From star abyss

"Yes, Xingyuan is fair. Facing competition, a race like ours that is backward, conservative, and stuck in its ways will be eliminated sooner or later."

Bailong lowered his head and looked at the reflection in the cup:

"But these are my compatriots."

"I know we are backward, weak, pedantic, and there is still a lot of internal discrimination, but..."

She looked at the diners in the restaurant around her. People were bustling and noisy.

"This is our race. We speak the same language. Our ancestors rest here, and young people shed their blood here. Even if we are destined to be destroyed... I really can't bear to leave."

"Which race and civilization would have the heart to watch everything they own being destroyed, ravaged, and humiliated by losing power and humiliating the country?"

She said, looking at the other tables in the restaurant:

"The trolls over there, their empire used to be extremely glorious, and people regarded the troll's fangs as beautiful, but now they are reduced to reminiscing about the past at the wine table."

"The banquet table in the center. I just heard that a respected old dragon died. I didn't want everyone to be too sad in the future, so I made a will and used her inheritance to hold a banquet for the neighbors so that she could be safe before she returned to the underworld. Seeing everyone’s smiles.”

"There are also the young men and women at the table next to the piano, the Ursine Dragonborn and the Argonian. They seem to be participating in a blind date for the first time. They are extremely clumsy. The Ursine Dragonborn is holding a speech and has finished introducing his conditions. The Argonian The girl lowered her head and used communication technology to communicate with her best friend to let her check..."

She spoke very carefully and observed the details very well:

"These things are actually nothing special, but if we lose them, all this will be gone."

"I am actually not as delicate and passionate as ordinary dragons, but even so, I feel that even if it is not for the so-called grand narrative, but just for the food, rice, oil and salt in front of me, I still have to fight."

It can be heard that she really rarely communicates with others, especially the opposite sex.

It could be said that by saying so much, she was trying very hard to prove to Li Aozi that she was very good at communicating and did not want to admit defeat in front of him.

As for what she said so much, does it make sense?

It doesn't make sense, but the act of saying these things has meaning in itself.

"……I see."

Li Ozi took a sip of his drink.

“And that—huh?”

Bailong looked at Li Ozi in surprise.

"I understand what you are thinking. I'm sorry. I didn't take your feelings into consideration. I took it upon myself to make my own decisions. I felt that I had seen the future. It seemed like a great thing. In fact, I may not be the only one in this world. It can be foreseen.”

Li Ozi said sincerely:

"I'm too arrogant."

"No, I said this suddenly, I..."

Bai Long was at a loss, but Li Ozi had already spoken:

"Now converted to human age, I am about forty years old, just past the standard line of middle-aged people, so I sometimes sound old-fashioned, sorry."

"Huh?" White Dragon Girl was a little confused: "Oh."

"It's your turn."

"Me? Do I want to say it?"

Bailong intertwined his fingers for a while, thought about it, and finally said:

"I am now 409 years old, which is about 22 years old in human terms."

"No wonder I feel like a college student."

"I'm just not good at interpersonal communication. If I were to learn magic and fight, I would be almost 300 years old!"

"That's not it," Li Ozi almost couldn't hold back: "A nerd..."

"...Whatever you say."

Bailong crossed his arms, leaned back on the chair, and sighed:

"Why should I be so fussy and discuss various abstract issues with a stranger who is sharing a table? It's just crazy. I should focus on magic and combat skills..."

"Is it possible that you think this way because you have been squeezing your body to a high degree for a long time, and the excessive stress has caused mental problems?"

Li Ozi commented:

"It seems that the mental state of contemporary college students is worrying. In my era, papers were copied casually and passed. Undergraduate courses were completed without perfect attendance."

Bailong shook his head:

"No, my spirit is very strong, even death is something I'm used to."

"Then, you need to take a rest."

Li Ozi put his hands behind his head, leaned on the chair, and fully relaxed:

"I used to work and fight day and night. During the most difficult period, I didn't take a break for almost thirty years. Everywhere I looked was enemies. My weapons had been cut and curled, so I just grabbed a severed hand and rushed forward. And what did I get? - Captain promotion, salary increase, military pay, my sword was repaired, that's all."

"I don't think it has anything to do with hard work. It's because your boss is so shameful."

Bailong sighed:

"However, I have experienced similar things, and I am not qualified to correct you... The food hasn't been served yet, so I have to finish it quickly. I have to engrave runes when I get back, and I still have tasks in the evening."

They made a tacit agreement not to ask each other about their professions, which may have been one of the reasons for the smooth conversation between the two.

"You've worked really hard." Li Ozi said, "Everything I see in you is my shadow."

"You're boring enough." Bailong retorted, "I don't want to be like you when I get old."

After saying this, the two stopped tit-for-tat, as if they had reached some kind of non-aggression treaty.

Bailong took out a professional-level math problem from his bag and began to solve it quickly.

Li Ozi looked at her serious calculations and did not disturb her. After a while, he stood up and found the bar: "Boss, can you help me prepare a drink?"

The boss touched the dragon's beard, patted his big belly and assured:

"Of course you can. Our bartender is a Dragonborn mixed with Honey Dragon. Just tell me what you want."

"That's good."

Li Ozi smiled slightly:

"Cornstarch sugar, carbonated water, caramel, phosphoric acid, caffeine...and best of all, ice."

Snap.

The pencil lead shattered, and the white dragon girl sighed, popped out the ice blade from her fingertips, and started cutting skillfully.

His thoughts were too chaotic. For a strong man of his level, he shouldn't be unable to control this kind of power well.

My state has been getting worse and worse recently, maybe it's really because I'm under too much pressure.

But time is running out, and I must seize every minute and every second.

"Please use your plate slowly."

The waiter served a simple and exquisite cold meat dish. This kind of quick-cooled food was more in line with Bailong's eating habits.

"Thanks."

Bailong dropped a few crowns as a tip and pushed through the exercises.

It's better to eat something and replenish your strength. The weather is too hot, which is not the best time for you.

"Add some cold food to calm your mind."

When she was about to reach for the food, a cup of brown-black drink with a reddish sheen fell in front of her.

"Um?"

She raised her head and saw Li Ozi sitting down with a cup of such a drink. Seeing her looking at her, Li Ozi immediately let go of the straw and said:

"Don't rush to eat yet. Are you allergic to coffee? If not, how about trying this?"

"I."

She shook her head:

"I haven't had a drink..."

"Try it." Li Ozi encouraged, "You might be the first one in this star abyss to drink this kind of drink."

Bailong frowned and looked at the strange liquid in front of him. It was neither brown nor black, and it was still bubbling and bubbling.

"I added ice."

Li Ozi said:

"Although it is above the extremely high clouds, for Bailong, the weather on Long Island is quite hot. It just so happens that this drink tastes best when it is drunk cold."

Bailong glanced at him, then pinched the straw and took a small sip.

Gulu...

The feeling in the mouth is a stimulating feeling, a large number of bubbles burst rapidly in the mouth, and the teeth seem to have been slightly corroded by acidic substances. If it is an ordinary person, it will definitely feel a bit weird. The taste of this drink is very strange.

But for the Dragon Clan...

Snapped.

Bailong took out the straw, threw it away, picked up the glass, and drank.

Gulu gulu - boom!

She wiped her mouth, smashed the cup on the table, and looked directly at Li Ozi:

"What's this?"

"A carbonated drink that is very popular in other universes."

Li Ozi said with a smile:

"I see that since you are so busy, you hardly have time to rest. I also want to taste this thing, so I told the owner of the restaurant to make such a drink. The carbonic acid can provide dense bubbles. The crackling texture, the caramel for color and flavor, the caffeine to relieve fatigue, and the sugar to replenish your energy. I think this is the best thing for you.”

Seeing that the other party was silent, he asked:

"Okay?"

Bai Long looked at Li Ozi and said:

"It's a little strange when you enter it, because it's very strange and completely unfamiliar, but then it's refreshing, then sweet, and then there's a slight astringency at the end. After a while, I can feel the wonderful taste."

She reached out and touched her chest, as if she was still savoring the taste just now.

"I don't know what this drink is, but, I like it."

She asked Li Ozi:

"This feels like a novel (Note ①). What's its name?"

"Cola."

Li Ozi:

"Meaning: permission to be happy."

Note ①: The plot of "How Steel Was Tempered" is used. The Russian novel Роман borrows the word Roman.

Specifically, in the third chapter of the first part of the original work, Tonya met Paul with the novel given by Victor and fell in love with him.

Afterwards, Victor asked if he had finished the novel, but Tonya left the novel by the lake and replied to Victor: "I have fallen in love with another novel, which is much more interesting than yours."

"Who is the author?"

"anonymous."