Chapter 41 Chapter 41

The stall was the same as before, with all sorts of odds and ends piled up randomly. I guess even the stall owner himself didn't know what was piled where.

The products are all normal products. There is nothing weird at first glance.

He is the kind of stall owner that is very common in underground markets.

Am I just being too suspicious?

Ruan Shiqing squatted down and casually searched the stall, saying casually, "One of the rock crystals you sold me last time was fake."

????

The stall owner glared at him and said, "I never sell fake goods. You're not trying to trick me, are you?"

He subconsciously held the purse in his arms tightly and said, "I don't have any money to give you!"

There was nothing wrong with his reaction, so Ruan Shiqing gave up his attempt and raised his eyebrows, saying, "There is a dragon egg mixed in with the three rock crystals, and a dragon cub hatched from it."

Stall owner: !!!!!!!!!!!!

"The dragon cub you raised was hatched from the lava crystal I sold you?" His voice gradually rose in pitch and he looked like he was about to faint.

"Where else do you think you came from?" Ruan Shiqing raised his eyebrows and smiled.

"Then you have to make up the difference to me." The stall owner grabbed his arm and said, "I'm losing money!!!"

"It's already sold, there's no point in trying to make up for it later." Ruan Shiqing refused to admit it, and picked up a few small things and put them aside: "Where did you get your rock crystal?"

The stall owner's face was distorted: "How should I know this? I also collected it from other places. This kind of rock crystal is generally produced on Luxor and nearby planets."

"You have collected so many things, why don't you sell them on other planets?" Ruan Shiqing asked casually, "You can't sell them on B3024, right?"

"How do you know I didn't sell on other planets?" The stall owner smiled slyly and fiddled with the odds and ends on the stall: "What do you think these are? They are all the leftover junk from other planets. Otherwise, why would I give you such a cheap price?"

The other party's answer was flawless and the reasons were very sufficient.

Ruan Shiqing tried again and again but to no avail, so he could only give up and pointed at the small items he had picked out, saying, "How much are these? I won't bargain with you today."

"You've taken advantage of me so much, and you still want to bargain?" The stall owner muttered angrily, "One thousand star coins."

Ruan Shiqing settled the bill promptly and waited for him to pack his things.

"You're doing well now and you must be quite rich, right?" the stall owner asked curiously while packing things.

"It's OK." Ruan Shiqing joked, "But I won't give you the difference."

The stall owner shook his head and said mysteriously, "I was blind before, but this time there are real treasures. Do you want to take a look?"

Ruan Shiqing's heart moved, and he looked at him again: "Let me see."

The stall owner did not take out the treasure immediately. Instead, he looked around carefully, pulled up his hood to block his sight, and then took out a small gray bag from his clothes.

He carefully untied the string of the bag, pointed the bag towards Ruan Shiqing, and said in a low voice: "Just let you take a look and check the goods. This thing can't attract anyone's attention."

Ruan Shiqing looked over and found that it was actually a small bag of gems.

They come in various shapes, sizes and colors.

If true, it is estimated to be worth a lot of money.

What he took out was a little beyond Ruan Shiqing's expectations, but although the gems were precious, they were not special.

He wanted to refuse, but suddenly he remembered what the little dragon had said before: when he was in the egg, his father told him to eat all the gems in the house. Later, when he looked up information about the dragon clan on the holographic network, he also found that the dragon clan liked shiny gems.

He was penniless at the time, so he naturally couldn't afford to buy such an expensive gem for the little dragon.

But now he is not short of money.

"How many star coins are there in this bag?"

The stall owner frowned and hesitated for a moment before saying, "One hundred thousand...right?"

He looked at Ruan Shiqing tentatively, probably waiting for him to bargain.

But Ruan Shiqing's attention was not on the price. He asked, "Can this baby gem dragon be eaten?"

????

The stall owner stared at him with a look that said, "Are you sick? How can anyone feed gems to a baby?" "What kind of gems? A baby can't eat them, right?"

He had heard of dragons that made it rain gems, and dragons that used gems to make beds, but he had never heard of dragons that ate gems.

"Will it hurt my teeth?" he asked cautiously.

Ruan Shiqing: ...

Only then did he realize that dragon cubs did not eat gems.

Unexpectedly relieved, Ruan Shiqing transferred the star coins to him: "Then I'll take it."

The stall owner was very surprised by Ruan Shiqing's straightforwardness and generosity today. He held his hand and was almost reluctant to let go: "Let's exchange contact information. Next time I have something good, I will definitely save it for you!"

Ruan Shiqing thought about it and added him as a communication method before leaving.

After a stroll around the market, Ruan Shiqing returned home with a bag of gems.

There were quite a few gems in a bag, so Ruan Shiqing specially found an exquisite small box and poured the washed and disinfected gems into it.

Gems of various shapes are piled in the box, sparkling brightly.

Other cubs might also like such beautiful gems.

Ruan Shiqing thought for a while, then simply put down the work he was about to start, picked up a piece of draft paper, and began to roughly sketch.

The draft paper was soon filled with small ornaments of various shapes.

Ruan Shiqing picked out the ones he liked the most, dug out the tools and materials, and started working on the craft.

The Little Mermaid's was a sapphire necklace, the Little Fox's was a ruby ​​hairpin, and Snowball's was a black sapphire earring.

As for the exquisite little robot 09, he will receive a gem-encrusted bow tie.

Ruan Shiqing's hands are very fast. Every day when he is tired from work or study and needs to relax, he starts to make handicrafts. It takes about three days of free time to prepare all the gifts.

He deliberately picked a time when the cubs returned home from school and took out the gifts.

The cubs were caught off guard by the gifts, and they swarmed around Ruan Shiqing like a group of happy little birds, and lined up unconsciously.

Ruan Shiqing took out the gifts and put them on the kids one by one.

The little fox didn't like to have her hair tied up, so Ruan Shiqing used a gemstone hairpin to pin her bangs behind her ears.

The little mermaid's necklace was intricate and gorgeous. Ruan Shiqing carefully adjusted the length for him so that it just covered the scar on his neck.

The golden tassels on the necklace sway slightly, and the blue gemstones at the end reflect the light, which is delicate and gorgeous;

"It's your turn." Ruan Shiqing took out a black satin bow tie and walked towards 09.

The little golden robot stood there at a loss, the little red dot on the display screen kept flashing, and it was surprised and surprised: "Do I have it too?"

Ruan Shiqing put the bow tie on him and adjusted the angle, then chuckled and said, "Of course. The bow tie suits you very well."

The only two people who didn't get any gifts were Xiao Longzai and Rong Heng.

"Where's mine? Where's mine?" The little dragon was so anxious that he kept circling around Ruan Shiqing's feet.

Rong Heng on the side glanced at him and sneered.

No future.

"Yours is at the end." Ruan Shiqing picked up the black earrings and picked up Snowball who was lying on the side.

He gently parted the fur on the cub's right ear and found a hole at the tip of the ear. He chuckled and asked, "Does your family have a tradition of piercing the ears?"

He had noticed before that there was an inconspicuous little hole next to Snowball's ear, but he didn't pay much attention to it at the time and didn't associate it with the ear hole until he met Mr. Rong.

Mr. Rong wears a small black earring on his right ear. It is very inconspicuous and may even be overlooked if you don't look carefully.

——Both brothers have pierced ears.

It's probably some kind of family tradition.

Ruan Shiqing carefully inserted the black sapphire earrings through the little boy's ear holes.

Unexpectedly, he was so considerate. Rong Heng's eyes moved, he glanced at him sideways, hummed softly, and agreed with what he said.

This ear piercing was done by his mother when he was a child.

It is said that he was very weak when he was born and his mother was worried that he would not survive, so she returned to her ancestral land and used the remains of her ancestors to polish a bone nail for him, hoping that the heroic spirits of her ancestors would bless him to grow up safely.

This was the most tender thing his mother had ever done for him in his memory.

Even such a strong mother would place her hopes on such illusory thoughts.

After his mother passed away, he kept the bone nail as a treasure, but he still kept the habit of wearing earrings.

I didn't expect Ruan Shiqing to notice it.

With ripples in his heart, Rong Heng stared at him for a moment and rubbed his palm with his head.

Ruan Shiqing smiled and rubbed his head, then picked up the anxious little dragon cub and placed him on his knees: "Okay, now it's your turn."

With his golden eyes wide open, the little dragon looked at his father expectantly.

"This is for you, open it and take a look yourself." Ruan Shiqing took out the exquisite little box.

The small box is as big as two palms, and except for the gems used to make jewelry, the remaining gems are all inside.

The little dragon couldn't wait to open the lid, and when he saw the sparkling gems piled up inside, he couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

He joyfully held the small box tightly in his arms, his little wings flapping non-stop, and he was so happy that he almost flew up!

"Thank you, Dad." He rubbed Ruan Shiqing's arm vigorously, jumped off his knees, and began to look for a place to hide the treasure all over the house.

But there was no good place for him to hide in the house, so the little dragon sat on the ground and thought for a long time. Finally, he put the gem box under his belly and lay on it, with two small mini bat wings hanging down to protect the gem box.

The little fox looked at him with disgust: "You are like a miser now."

She didn't think there was anything good about these little stones. They couldn't be eaten or played with.

Hearing this, the little dragon turned around and faced her with his butt. He couldn't help but climb up, opened the lid, and then squeezed himself into the small box.

But he was too round, and the small box was only one-third of his size. The little dragon tried hard for a long time but couldn't squeeze in. Instead, he was ridiculed by Nota.

He angrily dumped all the gems onto the cushion, then lay on his belly on the gems and closed his eyes with contentment.

Ruan Shiqing found it amusing. It seemed that he had made the right choice to buy the gems this time. The dragon race’s love for gems was indeed innate.

The kids were very satisfied with their gifts and couldn’t wait to show them off to school the next day.

Especially the little dragon cub, who has been holding on to the gem box since last night and won't let go. He takes it with him even when he eats, goes to bed, or goes to school.

Ruan Shiqing had no choice but to let him go.

After watching the kids go to school, Ruan Shiqing went to the appointment with 09.

——Shen Wuzhu held a small party this morning.

The gathering place is a small tavern opened by ancient humans in the southern district.

The tavern was not high-end, but it was clean and tidy, with a nostalgic atmosphere everywhere, which invisibly brought them closer to each other.

When Ruan Shiqing arrived, Shen Wuqiu and several others had already arrived. When they saw him come in, they all stood up and greeted him warmly.

As the initiator, Shen Wuzhu introduced Ruan Shiqing to everyone, and then everyone sat down in the booth.

The owner of the tavern, Dodd, came over with some drinks and said, "I just made a new drink called 'Blue Star'. You guys should try it."

In the tall cocktail glass, the wine is of different shades of blue, with some golden crumbs at the bottom, which looks extremely beautiful.

A few people raised their glasses and clinked them together, and the atmosphere gradually became warmer.

Ruan Shiqing had a gentle personality, and the others were interested in making friends with him. Plus, since they were ancient humans, the topic soon came up.

As the topic expanded, it was inevitable that they would talk about Ruan Shiqing's career.

"With Mr. Ruan's ability, have you ever thought about going further? It would be a waste of your talent to have your headquarters on Planet B3024." The person who spoke was the businessman Joe, who spent most of his time traveling between various planets and only occasionally returned to Planet B3024.

Ruan Shiqing shook his head: "I don't have such plans for the time being."

On the one hand, he was concerned about the cubs at home, and on the other hand, after staying on B3024 for a long time, he gradually developed a sense of belonging to this planet. Although this gray planet is poor and backward, with a chaotic legal system, it also has its own unique features.

He was originally just an outsider, but compared to other planets, B3024 made him feel more like a belonging.

The others were surprised when they heard this. They all wanted desperately to leave here and take root on a prosperous big planet, but they never thought that Ruan Shiqing would be willing to stay on this barren planet.

"Then Mr. Ruan must be a nostalgic person." Qiao Er said with a smile: "In fact, I returned to B3024 this time for Mr. Ruan. I originally wanted to invite you to join the 'Black Crow' business alliance. With your ability, you can definitely lead us to open up the market and compete with the four oligarchs."

"Black Crow Business Alliance?"

"It's a business alliance formed by some small technology companies that don't want to join the big four. The members of the alliance support each other to cope with the suppression of the big four." Joel said helplessly: "You also know that technology and energy are now monopolized by the big four. If we retail investors want to survive, we can only stick together for warmth."

Ruan Shiqing had heard a little about the four major financial groups in the Galaxy Empire. The big capitalists monopolized the market with absolute advantages and were bound to suppress emerging newcomers and squeeze the living space of these small companies.

This is also the reason why the gap between the rich and the poor on the planets of the Galactic Empire is so huge today.

Just like planet B3024, the metal waste from the capital planet is continuously transported in by the transport ships of the Schwarzschild Transport Company, and then transformed by the energy center invested by Planck Energy to produce new energy to supply the needs of the surrounding prosperous planets.

But all this is in the hands of three giants: the government, Schwarzschild Transport and Planck Energy. The profits belong to them, while the ordinary poor people living on this planet only get the constant noise day and night and the metal garbage that constantly squeezes their living space.

While the giants are making huge profits from the converted energy, the poor living in the metal garbage dumps can only make a living by selling garbage.

Ruan Shiqing knew too well the darkness in this, but precisely because he knew it too well, he became more aware of his own insignificance and powerlessness.

This problem has been around for a long time and cannot be changed by his own efforts.

He shook his head and said helplessly: "You overestimate me. I'm just an ordinary mechanic. I'm afraid I can't help you."

Although he was rejected, Joel was not discouraged. He sighed and said, "You underestimate your own value."

But Ruan Shiqing was not interested. He did not force it, but took the initiative to change the subject: "Even if you don't join 'Black Crow', I still have a business to discuss with you. I just happened to receive an order for shuttle modification. The requirements are quite high. I am afraid that you are the only mechanic I know who can complete it. I wonder if you are interested?"

Ruan Shiqing would not refuse a serious renovation business. After the two of them briefly discussed the details, Ruan Shiqing agreed.

He agreed readily, and Joel paid the deposit readily as well, and promised to deliver the shuttle within three days.

The party came to a successful end here. After drinking a few more glasses of wine, seeing that it was almost time for the child to go home from school, Ruan Shiqing said goodbye and went to pick up the child from school.

In today's schools, many children have painted "hero badges" on their faces. Some only have a short mark, while others have their faces covered with paint.

On the contrary, the little mermaid stands out even more from the crowd.

Looking at the cubs who had painted themselves into strange shapes, Ruan Shiqing had to hold back his laughter and picked up the little dragon cub that was clinging to his feet.

"Why does it seem heavier?" As soon as the little dragon took hold, Ruan Shiqing felt something was wrong.

It's only been one day and the little dragon seems to have grown a lot heavier.

Ruan Shiqing initially thought that he remembered it wrongly, so he asked 09 to hold it, and 09 said that it was indeed a lot heavier.

"Is it starting to grow?" Ruan Shiqing held the little dragon cub and looked at it carefully, muttering to himself, "It seems to be a little bigger."

"Really?" The little dragon boy was clueless, but was very surprised after hearing what Ruan Shiqing said: "No wonder the flames he spewed out got bigger today!"

As the little dragon spoke, he spit out a small flame and showed it to Ruan Shiqing.

It's definitely bigger than before.

"Heri is getting better and better." Ruan Shiqing praised him, and took Snowball into his arms, while holding the little fox in human form in his other hand, and went home together.

The little dragon cub was very excited to find that he had started to grow. As soon as he got home, he asked Xiong Yuanyuan to help him weigh himself. After that, he stood on his hind paws and asked to measure his height.

"What's so great about measuring it? It was just up to my knees before, but now it's a little higher than my knees." The little fox stood next to him and measured with his hands. It was a lot taller than him.

!!! ...

Nota is so annoying!!!!!

After glaring at her, the little dragon ran away angrily, stomping its little paws on the ground, making loud noises.

The little fox was puzzled and asked the little mermaid beside him: "Why is he suddenly angry?"

“……”The little mermaid was speechless and could only turn her head away.

The shuttle that Joel promised arrived the next day.

It is a T5-a "Petrel" shuttle manufactured at the Kok Shipyard. It is nearly 20 meters long. The hull and shield have been specially strengthened. It is very popular in the civilian market because of its high safety and good stability.

Some transport ships use this type of shuttle for ship-to-ship cargo transport, and some individuals use it as a means of transportation, with a wide range of functions and uses.

The shuttle sent by Joel was obviously a private means of transportation.

According to Joel, the customer of this order is quite special and has very high requirements for the concealment and protection of the shuttle. The modification is mainly aimed at these two aspects.

To improve stealth and protection, one simply needs to work on deflector shields and cloaking devices. Ruan Shiqing had studied these two things some time ago and had quite a bit of experience with them. This shuttle was a good opportunity for him to practice with them.

The only pressing issue is the time issue. The other party paid a large sum of star coins to speed up the process and required the modification to be completed within half a month.

Ruan Shiqinghua spent five days repeatedly revising the drawings. After finally confirming the modified parts with the customer, he began to purchase materials and started the modification work.

The modification of a shuttle is much more complicated than that of a small racing shuttle. Even with the help of the Xiong brothers, who handle some basic work, Ruan Shiqing still spends most of his time on it every day, and he doesn't even have time to pick up and drop off the cubs.

Fortunately, the kids were very sensible. They knew Ruan Shiqing was busy with work, so they didn’t stick to him during this time and were picked up and dropped off by 09 obediently.

When Ruan Shiqing finally completed the modification of the main part of the shuttle and could take a break to relax, he discovered that in just half a month, the little dragon had grown a lot bigger.

In the past, the little dragon cub was only as high as Nota's knees, but now the little dragon cub has reached Nota's crotch.

The little dragon himself did not think there was anything wrong. Instead, he was secretly happy that he was about to catch up with his sister.

Before, Ruan Shiqing had been busy with work and he had no time to show off, but now that his father was finally free, he couldn't help but show off.

Just like before, he threw himself into Ruan Shiqing's arms like a little cannonball, wanting his father to hug him. However, he was too heavy and made Ruan Shiqing stumble.

Ruan Shiqing took two steps back before he could barely catch the overweight little dragon cub. He looked worried: "How come it has grown so fast all of a sudden?"

The little dragon hasn't grown much since it hatched. Why is it suddenly growing like it's taken hormones?

Ruan Shiqing thought about it and felt something was not right, but the little dragon seemed energetic and he could not find any problem. He searched the holographic network but could not find any similar examples. He could only suppress his worries for the time being.

Instead, Rong Heng looked at the little dragon cub who was unaware of anything and frowned slightly.