Chapter 187
The arrangements were finalized, but the team from Base 26 wasn’t leaving immediately.
Their mission included taking a mutated garlic plant back with them, and the plantation staff were still handling the transfer process. This included completing necessary paperwork and providing training on how to care for the plant. It would take at least another day before they could depart.
As a result, Yun Zixu led his team to bid farewell for the time being. Since they were planning to take a few of the young ones to Base 26—a situation without precedent—they needed to report the matter to the personnel office. However, with Su Ci’s approval and Li Sinian’s accompaniment, it wasn’t likely to face any significant hurdles.
Meanwhile, the originally reluctant “spokesman” Song Zehe was temporarily left at the nursery. With the Blood Mist now cleared from Base 24, the area was entirely safe, and he could leave to rejoin his comrades whenever he wished.
After seeing Yun Zixu and his team off, Song Zehe glanced at Su Ci, who was lounging in a chair with a lazy, boneless posture, as though life’s burdens didn’t exist. The scene felt surreal.
He realized, with growing clarity, that he didn’t know Su Ci at all. The man he once thought to be frail and in need of protection was someone possessing unimaginable power and influence.
This revelation left Song Zehe somewhat uneasy.
But he eventually gathered his courage, approached Su Ci, and stammered out his words.
“Su… Su Ci… Thank you.” His voice was filled with sincerity.
Su Ci opened his eyes slightly, just as a hand reached out from beside him, offering him a glass of chilled fruit juice.
He turned his head to see A-Yan smiling warmly at him.
Su Ci didn’t decline. Now that the weather rules around Base 24 had been stabilized, the extreme conditions were gone, and the seasons had become distinct again. Summer was in full swing, and the heat made iced fruit juice the perfect remedy.
Taking a sip, Su Ci finally addressed Song Zehe, continuing the conversation. “And thank you for the sausages and canned goods.”
Hearing this, Song Zehe’s face flushed with embarrassment.
“Don’t say that,” he said quickly. “You even gave me that huge box of Star-chain fruits… They were the best fruits I’ve ever tasted. I should be the one thanking you—really, thank you so much!”
Su Ci said, “Want to eat more?”
“Huh? What?” Song Zehe was momentarily confused.
“If you want to eat, there are plenty more over there. Go pick some yourself.” Su Ci pointed to a nearby Star-chain fruit tree.
The new batch of Star-chain fruits hadn’t been harvested yet. Bright, plump fruits glistened among the green vines, looking incredibly tempting.
Although tempted, Song Zehe restrained himself. “No, no, I can’t take it without earning it.”
Seeing his obvious desire yet firm refusal, Su Ci said, “In that case, why not grow some yourself?”
Song Zehe was taken aback.
Beside him, A-Yan curved his lips into a faint smile and added, “Exactly. Star-chain fruits are very easy to grow. If you like them, you can plant some yourself.”
“But I…”
“How much longer will you be serving on Earth Star?” A-Yan suddenly asked.
Song Zehe, familiar with the planet’s official name from the briefings on the prison planet, instinctively replied, “At least two more years.”
“Don’t you want to leave something behind on this planet?” A-Yan gently prodded.
“Leave something behind?”
“Yes,” A-Yan said. “When I saw Earth Star’s barren land, I wanted to change it, to bring life back to this planet, to restore its beauty and abundance.”
Song Zehe stared at the young man with shimmering platinum hair before him, a pang of guilt washing over him.
All he had thought about was fighting monsters and surviving long enough to finish his service term and leave this harsh, dangerous planet. He’d never once considered leaving something behind—something as simple as planting a tree.
“But… can plants even grow in Earth Star’s soil?” Song Zehe asked hesitantly.
“If not, then what do you call everything growing around you?” A-Yan replied.
Only then did Song Zehe snap out of it.
Of course—Earth Star’s soil could support plant life. The nursery’s land was proof of that! So… could the soil at Base 26 also work?
A-Yan looked at Su Ci. Receiving a nod, he left briefly and returned with two flower pots, each containing a small green seedling.
One pot held a regular Star-chain fruit sapling, while the other contained a purification herb that looked slightly wilted.
“When you return, plant these two together,” Su Ci instructed. “They’ll grow quickly. If you’re unsure about anything, you can come back and ask me.”
Even though Yun Zixu and the others would likely work hard to meet his requirements after learning about the purification herb’s properties, it wouldn’t hurt to encourage more people to participate.
The more hands involved in planting, the more life Earth Star would regain.
Song Zehe carefully took the two pots, nodded earnestly, and said, “I’ll do my best to care for them!”
In the end, Song Zehe still got to enjoy some Star-chain fruit.
After all, Song Zehe was the first human to show kindness to Su Ci after he woke up, so Su Ci had a favorable impression of him.
Once the time was right, Song Zehe left the nursery with the two flower pots to join Yun Zixu and the others. They planned to return the next day to pick up the children and Li Sinian for their departure.
While Ran Lie had gone back to training, the little wolf cub was busy dragging Xing Xing around the green area, scavenging everything he could find.
They were leaving for a whole week, so naturally, they had to pack plenty of food to last the journey!
Wen Yan and Yan Ya didn’t fully understand Su Ci’s decision, but they knew they had no say in it. All they could do was prepare meals for the children to ensure they ate well even while at Base 26.
Before leaving, Li Sinian sought out Su Ci—not about the trip itself, as that was already set in stone, but to ask for guidance on training with his object-manipulation power.
Spending a week training with his son, he had come to realize that the heart technique Rong Heng practiced was perfectly suited to cultivating object-manipulation powers.
The more he grasped the value of this technique, the more he hesitated on how to approach Su Ci. Now that he was about to leave for at least a week, he finally couldn’t hold back anymore.
Hearing Li Sinian’s request, Su Ci wasn’t surprised. He had anticipated this situation and knew that as the children ventured beyond the nursery, such requests would only increase.
Just as he had once told Xue Wei, Su Ci said, “You can learn from Rong Heng. If he’s willing to teach you, I have no objections.”
Li Sinian’s expression twisted slightly.
“Are you saying… I should ask Rong Heng for guidance?” he asked again for confirmation.
Su Ci nodded, seeing nothing wrong with the suggestion.
Noticing Li Sinian’s strained expression, Su Ci thought for a moment and offered some reassurance: “Don’t worry, Rong Heng will be willing to teach you.”
Li Si Nian felt both amused and exasperated.
Of course, he knew that if he asked, his son would be willing to teach him. But the problem was…
Rong Heng was his son!
He was already embarrassed by how little he could teach his son at this stage. If he went and asked his son to teach him a heart technique, what kind of image would that leave in Rong Heng’s mind?
Still… he was deeply tempted by the object-manipulation training method.
As someone who had gone further with this power than anyone else in his family, Li Sinian was currently at a bottleneck. He felt this might be a rare opportunity—his ability to advance further likely hinged on this heart technique.
Seeing Li Si Nian’s inner turmoil, Su Ci finally said, “I can share the heart technique mantra with you. How much you can gain from it will depend on your own comprehension.”
Li Sinian’s eyes lit up. If he could just get the mantra, that would be perfect! He had confidence in his ability to extract at least some valuable insights.
“But,” Su Ci continued, “there is one condition.”
“What do you need from me? Just say the word!” Li Sinian replied without hesitation.
The next morning, at precisely six o’clock, Lang Ze rushed out of his room with Xing Xing on his back, ready for the journey ahead.
Last night, Xing Xing had a rare bout of insomnia.
Even having Lang Ze by his side did nothing to alleviate it.
Since arriving at the nursery, this was the first time he was facing a trip away, and his emotions were unusually unstable—there was unease and hesitation, but also excitement and anticipation at the thought of spaceships and warships.
He tossed and turned all night without sleeping. Meanwhile, the culprit, Lang Ze, had vividly described his bright expectations for the journey before falling into a deep, carefree sleep beside him. Even in his dreams, his joyful aura made it seem as though the next day’s trip had no negative impact on him at all.
Xing Xing spent the entire night thinking before finally making a decision.
When Yun Zixu arrived to pick them up, he saw only Li Sinian accompanied by Ran Lie and Lang Ze. The delicate boy, Xing Xing, who had been added to the group last-minute, was nowhere to be seen.
Could it be that he decided not to go? Yun Zixu was pleasantly surprised.
To be honest, despite knowing that these cubs possessed considerable abilities, Yun Zixu felt immense pressure at the prospect of taking them to Base 26, given his lack of experience with children.
The fewer to manage, the better!
But in the end, his hopes were dashed.
Just as he was happily asking Li Sinian whether Xing Xing wasn’t coming, he noticed Li Sinian looking at the wolf-eared boy beside him with a complicated expression.
More specifically, at the boy’s nursery uniform, which now had an oversized, newly sewn pocket. The pocket bulged as if something were inside it, with a fine, furry, tail-like object peeking out.
Under Yun Zixu’s gaze, the small black tail quickly retreated back into the pocket.
Yun Zixu: “…”
So, the cub had fully beastified?
He stared at Li Sinian in disbelief. Was this condition really okay with Caretaker Su?
Li Sinian could only pat him on the shoulder and say, “Let’s go. Caretaker Su is aware.”
Since that was the case, Yun Zixu could only accept it.
Of all of them, Lang Ze seemed the happiest. He waved enthusiastically to the friends who had come to see them off. “We’ll be back in a week! Don’t miss us too much!”
Then, with a cheer, he ran out of the nursery, yelling gleefully, “Let’s go!”
Even Ran Lie, who wasn’t in the best mood, was swept up in his excitement. Soon, they had boarded the hover car parked at the gate, heading toward the airfield outside the base.
It wasn’t until they were inside the hover car that the little feline, Xing Xing, peeked his head out from Lang Ze’s pocket.
This was a hover car far superior in performance to the hover buses!
Encountering something new, the little feline’s furry face betrayed no emotion, but the aura of joy emanating from him was undeniable.
At this moment, Yun Zixu pulled out the garlic spray he had prepared earlier, handing a bottle to everyone in the car—Lang Ze held onto Xing Xing’s share for him.
Then, with practiced movements, Yun Zixu sprayed the garlic spray throughout the car, ensuring that everyone was thoroughly coated in the pungent scent.
The slightly sharp smell made Xing Xing let out a small sneeze. He quickly retreated back into Lang Ze’s pocket, trying to hide.
However, he was soon fished out by Lang Ze and subjected to a full garlic-scented “baptism” by Yun Zixu.
After the spray session, the little black cat looked completely deflated.
Lang Ze gently patted Xing Xing’s small head to comfort him. “Be good, Xing Xing. This spray protects us; we have to use it.”
Then he fished out a milk candy, bit it in half, and placed the other half into the little cat’s mouth.
Xing Xing opened his mouth and took the candy. The comforting sweetness perked him up a little. He let out a soft “mm” before jumping off Lang Ze’s hand and clumsily pawing at the pocket of his shirt, trying to crawl back inside.
As he squeezed halfway into the pocket, he got stuck at the opening, his two back paws sticking out and showing their pink pads.
Lang Ze thought the sight was adorable. He was just about to reach out and give the tiny paws a squeeze when the nimble black cat wiggled all the way inside, burying himself snugly and securely in the pocket.
Disappointed, Lang Ze looked up to find Ran Lie sitting next to him, frowning at him.
After a moment’s hesitation, Lang Ze pulled out another piece of milk candy and asked, “Ran Lie, do you want one? It’s really tasty!”
Though their relationship had been antagonistic in the past, it had improved somewhat recently. Still, they weren’t particularly close. With the upcoming battles, Lang Ze thought it was important to strengthen their camaraderie, so he decided to extend a hand of friendship first.
Ran Lie wasn’t fond of sweets. He didn’t like the overly sweet taste of candy, so he declined.
“You don’t like candy?” Seeing the refusal, Lang Ze popped the candy into his own mouth. Then he pulled out a packet of jerky and asked, “What about jerky? Do you want some?”
The moment the packet was opened, the already garlic-heavy air in the car was overtaken by the rich and spicy aroma of jerky. Even Yun Zixu and his team couldn’t help but swallow hungrily.
Ran Lie was no exception.
He couldn’t help but wonder why the wolf cub had brought so much food with him. Was he going to fight monsters or on a picnic?
This time, however, Ran Lie didn’t refuse. He accepted the jerky and started chewing on it earnestly. When Lang Ze asked how it tasted, Ran Lie gave a rare nod of approval.
Even Yun Zixu and Li Sinian each got a piece of jerky.
For Yun Zixu, who rarely ate meat, it was a delightful surprise. And as the original provider of the jerky, Li Sinian enjoyed his share guilt-free.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the vehicle became unexpectedly harmonious.
When they reached the airfield, the three cubs finally got to see the new model spaceship up close.
Yun Zixu noticed the cubs’ curious gazes inspecting their shiny ship, then glanced at the nearly broken-down 244H ship belonging to Base 24 parked nearby. He couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride.
“Well? Isn’t it cool?” he asked, grinning.
He looked at Lang Ze and the little black kitten Xing Xing poking its head out of his pocket. These two cubs seemed very interested in the spaceship Starlink. Were they satisfied now?
The wolf cub eagerly nodded, repeatedly exclaiming how cool it was, but the little kitten quickly retreated back into the pocket.
Still, 244h is better…
Xing Xing thought, somewhat disappointed.
