TCPUAAV Chapter 124

 

In the Kitchen

 

Rong Heng stood with a grave expression. He carefully recalled the beginner’s cooking guide he had read, following each step as instructed, but he still felt he had rushed into this recklessly.

 

It had looked so easy when Ruan Shiqing cooked. The tutorial had also been detailed and straightforward, but now that he was actually doing it himself, it was an entirely different story.

 

The Crown Prince privately thought that cooking was far more exhausting than going to war.

 

Holding the spatula like a weapon, he stood as if facing a formidable enemy. His expression was even more tense than when confronting the Zerg. So nervous was he that he didn’t even notice the little ones peeking in from the doorway, quietly worrying about his culinary skills.

 

After more than an hour of battling in the kitchen, the Crown Prince was drenched in sweat, more disheveled than he had ever been.

 

But at least there were some results. He had managed to wrangle together four dishes and a soup.

 

The Xiong brothers had taken an outside job and were already out. In the dining room, only the little ones were gathered around the table, with 09 off to the side charging since he didn’t need to eat.

 

Rong Heng carefully brought the dishes out and placed them on the table. His tense expression finally eased a bit. He exhaled deeply and tried to keep his tone gentle as he called out, “Time to eat.”

 

The little ones stared at the rather unappetizing-looking dishes with heavy hearts.

 

They exchanged silent glances, but no one had the courage to pick up their chopsticks.

 

Under the table, Heli stealthily kicked Nota and shot her a look: You go first.

 

Nota glared back: Why don’t you eat it yourself?

 

Then he looked at Ruan Yuebai sitting across from him: You’re the eldest. You go.

 

Ruan Yuebai hesitated for a second before picking up his chopsticks like a soldier going into battle, lifting a slice of meat.

 

The slice was cut too thick, somewhat raw in the center, and hadn’t been properly prepared—still carrying that gamey, raw meat smell. It was also oversalted. Painfully salty.

 

Ruan Yuebai barely chewed and swallowed it whole.

 

“How’s it taste?” Rong Heng asked, looking at him. His face remained calm, but inwardly he was a little nervous.

 

It was his first attempt at cooking. Though it didn’t look great, he had followed the tutorial step by step. At least it looked like a real meal. He wasn’t expecting it to be delicious, but surely it was edible? Hopefully better than nutrient packs… right?

 

Ruan Yuebai forced himself to nod and picked up some vegetables. “It’s not bad.”

 

Hearing that, Rong Heng let out a breath of relief. “You all go ahead and eat. I’ll go get the rice.”

 

Once he left, Heli and Nota couldn’t hold it in anymore. In hushed voices, they asked, “Is it really okay?”

 

After swallowing the vegetables, Ruan Yuebai finally replied with a calm “Mm.”

 

Trusting his word, the little ones didn’t hesitate anymore and started eating.

 

Heli and Nota were both meat lovers, so naturally, they reached for the meat first. But the moment it touched their tongues, they both frowned simultaneously. And just at that moment, Rong Heng returned, holding bowls of rice. They couldn’t spit it out, nor could they swallow it easily. Under Rong Heng’s hopeful gaze, they clenched their jaws and forced it down, doing their best not to show any unusual reactions.

 

Rong Heng placed the rice down and ladled out bowls of soup for each of them.

 

With Ruan Shiqing gone, he tried to take on his role—caring for the little ones, learning to be a responsible and nurturing father figure.

 

The little ones had no choice but to steel themselves and drink the soup. Thankfully, while the taste was a bit odd, at least it wasn’t overwhelmingly salty. They treated it like water and just sipped it down.

 

The slowest of them all, Ruan Jiao, only picked up his rice bowl after seeing everyone else start eating.

 

Rong Heng served him a piece of meat. “Eat more meat.”

 

Ruan Jiao smiled at him, then picked up the meat slice. But as soon as he tasted it, his expression froze and his little brows furrowed.

 

Unlike the other cubs, he clearly wasn’t good at pretending. He looked at Rong Heng for a moment, seemingly remembering something, then slowly chewed and, after a struggle, finally swallowed it.

 

It was so salty that he desperately wanted a drink of water but held back.

 

The little antennae on his forehead drooped lifelessly.

 

Rong Heng noticed his expression, furrowing his brow. He picked up a piece of meat himself to try it and immediately grimaced. “Why is it so salty?”

 

Looking again at the cubs eating with their heads down, a rare flicker of guilt passed through his eyes. “Forget it. If it doesn’t taste good, don’t force yourselves. Just have the nutrient packs.”

 

Ruan Shiqing had been unconscious for over half a month, and the little ones had matured a lot during that time. The house was no longer filled with the laughter and cheer of the past. Rong Heng had hoped to lift their spirits by making a homemade meal before setting out again. But in the end… the food wasn’t even as good as nutrient packs.

 

He got up to clear the table.

 

But the little ones stopped him. Heli mumbled, “It’s salty, sure… but it’s still edible.”

 

Nota nodded in agreement. “The vegetables are okay too.”

 

“Dad said we shouldn’t waste food,” Ruan Yuebai said seriously.

 

Always a beat behind, Ruan Jiao finally caught on and nodded earnestly. He picked up his bowl again and shoveled in a big mouthful of rice.

 

Rong Heng hesitated for a moment before sitting back down.

 

In the end, the five of them managed to finish all four dishes and the soup.

 

Watching the cubs constantly sipping water, Rong Heng’s expression softened. He turned to 09 beside him. “Next time, you teach me.”

 

If he learned how to cook, he could surprise Ruan Shiqing when he woke up.

 

After dinner, with their bellies stuffed from food and water, the cubs waddled off to the backyard to walk it off.

 

Rong Heng took the opportunity to share his plans. “Once the Yanji garrison arrives and our forces are reorganized, I probably won’t be staying on Planet B3024.”

 

This was something the cubs had already guessed during one of their meetings, so none of them reacted immediately—they simply waited for him to continue.

 

“This time, I don’t plan to take you with me. Yuebai, Heli, and Nota—you three will stay behind at the military base with Hector. Ruan Jiao… you’ll remain on B3024. Garland needs your assistance.”

 

He had already made arrangements for each of them.

 

Perhaps because of what had happened with Ruan Shiqing, Rong Heng had developed a sense of dread. He didn’t want to bring the little ones to the frontlines anymore. Interstellar rescue missions were already dangerous, and now, with the situation becoming even more unstable—Zerg forces lurking with unknown strength—the risks had doubled.

 

Better to leave them here at headquarters, where even if war broke out, the flames wouldn’t reach them so easily.

 

As expected, the cubs immediately objected.

 

Heli was the first to speak up. “We’ve always gone into battle together.”

 

“We won’t be a burden,” Nota added, lifting her chin.

 

Ruan Yuebai, on the other hand, had somewhat guessed what Rong Heng was thinking. He murmured quietly, “Even if you don’t take us… we could still follow you in secret.”

 

Rong Heng choked up a bit—because what Yuebai said wasn’t wrong.

 

Heli and Nota were far from obedient cubs. And Ruan Yuebai? He was the strategist Rong Heng had personally trained. If they wanted to sneak after him, it was entirely possible.

 

With a headache, Rong Heng pinched the bridge of his nose, at a loss for how to deal with them.

 

After a long silence, he decided to pick the softest target. He turned to Ruan Jiao, who was listening intently with ears perked up. “Forget about those three. You have to stay.”

 

Ruan Jiao: !!!

 

The little cub stared at him in disbelief, his antennae standing straight up, his expression a mix of outrage and grievance.

 

He looked like he’d just been abandoned.

 

“I want to go too!”

 

“Garland’s research needs your help. And once we’re all gone, someone has to stay and take care of Dad. 09 won’t be able to handle it all alone.”

 

Unlike the three troublemakers, Ruan Jiao was clearly easier to persuade. His eyes blinked a few times as the heavy responsibility settled onto his tiny shoulders.

 

He hesitated for a moment, then gave a firm nod.

 

The Crown Prince, relieved, reached out and ruffled his little head—then cast a side glance at the other three little troublemakers.

 

At least there’s one I can still manage.

 

*

 

Five days later, the Yanji garrison arrived on Planet B3024.

 

Rong Heng transferred over the majority of his troops, leaving only a small contingent to continue guarding the front lines. Almost simultaneously, Hector’s trusted forces from the Ota Region arrived one after another. The once obscure, desolate junk planet of B3024 suddenly became livelier than ever before.

 

The military base on the neighboring unnamed planet, now fully staffed, was finally rushed to completion, and the final construction phase began.

 

Sprawling and equipped with comprehensive facilities, the base was far more advanced than the one on B3024. The blueprint had been personally designed by Ruan Shiqing, with a state-of-the-art antimatter reactor at its core. Now completed, a protective shield shimmered above the base, shielding it from the harsh cold of the outside world. With its climate control systems simulating weather patterns, the base now fully supported regular human activity and operations.

 

Some of the soldiers and workers stationed on B3024 were reassigned to the new base.

 

Within the facility was a larger and more sophisticated arms factory, outfitted with an independent, fully automated production line specifically for manufacturing antimatter engines—a concept Ruan Shiqing had developed back in Sikkim. The blueprint for this production line had been sent to Mo Li long ago, with the intention of launching the project upon Ruan Shiqing’s return to B3024.

 

But Ruan Shiqing’s accident changed everything. With the war escalating and no time to wait, Mo Li had no choice but to act. He assembled a team and began converting the factory equipment according to the designs.

 

Fortunately, Ruan Shiqing’s schematics were extremely detailed. Mo Li had already revised an initial version earlier and had even discussed it with him via comms. The plan had been to finalize the improvements upon Ruan Shiqing’s return—but now, they had no choice but to proceed using the preliminary version.

 

While the arms factory was working overtime to produce the first antimatter warship, shocking news suddenly exploded across the Holonet: the Yanji garrison had withdrawn from the frontlines.

 

The withdrawal of the Southeast Sector garrison signaled the complete collapse of the southeastern defense line.

 

This was the first time in all the years of fighting the Zerg that frontline troops had been pulled back—and not just a small unit. A massive force had disappeared without a word.

 

The news sparked a wave of public outrage. Citizens demanded explanations from the government and the military, furiously questioning whether they had decided to abandon the nation and its people.

 

Yet the truth was—the military high command was even more confused than the public.

 

No one had ever issued an order to retreat. And as for the Emperor? He was still lying unconscious in a hospital ward!

 

While the military scrambled to respond to the crisis, another disaster struck: a planet in the Syracuse Sector came under Zerg attack.

 

The besieged world immediately sent out a distress signal to the Empire. But the military command was already overwhelmed. Meanwhile, the various political factions, caught in their own power struggles and wary of sacrificing their forces, delayed and deflected responsibility. No reinforcements were sent.

 

Rong Heng learned of the attack through Lucien—he received the report almost immediately.

 

He donned his military cap, fastened the collar of his uniform, and went to bid farewell to Ruan Shiqing.

 

The man in full dress uniform stood silently by the bedside, gaze lowered. He stared for a long time.

 

Finally, he bent down and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of the unconscious man’s lips. In a low voice, he said, “I’m heading out. Wait for me to come back.”

 

 

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I’m gonna cry, our little cubs…!

 

Ruan Ruan c’mon pls it’s starting to be way too long ;____;

 

Thanks for reading!

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