TCPUAAV Chapter 92

 

After waiting in the shop for about half an hour, 09 finally emerged from his oil bath.

 

The little golden robot now gleamed with a polished luster, looking even shinier than before. Around his neck, he still wore the black bowtie that Ruan Shiqing had given him. As he walked, his posture was upright and elegant, almost like a refined gentleman.

 

But after just a few seconds of composure, his steps grew noticeably lighter, carrying a hint of barely-contained excitement.

 

“Sir, I’m done!” 09 twirled once in front of Ruan Shiqing, his entire frame radiating joy.

 

Even without facial expressions, the sheer delight in his movements was unmistakable.

 

The little dragon cub, always drawn to bright and shiny things, couldn’t resist reaching out a paw to touch him. His eyes widened in amazement. “So smooth!”

 

Hearing this, the other cubs grew curious as well. One by one, they gathered around 09, touching and rubbing against him.

 

Even Rong Heng, who had been lazily lying in Ruan Shiqing’s arms, hesitated for a moment before finally extending a paw to give him a light pat.

 

Indeed, he was incredibly smooth… and a little cool to the touch.

 

Previously, due to his participation in combat, 09’s metal body had acquired quite a few scratches and scuffs. Though the meticulous little robot had done his best to buff them out, the rough edges had still been somewhat visible.

 

But now, after the oil bath, his golden metallic shell was as pristine as new, smooth and polished to perfection.

 

The red indicator lights on 09’s display flickered rapidly, as if he were a little embarrassed, but he still stood obediently in place, allowing the cubs to rub and nuzzle against him.

 

“An oil bath can be done once a month,” Ruan Shiqing said with a smile. “Next time, we’ll come back, or maybe I’ll just buy an oil bath unit for B3024.”

 

That way, 09 could have regular maintenance without needing to visit a shop.

 

“Really?!” 09’s voice shot up in surprise, but then he hesitated, suddenly remembering that oil bath machines were extremely expensive. He mumbled hesitantly, “But those are really pricey… Applying lubricant manually works just fine too.”

 

He was, after all, a very responsible and frugal little robot!

 

“We’re not short on money anymore.” Ruan Shiqing patted his shoulder and, without further discussion, directly placed an order with the shop owner, arranging to pick up the oil bath unit when they left Sikkim.

 

The little golden robot was so happy he nearly started dancing.

 

The shopkeeper, watching the lively interaction between them, couldn’t help but remark in surprise, “I’ve never seen a customer treat a robot the way you do…”

 

For a moment, he struggled to find the right words. “It almost seems like you treat him the same way you do your cubs.”

 

After all, no matter the model or function, a robot was just a machine.

 

Who would actually develop feelings for a machine?

 

Ruan Shiqing simply smiled. “Because he’s one of a kind.”

 

Without elaborating, he thanked the shopkeeper and left with the cubs.

 

By the time they stepped out of the maintenance shop, the sky had already turned completely dark.

 

The streets were alive with brilliant neon lights, their colors reflecting off the night sky. The towering digital billboards and holographic signs painted the entire city in a dazzling array of hues.

 

Seeing that it was still early, Ruan Shiqing decided not to head straight back to the hotel. Instead, he leisurely led the cubs through Julian Avenue, picking up interesting trinkets and souvenirs along the way.

 

Before long, their smart shopping cart was completely packed with new purchases.

 

Realizing they had gathered too much stuff, Ruan Shiqing decided to take a different route back to the hotel.

 

But as they walked, they noticed a crowd gathered in front of a public announcement board. People were murmuring among themselves, and phrases like “interstellar pirates,” “mask,” and “wanted notice” could be faintly heard.

 

At first, Ruan Shiqing had no interest in it.

 

But just as they were passing by, a familiar white smiling mask caught the corner of his eye.

 

??????

 

His heart skipped a beat, and his footsteps halted instantly.

 

Turning back, he instructed 09 to keep an eye on the cubs, then pushed through the crowd.

 

On the electronic announcement board, an extremely eye-catching wanted notice was displayed.

 

The image featured a man wearing a pure white smiling mask.

 

Even if others couldn’t recognize the person behind the mask, Ruan Shiqing knew exactly who he was looking at.

 

Mr. Rong.

 

His gaze sharpened as he prepared to read the details of the wanted notice.

 

But before he could take in the full text, the screen refreshed—revealing the next wanted individual.

 

A mocking, exaggerated clown mask, golden curls cascading down to the waist, a lean yet powerfully toned figure, and a leather belt covered in all sorts of strange gadgets.

 

Merrell.

 

The next refresh…

 

A ferocious dragon mask, unmistakably paired with that hulking, battle-worn physique.

 

Hector.

 

“……”

 

These three… weren’t they part of the military?

 

Why were they on a wanted list?

 

The more Ruan Shiqing read, the more confused he became.

 

He instinctively turned back toward Snowball—only to meet his gaze at the exact same moment.

 

Rong Heng had immediately realized things were bad the moment he saw the wanted notices. But with Ruan Shiqing already pushing his way into the crowd, he had no chance to stop him.

 

Now, he could only watch anxiously, trying to gauge how much Ruan Shiqing would piece together after seeing the notices.

 

The prince’s mind was racing with unease.

 

Then, as if to make things worse, Ruan Shiqing’s gaze locked onto him.

 

Rong Heng’s body tensed slightly. His mind spun rapidly—why was Ruan Shiqing looking at him like that?

 

Even if he had figured out the truth behind the Balham Star’s weapons “borrowing” incident, that shouldn’t warrant such an intense look, right?

 

Rong Heng forced himself to remain calm. He mentally reviewed every possible slip-up but ultimately reassured himself that his identity hadn’t been exposed.

 

Feeling slightly more composed, he deliberately shrank back, lowered his head, and feigned nonchalance as he nestled back into his usual resting position.

 

But Ruan Shiqing only narrowed his eyes before shifting his attention back to the wanted list.

 

By then, the screen had already refreshed to the next bounty.

 

Once again, it featured a masked figure—this time, a blue sea monster mask that completely covered their face.

 

They looked like they belonged to Mr. Rong’s group, but as far as Ruan Shiqing knew, there had never been anyone like this in that team.

 

His eyes lingered on the enlarged image.

 

The wanted individual had long, seaweed-like blue hair draped over one shoulder, adorned with delicate accessories. A finely crafted choker rested around their neck. Their style closely resembled the little mermaid’s, but judging from their build, they were at least a teenager.

 

When he looked for a name, he found only a codename:

 

“Kraken.”

 

The charges listed below stated that this group of masked interstellar pirates had raided and illegally occupied Balham.

 

Beneath that, a smaller line of text provided additional context:

 

During a certain time frame, in the star sector near Balham, five cargo ships belonging to the Naxi Corporation had been attacked. These ships were carrying extremely valuable experimental equipment, along with a large-scale weapons production line, all of which were lost.

 

The perpetrators had never been identified. Now, the Security Bureau suspected that these interstellar pirates—who had taken over Balham—were responsible for the theft.

 

Ruan Shiqing’s gaze lingered on the text, his expression shifting unpredictably.

 

Before he could fully process it, the screen cycled again.

 

This time, it displayed a woman wearing a fox mask.

 

Her fiery red, shoulder-length hair paired with a black leather bodysuit made her strikingly recognizable. Her silver eyes, visible through the flame-patterned mask, gleamed with sharp intensity.

 

Codename: “Fire Fox.”

 

A deep sense of familiarity struck him—not just from the image, but also from the pattern of codenames.

 

“Reaper”—Mr. Rong.

 

“Kraken”—the blue-haired youth.

 

“Fire Fox”—this woman.

 

The entire situation felt oddly familiar, like a vague memory trying to surface. As if he had seen all of this before.

 

As he pondered, the screen refreshed again.

 

Another dragon mask appeared.

 

At first, Ruan Shiqing assumed it was Hector. But upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn’t.

 

The person in the image had healthy, tanned skin. Around their neck was a chain necklace, its pendant tucked beneath their shirt.

 

But the part of the chain that was visible…

 

It looked exactly like the custom chain from Blue Star.

 

Ruan Shiqing’s thoughts became a chaotic mess. His feet felt rooted to the ground, as if nailed in place in front of the electronic board.

 

Patiently, he waited for the next bounty to cycle in.

 

And when it did—

 

The image displayed was noticeably smaller than the previous ones.

 

This wanted individual also wore a mask. It was a bizarre design, featuring two thin antennae-like protrusions. At first glance, it resembled an insect.

 

But upon closer inspection…

 

It was actually a snail.

 

Ruan Shiqing stared at the snail mask, his mind gradually catching up to reality.

 

Slowly, he turned his head, peering through the gaps in the crowd—

 

And spotted Ruan Jiao, standing next to their overstuffed shopping cart.

 

The little cub was happily munching on popcorn, completely oblivious to the world. His tentacles swayed back and forth as he ate, clearly in high spirits, entirely unaware of the look his father was giving him.

 

Ruan Shiqing: …

 

So this little wanted fugitive’s identity… is already crystal clear.

 

His gaze slowly shifted to the other cubs.

 

Clearly, none of them had seen the wanted list yet.

 

The little dragon cub and the fox cub were currently arguing over the last piece of grilled chicken wings, preparing to settle the dispute with rock-paper-scissors.

 

The little mermaid, on the other hand, was enthusiastically acting as the referee.

 

The golden robot, mouth agape, seemed to be trying to mediate the situation.

 

Only Snowball seemed to realize something was wrong.

 

Though he remained curled up, his eyes were wide open, constantly flickering between the wanted board and Ruan Shiqing.

 

But he clearly didn’t dare to be too obvious about it.

 

Ruan Shiqing’s gaze remained fixed on the cubs. And suddenly, an absurd yet shocking realization struck him….

 

 

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And Papa Ruan has got his first existential crisis lmao it’s over for them all, not just Rong Rong.

 

Thanks for reading!

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