The Edge of the Star Field

Market

The crisp and leisurely sound of the clock echoed throughout the spaceship.

This was the clock chiming to announce the time, ringing six times, indicating that it was already 6 a.m.

On the spaceship, everything came to life at this moment, gradually becoming more lively and bustling. Lin Fan turned his body, opened his eyes, sat up from the sofa, stretched his arms, and yawned widely.

As a young man full of energy, even though he had slept late the night before, after standing up and moving around a bit, all fatigue seemed to dissipate, and he felt invigorated, as if he had an inexhaustible reserve of strength.

After a simple wash, he squeezed toothpaste onto a toothbrush and filled a cup with water. Lin Fan then pushed open the room door and stepped into the corridor outside.

This was the 72nd floor of the spaceship, with no sky above, only a ceiling over 3 meters high. Long tube lights were uniformly embedded in the ceiling, illuminating the spaceship corridors.

In space, there is no distinction between day and night. For the residents on the spaceship, when the long lights above were on, it was daytime; when they were off, it meant nighttime.

Lin Fan looked up at the overhead lights and walked straight ahead along the corridor.

On both sides of the corridor, rooms were closely arranged, and now, people were gradually emerging from their rooms.

"Morning, Xiao Fan!."

"Good morning, Aunt Chen!"

"Xiao Fan, come to my house when you have time and help my kid with his studies!"

"Hello, Uncle Wang. I'll definitely come after I finish this busy period!"

...

On the way, Lin Fan greeted his neighbors. Since his parents went missing, these neighbors had taken care of him and his sister, so he felt a deep sense of gratitude towards them.

After several turns in the corridor, Lin Fan arrived at a relatively spacious area with eighteen elevators.

The "Noah's Ark" spaceship, carrying the hopes of all humanity, floated like a city in space. Besides providing a comfortable living area called the "Living Quarters" for humans, the spaceship was divided into various specialized zones to meet different needs and purposes.

Starting from the bottom of the spaceship and going up 300 floors, it was all "Living Quarters."

"The Research Zone" was an important area for scientific research and technological development on the spaceship. Advanced laboratories, computer systems, and research teams conducted various simulated experiments and explorations here.

The "Ecological Zone" simulated natural environments on the spaceship, including planting, hydroponics, and breeding areas. This zone provided fresh food, oxygen, and other essential life supplies. Through a precise circulation system and biological maintenance facilities, the spaceship could sustain a complex and stable ecosystem.

The "Energy Zone" was the core of the entire spaceship, covered by powerful solar panels on the outer walls, absorbing and converting light energy into electricity to meet the energy needs of various areas inside the spaceship.

The "Factory Zone" was the manufacturing and maintenance center of the spaceship, equipped with advanced facilities and technology for production and repair tasks, playing a crucial role for both the spaceship's internal needs and the exploration and development of the external world.

...

To prevent congestion and accidents, elevators to each zone were separated and located at different positions on various levels of the spaceship.

Moreover, authorization was required to travel from the "Living Quarters" to the "Energy Zone" or "Ecological Zone."

At this moment, in front of Lin Fan, there were eighteen elevators leading to the "Material Supply Center," which encompassed levels 60-80, a total of 20 floors within the "Living Quarters."

Due to limited energy quotas, residents on the spaceship were not allowed to use fire in their homes, so they had to eat at the "Material Supply Center."

For individuals, dining at the "Material Supply Center" incurred higher costs than cooking at home, and the taste was not as good. However, considering the scarcity of energy, the government enforced unified catering to reduce energy consumption.

After waiting for a while, Lin Fan entered the left elevator, pressing the button for the 80th floor.

Since many people were still asleep and had not yet awakened, the elevator went up smoothly without any stops.

"Ding."

A clear notification sound rang, the elevator slightly shook, and Lin Fan exited. He turned right and walked toward the open space ahead.

There were no doors in front, allowing a clear view inside.

The space was divided into two parts. One section was the "Activity Center," supplying goods produced from the "Factory Zone" like fabrics, toothpaste, towels, and more. The other section provided various cooked dishes and served as the dining area, commonly known as the "Canteen."

At this moment, steam rose inside the canteen, and the aroma wafted out. A few scattered individuals stood in front of the windows, placing orders.

Lin Fan walked in, stood behind the person in front, and began to queue.

As there weren't many people in the canteen, he quickly reached the front of the line. Lin Fan proficiently began placing his order.

"Two small steamed buns."

"Two bowls of plain congee."

"One serving of pickled vegetables."

After ordering these items, Lin Fan had already spent 11 contribution points: 6 points for two bowls of plain congee, 4 points for two small steamed buns, and 1 point for a serving of pickled vegetables.

Taking the packed food from the canteen lady, Lin Fan thanked her and was about to turn and leave. However, he stopped and hesitated, looking from left to right at the window.

"Give me two more boiled eggs, thank you."

The canteen lady, dressed in a white uniform, picked up a ladle, skillfully scooped up two boiled eggs, packed them, and handed them to Lin Fan.

"12 points," the canteen lady proficiently pressed the required contribution value on the machine.

Lin Fan took the eggs, took out his identity card, swiped it on the machine, thanked her, and held the purchased food in his hands, quickly walking towards the elevator.

...

"Click!" Lin Fan opened the door with the handle.

"Big brother, you're back?" A crisp voice came out.

"Yeah." Lin Fan closed the door, placed the food on the dining table, walked to the room's entrance, and knocked on the door. "Hurry up, wash up, and have breakfast before going to school!"

"Okay."

Lin Xiaomin promptly agreed, and soon footsteps sounded as Lin Xiaomin walked out barefoot from the room.

"Quick, brush your teeth!" Lin Fan smiled, brought a chair and placed it in front of the washstand.

"Thank you, big brother!" Lin Xiaomin sweetly smiled, stood on the chair, took the toothbrush and water cup from the washstand, and earnestly brushed her teeth.

Lin Fan stood behind her, took a comb, and carefully and gently combed Lin Xiaomin's hair. He skillfully organized every strand, making them smooth and shiny. Finally, he skillfully tied them into a ponytail.