TCPUAAV Chapter 36

 

 

“Whoever set me up, I swear I’ll wring their neck the moment I get back to Sikkim!” Hector growled, his teeth grinding audibly.

 

“From the intel I’ve gathered, someone on Sijialan Star wants you dead,” Rong Heng said, studying him closely. “What secret of Sijialan Star’s do you know?”

 

“What secret could those fish possibly have—” Hector started, but suddenly froze mid-sentence. Something clicked in his mind, and his expression darkened. “Damn it! I knew those fishy bastards were up to no good!”

 

“So, you do know something about Sijialan Star,” Rong Heng said, raising an eyebrow.

 

Hector frowned, mulling it over, before ultimately shaking his head. “That was over a hundred years ago. I don’t want to bring up old dirt. It wasn’t even that big of a deal. It’s just that those water-breathers have tiny hearts and guilty consciences.”

 

He snorted derisively, then rubbed his face in frustration.

 

“When I get back to Sikkim and take care of business, I’ll make a trip to Sijialan Star to settle the score.”

 

“You still think you’re going back to Sikkim?” Rong Heng said, looking at him in disbelief. He couldn’t help but marvel at how thick-headed the dragon race could be. After laying it out so clearly, this blockheaded dragon still thought he could return to Sikkim.

 

Rong Heng patted the ship’s console. “This transport ship may look civilian-grade, but it’s actually part of the Schwarz Transportation Fleet. Where do you think you were being held? And why do you think this ship had clearance to travel freely to Sijialan Star?”

 

Hector froze.

 

Now that Rong Heng pointed it out, the dots began connecting in his mind. It seemed that not only was Rong Heng unable to return to Sikkim, but he himself wouldn’t be able to go back anytime soon either.

 

With a string of curses, Hector begrudgingly adjusted their course. “So, where are you two planning to go?”

 

“We haven’t decided yet,” Rong Heng said. “First, we need to find a safe location to store the weapons on this transport ship.”

 

Weapons?

 

Hector feigned ignorance. “Weapons? What weapons? There aren’t any weapons on this ship.”

 

Noah, who had been silent until now, spoke up calmly. “The cargo holds from Sublevel -1 to Level 2 are filled with the latest laser rifles.”

 

Hector: …

 

Damn it!

 

Still got exposed.

 

Dares gave him a sidelong glance and chuckled maliciously. “Sijialan Star must be loaded with cash.”

 

Hector shot him a death glare and slammed his fists on the console repeatedly, venting his frustration in a series of loud thuds.

 

“It’s no use smashing it. This transport ship will be scrapped soon anyway,” Rong Heng said, unfazed. He issued an order to Noah: “Prepare to dock with our warship.”

 

Hector watched the warship maneuvering into docking position with the transport ship. Realization finally dawned on him. “You… really came here to rescue me?”

 

As Noah directed the transport ship’s robots to quickly move the weapons from the cargo hold, Rong Heng leaned lazily against the docking corridor, raising an eyebrow. “We saved your life. You already owe me one favor. Now that you’re boarding my warship, we’ll need to add another to the tally.”

 

What the hell?

 

“Even the profiteers in the Galactic Empire aren’t as shameless as you,” Hector spat through gritted teeth.

 

Rong Heng accepted the insult with a smirk. “Thanks for the compliment. I never make a losing deal.”

 

“Well, my bank account’s been canceled anyway, so I don’t have money. But I do still have one life,” Hector muttered irritably, glaring at Rong Heng before brushing past him to step onto the docking corridor.

 

The three of them transferred to the warship, and once all the weapons had been moved aboard, Noah gave a new report: “Two individuals were captured on Sublevel -2. Based on their uniforms, they appear to be the captain and first officer. Should they be brought aboard?”

 

Rong Heng turned to Hector.

 

Without looking back, Hector said, “Do whatever you want. I don’t have any questions for them. Knowing who’s behind this is enough for me—I’m not interested in the details.”

 

“Then leave them on the transport ship,” Rong Heng ordered. “Initiate the self-destruct sequence.”

 

Noah acknowledged the command and began wrapping things up before activating the self-destruct system.

 

In the vast silence of space, the explosions couldn’t be heard. But through the ship’s windows, they could see the massive transport ship tearing apart in a series of brilliant fireballs, its shattered remnants glowing briefly before fading into the darkness.

 

Soon, all that would remain was debris.

 

Meanwhile, their warship accelerated away from the scene.

 

“Your Highness, where are we heading next? Should we return directly to Yanji?” Dares asked as he pulled up a star chart.

 

“No rush.” With the cache of weapons now in their possession, Rong Heng had a new plan in mind. “Noah, is there a habitable planet near B3024?”

 

After a brief search, Noah responded, “There’s an abandoned junk planet not far from B3024, less than 200 light-years away. It was abandoned years ago due to extreme cold weather conditions. Even artificial satellites couldn’t counteract the climate, so the energy company eventually gave up on it. The entire planet is now covered in thick layers of ice, and the temperatures are so low that no life can survive.”

 

“Then let’s go there,” Rong Heng decided, casting a glance at Hector. “Given the current situation, I can’t return to Yanji for the time being. I’ll need to find a temporary base of operations.”

 

Hector frowned in confusion. Why is he telling me this? What, does he want me to cry with him and bond over our shared misfortune?

 

Rong Heng continued, “The weapons we intercepted won’t be sent to Yanji either. They’ll be stored at this new base. But I need someone trustworthy to oversee the site.”

 

Hector, sensing where this was going, immediately tried to deflect. “You already have someone, don’t you?” He pointed at Dares, playing dumb.

 

Rong Heng didn’t reply. He simply stared at Hector with an unrelenting gaze and added, “You owe me two favors now.”

 

Damn it!

 

“Fine! I’ll watch the place for you! Happy now?!” Hector shouted in frustration.

 

Rong Heng smirked in satisfaction and had Dares lock in the coordinates for the junk planet. The warship surged forward at full speed.

 

*

 

It took them five days to reach the desolate junk planet. The barren, nameless world was blanketed in frost and snow, stretching out in an endless expanse of white.

 

After transferring control of the warship to Hector, Rong Heng said, “This place is yours now. I have something to take care of and will be leaving for a while.”

 

“Where the hell are you going?” Hector asked irritably.

 

“B3024,” Rong Heng replied curtly before heading to the hangar with Dares.

 

Hector watched his retreating figure, muttering curses under his breath, before slumping into the pilot’s seat in defeat.

 

He sprawled unceremoniously across the chair and pulled out the data terminal Rong Heng had given him. Entering a familiar communications code, he hesitated for a moment before deleting it one digit at a time.

 

“My estate must’ve gone to you, huh?” Hector muttered to the empty screen, a rare trace of vulnerability in his voice. After a long pause, he sighed and closed the terminal. “Forget it. You probably wouldn’t mourn for me anyway.”

 

Hell, they probably didn’t even bother attending his funeral.

 

*

 

Rong Heng and Dares piloted the Glory out of the warship’s hangar.

 

Dares frowned as they sped through the void of space. “Why aren’t we just taking the warship directly to B3024?”

 

Rong Heng, who was in the middle of dialing Mo Li’s communicator, glanced at him. “The unnamed planet near B3024 can serve as a transit base between Yanji and B3024. The extreme cold climate there is something only a thick-skinned dragon like Hector can handle. It’s the perfect place for him to scout out first.”

 

Of course, there was another, more personal reason: Hector was a dragon.

 

Rong Heng recalled that Ruan Shiqing had a dragon cub at home. He wasn’t sure if bringing Hector directly to B3024 would cause trouble for Ruan Shiqing.

 

The boy had already been deeply upset after Rong Heng left. If he were to lose the baby dragon as well, Rong Heng didn’t want to imagine how devastated he’d be.

 

Better to eliminate that possibility from the outset.

 

Naturally, this small gesture of thoughtfulness was something the crown prince would never share with his subordinates. It was enough that he knew.

 

As these thoughts passed through his mind, the communication link with Mo Li connected.

 

Rong Heng first asked about the production progress of the energy rifles before casually inquiring about Ruan Shiqing’s recent situation.

 

Mo Li, ever cautious, spoke carefully. “Since… uh, since you left—oh, I mean, since Snowball went missing, Mr. Ruan has been very upset. He searched for Snowball for a long time.”

 

Mo Li’s heart raced as he inadvertently revealed the crown prince’s escapade pretending to be a puppy.

 

“But recently, Mr. Ruan seems to have accepted Snowball’s disappearance. He’s stopped searching and has been focusing all his energy on designing weapons and taking care of the three little ones.” Mo Li nervously swallowed the latter half of his sentence: Don’t worry; he probably won’t recognize you.

 

Some things were better left unsaid. Knowing too much was dangerous.

 

Rong Heng simply hummed in response, informing Mo Li of his estimated arrival time before cutting the call.

 

He turned to look out the window.

 

The Glory was so fast that outside the porthole, there was only a vast, unchanging darkness—nothing could be seen.

 

Still, he stared into the void, lost in thought.

 

He’s already accepted it?

 

Rong Heng should have felt relieved. But for some reason, a faint sense of loss settled in his chest instead.

 

It was an insignificant feeling, barely noticeable, yet stubbornly rooted in his heart.

 

The Glory broke through the atmosphere of B3024, this time landing openly at the Fragrance Tower Manor instead of sneaking into the junkyard’s depths.

 

By the time they arrived, it was 5 a.m. Two symmetrical moons hung low on the horizon, about to set.

 

Rong Heng stepped onto the ground, his white military uniform pristine and his polished boots clicking against the stone. His gaze swept across the familiar surroundings, his expression unreadable.

 

B3024 seemed no different from when he had left.

 

*

 

Ruan Shiqing was woken up by the incessant beeping of his communicator.

 

Groggily opening his eyes, he fumbled for the device. When he saw the notification on the screen, he snapped awake in an instant.

 

Throwing on his coat, he got up and quietly slipped out of the bedroom.

 

In the living room, the mermaid cub lay peacefully at the bottom of the water tank, while the dragon cub and Nota were curled up together on a cushion, sleeping soundly.

 

Ruan Shiqing gently pulled a small blanket back over the two who had kicked it aside, then tiptoed downstairs.

 

He activated 09 and headed to his workspace.

 

“09, access B3024’s anti-reconnaissance system.”

 

As the designer of the system, Ruan Shiqing had left himself a backdoor. Using 09, he could discreetly access its data.

 

09 quickly found the archived footage from the time of the alert. “At 5:01 a.m., a shuttle with a cloaking device entered B3024’s atmosphere.”

 

“Could it be him?” Ruan Shiqing murmured, his voice low.

 

As if remembering something, he quickly activated the locator embedded in the Blue Star pendant. On the map, three blue dots—representing the little ones at home—were clustered together, while another dot blinked independently in the distance.

 

“It’s Snowball! The locator signal is active again!”

 

Ruan Shiqing shot to his feet, waves of emotion surging through him. But he forced himself to calm down. Zooming in on the map, he saw that Snowball’s location was at Fragrance Tower Manor.

 

His thoughts raced. Countless possibilities flashed through his mind, but he eventually steadied himself.

 

Instead of acting rashly, he sat in his workspace, staring at the blinking blue dot until dawn.

 

The next morning, Ruan Shiqing didn’t take the little ones to school as usual. Instead, he entrusted them to the Xiong brothers.

 

Once the Xiong brothers left with the children, Ruan Shiqing hid two energy rifles under his coat and headed for Fragrance Tower Manor.

 

His vehicle of choice was a hover bike he had recently salvaged and restored.

 

Pushing the hover bike to its maximum speed, he reached Fragrance Tower Manor in just ten minutes.

 

Using 09, he tracked the Blue Star pendant’s signal, which hadn’t moved since the night before. Snowball had to be inside the manor.

 

And the person who had taken Snowball… was likely there as well.

 

Ruan Shiqing touched the energy rifles at his waist, his expression calm as he entered the manor.

 

He was a frequent visitor to Fragrance Tower Manor, and everyone knew that the boss held him in high regard. It was normal for him to show up unannounced for business.

 

This time was no different. Ruan Shiqing made his way to the reception hall as usual.

 

But the reception hall wasn’t empty—it had another guest.

 

His eyes fell on the familiar white military uniform and silver hair. Ruan Shiqing’s gaze darkened slightly, but he masked his emotions as he entered the room.

 

Smiling at Mo Li, he said, “It seems I’ve come at a bad time. You’ve got company so early in the morning.”

 

As he spoke, he casually turned to size up the guest. When he saw the man’s face, he froze for a moment. “It’s you?”

 

The reunion was so sudden that Rong Heng was momentarily at a loss for how to react. He could only maintain a neutral expression, locking eyes with Ruan Shiqing.

 

Their gazes met briefly before Ruan Shiqing looked away, his tone light as he joked with Mo Li, “I didn’t know you had military friends. If I’d known, I would’ve gone straight to the military instead of working with you.”

 

“…” Mo Li’s scalp tingled. He could tell Ruan Shiqing’s use of the word friend was laced with a biting undertone.

 

This felt like a trap.

 

Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Mo Li forced a smile. He couldn’t afford to offend this cash cow, so he chose self-preservation.

 

Feigning surprise, he waved his hands. “You’ve misunderstood. This is my first time meeting Mr. Rong as well.” Lowering his voice, he added, “You know how it is—if you’re in the arms trade, connections with the military are ideal.”

 

Ruan Shiqing narrowed his eyes, studying him with a skeptical gaze.

 

“Is that so?”

 

He didn’t confirm or deny Mo Li’s claim. While Mo Li had treated him well recently, Ruan Shiqing preferred to attribute it to his own value. He hadn’t forgotten the bloody scene when Mo Li had killed Honick[mfn]Remember, Ruan Shiqing still thinks that Mo Li is Marlin[/mfn].

 

“Good,” Ruan Shiqing said abruptly. “If you’re not close with him, that makes things easier.”

 

Before anyone could react, Ruan Shiqing drew an energy rifle from his waist and aimed it at Rong Heng.

 

“I’ve got some personal grievances to settle with him,” Ruan Shiqing said coldly. Without looking away from Rong Heng, he added to Mo Li, “If I accidentally kill him, you’ll cover for me, won’t you?”

 

Mo Li: …

 

What the hell?! Why am I stuck in this mess?!

 

Eyes darting between the two, Mo Li forced a stiff smile. “Let’s not be hasty. Whatever the issue, we can talk it out. There’s no need for guns…”

 

As he reached out to try and lower Ruan Shiqing’s weapon, 09 moved faster. Its arms transformed instantly, and two energy cannons locked onto Mo Li’s head. In its usual polite tone, it said, “My master is handling an important matter. Please step aside and enjoy a cup of tea.”

 

Mo Li froze in place, raising his hands in surrender as he backed away. “Tea! I’ll drink tea!”

 

Can you move those damn cannons away from me? I’m innocent here!

 

With Mo Li out of the way, Ruan Shiqing closed the distance between himself and Rong Heng, pressing the barrel of the rifle against his forehead.

 

“Hand over Snowball,” Ruan Shiqing demanded coldly.

 

Rong Heng’s eyes flickered, recalling Noah’s earlier, amused speculation.

 

So, the boy really thought he was a dog thief.

 

“What Snowball? I think you’ve misunderstood something,” Rong Heng said, feigning ignorance.

 

The actual Snowball, however, was adamant about denying everything.

 

But Ruan Shiqing wasn’t buying it. His finger tightened on the trigger as he said, “Snowball’s Blue Star pendant is on you. I installed a locator in it—you didn’t notice, did you?”

 

The rifle’s muzzle pressed harder against Rong Heng’s forehead.

 

“Where is Snowball?” Ruan Shiqing demanded impatiently. “If you don’t answer, I don’t mind killing you first and searching your shuttle after.”

 

What? He even knew about the shuttle?

 

Rong Heng’s eye twitched, and he shot an annoyed glare at Mo Li before hesitating over how to respond.

 

He couldn’t exactly blurt out, “Actually, I’m Snowball. While I can’t be your pet anymore, we can still be friends.” That would be beyond absurd.

 

The Crown Prince kept his handsome face calm, but internally, he was stuck in a dilemma.

 

Ruan Shiqing, however, had already lost patience. He pressed the muzzle of the gun harder against Rong Heng’s forehead, forcing him to look up. “I don’t have much patience. I’ll give you three seconds—”

 

“Snowball is my younger brother,” Rong Heng interrupted, having already pieced together a plausible excuse.

 

Ruan Shiqing froze momentarily, frowning. “What do you mean?”

 

“He’s my brother,” Rong Heng repeated, launching into the freshly fabricated story. “When I crash-landed on B3024 and met you, I was actually traveling with him… visiting family. But we were ambushed along the way. He was seriously injured, and I wasn’t in great shape either. I had no choice but to hide him in a sealed compartment, intending to come back for him once I contacted my people. I never expected you’d accidentally take him home.”

 

He sighed and added, “I should’ve told you when I came to retrieve him, but it was an urgent situation… I apologize.”

 

Rong Heng’s masterful delivery, aided by his superb acting skills, was flawless.

 

This time, it was Ruan Shiqing who seemed at a loss. “So Snowball… isn’t just an ordinary dog? He’s a Beastkin?”

 

Rong Heng nodded slightly in confirmation.

 

This explanation neatly accounted for Snowball’s moments of remarkable intelligence and human-like behavior.

 

But Ruan Shiqing wasn’t entirely convinced. “But he can’t speak. Beastkin younglings can talk, even during infancy.”

 

Rong Heng remained unflustered. This was due to the unique physiology of Ymir younglings—their vocal cords weren’t fully developed during infancy, making it difficult to speak the complex interstellar common tongue. However, Rong Heng obviously couldn’t reveal his true identity.

 

“He’s… a special case,” Rong Heng said vaguely.

 

Sometimes, leaving room for imagination was the best way to dodge questions.

 

Ruan Shiqing’s expression softened slightly, but he didn’t lower his gun. “Why is Snowball’s Blue Star pendant with you? Where is he now? I need to see him with my own eyes before I’ll believe you.”

 

Rong Heng: …

 

“Fine,” he finally forced out through gritted teeth.

 

Mo Li, listening in, silently gave him a thumbs-up in his heart.

 

As expected of you, Your Highness.

 

“I have urgent matters to attend to. I’ll have my subordinates bring him to you shortly,” Rong Heng said smoothly.

 

Since his attitude had been cooperative, Ruan Shiqing couldn’t press him further. He lowered the gun, moved to sit on the opposite sofa with 09, and said, “I’ll wait here.”

 

Rong Heng nodded in acknowledgment, then shot a sharp look at Mo Li, who was gulping down tea to calm his nerves.

 

Useless fool.

 

Mo Li: Why am I getting blamed for this?

 

Just then, Dares, fresh from inspecting the energy rifles in the warehouse, walked into the reception hall.

 

Noticing the strange tension in the room and the unfamiliar youth sitting with a robot, Dares frowned in confusion. “What’s going on here? When are we meeting Master Ruan?”

 

The entire room froze.

 

Everyone turned their heads simultaneously to stare at him.

 

Dares blinked. “What? Why are you all looking at me? Did I say something wrong?”

 

Sensing the situation spiraling further, Rong Heng quickly rose to his feet. He lowered his gaze to Ruan Shiqing and said calmly, “This is one of my subordinates. We came to B3024 at Mo Li’s invitation to inspect the production line. We’d also heard about Master Ruan from Mo Li and have long wanted to meet him. I never expected we’d meet in such an unexpected way.”

 

He extended a hand toward Ruan Shiqing. “I hope we can cooperate in the future.”

 

Ruan Shiqing glanced at his hand before shaking it briefly.

 

With a polite nod, Rong Heng turned and left.

 

Dares, still craning his neck to get a better look inside, opened his mouth to ask, “Is that Master Ruan? He’s so young!” But before he could finish, Rong Heng elbowed him sharply, forcing him to stagger after him with a pained expression.

 

Another day of not getting to meet Master Ruan.

 

But Dares quickly forgot his disappointment.

 

He stared wide-eyed as Rong Heng recounted the situation in the hallway. Then, unable to hold it in, he clapped a hand over his mouth, but muffled snorts of laughter still escaped.

 

“Are you done?” Rong Heng asked, loosening his collar, his expression blank.

 

Pffffft. “Yes.”

 

Dares was practically choking on laughter, tears gathering in his eyes. This is too damn funny!

 

The Crown Prince of the Empire, reduced to pretending to be a stolen dog? It was comedy gold.

 

Dares finally composed himself when he sensed Rong Heng’s patience wearing thin. Straightening up, he forced his face into a serious expression. “Okay, okay. I’m good.”

 

Only then did Rong Heng shift back into his cub form, leaping onto a nearby sofa with a slight hop.

 

The Blue Star pendant hung conspicuously around his neck.

 

Dares felt another wave of laughter coming but didn’t dare let it out. Instead, he carefully scooped up the fluffy white cub with both hands.

 

Never in my life would I have imagined the Ymir Crown Prince’s infant form would be so damn adorable.

 

Dares’ vivid inner thoughts were plastered all over his face. Rong Heng ground his teeth in irritation. He wanted to scold him, but all that came out was a soft “awoo.”

 

He clamped his mouth shut, utterly humiliated.

 

Unaware of his narrow escape from reprimand, Dares stiffly carried the fluffy cub back to the reception hall.

 

When Ruan Shiqing spotted Snowball in Dares’ arms, he immediately stood up and rushed over.

 

“This is our… uh, young master,” Dares said, nearly slipping and calling him “Your Highness.”

 

The soft, fluffy cub looked up at Ruan Shiqing with slightly wet, glistening eyes.

 

Ruan Shiqing’s heart clenched as he gently took Snowball into his arms. Stroking him from his head to his tail, he murmured, “You’ve been through a lot.”

 

Rong Heng couldn’t help but twitch his ears at the touch.

 

He glared at both Mo Li and Dares, his gaze full of murderous intent.

 

“What’s his real name?” Ruan Shiqing asked.

 

Oh, crap.

 

His real name was Rong Heng—the Crown Prince of the Empire. But there was no way they could say that.

 

Dares scratched his head frantically before blurting out, “His name is Rong Xing. Yes, Rong Xing.”

 

Since his highness was going incognito, then it was better to go down the line[mfn]Okay, so this one is a bit tricky to translate! The Heng in Rong Heng’s name means the top gem, which coincides well with the fact that he’s the crown prince and “elder brother” like he’s pretending. Xing in this case means next in line/row, so it’s perfect for the “younger” brother. I couldn’t really find a way to make it sound logical in english, my bad![/mfn].

 

Dares was quite proud of his quick thinking.

 

“So your name is Rong Xing,” Ruan Shiqing murmured, pinching the cub’s soft ears.

 

Rong Heng ground his teeth but slumped dejectedly in Ruan Shiqing’s arms.

 

Leave me alone. I’m not in the mood.

 

 

 

---

 

The only one who suffers more than Dares is Mo Li lmao

They finally “met” aksjdsjkdsj I’m sorry Rong Rong I know you’re suffering but this is so cute!!!

Also, I can’t help but wonder if Heli is related to Hector by any chance. I can see him as being a gruff grandpa lmao Also that last line of his made me quite curious, I have a feeling whoever he was talking about probably took his “death” pretty hard

 

Thanks for reading!

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