TCPUAAV Chapter 27

 

Ruan Shiqing and 09 returned home.

 

09 had retracted its mechanical arms, and after putting on its clothes, it was once again just an ordinary golden little robot. Carrying the code box in one hand and the energy bomb in the other, it couldn’t help but bounce around in excitement. “Sir, you’re incredible! I’ve never seen anyone more impressive than you. When we left, I detected Marlin’s blood pressure skyrocketing—he must have been fuming because of you!”

 

Ruan Shiqing found this amusing. 09’s previous memory storage had been wiped, and after he repaired it and brought it back, the little robot had only interacted with a handful of people. Naturally, it thought he was amazing. In reality, however, this world had plenty of exceptional individuals—like the creators of the manuscripts he’d seen in Metis’ “Golden Hall.” Those people were true masters, and Ruan Shiqing knew he still had much to learn.

 

But he didn’t argue with the little robot. It was only out of fondness for him that 09 showed such blind favoritism. Smiling, he replied, “And 09 was amazing today too—easily the most remarkable robot I’ve ever seen.”

 

The little robot paused mid-dance, its display light blinking rapidly, and even its walking turned clumsy. After a long moment, it shyly responded, “It’s because you’re incredible, sir.” That’s why it had been transformed into something so impressive.

 

It adored its owner.

 

As soon as they got home, they were met with an enthusiastic welcome.

 

The little dragon cub shot toward Ruan Shiqing like a cannonball, crashing into his leg and clinging to it. Its tiny wings fluttered as it huffed and puffed, saying, “Daddy, take me with you next time you work!”

 

All the cub knew was that Ruan Shiqing had gone out to work and 09 had gone along as a bodyguard.

 

Eyeing 09, who had no claws, no sharp teeth, and couldn’t even breathe fire, the little dragon declared with confidence, “I’ll protect you!”

 

Ruan Shiqing, now quite experienced at handling cubs, crouched down to pat its head and said, “Next time, for sure.”

 

Delighted, the little dragon let out a tiny spark.

 

Not as quick as the dragon cub, Nota trailed after Ruan Shiqing, trying to stay close. Hearing the exchange, she glanced at the chubby little dragon and scoffed. “I’m better at fighting. I can protect Daddy too!”

 

When she called him “Daddy,” she felt a twinge of guilt and a bit of shyness, her ears twitching atop her head. She’d heard Heli call him that, so she did the same.

 

“Of course you’re amazing, Nota,” Ruan Shiqing assured her, scooping her up and setting her on his arm. “But you won’t need to fight anymore. Daddy can protect you both.”

 

Nota’s silver eyes widened in disbelief. Realizing what had just happened, she happily wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling into the crook of it affectionately.

 

Now she had a Daddy too, one who would protect her.

 

“!!!”

 

Unwilling to be outdone, the little dragon scrambled up Ruan Shiqing’s pants and onto his shoulder, wrapping its short claws around his neck.

 

It wanted to be hugged too!

 

As they spoke, they arrived at the pool.

 

The little mermaid, unable to greet him at the door like the other cubs, poked his head out of the water, watching anxiously.

 

Ruan Shiqing gently tucked the stray hair falling over the mermaid’s eyes behind his ear. “Your hair’s grown longer again, hasn’t it?”

 

The little mermaid nodded eagerly. His hair, which had been trimmed to chin-length earlier, now fell past his shoulders.

 

“Ah!” The little mermaid grasped Ruan Shiqing’s hand, shaking it coyly, then gathered his shoulder-length hair with one hand, mimicking the motion of tying it up.

 

“You want me to tie it up for you?” Ruan Shiqing asked uncertainly.

 

The little mermaid nodded, cheeks flushed.

 

“Alright, I’ll tie it up for you later,” Ruan Shiqing promised, patting the mermaid’s head. He set the two cubs down on the lounge chairs by the pool and headed upstairs to change.

 

At the staircase, he finally encountered the tardy dog cub.

 

Scooping it up into his arms, Ruan Shiqing tousled its fur. “Why are you getting lazier lately?”

 

Previously, Snowball would always greet him enthusiastically when he returned. Now, it often took ages for the dog cub to make an appearance.

 

He mused aloud, analyzing the situation. “Are you jealous, Snowball? Do you feel like Daddy’s been ignoring you?”

 

Rong Heng: ???

 

What are you talking about?

 

The crown prince stared silently, locking eyes with Ruan Shiqing.

 

Convinced he’d hit the mark, Ruan Shiqing ruffled its head. “Alright then, Daddy will spend the whole day with you, okay?”

 

Not okay. I have things to do.

 

Rong Heng tried to wriggle free, but Ruan Shiqing, determined to “make it up” to him, held him tightly and even carried him into the bedroom.

 

Facing the closed bedroom door, the crown prince finally gave up struggling.

 

Fine.

 

With three days until his meeting with Marlin, Ruan Shiqing wasn’t in a hurry. He calmly focused on his current tasks.

 

First, he searched the holographic network for information about the merfolk, hoping to learn how they styled their hair.

 

Being single, he had no experience with such “advanced” skills.

 

Unlike his previous searches on dragons, the results for the merfolk were a visual feast, free of sensationalized tabloid nonsense.

 

The merfolk were often described as “the spirits of the sea.”

 

These stunning beings, regardless of gender, all boasted thick, seaweed-like hair adorned with intricate and dazzling ornaments. Any one of them could easily walk a runway.

 

This, it seemed, was a cherished tradition.

 

Every treasured young merfolk, upon coming of age, would receive gifts from their elders—ornaments lovingly passed down as a rite of passage.

 

On their coming-of-age day, the number of ornaments a merfolk received symbolized how loved and valued they were.

 

Closing the search, Ruan Shiqing lovingly patted the little mermaid’s head.

 

Other children had them, and his would too.

 

Ruan Shiqing decided to close his shop for the day to buy some ornaments for the little mermaid. With limited funds, he could only afford something simple for now. But in the future, he’d buy better ones.

 

He resolved to collect them gradually, so that when the little mermaid’s coming-of-age day arrived, even if it was just the two of them, the child would have a trove of beautiful ornaments and wouldn’t feel lacking compared to others.

 

The little mermaid, oblivious to Ruan Shiqing’s thoughts, was already thrilled at the promise of a simple hair tie.

 

After Ruan Shiqing left, Rong Heng seized the opportunity to follow, heading straight for the South District, where his contact awaited.

 

Mo Li felt like he was about to turn into a mushroom¹That means he felt like he’s been waiting for so long that moss and other fungi has been growing on him from all the waiting.

 

Just as he was idly passing time, His Highness finally reappeared.

 

Mo Li eagerly approached him. “Your Highness, are we preparing to leave?”

 

Life on Planet B3024 was dreadfully dull—less exciting than fighting the Zergs on the front lines.

 

“I have tasks for you,” Rong Heng replied.

 

Hearing the word “tasks,” Mo Li perked up immediately. “What’s the mission?”

 

“There are two.”

 

“First, kill Marlin, the boss of the Northern District, and take his place,” Rong Heng said. He sized Mo Li up, noting that his build was similar to Marlin’s, and nodded in satisfaction. “You brought the disguise capsules, didn’t you?”

 

“Yes, I have them,” Mo Li replied, then hesitated. “But Your Highness, weren’t we planning to leave Planet B3024 soon?”

 

“Not yet,” Rong Heng said. “Once you replace Marlin, you’ll need to negotiate a deal with Ruan Shiqing.” Pausing, he added, “Ruan Shiqing is aligned with our faction, but I haven’t revealed my identity to him yet. So, while posing as Marlin, don’t give yourself away. Your only task is to establish a friendly cooperation.”

 

And who exactly was this Ruan Shiqing?

 

Mo Li, baffled, nonetheless agreed. “I’ll get it done.”

 

“The second task,” Rong Heng continued, “is to contact the Yanji logistics division and have Dares open a secret route from Yanji to Planet B3024. The route must accommodate large transport ships.”

 

Mo Li’s confusion deepened. “But Planet B3024 is so barren. Aside from scrap metal, what could possibly require transport ships?”

 

Rong Heng didn’t explain. Instead, he smiled. “Once you’ve killed Marlin, you’ll understand.”

 

After giving his orders, he left promptly, leaving Mo Li to ponder the situation.

 

Despite racking his brain, Mo Li couldn’t figure out what His Highness was planning.

 

But during their time on the front lines, they had always followed Rong Heng’s commands, charging into battle without a single defeat. Trusting in His Highness’s leadership, Mo Li stopped overthinking, grabbed his gear, and headed straight for the Fragrance Tower Estate.

 

Inside the estate, Marlin had just finished having his fit of rage.

 

His subordinates, fearful of further outbursts, kept their distance. Alone, Marlin sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, sipping wine as he gazed at the nearby junkyard.

 

The Fragrance Tower Estate and the junkyard were polar opposites.

 

With his power, Marlin could have built his estate in the inner city. But when choosing the location, he had deliberately picked the chaotic outer city and specifically chosen a site with a clear view of the junkyard.

 

Whenever he felt upset, sitting here and looking out at the desolate junkyard gave him a twisted sense of satisfaction and a surge of power, as if the entire planet was under his control.

 

Today was no different.

 

After finishing a glass of wine, Marlin felt his irritation ease slightly. He was just about to call a meeting with his subordinates when he suddenly felt the cold barrel of a laser gun press against his temple.

 

“Who?” Marlin froze, trying to catch a glimpse of the assailant’s reflection in the window.

 

But Mo Li gave him no chance. The next moment, he pulled the trigger.

 

The laser pierced Marlin’s temple, killing him instantly.

 

Efficiently disposing of Marlin, Mo Li stripped off the man’s clothes and put them on himself. He then dressed Marlin’s body in his own outfit before taking out two disguise capsules and placing one on each of them.

 

He became Marlin, and Marlin became… something else. What it was didn’t matter as long as it wasn’t himself.

 

After collecting Marlin’s iris, fingerprint, and genetic data, Mo Li dragged the corpse out of the room, walking confidently.

 

The subordinates outside were shocked to see him hauling a body. “Sir?”

 

Mo Li, imitating Marlin’s voice, snapped, “A bunch of useless fools, letting an assassin sneak in without noticing!”

 

He tossed the body to them. “Dump it in the junkyard and get rid of it.”

 

The subordinates hurriedly complied, not daring to ask questions.

 

Rong Heng arrived home before Ruan Shiqing, and just as he settled in, Ruan Shiqing walked through the door carrying several shopping bags, looking triumphant.

 

To blend in, the crown prince pretended to have just woken up, padding downstairs and making his presence known before sprawling on a lounge chair.

 

Surrounded by the cubs, Ruan Shiqing shook the bags in his hands. “Don’t worry, everyone has a gift.”

 

During his trip, he not only bought hair ties and ornaments for the little mermaid but also new clothes and toys for the cubs.

 

As he pulled out each item, the cubs watched with wide-eyed excitement.

 

Ruan Shiqing divided the gifts into four portions: the little dragon received a fire-breathing toy dinosaur, the little fox got a new dress, and the little mermaid received hair ties and accessories.

 

As for the crown prince, he got a red-laser ball that rolled around the floor on its own.

 

Rong Heng: ???

 

What is this nonsense?

 

Watching his reaction, Ruan Shiqing thought, The vendor said no animal could resist this laser ball. Why isn’t the dog cub reacting?

 

He picked up the ball and waved it in front of Rong Heng. Thinking it might need sound, he activated the ball’s noises, which mimicked various animals.

 

Rong Heng: …?

 

With a single paw, he swatted the ball away, shot Ruan Shiqing a glare, and buried his head in his belly.

 

Boring. Idiotic. Not worth my attention.

 

Ruan Shiqing: …

 

It seemed the toy was indeed a failure.

 

Unexpectedly, the little dragon, eyeing the rolling ball, couldn’t resist and pounced on it after a few hesitant kicks.

 

The fire-breathing dinosaur lay abandoned on the floor.

 

Ruan Shiqing: ???

 

So it wasn’t his choice of toys that was wrong—it was the recipient.

 

Thankfully, the other two cubs were delighted. Nota quickly changed into her new dress, her ears standing tall, and her ten fluffy tails swishing as she spun in a circle for Ruan Shiqing.

 

She had never worn a dress before—let alone new clothes. During her time as a stray, she’d only worn discarded garments, and when those were too tattered, she reverted to her beast form.

 

Clutching the hem of her dress nervously, she looked up at Ruan Shiqing.

 

“Nota looks beautiful,” Ruan Shiqing said, smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress.

 

The dress was specially chosen in a Beastkin style, with ample space below the waist for her tails to remain exposed—both stylish and comfortable.

 

Hearing his praise, Nota’s ears twitched, and her movements became more reserved.

 

She was no longer an unwanted stray. Now, she was a beautiful, cherished little fox.

 

The little mermaid, watching from the side, chimed in with a soft “Ah” and used water to form a small daisy, offering it to her.

 

This was a skill he had mastered with practice. Though he couldn’t speak, he could express his emotions through gestures like this.

 

Gracefully, the little fox accepted the daisy.

 

Ruan Shiqing smiled and wrapped the little mermaid in a towel, carrying him to a lounge chair shared with the dog cub. “Now it’s your turn.”

 

Taking out the comb he’d just bought, Ruan Shiqing carefully began brushing the little mermaid’s hair smooth.

 

Ruan Shiqing followed the video tutorial he had seen online, clumsily tying the little mermaid’s hair.

 

The merfolk, known for their beauty, were popular on the holographic network. Some more amiable merfolk even shared tips for styling their intricate braids.

 

However, these were still advanced techniques for Ruan Shiqing. He managed only the simplest style—a basic braid.

 

Taking locks of hair from each side, he braided them and secured them at the back with a golden ribbon.

 

After examining his work, he picked a few small, golden spherical clips from the pile of accessories and clipped them onto the braids. Each clip was no larger than a fingernail and dotted the hair like tiny stars scattered across the night sky.

 

The little mermaid checked its reflection in the pool, its eyes curving into joyful crescents.

 

From the side, Rong Heng peeked into the bag of colorful accessories and let out a disdainful snort.

 

Typical merfolk—such a fussy species. Even artificial ones were no exception.

 

No wonder they stayed cooped up on Sijialan. If leaving the house involved spending half the day just styling hair, it made perfect sense.

 

The crown prince turned his face away in disdain.

 

Three days later, the deadline arrived, and Shen Wuzhuo came to visit again.

 

At the time, Ruan Shiqing was teaching Xiong Fangfang and Xiong Yuanyuan how to repair simple components like heat dissipation valves. Seeing Shen Wuzhuo, he instructed the brothers to continue their work, changed out of his overalls, and raised a brow. “Has Mr. Marlin made his decision?”

 

Shen Wuzhuo didn’t answer immediately. He glanced at the Xiong brothers, who were focused on their work, with a thoughtful expression. “You’re willing to teach them, huh?”

 

Though not an expert, Shen Wuzhuo could tell that Ruan Shiqing was genuinely teaching them useful skills. Unlike some other repair shops that charged apprentices money but only had them do menial tasks without imparting real knowledge.

 

“Teaching them makes my work easier,” Ruan Shiqing said with a smile. “If our collaboration succeeds, I’ll need more time for designing weapons.”

 

Balancing both tasks was too draining and unnecessary. Training the Xiong brothers would allow him to leave the shop’s operations to them while he focused on learning, improving, and developing weapons.

 

“Not many people are as generous as you,” Shen Wuzhuo remarked before getting to the point. “Marlin agreed to your terms.”

 

Ruan Shiqing waited for him to elaborate, but when Shen Wuzhuo said nothing more, he asked, puzzled, “That’s it?”

 

He had anticipated that Marlin would agree but didn’t expect him to concede so readily. He had thought Marlin might attach additional conditions, unwilling to let the matter rest so easily.

 

After all, Marlin wasn’t known for his magnanimity. Just as Ruan Shiqing distrusted Marlin, Marlin likely distrusted him. Collaborating with Marlin was always intended as a temporary measure.

 

But now, he was genuinely curious—had he misjudged Marlin?

 

Shen Wuzhuo hesitated before saying, “Lately, Marlin seems to be in a good mood and is unusually agreeable.”

 

Ruan Shiqing understood the implication: even Shen Wuzhuo couldn’t decipher what Marlin was plotting.

 

“Are we signing the contract now?” Ruan Shiqing asked.

 

“Yes,” Shen Wuzhuo replied. “Marlin specifically sent me to fetch you. The contract is ready, and if there are no issues, we can sign it and start production immediately.”

 

Ruan Shiqing gave some instructions to 09 and followed Shen Wuzhuo to the Fragrance Tower Estate.

 

Just as Shen Wuzhuo said, Marlin was already waiting.

 

When he saw Ruan Shiqing, Marlin strode forward enthusiastically, shaking his hand. “Mr. Ruan, you’re finally here!”

 

Ruan Shiqing: ???

 

What’s with Marlin? Did he take the wrong medication?

 

He awkwardly pulled his hand free. “Let me see the contract first.”

 

Marlin gestured for someone to hand over the document.

 

Scanning it quickly, Ruan Shiqing was surprised—it was entirely fair, with no issues at all.

 

Marlin seemed like a changed man.

 

While this was unexpected, it wasn’t a bad thing for Ruan Shiqing. Whatever Marlin’s intentions, the situation was currently in his favor.

 

He picked up the pen to sign but paused. “One more thing. As you know, I urgently need funds. I’ll require a deposit of one million star coins.”

 

Mo Li, disguised as Marlin, almost blurted out, You can have as much as you want—just sign the contract so we can start producing those energy guns and ship them to Yanji!

 

After thoroughly investigating Marlin and learning about the deal, Mo Li had been so excited he hadn’t slept for two nights.

 

If not for wanting to avoid suspicion, he would have dragged Ruan Shiqing over two days ago and forced him to sign the contract.

 

Discovering that the energy guns were as powerful as laser guns but cost only a fifth to produce, Mo Li immediately contacted Yanji and intercepted a significant weapons order.

 

No one understood the significance of the energy guns better than soldiers like them, fighting the Zergs on the front lines.

 

For example, the intercepted order had been for 3,000 new laser guns, priced at 24 million star coins.

 

With that amount, they could instead purchase 15,000 energy guns at cost price.

 

Three thousand versus fifteen thousand—the numbers weren’t even in the same league.

 

More weapons would mean greater efficiency in eliminating the Zerg threat and significantly reduced casualties.

 

By establishing their own weapons production line, Yanji would no longer be dependent on outside suppliers and could even sell surplus energy guns for a hefty profit.

 

Ruan Shiqing was undoubtedly a walking gold mine.

 

Mo Li’s eyes glowed green²With greed, basically as he stared at Ruan Shiqing, marveling at how the crown prince had managed to find such a treasure.

 

After Mo Li had informed Yanji, Colonel Dares had wanted to personally visit B3024. If not for the combined efforts of other colonels stopping him, he’d already be on his way.

 

Forcing himself to appear hesitant, Mo Li finally nodded. “Alright, but the deposit will be deducted from your future earnings, and you’ll need to hand over the designs as soon as possible.”

 

“That’s fair,” Ruan Shiqing agreed. He then added, “There’s one more personal matter I’d like your help with.”

 

“Let’s hear it first,” Mo Li said, doing his best to stay in character.

 

“I want to know the identity of the buyer who purchased the nine-tailed fox cub at the subterranean auction. That shouldn’t be difficult for you, right?”

 

The little fox was still hiding to avoid detection by the auction house and the buyer.

 

But that was not a long-term solution. It was better to take the initiative and eliminate the threat once and for all.

 

 

 

---

 

Rong Rong kills me when he tries to be all dignified and cold but still ends up succumbing to Ruan Ruan’s wishes lmao, but of course, it’s not because he wants to!

 

Thanks for reading!

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

• 1
  That means he felt like he’s been waiting for so long that moss and other fungi has been growing on him
• 2
  With greed, basically