MPWATMBC Chapter 91

“We’re unnecessary.” Ryan watched as Mom picked up Tuantuan, Dad wrapped his arm around Mom’s shoulders and held Tuantuan’s tiny hand, Grandma beamed at Tuantuan with a joyful smile. The whole family gathered around Tuantuan, bustling as they welcomed them in and then bustled back into the house. Ryan and Auston were “abandoned” in place, not even getting a glance from their parents orz.

Auston said, “If we turn around and leave now, will Tuantuan feel sad?”

“Definitely. He’ll feel like he’s become an unwanted little orphan.”

Auston’s heart ached at the thought, unable to imagine the day they’d leave for work. “If possible, I’d want the child to stay with us forever. But I know that’s impossible. Children have to grow up, and have to leave their parents eventually. And we have work. We need to get used to being apart.”

Reason and emotion can never fully align; this is both the contradiction and the charm of humanity.

Ryan raised his hand to gently stroke Auston’s cheek. “Whatever happens, it’s all part of the child’s growth. We just go with the flow—don’t overthink it. Before heading to work, spend some good time playing with him.”

“Alright.” Auston let out a silent sigh, knowing this was the best approach.

“It’s also a chance to cultivate the child’s independence. Though, with Dad, Mom, and Grandma around, they’ll probably spoil him even more. Independence… uh…” Ryan could only hope the family wouldn’t overindulge Tuantuan. Back in Eve City, Tuantuan had already learned to eat independently (though still with little hands grabbing food, at least no coaxing or chasing was needed—it was such a relief). Hopefully, when he and Auston returned from work, they wouldn’t find Tuantuan spoiled to the point of needing to be fed. “If he doesn’t behave, I’ll spank him.”

“If Tuantuan knows you’re thinking about spanking him, he probably won’t want to talk to you.”

Ryan shrugged helplessly. “Every family needs someone strict to keep him in line. I’ll take that role.”

“Why aren’t you coming in yet?” Dad, Qin Yi, poked half his body out from the doorway and quickly said, “We’re waiting for you to eat—don’t let Tuantuan go hungry.” Then he pulled back inside, likely off to dote on his eldest grandson.

Ryan and Auston exchanged a glance. “…” The bond between grandparents and grandchildren must be like this.

With Tuantuan around, Tuantuan’s dads were naturally sidelined. No matter how strong their presence, they couldn’t compete with Tuantuan’s place in the hearts of the elders. From the moment they brought Tuantuan to the planting star, the countdown to their brief separation had already begun. With their duties calling, Auston and Ryan had no choice but to leave their child and return to their posts. This was the duty, mission, and responsibility they bore as soldiers.

And it wasn’t just them—across the country, countless soldiers endured the pain of parting from loved ones for the sake of national security and stability. Many stayed at their posts for years, and by the time they returned home, the child who was once swaddled in a blanket was now running and jumping around, even asking: “Uncle/Auntie, who are you looking for?”

A holographic video call can never replace the warmth of physical touch…

In the ever-shortening days, Ryan and Auston took Tuantuan exploring the planting star: cheering as they rode surfboards through the waves, counting clownfish while wearing deep-diving gear among sea anemones, walking barefoot on soft sandy beaches at sunset, picking up beautiful seashells with Tuantuan… In knee-deep snow, Tuantuan was quickly buried; in the dry desert, a few steps in, Tuantuan was already whining for ice cream; in the damp rainforest, Tuantuan saw a bloodsucking leech for the first time… Herding ducklings into the water, collecting eggs from chicken coops, failing to catch a single fish with a fishing rod, and falling on his bottom while pulling up a carrot…

With Papa and Daddy leading the way, Tuantuan woke up everyday eager to see what new activities were planned. After returning from the flower fields with freshly harvested honey, Tuantuan licked his honey-smeared fingers, which were now sweet and sticky, and refused to wash his little hands.

“Papa, I don’t want to wash my hands,” Tuantuan pleaded softly, blinking his big eyes.

Auston nudged the child’s shoulder. “No way, Tuantuan. And you can’t eat with your hands either—it’s dirty, full of germs.”

Tuantuan hid his little hands behind his back. “Not dirty, it’s sweet!”

“That’s because you used your hands to grab the honey directly, you little dummy,” Ryan said with a laugh.

Tuantuan pouted. “No washing!”

“That’s absolutely not okay. Before grabbing the honey, you touched who knows how many flowers in the field, played in the mud, and even pulled on the puppy’s hind legs to drag it around—you even hurt the poor puppy,” Auston listed, recalling Tuantuan’s eventful day. “I had you wash your hands in the flower field, but you just swished them around in the water a couple of times and thought they were clean. Then, when you saw Grandpa spinning the honey, you went right in with your little hands to grab some to eat.”

Behind them, Ryan stuck out his tongue, a bit grossed out. “…”

Earlier, Tuantuan had generously offered him a sticky hand to lick, wanting to share the sweet honey with his daddy. Overwhelmed with fatherly emotion, Ryan couldn’t help but take a lick right then and there—sure enough, it was sweet! Now, however, his feelings were more complicated… he was even tempted to pour himself a glass of water to rinse his mouth.

After washing Tuantuan’s hands, Auston carried the child over to the floor-to-ceiling windows. Ryan was already sitting there with a glass of water, and on the table were strawberry daifuku, durian mille crepe, and mango sticky rice dumplings. Tuantuan let out a delighted cheer and rushed over, stepping onto a small stool and sitting properly on a chair, looking expectantly at Daddy, clearly hoping for a cup of hot chocolate as well.

Ryan glanced at Auston, who nodded slightly. What they needed to say later might be hard for the child to accept, so they decided to ease things with some treats first. Setting down his teacup, Ryan raised his hand and gently patted Tuantuan’s little head. “Sweetheart, how about some chocolate milk?”

Tuantuan nodded eagerly, replying sweetly, “Thank you, Daddy.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

With each of them enjoying a cup of warm, sweet chocolate milk, the family of three savored a peaceful afternoon together. When Tuantuan had finished their second strawberry daifuku, Auston finally spoke, his voice heavy with difficulty. “Tuantuan, Daddy and Papa have to go to work starting tomorrow.”

“Mm-hmm.” Tuantuan didn’t yet understand what this meant. His bright, innocent eyes gazed at the father who was speaking, not understanding why his Papa’s expression seemed so sad.

Auston curved his lips into a weak smile, the effort showing. “You stay here, and listen to Grandpa and Grandma. Don’t make trouble for Great-Grandma, okay?”

“Okay, okay.” Tuantuan stopped staring longingly at the dessert. His young heart seemed to sense that something important was about to happen. In a soft voice, he called out, “Papa…”

“Why so quiet?” Auston gently rubbed the child’s head, feeling a pang in his heart.

Tuantuan shook his head. His vocabulary was still too limited to express how he felt right now. He opened his arms toward his Papa and said, “Hug.”

Auston picked him up and placed him on his lap, wrapping his arms around Tuantuan’s soft little belly. “Tuantuan, Daddy and Papa have to go to work, to fight bad guys. We can’t bring you along, but you’ll be with Grandpa and Grandma. If you miss us, we can video call. Holo-communication is just like seeing the real thing, okay? Tuantuan…”

“He’s asleep,” Ryan said helplessly.

Auston, still with many things left unsaid, sighed. “…Never mind, the child is still small. We’ll just leave tomorrow.”

“Mm, it’ll be quick. After this joint operation, we can apply for a month’s vacation. When we get back to the Gamma Military Base, we can bring Tuantuan with us.” The military base had a family zone, providing housing for the families of soldiers and offering space for dual-military families to take care of their children. When they returned to the base, Ryan and Auston could apply for accommodation, and they would be able to be there for Tuantuan during his most important years of growth.

Auston gently held Tuantuan, who was sleeping soundly like a little pig, and nodded softly.

The next day, while Tuantuan was still asleep, Auston and Ryan had already left the planting star aboard their small spacecraft, leaving behind Da Fu and the nanny robot. With the familiar presence of the robot, Tuantuan wouldn’t feel the loss too abruptly. At 9 AM, the time Tuantuan usually woke up, he yawned and, with the robot’s help, got dressed. He refused the robot’s offer to carry him and wobbled into the bathroom on his own. There, he would need help brushing his teeth and washing his face—he wasn’t yet able to do it all by himself.

Full of energy, Tuantuan rushed out of the bedroom, calling out cheerfully, “Papa, Papa, Papa, Daddy…” Only after calling “Papa” three times would he give Daddy a chance to come down from upstairs. Tuantuan went to the floor-to-ceiling window to look for Daddy and Papa, but no one was there. He then went outside—still no one. Turning back, he entered the house and headed to the kitchen, but there was still no sign of them. A bit panicked, Tuantuan pouted, and tears began to well up in his eyes. He wiped them away, stubbornly refusing to cry, muttering, “Papa, Papa, Daddy… Papa.”

“Tuantuan.”

Tuantuan saw Grandma, and the tears he had been holding back finally spilled over. He sniffled and was immediately picked up by Grandma, crying, “Daddy, Papa, no… no… not here.”

“Tuantuan must be hungry, let’s have breakfast first.”

“Papa…” Tuantuan cried, his voice thick with emotion.

“Daddy and Papa went to work. We talked about it yesterday. Do you remember, Tuantuan?”

Tuantuan looked at Grandma with teary eyes, his vision blurry. “Work?”

“Yes, they’re going out to fight bad guys. Do you know what bad guys are, Tuantuan?”

“Bad eggs!” Tuantuan knew a little bit.

“That’s right, bad eggs do bad things.” Pei Li calmly went along with her grandson, carrying him to the dining table where chicken soup dumplings were already prepared. Tuantuan could eat them at any time—one bite at a time. The dumplings were filled with a mix of chicken and cod fish. Before leaving, Auston had specifically mentioned that Tuantuan liked them. He and Ryan had stayed up late the night before making plenty of delicious food, storing it in the fridge. There were Tuantuan’s favorite dumplings, custard buns, small leaf-shaped noodles, fried milk, and more. With these familiar foods, Tuantuan would surely feel better, even with Daddy and Papa not around.

“Daddy and Papa are going to fight bad eggs. Once they’re done, they’ll come back home. Can you wait for them, Tuantuan?”

“For how many days?” Tuantuan asked, his eyes still glistening with tears as he looked up at Grandma.

Pei Li was surprised and looked toward her husband, not expecting Tuantuan to ask this. At this age, children usually had a very vague sense of time, right? The couple suddenly thought back to when their own son was little. He had been so calm and composed, as though not even a child. With Ryan setting the example, they were no longer surprised by Tuantuan’s intelligence. In fact, a sense of pride grew in their hearts. No wonder—he was their child, after all. So smart.

Pei Li said, “About a month.”

“About? What’s a month?” Tuantuan didn’t quite understand, feeling a bit frustrated as he poked his little face with his fingers.

Pei Li explained, “It’s like if you eat one strawberry daifuku every day, once you’ve eaten them all, it’ll be about a month.”

Pei Li gestured for Tuantuan to look up, and Tuantuan saw Grandpa standing by the fridge. The drawer he had opened was neatly packed with cute strawberry daifuku, each one bigger than Tuantuan’s fist. These had been made by Ryan for when Daddy and Papa were away and Tuantuan would cry, but they hadn’t expected to use them to count time. There were twenty-six strawberry daifuku, so eating one a day wouldn’t quite last the month, but no worries—underneath was a second layer with Tuantuan’s favorite strawberry tarts and strawberry ice cream. All together, the number definitely exceeded forty.

Normally, if Tuantuan saw so many strawberry daifuku, he would cheer and laugh, eagerly diving in. But today, he didn’t. He pinched his fingers together, thought for a moment, then said, “Two… three, I’ll eat them all.” If he ate several at once, maybe Daddy and Papa would come back sooner?

Pei Li and her husband exchanged a glance, smiling as they said to Tuantuan, “Little rascal, you can’t eat them all at once. You can only have one a day. Once you finish all the little snacks, Daddy and Papa will come home.”

“Okay,” Tuantuan sighed, accepting it as the only option.

• ··

After leaving E69 Planting Star, Ryan and Auston, with the lightest of luggage and accompanied by two artificial intelligences, made their way at top speed to the Glory Legion’s military base—Omega Military Base. They announced to the public that they would be conducting joint military exercises between three legions: General Tolkien’s Glory Legion, General Dalton’s Golden Crusade Legion, and General Ivan’s Baikal Legion. Ryan had not yet interacted with the latter, but Ivan, the oldest and most experienced of the three, was someone to be cautious of. His age didn’t mean a gentler temperament; on the contrary, the two-hundred-plus-year-old Ivan had a fiery temper, as if he had drunk three tons of vodka at any given moment.

The senior officials held their meeting, but Ryan, who had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and was serving as Auston’s personal mecha engineer, wasn’t qualified to attend.

The “joint military exercises” would not take place at Omega Military Base. One base couldn’t withstand the chaos of three legions, so it had to be held in a vast, open area of space. The location chosen was at the junction of the Storm, Red Coral, and Nutcracker star regions—an uncharted region in the cosmos. The universe was vast, and there were still many places left unexplored. This particular junction was one of them, often referred to as the “Blank Area.” In military maps, it was marked as the X Zone, meaning “unknown.” According to the usual practice for military exercises, choosing the Blank Area for drills was completely normal. There were two main reasons for this: first, it ensured that no innocent parties would be harmed; second, it provided an opportunity to map the area, potentially uncovering new star regions, planets, or even species.

This time, the purpose of the exercise was not entirely pure. It was primarily intended to deal with the hidden forces of the pirate group Red Spider, with the exercise being a secondary objective. The exercise was simply a pretext for bringing the three legions together.

Ryan had heard from Auston that the reason for gathering three legions was that the pirate hideout of Red Spider, which had long been a focus of activity in the Storm Starfield—within the area of influence of the Glory Legion—was located in the Blank Area. The Blank Area was a no-man’s land, but once touched, it would stir up nerves on all sides. Rather than causing unnecessary trouble, it would be better for all three sides to join forces.

Ryan didn’t know what arrangements the leaders were making, but after arriving at Omega Military Base, he went to find the team from the Golden Crusade Legion, who had already arrived in advance. A two-hundred-person squad was already there, along with a mecha—Auston’s Code Zero. The name came with the AI, so the mecha was still using its original name, Code Zero. In a couple of days, two other mechas would join it, and a brand-new beast-style mecha would surely be impressive.

“Ryan!”

As Ryan pushed open the door and entered the dining hall, he saw his familiar comrades—Derrick, Harriet, Jack, and Fan Lanting. As top warriors of the Golden Crusade Legion, they had been selected to represent the legion in the friendly preliminary exchanges between the legions.

Ryan waved with a smile and walked towards his comrades.

The interior style of the Glory Legion was elegant and composed, with a focus on stability and grandeur. The artwork displayed throughout the dining hall was the perfect example of this aesthetic, intended to cultivate one’s character and promote a gentle temperament. Walking through the space, one couldn’t help but feel a sense of calm, much like General Tolkien, the commander of the Glory Legion, whose composed and steady leadership style permeated the entire legion.

The young warriors of the Golden Crusade Legion, known for their swift and decisive actions, found themselves somewhat out of place in this environment. They felt awkward, as if their usual brisk pace didn’t quite align with the atmosphere around them. The dining hall offered coffee with extra sugar and milk, along with a wide selection of teas—green tea, black tea, oolong tea—almost as if it were more of a tea culture than even the Changcheng Starfield, which was known for its Chinese heritage.

At the round table, Ryan pulled out the only empty chair and sat down. On his left and right were Derrick and Fan Lanting. Across from him sat Jack, who had a dark expression on his face the moment Ryan appeared. As soon as Ryan sat down, Jack couldn’t wait to ask, “Are you and the general married?!” His tone was a bit aggressive.

“Isn’t that something everyone in the Empire already knows?” Ryan blinked in surprise. He and Auston had made their relationship public a long time ago.

Jack’s face grew even darker. Hesitantly, he replied, “I know, I was just asking again.” The dark expression was due to the incredulity and excitement he had felt when talking about Ryan and General Auston’s marriage to his friends. His friends had been so calm and indifferent about it, which left him feeling strange, as if he had swallowed a dozen eggs and they were rolling around inside him. Even now, thinking back on it a year later, Jack still felt that uncomfortable sensation.

Ryan said, “I never found the right moment to tell you, sorry.”

Jack replied, “It’s fine.” He was just a little emotional at first, but once he’d spoken, the feeling faded. Now that he thought about it, it made sense why the interaction between Ryan and the general had always been so natural during their joint missions on the Ice Prairie and Moon Bay—because they were married. He hadn’t considered that aspect at the time.

After exchanging pleasantries, the conversation turned to business. They started discussing the details of the military exercise. Knowing the inside information, Ryan didn’t say much. This was classified military information, and he couldn’t share specifics with anyone outside the operation. He could only offer an internal apology, understanding the delicate nature of the situation.

“The three-way military exercise, that’s huge. Our opponents are the Glory Legion and the Baikal Legion. The former is cautious, the latter is impulsive. I feel like we have no competition,” Derrick said, shrugging with a playful grin. “Victory is guaranteed.”

“Haha, luckily there’s no one else around. If the Baikal bears were here, they’d probably be ready to start a fight with you right now,” Harriet said, tossing a pretzel stick at Derrick. “Your wife will be heartbroken if she hears you got beaten up out here.”

Derrick raised an eyebrow, catching the pretzel and popping it into his mouth. “The lonely bachelor can’t understand the beauty of married life. Isn’t that right, Ryan?”

“Indeed, it’s beautiful,” Ryan replied with a light laugh. He was about to say something else when his personal terminal beeped. He quickly scanned the message and, when he looked up, his expression had shifted from casual to serious. “Same?”

As he read the message, the others received the same one, and Ryan guessed that the content was likely identical.

Derrick stood up first. “Let’s go,” he said, taking charge as the de facto leader of their small group during their collective operations.

The message was sent by Auston, summoning everyone to the third meeting room on the fifteenth floor of the Omega Military Base. After taking the transportation, they arrived in twenty minutes. By the time they got there, ten people were already standing, divided into two groups, with clear distinctions between them. Just by their actions and mannerisms, without looking at their clothing, one could tell where they were from.

When Ryan and his team entered, they were met with the joint attention of both groups.

The door to the meeting room was closed behind them, and three generals walked in: the gentle and refined General Tolkien, the bearded General Ivan, and the handsome and exceptional General Dalton, with a faint smile on his face. From the way they walked, one could tell their personalities. As soon as General Ivan entered, he couldn’t wait to speak before even reaching the front, “Sit down, sit down, let’s get to the point. There are three pirate gathering points, and we need you to infiltrate them and gather information.”

“General, what information are we gathering?” One of the soldiers from the Baikal Legion stood up and asked, “Are we going to deal with the pirates and wipe them all out?”

As soon as this was said, the faces of all the soldiers showed some excitement that they couldn’t suppress.

“It would be great if we could wipe them all out, but pirates are like weeds, one group is killed and another pops up. How can we eliminate them all?” General Ivan turned to the people on either side and asked, “How does that Chinese saying go?”

“‘Wildfires can’t burn it all, the spring breeze blows and it grows again,’” Auston said.

“Yes, yes, that’s the one, those damn pirates are just like that.” The three generals had already walked to the front, and General Ivan said, “This time, we’re dealing with the pirate leader, Red Spider. This guy, last time, General Tolkien and the others carried out a major crackdown and killed a bunch, but Red Spider has a hidden base that keeps providing them with a continuous supply of power. With such a base, a crackdown is useless. General Tolkien had an informant who learned about the base, but that informant died before giving the exact coordinates. Now, we’re sending you to three pirate gathering points to gather the specific coordinates. General Tolkien has received news that Red Spider’s people will be going there, but it’s not certain which of the three points they will go to, or if they will go to all of them. Whether you’ll encounter them, that’s up to Lady Luck.”

Once General Ivan finished speaking, General Tolkien and Auston made some brief additions, informing everyone of the coordinates of the three pirate gathering points, the characteristics of the pirates to watch out for, how to disguise themselves, and so on.

Finally, Auston looked at everyone and said, “This is not a competition. There is no need for confrontation or comparison. Completing the mission and returning safely is my only requirement from you.”

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Hello everyone. Thanks for reading. It’s really unfortunate that my exam results are not satisfactory and I am gonna repeat them in four months time. I hope the year 2025 will be good start for all of us. Thank you for your love and support!! Love you all!!