FT DR Chapter 116: Big Fox

Chapter 116: Big Fox

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

In the living room, Zhuang Zhuang had finished taking care of the plants and was kneeling on the floor mat playing the “cooking” game. This was probably her closest hobby to being a “girl.” Her chubby hands held a mini spatula, stirring some imaginary “dish” in a mini pot. Seeing Mu come out, she waved at him, “Dean, do you want some food? I’m running a big restaurant here.”

Since he had a daughter, Mu had developed a lot of patience. He walked over and knelt beside her, playing along, “I’ll have braised pork rice, please.”

Zhuang Zhuang happily played around for a while, then served him a plate of “food” and placed it in front of him, saying, “Here you go!”

Mu pretended to eat the food and praised, “Well done.” He picked up some fake federal coins and placed them on her tray. “This is your tip.”

“Thank you, Dean. I’ll keep working hard!” Zhuang Zhuang bowed gracefully. Then she noticed the model placed beside him, forgetting about the cooking game. She asked eagerly, “Did you ask the President? Can I play with this toy now?”

“I asked, and yes, you can play with it.” Mu carefully opened the toy box and took out the battleships, fighter jets, weapons, and soldiers one by one. “Zhuang Zhuang, this toy set is very precious. There are only about twenty sets in the whole Federation, so you have to be careful when playing with it. You can’t be as rough as with other toys, okay?”

“Okay, I got it.” Zhuang Zhuang cradled her chubby hands, her eyes sparkling. “I’ll take good care of the toys.”

Mu smiled. “Go ahead and play.”

Zhuang Zhuang couldn’t get enough of the model set Jin Zhe had given her. She played tirelessly for two hours until Mu reminded her for the third time to go to sleep. Reluctantly, she let go of the toys.

Mu carried his daughter to the bathroom, brushed her tiny teeth, changed her into a pretty light blue nightgown, and tucked her into bed. Zhuang Zhuang initially wanted him to tell her a story, but since Mu had a report to write, he placed the zombie king and the green giant on either side of her pillow and said, “Daddy is busy tonight and needs to work overtime. Zhuang Zhuang, can you sleep by yourself?”

Zhuang Zhuang was a bit disappointed, but she had so much fun playing with the model set in the evening and was tired. She nodded after yawning, “Okay, but you have to play with me tomorrow, Daddy. Don’t ignore me, or I’ll get autism, you know.”

Mu was amused by her words and softened. He kissed her forehead gently. “Okay, Daddy will take a break today and play with you tomorrow.”

Dimming the lights, Mu left the children’s room. Zhuang Zhuang turned over, hugged the zombie king next to her pillow, closed her eyes and slept for a while, feeling uncomfortable. She turned to the other side, hugged the green giant as well.

Still feeling uncomfortable, she didn’t know what was wrong. Zhuang Zhuang whimpered and wanted to get up to find Daddy, but she remembered that Daddy didn’t like to be disturbed while working, so she hesitated. Then, she suddenly remembered the President, recalling how the President had played with her in the afternoon, being commanded by her. She couldn’t help but giggle softly.

After laughing for a while, she remembered the President teaching her how to summon the “yellow cat” and became interested. She sat up, pushed the zombie king and the green giant aside, hugged her chubby hands and propped up her chin, squinting her eyes to think about the “yellow cat.”

“Tao, tao, tao, come out quickly.” Zhuang Zhuang muttered quietly, recalling the appearance of the “yellow cat” from last night in her mind, just like Jin Zhe had taught her, imagining the “yellow cat” rolling and crawling where it appeared yesterday, muttering, “I’ll be nice to you, I’ll give you little fish to eat, and we can play war and cooking games together!”

She concentrated for a full seven or eight minutes (which was very difficult for a child), her mouth tired from speaking. But the “yellow cat” still didn’t show up, which made her somewhat disheartened. She put down her chubby hands with a pout, muttering to herself, “What’s wrong? Tao Tao isn’t being good!”

She was a little angry with the little yellow cat, and a little angry with herself. Squirming under the bed, she knelt on the floor for one last attempt. This time, she remembered that the President said it was about “thinking,” not “speaking.” So, she didn’t speak those words out loud but silently repeated in her mind: “Tao Tao, be good, come out and play with me, I like yellow cats the most!”

Telepathy was a natural instinct for sentinels, and when they concentrated their consciousness to imagine quantum beasts and silently recited in their minds, telepathy would be activated. This was the first time Zhuang Zhuang had emitted telepathy in an unconscious state, and the power was unexpectedly strong, instantly summoning the quantum beast: a light brown Barbary lion cub appeared where it disappeared yesterday, its beautiful translucent pupils cautiously observing its violent owner, trembling with its four claws, as if ready to run away at any moment.

“Wow! Yellow cat!” Zhuang Zhuang was extremely happy, quickly crawling over and lying on the ground to look at the little lion cub. The lion cub was in tune with her thoughts, although it had been abused by her yesterday, it still recognized her as its master, with an innate attachment and trust towards her. After hesitating for a moment and seeing that she didn’t show any sign of pulling its tail, it cautiously stretched out its front paws and tapped her hand back, emitting a tender “meow” from its throat.

“Ha!” Zhuang Zhuang touched its soft little paw, smiling happily, wanting to instinctively pick it up and play with it, but remembering what the President said about not scaring it in the afternoon, she restrained herself, only reaching out with one hand, mimicking its actions to gently stroke its paw back, then lightly stroking its back, unconsciously using telepathy, “Can I call you Taotao?”

The lion cub had already prepared itself to be pushed down by its master in various ways, but seeing that she didn’t push it away and was so gentle, it nodded happily, “Woowoo!” Its paws softened and it fell onto the carpet with a soft thud, not bothering to get up, wriggling its belly towards Zhuang Zhuang, extending its front paws to scratch her knees gently, seeking to be petted.

Zhuang Zhuang was melted by its scratching, looking at its bright amber eyes, couldn’t help but bend down and kiss its little black nose, “Taotao is so good and cute!”

The lion cub received a kiss from its master, purred happily, turned over on its back, tilted its head and rubbed its scalp against Zhuang Zhuang’s knee, acting coquettishly. Zhuang Zhuang didn’t quite know how to soothe a quantum beast yet, so she instinctively rubbed its forehead, its chin, and reached down to touch its pink soft belly. The lion cub wriggled happily, making playful “woo” sounds, rolling around incessantly.

Zhuang Zhuang was amused by its playful demeanor, also laughed incessantly, imitating its actions, rolling on the ground side by side with it.

The master and the pet established a preliminary friendship through the rolling game. The lion cub’s state stabilized slightly, and when Zhuang Zhuang was tired of rolling, she gently nibbled her right hand with its milk teeth and licked her with its soft little tongue. Zhuang Zhuang groped for a way to comfort it, curling her body to protect it in her arms, gently scratching its chin with her left hand.

The lion cub made a comfortable “purr” sound, closing its eyes contentedly like a cat, its mouth moving slightly, brewing for a while, then sent a telepathic message to Zhuang Zhuang, “Woo woo!”

It was the first time Zhuang Zhuang heard the lion cub’s voice in her mind, surprised and amused, she responded with telepathy, “Taotao!”

“Woo!”

“Taotao!”

“Woo woo!”

“I am Zhuang Zhuang!”

“Woo woo woo!”

It was difficult for quantum beasts to learn human language, only strong sentinels like Jin Zhe and Hannibal, after decades of training, could learn some simple words and phrases through telepathy. Zhuang Zhuang’s lion cub was still too young, only able to emit instinctive roars.

But even so, Zhuang Zhuang was very satisfied. Indeed, what the President said was right. As long as she played carefully, cared for it, and treated it well, the yellow cat wouldn’t disappear! Proudly, Zhuang Zhuang freed her left hand and opened her personal terminal for children, found the mailbox left by the President for her, and sent a voice message, “Mr. President, I found the yellow cat!”

It was already late at night, but Jin Zhe’s reply came immediately, “Zhuang Zhuang, well done!”

Zhuang Zhuang was excited, feeling the thrill of sharing secrets with her good friend, while playing the game of paw fighting with the lion cub, she replied to the President, “Taotao is great! Taotao can talk to me in my mind!”

Jin Zhe replied again instantly, “That’s great, Zhuang Zhuang, you should often talk to it in your mind, call its name. When you establish a strong telepathic connection, it will stabilize and won’t disappear again.”

Zhuang Zhuang didn’t understand what “establishing a strong telepathic connection” meant, but perhaps it was a father-daughter instinct; she immediately grasped Jin Zhe’s meaning, which was to talk to the yellow cat frequently in her mind so that the cat would stay with her. So she quickly replied, “Okay!”

“Zhuang Zhuang is truly a genius!” In the Presidential Office, Jin Zhe, who was dealing with the letters sent by Hannibal, was in a terrible mood. However, upon hearing his daughter’s tender and crisp voice at this moment, all his displeasure disappeared in an instant. He stopped working and summoned his “big yellow cat” over, laughing foolishly as he grabbed it and rubbed it, almost turning its mane into a bird’s nest.

In the afternoon at the Saint Martin Center, he had merely mentioned it casually; he never expected the little one to summon the quantum beast so quickly. He estimated that she would have to try several times, maybe even cry. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect that in just a few hours, she would succeed, not only summoning her own quantum beast but also sounding quite pleased, indicating that they got along well.

“Oh, my daughter is so cute, beautiful, and smart, simply perfect!” Jin Zhe was overjoyed, completely ignoring the disdainful look from his big lion, continuing to rub its mane.

“President, Uncle, you’re also a genius!” Zhuang Zhuang, feeling good, praised her dear father offhandedly.

“Oh, thank you for your praise, my darling!” Jin Zhe probably wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight, incessantly sending voice messages to guide his daughter and educate her about the life habits and personality traits of the Barbary lion cub. As the clock struck midnight, he reluctantly bid farewell to his little girl, “It’s too late now, you need to sleep, and the quantum beast needs rest too. Go to bed early.”

After playing with the lion cub and the President for over an hour, Zhuang Zhuang felt tired. She yawned and said, “Okay, goodnight, President Uncle!”

“Just call me President.” Jin Zhe was very displeased with the “uncle” title.

“Mm-hmm, goodnight, President darling!” Zhuang Zhuang complied readily.

“Goodnight, Zhuang Zhuang darling.” Jin Zhe was delighted to be called “darling,” both surprised and happy, feeling satisfied. He was sure he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight, hahaha…

Zhuang Zhuang put the lion cub into bed, tucked it in, then crawled in herself, cuddling her quantum beast to sleep. As the light dimmed, the entire children’s room was enveloped in a warm, soft yellow light.

After finishing his work, having a glass of milk, and getting ready for bed, Mu remembered that his daughter had slept on the carpet at the foot of the bed yesterday and felt a little worried. He gently pushed open the door of the children’s room.

In the dim light, the little one was sleeping obediently in bed, her small face rosy, soft short hair scattered on the pillow, curled into a cute curve. Mu relaxed, walked to the bedside, and touched her head. Zhuang Zhuang squirmed in her sleep and murmured, “Daddy…”

“Go to sleep, dear.” Mu lightly kissed his daughter’s forehead, tucked her in, and was about to leave when his expression suddenly froze.

What was that? His gaze lingered on a small lump on Zhuang Zhuang’s stomach, he pressed it with his hand, feeling soft but not empty. Assuming it was some toy, he reached in with his right hand to take it out.

As his fingers touched something soft and warm, furry, Mu felt around with his left and right hands, his brows furrowed in confusion. Stuffed toy? Impossible, Zhuang Zhuang never liked stuffed toys. What could it be?

Just as he was about to lift the corner of the blanket to take a look, Mu suddenly felt the object under his hand move, then another movement, and a soft thing wrapped around his finger, followed by his index finger being bitten by something small, hard, and sharp!

Mu was instantly shocked. He thought some small animal had sneaked into the house, and Zhuang Zhuang, not knowing any better, had kept it in her bed. Afraid of it hurting his daughter, he dared not move his bitten right hand and gently lifted the blanket with his left hand…

Then he was dumbfounded.

What was this? Mu stared at the furry ball curled up next to his daughter’s belly. It was a round-headed lion cub, as if it had just crawled out of its mother’s belly, with slender and short limbs, its baby fur not fully grown, and pink skin visible through sparse fur. It looked very lively, with big eyes and a short mouth. Because it was biting his finger, its pink gum and snow-white milk teeth were exposed. Its expression was silly yet cunning, its translucent eyes showing a hint of fear but firmly biting his finger as if seeing him as a threat to its owner.

Yes, its protective stance toward Zhuang Zhuang was exactly like that of a pet protecting its owner. Mu understood in just a second—it was his daughter’s quantum beast.

The matter he had worried about for months was finally resolved smoothly. Mu felt both surprised and delighted, and he gave the little lion a hint with his eyes. The lion cub immediately let go of his finger, lowered its head to rub against the back of his hand, with a docile expression. Mu touched its head and lifted it up, feeling its body, although its fur was sparse, its body was extremely strong, and his palm could feel its muscles moving.

It seemed that being born late by a few months had its benefits, Mu thought satisfactorily. His daughter’s quantum beast, like its owner, was naturally strong and sturdy.

Feeling both joyful and peaceful, Mu comforted the little lion in his arms, then lifted a corner of the blanket and placed it back beside Zhuang Zhuang. The little lion clung to his hand affectionately, but ultimately, it was closer to its owner. It clung to him for a moment before snuggling up in Zhuang Zhuang’s arms.

Mu smiled kindly, gently lowered the blanket, and looked at the small bulge in it. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind, but it was too fleeting, and he couldn’t grasp it.

What was it? Mu was a little bewildered. He sat down at the edge of his daughter’s bed, holding a full-time doctor’s doll and gently rubbing it, trying to search his mind for that fleeting thought.

Suddenly, his expression froze, his eyes widened, showing an incredible look.

He turned back and lifted the corner of the blanket again, disturbing the lion cub that was about to fall asleep. It raised its head curiously, emitting a slight “purr” from its throat. Mu looked at the beautiful and impeccable face of the lion cub. Although it was just a lion cub, it already had the demeanor of a king, the unique temperament of a species at the top of the food chain.

The distinctive temperament of the Barbary lion.

Mu could hardly believe it. He felt his fingertips trembling slightly. He repeatedly told himself that he might be mistaken, perhaps it was just an ordinary lion. Then he opened his personal terminal. He brought up the wildlife encyclopedia and turned to the chapter on Barbary lion cubs. A holographic image of a Barbary lion cub, resembling Zhuang Zhuang’s quantum beast, appeared before him. Mu stared at the projection intently, turning it around to observe carefully, then clicked on the creature’s profile.

Fur color, eye color, body size, vocalization… The more Mu read, the more shocked he became. Yes, his daughter’s quantum beast was a Barbary lion cub.

No wonder she was strong, resilient, competitive, and had outstanding leadership qualities. All of this was determined by the sentinel genes in her DNA, embedded with fragments of Barbary lion DNA, which naturally opposed Mu’s own temperament—Icarus butterfly genes were reserved, calm, and peaceful, completely opposite to the Barbary lion.

How could this be? The man who provided him with sperm was actually a Barbary lion sentinel?!

Mu was filled with suspicion and disbelief. He felt that something was not quite right. Lion sentinels were common, but Barbary lion sentinels were extremely rare. The Barbary lion had been extinct on Earth for a thousand years, with only a few specimens preserved by collectors. Later, when humans migrated to the interstellar, the specimens were brought to the Dunkirk Federation. Scientists then extracted DNA from the specimens to create a few Barbary lion sentinels.

The fusion of Barbary lion and alien scorpion genes wasn’t very successful at first, with serious rejection reactions. Therefore, after a few experiments, scientists gave up. After hundreds of years of evolution, the rejection reactions gradually weakened, and Barbary lion sentinels became increasingly perfect, but their numbers remained pitifully small. Although not as rare as Icarus butterfly guides, they were still extremely rare.

Mu had lived for fifty years and had only seen two, one was Jin Xuan, and the other, President Jin Zhe.

A terrible conjecture leapt into his mind. Mu dared not think about it, but he couldn’t stop—his daughter’s other father was very likely the President.

 

 

 

 

 

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