MPWATMBC Chapter 85

The first birthday celebration was held during the day, inviting some guests to join in the joyous occasion. It was a lively and cheerful affair. Tuantuan was dressed in red clothes, wrapped up like a little ingot, surrounded by many adults. He puffed up his cheeks and blew on the candle. Tuantuan froze for a moment, feeling puzzled—it wasn’t quite the same as the demonstration his daddy had shown him.

He turned to look at his father and pointed at the candle, calling out a few times, even saying “papa” once.

Cradling Tuantuan in his arms, Auston gently said, “Blow again.” To help the child understand, Auston made a blowing motion to demonstrate once more. Tuantuan furrowed his little brow, watching his father’s actions as if contemplating for a moment, then turned around to stare at the candles on the cake.

The two-tier cake wasn’t made by Ryan, but he had ordered and designed it himself, selecting the style and decorations. The cake featured many of the popular cartoon characters of the day—many, but not cluttered; colorful, yet not garish. It was a professional cake shop’s work, after all, and the custom order made the price as beautiful as the decorations themselves.

Tuantuan loved it, and that was enough.

The cake had a single candle inserted, its flame flickering joyfully. Tuantuan had blown with all his might earlier, but the flame remained largely unaffected, swaying for a moment before happily reigniting. As Tuantuan leaned forward in his father’s arms, trying to reach the candle, Auston held him tighter, preventing him from falling headfirst into the cake. “Tuantuan is getting closer,” Auston said, taking a step closer to the table.

“Uh oh,” was Tuantuan’s response. It was hard to say if he understood his father’s words. Since entering the stage of learning to speak, Tuantuan had become quite the chatterbox, often talking to his stuffed bunny for hours—saying who knew what “earth-shattering secrets.”

With the attention of the crowd on him, Tuantuan focused on the candle once more, puffing out his cheeks again. “Hoo hoo—” He blew out a long breath, so tired he could barely muster any more air. He paused with a giggle, lowered his head to catch his breath, then looked up at the candle again, eyes wide in shock.

“!!!”

The flame was still burning!

Tuantuan, feeling a bit desperate, looked toward his father for help, then quickly turned to his other father, as if asking, What do I do? He was in a panic, feeling like he was caught in a battle with the stubborn candle flame.

With urgency, he puffed out another breath, “Hoo hoo!” The little flame trembled, and as if responding to Tuantuan’s determined attempt, it finally flickered and went out. A soft, almost magical sound seemed to come from the candle, and under Tuantuan’s watchful eyes, the flame extinguished.

Tuantuan’s face lit up with a big, toothy grin. He raised his chubby little hands and started clapping enthusiastically. The soft “pat pat” sound of his hands was an adorable contrast to the louder applause of the adults.

Leaning against Auston, the two fathers exchanged a smile. Time truly flew by. When Tuantuan had just come out of the incubation chamber, he had been so tiny that one hand could cover his whole body. Now, in the blink of an eye, he was growing so fast, learning to talk, walk, and grow up strong and healthy.

But while his fathers were lost in their reflections, Tuantuan was up to something much more immediate. Seizing the opportunity when the adults weren’t paying attention, he dove straight into the cake, his face and hands completely covered in cream. The carefully crafted cartoon-shaped cookies didn’t stand a chance against him, as Tuantuan happily “decapitated” them with his little hands, devouring the delicious treat.

When he reached the cherry filling inside the cake, his face lit up with wonder. With wide eyes, he held the cake with one hand and, without missing a beat, tried to offer a piece to Auston. “Ah~Papa,” he mumbled, as a dollop of cream smeared all over Auston’s chest.

Auston looked down at the small hand holding out a piece of cake, now covered in cream and jam. He glanced at Tuantuan, who had transformed into a little “face-painted cat,” his face smeared with cake. If Auston hadn’t been holding him, he might have thought Tuantuan had been swapped out for another child.

“Ah~” Tuantuan made the sound he often used when the adults were trying to feed him, a noise that was meant to encourage eating.

Auston stared at the piece of cake, now ruined by the little hands that hadn’t yet mastered the control of their grip. After a moment of silent amusement, he sighed and took a bite from the remaining cake, still mostly intact. “Delicious, thank you, Tuantuan.”

Tuantuan, pleased with the compliment, smiled shyly. But just as he was basking in the praise, a large face appeared in front of him, making Tuantuan lean back in surprise—he was suddenly startled.

“…” Ryan stared at him, looking hurt. Did he really just reject me like that?

Refusing to let the moment pass, Ryan stretched out a finger, pointing toward his mouth with an exaggerated expression. “Come on, Tuantuan, give daddy a bite too.”

Tuantuan blinked, as if considering the feasibility of the situation.

Ryan continued, “Just one bite, come on, daddy’s waiting.” Without warning, a small hand suddenly appeared, and before Ryan could react, half of his face was covered in cake.

Tuantuan froze for a moment, and then noticed the amusing expression on daddy’s face. He giggled, his laughter ringing out, “Giggling!”

Ryan wiped the cream from his face, but it only ended up smeared on Tuantuan’s face. Still, Tuantuan continued to laugh, happily sticking out his tongue to lick the cream, completely unbothered by being covered in it. He probably thought rolling around in cream was fun, especially since it was all so delicious.

After the daytime celebration, the evening held a more intimate family event. The family prepared the holographic communication device and connected to the signal. Soon, the family from distant E69, the plantation star, appeared on screen. Sitting on a blanket, Tuantuan watched curiously as familiar faces appeared before him. It was his grandparents and great-grandmother, the ones he often video-called. He stretched out his little hand, and his kind great-grandmother approached him. “Tuantuan, hello! Do you remember your great-grandmother?” she asked gently.

Tuantuan, with his soft and sweet voice, called out, “Nai~” His language skills were quite good for his age, but at just over one year old, he still wasn’t perfect with his words. However, he had no trouble remembering people. He hadn’t forgotten what his great-grandmother and grandparents looked like, despite not having video calls for a while, and he smiled happily.

Since becoming a great-grandmother, Ryan’s grandmother had become even more affectionate. She looked at her great-grandson with tender eyes and said, “Good boy, Tuantuan is one now. Great-grandmother will give you a red envelope.”

Technology had brought people closer together, shrinking thousands of miles into a small screen, but while they could see each other, the sensation of touch couldn’t be transmitted. There was some regret, but no sadness, because it was only a matter of time before they could meet in person.

Tuantuan didn’t know what a red envelope was, but he loved the lively atmosphere. Seeing so many people made him excited. Holding onto his papa’s leg, he wobbled to his feet, determined to explore the crowd. But in his excitement, he lost his balance and ended up sitting down hard on his bottom. He shook his head, feeling a little sting, but otherwise, he seemed unfazed and tried to get up again, only to stumble and fall once more.

“Ryan!” His mother, Pei Li, spoke up disapprovingly.

Ryan chuckled awkwardly, rubbing his nose and pulling his foot away from Tuantuan, who had fallen. He found it amusing, so he had playfully nudged Tuantuan, only to watch him fall. Turning to Auston, he said with a smile, “Well, kids are born to have fun, right? No need to be so serious about it.”

What could Auston say? Sometimes, when he saw Tuantuan’s funny actions, he couldn’t help but tease him a little.

The family had gathered together for a traditional Chinese activity—the “Zhua Zhou”, a ceremony to predict a child’s future by allowing them to choose from a selection of items placed before them. Just like blowing out the birthday candles, Ryan and Auston had practiced with Tuantuan beforehand. On the day of the event, Tuantuan sat in the center of the blanket, surrounded by various objects: coins, books, pens, and kitchen utensils like spatulas. The items didn’t matter so much as the symbolic meaning behind them; it was all about good fortune and auspicious signs. In their practice sessions, Tuantuan had grabbed different things each time—apples, oranges, pencils, books—and even a few playful pets like Da Fu and the robots Code Zero and Yuan Chu, with no specific goal in mind, just grabbing whatever caught his attention.

Auston smiled at Tuantuan and said, “Tuantuan, grab one thing, and then we can go to sleep, okay?”

Tuantuan, who had been full of energy just moments ago, yawned and rubbed his eyes before gazing listlessly at the objects on the blanket’s edge. “No,” he softly muttered, his voice barely audible. The adults standing a little farther away couldn’t make out his words.

After a minute or two, Tuantuan suddenly crawled over, feeling too lazy to walk. He made his way to Auston’s feet and, with determination, plopped down right on top of them, settling himself comfortably. He wasn’t going anywhere now.

A brief silence followed, and then Ryan, feeling a bit jealous, remarked, “Why doesn’t Tuantuan want to grab anything from me?”

Upon hearing his father’s voice, Tuantuan lifted his head, rubbing his eyes once more. He was so sleepy. Auston, noticing the little one’s tiredness, quietly told the others he was going to take the child to bed. Meanwhile, in the small living room, Ryan and their relatives continued chatting. It was night in Eve City, day on E69, and their friends and family gathered to celebrate the newest addition to their family, Tuantuan, with a small party.

Uncle Porter Tyrell watched Ryan for a moment, his heart full of unspoken words. But as he opened his mouth, he realized no words could truly capture his feelings. In the end, he simply said, “Thank you.” It was the only way he could express his heartfelt gratitude.

For over seven hundred years, the members of the Tyrell family had changed their surname, distancing themselves from the betrayal of their ancestors. Yet, they stubbornly held onto the name, knowing that their forebears had been innocent. They hoped for a day when the truth would be revealed. Little Porter’s grandfather had not lived to see it, nor had his father. Porter himself had believed he would follow in their footsteps, spending his life waiting for a resolution that would never come.

But unexpectedly, a storm erupted in the heart of the empire, in Eve City, like a stone falling into a calm pond. The ripple effect spread, and its consequences didn’t just fade away but instead expanded, stirring waves across the entire metaphorical lake. News spread across the Star Net at lightning speed, almost in real time. Far from the political and cultural center, in the remote storm-star region, on the small planet E69, a group of people anxiously followed the developments.

Who would have thought that in this far-flung planting star, two families—Qin and Tyrell—would be involved in the unfolding events?

During the course of the developments, Dad had once asked Ryan whether, as descendants of the Qin family, they should get involved. Ryan had answered no. There was no need to disturb their peaceful life because of past events. Dad and Uncle Porter, respecting Ryan’s advice, refrained from acting. Yet, despite being on E69, their hearts were still focused on Eve City, following the twists and turns of the situation.

When the dust finally settled, the outcome was clear, and the long-standing injustices were righted. All historical records would need to be rewritten. However, the reaction of those who knew the truth wasn’t the jubilant cheers of the onlookers. Instead, Dad and Uncle Porter exchanged a calm smile, silently acknowledging that the past had finally been cleared, its shadows fading into nothingness.

“The state is going to compensate the three families,” Ryan said.

Uncle Porter paused for a moment, not expecting there to be any follow-up. He turned to his wife with a calm smile and said, “I won’t go to claim it, let’s donate it to the Hope Reading Project, so that children on remote planets can have more books to read.”

Dad also didn’t want the money. The family was already well-off, though not as rich as the super-wealthy, but enough to live comfortably without needing this compensation to add to their wealth. “Let’s donate it. I remember you mentioned that before when you were at home… but forget it, that seems to be related to military matters, and it will definitely have an impact. Let’s buy books for the children instead. There are so many kids on remote planets who don’t have books. I saw a news story once, it was really sad.”

Ryan said, “It’s not a small amount of money.”

Mom agreed with Dad’s choice and casually asked, “How much?”

“Altogether, it’s one billion.”

Everyone: “…”

Breathing became hurried, alright, this is a very, very large amount of money—one billion! Only a small number of people in the entire empire, with its hundreds of billions of population, have ever seen such an amount.

“We’ll discuss it,” Dad spoke on behalf of everyone, voicing their thoughts. Not to mention one billion, even just one million would be enough to update the equipment on the planting star, buy a bigger store on Newnes’s planet, and increase the advertising investment to open more sales channels.

Ryan smiled. He thought this was the most genuine reaction of people. If they weren’t at all moved by money, he would have to suspect that something had mentally affected the family.

After more than ten minutes of family discussion, it was still Dad who spoke for everyone, saying, “Donate half, keep half, is that okay?”

“Of course it’s okay!” Ryan agreed with the plan, and before speaking, he had already drafted a donation proposal.

Dad sighed deeply, worried that the children might think they, as elders, were too focused on money. “Is there any paperwork required to claim the compensation?”

“Verification of identity. Don’t worry, I’ll handle everything,” Ryan replied. The three families had received 1.5 billion star coins in compensation. Compared to the many generations of hiding and struggling, this amount was nothing, but the government’s willingness to give out 1.5 billion all at once was quite generous. Otherwise, the government could easily turn a blind eye and give nothing.

Dad smiled and said, “The portion that belongs to the Qin family, you can spend however you like, but the rest, just give it to us.”

Ryan didn’t bother with pleasantries. “Then I’ll just spend it freely.” Once the money was received, he spent 1,000 star coins to buy a small toy train set for Tuantuan. The rest he left untouched, transferring it to Dad’s account in several stages. He had Yuan Chu erase the final traces of the transaction, not wanting to disturb the family’s peaceful life. Of course, that was a later matter. Today, everyone was still discussing how to use the money to update the security system on E69, improving its defense capabilities so they could live more safely.

Years ago, the pirate raids were still fresh in everyone’s memory. At that time, Newnes was not yet the central planet of the Storm Starfield. The Red Spider pirates were even more powerful than they are now. The ruthless pirates slaughtered many small planets around Newnes, and E69 was among them. It was during that pirate rampage that Ryan’s grandfather passed away.

Because of this painful experience, everyone paid extra attention to improving the planet’s security. Although Ryan had made adjustments and deployments, the weapons used lacked sufficient firepower due to limited funds. With the new funds, it was no problem to upgrade the equipment and ammunition power, enhancing the existing security to several higher levels.

After Auston had comforted Tuantuan to sleep and went downstairs, the family chatted for a while, and they dispersed around 10 p.m. in the evening, Eve City time.

…

The day after Tuantuan’s first birthday was the assembly date that Ryan had set. On this day, all the parts of the beast-type mecha were to be assembled together. It was a major event for the entire Empire’s Mecha Research Center.

On this day, all the members of the Beast-Type Mecha project team arrived early at the research institute. Among them, only just over a hundred could enter the C001 lab, but the mood of everyone was uniformly nervous yet expectant. The others in the project quietly observed the energized individuals, as if, under the leadership and guidance of the project manager, their spirits had been completely transformed.

“Leonard.”

Leonard, who was walking while talking with his teammates, heard someone calling his name. He turned and saw a friend, who awkwardly smiled, revealing a noticeable gap in his front teeth. It was said that he got it from cracking sunflower seeds, but this friend insisted on telling everyone that it was from a fall. As for the exact cause of the dent in his teeth, only he and the heavens knew.

“Hello.” Leonard’s demeanor hadn’t changed much; he had always been this reserved and seemed aloof and indifferent.

The seed-cracking friend took a few steps ahead and walked alongside Leonard, attempting to make small talk. After a series of casual remarks, all he received were Leonard’s responses of “Mm, ah, yes, okay.” Feeling a little awkward, the friend finally decided to get to the point.

“Leonard, after the Beast-Type Mecha project ends, are you going back to your original position?”

“Mm, yes, I will return.”

“Is there no change?”

“There is.”

The seed-cracking friend waited for a response for a long time but didn’t get anything. He almost slapped his forehead in realization—how could he forget that Leonard was the type of person who was hard to get anything out of, like trying to get a sound from a stubborn stick, “What change?”

“I submitted an application to form my own small team for the synthesis research of a new batch of materials, and the project manager approved it.” As Leonard said this, the usually stiff man’s eyes seemed to sparkle. If it weren’t for the project manager, he would have spent his entire career as an ordinary researcher, accomplishing just one or two things. The project manager’s appearance had changed his destiny, allowing his career to reach new heights. The most important change was in his mood—he now had motivation in life. There were many others with the same mindset, and everyone in the Beast-Type Mecha project team was grateful for the project manager’s recognition and support.

After hearing this, the seed-cracking friend’s breath grew rapid with nervousness. He rubbed his hands together, trying to motivate himself. “C-could I be transferred to your team?”

“Aren’t you working on the project for five hundred mechanical mechas?”

The seed-cracking friend forced a bitter smile, “I don’t even have the chance to get involved.” Not every leader has the same “eye for talent” as the project manager; many people end up with unrecognized talent, sitting on the sidelines until they die.

Leonard understood this feeling all too well, and for a long time. He knew his friend had true talent, so he said, “Once my team is established, you can join us.” He wanted to be like the project manager, someone who gives others a chance. Whether they succeed or not would depend on their own fortune.

The seed-cracking friend was overjoyed, constantly thanking Leonard, “Thank you, thank you!”

In another corner of the research institute, in the break room of the materials distribution center, Jasmine, who liked bright and vibrant clothes that made her figure even more graceful and beautiful, pulled out her uniform from the closet. The logistics department had no strict dress code, but Jasmine preferred to wear the uniform. It served as a constant reminder that she was a member of the Beast-Type Mecha Project team. She could almost hear the project manager’s encouraging voice in her ears, which made her feel more confident.

“Jasmine, are you heading to the lab?”

Her former colleagues, who once mocked her, now became friendly and polite, as if the past was just a figment of Jasmine’s imagination.

Jasmine smiled and nodded, “Yes, I am.” She wasn’t the type to be magnanimous or completely forget the past, but as the project manager had said, “Leave some room for others, and you’ll meet again in the future.” Perhaps it would be useful someday.

“Go and come back quickly, don’t forget our lunch gathering!”

Jasmine closed the cabinet door and said, “Sorry, I can’t join you for lunch this time. I made plans with my boyfriend to go out for a meal and watch a movie.”

“Oh, I see. Well, we can catch up another time.”

“Sure.” Jasmine walked out confidently, just as the project manager had said—only a confident life can be a perfect one.

At 8:10 AM in Adam City, those who couldn’t enter the lab quietly waited outside the doors. Inside, a different scene unfolded. To say the atmosphere was busy would be an understatement; it was tense and orderly, with everything proceeding step by step. Standing at the control panel, Ryan exuded calm and composure, which seemed to inspire everyone around him. At his command, the first mecha was starting to take shape.

“Install the head.”

“Connect the wiring.”

“Add the diodes.”

“There’s an issue with the connection on the right hand, check it.”

“Don’t worry about the outer coating, it won’t get scratched. Install it boldly, don’t be overly cautious.”

“…”

Ryan took control of the entire scene with calmness and composure, directing everyone with precision. Despite the chaos, everything proceeded in an orderly and steady manner. By noon, he gave everyone a break.

“Today, we can’t go to the cafeteria for a big meal, but I heard from the kitchen that they have lobsters today.”

Everyone understood that the project manager was trying to ease their tense nerves, and they all laughed, jokingly demanding that he compensate them with lobsters. They teased him, saying that without lobsters, they would be mentally drained.

Ryan smiled and said, “Once the mecha is assembled, I’ll treat everyone to a big meal—lobsters all you can eat, and various flavors of crawfish until you’re full.”

“Great!” someone started, and the rest chimed in enthusiastically.

Ryan pretended to sigh in helplessness. “Looks like my wallet is going to bleed heavily, but I’m more than happy to treat everyone, because we’re making history!”

Applause filled the room. They were all creators of history, and their names would forever be written in the annals of time.

Before the assembly was complete, the laboratory would continue its operations without interruption. Once the process started, there was no turning back. Stopping the assembly midway could lead to unexpected results, and the preliminary work would be ruined. For the project’s continuity, everyone had to rely on nutritional supplements instead of meals. Ryan timed everything perfectly. When he instructed everyone to resume work, the mechanical arm was just finishing lifting the majority of the assembled mecha. The remaining half of the process was about to begin—installing the neural core.

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Hello!! I hope you all are doing well. I had a severe stomachache yesterday and I missed the update. It’s like raising a flag, the more I say I would update regularly, the more I am missing the update. So, I won’t be fixing my schedule and will update freely. Thanks for your love and support!!