and Yan Qi began adjusting the flight coordinates. The Xi Er Tribe is a place that even satellite navigation struggles to locate, so the route had to be set manually. He was holding a paper map in his left hand.

Seeing Yan Qi’s serious expression, Cheng Xu couldn’t help but say, “I thought you were planning to trick me into coming up here and then take me back.”

Yan Qi paused his movements, appearing quite pleased. “I did think about it, but I restrained myself.” He looked at Cheng Xu. “What about you? Knowing there’s a chance of this, why did you dare to come aboard?”

“There’s only your spaceship on this planet,” Cheng Xu said, biting his lip. “I had no choice.”

“I’m quite glad,” Yan Qi smiled, finally locking in the coordinates and activating the autopilot mode. A minute later, the spaceship rose and flew rapidly toward their destination.

Fortunately, the weather had been decent for the past two days. Although the temperature remained low, there was no strong wind or snow, making the way ahead clear. The spaceship flew low enough for Cheng Xu to see rows of houses from the window. Suddenly, Yan Qi said, “To attract tourists, we need to create some features; the houses here could use some renovations.”

If he were saying something else—like “I miss you” or “How dare you run away”—Cheng Xu would definitely not respond. If Yan Qi intended to forcibly threaten him into doing something intimate on the spaceship, even if Cheng Xu complied now, he would find a way to distance himself later. But Yan Qi was talking about “development,” and while Cheng Xu was surprised, he couldn’t help but reply, “How would you renovate them?”

“Nothing major, just some minor changes. Xu Ge, don’t you think the colors on this planet are too monotonous? Living in such an environment makes one feel a lack of passion. If the roofs or walls were painted in bright colors, it might be quite eye-catching.”

Cheng Xu considered this for a moment. “That method is feasible.”

Seeing that Cheng Xu actually agreed with him, Yan Qi felt an overwhelming joy, though he tried hard to contain it. God knows how much he wanted to do something intimate with Cheng Xu in this closed environment with just the two of them. Just the scent emanating from Cheng Xu and the sound of his voice made him feel hot all over, and the long-unrelieved heat in his lower abdomen was starting to rise. Fortunately, the hem of his coat could conceal it. Yan Qi said, “What do you think about a ski resort?”

“Of course, that sounds great. I’ve thought about it too, but the funding isn’t enough.”

“I can invest.” Yan Qi’s tone was almost eager. “I also plan to build a film and television base here and relocate my other industries.”

Even a fool could tell the reason behind his actions. Cheng Xu felt a bit uncomfortable, looking out the window. “Aren’t you afraid of losing money?”

“Not at all,” Yan Qi smiled, his voice filled with confidence. “It won’t lose money!”

Cheng Xu pressed his lips together, not wanting to continue the conversation. He quickly said, “I’m going to rest for a bit.” He closed his eyes, feeling Yan Qi’s burning gaze on his face, which made him feel a bit tingly and uncomfortable, and he also felt repulsed. Cheng Xu found himself surprisingly hoping Yan Qi would do something out of line. If that happened, his originally firm heart would become a bit firmer. But the other party didn’t move at all throughout the journey; not only did he not touch him, but even his sleeves remained untouched, behaving so properly that it was as if he were two different people from before.

Guessing that Yan Qi might be using another method to “capture” him, Cheng Xu felt that this appearance was merely a disguise. But there was nothing he could do about it.

Along the way, Cheng Xu kept his eyes closed, pretending to doze. Yan Qi was on his best behavior, speaking very little except for occasional adjustments to the route. As they neared their destination, he finally spoke gently, “Xu Ge, it seems we’re almost there.”

Cheng Xu quickly opened his eyes and saw two large mountains looming ahead, but he couldn’t see the houses of the Xi Er Tribe. Yan Qi had already slowed down and handed him a pair of binoculars. “Xu Ge, use this.”

While taking the binoculars, Cheng Xu accidentally brushed against Yan Qi’s fingers, and he immediately recoiled as if electrocuted. He hurriedly raised the binoculars to search for the location of the Xi Er Tribe, trying hard to ignore the strange feelings that had just arisen in his heart. When he spotted an icy house through the binoculars, his tone couldn’t help but get a bit excited as he pointed in that direction. “That’s it!”

“Okay.” Yan Qi adjusted the direction again. A few minutes later, he suddenly said, “It seems there’s an area down there with traces of being artificially enclosed.”

Cheng Xu replied, “That’s the Mammoth Horse Protection Zone. After the hunting incident eighty years ago, the remaining mammoth horses were relocated nearby.” He added, “The mammoth horse is the guardian spirit of the Xi Er Tribe, so they don’t like outsiders living nearby.”

Yan Qi said, “Did Ma Liu get into conflict with them because of the mammoth horses?”

Cheng Xu frowned. “I don’t know. If that’s the case, it could be a bit troublesome.”