TCPUAAV Chapter 54

 

As Ruan Shiqing finished his work and headed upstairs, he happened to see Snowball coming up from downstairs. Without thinking, he scooped up the little cub and cradled him in his arms, playfully pinching the tip of his ear. “What were you doing downstairs all by yourself?”

 

It was just a casual question, but Rong Heng, feeling guilty as if caught in the act, stiffened slightly. He widened his eyes to make himself look as innocent as possible, then nuzzled against Ruan Shiqing’s arm, letting out a soft whimper.

 

—His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was attempting to use cuteness to get out of trouble.

 

And Ruan Shiqing, unsurprisingly, fell for it.

 

He rubbed the little cub affectionately and, recalling Mr. Rong’s message, felt a twinge of heartache at the thought that such a small, fluffy little thing was already undergoing military training. He decided not to press the previous question and instead asked, “Is training at the military tough?”

 

A cub this tiny—how could he even train?

 

Mr. Rong is really strict with his younger brother, Ruan Shiqing thought.

 

Rong Heng shook his head, continuing to snuggle against his arm, even letting out a soft, babyish “awoo.”

 

By now, he had become quite skilled at this sort of behavior—it didn’t feel too embarrassing anymore.

 

Besides, it was actually very effective sometimes.

 

“You’re such a good boy,” Ruan Shiqing murmured, lowering his head to nuzzle the cub’s head with the tip of his nose before carrying him to the cushions in the living room.

 

The three cubs who had been playing immediately pounced over, rolling around and nuzzling against Ruan Shiqing.

 

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince, who had just been unexpectedly nuzzled back, was a little stunned.

 

The spot where Ruan Shiqing’s nose had brushed against him felt oddly tingly… maybe even a little itchy.

 

He barely stopped himself from reaching up with a paw to rub the spot.

 

A strange sensation spread through his heart—like the first blossom blooming on a frozen winter branch.

 

Ruan Shiqing played with the cubs for a long time before finally heading off to wash up and go to bed.

 

Rong Heng lay on his designated pillow, close enough to hear the faint, steady sound of breathing.

 

That strange feeling lingering in his chest made it impossible to sleep, so he simply kept his eyes open and forced himself to focus on the situation in Sikkim.

 

According to Lucien’s report, there were now three distinct factions in Sikkim:

 

The Royal Faction, led by Siyan, the new emperor.

 

The Four Major Financial Conglomerates, who were still observing the situation.

 

The so-called ‘Creator’, an unknown force that had just emerged, attempting to disrupt Siyan’s ‘Divine Modification Project.’

 

Siyan had initiated the Divine Modification Project, reviving the cybernetic human experiments. The heads of the Four Conglomerates were clearly interested in this research but remained cautious for now.

 

Thea marrying Siyan was likely Old Bart’s way of testing the waters—his stance could greatly influence the other three conglomerate leaders.

 

Then, out of nowhere, this ‘Creator’ faction staged a suicide attack on Palka Palace, calling Siyan a false god and claiming the Divine Modification Project was a scam.

 

Clearly, their goal was either to halt the project or to sabotage any potential alliance between Siyan and the conglomerates.

 

At the moment, all three factions were entangled in this project.

 

The balance was still delicate, but the moment one side gained the upper hand, the entire situation would explode into war.

 

Setting aside the mysterious ‘Creator,’ both Siyan and the Four Conglomerates possessed enough power to plunge the empire into civil war.

 

Rong Heng had no intention of getting involved right now.

 

His priority was biding his time and gathering strength.

 

Only when the war began would he have the power to compete.

 

However, there was a problem—Yanji was too far from Sikkim, making it inconvenient to operate.

 

On the other hand, B3024 Star was much closer to Sikkim, but it was far too underdeveloped. If war broke out, one long-range missile could wipe this place off the map.

 

Too fragile.

 

If he wanted to use B3024 Star as a staging ground, he needed to arm it as soon as possible.

 

Rong Heng turned his head slightly to look at the sleeping figure beside him.

 

With Ruan Shiqing here, importing weapons wasn’t cost-effective and would attract attention.

 

Instead, it was better to purchase advanced automated production lines and the necessary equipment—increase manufacturing capacity and mass-produce the weapons himself.

 

Cheaper. Safer. More discreet.

 

After a moment of silent contemplation, Rong Heng quietly slipped out of bed and made his way downstairs.

 

In the courtyard, he called out to Noah:

 

“Look into whether Naxi Group or Quark Shipyards have recently built or are planning to build any weapons factories.”

 

“Please wait, I need three minutes to confirm,” Noah replied, swiftly searching through relevant data.

 

“Currently, Naxi Group has twelve weapons factories under construction and thirty-six more planned. Quark Shipyards has nine under construction and twenty-nine planned.”

 

Seventy-five percent of the Empire’s arms industry was controlled by Naxi Group and Quark Shipyards. The remaining twenty-five percent was split between the military’s research institutes and smaller independent manufacturers.

 

If he wanted to quickly acquire the necessary equipment without drawing suspicion, he would have to target one of these two giants.

 

“Which one is closest to us?”

 

“The Balem Weapons Factory, a joint investment by Naxi Group and Quark Shipyards. It’s the largest military project in the past decade and is still under construction.”

 

Perfect.

 

The corners of Rong Heng’s lips curled up.

 

“Monitor their transport ships—specifically their cargo and routes. If they’re moving military production equipment, notify me immediately.”

 

Because the best way to get what he needed without spending money…

 

…was to steal it.

 

Noah hesitated before cautiously reminding him, “Your Highness, I must inform you that robbery is a crime under Imperial law.”

 

Rong Heng snorted. “The ones robbing them will be space pirates. What does that have to do with me?”

 

Before shutting off his communicator, he patiently educated the AI:

 

“And besides, this isn’t robbery—this is called ‘redistributing wealth.’ In ancient times, this was considered a virtue.”

 

?????

 

That logic almost made sense… but also felt deeply flawed upon closer examination.

 

Still—His Highness was always right.

 

And Noah wasn’t about to report him.

 

So, Noah wisely chose to stay silent.

 

*

 

One week later, Noah finally sent an update:

 

In three days, five transport ships would depart from the Baku District for Balem Star.

 

Rong Heng immediately contacted Hector and Mo Li.

 

Then, to make things look legitimate, he sent Ruan Shiqing a message:

 

[Snowball needs training. I’ve arranged for someone to pick him up.]

 

To make the “training session” even more convincing, he took Nota along as well.

 

This time, training would last at least a week—possibly ten days.

 

The little fox was both excited and reluctant as she bid farewell to her dad, 09, the little dragon cub, and the little mermaid.

 

Ruan Shiqing fastened a communicator around her wrist, ensuring that she could stay in touch with him while she was away.

 

The little mermaid handed her a small backpack stuffed with snacks, his eyes curving into a smile as he made a cheerful encouragement gesture.

 

Only the little dragon cub kept circling around her, bombarding her with questions and looking as if he desperately wanted to go too.

 

Hector, watching from the side, clicked his tongue and said, “It’s just a small mission. If Heli wants to come along, he can.”

 

Since they were already taking two cubs, bringing one more wouldn’t make much difference.

 

—Rong Heng’s fabricated cover story for this trip:

 

He and Hector had a small mission to complete near B3014 Star—the task was simple and wouldn’t take long, so they decided to bring Snowball and Nota along for training.

 

!!!!!!

 

The little dragon cub’s eyes widened in surprise. “I can go too?”

 

But right after speaking, he hesitated and glanced at Ruan Shiqing.

 

He had never been far from home before.

 

His curiosity about the outside world warred with his reluctance to leave his dad.

 

“If you want to go, you can.” Hector raised an eyebrow before turning to the little mermaid. “Since we’re already taking them, why not bring Yuebai along too?”

 

The little mermaid’s eyes lit up at the unexpected invitation, his clear gaze filled with both excitement and nervousness.

 

Seeing the cubs so eager yet hesitant, Ruan Shiqing couldn’t help but smile.

 

With Mr. Rong and Hector looking after them, there was nothing for him to worry about.

 

So he patted their heads and said, “If you want to go, then go and see the world.”

 

For now, he couldn’t take the cubs away from B3024 Star himself, but if they had the opportunity to explore, it would be a good experience.

 

And so, in the end, all three cubs followed Snowball to their so-called “training session.”

 

Hector led the cubs onto the Glory, while Mo Li, disguised with a mimicry capsule, followed closely behind with his men in another vessel.

 

A fleet of ships pierced through B3024’s atmosphere, descending onto a hovering cyan warship…

 

With the cubs gone, the house felt strangely empty.

 

The Xiong brothers had become skilled enough to handle repairs on their own. They no longer needed Ruan Shiqing’s guidance for most tasks in the shop.

 

With no cubs to take care of, Ruan Shiqing suddenly found himself at a loss for things to do.

 

Apart from studying and working, there wasn’t much else to occupy him.

 

Looking out through the workshop window—

 

In the front yard, the Xiong brothers were chatting with waiting customers as they worked on repairs.

 

On the other side, a golden little robot hummed a tune while trimming the overgrown Falling Star Vines.

 

Only he seemed to have nothing to do but work and study.

 

Slumping into his chair, Ruan Shiqing switched his intelligence brain into neural link mode, deciding to relax online for a bit.

 

“Sir, it’s been a while.”

 

As he entered the holographic space, a gentle female AI voice greeted him.

 

“Is there anything I can help you with?”

 

Recalling this AI’s “helpful tendencies” from before, Ruan Shiqing still felt a bit of lingering unease.

 

He firmly declined her offer. “No thanks, I’m just here to read the news.”

 

Noah sounded slightly disappointed. “Alright, if you need anything, just call me.”

 

Each section of the holo-world was its own virtual environment.

 

In the news sector, people of all kinds stood before wall-sized display screens, discussing recent events in excited or hushed tones.

 

As Ruan Shiqing wandered in, he overheard snippets of conversation—words like “shuttle,” “attack,” and “security breach.”

 

Just as he was about to focus on the screens, a familiar voice called out—

 

“Master Ruan! It really is you!”

 

Turning around, he found himself face-to-face with Dace, someone he had met back at Metis Tower.

 

Dace looked utterly thrilled, practically bouncing with excitement.

 

“The moment I saw you online, I rushed over!”

 

After their chance meeting at Metis Tower, the two had exchanged contact info, but Dace had never dared to message him first.

 

As a mechanic, he assumed that someone like Ruan Shiqing—a true master—must be extremely busy.

 

So instead, Dace had spent his days staring at his contact list, waiting and hoping for the chance to see Ruan Shiqing log in again.

 

And today, it finally happened!

 

“You must’ve noticed something off too, right?” Dace lowered his voice.

 

????

 

Noticed what?

 

Ruan Shiqing looked at him, utterly confused.

 

But Dace mistook his silence for confirmation and continued enthusiastically:

 

“Metis Tower released data on the shuttle involved in the attack, even providing a virtual model—but honestly, it’s still missing some key details.”

 

He leaned in conspiratorially, looking eager to impress.

 

“My teacher just so happens to be involved in analyzing that shuttle. He sent me a full 3D scan of the entire thing!

 

“Wanna see?”

 

Ruan Shiqing: ???

 

Something wasn’t adding up.

 

Maybe it was the sheer confusion on his face, but this time, Dace finally noticed.

 

“You mean… you weren’t here for the ‘Sea Swallow’ case?” Dace asked, dumbfounded.

 

“Sea Swallow?” Ruan Shiqing shook his head. “I just came to read the news.”

 

A true mechanic master indeed—so absorbed in his craft that he doesn’t even follow major events!

 

Dace looked at him with genuine admiration before gesturing to the screens.

 

“A few days ago, Palka Palace was hit by a suicidal shuttle attack. The entire west side of the palace was destroyed.

 

“But the weird part? No one knows how that shuttle bypassed the palace’s security and defense systems.”

 

“And get this—eyewitnesses say that after the crash, the shuttle broadcasted a 30-minute holographic message.Do you realize what that means?” Dace started gesturing wildly.

 

“It means the Imperial Guard took a full 30 minutes just to break through its defenses! That’s insane!”

 

“Regular Sea Swallow-class shuttles aren’t capable of that.”

 

“My teacher says that shuttle was modified—both the cloaking device and the shield generator were brilliantly re-engineered. He wants me to study the 3D scan and figure out exactly what was changed.”

 

As Dace rambled excitedly, Ruan Shiqing’s expression gradually darkened.

 

‘Sea Swallow’ shuttle. Modified cloaking device. Enhanced shielding. Suicidal attack.

 

These familiar terms…

 

It was impossible not to think about that shuttle he had modified himself.

 

Was it just a coincidence… or—?

 

Ruan Shiqing took a slow breath.

 

“Can I see the 3D scan?” he asked.

 

“Of course.”

 

Dace switched to private mode before pulling up the 3D scan.

 

The moment Ruan Shiqing saw it, his heart sank.

 

After a thorough inspection of the internal structure, his suspicion turned into certainty—

 

The shuttle used in the attack was the very same one he had modified.

 

Without sparing Dace another word, he quickly browsed through the latest news.

 

Several days had passed since the incident, and holographic footage of the attack was now everywhere.

 

The attacker’s identity had already been exposed.

 

—An Ancient Human.

 

Ruan Shiqing clicked on a video recording.

 

When he heard the words, “Only the Creator can save the people from suffering. The ‘Divine Modification Project’ is a false god’s deception.”, his frown deepened.

 

“Creator,” “False God”—this sounds exactly like a cult.”

 

The merchant, Joel, who introduced him to this job, was also an Ancient Human.

 

Did he know?

 

Was he also a follower of this so-called ‘Creator’?

 

One question led to another, spiraling in his mind.

 

Briefly excusing himself from Dace, he prepared to log off.

 

Dace, having finally run into Ruan Shiqing online, was devastated to see him leave so quickly.

 

“Master Ruan! Are you logging off to study the ‘Sea Swallow’ data in-depth?” he asked eagerly.

 

Ruan Shiqing paused for a second, suppressing his urge to rush out for answers.

 

He pulled up the 3D scan again, quickly explaining the stealth device and shield modifications in broad terms.

 

“I just remembered something urgent. If you have any more questions, message me. I’ll reply when I can.”

 

!!!!!!!!

 

“Master Ruan, you’re such a good person!”

 

Dace practically saluted as he watched him go.

 

Logging out, Ruan Shiqing immediately called Joel.

 

His holographic projection appeared in the room, looking the same as always.

 

“Mr. Ruan, what can I do for you?”

 

Ruan Shiqing watched him carefully for any subtle changes in expression.

 

“Have you seen the latest news?”

 

Joel’s smile remained calm.

 

“You mean the attack on Palka Palace?” he asked. “Of course. Everyone is talking about it.”

 

There was no sign of guilt or unease in his expression.

 

Ruan Shiqing slowly said,

 

“The shuttle the attacker used—the ‘Sea Swallow’—was the one I modified.”

 

Joel’s smile froze. His voice rose in shock.

 

“What did you just say?”

 

“I said—the shuttle you brought me for modifications is the same one used in the attack.”

 

Joel looked even more shocked than he was.

 

“Are you sure you’re not mistaken?!”

 

His reaction was too natural. Too flawless.

 

He looked exactly like someone who just realized they might be connected to a terrorist attack.

 

For a moment, Ruan Shiqing couldn’t tell if he was lying.

 

So he cut straight to the point.

 

“I’m absolutely certain. Did you know the true identity of your client?”

 

Joel’s shock hadn’t faded. He hesitated for a moment before nodding.

 

“Yes, I did. The person who came to me was a Beastkin, someone I’ve dealt with twice before. We weren’t strangers. Even now, I find it hard to believe he’d be connected to something like this.”

 

His expression was open and honest.

 

If he was lying, he was a damn good actor.

 

But Ruan Shiqing’s gut still held onto a thread of doubt.

 

In the end, he said, “I don’t want to be involved in this attack. You probably don’t either.”

 

Joel’s expression turned serious.

 

“I understand. I won’t say a word.”

 

Only then did Ruan Shiqing cut the call.

 

Still feeling uneasy, he continued browsing the news reports.

 

Unlike Dace, who was solely focused on the shuttle, most of the holo-net discussions were centered around the ‘Creator’ and the ‘Divine Modification Project’.

 

While most people dismissed the attacker’s holographic speech, a small fraction had begun questioning the project again.

 

But among all the reports, no one seemed to mention the attacker’s race.

 

Was it really just a coincidence?

 

After a moment of thought, Ruan Shiqing made another call.

 

Feeling uneasy about Joel, he decided to try gathering information from Shen Wuzhuo.

 

They arranged to meet at the same tavern as before.

 

When Ruan Shiqing arrived, Shen Wuzhuo was already there, pouring himself a drink.

 

He raised an eyebrow. “Problems with Joel?”

 

Ruan Shiqing chose not to reveal the shuttle situation.

 

Instead, he vaguely mentioned a business disagreement and wanted to confirm Joel’s background.

 

Shen Wuzhuo took a moment to think.

 

“He’s just a typical merchant—a bit slick, but not a bad person.”

 

“Though I’ve known him longer than you have, we don’t interact much outside of business and occasional tavern gatherings.”

 

Beyond that, he didn’t know much more.

 

Seeing that Shen Wuzhuo had no valuable leads, Ruan Shiqing left shortly after.

 

He had driven here in a land cruiser, but with too much on his mind, he lowered its speed, activated autopilot, and slumped into the driver’s seat, deep in thought.

 

Suddenly—

 

A faint rustling sound came from behind him.

 

The noise snapped him out of his thoughts.

 

A strange sense of being watched crept up his spine.

 

Ruan Shiqing turned sharply—

 

Nothing.

 

The monitoring display showed nothing unusual either.

 

Frowning, he settled back into his seat—only for that unsettling feeling to return.

 

The faint rustling continued, an eerie sound like something shifting against a surface.

 

Trying not to make any sudden moves, he checked the display again.

 

Still nothing.

 

But the sound was real.

 

This time, he didn’t hesitate—he raised the shields and sped home.

 

Arriving at the house, he stole one last glance behind him before entering—

 

Still nothing.

 

Only then did he relax.

 

But with so much weighing on his mind, he pushed everything aside and decided to take a nap.

 

When he woke up, feeling refreshed, he changed clothes and headed downstairs—

 

He wanted to video call the cubs first.

 

But as he reached the workshop entrance, he noticed something strange.

 

The Xiong brothers and the little robot were all huddled around the front door.

 

“What’s going on?” he asked.

 

“There’s a cub outside,” Xiong Yuanyuan said, turning toward him.

 

“Looks really weird. Just standing there, not moving. We asked where he’s from, but he won’t speak.”

 

A cub?

 

Ruan Shiqing, puzzled, stepped outside—

 

And there it was.

 

A small cub, barely reaching his knees.

 

Its skin was deathly pale, almost bloodless.

 

Short, ink-green hair framed its face, and its eyes—a deep, eerie red.

 

But the most bizarre thing was—

 

Two thin, long tendrils protruded from its forehead.

 

The moment Ruan Shiqing appeared, the cub turned its head, looking directly at him.

 

Its eyes were hollow, lifeless.

 

No wonder Xiong Yuanyuan called it weird.

 

Because it really was.

 

Ruan Shiqing held the cub’s gaze for a moment before stepping forward and asking, “Where did you come from?”

 

The little one stared at him without blinking, took a single step forward, but said nothing.

 

“Where are your parents?” Ruan Shiqing asked patiently.

 

But the cub neither responded nor reacted, just stared at him blankly—whether it was because he didn’t understand or simply couldn’t speak, Ruan Shiqing couldn’t tell.

 

Maybe he’s just a lost cub.

 

Hesitating, he fetched a small stool and let the cub sit by the shop entrance, thinking that his parents might come looking for him soon.

 

But by the time evening fell and the repair shop was about to close, no one had come.

 

The strange cub remained seated exactly where Ruan Shiqing had placed him, completely still.

 

His deep red eyes held no trace of light.

 

 

 

 

---

 

So many things happening!!! Rong Rong using Moe attacks! Rong Rong getting hit back by an affectionnate attack (a bit of fluff in time with Valentine’s Day?), the cubs going on a mission!! Ruan Shiqing’s modified shuttle being used in an attack…!!  and….A new cub????

 

Thanks for reading!

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