TCPUAAV Chapter 5

 

The spacecraft hull was semicircular, white inside and out. Aside from minor damage and severe wear to the exterior paint, it was in relatively good condition overall.

 

The Xiong brothers worked together to overturn the hull, placing it on the ground upside down. It became a simple yet functional shelter.

 

Ruan Shiqing walked around his new home, inspecting it. He was fairly satisfied. Though crude, it was at least a place to call home.

 

“This will do for now,” Ruan Shiqing said, handing the brothers 200 star coins. He added seriously, “In the future, if you find anything useful, bring it to me first. If others won’t buy it, I’ll take it.”

 

“Then we won’t hold back,” Xiong Fangfang replied, scratching his head sheepishly as he accepted the coins. He added, “We found another spacecraft hull while searching. Can we set it up next to yours? If you ever need help, feel free to ask us,” he paused, realizing how clingy this sounded, and quickly waved his hands. “You don’t need to pay us for help—we’re friends.”

 

Ruan Shiqing smiled and agreed heartily before waving them off and stepping into the hull.

 

The interior of the hull was about ten square meters—compact, but sufficient for now. Ruan Shiqing planned to start with a bed, a table, two chairs, and possibly a shelf for storing items in the future.

 

Of course, he didn’t have money to buy these things, so he would have to scavenge materials and make them himself.

 

Looking out through a window at the vast junkyard, Ruan Shiqing mentally mapped out his plan and decided not to rush. He sat down, pulled the little pup from his coat, and opened two tubes of nutritional supplements to share with him.

 

The supplements didn’t taste good but were very filling. Ruan Shiqing quickly finished his portion, only to notice that the little pup hadn’t moved. He was clutching the supplement tube with both paws, the cap bearing faint bite marks.

 

Ruan Shiqing chuckled. “Sorry, I forgot to open it for you.” Holding back his laughter, he unscrewed the cap and held it to the pup’s mouth.

 

Rong Heng: …

 

Don’t think I didn’t notice you laughing just now.

 

Annoyed, Rong Heng bit down on the tube, tilted it upright, and gulped the supplement down in one go.

 

The poor taste didn’t bother him; it was familiar. When stationed on the front lines, he had relied on nutritional supplements for convenience, so he was already accustomed to them.

 

Seeing him obediently finish, Ruan Shiqing couldn’t help but comment on how easy he was to care for. He wiped the residue from the pup’s mouth with a gentle hand.

 

Instinctively, Rong Heng flicked out his tongue, licking the pad of Ruan Shiqing’s finger. The warmth and dampness lasted only a moment, but it startled them both.

 

Ruan Shiqing didn’t think much of it and simply laughed, ruffling the pup’s head. “Good boy. Now, it’s time to treat your wound.”

 

Rong Heng, however, froze in place, his paws stiff as his fur-covered ears turned red[mfn]No idea how furry ears can turn red but oh well…?[/mfn].

 

In his entire life, he had never licked anyone before.

 

For an inherently proud Ymir like him, the animalistic instincts within his body were a source of embarrassment. Such intimate actions, like licking, were reserved only for those they were closest to and cared about the most. It was both a way of expressing affection and marking someone as their own.

 

Sneaking a glance at the boy carefully applying ointment to his wounds, Rong Heng let out a soft snort. You got lucky.

 

Ruan Shiqing, unaware of any deeper meaning, focused entirely on dressing the pup’s injury. The wound on his abdomen was large and hadn’t fully scabbed over. Although Ruan Shiqing had already cleaned it once, there was still some minor oozing. He gritted his teeth, suppressed his heartache, and meticulously cleaned the wound again. Then, he carefully applied the ointment and re-bandaged it.

 

When he finally finished, he exhaled deeply, feeling a sense of relief. Supporting the pup’s head with one hand, he gently tapped his abdomen with a fingertip. “Does it still hurt?”

 

Though he asked, he knew the pup couldn’t answer. Whether it hurt or not, he couldn’t say.

 

Feeling sorry for him, Ruan Shiqing blew softly on the wound and said in a comforting tone, “The seller said this ointment is very effective for external injuries. It’ll definitely stop hurting in a few days.”

 

Fool. That guy lied to you.

 

Rong Heng’s ears twitched. Rolling over abruptly, he tucked his vulnerable belly out of sight.

 

And it doesn’t hurt.

 

As the crown prince of the empire, stationed on the front lines, it was his duty to fight for the empire’s glory and its people. He had long since stopped complaining about pain.

 

Curling up on Ruan Shiqing’s lap, the pup rested his head on his paws and began to doze off.

 

Ruan Shiqing gently stroked his fur, keeping his movements light. Only when he heard soft snores did he carefully lift the pup and place him in a small nest made from a folded coat.

 

Lying on his back with his arms as a pillow, Ruan Shiqing gazed through the skylight at the distant sky, planning his next steps.

 

With the little robot, language was no longer a barrier. The most pressing task now was to find a buyer for the engine and drive as soon as possible. With money in hand, he could move to a better environment and get a doctor to treat the pup’s injuries.

 

As he pondered, a commotion erupted outside.

 

Alert, Ruan Shiqing moved to the doorway to take a look.

 

Meanwhile, in the small nest, the drowsy Rong Heng lifted his head, his expression cautious. After listening to the noise outside, he lazily flopped back down, his weariness evident.

 

Ruan Shiqing picked up the little pup, secured him snugly in his coat, and prepared to head outside. Something significant seemed to be happening, and he needed to check it out.

 

Taking the little robot along, he stepped out and immediately ran into the Xiong brothers.

 

“It seems Honick and Marlin are fighting. Everyone in the northern district is rushing to support the boss,” Xiong Yuanyuan explained, still in disbelief. “Why’d they start fighting all of a sudden?”

 

Ruan Shiqing, concealing his involvement, maintained a composed expression. “Let’s go take a look too.”

 

Most of the northern district residents were already armed with makeshift weapons, heading toward the battlefield in high spirits. Ruan Shiqing and the brothers followed the crowd, grabbing a stick to blend in.

 

When they arrived, it became clear that there was no room to intervene.

 

Honick and Marlin were already locked in combat, starting with hand-to-hand brawling before both transformed into their beast forms for a more ferocious fight.

 

The Arda eagle dove from the skies in a deadly assault, while the black mamba rose fearlessly, coiling and striking with bared fangs.

 

Standing at the edge of the crowd, Ruan Shiqing could still feel the intimidating force of their clash.

 

Before, the descriptions of Honick’s strength had been vague to him, but now, witnessing the brutal battlefield firsthand, he truly understood the gap between himself and someone like Honick. It was as if a primitive human, armed only with bare fists, faced off against a prehistoric beast.

 

Under such pressure, Ruan Shiqing’s body tensed instinctively, his eyes fixed on the fight as his mind raced. He was already devising ways to use the resources at hand to create weapons strong enough to counter Honick.

 

Bare fists couldn’t defeat prehistoric beasts, but what about firearms?

 

As an outstanding researcher and top-ten engineer at his institute, Ruan Shiqing’s mind held blueprints for enough advanced weaponry to arm an entire military force.

 

While he was lost in thought, the fight between Honick and Marlin reached its conclusion.

 

Marlin’s wing was paralyzed by the snake’s venom, rendering him unable to fly. However, Honick had been brutally torn in half, his internal organs scattered across the ground. It was clear who had lost.

 

“I told you I’d kill you one day,” Marlin sneered as he approached. Plunging his hand into Honick’s chest, he stirred it around before savoring the blood on his fingers.

 

Behind him, the northern district residents erupted in cheers, jeering loudly at the defeated southern district faction.

 

Realizing Honick was dead, the southern district residents sullenly carried his body away.

 

Ruan Shiqing exhaled quietly in relief, but he couldn’t truly relax.

 

This chaotic world was filled with undocumented people, and the population was incredibly diverse. Here, strength was the only authority, and conflicts were a way of life. If he didn’t become stronger soon, it wouldn’t just be Honick—he’d face endless others like “Zhang Nick” and “Zhao Nick[mfn]They’re not specifically people or characters in this novel, it’s just a way to mention many people that keep you in a repeated situation[/mfn].”…

 

Rong Heng, uninterested in the scuffle, initially ignored the commotion outside. Such battles were trivial to him.

 

But Ruan Shiqing’s accelerated heartbeat and tense body caught his attention. He peeked out curiously, only to find nothing particularly frightening.

 

Perplexed, he looked up at the thin, fragile boy. Noticing that Ruan Shiqing’s lips had gone pale, he frowned.

 

???

 

Wasn’t he bold before? Why is he scared now?

 

Rong Heng snorted softly. He intended to settle back into his nest, but before he did, he instinctively nudged against Ruan Shiqing’s collar with his nose, leaving behind the faint scent unique to Ymir.

 

Realizing what he had done, Rong Heng quickly buried his head beneath his paws, pretending nothing had happened. After a moment, he couldn’t resist peeking out to check on the boy.

 

That should stop him from being scared now. Hmph, coward.

 

Ruan Shiqing, warmed by the pup’s silent comfort, couldn’t help but pinch the little one’s trembling ears with affection.

 

Thank goodness, in this strange world, I still have this soft little companion by my side.

 

On the way back, Ruan Shiqing discussed selling the engine with the Xiong brothers, asking them to help him find a reliable buyer.

 

Returning to his shelter, he shut himself in and began an intensive session of learning the interstellar common language with the little robot. Gifted in languages and with an excellent memory, he quickly picked up the essentials. After three sleepless days and nights of practice, he could converse fluently in daily situations.

 

At this point, the Xiong brothers returned with good news: there would be a free auction at the Subterranean Market in two days.

 

The auction was anonymous, requiring all participants to wear masks and cloaks to conceal their identities. Both buyers and sellers paid a small fee to receive a standardized black box, ensuring complete anonymity for the items being traded. This setup maximized safety for everyone involved.

 

The auction wasn’t limited to predetermined items. Participants could pay a commission to auction their own goods as well.

 

For Ruan Shiqing, this auction was a godsend. He immediately arranged to meet the brothers two days later, so they could retrieve the hidden engine and drive before the auction.

 

With the plan in place, Ruan Shiqing felt much lighter. He then asked the brothers where he could buy books.

 

Xiong Fangfang was confused. “What kind of books?”

 

“Something on physics or chemistry?” Ruan Shiqing suggested hesitantly.

 

The brothers’ blank expressions grew even more perplexed. Finally, he added, “I want to understand the current technological level—any related books will do.”

 

Xiong Yuanyuan scratched his ear, baffled. “Who buys books like that? No one on B3024 reads that stuff, and I’ve never seen it for sale.”

 

After all, even repairing spacecraft here was passed down verbally.

 

Xiong Fangfang offered, “The inner city might have some—they’ve got schools there. But we can’t get in.”

 

Ruan Shiqing felt a twinge of disappointment but didn’t dwell on it. If books weren’t available, he’d learn by observing and asking questions. With so many repair shops nearby, watching them work for a day would surely teach him something.

 

He shifted the conversation to other topics, but the pup in his coat twitched his ears.

 

Books, huh? Tsk, he didn’t even think to ask me and went to those clueless fools instead.

 

 

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I think my brain melted from cuteness because of how Rong Rong is acting HE’S SO CUTE AND A LIL BIT (lot) TSUNDERE ;______;

 

Thanks for reading!