Chapter 67
Qin Yuxing had already mapped out his plan. The ship was set to depart tomorrow. Although there was still time, he knew the little lion was currently playing outdoors, and the area was conveniently close to the Rose Nursery’s perimeter wall.
This was the perfect opportunity to intercept it from outside the wall. Though the wall was high and the defense system strong, nothing could stop a genius like him! Sure, he might not outshine others in military training, but when it came to AI technology, he was unparalleled. After all, he had designed his own all-purpose AI butler at the age of eight!
Pulling down his black mask, Qin Yuxing had originally wanted to wear a full mask today, but he couldn’t decide on the design for the silver one he had in mind. Initially, he thought of using a rose pattern, but when he searched online, he found that roses were overly common. Whether in anime, games, or pirate imagery—roses were everywhere.
Were roses that overdone?
What about a vine pattern? He searched again, and it turned out vines were even more common.
Frustrated, Qin Yuxing considered carving a lion onto the mask instead, making it his symbol in the future. However, as a genius lacking any artistic skills, all his sketches turned the lion into a puffed-up puppy, so he eventually gave up. He figured he’d wait until he ran away and hire a professional designer later. Finally, the genius boy abandoned his DIY ambitions.
“But this mask is too stuffy,” Young Master Qin muttered with a frown, clearly unhappy.
He had been too excited earlier and grabbed the mask in a rush without checking it properly. This trench coat, while cool, was uncomfortably hot.
Nevertheless, Qin Yuxing’s expression turned serious—today was a big day!
He was about to break free and embrace freedom!
On such an important day, it was unreasonable to expect every detail to be perfect, right?
Sneaking to the base of the Rose Nursery’s wall, Qin Yuxing scouted the perimeter until he found a secluded north gate. Because the gate was near a wooded area, it saw little traffic. Qin Yuxing rubbed his wrists, ready to crack the legendary AI defense system!
Cautiously, he approached the security panel, extending his “magic” hand toward it.
Just then, the system’s light blinked on. “Beep, identity card recognized. Welcome back.”
Qin Yuxing: “…”
He stared at the open gate, dumbfounded. It dawned on him that, since his spirit beast was registered at the Rose Nursery, his identity card had clearance. He could have simply scanned his ID to enter, without needing to crack anything. All the mental preparation had been a complete waste of time.
Qin Yuxing: “…”
Expressionless, he scanned his ID and crouched at the gate, pulling his mask down to his chin. He placed a rose between his teeth.
Don’t ask why—it was the star pirate king’s tribute to the beauty who had taken care of his lion.
He might be only sixteen now, but he believed that ten years later, after making a name for himself as a feared star pirate king, he would become a mature, muscular man with an eight-pack.
When he eventually returned to the Beastman Star System and met the “beauty” again, his first words would be, “Beauty, do you still have the rose I left in your care?”
Teacher Bai would be flustered and confused. “What rose?”
The mature pirate king would toss his hair back with a charming grin. “Well, if there’s no rose, you’ll have to repay me with your company.”
Then, he’d kidnap Teacher Bai and lock him in a small room! He’d make him cook buns, brew milk tea, prepare fruit candies, make number-shaped cookies, cream bread, vanilla cake, and fried rice with ham every day…
Qin Yuxing swallowed, took the rose out of his mouth, wiped his mouth with his precious trench coat sleeve, and then carefully bit down on the rose again, resuming his crouch in the bushes as he awaited his mighty lion.
Meanwhile, Bai Nuosi, with Teng Snake by his side, was chasing the little lion. The cub’s chubby paws led it towards the edges of the Rose Nursery.
Bai Nuosi knew there was a perimeter wall there, so he wasn’t too worried about the little lion running off. After all, every cub at the Rose Nursery had a tracker in the badge around its neck, complete with a mini-camera that the head supervisor, Mons, could access at any time. As a caretaker, Bai Nuosi also had a tracking system linked directly to his smartwatch.
But the fact that the little lion was running so wildly, ignoring his calls and only focused on dashing ahead, irritated Bai Nuosi. Once he got the cub back, he would definitely have to give it a good talking-to!
This was a more serious issue than sneaking snacks. If they had been in an outdoor park rather than the safety of the Rose Nursery, running off like this could lead to getting lost or, worse, encountering a dangerous person!
Bai Nuosi panted as he ran, his hair messy. Teng Snake, being faster, darted ahead.
“Go, baby! Bring Xingxing back!” Bai Nuosi shouted encouragingly.
Teng Snake was fuming. What was the little lion up to now? It didn’t even realize how worried Teacher Bai was as he struggled to keep up. Once Teng Snake caught the little lion, it was going to give it a proper lesson. Teacher Bai was so good to it, yet it still made him worry!
They soon crossed the orchard and garden, reaching the hidden north gate behind the garden.
The little lion spotted Qin Yuxing, dressed in black, and its eyes lit up. It charged straight at him.
Guided by its master’s call in the spirit sea, the lion had run all the way there. Although it was reluctant to leave Teacher Bai, its master had ordered it not to stop.
Spirit beasts generally lacked self-awareness, acting mainly according to their master’s will.
Qin Yuxing, standing there with his arms crossed, looked down at the round little lion staring up at him. He removed the rose from his mouth and said sternly, “Helios, from today, we’ll conquer the stars.”
Helios was the name of the sun god—his lion was destined to conquer…
Bang!
Qin Yuxing was suddenly smacked against the wall by Teng Snake’s massive tail.
The newly built wall cracked, dust falling from the impact.
Qin Yuxing, still clutching the rose, had his sunglasses knocked off, revealing amber eyes strikingly similar to the little lion’s.
Startled by the sudden turn of events, the lion yelped, leaping three meters away.
Qin Yuxing, stunned, watched as Teng Snake morphed back into its small form. “What the—why are you here too?!”
Why was it meddling?
Stuck against the wall, Qin Yuxing struggled as the little lion grabbed his dirty coat and pulled him down.
Clutching the little lion, Qin Yuxing’s eyes reddened. “Helios, you truly are my lion. In times of crisis, you’re always reliable! I knew you’d never betray me!”
Teng Snake: “…”
It gave Qin Yuxing a look as if he were an idiot.
Yep, it seemed they’d found the source of the little lion’s lack of intelligence.
Hugging the lion tightly, Qin Yuxing glared at Teng Snake, pointing a finger. “I’ll remember that tail slap! You’d better stay away, or else…”
He paused, glancing around, and then hastily grabbed a rock from the ground. With a mix of nervousness and bravado, he added, “Or I’ll hit you with this!”
Teng Snake: “…”
It stared at the rock, then back at Qin Yuxing, its eyes full of pity.
How infuriating! Qin Yuxing felt provoked.
He knew he couldn’t beat Teng Snake, but it had ambushed him! That slap had really hurt!
Fuming, he stood his ground.
Just then, Bai Nuosi arrived, panting heavily. He immediately spotted the suspicious man in black holding the little lion and wielding a rock as if threatening Teng Snake. Alarmed, he shouted, “Stop!”
Qin Yuxing froze, turning along with Teng Snake to look at Bai Nuosi.
Breathing heavily, Bai Nuosi’s eyes were cold as he stared at the masked figure. “Who are you? How did you get in?”
Qin Yuxing: “…”
This wasn’t the grand entrance he had imagined with Teacher Bai!
Stammering, he began, “I, um…”
Bai Nuosi cut him off. “Put the lion down and drop the rock. If you do, I’ll pretend this never happened, and you can leave.”
Qin Yuxing: “…”
Wait, why did it sound like he was some sort of child thief?
He looked down at the little lion in his arms, the reality of the situation hitting him.
And then he noticed the livestream camera following Bai Nuosi.
Oh no, oh no!
Frantically adjusting his sunglasses, pulling down his hat, and tightening his mask, Qin Yuxing panicked. If his grandpa saw this, he was dead!
The viewers were equally stunned:
[Wait, who is this guy in black, and how did he get into the Rose Nursery without triggering the alarms?]
[Maybe his ID card was already in the system. And since the little lion seemed to recognize him, I’m guessing…]
[Whoa, hang on, this guy’s hair is blonde, just like Young Master Qin’s!?
[OMG! Could it be? Is Young Master Qin sneaking into the nursery to retrieve his own spirit beast?! But why?!]
The Qin family elder, who had been watching the livestream, immediately recognized his precious grandson.
He had raised him himself, and no matter how much the boy tried to disguise himself, he could still recognize his voice, hair, and gestures.
The old man’s expression turned serious. He glanced at the tracker on his smartwatch linked to Qin Yuxing’s account, which showed the boy still at the military academy’s training grounds. The record indicated that he had just completed a virtual battle drill and was now engaged in tank operations training.
Elder Qin: “…”
The old butler: “…”
Just moments ago, they had been moved by their young master’s dedication to training, and now—such swift humiliation!
The beating is about to happen ?