CR CH31

Chapter 31: Egg Incubation Guide

“Is that…”

“Shh, keep your voice down.”

Whispers echoed in his ears as Jiang Tianji yawned and strolled out of the research institute. The warm sunlight made him squint comfortably as he stretched in place.

The ward lacked any devices for entertainment or anyone to chat with, and the three daily meals were incredibly healthy—causing him to lose five pounds in just two days.

Jiang Tianji raised his arm and looked at the basic device on his wrist: 12:32 PM.

His teammates should be in training or on a mission at this hour, and he hadn’t received any orders yet. Just as he was wondering where to go, his surroundings grew inexplicably quiet.

A familiar, highly ominous premonition struck. Standing on the steps, Jiang Tianji looked down.

Chief Ling was standing at the entrance of the research institute, though he hadn’t noticed when he arrived. Dressed in a low-profile, dark Special Assistance uniform, Ling’s gaze was locked directly onto him, with no intention of walking up.

“Sir.”

Jiang Tianji paused for a moment before steeling himself to walk down the steps. He greeted him as naturally as possible, shifting his steps sideways in an attempt to slip away.

“Stay right there.”

“…Yes, sir.”

Jiang Tianji awkwardly turned his body back around, lowering his head as he awaited instructions.

Ling Kongmiao tossed a brand-new device to him. “Put it on.”

Jiang Tianji keenly sensed that the Chief’s mood today was less than stellar. Not wanting to add fuel to the fire, he quickly put on the device.

Ling Kongmiao rapidly tapped his own device a few times, then stepped closer to Jiang Tianji to link their devices together.

“Authorization granted. Please confirm the binding information.”

Expressionless, Ling Kongmiao tapped confirm and turned to stride forward. “Follow me.”

The surrounding crowd cast strange glances their way. Jiang Tianji sighed softly, not paying them much mind. Just like that, the two disappeared from everyone’s sight, one after the other.

_

Jiang Tianji was completely bewildered by Chief Ling’s sudden appearance to conscript him, but he didn’t dare ask any questions, choosing instead to follow silently behind.

His peripheral vision was drawn to a flash of silver-white. Like a cat spotting a flickering laser point, he couldn’t help but steal glances at Ling Kongmiao’s long hair gently swaying ahead of him.

When the distance closed a little, a faint fragrance drifted into his nose, and Jiang Tianji’s nostrils flared slightly.

The figure ahead stiffened and came to an abrupt halt without warning. Jiang Tianji nearly failed to brake in time and almost crashed into him, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Ling Kongmiao turned his head, his tone carrying a mix of confusion and tightly reined-in patience. “…What on earth are you sniffing?”

Not daring to provoke the irritable lion before him, Jiang Tianji adopted a submissive stance and explained meekly, “I caught a whiff of a floral scent and found it very pleasant. I’m deeply sorry for making noise and disturbing you, sir.”

“…”

There weren’t any flowers around here at all, and this man had quite the “rap sheet.”

Ling Kongmiao was certain that his pheromones hadn’t leaked even a fraction of a bit. The look he gave Jiang Tianji carried a trace of a headache and complexity.

“Didn’t you take physiology class in school?”

Jiang Tianji had no idea why he was suddenly being questioned about this, but he answered honestly, “I did.”

“Act like a hooligan again, and I’ll throw you into a hazardous galaxy to feed the mutants.”

“Huh?”

Jiang Tianji froze, clearly clueless as to why he was being scolded out of nowhere again. But Ling Kongmiao walked away immediately after speaking, leaving Jiang Tianji no time to clear his name; he could only jog to catch up.
_

The Special Assistance transport ship was much larger than those of ordinary units. Its hull was pitch black and bore the exclusive emblem of the Special Assistance Team—a complex shield pattern identical to the imprint on the badge Ling Kongmiao carried.

“Captain Ling.”

Logistics personnel bustled back and forth inside the ship, bowing their heads to greet Ling Kongmiao. Jiang Tianji followed stiffly behind him, running straight into a group of people ahead.

“Captain?”

The members of Special Assistance Team One, who were originally heading to the main control room, stopped in their tracks. Hearing the voice, Jiang Tianji looked up, only to lock eyes with the evaluating gazes of several high-ranking officers.

“…” His palms instantly began to sweat like a waterfall.

“Is the meeting over?” Ling Kongmiao asked.

“Yes,” Tang Min and You Li exchanged a look, appearing somewhat helpless.

“The council members of the Star Pavilion are quite dissatisfied with your absence and having You Li fill in for you. Chief Boris had no choice but to say he would speak with you after the meeting.”

“I have no comment on their decision to organize a spring outing.” Ling Kongmiao lowered his eyes with a mocking expression. “They’re incredibly adept at finding something ridiculous to do in a tense environment. Sometimes it’s truly hard to imagine just how many hype men have managed to sneak into the Federation’s high command.”

“Cough.” Wei Jiangming cleared his throat immediately, his gaze shifting to Jiang Tianji, who was laying low behind him. “Captain, who is this behind you?”

Ling Kongmiao: “Someone here for the spring outing.”

“Boss, aren’t the people here today all supposed to be…” Zhao Hengyi was thoroughly confused. Just as he was about to speak bluntly, Ye, who always stood beside him ready to shut him up, clamped a hand on his shoulder.

Ye: “The Empire’s Silver Guard Corps is assisting with the evacuation in the surrounding area. We need to handle the handover with them. General Taylor is the one coming this time.”

Ling Kongmiao frowned. “Understood.”

His expression shifted from overcast to a raging thunderstorm. Sensing the stagnant atmosphere, Jiang Tianji quietly looked up to check the situation, only to spot someone entirely unexpected.

A young man wearing the uniform of the Z01 Ability Department approached from behind, his eyes locking onto Jiang Tianji instantly within the crowd.

The moment their eyes met, Jiang Tianji calmly shifted his gaze away.

“Sir.” Liang Chong saluted Ling Kongmiao first. Only after receiving a nod of permission did he turn aside to report to You Li, “Reporting to the officer, the headcount is complete.”

You Li didn’t respond immediately, instead looking toward his captain inquisitively.

“Add this one too.” Ling Kongmiao hauled Jiang Tianji out from behind his back and tossed him in front of Liang Chong.

You Li brushed through his red hair helplessly. “…Let’s leave it at that for now, then.”

“Yes, sir.” Liang Chong nodded, showing no outward reaction. In a purely professional manner, he said to Jiang Tianji, “Follow me.”

Jiang Tianji turned back, only catching the view of Ling Kongmiao’s retreating figure as he led the group toward the main control room.

The nearby glass doors reflected two intersecting paths; once the blurry silhouettes of the crowd dispersed, no special traces remained.

_

You Li stood to Ling Kongmiao’s right. “Captain, by order of higher-ups, members from Z01 with a rating of 9.3 or higher are to participate in the mop-up operations for the D-657 emergency mission.”

Tang Min was on his left. “Even if it’s just mop-up work, it’s still an S-class emergency mission. The possibility of unexpected incidents cannot be ruled out.”

Though neither member asked a direct question, their tones carried a slight hesitation. They clearly didn’t understand why Ling Kongmiao would bring along an entirely unrelated member from the ordinary division.

Yet Ling Kongmiao didn’t answer their unvoiced questions, merely nodding. “Mm.”

The group looked thoughtful but pushed no further. Members of Special Assistance Team One never questioned Captain Ling’s decisions—except for Zhao Hengyi.

Following identity verification, the mechanical doors slid shut behind them. The surrounding energy walls were filled with live feeds of the rescue site, and the energy monitoring showed everything was normal. Ling Kongmiao took his seat at the head of the table.

While everyone took their positions to discuss the situation on the ground, Zhao Hengyi alone hovered anxiously around the captain.

“Boss, how could you bring him along? It’s way too dangerous!”

The communication device vibrated at that moment. Ling Kongmiao glanced at the caller ID and tossed it to Zhao Hengyi. “I’m giving you a mission. Take it.”

“What is it?” Zhao Hengyi looked down. The moment he clearly read the words “Chief Boris,” he tossed the device to Tang Min as if it were a live bomb. “Holy crap, Sister Tang, you better handle this.”

Tang Min smoothly passed it to You Li, speaking just as the latter frowned and prepared to refuse. “Brother You, you know I don’t have an influential family to back me up.”

“…” You Li was instantly rendered speechless. Holding his breath in exasperation, he turned and walked out.

With the immediate crisis averted, Zhao Hengyi remained glued to Ling Kongmiao’s side, muttering endlessly about how “a life is a life, after all.”

Wei Jiangming tried pulling him away for a while to no avail. He turned his gaze toward Ye, who remained silent, and the two ladies chatting nearby. Irene smiled at him, pushed her water cup slightly toward him, and mouthed, Let it go.

Zhao Hengyi finally grew tired of talking and sighed softly. “Boss, I just don’t understand your reason for doing this.”

Annoyed by the constant chatter, Ling Kongmiao gave a half-hearted brush-off: “Egg incubation.”

Zhao Hengyi didn’t catch on. “What?”

Ling Kongmiao pulled up the “Interstellar Egg Incubation Guide” on his device.

“To hatch a healthy baby, one must first have frequent contact with the pet egg so it becomes familiar with your scent. They are not as fragile as you think; you can occasionally bring them outdoors to bask in the sun…”

The emotionless electronic voice echoed through the entire main control room.

Everyone stared at Ling Kongmiao, who was currently resting with his eyes closed: “…”