Cillin didn't depart immediately, not even when Wheeze threw a tantrum and declared that it would go on a hunger strike. It was because he wanted to attend an elective course that starts right after the big exam. The person leading it was an elderly, respected professor who actually knew the knowledge he was dabbling in, unlike some other self-proclaimed RAS scholars who wore the hat of an academician, but schemed against one another like a politician.
A real teacher would do his best to teach even if he only had one student, and this professor was one such person. Although the students who attended the lecture were less than twenty, his pa.s.sion was clear for all to watch. The things he taught greatly benefited Cillin as well.
A modified audio signal had the ability to affect the signals within a limited range, and to demonstrate that the old teacher conducted a live experiment. He played an audio signal and told the students to turn on their communicators, and amazingly the screen brightness and the images started changing rhythmically. At the same time, the students felt like their pulse were also synchronizing with the audio signal.
It was a very familiar feeling to Cillin. In fact, the hunter regiments of GAL enjoyed converting this type of audio signal into their signature music. Even Cillin had to admit that it was very cool to make an appearance like this.
However, what Cillin was more concerned about was its applicability and expandability right now.
Normally, there was a time gap between lecture sessions. Since the old professor had something to do later, he decided to hold the next lecture sooner. As a result, Cillin decided to stay in AF1 for just a couple days longer.
Cillin went back to his hostel after attending the lecture. The moment he went in, he saw Wheeze lying on the ground looking completely spent after a serious diarrhea.
It had been two days since Cillin delayed their departure, and Wheeze declared its decision to go on a hunger strike in protest, so he wasn't surprised by its antics already.
Hunger strike?
Cillin was holding it e-log with his course notes on it when he shot Wheeze a glance. While walking past the limp cat, he said, “I told you many times to wipe your mouth clean after you were done stealing food. Also, I may not be a feline, but my nose is still good enough to pick up that fishy stench in your yawn a mile away.”
Wheeze: “... Hmph!”
Wheeze stopped pretending and moved next to Cillin's legs. Then, it scratched his pants into spaghetti shapes.
“And finally,” Cillin poked its fat head once before continuing, “Don't think I don't know who was the one who made the lecture screen flicker like it was having a heart attack today!”
Wheeze pulled its ears backward and didn't reply. It was just venting for a bit, it wasn't its fault that that equipment was tras.h.!.+
“How many more days do you need?” Wheeze had been in video contact with the Gen Xingming and co ever since they departed, and it was forced to watch them having the joy and meal of a lifetime while it waited for Cillin to finish with his business. Worse, they boasted it to its face every time they talked. Every time Wheeze's anger level hit a certain threshold, it would bite the black viper's scales to vent.
Maybe the black viper would regret its decision if it learned that this was how Wheeze was using its gift.
“Five. The next lecture will be brought forward.”
“Five days!?” Wheeze exclaimed before pretending to be weak again. The revelation was too much considering that it was so bored that it was feeling a toothache lately. It definitely wasn't it bit the viper scales too many times, Wheeze swore on its remaining fish biscuits.
What should we do during this time then?” Wheeze asked while rolling on the floor. The school was boring; everyone, even the animals seemed to be busy with either study or missions. Even those who didn't have such things to deal with like Gen Xingming had gone out to relax.
Cillin paused for a moment before replying, “Let's visit the Gen Family then. You've neglected your little pet long enough for it to throw a tantrum.”
Cillin hadn't gone to the Gen Family yet after returning because he had no time. All he did was video call Genya and communicate his safety. Meanwhile, the sea beast had grown too big to fit in Genya's backyard, so it was released into a man-made sea. Only a politically and economically powerful family like the Fuji Gen Family could afford a project like this with ease.
Genya also built a small courtyard next to the artificial sea, spending everyday watching the sea beast toying with the fishes. However, it seemed to be throwing a tantrum lately because Cillin and Wheeze had been absent for a while. Occasionally, it would spray sea water into the nearby buildings or make ghastly cries during the night, p.i.s.sing people off on purpose. Despite the complaints, it wasn't afraid that it would be cooked and eaten because it had Genya to hide behind.
Wheeze's spirits immediately lifted after hearing this. There might not be much to do at the Gen Family, but it was still a way better place to be than AF1. The latter had just way too many restrictions all over the place. It was a good opportunity to visit its little pet and ask some fresh fishes from Genya…
Cillin didn't take long to pack everything he needed while he was urged by Wheeze. After bidding Guan Feng goodbye, he left the school and traveled to the Gen Family's planet.
Since it was Cillin, the guard s.h.i.+ps patrolling the planet only performed a mandatory inspection and nothing more. Their att.i.tude was great, and they even sent someone to escort Cillin to Genya's new place.
The sea was like a giant blue blob sitting in the middle of an ocean of green. Although it was smaller than the seas Cillin had seen in the past, its seawater was of good quality.
A couple of Fuji trees were planted in Genya's new courtyard. It wasn't as big as the one in the previous courtyard, but they grew pretty well and their numbers kept them from looking monotonous.
Genya was very happy to see him. He didn't ask Cillin for details regarding his latest adventure because it was his own life. No one had a right to interfere with another person's path, and genya trusted in Cillin's ability to handle himself. The younger generations will do all right on their own, and he viewed Cillin as his own grandson. He didn't want great things from Cillin; all he wanted was for Cillin to be happy.
There were many parents who voiced great expectations for their children, but in reality their bottomline was quite low. All they wanted was their children to be safe and sound. Genya had experienced too many things in his life, and it was impossible to pry them out of his mouth unless he decided to say it himself, not even his own brother, Gen Liao.
His experiences had also cultivated a taste for peace in Genya. Cillin sat with Genya at the courtyard and didn't say a word, and it was the best experience the old man could hope for.
The sea beast, Blueskin made quite the commotion after seeing Cillin and Wheeze. After that, Wheeze led it away to play somewhere else.
Although the sea beast wasn't brought up in a natural environment, its behavior was still… unusual probably because it was influenced by Wheeze since birth. To borrow Bel's mother's own words, it had strayed away from the righteous path. Blueskin itself was the living proof that idiocy was a transmittable disease.
The idiom “don't wash your dirty linen in public” pa.s.sed through Cillin's mind as he watched Blueskin balancing itself on its tail like a seal and catching the fishes Wheeze threw its way. He couldn't help but feel thankful that Blueskin had grown up here. If the sea beast had grown up on another planet—especially the planets where sea beasts were a common creature—it would be a laughingstock everywhere it went.
“Oh right, you said you want to partic.i.p.ate in Ulaganuo's cousin's wedding?” Genya asked.
“Not really. Gen Xingming and his friends wanted to head over there and join them. Ulaganuo already gave me the admission card,” Cillin explained before showing Genya the card.
The bride and the groom weren't the only ones who distributed invitation cards among the upper n.o.bles. In fact, the people behind their backs did most of the work. Profit came before anything, and most of the guests their elders invited were strangers the bride and the groom hadn't even met before. But everyone smiled and greeted each other like seasoned actors when the elders introduced them to each other anyway.
It was why those people almost couldn't wait to shove the entire stack of admission cards and invitation cards into Ulaganuo's hands when the prince asked for it. As a prince, Ulaganuo's social circle couldn't possibly be normal.
Genya checked the names on the card and smiled. He said, “Yo, the bride is from the Gleason Family!”
The Gleason Family was very influential within the military and as strong as Teita's Yurong Family. Both families were immovable pillars within the military.
“The Gleason Family, huh…”
Genya told Cillin what he knew about the Gleason Family, but most of his information were from the past. Although he had refreshed his knowledge of the family after returning, it was only at the surface level. Still, the Gleason Family seemed like a decent family in the past, and unlike most n.o.bles they carried out their children's education strictly.
“You can attend this wedding and send them a gift. The Gen Family will also be sending a representative, but it won't be anyone important.” The bride was no one important within the Gleason Family, or the old general himself would've sent an invitation directly to the three kings.
That being said, the three kings might not be attending the wedding, but their children. Gen Xingming repeated that they were being sneaky, but it was probably just bulls.h.i.+t. The trio's faces weren't unfamiliar to the upper n.o.bles, and recognizing just one of them was all it took to identify the rest. Those elders must be having the time of their life right now.
“Master grandpa two~” Wheeze climbed up the sh.o.r.e, shook off the water on its fur and ran up to Genya. It wanted to be stroked.
“How many fishes did you eat? Try not to annihilate everything we put in,” Genya said smilingly while stroking Wheeze's fur.
“Blueskin's the one who's been eating, not me. I didn't eat much.”
Cillin knew instantly that Wheeze was lying the moment he saw how its whiskers were twitching. Every time the gray cat lied, it would unconsciously moved its ears sideways, backwards or downwards. Its whiskers would also twitch twice at a certain frequency.
Just like that, Blueskin took the fall for Wheeze.
When Genya encouraged Cillin to head out more and make more friends, Wheeze immediately pointed a paw at the latter and said, “Look, even master grandpa two agrees that you should head out more, you stubborn mule!”
Cillin lifted his eyebrows and grabbed Wheeze by the nape of its neck. Then, he walked towards the sea and… plop! Threw it into the sea.
When Wheeze climbed back up the sh.o.r.e, it purpose rolled across the sand before rubbing it onto Cillin's clothes. As a result, Cillin was covered in wet sand all over the place.
Genya had a great time watching this happen from the sidelines.
Five days later, Wheeze bit Cillin's pants the second he stepped out of the cla.s.sroom and dragged him away. The cat had run out of patience while waiting for Cillin, and its motto was to do something whenever it got bored. By its definition, doing something meant eating, so it ate everything within sight that could be eaten, organic or not.
It was truly a pain to raise a half-cyborg cat with such a diverse appet.i.te. Hunger strike? Was that a joke?
After he was done packing, Cillin grabbed Genya's gift with one hand and held Wheeze with the other elbow. Then, he jumped into the s.p.a.ceplane he borrowed from Guan Feng's place and made way towards the coordinates Gen Xingming gave him.
The planet was decorated very nicely because of the wedding. Although it was nothing impressive to the three kings, it was one of the more famous weddings among the upper n.o.bles. This was especially true after they realized that the three princes were attending the wedding as well. Even those who weren't planning to send their kids over at the beginning had changed their minds and sent them a message. At the minimum, they hoped their kids would show their faces around the three princes and their peers and interact with them.
It was clear that the entire planet was artfully decorated. For example, they could see a heart shape on the surface of the planet from s.p.a.ce. The decorations clearly took a lot of effort to prepare. The planet wasn't big, but it had beautiful sceneries and many flowers. The “Little Garden” at GAL might have incredible sculptures, but this planet appeared to have a longer history. It was a private scenic planet owned by the family of Ulaganuo's cousin.
Most of the family s.h.i.+ps that attending the wedding had their symbols proudly displayed on the surface of their hull. It was almost as if they were afraid that someone wouldn't recognize them.
Of course, Cillin's tiny s.p.a.ceplane seemed insignificant compared to all the s.h.i.+ps around him. Even the s.h.i.+ps flying next to him were larger s.p.a.ceplanes with a gorgeous exterior. As a result, plenty of people were sneering at his s.p.a.ceplane because it was tiny, and because it didn't have an identifying symbol.
“Are they attending the wedding too?”
“It can't be. It's probably someone's errand s.h.i.+p or something.”
“Our errand boys have bigger s.p.a.ceplanes than that.”
“Same. Our s.h.i.+ps are also much better-looking.”
“Which family does that s.h.i.+p belong to?” No one responded even though it was exchanged across multiple channels.
“Come on, who would admit such a thing? What a pointless question,” someone said in a pretentious tone after believing they discovered the truth. It was a statement that was supported by many others.
Meanwhile, Cillin and Wheeze exchanged incredulous looks with each other. They were secretly listening in on these people's channels all this time.
How dare these fools criticize Guan Feng's masterpiece like this! It was created through the combined effort of Guan Feng and an RAS engineering scholar! If Guan Feng learned of their criticism, he would certainly shoot them with his new PTS S!
Guan Feng was such a person. He was fine with criticism. He was also fine with people criticizing his flaws and his characters. But he absolutely couldn't stand people criticizing his work without any basis or reason whatsoever.
“These people are seriously blind. They actually think their trash of a s.p.a.ceplane is worth bragging about!” Wheeze commented disdainfully. A pause later, it curled its tail and grinned. “Say, do you want to give meeting gift, Cillin?”
