TCPUAAV Chapter 3

 

The man spoke in the interstellar common language, which Ruan Shiqing naturally couldn’t understand.

 

However, from the man’s anxious expression, the increasing force of his gestures, and his frequent glances at the spaceship components, Ruan Shiqing could vaguely guess the man’s intentions. Even so, he shook his head and feigned ignorance, pretending not to understand.

 

“So, you’re from the ancient human race?” The man didn’t seem surprised. He gave Ruan Shiqing a once-over, noting his shabby clothing and haggard appearance, and muttered, “Can’t even understand the common tongue. Who knows where you escaped from this time…” Then, he gestured for Ruan Shiqing to wait and strode away.

 

The man headed to a crude tent at the edge of the junkyard, shouting a few sentences. Shortly afterward, he returned with a cylindrical robot.

 

The robot, painted gray, was about half as tall as a human and equipped with disc-shaped wheels for mobility. It followed the man as if it were intelligent.

 

When it approached Ruan Shiqing, two mechanical arms extended from its smooth cylindrical body. Its rounded top rotated to face Ruan Shiqing, and it greeted him politely, “Hello, sir.”

 

It was far more courteous than its owner.

 

More importantly, it spoke in fluent Mandarin.

 

Ruan Shiqing was taken aback and tentatively responded, “Hello.”

 

“Good, now that we have a translator, you can tell me where you found those parts in your hands,” the man’s words were translated in real-time by the robot.

 

As expected, he was interested in the components Ruan Shiqing had. Ruan Shiqing guessed that the crashed spaceship must have been valuable. Thinking about the carefully hidden drive and engine, he suppressed his excitement and adopted the demeanor of a naive and cautious street urchin. “I can show you the way, but if those things are valuable, you’ll have to share the profits with me.”

 

The man sneered, his expression turning menacing. “Forget about anything else. Show me the place, and I’ll give you 100 star coins as a guide fee.”

 

Ruan Shiqing appeared frightened by the man’s threatening look. After hesitating for a while, he bit his lip and nodded reluctantly. Then he curiously asked about the robot. “What’s this?”

 

Before the man could answer, the robot introduced itself: “My name is Alex, a Type IV life assistant robot produced by the Naxi Corporation. I’m proficient in 260 interstellar languages and skilled in various household tasks—”

 

The man cut it off with a laugh. “Interested in Alex? Someone like you could never afford it.”

 

“Is it expensive? I could save up and buy a cheaper one,” Ruan Shiqing replied earnestly while thinking to himself: I might not be able to afford it now, but once I sell the drive and engine, who’s to say I can’t?

 

“You’d probably need 500 years to save enough, if you even live that long,” the man said, his tone softening slightly as he saw Ruan Shiqing agree to lead him. He added, “However, if you visit the underground market of the Subterraneans, you might find a used translation robot for cheap.”

 

Of course, those would be outdated models, and there was no guarantee they’d have ancient human languages in their systems.

 

The man smirked cruelly but refrained from mentioning this. He simply motioned for Ruan Shiqing to lead the way.

 

Ruan Shiqing dutifully took the man to the crash site but stopped some distance away, pointing ahead. “It’s over there. I want to sell the parts I have, so I won’t go with you. Can you tell me how to get to the Subterranean market?”

 

His suggestion aligned with the man’s interests. Without needing to move closer, just one look confirmed that the wreck was indeed the Silver Falcon. His breath quickened with excitement, and he threw 100 star coins to Ruan Shiqing, gestured vaguely in the direction of the market, and rushed forward eagerly to examine the spacecraft.

 

Seizing this chance, Ruan Shiqing slipped away. He knew exactly what valuable parts remained on that craft.

 

As expected, about ten minutes later, the man jumped off the spacecraft in a fury. His slit pupils contracted, and the scales on his face rippled with an eerie snake-like chill. “Who took my drive and engine?” He scanned the surroundings angrily but found no trace of the guide boy. Frustrated, he kicked a nearby heap of junk and sent a message to his companions to dismantle whatever valuable parts remained on the ship.

 

But compared to the drive and engine, the remaining components were practically worthless.

 

The man cursed bitterly but had no choice but to swallow his rage and wait for reinforcements.

 

Meanwhile, Ruan Shiqing, pocketing the 100 star coins, cheerfully departed. These coins, slightly larger than Earth’s currency, gleamed silver and were engraved with intricate patterns on both sides. At first glance, they seemed to depict a majestic beast, but the familiar Arabic numerals in the center were the only parts he could understand.

 

“We’ve got money now.” Ruan Shiqing gleefully flaunted the coins before the puppy. “Papa’s going to buy you something delicious.”

 

“…” Rong Heng, unable to correct his misunderstanding, pushed the pitiful coin away with a paw.

 

The dignified crown prince had never seen a star coin of such small value. Surely, 100 must be the lowest denomination.

 

But Ruan Shiqing mistook the dog’s action as curiosity about the coin. Generously, he handed it over, saying seriously, “You can play with it for a while, but don’t lose it.”

 

Rong Heng: “…”

 

He stared at the coin for a while. Seeing it wobble precariously from the edge of the boy’s coat pocket, he hesitated before pulling it back with his paw and pressing it down.

 

If it got lost, the boy would surely cry.

 

The crown prince wasn’t entirely certain but decided to be cautious.

 

*

 

Ruan Shiqing was on his way to the Subterranean Market. The directions given by the snake-faced man were so vague that he got lost three times before finally finding a wooden signboard painted with a crude hammer and sickle—a marker for the market.

 

The sign pointed to a narrow staircase made of irregular stone blocks, overgrown with slippery moss from years of darkness. The stairs spiraled downward into shadowy depths with no end in sight.

 

After confirming he was in the right place, Ruan Shiqing let out a small sigh of relief and cautiously began his descent.

 

He had no idea how long the staircase went on, but after walking for what felt like ages, he finally glimpsed a faint glow. Picking up his pace, he turned a corner and saw a massive stone-carved archway. Beyond it was a brightly lit cavern, teeming with a variety of stalls and haggling customers.

 

The place was bustling with noise.

 

The people here varied greatly—some had animal ears, others sported tails, and some even bargained in their full animal forms. The goods displayed on the stalls were bizarre and eclectic. Although Ruan Shiqing’s worldview had long since been shattered, his heart still raced and his blood pressure spiked for a moment in the face of such a scene.

 

After calming himself slightly, Ruan Shiqing ventured into the cavern. Everyone was busy with their own affairs, paying no attention to the arrival of a newcomer.

 

Feigning familiarity, Ruan Shiqing wandered the market, secretly observing. Occasionally, vendors called out to him, but since their languages were incomprehensible, he avoided eye contact and walked on.

 

The cavern was vast, with countless stalls. Ruan Shiqing walked deeper in, hoping to find a robot similar to Alex. Unfortunately, after a long search, he saw nothing of the sort. Instead, a familiar voice caught his attention.

 

In an inconspicuous corner, a man sat cross-legged in front of a stall with very few items. He was cloaked in a brown robe, hiding his features, but his Mandarin stood out.

 

“Clearance sale! Last few items! Everything must go! Don’t miss this!” The man repeated the same lines like a machine, occasionally switching to an unintelligible language. Judging by the rhythm, it was likely the interstellar version of “clearance sale.”

 

Ruan Shiqing observed for a moment before approaching the stall.

 

The man looked up and asked in Mandarin, “What are you looking for, sir?”

 

Scanning the items on display, Ruan Shiqing casually asked, “Do you have any translation robots?”

 

He didn’t expect much, just using the question as an excuse to strike up a conversation and perhaps inquire where to find a cheap one. To his surprise, the man’s face lit up. “Yes, yes, I do!” He eagerly picked up a shabby little robot from the stall and started pitching it enthusiastically: “This is a Type IV life-assistant robot by Naxi Corporation. It knows 260 interstellar languages and is an absolute steal at just 998 star coins!”

 

Afraid Ruan Shiqing wouldn’t believe him, the vendor fiddled with the robot, which booted up shakily and greeted him in broken Mandarin: “G-good…day, s-sir. N-number 09…at y-your s-service.”

 

Ruan Shiqing: ???

 

Oh great, he’d stumbled upon a scammer.

 

With a deadpan expression, he said, “Don’t try to fool me. I’ve seen Naxi Type IV robots before. What you’re holding isn’t even close to a Type IV—it barely qualifies as a robot. I’ll give you 200 star coins, no more.” The pile of scrap looked so decrepit that if it weren’t for its occasional movements, one wouldn’t even realize it was a robot.

 

The vendor, realizing he’d met someone knowledgeable, gave an awkward laugh. “You seem like a good guy. If you’re serious about buying, I’ll lower it to 400. That’s my bottom line.”

 

“I only have 201. If you’re not selling, I’ll look elsewhere,” Ruan Shiqing said, pretending to leave. He was well-versed in bargaining tactics.

 

Sure enough, the vendor called him back. “201 is too little! I wouldn’t even break even. How about 230? Can we settle at 230?”

 

“Deal.” Ruan Shiqing turned back, picked up the shabby little robot, and inspected it. “It’s not broken, right?”

 

The robot was surprisingly adept at self-promotion, responding immediately, “N-not broken! I-I can speak 281…interstellar…languages.” Twenty-one more than the Type IV!

 

“This will do.”

 

After all, for just 230 star coins, Ruan Shiqing didn’t expect the robot to be in great condition. He didn’t need it for anything complex—just to act as a temporary translator until he learned the interstellar common language himself. Once he did, he wouldn’t need the robot anymore.

 

“Thank you for your patronage,” the vendor said, handing him a small bottle of machine oil. “This is a freebie. You’ll need to oil the robot’s joints regularly.”

 

Then he extended his hand, waiting for payment.

 

Ruan Shiqing calmly looked down at the dog. “Where’s the star coin I entrusted to you?”

 

“…” Rong Heng, expressionless, moved his paw aside.

 

His temporary owner was even poorer than he’d imagined.

 

Ruan Shiqing cheerfully ruffled Rong Heng’s furry head and handed the vendor 100 star coins. “Here’s a deposit. I’ll pay the balance after selling the parts I have.”

 

Vendor: ???

 

Ruan Shiqing took advantage of the moment when the vendor wasn’t paying attention, clutching the little robot and slipping into the crowd.

 

Along the way, he had already observed several stalls selling goods similar to the parts he had. Now, with the help of the little robot, he could finally inquire further.

 

Fortunately, the three components he had salvaged were in high demand and relatively new. After comparing prices across three vendors, Ruan Shiqing sold them to the second stall, earning 1,330 star coins.

 

After paying off the robot’s balance, he still had 1,200 coins left. He spent 400 of them on four tubes of nutritional supplements and two tubes of external wound ointment. Delighted, he carried the pup in his coat and left the market with a bounce in his step.

 

He failed to notice the two shadowy figures trailing him.

 

With the puppy snug inside his coat and the little robot in his arms, Ruan Shiqing walked with much lighter steps compared to when he had descended into the market. Even the shadows behind him seemed to mimic his cheerful pace.

 

The two brothers hiding in the darkness trailed him from a distance, whispering and quarreling as they turned a corner.

 

“Are we really going to do this? He looks even poorer than us.”

 

“I saw him sell spacecraft parts to Endo and buy nutritional and medicinal supplies. He’s got 800 star coins left in his pocket. It’s not much, but it’ll get us some nutrient liquid to last a few days.”

 

“But if we rob him, what will he do?”

 

That question brought both men to an uneasy silence. After a moment, the older brother said, “Then we’ll leave him the nutritional supplements and medicine. Worst case, we’ll repay him when we have the money.”

 

……

 

The hushed conversation in the shadows didn’t escape Rong Heng’s ears. He flicked them irritably and let out a low grunt of disapproval.

 

Life on this desolate junk planet was not only steeped in poverty but plagued by lawlessness.

 

As Rong Heng debated whether to alert the boy, he felt a hand ruffle the fur on his head. Looking up, he saw Ruan Shiqing pressed close to a wall, perfectly hidden in the shadows. The newly purchased rickety little robot was carefully placed by his feet, kept safe to avoid being damaged if a fight broke out.

 

After arranging everything, Ruan Shiqing lowered his eyes and gently patted Rong Heng’s head. In a hushed tone, he said, “Don’t be afraid, and don’t make a sound, okay?”

 

Judging from his actions, it seemed Ruan Shiqing wasn’t entirely without vigilance.

 

And he wasn’t short on courage either.

 

It appeared Rong Heng’s concern had been unwarranted.

 

The little dog snorted softly and lazily lay back down, watching as events unfolded.

 

 

 

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Our little Ruan Ruan isn’t as silly as he looks! Or maybe he’s just weak towards cute cubs lol~

 

Thanks for reading!