Chapter 60 Chapter 60

Rong Heng and his party arrived at B3024 in the evening. The main battleship was still anchored outside B3024, and the party landed on a transport ship.

The landing of the huge transport ship caused a commotion and attracted a lot of onlookers. Mori led his men to disperse the crowd watching the excitement before he began to load and unload the equipment on the transport ship.

Rong Heng and Hector took the three cubs straight to the repair shop.

Ruan Shiqing, who received the news in advance, was waiting at the door. When the "Glory" landed in front of the door, the cubs rushed down first and rushed into their father's arms.

Ruan Shiqing patted everyone's head one by one and asked 09 to take the kids to the backyard to play. He then looked at Rong Heng and Hector who were taking a step back.

His expression was slightly solemn. He led the two people into the yard and pointed at the huge insect corpses: "They are all here."

The two of them went forward to take a closer look. All of these Zergs were already dead, either with their abdomens blown open or their heads exploded. Almost all of them were killed with one or two shots. The person who did it had pretty good aim.

Hector didn't know the details yet, so he said in an admiring tone, "Who did it? These Zerg scouts are much more flexible than those clumsy combatants who only know how to rush forward with their heads down."

"09 and I killed him." Ruan Shiqing nodded at the armored walker parked on the other side. "It's a newly developed weapon. It's just right for us to practice with it."

When Hector entered the room, he noticed the huge armored walker, but he had never seen such a strange machine before, so he thought it was a device that Ruan Shiqing had bought from somewhere.

I didn't expect it to be a newly developed weapon.

If the timing wasn't right, he would have rushed over to try it out.

"Are you not hurt?" Rong Heng lowered his eyes and looked at him.

In fact, he wanted to show more tenderness, but His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had never been kind to anyone since he was a child, and the education he received since childhood taught him only toughness and iron-bloodedness.

So much so that even when caring about others, they appear to be rigid.

After he said it, he felt a little regretful.

It should be a little gentler.

Ruan Shiqing didn't take it too seriously. He smiled and said jokingly, "Mr. Rong doesn't trust my skills. Although I definitely can't fight against the Zerg in terms of my physical fitness, I still have my brains and weapons. I won't get hurt if I fight them."

"That's not what I meant." Rong Heng pursed his lips slightly, looking slightly annoyed: "Of course I believe you."

But when you start to care about someone, it doesn't mean you can stop worrying about his safety just because you believe in his ability.

"I understand what Mr. Rong means." Ruan Shiqing glanced at him and said, "I'm fine."

Only then did Rong Heng relax his brows.

After a brief greeting, the topic returned to the Zerg Tribe. Ruan Shiqing asked curiously, "Hector just said this is a scout from the Zerg Tribe?"

Rong Heng nodded and explained to him, "The social structure of the insect tribe is similar to that of bees. The queen insect leads the entire tribe, and the male insects with strong reproductive ability are responsible for mating with the queen insect. The insects without reproductive ability serve as workers, responsible for guarding the nest, finding food, caring for eggs, and feeding larvae. During these years of war, we have gradually deepened our understanding of the insect tribe and divided these workers into combat soldiers, scouts, and logistics soldiers according to different divisions of labor."

"These relatively small and agile Zerg are called scouts. Most of the time, they are responsible for gathering intelligence and are the vanguard of the Zerg. Whenever the Zerg launches an attack, they will first send out scouts to investigate the battlefield."

The more Ruan Shiqing listened, the more worried he became. "So, are these reconnaissance soldiers from the Insect Tribe coming to B3024 to explore the way? There will be a large group of Insect Tribes behind them? But why did they come to B3024 specifically?"

His questions came one after another, but Rong Heng was currently unable to give a definite answer.

"It's not impossible." Rong Heng looked at the pile of insect corpses solemnly, and said in a somewhat dry voice: "In fact, in recent years, we have found that these insects have become smarter and smarter. Many of their behaviors can no longer be predicted according to the fixed behavior patterns of the past."

Therefore, even he couldn't guess the purpose of these reconnaissance insect soldiers appearing on the B3024 planet.

"We can only strengthen our defenses." Rong Heng finally said, "As for how these insects crossed the frontline area, I will send someone to investigate the situation as soon as possible."

Ruan Shiqing was worried: "If it's just a small wave of Zerg, then we won't have to worry about it. But if, as you said, the Zerg force is still behind us, then given the situation on B3024, we simply can't withstand the attack of a large number of Zerg."

"I will transfer a group of people to B3024. They are the elites fighting against the Zerg on the front line." Rong Heng said seriously: "We can defend the front line, and we can also defend B3024."

His eyes were calm, and he did not waver even when facing unknown danger.

Ruan Shiqing was inspired by him, put aside his worries, and nodded, saying, "Then I will dissect these Zerg as soon as possible to see if I can find their weaknesses and develop more effective weapons against them."

"You don't have to feel too stressed." Rong Heng looked at him, his eyes softening unconsciously: "Protecting the empire and the people is what the military should do. You have helped us a lot."

“It’s just what we can do.”

Ruan Shiqing smiled, and his heavy heart also lightened up a lot. Then he asked, "Why didn't Snowball come back with us?"

"He... is still undergoing special training." Rong Heng always felt guilty and short of breath when talking about Snowball with Ruan Shiqing.

But I couldn't help asking, "You seem to like him very much?"

"Yeah, Snowball is very likable." Ruan Shiqing did not hide his love for Snowball, and even his eyebrows were stained with smiles: "Mr. Rong should like him too, right? Otherwise, he wouldn't be so strict with him. The deeper the love, the more severe the criticism."

The deeper the love, the more severe the criticism.

Rong Heng was in a trance for a moment, and couldn't help but think of his mother who was extremely strict with him. Since he was born, his mother had been by his side teaching him. He had never been to school for a day. From astronomy and geography to economics and politics, from fighting skills to military strategy, all were taught by his mother herself.

When he was young, he would sometimes envy other cubs for having a gentle mother who was not so harsh and would hold the cub in her arms and comfort it gently when it cried.

But as he grew up, he gradually came to agree with his mother's approach.

"Yes." He nodded slightly, and couldn't help but say, "Comparatively, Mr. Ruan is a little too doting on the cub."

Look at the back door, there are three little guys peeking their heads out and trying to eavesdrop, it's really outrageous.

The cubs who inherited the blood of the ancient race were different from ordinary races. They were born with stronger bodies, smarter minds, and more powerful strength. Growing up step by step was the choice of ordinary races, but their path was destined to be extraordinary from birth.

The powerful force within the body is a double-edged sword, and they should learn how to manipulate and use it as soon as possible.

Ruan Shiqing also understood this truth, but he was not a native of this world after all, and he did not have a deep understanding of the power and glory of the four ancient clans. In his view, these cubs were just cubs.

They may become strong in the future, but they should also have a healthy and happy childhood.

Mr. Ke Rong was not wrong. The cubs had a special status. Instead of protecting them under his wings, it would be better to teach them how to fly.

Ruan Shiqing frowned, clasped his hands together and said, "But I can't be hard on them. Can you please teach them more? When you train Snowball, just take them with you. In return, I can give up 20% of the factory's profits."

The man, who was between a teenager and a young man, was half a head shorter than him. When he put his hands together and begged sincerely, he had to slightly raise his face, and his dark eyes looked at him steadily, full of trust.

Rong Heng felt a burning sensation in his heart. He looked away uncomfortably, avoiding the other person's gaze: "We are friends, there is no need to be so polite."

After a pause, he added stiffly: "I will teach them well."

"Thank you very much." Ruan Shiqing smiled and invited him to stay for dinner.

Rong Heng secretly clenched his fists and almost agreed. But in the end, he still refused: "There are still some things to deal with. Hector and I have to leave first."

"Then let's do it next time." Ruan Shiqing understood that he was busy and watched him and Hector leave.

After quickly boarding the "Glory", Rong Heng let out a breath, said to Hector, "Let's go to Fita Manor", and hurried into the rest cabin.

Hector stared at his clenched jaw and asked curiously, "Weren't you chatting happily just now? Why did you change your face so suddenly?"

Rong Heng locked himself in the rest cabin and pressed his heart with his hand.

The heartbeat under my palm was fast and hot.

When he closed his eyes, all he could see was the trusting look on the other person's face as he put his hands together and asked for help.

Leaning back against the cabin wall, he murmured softly: "Noah, I like this planet more and more..."

I also like someone on this planet more and more.

When "Glory" arrived at Dafetta Manor, Rong Heng finally sorted out his emotions and expression.

Mori had just returned from the factory. When he saw the two people, he asked anxiously, "Are you sure they are Zerg?"

Rong Heng nodded and walked straight inside: "Let's talk after we go inside."

The three of them sat down in the small conference room. Mori muttered to himself, "They are really Zerg. How did they bypass the defense line?"

"Compared to this, the more urgent thing right now is to contact the military as soon as possible, right?" Hector put away his usual carelessness and said solemnly: "But if we notify the military, they will definitely send people to investigate, and then everything we have prepared here will be exposed to the public, and it will all be in vain."

But if the military is not informed, it would be tantamount to making a joke of the entire empire's defense line.

Rong Heng was not as optimistic as he thought: "Do you think that if you report it to the military, someone will really take care of it? This is not Sikkim, it's just a remote garbage planet."

Compared to Hector's trust in the military, Rong Heng saw more dark sides: "We have people in the inner city. I have just confirmed that the inner city officials reported the news of the Zerg appearing on the B3024 star as early as this morning. But after learning that the accident site was just a remote garbage planet, the first order issued was to block the news."

Hector and Mori were stunned: "How could it be..."

"It's just a garbage planet. Those people don't care." Rong Heng said with a sneer, "What they care more about is what kind of shock it will cause once the news of the Zerg appearing in the Central Region spreads. What's more, the population of B3024 is all illegal. Once officials come to investigate, the media will definitely flock to it. When the truth that these garbage planets are full of gray populations is exposed to the public, the impact will be no less than the appearance of Zerg in the Central Region."

Since the completion of the first generation energy center, it has always been under the banner of environmental protection and human rights.

Of course, in the beginning, the energy centers were indeed established to improve the living environment of each planet. It was completely harmful to concentrate the garbage and waste from the prosperous planets on the desolate planets, and then convert the garbage into new energy through the energy centers.

It not only protects the environment of the planets, but also saves energy in disguise.

In order to thank the troops and workers stationed on the garbage planet for their sacrifices, the government even spent a huge amount of money to build a prosperous city around the energy center and allowed the workers to bring their families to settle there.

But after a long period of development, institutional decay, capital injection, and the expansion of selfish desires, the existence of the energy center has long changed.

The Garbage Planet is gradually becoming crowded with gray populations and is filled with violence and crime.

In this decadent and declining empire, slogans such as human rights or environmental protection are nothing more than an excuse to attack political opponents and for political showmanship.

Human rights are only visible where they are visible.

As for the invisible corners, who will care about them?

Once these ugly truths are exposed, the masks that the capitalists have worked so hard to create will be torn off, and it may even cause a shock to the entire upper echelons of the empire.

That's why Rong Heng was certain that not only would the higher-ups not send anyone to investigate, but they would also keep the news strictly sealed.

"Then we can only rely on ourselves." Hector spread his hands: "The scouts have been sent out. I don't think those Zerg will just come and take a look around so easily."

"I have sent a message to Dares, asking him to bring his elite troops to B3024 as soon as possible. Safety on B3024 is not a problem." Rong Heng knocked on the table: "The most urgent problem at the moment is that we must quickly investigate the channel through which they infiltrated B3024."

The journey from the frontline area to the B3024 star is long, and this group of Zerg must have made several leaps before they can arrive successfully.

"I will have someone investigate this matter." Rong Heng stood up and looked at Hector: "After Dares arrives, it will be inconvenient for us to show up again. Remember to ask Mori for the disguise capsule."

"Troubles keep coming one after another." Hector curled his lips and muttered, "I always feel like I'm on a pirate ship."

I never thought that a brigadier general would have to wear a disguise capsule to meet people one day.

"If you don't want to, you can go to Ota to find Garland by yourself." Rong Heng glanced at him lightly.

"Ok, I'll shut up." Hector raised his hands in surrender and made a gesture of zipping his mouth.

Although there are only a few dozen habitable planets under the jurisdiction of the Ota Region, there are countless other planets. Garland always likes to find some remote and uninhabited planets for experiments. Who knows where he will hide this time. If he really relies on himself, he really can't find it.

Rong Heng was slightly satisfied and returned to his room alone.

After returning to his room, he did not rest, but called Lucien.

"Your Highness." Lucien's virtual image appeared in the room.

"Have there been any abnormal situations in the frontline areas recently?" Rong Heng asked.

Lucien thought for a moment and shook his head: "I haven't received any news. But what happened?"

Rong Heng pondered for a while and told him about the Zerg found in the Central Region: "Twelve Zerg scouts. I suspect they somehow evaded the surveillance of the frontline and were able to cross the defense line. Check who has had dealings with the frontline region recently."

He had not yet made a guess, which was that there might be a traitor within the empire.

Since Zerg already possess intelligence, it is not surprising that they can cooperate with humans.

But this guess was too shocking, so he didn't say it in front of Hector and Morrie.

"There is contact with the frontline region..." Lucien stroked his chin and thought for a while, then said, "There is indeed one. A few days ago, news came from the planet Sjarlan that the leader of the mermaid tribe brought back a shipload of worm corpses from Melches. It was said that it was for some experiment... But as far as I know, the mermaid tribe had no experimental projects on worms before."

Rong Heng pondered for a moment, looked him over, and said half-seriously, "Lucien, your information network is more well-informed than I thought."

Lucien bowed slightly and said, "The Elders' Council has been waiting for sixteen years, and we must do our best for Your Highness."

Rong Heng seemed to just mention it casually, skipped the topic, and said, "Then I'll trouble you to send someone to Melches to investigate."

"As you wish." Lucien agreed, bowed again, and then cut off the communication.

After seeing Mr. Rong and Hector off, Ruan Shiqing went to the backyard to see the cubs.

The three cubs who had just returned home were curiously surrounding the strange cub sitting on the small chair.

The green-haired cub rested his hands on his knees, his head lowered, and the tentacles on his forehead swayed slightly.

The little fox stretched out his finger and gently poked the other's arm: "What's your name? Are you the new brother?"

The little dragon boy stared at the tentacles on the other's forehead in amazement: "You have horns too." He touched the short and hard dragon horns on his forehead and lowered his head to show them to the other: "I have one too!"

He even leaned forward and tried to bump into the other person.

The little mermaid gently pulled him and gestured with her hands: Don't scare him.

The little dragon then stopped with regret.

"What are you doing?" Ruan Shiqing stood in the backyard passage and looked at them with a smile.

"dad!"

The three cubs gathered around his legs. The little dragon cub hugged his legs and looked up and asked, "Is that the new brother? Why is he ignoring us?"

The little fox wagged its big tail happily: "I'm going to be a big sister!"

"He hasn't learned to speak yet." Ruan Shiqing hesitated, with so many kids explaining.

During the days they spent together, he was sure that the cub could make sounds, but he didn't seem to be able to speak, and could only utter some unclear syllables occasionally.

The little mermaid was also very curious, and typed into the communicator: [What's his name? Where is he from?]

"It found its way home by itself. As for the name..." Ruan Shiqing realized belatedly that he had actually forgotten to name the cub: "I haven't had time to choose one yet."

He walked over to the cub, who was looking up at himself, and squatted down to ask, "Do you have a name originally? If not, can I give you one?"

The cub stared at him for a long moment before nodding slowly.

Ruan Shiqing touched his head, thought for a while, touched the tentacles on his forehead, and said, "Let's call him Ruan Jiao? In ancient human language, Jiao and Jiao are homophones."

He slowed down and read the cub's name again: "Ruan... Jiao."

The cub looked at him, opened his mouth and uttered unclear syllables. Although it was very vague, Ruan Shiqing could hear that he missed "Ruan Jiao".

After only being able to utter unclear syllables twice in a row, the cub closed its mouth in despair, and its tentacles drooped and no longer swayed gently.

Patting the cub's head, Ruan Shiqing said gently, "Don't be in a hurry, take your time."

…

The cubs accepted the fact that there was a new cub in the family very well, especially the little dragon and the little fox, who felt like they had moved up a level and were extremely fond of their new brother.

The two kids surrounded Ruan Jiao, one taught him to say "brother" and the other taught him to say "sister", which was like a competition. Ruan Jiao sat upright on the chair, looking at one and then the other, and began to imitate their syllables, but the pronunciation was so strange that no one knew whether he was learning "brother" or "sister".

But the two cubs still enjoy it.

Often at this time, the little mermaid would sit not far from them, holding a thick book. After turning a few pages, she would turn her head to look at the playful cubs, with a cheerful smile on her face. With someone to accompany her, even boring study became full of fun.

The only conflict the cubs are facing right now is the problem of sleeping.

Except for Snowball, the other three cubs all slept in the living room. In their eyes, Snowball was the eldest brother, who had always slept with his father before they came, so there was no comparison between them.

But now little Ruan Jiao has occupied his father's big bed and stubbornly refuses to sleep on his own.

The little dragon cub patted his pillow and was the first to protest: "Herri wants to sleep with Daddy too!"

"Nota wants one too!" The little fox also picked up the pillow.

Even the little mermaid in the pool raised her hand and let out a loud "ah!"

The cubs haven't slept with their dad for a long time.

The cubs, whose competitive spirit was aroused, hugged their pillows and squeezed onto their father's big bed.

That is to say, when Ruan Shiqing was purchasing furniture, he deliberately bought a bed that was big enough, otherwise it would not have been able to accommodate the four little ones.

Ruan Shiqing was in the middle, with the little mermaid sleeping on his left, Ruan Jiao lying on his right, and a little fox and a little dragon curled up around his neck. He was completely unable to move.

He turned off the light helplessly and said, "Are you satisfied now? Go to sleep quickly."

The satisfied little ones then fell asleep affectionately beside their father.