The Gamer who traveled to Honkai: Star Rail

Mingxi, although still baffled by how Pei Guang and Stelle could conjure food like it was some sort of magic trick, recognised an opportunity when she saw one.

The Aurum Alley Merchant Guild's debt was no longer an issue—but how to rebuild its former glory? That was a tougher question. Sure, she was confident in her skills, but confidence didn't automatically attract attention or foot traffic.

With Pei Guang and Stelle's popularity, plus the hype around their food battle, this was exactly the kind of publicity Aurum Alley needed.

And the best part? Their rivalry wouldn't hurt local businesses at all.

Pei Guang's fried chicken, while delicious, was just one of many street food options in Aurum Alley. It wouldn't overshadow other vendors.

As for Stelle's dish? Galactic Fried Rice wasn't even available in Xianzhou. Sure, people who'd traveled beyond the stars might've tried it before, but for most folks in Luofu—many of whom had never even left their home region—it was an exotic, novel treat.

Rather than competing with existing businesses, Stelle's dish sparked even more interest. In fact, some shop owners even joined the fun, treating the showdown as free entertainment.

The ripple effect was undeniable. The bustling crowd around Pei Guang and Stelle's stalls spilled over to nearby vendors. After all, fried chicken's great—but it goes even better with a cold drink or a side of snacks.

People figured, "Hey, since I'm already here, I might as well explore Aurum Alley."

And if they stumbled upon something interesting but couldn't carry it home? No problem. The Aurum Alley docks handled shipping to any region—or even other worlds.

As more and more visitors discovered how fast and reliable Aurum Alley's shipping services were, a new cycle began to form.

Business was booming.

Inside Oldies Depot, Lianyan sat across from the Aurumaton head of the Aurum Alley Merchant Guild, her face lit with excitement as she reported, "Those Trailblazers are truly remarkable. Heron Express's logistics have been optimized, and the efficiency of dock shipments has improved significantly. 

The merchants who were worried about low traffic and struggling to stay afloat? Well, thanks to these Trailblazers stirring things up, Aurum Alley has become a trending hotspot across several Luofu platforms. Even the Interastral Peace Corporation has picked it up! Lots of people are planning trips to Aurum Alley now."

Hearing Lianyan's report, the president of the Aurum Alley Merchant Guild—the Aurumaton head—fell silent for a moment before responding, "This prosperity is only temporary. Keep observing. Gaining popularity isn't difficult; the real challenge is sustaining it."

The president genuinely cared for Aurum Alley, but as a machine, it also considered what was best for the alley's future. As a mechanical being, it understood that nothing in the world remained unchanged. Still, if possible, it hoped Aurum Alley could remain the familiar place it had always known.

Sure, it was a machine—but even machines could be "warmed up" after centuries of bustling life around them. The title of president didn't particularly interest it, but compared to corporate suits, it placed more faith in Pei Guang.

That trust wasn't just based on Pei Guang's impact in Aurum Alley. No, it was solidified the moment it heard the advertisement he had played—because the voice in that ad was unmistakably… General Jing Yuan's.

Aurum Alley: Once upon a time, the High-Cloud Quintet drank together here, dreaming about the future, even singing songs in this very spot. Though Jing Yuan's voice had been altered, whether by coincidence or intention, he'd used the same tone he'd sung with back then.

Time marched on, and Jing Yuan's old friends were gone. But as the one managing this place, the president still remembered those days clearly—not just Jing Yuan and his companions, but everything that had ever happened in Aurum Alley.

Now, as the Merchant Guild's president, it was curious to see just how much traffic Pei Guang and his companions could really bring.

It turned to Lianyan. "Take me there. I want to see for myself what they're turning this place into."

Lianyan's expression, initially composed, grew serious upon hearing that. "President, are you sure? What those two Trailblazers are doing… might not be good for you."

After all, their president was essentially a mechanical brain. As a human, Lianyan could mentally brace herself for the madness Pei Guang brought. But for a machine? She was genuinely worried that their president's system might overheat.

The Aurumaton head replied calmly, "It's fine. My systems were overhauled after the last data disruption. External stimuli won't affect me. I'm simply curious about the Trailblazers."

Lianyan sighed. "Alright. But, president, please promise me—don't run too many processes at once. Those two have… rather unconventional ways of thinking. Their food stalls are, let's just say, unique. They even decorated their stalls with Aurumaton heads exactly like yours."

She was practically spelling it out. Forget everything else—just the sight of Pei Guang's stall, surrounded by a ring of Aurumaton heads, among all the other heads, was enough to give their president a full-on system crash. If he happened to witness Pei Guang's "cooking methods" firsthand, she'd probably have to replace his entire data storage unit.

The president didn't respond verbally, but the faint glow of the talisman etched on its metallic surface confirmed that it had received and processed her words. As a machine, it figured it'd be fine—as long as it didn't run too many calculations at once…

And so, under Lianyan's guidance, the president made its way toward Aurum Alley, heading straight for the bustling stalls where Pei Guang and Stelle were having their culinary showdown.

At this point, the stalls nearby were packed with people—some there just for the spectacle, others lining up to buy food. The Aurumaton President and Lianyan even spotted a few big names in the crowd: secretaries from the Sky-Faring Commission and the Divine Foresight Agency, master artisans from the Artisanship Commission… Good grief, how had this place gotten so crowded in such a short time?

Interestingly, none of these people seemed in a hurry to get in line. Most stood a bit farther back, purely to watch the commotion. As for Qingque from the Divination Commission—whether she was here on official business or just slacking off for some entertainment—only she knew for sure.

Judging by how engrossed she looked, though, it was pretty obvious she was here on an extended "break."

Watching this scene, the Aurumaton President couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic. The last time Aurum Alley had been this lively was decades ago. Seeing more and more people gathering, it did a quick calculation: if this momentum could be maintained with proper management, Aurum Alley could easily enjoy another century of prosperity.

As the president of its Merchant Guild, it found that result acceptable.

Seeing how much trust people placed in the Trailblazers, it felt another wave of reflection. Initially, it had considered leveraging its own influence to boost public trust in the Trailblazers. 

But now? Clearly unnecessary.

At this point, anyone on the Luofu who knew even a fraction of what the Trailblazers had accomplished—whether out of genuine gratitude or ulterior motives—was trying to get in their good graces.

Even as a mechanical being, the president could recognize just how tempting Pei Guang's anti-Mara medication was. For the people of the Xianzhou, that temptation must have been irresistible.

However, just as it was processing these thoughts, feeling rather optimistic about Aurum Alley's future, it suddenly realized—it had been carried right in front of Pei Guang and Stelle's food stalls.

And standing there, as the president of Aurum Alley, it experienced something new: an emotion it could only describe as its "expression freezing."

It saw Pei Guang's stall, surrounded by a neat arrangement of decorative "artifacts" that perfectly embodied the spirit of Aurum Alley—Abominations of Abundance and Aurumatons heads. Anyone familiar with the alley's culture would've praised Pei Guang for nailing the local aesthetic.

Except… those Aurumaton heads looked suspiciously familiar. In fact, they were identical to its head.

Technically speaking, it was like Pei Guang had used the president's own head as a decorative prop.

Fantastic.

Then there was Stelle's stall. If Pei Guang's decorations were unsettling, Stelle had taken it a step further—her stall featured Aurumaton heads modeled after every type found across the Luofu.

The president's processors strained as it shifted its attention to their cooking methods, hoping for some normalcy.

Fat mistake.

Pei Guang casually tossed random ingredients into a pot. He'd throw in a chicken drumstick, and somehow, an entire roasted chicken would come out. Toss in chicken wings? Out popped more drumsticks. Throw in… a chicken's backside? Voilà—perfectly cooked chicken wings.

Was this magic? A cooking glitch?

"I can't watch this anymore," the president thought, diverting its gaze toward Stelle's side.

Bad idea.

Stelle's method wasn't any better. She'd slap a pile of ingredients onto the cutting board, wave her hands dramatically, and—poof—a cloud of smoke would rise. Out of the smoke flew rolling pins, ladles, chopsticks, and other utensils, zipping around as if they had minds of their own. A few seconds later? A perfectly plated dish.

"My head feels… itchy," the president thought.

Which was accurate.

Because from Lianyan's perspective, her beloved president's head was literally starting to smoke. Not figuratively—actual, physical smoke was seeping from the circuits.

Lianyan shrieked, "President!!!"