Chapter 109
Cen Liang was still bewildered when the little wolf cub, having made his bold declaration, eagerly exclaimed, “So can we go tear it down now?”
His eyes sparkled with excitement, and even Lu Jiao, who had just helped Cen Liang up, seemed to get swept up in the enthusiasm.
Tear down the greenhouse! Tear down the greenhouse!
Lu Jiao, recalling the constant threat of extreme weather—blood rains or sudden blizzards—became anxious. Such events could easily destroy the plants in the field.
This problem had haunted him so much that he’d been waking up from nightmares in the middle of the night.
But now, it seemed there was a solution in sight!
He looked at Cen Liang with equal excitement and asked sweetly, “Grandpa Cen, can I come too? I want to help tear it down!”
The silver-haired boy was delicate and endearing, speaking in a soft and polite voice. His calling Cen Liang “Grandpa Cen” melted the man’s heart completely.
Although Cen Liang wasn’t yet old enough to have grandchildren, his time on Infernal Star meant rare visits with his family. He hadn’t seen his children in ages…
And this little boy had just helped him up, so considerate and kind—not at all like the other children in the nursery.
But the boy’s next words hit Cen Liang like a blow to the heart.
When had he ever suggested they go tear down the greenhouse? Where had they gotten such a terrifying idea?!
Cen Liang turned to Su Ci for clarification, only to see the caretaker smiling at him.
“Thank you in advance,” Su Ci said.
Cen Liang: “…”
Help! How did this misunderstanding even happen?!
What was worse, under the hopeful gazes of the three, Cen Liang found it almost impossible to refuse. For a moment, he even considered whether he’d actually have to take them to the cultivation center to dismantle a greenhouse.
He quickly shook his head and, after much effort, managed to clarify the misunderstanding.
But when his explanation ended, the little wolf cub glared at him with a ferocious expression, and even the previously sweet and friendly Lu Jiao now had a tense, displeased look on his face.
The two of them stood protectively in front of Su Ci, staring at Cen Liang with open hostility.
Feeling the shift in attitude, Cen Liang couldn’t help but feel bitter.
He turned to Su Ci, intending to say more, but Su Ci spoke first.
“Sorry, I currently have no plans to leave the nursery,” Su Ci said.
Before Su Ci could finish his sentence, the wolf cub interjected, “Not just ‘currently’—ever! He’ll never leave!”
The boy seemed ready to add more, but Su Ci placed a hand on his head, forcing him to quiet down. The wolf cub reluctantly clamped his mouth shut but continued to glare daggers at Cen Liang.
Cen Liang hesitated. “But…”
“I’m not leaving here, and neither are these plants,” Su Ci stated bluntly.
Cen Liang grew anxious. “But what if extreme weather strikes?”
Su Ci shrugged nonchalantly.
At that moment, a light screen popped up in front of Cen Liang.
[Mid-level Researcher Cen Liang: Greetings. The crops within the nursery are the personal property of Trainee Caretaker Su Ci. They are the result of his cultivation research and are protected under base regulations and Infernal Star management policies.]
[Your current actions may constitute an attempt to illegally seize another’s research. The base AI will now monitor your behavior. This is your first warning. Please be advised.]
Cen Liang: “…”
He hadn’t even done anything yet! How could he already be accused of attempting to seize someone else’s research?
Still, the involvement of the base AI made things clear: either Su Ci’s identity was indeed extraordinary, or the upper management was already aware of this matter and deemed it of utmost importance.
In either case, the message was clear—no one in the base could touch these plants, not even under the pretext of benefiting the plants themselves.
Unless Su Ci agreed, relocating these crops to the cultivation center was impossible.
Cen Liang wondered if the plantation manager was aware of this situation.
Staring at the AI’s warning, his expression shifted multiple times before he finally nodded.
“I understand,” he said reluctantly.
Of course, deep down, Cen Liang wasn’t ready to give up. As someone who had survived and persevered through years of research in Prison Star’s harsh environment, his most significant strengths were persistence and patience.
If a direct approach wouldn’t work, he’d have to find an indirect one!
With that thought, he thickened his skin and said, “Do you need an assistant? I have considerable experience in cultivating plants.”
His offer hit the mark for Su Ci.
But just as Su Ci was about to respond, Cen Liang added, “You must need a lot of fertilizer for all these plants. As a mid-level researcher, I receive a decent monthly fertilizer allowance. If that’s not enough, I can exchange credits for more…”
Cen Liang rattled off his advantages, desperate to ensure Su Ci wouldn’t refuse. By the end, he was even ready to offer all the credits he had saved.
Admittedly, these conditions resonated with Su Ci.
Fertilizer and credits had once been major obstacles for him—though he had now overcome them, he certainly wouldn’t mind having more.
After all, his ambitions extended far beyond this small patch of nursery land; his ultimate goal was the entire planet.
Still, the most tempting part of Cen Liang’s offer was: “You mentioned there’s a batch of old, unused seeds stored in the plantation’s warehouse?”
“Yes!” Cen Liang said eagerly, sensing Su Ci’s interest.
He quickly explained: In the early days, before fully understanding Prison Star’s conditions, the Star Alliance had planned to improve the living standards of the base’s soldiers by terraforming the planet.
Plants were integral to the terraforming process, so the cultivation center had stocked a variety of seeds.
However, the planet’s soil proved unsuitable for cultivation, forcing the center to focus on hydroponics. To save costs, they shifted to growing short-cycle crops that could yield results quickly, leaving many other seeds unused in storage.
Seeds of other plant types still had potential use, specifically for cultivating mutated plants.
However, with Base 24’s perpetually tight budget, funding for the mutated plant cultivation project had been cut, forcing the plantation center to halt it. As a result, the remaining seeds had been sealed away.
Su Ci nodded and asked, “So, among these seeds, are there any for perennial plants?”
Seeing Su Ci’s interest, Cen Liang perked up.
“In theory, there should be,” he replied eagerly, “but I’ll need to go back and check to confirm.”
Since the seeds had been stored for many years, their viability would need to be tested. He couldn’t make guarantees without further examination.
“If there are viable seeds for perennial plants, I’ll bring them to you,” Cen Liang added.
After all, these seeds were no longer in use. Given his position and authority in the plantation center, he wouldn’t even need to file a request—he could just ask for them directly.
Su Ci smiled faintly. “Thank you.”
“It’s no trouble at all!” Cen Liang waved his hand dismissively, though his eyes once again darted to the two small green sprouts, burning with curiosity. “As long as you let me come by to help out and perhaps make some research notes…”
Su Ci nodded, appearing quite accommodating. “As long as it doesn’t harm the plants, do as you like.”
“Of course not! You can trust me!” Cen Liang nearly thumped his chest in assurance.
These two precious mutated plants—he’d take meticulous care of them; harming them was out of the question. Even with the mutated garlic sprout at the plantation center, their research had been conducted with utmost caution. The raw material for the “garlic-scented perfume” they had produced was made from nutrient solution infused with the sprout’s root system, ensuring no harm came to the plant itself.
Of course, the nutrient solution had already been depleted of its active components, leaving only the strong aroma.
But now, with the mutated garlic sprout exhibiting abnormalities, Cen Liang’s excitement slowly cooled. Looking at the lush greenery and then at Su Ci, he hesitated before saying, “Caretaker Su, when you have some free time… why not visit the plantation center?”
Cen Liang wasn’t entirely sure why he was making this request. Logically, Su Ci, as someone newly arrived on Infernal Star, shouldn’t have deep knowledge of mutated plants.
But then he recalled that Su Ci had been the one to first discover the mutated garlic sprout. Now, on his cleared land, not only was there abundant greenery but also two more mutated plants. It seemed unlikely to be mere coincidence.
However, the moment he said this, the two young cubs beside him immediately grew wary.
“Bad Grandpa, what are you trying to do now?” Little Lang Ze huffed, glaring at Cen Liang.
“No, no,” Cen Liang quickly explained, “there’s a mutated garlic sprout at the plantation center that’s having issues. I wanted to invite Caretaker Su to take a look.”
Hearing this, Lang Ze’s eyes darted mischievously.
He glanced at Su Ci, then back at Cen Liang, and said, “I don’t believe you! Unless you take us along too!”
With that, he tugged at Lu Jiao’s sleeve.
The silver-haired boy was momentarily confused but quickly caught on. If they went along, not only could they ensure that Su Su wouldn’t be taken away by the people at the plantation center, but they could also get a chance to go out and explore!
One had to admit, Lang Ze’s thinking was quite sharp in such matters.
“Yes, we’ll all go together!” Lu Jiao echoed enthusiastically.
Cen Liang hesitated. “This… this…”
It wouldn’t be a problem if they behaved themselves, but what if they went wild at the plantation center? If they lost control, they might actually destroy the greenhouse!
Su Ci, however, neither agreed nor refused. He simply said, “We’ll see.”
The mutated garlic sprout was currently in its metamorphic phase, a process it had to endure on its own. Even if Su Ci went, he wouldn’t be able to do much.
Then, Su Ci firmly dismissed Cen Liang.
As much as Cen Liang wanted to stay and continue observing the plants—especially to figure out how Su Ci had successfully cultivated them in Prison Star’s soil—it was already lunchtime, and Su Ci showed no intention of inviting him to stay for a meal.
Reluctantly, Cen Liang followed Su Ci and the young ones out of the green plot, turning back with every step as though bidding farewell to a treasure.
When they reached the front of the nursery building, Cen Liang wanted to say something more to Su Ci. However, his attention was suddenly drawn to the second floor.
From a window, a tiger’s head poked out. Its two paws rested on the windowsill, and its gaze was fixed downward, looking directly at them.
“T-That… that is…” Cen Liang stammered, his hand trembling as he pointed at the tiger curiously peeking outside.
Its fiery red stripes, reminiscent of burning flames, matched the traits of one of the ten legendary beasts—wasn’t this a Crimson Flame Tiger?!
Cen Liang’s heart filled with dread. Before he could say anything, Su Ci glanced up briefly but didn’t seem concerned. Meanwhile, Lang Ze blurted out, “Wow, is that Number Two?”
“Yes, that’s Number Two,” Su Ci replied calmly. “His name is now Ran Lie.”
“Ran Lie…” Lu Jiao repeated softly before asking, “Does he have a nickname?”
Su Ci paused slightly, then murmured, “I forgot.”
The little deer didn’t dwell on it. He remembered that he hadn’t seen Number Two since that night and hadn’t expected him to have fully beastified.
Previously, he had feared the possibility of them fully beastifying and devouring him. But now, as he looked at the Crimson Flame Tiger perched at the window, gazing down, all those fears seemed to vanish.
Instead, all he could think of was the image of Number Two saving him.
“He seems to be in the activity room. Can I go see him?” Lu Jiao asked, tilting his head up to look at Su Ci.
Su Ci nodded. “Go ahead.”
With Su Ci’s approval, Lu Jiao felt more confident. He gave a small smile and dashed toward the main entrance of the nursery building.
Little Lang Ze, who had been listening to their conversation, was surprised to see Lu Jiao take the lead. He quickly carried Zheng Xing on his back and chased after him.
“Hey, wait for me!”
“Hurry up!”
Watching the three children run off, Cen Liang glanced back at the second floor, where the Crimson Flame Tiger had already pulled its head back inside. He couldn’t help but swallow nervously.
“Caretaker Su, are you sure it’s… fine not to call the operations team?”
“No need,” Su Ci replied. “He’s just in his beast form, but his rationality is intact. It’s fine.”
Despite the calming authority in Su Ci’s tone, Cen Liang couldn’t shake the unease. The rumors about the little monsters in the nursery and the legendary stories about the Crimson Flame Tiger made it impossible for him to stay calm.
At that point, his desire to linger at the nursery evaporated. After confirming that Su Ci truly had no intention of involving the operations team, Cen Liang hurriedly made his exit.
Once outside the nursery and safely seated on a hover bus, he finally let out a breath of relief.
Still feeling uneasy, he decided to send a message to Yan Ping. But Yan Ping’s only response was a curt, “Got it,” with no further elaboration.
Left with no choice but to trust the captain of the operations team, Cen Liang turned off his communicator. Yet his thoughts kept returning to the green plants growing in Prison Star’s soil and those two unique little sprouts.
Sigh!
Cen Liang couldn’t make sense of Caretaker Su. Clearly, Su valued those plants greatly, yet he refused to move them to the plantation center’s greenhouse.
What would happen if extreme weather struck suddenly?
The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. Eventually, he couldn’t resist calling Luo Shengfei.
“You want to build another greenhouse?” Luo Shengfei asked after hearing his request. He shook his head and replied, “There’s no material left. Submit an application and let the procurement department handle it.”
Cen Liang also shook his head. Even if the process went smoothly, it would take at least three months for the spaceship to deliver materials. And that’s assuming other necessary goods were ready to ship—starship trips weren’t easy and couldn’t be arranged for just one greenhouse’s materials.
Factoring in delays, it could easily take several months. He might be able to wait, but the plants in the field certainly couldn’t!
“Well, there’s nothing I can do,” Luo Shengfei said, shrugging. “Does the plantation center really need a new greenhouse? I heard a lot of greenhouses have been shut down and are sitting idle.”
Indeed, to prioritize the mutated garlic sprout and ensure it successfully entered its multi-clove phase, the plantation center had reduced its overall planting schedule. Most of the nutrient solution had been diverted to the mutated garlic sprout, leaving other crops neglected and resulting in unused greenhouses.
Cen Liang remembered that as well.
After thinking for a moment, he realized that, if absolutely necessary, they really could dismantle one of the plantation center’s greenhouses.
So, he asked Luo Shengfei for confirmation: “If we dismantle a greenhouse, can we rebuild it?”
Luo Shengfei: “…”
Why did this question sound so familiar?
*
At the nursery, second-floor staircase.
Little Lang Ze, still carrying Zheng Xing on his back, was about to charge toward the activity room when Lu Jiao, who was ahead of him, stopped him.
“Lang Ze, I’ll go first,” Lu Jiao said. “You and Xing Xing should go eat.”
“Why?” Lang Ze asked, puzzled.
“Number Two… Ran Lie has fully beastified now, and I don’t know if he still recognizes people. You two didn’t get along too well before,” Lu Jiao explained. “It’s better if I go check the situation first.”
Lang Ze thought about Number Two’s fiery temper and couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
Even before beastifying, he couldn’t win against Number Two during his frenzies. Now that he’d fully beastified, his physical strength must have multiplied along with his firepower.
There was no chance of winning. One swipe from those tiger claws, and he’d be down for good.
Lang Ze reluctantly said, “Alright, but are you sure you’ll be okay on your own?”
“Mm!” Lu Jiao nodded. “Su Su just agreed to it.”
“That’s true.”
With Su Ci’s approval, Lang Ze figured nothing could go wrong. He nodded and said, “Then Xing Xing and I will go eat first. Be quick and come back soon.”
“Got it.”
Lu Jiao turned and continued toward the activity room.
As he rounded the corner, he immediately saw the Crimson Flame Tiger stepping out of the room.
The tiger walked leisurely, each step exuding an innate sense of authority. Though it seemed relaxed, no one would dare underestimate it.
The Crimson Flame Tiger noticed the boy as well. Turning its head, it gazed at him with its beastly eyes, which seemed to scrutinize him, then began walking toward him step by step.
Facing such a fierce beast, Lu Jiao couldn’t help but feel nervous. But…
He noticed something—it seemed like the Crimson Flame Tiger had shrunk?
Although it was still taller than him, it didn’t feel as overwhelming as it had that night. Its body seemed smaller overall, which surprisingly helped ease his fear.
He stood still, waiting for the Crimson Flame Tiger to approach, observing it closely.
His calm observation revealed more details, further easing his anxiety. When the tiger stopped in front of him, Lu Jiao looked up at it and said, “Number Two.”
The Crimson Flame Tiger paused, looking at him with a hint of confusion.
Ran Lie found it strange.
When had Number Seven become so bold? Facing him in full beast form, how could he remain so calm?
To be honest, from the tiger’s perspective, Lu Jiao looked incredibly small, delicate, and fragile—like he might shatter at the slightest touch.
Ran Lie instinctively took a step back.
Seeing the tiger retreat, the boy stepped forward instead. His blue-black eyes gazed at the tiger with clarity and a hint of warmth.
“Su Su said your name is now Ran Lie,” he said.
Ran Lie nodded, keeping his mouth tightly shut.
He was the majestic Crimson Flame Tiger; there was no way he would meow in front of Number Seven!
“I have a name too—Lu Jiao,” Lu Jiao said with a cheerful smile. “The ‘Lu’ from silver deer and the ‘Jiao’ from ‘bright as the moon among clouds.’ I also have a nickname—YouYou.”
Oh.
Ran Lie acknowledged it silently in his mind.
He glanced briefly at Lu Jiao’s smiling face before turning his gaze away and continuing toward the stairwell.
It seemed Number Seven had been doing quite well during the days he’d been asleep.
Lu Jiao, seeing the Crimson Flame Tiger walk off, quickly followed. Keeping close behind, he asked, “Do you have a nickname?”
What’s that? Ran Lie frowned.
“A nickname is something for close people to call you,” Lu Jiao explained.
The Crimson Flame Tiger’s ears twitched.
“You can call me YouYou,” Lu Jiao continued. “What about your nickname?”
Ran Lie paused, turned around, and looked at him.
He didn’t have a nickname, but… something for close people to use? Did he and Number Seven count as “close”?
Ran Lie knew that Number Seven had always been afraid of him and didn’t genuinely regard him as a leader. So what was this now?
He had once considered taking Number Seven with him to live in the Red Mist, but that was purely because of Seven’s abilities, which could help him survive. He had never thought of them as “close.”
With that in mind, Ran Lie narrowed his tiger eyes, his gaze sharp and intimidating. He stared at Lu Jiao, his expression full of dominance and threat, as if he might pounce and attack at any moment.
Ran Lie expected to see the boy pale with fear, trembling in terror. But after a long moment, Lu Jiao’s face still carried a calm smile.
Under the tiger’s intense gaze, the boy cheerfully said, “Then how about I call you Lie-Lie?”
Lie-Lie? What nonsense is that?
Ran Lie’s intimidating demeanor crumbled instantly, his expression turning to one of disdain and confusion. Was Number Seven really not afraid of him anymore?
As for this question…
While Ran Lie was confident his display had been terrifying—most wouldn’t be able to withstand the close-range glare of a Crimson Flame Tiger—he was unaware of one key fact:
Having faced a furious Su Su and experienced true fear, Lu Jiao’s psychological threshold had increased significantly.
In the past, he might have been frightened. But now?
When the Crimson Flame Tiger had stared him down earlier, all Lu Jiao could think was:
The Crimson Flame Tiger is so fluffy and cute! Since it’s smaller now, it looks like a giant plush toy. I really want to pet it!
Of course, being the rational deer he was, Lu Jiao held back this untimely thought.
Just then, Lu Jiao spoke again.
“Lie-Lie, can you not talk?” Lu Jiao asked.
Ran Lie: “…”
When did I ever agree to that nickname? You’re just taking advantage of the fact that I can’t talk right now, aren’t you?!
*
Third floor, Room 303.
With an experienced helper added to the team and the issue of perennial plant seeds resolved, Su Ci was in a good mood. Even his lunch was more plentiful than usual.
However, just as he finished his meal, satisfied and ready for a nap, an unexpected message arrived.
[Admin Office – Guo Hui]: Caretaker Su, please come to the administrative building around 5 PM.
[Nursery – Su Ci]: What’s the matter?
Su Ci sent a quick reply and soon received a response:
[Admin Office – Guo Hui]: A new cub has arrived.
woahh, a new cub ?