Chapter 99
Bai Nuosi returned to the Rose Nursery with the little chubby bird. First, he went back to the East Zone dormitory, escorted personally by Huo Ranchuan. When Bai Nuosi entered the room, he saw that the previously messy space had been tidied up—likely because Supervisor Mons had arranged for cleaning.
He looked at Huo Ranchuan standing at the doorway, remembering that Huo had stayed here before and felt a bit embarrassed. “Commander, are you not going back?”
Huo Ranchuan worried that Bai Nuosi might be moving out, especially since he no longer had to take care of Teng Snake or the Golden Eagle, and might return to the dormitory far away in the West Zone.
Huo Ranchuan struggled to find a reason to keep Bai Nuosi staying. “Teacher Bai, after the Golden Eagle and Chen Min return, they will still live next door.”
Bai Nuosi, holding the little chubby bird, felt very embarrassed and a bit nervous. He temporarily misunderstood Huo Ranchuan’s meaning. Standing in the living room, his eyes slightly widened, and his face turned red as he said, “So, um… Commander, do you still plan to stay here?”
Huo Ranchuan: “……”
Huo Ranchuan hadn’t originally intended it, but…
After two seconds of silence, he tentatively asked, “Is that okay?”
Bai Nuosi slightly opened his mouth, looking at Huo Ranchuan with surprise and embarrassment. “So, um…”
He paused, recalling that he had previously agreed to let Huo Ranchuan stay here. Now, if he refused, it would make him seem a bit uncaring.
He was willing to let others rely on him, but now he couldn’t even face it, not even allowing someone to stay in the dormitory.
The more Bai Nuosi thought about it, the more he felt his actions were inappropriate.
It was just a bite; he should be more straightforward.
Bai Nuosi had no intention of moving out for two reasons. First, Huo Ranchuan had said that the Teng Snake would accompany him because the little chubby bird’s origin was unknown. Until it was thoroughly investigated, Teng Snake had to stay by Bai Nuosi’s side.
The second reason was about the Golden Eagle, he wanted the Golden Eagle to help teach the little chubby bird. Since the Golden Eagle lived next door, with a large balcony outside, he thought it was perfect for the little chubby bird’s lessons.
Therefore, Bai Nuosi had no plan to move out. However, since Huo Ranchuan’s house was being given to the Golden Eagle, there had to be a place for Huo Ranchuan to stay, right?
Seeing Bai Nuosi hesitate, Huo Ranchuan’s eyes sparkled with joy. He coughed and softly said, “If Teacher Bai Nuosi is not suitable, I can stay in the office. My office also has a resting room, so I can live there.”
Bai Nuosi: “……”
Bai Nuosi hurriedly said, “No, there’s nothing unsuitable. Commander can continue staying here. It’s quite spacious anyway.”
After saying that, Bai Nuosi quickly hugged the little chubby bird and returned to his room.
Huo Ranchuan stood at the doorway, watching Bai Nuosi’s departing figure and smiled slightly.
Teacher Bai Nuosi was indeed too soft-hearted. Little did he know that it was precisely this softness that gave Huo Ranchuan an opportunity to exploit.
Huo Ranchuan didn’t go inside. He left the now-shrunken Teng Snake behind and turned back to his own room next door.
After returning to his room with the little chubby bird, Bai Nuosi placed it on the sofa and crouched down to check its wounds. “Little chubby bird, where is your host?”
After examining its plastered leg, Bai Nuosi looked seriously at the little chubby bird.
Teng Snake now dared not approach Teacher Bai, standing at the doorway of Bai Nuosi’s room, it lay plaintively on the sofa, using its keen senses to listen for any movement inside the room.
The little chubby bird looked up guiltily at Bai Nuosi’s serious gaze, its head hanging low.
Bai Nuosi gently stroked its back, soothingly saying, “With the commander so vigilant and the Rose Nursery so strict, he shouldn’t let unknown spiritual beasts in. Since he agreed to let you come, he must know who your host is.”
Bai Nuosi looked warmly at the little chubby bird, lowering his voice to ask, “Is your host one of those who attacked Commander Huo?”
Although Bai Nuosi was soft-hearted and wanted to save the little chubby bird, he wasn’t foolish. He couldn’t truly not suspect that the little chubby bird’s host had a dubious identity.
But Huo Ranchuan still let him bring the little chubby bird back. Commander Huo was actually a very soft-hearted person.
The little chubby bird let out a guilty and aggrieved “chirp” sound. Its host was now in the small black room, but it had no other options—it had nowhere else to go.
Bai Nuosi sighed, “It seems to be true. But it’s okay. Since the commander let you come, there shouldn’t be much of a problem. Come, I’ll give you a bath.”
Bai Nuosi took the little chubby bird to the bathroom and grabbed a bathtub for it. “Little one, can you swim?”
The little chubby bird crouched on a chair and shook its head, “Chirp chirp.”
It wasn’t a water bird; it couldn’t swim.
Bai Nuosi said, “Got it, I’ll use less water for you.”
Now, Bai Nuosi was only taking care of one little chubby bird. Time suddenly seemed to pass more quickly. Normally, washing the cubs would take an hour, but washing the little chubby bird only took half an hour.
Since the little chubby bird’s paws couldn’t touch water, Bai Nuosi used waterproof film to cover them, then placed a mat diagonally on the bathtub, letting the little chubby bird lie there. Its two paws were raised, and its back and wings were submerged in the water.
This position couldn’t maintain balance, making the little chubby bird very nervous.
Bai Nuosi repeatedly soothed its little belly, “It’s okay, Teacher is washing you clean. The water is shallow, don’t be afraid.”
Bai Nuosi then took a small yellow duck that could chirp and placed it on its chest, “Let the little duck keep you company.”
The little chubby bird: “……”
The little chubby bird’s dark eyes stared intently at the little yellow duck. It had never played with toys before. Was this a toy Teacher Bai Nuosi had given it?
The little chubby bird cautiously flapped its round wings on the little yellow duck. The duck wobbled a bit, then quickly steadied itself.
Feeling guilty, the little chubby bird glanced at Bai Nuosi. Bai Nuosi was making bubbles for it while smiling, “Wow, you’re so great, little one. You know how to gently flap with the little duck without using too much force. You must be a very empathetic baby.”
Previously, the little lions when playing with the little duck, pressed too hard, flattening the little duck.
However, the little chubby bird might have been too shy and didn’t dare to handle it firmly. Bai Nuosi observed the little chubby bird.
Praised by him, the little chubby bird felt a bit embarrassed and let out a joyful “chirp chirp” sound. It adjusted the little yellow duck with its small wings, making the duck squat in its arms.
It cherished this little duck very much.
*
At this very moment, the boy Adean had just been brought out of the small black room by the deputy. The deputy looked at Adean sternly, “The commander said that if you swear allegiance to the Empire in the name of a beast god and vow not to betray the Empire for this life, you can be repatriated.”
Adean was young and a low-level servant in the mercenary group, knowing very little, and most likely had been forced into it.
On those barren planets at the edge of the Beastman star system, resources were scarce but the population was large. Many people, in order to survive, were willing to sell their children.
Thus, child abduction was very common. They would sell children to star pirates, mercenary groups, and even to some noble families from various developed star systems or black market boxing gyms. For example, Han Baiyi was a child picked up by the Han family on a barren planet.
In any place, as long as it was poor, many criminal activities would develop. This was also why Song Hengye was determined to get into the military academy and return to his home planet. He wanted to protect his planet, and the first step was to stop these crimes.
Huo Ranchuan had no murderous intent towards Adean, but he couldn’t fully trust him either. Therefore, he would repatriate Adean back to his birth planet. Adean had also awakened to an A+ spiritual beast, which meant he could survive anywhere.
However, upon hearing the deputy’s instructions, even though he was weak and had a splitting headache, Adean bit his teeth and fiercely said, “Don’t even think about it!”
Deputy: “……”
To be honest, the deputy had been with Huo Ranchuan for many years and had never seen such a reckless captive before.
The deputy squinted his eyes, “So you’re planning to live and die with those mercenaries? Do you know what their fate is now?”
Adean paused, said with frustration, “No! I don’t want to die!”
Deputy: “……”
“But,” Adean, although he didn’t want to die, didn’t want to go against his inner feelings. He firmly said, “The Empire is your Empire, not mine. I can’t forever remain loyal to it.”
The deputy looked stern, “Do you know what you’re saying? Do you want to go to another star system?”
An A+ who refuses to be loyal to the Empire, even Huo Ranchuan couldn’t let him go. He had to control him. The deputy now felt that this boy might become a troublemaker in the future.
Adean confidently said, “I don’t have an Empire. I only pledge loyalty to myself!”
Deputy: “……”
Adean shouted loudly, “I pledge loyalty to myself, isn’t that okay? The Empire didn’t even give me an ID card and expects me to be loyal to it? Am I sick? Here, I can’t even get food, sleep under bridges, and get kicked out. This place is rotten. They don’t want to accept the underprivileged like us. We will never be loyal to them.”
Deputy: “……”
The deputy looked at him like a fool. This boy was young, hadn’t received formal education, and importantly, his thinking was very similar to those anti-Empire mercenaries.
The deputy thought he was very dangerous and gave up the plan to repatriate him.
The deputy called for guards, “Lock him up in the water prison. If he doesn’t swear allegiance, don’t let him out.”
The guards nodded, grabbed Adean, and started to walk away. Adean had a collar around his neck that suppressed his spiritual power. As he was being dragged away, he still shouted defiantly, “You’re forcing a good person into prostitution!”
Deputy: “……”
The deputy shook his head and reported the situation to Huo Ranchuan.
Huo Ranchuan returned to his own home and arranged for someone to repair the balcony that the Golden Eagle had smashed.
At the same time, he placed the five shattered cubs that the Golden Eagle had thrown into a large basin, waiting to return them to the Golden Eagle once he came back. As for whether the Golden Eagle would cry, that was beyond his control.
Once the balcony was repaired, Chen Min returned.
Chen Min was disheveled, with messy shoulder-length hair and clothes stained with blood. He had come straight through the balcony. Huo Ranchuan sensed the difference in Chen Min. Standing at the balcony doorway, he looked Chen Min up and down. “You, you’re back.”
Chen Min jumped down from the balcony, reached out to wipe the stains from his face, looked at Huo Ranchuan with red eyes, then broke into a relieved smile. He strode forward and hugged Huo Ranchuan tightly, “Ran Chuan, thank you.”
Thank you, Huo Ranchuan, for protecting him these past three years, for not giving up on him and the Golden Eagle.
Thank you for this jungle rescue mission, which gave him time and opportunity.
They had always had a hard time, but fortunately, the final result was not bad.
Chen Min had secretly cried for a long time on the way, and now in front of Huo Ranchuan, he still couldn’t hold back.
Huo Ranchuan patted his back, feeling a bit emotional, “It’s good that it came back.”
Chen Min nodded. Just as he was about to say something else, he heard Huo Ranchuan say, “By the way, its five cubs (the plant pots) were smashed. I don’t know if they can survive. Take a look for him.”
Chen Min: “……”
