TCPUAAV Chapter 15

 

 

It was none other than the Nine-Tailed Fox cub that Rong Heng had freed during the auction.

 

After her escape, she hadn’t been seen again. Who would have thought that not only had she evaded capture, but she had also found her way to his house—to steal nutritional supplements, no less.

 

Rong Heng clicked his tongue softly and strolled leisurely into the kitchen.

 

Nota[mfn]The literal pinyin was Nuota, but I felt like Nota was cuter and easier on the tongue?[/mfn] clutched eight tubes of nutritional supplements tightly, ready to leave.

 

Since escaping the auction, she had been in constant hiding. The auction organizers had sent out numerous search parties for her, and her conspicuous tails made it impossible to stay out in the open for long. She only dared to venture out when she was desperate for food.

 

Food wasn’t easy to come by either. Few houses were as well-stocked as this one, so she had taken the risk and grabbed eight tubes of supplements this time. If she rationed them, eating one every two days, she could last half a month.

 

Her tails swayed slightly behind her as she jumped onto the windowsill. Cautiously scanning the surroundings, she confirmed there was no one nearby and prepared to leap out.

 

But suddenly, a familiar presence appeared behind her—one that made her fur stand on end.

 

Nota turned warily, her eyes locking onto Rong Heng at the doorway.

 

It was the one who had let her go that day.

 

Though the figure before her appeared to be just a cub, the aura he exuded was more formidable than anything she had encountered, even from the adult Nine-Tailed Foxes she had known.

 

The oppressive energy radiating from him made her feel threatened—even though he had once saved her.

 

Her fur bristled as she stiffened, her silver eyes fixed unblinkingly on him. After a tense moment, she reluctantly set half of the nutritional supplements back on the windowsill.

 

She now had four tubes left in her arms.

 

If she returned them all, she’d have to go hungry for the next few days, increasing her chances of being caught.

 

Rong Heng scrutinized the little cub.

 

Her clothes were tattered and likely scavenged from somewhere. The once sleek and radiant fur was now dull and matted. Her exposed face and arms were marred with dirt and scratches.

 

Clearly, life after her escape hadn’t been kind.

 

It wasn’t hard to imagine the lengths to which the auction organizers would go to recover such a rare cub.

 

Still, it was remarkable that she had managed to evade capture for so long. Despite her disheveled state, she didn’t exude panic or fear, seeming almost accustomed to this life on the run.

 

Her eyes were the same as when he’d first seen her—steady, alert, and defiant.

 

A promising talent, Rong Heng thought. What a pity.

 

He snorted softly, casting a final glance at the bristling cub before turning and leaving as casually as he had entered.

 

As the oppressive aura receded, Nota’s tense body gradually relaxed. She hesitated, watching the direction he had left, carefully checking for any sign of ambush. Only when she was sure he wasn’t lying in wait did she leap out of the window with her remaining supplements.

 

The four tubes she had left behind remained neatly arranged on the windowsill.

 

*

 

Ruan Shiqing drove the hovercar back to the house.

 

As he parked in the courtyard, he saw the little pup sitting by the door, tilting its head and looking at him with an adorably obedient expression.

 

Ruan Shiqing’s heart softened immediately. He jumped out of the car, strode over, scooped the pup up, and rubbed him affectionately. “Is Snowball waiting for Daddy to come home?”

 

Rong Heng, who had only come out to investigate the noise: …

 

Fine. I can’t argue with you. If you say I was, then I was.

 

Resigning himself, he leaned over to inspect the newly arrived hovercar in the courtyard.

 

This type of crude hovercar was something he’d only seen in videos. It was his first time seeing one in person.

 

When Ruan Shiqing had finally rubbed him enough, Rong Heng leapt down and began circling the hovercar, curious.

 

The little pup was already small, and now that his injuries had healed considerably, he had grown even rounder. His movements as he circled the hovercar resembled a fluffy white snowball rolling around.

 

Ruan Shiqing couldn’t stop laughing at the sight.

 

Up on the second floor, the little mermaid watched the scene. He wanted to call out to get their attention, but he couldn’t make any loud sounds. Frustrated, he began slapping his tail on the water, emitting urgent “ah ah” noises.

 

09’s keen hearing caught the noise immediately.

 

“I’ll go fetch the little master!” The robot volunteered.

 

The little mermaid had been cooped up on the second floor for quite a while. After some thought, Ruan Shiqing nodded in agreement with 09’s suggestion.

 

09 clattered up the stairs and carefully carried the eager little mermaid out of the water barrel.

 

With his tail included, the little mermaid was actually taller than 09. But 09, feeling like a responsible adult, adopted a parental demeanor toward the “immature cub.” He meticulously dried the mermaid’s body, wrapped him snugly in a large towel, and carried him steadily downstairs.

 

The little mermaid, who hadn’t left the second floor since moving in, looked around curiously. His pale cheeks flushed with excitement.

 

When his gaze landed on Ruan Shiqing, his eyes brightened even more, and he gave a shy smile while pursing his lips.

 

“That was my oversight. I’ll set up a pool on the first floor for you in a few days,” Ruan Shiqing promised. That way, the little mermaid would have a space to move around.

 

Scanning the courtyard, he brought out a large chair and placed it under the Fallen Star vines. He had 09 carefully set the little mermaid down there.

 

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the vines, creating a warm and pleasant atmosphere.

 

Although the mermaid’s body had been dried, his long hair remained damp, cascading over his shoulders. Wrapped in the towel, he looked like a small, rain-soaked animal.

 

“Your hair’s gotten quite long,” Ruan Shiqing remarked.

 

He gently dried the mermaid’s hair and then asked, “Would you mind if I trimmed it a bit?”

 

The mermaid’s long blue hair, beautiful as it was, floated like seaweed in the water and was difficult for him to manage.

 

The little mermaid nodded obediently. “Ah.”

 

Ruan Shiqing fetched scissors and began carefully trimming the overly long hair.

 

The cut blue strands weren’t discarded carelessly. Instead, Ruan instructed 09 to store them properly. Turning to the little mermaid, whose eyes were filled with puzzlement, Ruan explained, “This is the first time you’ve had your hair cut. We’ll keep it as a memento.”

 

Things like a cub’s baby teeth or fur were tokens of a fleeting time, collected piece by piece. One day, looking back, they would be markers of growth.

 

The little mermaid nodded vigorously, his eyes crinkling with joy.

 

Watching this unfold, Rong Heng couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

 

What was so special about this messy fur that it deserved to be kept? The mermaid was only this bald[mfn]He’s not actually bald, but since he’s a mermaid, he has way less ‘fur’ than the puppy like Rong Heng and he’s using that fact as an insult lmao[/mfn] because he was artificial.

 

If it were Rong Heng, and he kept all the fur he shed, it would probably fill an entire warehouse.

 

Hmph.

 

***

 

After settling the two little ones in the courtyard to bask in the sunlight, Ruan Shiqing called in the Xiong brothers to help him source the necessary components.

 

The hovercar required a significant number of parts for its modifications. While most of them were standard and relatively easy to find, gathering them would still take time.

 

Xiong Yuanyuan glanced at the list and grinned broadly. “We’ve got some of these parts in stock. We’ll bring them over later. As for the rest, we’ll look for them at the scrapyard. If we can’t find what we need, we’ll buy them at the market.”

 

The brothers had accumulated quite a collection of spare parts, but since other repair shops refused to accept their items, they had hesitated to bring them to Ruan Shiqing, unsure if he could use them. Now that he was setting up his repair shop, they eagerly offered their stock.

 

Ruan Shiqing didn’t decline, accepting their offer without fuss.

 

The brothers, now with a job to do, were energized and set off immediately to hunt for parts.

 

Leaving 09 to watch over the children, Ruan Shiqing retreated to his workshop to ponder the overall design of the hovercar.

 

The principles behind the hovercar’s operation were simple: control cables connected two jet engines to the anti-gravity hover mechanism. In theory, as long as the engine power was sufficient, the hovercar could achieve high speeds.

 

But therein lay the challenge.

 

Jet engines were outdated technology, with their power directly proportional to their size.

 

The larger the engine, the more powerful it was—and thus, the faster the hovercar could go. However, hovercars had strict size limitations, and Luther didn’t have the funds to purchase better engines.

 

Ruan Shiqing needed to find a way to enhance the existing engines, increasing their power without enlarging them.

 

After deliberating for some time without reaching a solution, he decided to search for relevant information online. His knowledge of this world’s technology was still superficial, and his approach involved continuous experimentation—encountering problems and resolving them as they arose. By comparing this world’s knowledge with what he had learned in his original world, he aimed to deepen his understanding.

 

Activating his smart terminal, it transformed into a neural link helmet. Ruan Shiqing donned the helmet and logged into the holographic network.

 

It was his first time experiencing the fully immersive virtual network since purchasing the smart terminal.

 

A calm female voice greeted him. “Welcome to the HoloNet. I am your guide, Noah.”

 

Within the holographic space, Ruan Shiqing looked at himself in a mirror, astonished by his virtual appearance.

 

The young man reflected in the mirror had dark eyes and red lips, his features sharp and distinct. His short hair was slightly wavy and thick, jet-black in color. When not smiling, he carried an air of aloofness, but a smile softened his demeanor, revealing a warm and gentle gaze. Standing at 1.82 meters tall, he had a slim waist, long legs, and pale, cool-toned skin with faint blue veins visible beneath the surface.

 

This was not his current physical body but his original one.

 

The body he now inhabited bore a strong resemblance to his former self, but years of malnourishment had left it thin and underdeveloped.

 

Since his arrival in this world, improved living conditions had allowed his body to gradually recover, becoming fuller and healthier. Still, it didn’t feel as familiar as his original body.

 

He studied his reflection for a long time before asking, “Noah, is this appearance aligned with my mental projection?”

 

This was only a hypothesis.

 

In his original world, holographic networks also rendered avatars based on the user’s mental image. However, the technology required cumbersome holographic cabins rather than the convenient neural link helmet he was now using.

 

Noah confirmed his guess. “Yes, sir. This is your default mental projection. Would you like to spend 1,000 Starcoins to customize your appearance?”

 

“No need,” Ruan Shiqing replied, satisfied. “I’d like to search for resources on hovercar design. Can you help me find specialized books or forums?”

 

“Certainly,” Noah replied, her voice tinged with amusement. “The Mechanic Forum contains the information you’re looking for. Would you like to log in?”

 

Mechanic Forum?

 

The unfamiliar term puzzled Ruan Shiqing, but after a moment’s hesitation, he nodded in agreement.

 

It doesn’t matter what kind of forum it is. I’ll know once I’m in.

 

Receiving the command, Noah’s tone grew more serious. “Please hold on. I’ll need three minutes to bypass the forum’s encryption and generate an appropriate registration identity for you.”

 

Ruan Shiqing: ???

 

What?

 

Was interstellar-era forum security always this intense?

 

 

 

---

 

 

Am I dreaming or is Noah going to like hack into the military or something lmao???

 

Also, I just realized that we don’t have a name for the little mermaid… Idk if I missed it or not but that’s kinda sadge since it’s not used anyways lol

 

Thanks for reading!