TCPUAAV Chapter 78

 

The neutron beam they fired vanished without a trace, making it impossible to continue tracking. Chaos erupted in the military base on Sijialan Star.

 

After half a day of repeated verification, they finally obtained partial information: “The neutron beam we launched was intercepted near the Balham Star sector. The opposing side fired a similar neutron beam, destroying ours.”

 

The mermaid Clan’s chieftain wore an ugly expression.

 

Balham Star was a resource planet under the Naxi Group, home to the Balham Armory jointly established by Naxi Group and Planck Energy. The mermaid Clan had longstanding collaborations with Planck Energy. No matter the reason, Balham Star had no business interfering with Sijialan Star’s operation without prior notice.

 

They had to provide a reasonable explanation for this action.

 

“Contact Balham Star immediately and prepare for a second launch.”

 

The commander of the military base quickly sent out a communication request to Balham Star.

 

*

At that moment, Rong Heng was in the middle of a simulated combat training session with the little ones and battle robots.

 

He was teamed up with the little mermaid, the little fox, and Ruan Jiao, while the little dragon cub was on the opposing team with Merrell, Hector, and Mo Li. Each team was assigned a hundred battle robots, and they were engaging in a match at the outdoor training grounds of the control center.

 

The little dragon cub and the little fox had long been itching to prove who was stronger. As soon as the battle began, they zeroed in on each other, exchanging blows in an intense duel.

 

Meanwhile, the little mermaid was responsible for commanding the battle from the central tower. His task was to deploy forces strategically, defend his own team’s tower, and find a way to breach the opponent’s defenses to secure victory.

 

Pressing his lips together, he carefully analyzed the battlefield data, thinking of the optimal strategy to push forward.

 

“On the battlefield, you can’t rely on conventional thinking to outmaneuver your enemy.”

 

The communication channel lit up. Rong Heng’s virtual projection appeared, pointing at a corner of the holographic map—where the little dragon cub was locked in a one-on-one fight with Nota.

 

“Try taking down the isolated Heli first. That way, the enemy’s main combat power will be reduced to just three.”

 

The little mermaid widened his eyes, clearly surprised by the suggestion. He hesitated.

 

Rong Heng raised an eyebrow. “You are a commander, not a warrior. Warriors rely on direct confrontation and sheer power.” He tapped his temple. “But a commander must rely on strategy.”

 

His words successfully persuaded the little mermaid.

 

Narrowing his eyes, the little mermaid feigned a full-scale assault by sending a large number of robots to attack the top and middle lanes of the enemy’s defenses. However, in secret, he ordered a small squad of robots to advance stealthily toward the little dragon cub’s location.

 

The two cubs had just finished a fierce round of combat, ending in a tie, and were about to start their next bout when Nota suddenly received a private message from the little mermaid.

 

Her eyes flickered with mischief as she grinned at the little dragon cub. “I’m done playing with you.”

 

With that, she executed a nimble backflip, retreating from the battlefield. At the same time, the ambush squad of robots emerged from the shadows, completely surrounding the little dragon cub.

 

Caught off guard, the little dragon cub found himself staring down the barrels of over a dozen laser rifles. Furious, he yelled, “That’s cheating!”

 

From a distance, the little fox stuck out her tongue and made a face at him.

 

This is called ‘all’s fair in war’—nyah, nyah!

 

Angry but not helpless, the little dragon cub’s eyes darted around as he quickly devised a plan to escape. According to the match rules, once a participant was hit ten times, they would be eliminated.

 

Right now, he was surrounded by thirteen robots, each equipped with laser rifles capable of rapid ten-shot bursts per second. His chances of getting knocked out were dangerously high.

 

He needed reinforcements.

 

[Hector, save me!]

 

He secretly sent a message to Hector. At the same time, the battle robots opened fire.

 

Agile as ever, the little dragon cub dodged the attacks, but due to the lack of cover in this area—chosen specifically for the duel—he had nowhere to hide. Within moments, he was hit four times.

 

The impact sensors on his combat vest turned a faint red. If he got hit ten times, the vest would turn bright crimson, signifying excessive “blood loss” and his elimination from the match.

 

As soon as Hector received the distress signal, he rushed over and swiftly took down five of the attacking battle robots.

 

“Retreat.” Hector eliminated another enemy robot, ready to escort the little dragon cub to safety.

 

But just as he turned, he suddenly felt two shots land on him.

 

“What the f—?! Who the hell just ambushed me?!”

 

Hector was stunned. He immediately shielded the little dragon cub and retreated behind a barrier to assess the situation.

 

But before he could figure things out, he was hit again—several times in quick succession. The little dragon cub beside him fared no better, taking three more hits in the blink of an eye.

 

“What the fuck?! Who the hell is this sneaky bastard?!”

 

The attack angles kept shifting unpredictably, making it impossible for Hector to pinpoint the shooter based on trajectory alone. Frustrated, he peeked out to investigate—only to be shot twice more.

 

The little dragon cub, equally furious, attempted to counterattack, but just as he raised his weapon, a hidden sniper from afar—Noah[mfn]I thought it was Nota at first because how is an AI going to grin…? But no, it was really written Noah in the raws[/mfn]—took the opportunity to land a precise shot. Grinning, she announced cheerfully, “You’re surrounded!”

 

Moving swiftly between obstacles, Rong Heng fired three clean shots, eliminating the little dragon cub. Then, with a squad of battle robots, he encircled Hector. “You’re out.”

 

Hector, his combat vest now glowing bright red, stared at him in shock. “Weren’t you supposed to be defending the middle lane?”

 

Rong Heng gave him a look of pure disdain and used the opportunity to educate the little dragon cub. “Don’t stick around him too much in the future. Stupidity is contagious.”

 

Hector: ?????

 

Damn it.

 

At the same time, Merrell, who had been overseeing the backline, received the distressing news of her teammates’ eliminations. Her expression shifted sharply as she cursed under her breath and relayed the information through the comms.

 

“We’ve been tricked. His Highness wasn’t in the backline, nor was he in the middle lane. He took the opportunity to ambush Heli—and set up a trap for Hector while he was at it!”

 

She pieced it together quickly.

 

Rong Heng had known that Heli and Nota were locked in a one-on-one fight. He had also known that Hector was nearby and would undoubtedly rush to help. That was why he had deliberately given Heli time to request backup and stall.

 

It had all been a setup for a double kill.

 

Mo Li was flabbergasted. “???!!!”

 

“Then who the hell was I fighting in the middle lane?” His opponent had been using battle tactics identical to the prince’s!

 

At that moment, Ruan Jiao popped his head out from the defensive tower, cheerfully waving a small flag. The little antennae on his forehead wiggled with delight.

 

“…”

 

Mo Li sank back, disbelief written all over his face. “I actually lost to a cub.”

 

Then, he and Merrell spoke in unison: “Damn politicians, their minds are absolutely filthy.”

 

They had assumed that Ruan Jiao was only participating for fun and wouldn’t influence the match’s outcome. After all, they had secured a significant advantage to suppress the prince’s combat power.

 

Who could have guessed that His Highness would even weaponize a toddler?!

 

By teaching the little one to mimic his fighting style, he had deceived everyone into thinking he was still in the middle lane—while he himself carried out a sneak attack elsewhere.

 

“We lost.” Merrell raised the white flag.

 

With two of their key fighters eliminated while the enemy team remained unscathed, continuing the match was pointless.

 

The battle ended in surrender.

 

Ruan Jiao eagerly climbed down from the tower and ran up to Rong Heng, looking up at him expectantly while waving his little flag again.

 

The meaning was clear: Mission accomplished!

 

Rong Heng ruffled his head approvingly. “Not bad.”

 

The little one squinted happily, wrapping his tiny feelers around Rong Heng’s fingers.

 

Meanwhile, the little mermaid and Nota helped the sulking little dragon cub back onto his feet.

 

Hector, still unsatisfied, huffed, “You were way too cunning!”

 

“I wasn’t even the one in charge this time.” Rong Heng raised an eyebrow and patted the little mermaid’s shoulder. “This is the real commander—I was just following orders.”

 

Then, he shot them another disdainful look. “Losing to me is one thing, but losing to Ruan Yuebai? You two should seriously reflect on yourselves.”

 

Hector: …?!

 

Excuse me?!

 

He turned to look at the little mermaid, who was smiling shyly.

 

For a split second, Hector genuinely started questioning his own intelligence.

 

But he quickly dismissed the thought and instead sought an ally to restore his dignity. “This is all your fault for corrupting a perfectly good kid. Bad influences, that’s what you are!”

 

Then, he turned to the little dragon cub. “At least Heli isn’t like you.”

 

However, the little dragon cub wasn’t too keen on forming an alliance with him. After a moment of hesitation, he declared, “Next time, I want to be on Brother Rong’s and Yuebai’s team!”

 

Though he didn’t outright reject Hector, the message was clear: Smart teammates are the way to go.

 

“…”

 

Hector mended his shattered pride and walked away.

 

The little dragon cub watched him leave and muttered under his breath, “We might not be teammates in training matches, but we can still fight together in real battles.”

 

Rong Heng was about to review the match with the cubs when Noah’s voice rang out.

 

“Your Highness, Sijialan Star has sent five consecutive communication requests. I believe you should take a look.”

 

She had refrained[mfn]Yep, that kinda ascertains that the sniper from before was Nota and not Noah, but I’m leaving it as it is in case [/mfn] from interrupting the match earlier, but in the past thirty minutes, Sijialan Star had grown utterly furious, bombarding them with messages.

 

The mermaid Clan’s chieftain was indeed furious.

 

As he continued ordering his people to establish contact with Balham Star, he also sent a direct message to Köhler, the head of Planck Energy, demanding an explanation for Balham Star’s actions.

 

However, after verifying the situation, Köhler personally replied: He had not issued such orders and had no knowledge of Balham Star’s interference.

 

Furthermore, he promised to inquire with Balham Star and get back to the chieftain as soon as possible.

 

Yet, Balham Star remained silent.

 

As the leader of the mermaid Clan, he had never been treated with such blatant disregard.

 

“It’s time we teach them a lesson.” He said coldly.

 

 

---

 

We may cruelly be missing Papa Ruan but at least the cubs are bonding with Papa Rong I guess :’)))

 

Thanks for reading!

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