Across the vast, boundless sea, the sky was clear for ten thousand miles. Sunlight spilled over the waves, reflecting varying shades of pink—the romantic hue unique to M88.
The surface of the ocean was tranquil until, suddenly, a silver-white houseboat shaped like a seashell broke through the water. While the native marine life of M88 continued their migration with the currents, this stray houseboat had already initiated its return protocol.
Inside the vessel, the duo who had arrived as a standard Omega and Alpha were returning as a completely new combination: Feng Zhixi, who had "happily received" the new identity of a Xi Race cub; Ji Yeran, who had suddenly become the cub’s chosen protector; and a glowing sphere that claimed to be an "all-knowing, all-powerful cub caretaker."
And so, the two men and one ball embarked on their journey home. It was truly a cause for celebration.
The long migratory journey, originally scheduled to take a month, was completed in less than a week, thanks entirely to this "adorable" ball. Inside the houseboat, Feng Zhixi fixed a meaningful gaze on the sphere, which was currently huddled in a corner, blissfully gnawing on a piece of energy ore.
The glowing ball, sensing his gaze while munching on its snack, warily lifted its "face." Although as a sphere it didn't technically have a face, the cautious way it guarded its little snack—revealed through the flickering halo around its body—made it look incredibly wimpy.
As for why this ball was acting so defensive while eating, it all started when Feng Zhixi finally decided to temporarily believe its nonsense. Once the Xi cub confirmed he was indeed bound to this foolish ball, he had to accept the reality that he now possessed a very extravagant pet.
Then, just as Feng Zhixi was coming to terms with raising a gold-swallowing beast, the foolish ball proved that it could be even more of a spendthrift.
For instance, as a Planet Tinder that had been forced into a long dormancy, it was hungry—the kind of extreme hunger that caused it to indiscriminately and actively absorb external energy. The direct consequence was that once the ball was bound to the Xi cub and could leave the protective shield (or rather, the cage) created by the Xi people, the starving Tinder began to drain energy from everything around it.
The first victim was the houseboat’s power core. In an instant, eighty percent of the energy source was swallowed. The AI system triggered an emergency brake, letting out a sharp warning siren. The ball, now glowing a satisfied pink, whimpered that it hadn't meant to do it, yet its actions said otherwise...
19%, 18%, 15%... 10%. Seeing the energy source about to drop below ten percent—which would have left them drifting aimlessly at sea—the wealthy Warden Ji stepped in. He urgently contributed his personal stash: a massive quantity of high-purity energy ores. Only then did they avoid the fate of becoming castaways.
Now, the foolish ball whimpered softly as it gnawed its ore, looking toward Ji Yeran next to the cub. Its pinkish glow rippled with waves of affection, as if it were looking at a long-term, stable meal ticket.
The little ball felt that the person its cub had chosen was indeed reliable! Ah, it must be the luckiest ball in the world. Its cub was the smartest—he even remembered to bring so many rations when he came to visit!
At this moment, Feng Zhixi harbored a deep suspicion: perhaps the Xi people had left this ball behind specifically because it ate too much, and they simply couldn't afford to keep it anymore!
Unaware that it was being judged by its cub, the glowing ball continued to munch happily, mentally drafting a growth plan for its ward. The cub knew nothing, so its own responsibilities were very heavy!
Thus, while the little ball ate its way through the journey, the houseboat returned to land at extreme speed. Upon landing, Feng Zhixi and Ji Yeran didn't delay, heading straight for the starport. According to the ball, once a Planet Tinder was removed from its cage, it had to be planted into a planet as soon as possible; otherwise, it wouldn't be able to control its energy-absorbing instincts.
Feng Zhixi: "..." *Is it too late to stuff this ball back into the cage at the core of M88?*
Indeed, the vast, snowy white expanse they had seen earlier was actually a space-folding cage established by the Xi people within the core of M88. It had only one entrance: a directional transport wormhole located on the seabed. That cage effectively kept the Planet Tinder in a dormant state. Now that Feng Zhixi had brought it out, the Tinder was activated and needed to be planted into a truly suitable planet immediately.
Consequently, a starship departed from M88, heading into the deep reaches of space. It wasn't until a day later that the old Dean of the Lanli Research Institute, who had intended to drag his subordinate back, received the news: his little Chief had slipped away again, destination unknown.
The old Dean: "..." *Has this kid lost his mind? Does he not want his folding experimental chamber anymore?*
Wait! A thought suddenly struck the Dean. The folding experimental chamber? The folding experimental chamber!
Recalling the message the brat had sent before leaving, a sense of foreboding rose in the Dean's heart. Why had the Chief specifically mentioned the chamber? Feng Zhixi was not the type to waste words.
Driven by an ill omen, the Dean accessed the permissions for the Chief’s independent laboratory. He discovered that the access had been deadlocked by Feng Zhixi—the kind of lock that couldn't be opened even with a brute-force override. In short, only Feng Zhixi himself could open it; no one else, including the Dean who held the core permissions for the entire institute, could get in. As the former Chief of Lanli and a future master of Federation weapon manufacturing, Feng Zhixi possessed that level of confidence.
The Dean: "..." *Did this wretched child put all his talent points into this?*
Regardless of the headache the Dean was suffering in a distant star system, Feng Zhixi and Ji Yeran had already crossed countless sectors. They now hovered above the private research planet that belonged to Feng Zhixi.
After navigating a long asteroid belt and passing through numerous mist barriers in the void, they arrived above the planet that was armed to the teeth. The little ball, currently finishing its last piece of energy ore, didn't even bother to swallow the final bite. It stared at the delicious planet before it, thinking blissfully: *This is my home...*
Feng Zhixi, the actual owner of the planet: "..." *Can I throw this ball away?*
Once they landed on the energy-rich planet, Feng Zhixi reached out and gently touched the pinkish ball of light. It felt soft and squishy, like a ball of glutinous snow. Before long, the "snowball" blurred, splitting into two.
Closing his eyes, Feng Zhixi seemed to "see" the separated pink cluster drifting downward. It fell like a snowflake, silent and weightless, passing through the hull of the ship and into the ground. It drifted through layers of rock without resistance, heading straight for the center of the planet.
This was a planet with massive deposits of open-pit energy ores, yet the ball of light simply drifted past them until it plunged into a sea of golden-red magma. When the Tinder hit the magma, an invisible tremor rippled outward, spreading across the entire planet.
Feng Zhixi heard a sigh—hazy, ancient, and eternal. It was filled with anticipation and maternal love, as if greeting him: "Hello, little cub... I'm finally home."
And so, having planted the Planet Tinder, Feng Zhixi received his first gift—a raw, high-purity piece of Xi Ore.
Looking at the ball of light that had spat out a piece of Xi Ore after devouring countless energy stones, Feng Zhixi raised an eyebrow. It seemed this little spendthrift was somewhat useful after all.
The ball of light, which had worked hard to spit out a "marble" for the cub to play with, suddenly shivered. For some reason, it felt a sudden chill.
*Whimper, what's happening?* The portion of the ball that had settled into the magma couldn't help but sink deeper into the planet's core.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
M88 | M88 | A planet characterized by its romantic pink oceans and unique marine life.
溪族 | Xi Race | An ancient, powerful race capable of communicating with planets; Feng Zhixi’s newly discovered heritage.
星球火种 | Planet Tinder | Also referred to as a "Planet Seed"; the dormant consciousness of a planet that must be "planted" to awaken.
蓝礼研究院 | Lanli Research Institute | The prestigious scientific institution where Feng Zhixi serves as a Chief researcher.
溪矿石 | Xi Ore | An extremely rare and high-purity mineral produced by the Xi Race/Planet Tinder.
折叠实验舱 | Folding Experimental Chamber | A specialized laboratory space mentioned by Feng Zhixi, likely utilizing space-folding technology.
