TCPUAAV Chapter 23

 

 

At the edge of the junkyard, a sizable heap of metal debris exploded into fragments under the energy blaster gun’s impact. Superheated by the blast, the metal began melting into molten droplets, hissing as they hit the ground and releasing wisps of white smoke.

 

The two Beastkin, who had been forced to confront the weapon’s power up close, were paralyzed with fear, collapsed on the ground. Running wasn’t an option—they couldn’t even stand.

 

The onlookers were equally stunned.

 

While firearms weren’t unheard of in the chaotic outer city, advanced weapons like this were typically monopolized by the elite. These tools were used to maintain control and were entirely inaccessible to ordinary people.

 

Most conflicts were settled with bare fists. Using even a basic melee weapon was considered unsportsmanlike.

 

But now, this seemingly insignificant ancient human wielded a weapon of such destructive power.

 

Someone gulped and quietly asked those nearby, “What did Endor and Carl do to provoke him?”

 

A person who had heard rumors whispered, “Didn’t someone say earlier that they heard a dragon cub roaring in the city? The sound came from his house.” They nodded toward Ruan Shiqing. “Endor and his gang were checking it out.”

 

Ruan Shiqing’s repair shop was located on a bustling street, so the dragon cub’s earlier roaring hadn’t gone unnoticed. While others hesitated or took a cautious approach, Endor and Carl had been quick to act.

 

These two strong Beastkin had caused plenty of trouble in the outer city. While people knew their character was bad, they typically avoided direct confrontation because the pair were careful in selecting targets and rarely met their match. As such, the residents turned a blind eye to their misdeeds.

 

Some had even considered letting Endor and Carl test the waters, planning to swoop in later like opportunistic predators.

 

After all, while Ruan Shiqing seemed weak, his wealth and ability to establish himself in the outer city suggested otherwise. Anyone with a functioning brain wouldn’t underestimate him.

 

And they were right to be cautious.

 

Whether or not there was a dragon cub in that house, it was now clear it wasn’t something they should covet. None of them wanted to risk ending up with a smoking hole in their chest.

 

The gun’s power was shocking, and no one wanted to test its capabilities firsthand.

 

“Let’s go,” Ruan Shiqing said, scanning the crowd before nodding to the Xiong brothers. Ignoring the two petrified Beastkin, he headed back home.

 

As he walked, the crowd parted like a tide, silently clearing a path for him.

 

Ruan Shiqing wasn’t surprised by this abrupt change in attitude. Carrying the energy blaster gun, he walked steadily into his home, closing the door behind him and hanging the Closed sign on it.

 

Inside, Xiong Yuanyuan, who had been holding back, finally exclaimed, “That gun is insanely powerful!”

 

He had known they were helping to make a weapon but hadn’t realized it would be so devastating. Watching the crowd react like quails had left him nearly as excited as 09.

 

“It was just for intimidation,” Ruan Shiqing said, his tense body finally relaxing. He frowned, glancing at his blistered hand. “I knew I was rushing things.”

 

The energy blaster gun was indeed powerful, but being hastily assembled, it had several flaws.

 

For instance, when he pulled the trigger, the gun’s high temperature nearly burned his hand. Additionally, the gun’s internal components had been damaged by the extreme heat, making it incapable of firing a third shot.

 

Xiong Yuanyuan sighed in disappointment.

 

Xiong Fangfang noticed the blisters on Ruan Shiqing’s hand and reminded him, “You need to treat that quickly.”

 

As soon as he spoke, 09 rushed over with medicine and disinfectant, his voice filled with worry. “Sir, I’ll treat your wound!”

 

“Thank you,” Ruan Shiqing said, holding out his hand. When he looked up, he saw three little heads peeking out from a second-floor window—neatly lined up, not one missing.

 

Waving with his uninjured hand, he called out, “You can come down now.”

 

Before going outside, he had instructed 09 to take the cubs upstairs to avoid frightening them. They had obediently stayed put, not coming down without permission.

 

Now, with his consent, Rong Heng and the dragon cub hurried downstairs, while the little mermaid anxiously clung to the windowsill, letting out distressed “Ah, ah!” sounds. Eventually, Xiong Yuanyuan went upstairs to carry him down.

 

The three cubs gathered around Ruan Shiqing, clustering close to him.

 

Meanwhile, 09 carefully drained the blister fluid and disinfected the wound, applying medication with utmost care.

 

The dragon cub, too short to see, stood on tiptoe and clung to Ruan Shiqing’s knee, puffing up in indignation. “Who did this?!”

 

He looked ready to avenge Ruan Shiqing on the spot.

 

“It was my own carelessness. Just a small injury,” Ruan Shiqing said, tapping the dragon cub’s forehead and ruffling the mermaid’s hair.

 

The little mermaid couldn’t speak but gazed at him with worry, his delicate fingers tightly gripping Ruan Shiqing’s sleeve.

 

“See? It’s nothing serious,” Ruan Shiqing reassured them, showing off 09’s handiwork. “The medicine will make it better by tomorrow.”

 

Only then did the two younger cubs nod, though they still blew gently on his hand, as if to help it heal faster.

 

Rong Heng rolled his eyes at their antics but reluctantly nudged his head under Ruan Shiqing’s free hand.

 

Fine, you can pet me.

 

Ruan Shiqing chuckled and obliged, his mood brightened by the gesture.

 

Although the night had been eventful, the outcome was satisfactory. It was unlikely anyone would dare provoke him again in the near future.

 

After tending to his wound, Ruan Shiqing decided to hire the Xiong brothers as permanent assistants at the shop. Once he had settled the cubs, he took Xiong Fangfang to the underground market to procure more materials.

 

The first energy blaster gun had its flaws, but it had inspired new ideas. Ruan Shiqing was determined to perfect both the energy blaster and the defense shield as soon as possible.

 

*

Xiong Yuanyuan and the robot 09 stayed home to guard the house and look after the cubs.

 

09 was busy scanning and categorizing design blueprints, while Xiong Yuanyuan, under Ruan Shiqing’s guidance, continued molding components.

 

The damaged energy blaster gun lay on the workbench, untouched and forgotten.

 

Rong Heng, seizing the moment when no one was watching, leapt onto the workbench and closely inspected the peculiar firearm. He had witnessed its destructive power earlier from the second-floor window when Ruan Shiqing used it to assert dominance at the junkyard.

 

This so-called “energy blaster gun” was unlike any weapon he had ever seen.

 

In the Galactic Empire, the mainstream firearm was the K-35 Laser Gun, which emitted laser beams for precise, high-speed attacks with great flexibility. However, its single, major flaw was its exorbitant cost, which significantly slowed the military’s ability to upgrade their arsenals.

 

Take his own Fourth Legion, for example. They were still using third-generation K-35s produced five years ago. Meanwhile, the newest ninth-generation K-35s were only available to a few well-funded legions. Most troops had to make do with outdated models, which were not only less powerful but also plagued by age-related issues.

 

This problem of outdated military equipment was a hot topic at every annual military conference.

 

But Ruan Shiqing’s energy blaster gun was a game-changer.

 

While it lacked precision, it compensated with its wide area of impact and devastatingly high-temperature particle beams. Its destructive power wasn’t just effective against machinery—it was a nightmare for insectoid enemies like Zergs, capable of burning through them with ease.

 

In terms of power, it was on par with the laser gun.

 

Most importantly, the energy blaster gun was incredibly cheap to produce—costing only a tenth of a laser gun.

 

A tenfold price difference for nearly equivalent firepower.

 

Moreover, the precision issue was negligible against the enormous frames of the Zerg species.

 

Rong Heng could already foresee the immense benefits of introducing the energy blaster gun into the military.

 

The boy’s ingenuity had far exceeded his expectations. Were it not for the current circumstances, Rong Heng would have whisked him away to a secure location on Yanji to develop his talents in peace.

 

The crown prince sighed, resting his head against the gun. He needed to find a way to establish a partnership with Ruan Shiqing soon.

 

Although the gun’s value hadn’t yet been discovered on this remote planet, it was only a matter of time before someone reported it to higher authorities.

 

Better to keep the treasure within trusted hands than let it slip away.

 

Unaware of the crown prince’s thoughts, Ruan Shiqing was busy shopping for materials.

 

He and Xiong Fangfang scoured the entire marketplace, leaving only after attracting curious and wary glances. News of the junkyard incident had spread, and many now knew that the ancient human running the repair shop wasn’t to be trifled with.

 

Ruan Shiqing had hoped to find the vendor who had sold him the fire crystal to inquire about the dragon cub’s origins. However, after searching the market, he couldn’t locate the person and decided to head home.

 

Back at the house, he tasked Xiong Fangfang and Xiong Yuanyuan with organizing the materials and preparing the simpler components. Ruan Shiqing himself returned to the drawing board to revise his blueprints.

 

When he reached the workbench, he found Rong Heng asleep on it, using the damaged energy blaster gun as a pillow.

 

“Cold and hard, yet he doesn’t find it uncomfortable…” Ruan Shiqing muttered, reaching to move the gun.

 

But the sleeping pup seemed to sense the disturbance and promptly rolled his body over it, pinning it down entirely.

 

???

 

What kind of new obsession was this?

 

Since the cub was sound asleep, Ruan Shiqing decided not to disturb him. Instead, he sat at another table to continue refining his designs.

 

Once immersed in his work, Ruan Shiqing lost track of time. It wasn’t until Luther arrived at the shop that he realized the preliminary elimination round of the hovercar race had already started.

 

He had promised to repaint Luther’s hovercar, but the unexpected arrival of the dragon cub and his subsequent focus on blueprints and tinkering had driven the task completely from his mind.

 

Luther had waited at home for as long as he could. Seeing his race slot approaching, he finally came to the shop, desperate.

 

“The quick-dry paint was prepared earlier; it’s the black color you requested,” Ruan Shiqing said, directing Luther to bring the hovercar inside. He also had 09 fetch the paint.

 

Changing into his work clothes, Ruan Shiqing asked, “Have you decided on a design?”

 

“No,” Luther admitted sheepishly, scratching his head. “I couldn’t think of a good symbol or even a name for the car. Could you come up with something for me?”

 

After a moment of thought, Ruan Shiqing suggested, “How about a Blue Star?”

 

As he began painting, he explained, “The Blue Star was the ancient humans’ home planet—their very first home.”

 

To ancient humans, the Blue Star was both a birthplace and a symbol of nostalgia.

 

For ancient humans, exiles longing for their homeland, the Blue Star represented a bond with their mother. No matter how noble the bloodlines of the four great races or how advanced the evolutionary adaptations of Bisians and evolved humans during the Great Migration, none carried the same depth of yearning for the mother planet as ancient humans did.

 

This blue star was once the ultimate destination for ancient humans seeking to return to their roots.

 

Luther froze for a moment, then hesitantly said, “But… I heard the Blue Star has long been a dead planet.”

 

Thousands of years ago, this beautiful planet had suffered catastrophic destruction, leaving behind only scars and desolation. The brilliant and glorious past of the ancient humans had fallen silent alongside the Blue Star.

 

“Extinguished stars can shine again,” Ruan Shiqing replied.

 

Working together with 09, he quickly applied the black base coat. Adjusting the deep blue quick-dry paint needed for the design, he half-joked, half-seriously added, “You and I are both children of the Blue Star. As long as we’re here, the Blue Star still shines.”

 

With that, he began painting the design on the hovercar’s body.

 

The deep blue quick-dry paint glimmered faintly against the black base, like starlight flickering in the dark void of space.

 

Ruan Shiqing’s steady hand guided the thick paintbrush effortlessly. Within half an hour, a radiant deep blue star adorned the hovercar’s chassis, occupying half its surface.

 

“What about naming it ‘Gaia¹Coincidently, in the raws, there’s the character of Asia in the ya of the name’?” he suggested. “Gaia, the mother of gods, was the goddess of the earth in ancient mythology. The Blue Star’s other name is Gaia.”

 

Luther could only nod repeatedly, overwhelmed by the awe-inspiring sight.

 

In the center of the Blue Star, Ruan Shiqing painted the name Gaia in elegant cursive letters.

 

With the final stroke, he tossed the brush into the bucket and declared, “Done.”

 

The once outdated and drab hovercar now gleamed like new.

 

The black body was enhanced by the layered blues of the vibrant star, while the silver cursive lettering around its center resembled an orbit, encircling the Blue Star with an air of romance and majesty.

 

Luther was stunned, unable to find the words to express his admiration.

 

“When you debut in the preliminaries, Gaia will definitely steal the spotlight.”

 

He had watched countless hovercar races, but no vehicle he’d seen had been as visually striking as Gaia. Even without a track record, its appearance alone would captivate the audience.

 

“I’ll drive it all the way to the finals,” Luther vowed.

 

Ruan Shiqing bumped fists with him. “I’ll be there to cheer you on.”

 

Luther grinned. “Drivers who make it to the finals get inner-circle tickets. I’ll give you one then.”

 

Both men laughed knowingly.

 

After seeing Luther off, Ruan Shiqing returned to his workshop and pulled out his revised blueprints. The stack of detailed designs was thick. He called out to the Xiong brothers and 09, “Time to get to work.”

 

It took five full days to complete the improved energy blaster gun and defense system.

 

09 and the Xiong brothers assembled parts and components according to Ruan Shiqing’s specifications, while Ruan Shiqing himself oversaw the process, handling the final assembly and testing.

 

Finally, only the last step remained.

 

Ruan Shiqing connected the defense system to the network. A transparent shield rose slowly, enveloping the entire house before disappearing again.

 

Inconspicuous corners housed disguised micro-cameras, capable of 360-degree surveillance with no blind spots. Mounted along the top of the walls were modified blaster cannons, adapted from the energy blaster gun. The cannons’ range extended up to a kilometer around the house.

 

The system’s control center was installed in Ruan Shiqing’s workshop. Normally operated by 09, it could be manually controlled by Ruan Shiqing in emergencies.

 

As he observed the entire house’s layout on the virtual screen, Ruan Shiqing exhaled deeply, feeling a measure of relief.

 

With the defense system in place, he now had some means of self-protection and didn’t have to worry about another intrusion like the one from Endor and Carl.

 

“Good work, everyone.”

 

Ruan Shiqing glanced at the exhausted Xiong brothers slumped in the workshop and the still-busy 09. “Take the day off today. We’ll resume normal operations tomorrow.”

 

The repair shop had been closed for several days due to the rush to finish the project.

 

Xiong Yuanyuan, groggy and focused on work, mumbled, “The blaster gun isn’t finished yet.”

 

“No rush. We can complete it later when there’s time.”

 

Five energy blaster guns had been completed in the rush. Two were equipped for 09, with one each for Ruan Shiqing and the Xiong brothers. That was sufficient for now.

 

Hearing this, the Xiong brothers helped each other up and returned to their rooms to rest. Since being formally hired, the two had moved into spare rooms on the first floor, which Ruan Shiqing had converted into their living quarters.

 

After instructing 09 to archive the blueprints and lock them in the safe, Ruan Shiqing stretched, grabbed a nutritional supplement, and headed upstairs to rest.

 

As he reached the landing, the dragon cub rocketed toward him like a cannonball, hugging his leg and rubbing against him. “Dad, can you play with Heli today?”

 

The three cubs had been well-behaved during his busy days, not disturbing him at all. Now that he was finally free, the dragon cub eagerly sought attention.

 

“I’ll have plenty of time to spend with you from now on,” Ruan Shiqing said. Letting the cub cling to his leg, he walked to the water bucket, lifted the little mermaid by the underarms, and weighed him. “Not bad. You’ve gained weight again.”

 

After checking his healing wounds and new tail scales, he praised, “Your scabs are falling off, and your tail scales are growing back nicely. Our Yuebai is getting more and more beautiful.”

 

The little mermaid blushed and smiled shyly. Remembering something, he tugged Ruan Shiqing’s hand, signaling him to open his palm.

 

Ruan Shiqing did so, waiting patiently.

 

The mermaid sank into the water, working on something with his back turned. After a while, he surfaced, carefully holding a small object, which he placed in Ruan Shiqing’s hand.

 

“Ah!” the mermaid chirped excitedly, his pale cheeks flushed with color.

 

Ruan Shiqing felt the cool sensation in his palm. As the mermaid’s delicate fingers moved aside, they revealed a small, crystal-clear ice star.

 

This was clearly a skillfully crafted creation, made by freezing water into the shape of a star.

 

Surprised and delighted, Ruan Shiqing said, “Amazing! I love it. Thank you.”

 

The dragon cub, perched on his shoulder, chimed in indignantly, “I taught him that!”

 

The little mermaid nodded, his blue eyes shimmering with pride. It had taken many failed attempts to perfect the small star.

 

“I’ll keep it safe,” Ruan Shiqing promised.

 

Sensing the star beginning to melt, he quickly called 09 to fetch a low-temperature crystal box and carefully placed the star inside.

 

Looking around, Ruan Shiqing entered the bedroom. “Let’s put it on the nightstand.”

 

The box, containing the little star, now had a place of honor beside the bed.

 

The mermaid, pleased with the recognition, blew bubbles happily in the water, his bright eyes peeking out.

 

Not wanting to be left out, the dragon cub declared, “Heli wants one too!”

 

He began splashing in the water, attempting to form an ice star. But after much effort, he managed only a crude ice ball that paled in comparison to the mermaid’s delicate creation.

 

Frustrated, he slapped the water and poked the mermaid, saying, “Teach me! I can’t do it!”

 

Patiently, the mermaid surfaced to demonstrate the technique again.

 

Watching the cubs play, Ruan Shiqing changed into his pajamas. Picking up the pup from the pillow, he held him close, preparing for a nap.

 

Rong Heng initially resisted but soon noticed a portable energy blaster gun inside the coat Ruan Shiqing had taken off.

 

His gaze fixed on the weapon.

 

Noticing his interest, Ruan Shiqing pulled the gun out and waved it in front of him. “You like this?”

 

The pup’s eyes brightened, and his tail wagged slightly.

 

That was answer enough.

 

Ruan Shiqing placed the gun on the pillow and patted his head. “No dragging it around. Nap with Dad.”

 

Rong Heng immediately pounced on the gun, forgetting to be offended by the term “Dad.”

 

If not for his current cub form, he’d have taken it downstairs to test its power right away.

 

After inspecting the gun thoroughly, the crown prince finally felt content.

 

Lying halfway on the gun, he glanced sideways at Ruan Shiqing.

 

Fine. For the sake of the gun, I’ll nap with you.

 

 

 

---

 

Akjdskjdskjdskjsdjs he’s such a tsundere!!!!

Also, the cubs are just so cute I can’t they’re killing me  o(≧▽≦)o

 

Thanks for reading!

For every three ko-fis, I will upload a bonus chapter~

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  Coincidently, in the raws, there’s the character of Asia in the ya of the name