TCPUAAV Chapter 89

 

Half a month after the paper was published, debates on the holographic web showed no signs of stopping. More and more scholars joined the discussion, and naturally, as the author, Ruan Shiqing attracted significant attention.

 

However, Ruan Shiqing had published the paper anonymously. He had never posted anything on the forums before and had left no traces behind. Even though the username “Blue Star” was thoroughly investigated, nothing substantial was uncovered.

 

But there’s no such thing as an impenetrable secret. While anonymity could fool outsiders, it couldn’t deceive the forum’s administrators—the Mechanics Association.

 

Once the paper sent shockwaves through the academic world, the higher-ups of the Mechanics Association took notice. They pulled up the account information for “Blue Star” and, following the trail, found Ruan Shiqing’s contact details.

 

Yet, as they reviewed the system’s internal data, they couldn’t help but feel puzzled. How could such a young mechanical master be completely unknown to them?

 

Regardless, the priority was to invite him first.

 

—One month later, the Mechanics Association was scheduled to host an academic exchange conference in Sikkim. The original theme was precisely about the research direction of new energy sources. With the emergence of the paper on antimatter energy sparking widespread debate, they decided to invite the author to participate.

 

Thus, half a month after publishing his paper, Ruan Shiqing received an invitation email from the Mechanics Association.

 

The email was sincere, inviting him to be one of the keynote speakers at the conference to answer questions and clarify doubts.

 

Ruan Shiqing had chosen to publish his paper anonymously precisely because he wanted to keep a low profile. After some thought, he was about to decline the invitation when he received a message from Dace.

 

This former mechanic apprentice had now been promoted to a Level One Mechanic.

 

Yet, he still treated Ruan Shiqing with great respect. His message was both excited and cautious as he inquired whether Ruan Shiqing planned to attend the academic exchange conference.

 

Ruan Shiqing hesitated for a moment. Instead of immediately declining, he asked Dace what the conference was mainly about.

 

He had attended academic exchange conferences before, but most of them were overly formal and rigid in structure, which he found uninteresting.

 

Dace hadn’t expected that a mechanical master like Ruan Shiqing had never attended such a conference before. This deepened his impression of him as a reclusive expert. He then carefully explained the structure and content of the event.

 

Unlike the highly official Mechanics Forum meetings, the Mechanics Exchange Conference was held once or twice a year. While the host was still the Mechanics Association, the venue was not in Metista but typically held in a hotel ballroom.

 

This meant the conference had relatively low entry barriers. As long as someone was interested and could obtain an invitation, they could participate—whether they were a registered mechanic or an independent one.

 

Of course, this did not mean the conference was of low quality. The event was originally established for mechanics who valued their freedom and disliked constraints. On one hand, the Mechanics Association used it as an opportunity to recruit independent mechanics who hadn’t yet joined. On the other hand, it provided a platform for official Mechanics Association members to engage with independent mechanics, exchanging ideas and sparking inspiration.

 

For a mechanic, the greatest danger was stagnation—locking oneself away and working in isolation.

 

As a result, many highly skilled mechanics participated in the exchange every year. Likewise, some previously unknown independent mechanics managed to make a name for themselves through the conference.

 

Dace flattered him, saying: [Of course, someone like you doesn’t need a platform to make a name for yourself. But I’ve received insider information—apparently, the Association has invited the author of that antimatter energy feasibility paper as one of the keynote speakers. Even my mentor, along with several mechanical masters who usually don’t attend, are waiting for confirmation. If those mechanics accept the invitation, this conference might even surpass the Mechanics Forum in prestige this year.]

 

Hearing that many master mechanics might attend, Ruan Shiqing, who initially had no plans to go, suddenly felt tempted.

 

He had been in this world for quite a while now, yet he had never left B3024.

 

Although he had learned a lot from Metis’ database, he had hardly interacted with any mechanics besides Dace.

 

After working hard in silence for so long, he didn’t even know where he stood in terms of skill level.

 

After a brief moment of hesitation, he replied to Dace, confirming his attendance. Then, he responded to the Mechanics Association’s email, officially accepting the invitation.

 

Next came the preparations for the trip to Sikkim.

 

There was still a month until the conference. Sikkim wasn’t far from B3024, but since it was his first time traveling a long distance, Ruan Shiqing wanted to be well-prepared. This way, he’d also have plenty of time.

 

Most importantly, he planned to take the little ones with him.

 

Like him, the cubs had never traveled far before. This was the perfect opportunity to take them to the capital star, broaden their horizons, and experience the world—it would be a family trip.

 

And of course, a proper family trip required thorough preparation.

 

So, Ruan Shiqing informed the little ones about the trip early on.

 

“We’re going to the capital star?” The little fox was the first to leap up, her big fluffy tails swaying excitedly. Then, she blurted out, “Does that mean I won’t have to take exams?”

 

Only then did Ruan Shiqing remember that the exchange conference coincided with the cubs’ school finals.

 

He glanced at the little fox, his expression unreadable.

 

The little fox immediately regretted her words. Seeing her dad’s expression, her tails drooped. She clung to his leg and promised pitifully, “I won’t be last place anymore!”

 

Ruan Shiqing could no longer keep a straight face. He chuckled and ruffled her hair.

 

“When are we leaving?” The little dragon cub was also curious about the trip. He tilted his head up, his golden dragon eyes wide with excitement.

 

“Once everything at home is settled, we can leave. If we go early, we’ll have more time to explore.”

 

Ruan Shiqing looked at the others. “No need to pack too much; we can buy whatever we need once we get to the capital star.”

 

After all, money was no longer an issue for them.

 

The little mermaid and Ruan Jiao both nodded enthusiastically, their faces full of excitement.

 

Only the prince looked a bit anxious, unable to figure out why they were suddenly heading to Sikkim.

 

Sikkim was nothing like B3024—it was filled with Siyan’s spies and informants. His identity could easily be exposed there. If Siyan found out, that was one thing, but he definitely didn’t want to accidentally reveal himself in front of Ruan Shiqing without any preparation.

 

The prince was deeply troubled.

 

But he couldn’t change the fact that the trip was happening.

 

A week later, Ruan Shiqing had arranged everything for the repair shop and his ongoing projects. He had also purchased the tickets—by noon the next day, they would set off.

 

Before leaving, Ruan Shiqing even sent Mr. Rong a message, informing him about his trip to Sikkim.

 

As expected, he didn’t receive a reply.

 

Ruan Shiqing glanced at Snowball, who stood out from the excited cubs, and the smile on his lips became slightly amused.

 

*

 

The next morning, Ruan Shiqing brought the five cubs and the little robot to the inner city to board the passenger starship. Passenger flights from the inner city were rare, with only one trip per week.

 

Right before boarding, he unexpectedly ran into Lansing, who had been preoccupied with personal matters and rarely showed up lately.

 

—It turned out Lansing was also leaving B3024 on the same day as them. However, unlike them, he wasn’t heading to the capital star but planned to disembark midway.

 

Once aboard, the little ones scampered ahead, eagerly searching for their seats. Even the usually composed little robot followed after them with unusually light steps.

 

Ruan Shiqing and Lansing walked behind them. Lowering his voice, Ruan Shiqing asked, “Are you heading back?”

 

Though Lansing frequently left B3024, he always returned every now and then. This time, however, he seemed to be leaving for good.

 

“Mm.” Lansing’s gaze lingered on the little mermaid before he raised an eyebrow and added, “It’s about time. I’ll see you off along the way.”

 

Right now, tensions between the Empire and Sijialan were escalating, with frequent skirmishes and several small-scale clashes. Though neither side had officially declared war, they were clearly testing each other’s limits. Lansing figured it was the perfect time to go back and fan the flames a little more.

 

Ruan Shiqing was unaware of his plans and didn’t press for details. He simply found his seat and sat down.

 

The cubs were all crowded by the window, peering out curiously. Even 09 wasn’t an exception. But in reality, the starship hadn’t even taken off yet, and there was nothing outside except the landing pad.

 

Still, the cubs were brimming with excitement.

 

The ever-unimpressed prince let out a soft scoff at their lack of experience before naturally making his way onto Ruan Shiqing’s lap.

 

He sprawled out in a comfortable position, resting his chin on Ruan Shiqing’s hand, eyes narrowing in contentment. His snowy-white ears flicked from time to time.

 

Ruan Shiqing looked down at him, flipped his palm over, and playfully scratched his chin, smiling. “Not curious at all, Snowball?”

 

Curious about what? He had spent more than enough time in Sikkim—it was beyond boring.

 

Yanji was better, at least.

 

The prince grumbled inwardly but only let out a small whine in response. Instead of answering, he nuzzled his head deeper into Ruan Shiqing’s hand, enjoying the attention.

 

“If I remember correctly, your home is in Sikkim, isn’t it?” Ruan Shiqing asked casually. “Do you want me to take you back for a visit?”

 

His tone was light, but Rong Heng couldn’t stay relaxed. His body stiffened slightly as he hesitated, pulling his head back and staring up at Ruan Shiqing with wide eyes.

 

Why was he suddenly bringing up his home?

 

He hesitated for a moment before shaking his head and deliberately making his voice sound a little forlorn.

 

[I’m not going back.]

 

Of course, he couldn’t go back.

 

Even if he still had a home to return to, he couldn’t possibly take Ruan Shiqing to the Palka Palace.

 

Ruan Shiqing observed his dejected expression and then, as if just remembering something, said, “Ah, that’s right. Your family situation is complicated.”

 

He ruffled the little cub’s fur gently and reassured him, “If you don’t want to go, then we won’t.”

 

Seeing that Ruan Shiqing didn’t insist, Rong Heng finally let out a quiet sigh of relief and rested his head back on Ruan Shiqing’s hand, once again basking in comfort.

 

But then, he heard Ruan Shiqing mumble, “I wonder if Mr. Rong is in Sikkim. If he is, I could ask him to be our guide… He must be quite familiar with the place.”

 

His ears twitched twice.

 

And just like that, the prince was thrown into a dilemma.

 

If he didn’t revert to his adult form, he’d miss out on the perfect chance to play guide and grow closer to Ruan Shiqing. But if he did, without anyone covering for him, his identity could easily be exposed.

 

The prince’s expression turned solemn as he wrestled with the decision.

 

He hesitated for the entire duration of the flight.

 

Gone was the decisiveness of the prince who had once cut down swarms of Zergs on the battlefield.

 

But when the ship finally landed, and he saw Luther waiting by the port with a land cruiser—when he watched Ruan Shiqing cheerfully stride toward him with the cubs in tow—he suddenly realized…

 

Ruan Shiqing’s musing about a guide might have just been an idle thought.

 

—He had already arranged everything.

 

 

 

---

 

He’s definitely messing with Rong Rong at this point

 

(I’m definitely not worried at all about something happening in Sikkim, no, not at all. Especially not with a rare Ymir cub around that could be recognized by his own father. No. Not at all worried… orz)

 

(By the way, if you forgot who Luther is, it’s the ancient human who Ruan Ruan modified a hovercar for and won a race before going to live in Sikkim)

 

 

Thanks for reading!

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