Monster Cub Live Stream – CH46

Chapter 46

After everything about his identity had been laid out in the open, Lin An’an felt much more at ease at home.

Once the conversation was over and he finally had some free time, Lin An’an at last remembered to check his terminal messages.

There were not many people on his friends list. Most of the people on it were already by his side right now, and every one of the remaining ones had sent him messages without exception.

Zhuang Yi: The new batch of farming mecha modifications is finished.
Zhuang Yi: I saw the livestream and the trending topics.
Zhuang Yi: You really are… beyond my expectations.
Zhuang Yi: There are some things… I want to talk to you about. Contact me after you return to C City.

Seed Uncle: Holy shit, Baby An, you’re fucking amazing!!!
Seed Uncle: Can you really treat Alpha? Those healing fruits and vegetables sold by the black-robed mysterious man—those were actually your doing, right?
Seed Uncle: I’m too excited and don’t even know what to say. Everyone at the market is really worried about you.
Seed Uncle: I didn’t sell seeds to anyone else. I saved them all for you. Take as many as you want—just remember to come get them.

Ying Youyou: Baby An, are you alright?
Ying Youyou: I saw that you fainted at the end of the livestream. Was it ability overuse? Did anything else happen? Will it leave any effect on your body?
Ying Youyou: Don’t worry about public opinion. The company has already set up a special team just for you to manage StarNet and CrimeNet public sentiment. You just focus on resting well.
Ying Youyou: An official reporter contacted us and said they want to interview you. Reply to me after you wake up.
Ying Youyou: If you don’t want to accept the interview, that’s fine too. We’ll figure out a way to turn it down for you.
Ying Youyou: Contact me the moment you wake up, alright? I need to know you’re okay.

Lin An’an replied to Zhuang Yi and Seed Uncle, but when it came to Ying Youyou’s messages, he hesitated a little.

He first let Ying Youyou know he was safe, thanked the agency for setting up a team for him, and then after thinking for a moment wrote: [About the interview, I want to discuss it with Brother Wolf first. I’ll get back to you in a bit.]

Ying Youyou almost replied instantly.

Ying Youyou: It’s good as long as you’re fine. There’s no rush about the interview. Everyone knows you need to rest.
Ying Youyou: The direction of public opinion on StarNet is very good right now. There aren’t really any negative remarks aimed at you at the moment. If you want, you can update your CrimeNet account first and let everyone know you’re safe.

Lin An’an: Alright, got it.

Lin An’an immediately told Feng Wu about this matter.

After pondering for a moment, Feng Wu asked, “What do you think?”

“Accepting an interview is only a matter of time.” Lin An’an said. “If not this time, then next time, or the time after that. We’ve already attracted attention, so we might as well seize the initiative as early as possible.”

Feng Wu nodded. “That’s right.”

“I think this interview can be accepted.” Lin An’an lowered his eyes in thought.

Feng Wu said, “It can be accepted, but you can’t be the one doing the interview.”

Lin An’an froze slightly, and Feng Wu continued, “Official interviews usually prepare a script in advance. Have Ying Youyou send you a copy. I’ll do the interview in your place.”

Lin An’an immediately understood what Feng Wu meant, and warmth rose in his chest. He did not refuse Feng Wu’s kindness, only smiled and said, “Alright then, I’ll trouble Brother Wolf.”

After the two of them finished discussing the interview, only then did Lin An’an realize a few people were missing from the house.

“Where are Brother Bear and Squid Bro?” Lin An’an asked in surprise. “They didn’t go arrange another fight, did they?”

“They didn’t.” A trace of amusement flashed in Feng Wu’s eyes. “They went to stand guard by the fissure.”

“Went there to stand guard—” Before he could finish the sentence, Lin An’an understood their intention. They were obviously worried that Xia Yuanhan might make his next move using that fissure.

“If Xia Yuanhan still has a brain, he probably won’t use that fissure again.” Lin An’an said. “My second brother does have a brain, just not much of one. So there’s nothing wrong with keeping watch there.”

Feng Wu smiled. “Mm. It just so happens those two have too much energy to spare. If they want to go, let them.”

Lin An’an laughed too. “Once I drink the purple potion, let’s also find some time to go check out the fissure.”

Alpha energy had leaked out after the ground split open. That meant the people from the fissure galaxy had hidden something in advance.

If they could find that thing inside the fissure, perhaps they would be able to grab hold of one of their little tails.

The official interview was set for six in the afternoon.

Lin An’an received the interview script sent by Ying Youyou. The questions on it were all topics the people of the galaxy were currently very concerned about.

Things like Baby An’s physical recovery, whether Alpha could really be cured, and what their plans were going forward.

The questions were not difficult to answer. The official interviewers seemed to have taken into account that the little cub was still very young and that there was also a Marshal guarding at his side, so they didn’t dare ask anything too outrageous.

The entire interview would be conducted live. As the interview time drew near, Lin An’an connected to the interviewer’s video call.

The person conducting the interview was a young female reporter named Wen Wan. She had a gentle, approachable appearance, and even the way she spoke was soft and mild, without giving anyone the slightest sense of pressure.

At this point, the livestream channel had not yet opened. Wen Wan and Lin An’an went through the interview script one more time.

“There’s no need to be too nervous.” Wen Wan seemed worried that Lin An’an might feel tense. “All the questions will be answered by the Marshal. You only need to show your face so everyone knows you’re alright.”

Lin An’an, in his little monster cub form, nodded. Seeing that the countdown to the start of the livestream was about to end, he immediately jumped into Feng Wu’s palm, sat down properly, and turned himself into a quiet little black dumpling.

The countdown ended, and the number of people in the livestream skyrocketed, instantly flooding in by the millions.

Even though he had already prepared himself mentally, Lin An’an was still stunned.

At this rate, practically the whole galaxy must be squatting here waiting for this livestream.

[Ahhhh it’s finally starting!!!]
[I’ve waited for so long, wuwuwu, I’m so nervous—more nervous than for the advanced mecha engineer exam. [panicked cat head jpg]]
[How is Baby An’s health? Is he feeling any better? Did he suffer any irreversible aftereffects?]
[Although it’s hard, I still hope everyone stays calm and doesn’t scare the little cub. [nervously biting fingers jpg]]
[Cubby must take care of his body and not overuse his abilities, wuwuwu. We have to think long-term.]
[Help, the little cub is even smaller than I imagined. He’s not even as big as Marshal Feng’s palm. Is such a tiny cub really okay? [can’t stop worrying jpg]]

Though young, Wen Wan was extremely experienced and highly professional. She quickly got the situation under control and began asking questions according to the prepared script.

Aside from the self-introduction segment at the beginning, in which Lin An’an in cub form answered a few lines through mental speech, all the remaining questions were answered by Feng Wu on his behalf.

[Cubby isn’t talking. Is his body still uncomfortable? [worried jpg]]
[He looks so wilted. Ability overuse feels awful. My heart aches for Baby An. [air pats on the head jpg]]
[I hope cubby doesn’t put too much pressure on himself. With healing fruits and vegetables, we still have time to slowly research a complete cure for Alpha.]
[Cubby just needs to keep doing his best! If anyone doesn’t know better, the uncles and aunties here will help curse them out. [rolling up sleeves gif]]

The interview went very smoothly, and it quickly reached the final question on the script.

Wen Wan asked, “Regarding the direction of Alpha treatment, have you made any plans?”

Feng Wu answered, “At present, the only thing already being promoted is healing fruits and vegetables. We will increase the production of healing fruits and vegetables as quickly as possible, in order to first stabilize the patients’ conditions. Treatment chambers, miracle drugs, and other methods will all be gradually researched. If we succeed, we will roll them out for everyone as soon as possible. We ask that everyone give us some time and wait patiently.”

Wen Wan nodded. “Alright, then today’s interview—”

Before she could finish, Wen Wan suddenly glanced down at the terminal on her wrist, and her expression changed slightly.

“My apologies, Marshal Feng. The Second Prince just made a request and asked me to help him ask you something.” A trace of apology entered her expression.

The Second Prince? Xia Yuanhan?

Lin An’an’s heart jumped. He looked up at Feng Wu, and when he saw him give a calm, slight nod without changing expression, his own heart steadied at once.

Wen Wan said, “The Second Prince says he has always been funding the Alpha Research Center, and that he has also established a dedicated team there. He wants to ask you…”

She glanced at the terminal light screen on her wrist, pausing slightly in her tone. “The Second Prince wishes to ask Baby An whether he would be willing to go to the Alpha Research Center and join his team, to study the method of curing Alpha together with them.”

[!!! Has the Second Prince really been funding the Alpha Research Center all this time? I never knew that before. [shocked cat jpg]]
[The Second Prince is pretty low-key. I’ve never heard him mention it before.]
[Going to the research center would be good too, right? With a professional team helping, research should go much more smoothly.]
[The research center has never really produced anything before, but now that they’ve got cubby as a breakthrough point, shouldn’t progress come quickly? [excited hand-rubbing jpg]]
[I hope cubby goes. Having a professional team and not having one are two completely different worlds.]
[It’s just research cooperation, and the terms and benefits the Second Prince posted on Starblog are pretty good too. Only a fool would turn that down, right?]

Seeing the livestream comments, Lin An’an blinked once. So his second brother had been waiting for him here with his next move.

There was no way he was going to the research center. Leaving Sin Star for the institute would be no different from stepping out of his safe zone and walking alone straight into enemy territory.

And once he got to the research center, who knew what would be waiting for him there.

Feng Wu clearly understood this too. But the number of viewers in the livestream had already reached into the tens of billions—almost the entire galaxy was watching.

If they couldn’t find a good enough reason to refuse, public opinion would clearly explode.

Wen Wan also quite obviously felt that it was a good idea, but seeing that neither Feng Wu nor Lin An’an had spoken, she kindly added, “Because this question was raised at the last minute, if Marshal Feng and Baby An need time to consider it, we can end today’s interview first. Once you’ve discussed the matter and reached a decision, you can reply to this question separately.”

Feng Wu lowered his head and looked at Lin An’an, asking whether he wanted to use this method to stall for time. But the little cub in his palm shook his head.

[The Second Prince’s proposal is very good.] The little cub suddenly spoke. [But for the time being, I will not leave Sin Star.]

That answer instantly set the entire livestream ablaze. The comments immediately descended into chaos.

There was confusion, doubt, and even malicious speculation saying that Lin An’an and Feng Wu were just putting on a show, that Lin An’an could not actually cure Alpha at all, and that the reason he was unwilling to go to the institute was because he was afraid professionals would discover that the “can cure Alpha” gimmick was fake.

[If possible, I would actually prefer for the research team to come to Sin Star to carry out Alpha-related research.] Lin An’an continued. [All Alpha patients are on Sin Star. Before a solution is found, I will not leave this place.]

The palm-sized little cub lifted his head, and his pitch-black bead-like eyes shone startlingly bright. [At the moment, Sin Star is the place that needs a professional team the most, and it is also the place that needs me the most—not the research institute.]

The cub’s voice was extremely young and tender, yet the determination and conviction in his words were enough to move anyone.

The livestream comments even froze for a moment because of it.

[That makes sense! Cubby still has to stay on Sin Star and grow healing fruits and vegetables! If he leaves Sin Star, what about the healing produce? What about the Sin Star patients?]
[Cubby’s thinking this through so carefully.]
[You can really feel that Baby An is sincerely thinking for everyone on Sin Star. [moved to ugly crying jpg]]
[Where are the people who said cubby was just putting on a show? I’m honestly chilled to the heart for cubby. If he ever develops a miracle drug in the future, I hope those people don’t get to buy it and don’t get to use it! You don’t deserve it!!!]
[The Second Prince should be in the livestream, right? Since the livestream isn’t over yet, why don’t you settle this matter right here? [excited hand-rubbing jpg]]
[Wait, wouldn’t going to Sin Star carry the risk of infection?]
[What are you scared of? With cubby on Sin Star, can’t he protect a few researchers?]
[Exactly! It was one thing for researchers not to go to Sin Star before, but now that Baby An is there, are they still planning to research remotely? Without even a single sample, what the hell can they possibly study?]

Feng Wu picked up where Lin An’an left off and said, “If the research team decides to come to Sin Star, please don’t worry about Alpha. Safe houses are already being built in the wilderness of Sin Star. If research is carried out inside the safe houses, there will be no risk of infection.”

The little cub nodded. [The defense systems in the safe houses are specially designed. Alpha energy cannot enter within the defense perimeter.]

After saying that, Lin An’an curled himself back up in Feng Wu’s palm and stopped moving, quietly waiting for Xia Yuanhan’s response.

Xia Yuanhan wanted to use public opinion to pressure him, so naturally he would not go easy on him either. He kicked the ball right back.

Now, even if Xia Yuanhan did not want to agree, he would have no choice but to do so. If he refused, the condemnation of tens of billions of livestream viewers would be more than enough for him to suffer under.

Sure enough, it did not take long before Wen Wan received a reply.

“The Second Prince says he will consult with the institute and choose an excellent team as soon as possible to send to Sin Star for research.”

Lin An’an thought to himself: just as expected.

The interview ended there. After the video call with Wen Wan disconnected, Lin An’an jumped back to the ground and turned into human form again.

Feng Wu said, “I’m going to have them speed up construction on the safe houses.”

“There’s no need to rush. My second brother and his people won’t come that quickly.” Lin An’an said. “For them, coming to Sin Star involves risk, so they’ll agonize for a long time over personnel selection.”

“There’s another matter that’s also very important right now.” Lin An’an said. “I need some people who understand planting techniques.”

Compared to the total number of patients on Sin Star, the current output of healing fruits and vegetables was still far too low.

If things remained as before, with only him and Shi Xiaoxing planting, it definitely would not be enough. What was more, Lin An’an would certainly leave Sin Star in the future. Once that happened, the only one left on Sin Star with planting skills would be Shi Xiaoxing.

Feng Wu nodded. “Alright, leave that to me.”

Yet what neither of them expected was that that very night, He Yinghong suddenly received a message from an old friend.

“Old Qiu had quite a lot of cooperation with me in the past.” He Yinghong said. “Back when I used to make medicine, many of my herbs were supplied by the Qiu family.”

“The Qiu family?” Lin An’an searched through his memories and found nothing relevant.

“The Qiu family, like our Shi family, is a planting family.” Shi Xiaoxing explained. “But the Qiu family declined a long time ago. Fewer and fewer members of the family awakened plant-type abilities, so…”

Lin An’an immediately understood.

The planting environment in the interstellar age was simply too poor. Without plant-type abilities, one was practically cut off from the planting profession entirely.

“That’s true.” He Yinghong said. “But the Qiu family’s planting skills are still very good. Back then, the herbs I sourced from them were among the very best on the entire network.”

The “very best” back then naturally could not compare to the quality of herbs grown by Lin An’an, but compared with the Shi family, who were also a planting family, the difference was extremely obvious.

Because there was a member of the Shi family present, He Yinghong did not say that part out loud.

Shi Xiaoxing, however, said, “I knew someone from the Qiu family before, and I once audited one of their family’s planting lessons.”

“They do much better than the Shi family in this regard. Even though there are very few plant-type ability users, they never stopped holding classes. Every member of the Qiu family has to attend. Even if they don’t have abilities, they still have to master the theoretical knowledge of planting.”

“Before I awakened my plant-type ability, I wasn’t qualified to enter the Shi family’s planting classes. A lot of what I know was learned by sitting in on the Qiu family’s lessons.” Shi Xiaoxing said with a smile.

Hearing that, Lin An’an asked, “Even people without abilities have to master planting techniques?”

“That’s right.” Shi Xiaoxing nodded. “Every year, the Qiu family holds internal planting exams. Family members with abilities take both practical and written exams, while those without abilities only have to take the written exam—in other words, the theoretical side of planting.”

The Qiu family’s attitude toward planting truly surprised Lin An’an.

“The Qiu family is very large, but the number of members who have awakened plant-type abilities can be counted on two hands.” He Yinghong said. “Old Qiu said that the plant-type ability users in the family are willing to come to Sin Star and help you expand the production of healing fruits and vegetables.”

Lin An’an’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“That’s right.” He Yinghong nodded. “Old Qiu said the number is small, and he hopes you won’t mind.”

“How could I mind?” Lin An’an thought for a moment. “If the Qiu family is really like Sister Xingxing described, and every one of them has solid theoretical knowledge of planting, then even without plant-type abilities, they can still cultivate healing fruits and vegetables.”

Shi Xiaoxing was stunned. “Even without abilities?”

“Did you forget the very first seed I gave you?” Lin An’an asked with a smile.

“Of course I remember. It was daisy seeds.” Shi Xiaoxing suddenly widened her eyes. She remembered that at the time she had been completely unable to use her ability. “Wait—does that mean… as long as the seeds have been enhanced by your ability, then even without plant-type abilities, they can still possibly be planted successfully?”

Lin An’an nodded. “Exactly. As long as the planting techniques are there, they can be grown.”

That was true—but across the whole galaxy, among those other than plant-type ability users, there were vanishingly few who would actively go out and learn planting techniques.

Without abilities, it was basically impossible to keep green plants alive. Other than the people of the Qiu family, who had always held deep respect for planting, it was unlikely anyone else would willingly choose to devote themselves to something from which they were doomed never to reap a return.

He Yinghong said nothing. He lowered his head and started typing rapidly on the terminal light screen, his fingers tapping away.

A few minutes later, He Yinghong looked up with a smile. “Old Qiu says that if people without abilities can do it too, then everyone in the Qiu family can set out for Sin Star immediately. However many people you need, they can send that many.”

Lin An’an was stunned.

After a moment, he swallowed and said, “Brother Wolf, I think the farming mecha might not be enough anymore.”

Feng Wu also paused for two seconds. “I’ll go find Zhuang Yi.”

Because Lin An’an’s abilities had not fully recovered yet, most matters related to Alpha were forced to be postponed by a few days.

So Feng Wu brought Lin An’an back to C City and took a trip to Zhuang Yi’s second-hand repair shop.

Unlike the previous visits, this time they did not see Zhuang Yi anywhere in the front of the shop.

[That’s strange.] Lin An’an, in his little cub form, was puzzled. [Uncle Zhuang clearly said he was in the shop.]

The shop door was still open. Feng Wu stepped inside and knocked on the inner room they had entered twice before.

The door opened, and Zhuang Yi, wearing a sleeveless shirt, stepped aside and said, “Come in.”

Lin An’an asked, [Uncle Zhuang, you said before that there was something you wanted to talk to us about. What is it?]

“It’s related to radiation sickness—in other words, Alpha,” Zhuang Yi said. “On the day the ground split open, some of my memories came back.”

Lin An’an and Feng Wu changed posture at exactly the same time, in perfect unspoken coordination.

Zhuang Yi sat on the sofa, his hands clasped together covering his lips. “I remembered that after they took us into the laboratory, they locked us in a sealed room. Inside that room, there was nothing at all except for one type of mineral.”

Lin An’an asked, [A mineral? The kind of metal ore used for modifications?]

“No.” Zhuang Yi said. “A different kind. I vaguely heard them call that mineral… Kailuo Stone.”

The unfamiliar name made both Lin An’an and Feng Wu frown at once.

Zhuang Yi narrowed his eyes. “After entering that room, every one of us had our radiation sickness worsen.”

Lin An’an’s heart jumped. [That kind of stone affects Alpha symptoms?]

“That’s my guess.” Zhuang Yi said. “But as for the more specific details, I don’t know. I’m guessing that sooner or later you’ll go to the fissure.”

Feng Wu nodded.

“I still have some Gata here.” Zhuang Yi pushed a box toward the two of them. “Take it all. It might be of some use.”

Feng Wu did not refuse. “Thank you.”

But Zhuang Yi shook his head and said, “No need to thank me. I only want to protect myself.”

When the conversation ended and they were about to leave, Feng Wu suddenly said, “I’ve ordered a new batch of basic mecha. I’ll send them over to you in a few days.”

Zhuang Yi asked, “Still converting them into farming mecha?”

“Yes.” Feng Wu nodded.

Zhuang Yi asked, “How many in total?”

“The next batch has ten units.” Feng Wu paused. “At the moment, there are tentatively another ten batches after that.”

Zhuang Yi froze slightly. “…Ten batches? Ten in each batch?”

Feng Wu nodded. The little cub sitting in his palm very rarely looked away guiltily.

Zhuang Yi: “……”

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