TCPUAAV Chapter 87

 

Ruan Shiqing stared at Snowball, who was rolling around in a playful tangle with the young cubs.

 

The three little ones piled on top of Snowball like a stack of tumbling dolls, pressing him down. At first, he lay motionless, allowing them to do as they pleased. But after barely two minutes, he seemed to have had enough. His four paws sprang into action, launching a counterattack—he flipped the three cubs pinning him down and scrambled to his feet. Then, he pounced on the little dragon cub who had tried to flee. Seeing this, the little fox and Ruan Jiao immediately lunged at him in turn. This time, it was the dragon cub’s turn to be buried under a heap. Unlike Snowball, he wasn’t as nimble, flailing his limbs like a helpless little turtle and letting out indignant cries.

 

The tiny mermaid, holding his book, didn’t join in the childish game. But as he watched the dragon cub struggle to get up, he mischievously took the chance to tug at his tail.

 

“Who sneak-attacked me?!” The dragon cub, trapped at the bottom of the pile, had no idea who had pulled his tail. His frustration grew even more.

 

The little mermaid quickly withdrew his hand, pressing his lips together in a secretive smile.

 

Ruan Shiqing watched the scene for a long time before suddenly chuckling to himself. He realized he might have been overthinking things.

 

Mr. Rong and Snowball did share certain similarities, but their personalities were worlds apart.

 

Snowball was steadier than the other young cubs, but he still had his lively moments, frequently playing along with them. In contrast, Mr. Rong was always composed and disciplined, carrying the sharp decisiveness unique to soldiers. Someone like him—how could he ever blend in with the cubs, even if he were to disguise himself as one?

 

It was probably just a coincidence.

 

Shaking his head with a smile, Ruan Shiqing dismissed his own far-fetched suspicions.

 

But still, a seed of doubt had been planted in his heart, waiting for the right moment to take root and grow.

 

*

 

After giving a brief explanation to the Xiong brothers, Ruan Shiqing took 09 with him to the weapons factory’s laboratory.

 

The storage unit he had brought back was filled with antimatter, and he was eager to begin his experiments.

 

He had promised to build a new shuttle for Mr. Rong, and he never made empty promises.

 

Now that everything was ready, he started working on constructing an antimatter engine.

 

In the world he came from, antimatter technology had already been widely adopted. Whether in civilian or military fields, from large-scale antimatter reactors to compact antimatter engines, remarkable progress had been made.

 

Standing on the shoulders of those before him, his experiments encountered obstacles, but none that were insurmountable.

 

He remained in the lab for an entire month. 09, acting as his assistant, never left his side.

 

At first, during the first half of the month, he still made time to go home and check on the little ones. But once the experiment reached a critical stage, he even lost track of day and night, working tirelessly without rest. He relied on nutrient solutions and mental boosters to keep going. When exhaustion caught up to him, he would take brief naps in the lab’s rest area—never more than two hours—before diving back into work.

 

The little ones were very understanding. They knew their father was busy with his research, so they obediently followed the Xiong brothers to and from school every day.

 

But sometimes, when they really missed him, they would ask Xiong Yuanyuan to take them to the weapons factory. They would press their little faces against the glass wall of the laboratory, watching him from outside.

 

Seeing their father in his white lab coat, fully immersed in his work, the cubs’ eyes filled with admiration—Their father looked so different when he was working.

 

Afraid of disturbing him, they always came quietly and left just as quietly.

 

That day, as usual, the cubs came to see their father.

 

The three little ones stood in a row, pressing their faces against the floor-to-ceiling glass window, their cheeks squished flat against it.

 

Rong Heng, however, was reluctant to do something so childish and silly. Instead, he lay atop the little mermaid’s stroller, though his gaze kept drifting toward the lab, stealing glances again and again.

 

“I wish I could be as smart as Dad someday,” the little fox murmured, her silver eyes wide with admiration as she watched her father deftly operate the complex experimental instruments.

 

Inside the lab, peculiar-looking machines hummed, their screens flashing with intricate streams of data.

 

Ruan Shiqing stood with his back to them, analyzing a set of experimental results. Behind him, the quantum computer emitted a soft beep as new test data appeared. The small robot, 09, efficiently retrieved the report. When it passed by the glass window, it tilted its head slightly. The red dot on its screen flashed, and it waved at the cubs with a cheerful smile.

 

Ruan Shiqing took the report and examined the latest test results. His eyes, dulled by exhaustion, suddenly brightened. His voice was filled with excitement—”Success!”

 

Over the past month, Ruan Shiqing had tested countless materials, making adjustment after adjustment, until he finally calculated the most stable engine array.

 

The smile on his face didn’t fade as he carefully retrieved the storage unit and injected a precise amount of antimatter into the specially designed engine.

 

The entire engine was constructed from Zerg exoskeleton material. As the antimatter was injected, a blue indicator light illuminated—signifying that the internal operation was stable, with no signs of explosion. Prior to this, he had already destroyed more than a dozen of these specially designed engines.

 

But this time, it finally ran smoothly.

 

Relief washed over him, and he smiled as he turned to 09. “Take the engine—we’re going to test it.”

 

Now that the engine had passed its initial phase, it was time to install it in the shuttle for a test run.

 

Following his orders, 09 summoned four robots to carefully transport the engine outside.

 

Ruan Shiqing was a step behind as he exited the lab—only to spot a few meters away, his little cubs gazing longingly at him.

 

Afraid of interrupting his work, they hadn’t run up to him but simply stood there, their eyes filled with pitiful longing.

 

He glanced at the time on his smart brain and was startled to realize that a full month had passed.

 

The last time he had personally picked up the cubs from school… he thought back and realized it had been over two weeks ago.

 

A wave of guilt and warmth surged in his heart.

 

Instead of heading straight for the engine test, he stopped in his tracks and beckoned the cubs over.

 

With his permission, the cubs cheered and flung themselves into his arms.

 

Ruan Shiqing opened his arms wide, gathering all four little ones into his embrace, nuzzling them affectionately.

 

The little dragon cub perched on his shoulder, rubbing against the crook of his neck as he mumbled, “Daddy, your hair’s gotten so long.”

 

It had indeed grown quite a bit—after all, he hadn’t trimmed it in a month. “I’ll get it cut tomorrow.”

 

“Daddy, you smell a little stinky.” The little fox wrinkled her nose but still nestled against Ruan Shiqing’s chest, showing no sign of real dislike as she rubbed against him affectionately.

 

“I’ll take a shower in a bit.” Ruan Shiqing lowered his head and took a sniff, immediately frowning.

 

In his rush to complete his work this past month, his showers had been quick and careless—no wonder he had a bit of a smell.

 

The little mermaid reached out and gently tapped the dark circles under his eyes. He didn’t say anything, but the worry in his gaze was evident.

 

“Don’t worry,” Ruan Shiqing reassured him with a smile. “Once today’s over, I’ll finally get a good night’s sleep.”

 

Ruan Jiao stood on his tiptoes, his tiny antennae quivering as they lightly brushed against Ruan Shiqing’s forehead.

 

The tension in Ruan Shiqing’s body melted away. It was as if a parched land had been blessed with a gentle drizzle, easing his exhaustion.

 

He reached out and lightly touched the little one’s antennae, his eyes curving in a smile. “Thanks, Jiao Jiao—I feel much better now.”

 

The little one wiggled his antennae happily, his expression full of joy.

 

Finally, Ruan Shiqing turned to Snowball, who had been silently watching from the side but hadn’t joined in.

 

He ruffled the cub’s fluffy head and asked with a chuckle, “Snowball, don’t you have anything to say to Daddy?”

 

Rong Heng stared at him, the initial solemnity on his face—born of guilt—gradually softening.

 

His brown eyes blinked once, and after a brief hesitation, he leaned in and gently rubbed his face against Ruan Shiqing’s.

 

He was both happy and remorseful.

 

Happy that Ruan Shiqing had been so dedicated, working tirelessly in the lab just to build him a new shuttle. But also guilty for having caused him so much exhaustion and strain.

 

Yet, when he saw the light in Ruan Shiqing’s eyes, he let go of that guilt.

 

Because Ruan Shiqing truly enjoyed this process.

 

After spending a few moments bonding with the cubs, Ruan Shiqing noticed their reluctance to part with him—though they tried their best to hide it, their longing expressions were unmistakable. So instead of leaving them behind, he simply decided to take them along to the test site.

 

There, a shuttle identical in model to Glory stood waiting. However, its exterior was now a vibrant, deep cyan-green, brimming with life. Compared to the one that had been damaged in the wormhole, this version appeared sleeker and more lightweight—clearly, it had undergone modifications.

 

Meanwhile, 09, along with four robotic engineers, had already finished installing the engine.

 

Ruan Shiqing instructed the cubs to stay at the edge of the test site and watch from a safe distance. Then, he boarded the brand-new shuttle.

 

This modified shuttle was far more lightweight than before. The bulky fuel tanks and traditional reactor had been completely removed, replaced with the revolutionary antimatter engine.

 

With an almost perfect energy conversion rate, the antimatter engine continuously generated power through annihilation reactions. As soon as it was activated, matter and antimatter would collide within the engine, producing an immense and self-sustaining energy output—enough to power the shuttle indefinitely.

 

Just a few milligrams of antimatter were enough to establish a stable reaction loop: annihilation, decay, the generation of new antimatter, and further annihilation.

 

In theory, this engine was equivalent to a perpetual motion machine.

 

Of course, theory was just theory. While the reaction itself could continue indefinitely, the engine’s outer shell wouldn’t be able to withstand such intense energy conversion forever—it would still require periodic replacements.

 

But compared to traditional nuclear fusion engines, this was already a groundbreaking improvement.

 

Inside the cockpit, Ruan Shiqing methodically powered up the shuttle.

 

Ignition. Acceleration.

 

The cyan-green shuttle shot forward like a hunting hai dongqing[mfn]It’s a term used by falconry tribes to refer to “perfect” falcons! It basically means a green falcon flying from the east side of the sea[/mfn]—like a majestic sea falcon—vanishing into the distance in the blink of an eye.

 

The cubs gasped in amazement, wide-eyed at the spectacle, though for them, it was merely a fascinating new sight.

 

But for Rong Heng—as well as Merrell and the others who had rushed over upon hearing the news—the scene was utterly shocking.

 

This speed…

 

It was far faster than the original Glory!

 

Due to size constraints, standard shuttles couldn’t house large reactors, meaning their maximum speed was only sub-light speed. And even “sub-light speed” was a misleading term—it was still far from the actual speed of light.

 

Only warships, equipped with massive reactors and abundant energy supplies, could achieve faster-than-light (FTL) travel. But even then, the energy consumption was astronomical.

 

Yet now, this small shuttle—no bigger than Glory—was moving at speeds that rivaled those of warships with full-sized reactors.

 

Dares and Merrell’s eyes lit up with excitement. Watching the shuttle streak across the sky before looping back in an instant, they were itching to try it themselves.

 

The cyan-green shuttle repeatedly vanished and reappeared in the sky.

 

Rong Heng watched closely, his heart surging with an unspoken shock.

 

If he wasn’t mistaken… Ruan Shiqing was performing hyperspace jumps.

 

Multiple hyperspace jumps.

 

Even for warships, hyperspace jumps consumed an enormous amount of energy and had strict usage limitations.

 

Yet here was a mere shuttle, executing over a dozen jumps back-to-back.

 

Rong Heng narrowed his eyes.

 

He knew exactly what this meant.

 

Ruan Shiqing’s experiment was a complete success.

 

When he leapt out of the landed shuttle, his entire face was glowing with excitement.

 

Dares and Merrell, unable to contain their excitement, pounced on the shuttle like a pair of scavengers discovering treasure. Meanwhile, the little cubs had already surrounded their father in a tight circle.

 

Rong Heng shot a glance at Dares and Merrell—who were practically groping the shuttle with indecent enthusiasm—before shamelessly squeezing into Ruan Shiqing’s embrace.

 

After all, the shuttle was going to be his sooner or later. Let Dares and the others have their moment of admiration for now.

 

The crown prince withdrew his look of disdain and let out a soft, affectionate grunt toward the person in his heart.

 

Ruan Shiqing chuckled and playfully tapped the damp tip of his nose.

 

*

 

With the successful creation of the antimatter engine, Ruan Shiqing had finally settled a major task. He took the cubs home, got a haircut, took a proper shower, had lunch, and then snuggled up with the little ones for a much-needed nap.

 

After that, he no longer needed to spend every waking moment in the lab. Instead, his routine shifted—each morning, after dropping the cubs off at school, he would focus on organizing a month’s worth of experimental data.

 

He compiled all the findings into a substantial and weighty research paper.

 

Sitting in his workspace, Ruan Shiqing stared at the paper, his expression filled with hesitation.

 

He knew exactly what this paper meant.

 

The moment it was published, it would cause an earth-shattering uproar in the academic world, inviting both skepticism and excitement.

 

But academic scrutiny had never been something he feared.

 

What truly made him hesitate… was the thought of how the Empire, or other ill-intentioned forces, might exploit this technology to escalate war.

 

The emergence of antimatter engines was just the beginning.

 

Once this technology became fully mastered, the development of antimatter weapons would soon follow.

 

He wanted to make this world a better place, not contribute to more devastating warfare.

 

After much deliberation, he ultimately decided not to submit the paper to Metis for publication.

 

Still uncertain, his mind drifted to Mr. Rong’s unwavering expression—steadfast and resolute.

 

Perhaps… he could seek Mr. Rong’s opinion.

 

With that thought, he tried dialing Rong Heng’s communicator.

 

The call went unanswered.

 

He figured the man was likely busy, so he didn’t insist. Instead, he carefully composed a message, detailing his concerns and uncertainties, and sent it over.

 

Three minutes later, he received a reply.

 

Ruan Shiqing hadn’t even opened the message yet when his brows furrowed.

 

He had assumed that Mr. Rong was too occupied to answer the call, yet the text response had arrived this quickly…

 

His eyes instinctively drifted toward the courtyard—toward Snowball.

 

The cubs were in the front yard, working together with the little robots to trim the Falling Star Vines.

 

Snowball, as usual, wasn’t one for exertion. He simply lounged lazily in the sun.

 

And in what might have been a mere coincidence, at the exact moment Ruan Shiqing looked over—Snowball was also lowering his head, looking at his smart brain.

 

 

 

---

 

RIP Mr Rong Rong you’ve put yourself in a pickle

 

(also did his injuries just like… disappear lol? there was no mention of them so I assume he’s recovered while staying in his cub form, but I’m surprised Ruan Shiqing didn’t worry much about “Mr Rong” before working so relentlessly during the whole month)

 

Thanks for reading!

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