FT DR Chapter 130: Before the Storm

Chapter 130: Before the Storm

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

Mu’s research team arrived at the stellar core half a month later. Because the Embryo Interference Project was classified as a federal top-secret, his trip was also kept confidential. Only the project team and the responsible personnel at Tianzuo Hospital knew about it. Although Chen Miaomiao had received advance notice from Wu Chenghe, he didn’t know the specifics of Mu’s clinical experiments, only that they were related to mutant genes and had gathered some sentinel·guide pairs as volunteers.

When the navy research institute’s starship landed at the Star Core port, Wu Chenghe, who came to pick them up, received another unexpected surprise—Yin Bo and Kazumi. Koyama. Kazumi, along with their son Tata, also came as researchers this time. Tata was just one and a half years old and hadn’t shown any clear signs of being a guide yet, but his physical development was noticeably weaker than that of ordinary people, indicating that he might become a guide when he grew up. He completely inherited Yin Bo’s features in appearance, with golden hair, blue eyes, fair skin, a straight nose, and plump lips, looking just like a doll, except for his gender, which followed Kazumi Koyama’s, being a pure male.

Tata was walking out of the gate hand in hand with Zhuang Zhuang. The two little ones had already formed a deep friendship on the way to the Star Core. Like all little fans, Tata was completely captivated by the brilliance of the goddess upon their first meeting. In order to receive praise from the goddess, he even started trying things he disliked, like mashed carrots, while holding his nose. Yin Bo had mixed feelings about this—happy that his son finally started to eat well and grow, but sad that at such a young age, his son was showing signs of elbows turning outwards, indicating that he would be a liability in the future no matter what.

“Zhuang Zhuang, sister!” The twins, who had been clinging to Wu Chenghe, became excited and jumped and shouted when they saw the goddess coming out. They ran over with their short legs. Standing on either side of Zhuang Zhuang, they bombarded her with questions, “Are you tired? Do you miss us? We miss you so much! Did you go see Fat One, Fat Two, and Fat Three before coming here? Did Uncle give them delicious food?” Poor Tata was squeezed aside by them.

Tata was small and weak, having only recently learned to walk. He tried to pull with all his might but failed. Feeling sad, he sat on the ground and cried, “Wuwuwu…mommy…”

Wu Chenghe hurried over and quickly picked Tata up, “Good boy, don’t cry, brother will help you scold them.” He glared at his two sons, “Do you still have any manners? You’ve made the little one cry!”

“Huh?” The twins finally noticed Tata, who was overshadowed by the goddess’s radiance. They tiptoed to look into Wu Chenghe’s arms, “What little basin cultivation? Where is it?” Mr. Wu was a typical “mindless” type. He immediately rushed forward to hug his dad’s thigh when he saw Tata, grabbing it with his chubby hands, “Dad, give it to me, I want to hug, it’s such a beautiful figure!”

“What figure? This is Tata, your little brother.” Wu Chenghe scolded and squatted down to put Tata on his lap. “Come on, both of you apologize to your little brother. Don’t push people around just because you’re stronger.”

“Oh, what a beautiful doll.” Mr. Wu, who is even more obsessed with appearance than Zhuang Zhuang, looked at Tata with starry eyes and said, “Don’t cry, don’t cry, or the dinosaur will bite your butt. Big brother likes you, sorry, mwah mwah!” He kissed Tata’s face, leaving a big puddle of saliva.

Children’s cuteness is always strange. Tata, who was crying a moment ago, burst into laughter the moment he was kissed, and with big eyes blinking, he looked at Mr. Wu softly, “Dada.”

Mr. Wu laughed with his teeth showing and happily slapped Tata’s chubby hands, “Hahaha, great, I have another little brother!” 

Jin Xuan, who was blocked behind him, poked his head out indignantly and shouted at Tata, “And me, I’m older than you, I’m also your brother!”

The two brothers look extremely similar, and Jin Xuan, who believes that twins must wear the same clothes in childhood to be well fed, has always dressed them exactly the same. If it weren’t for Mr. Wu being slightly chubby and Jin Xuan being slightly thin, sometimes even Wu Chenghe couldn’t tell them apart. Tata pouted and looked at the eldest and then the youngest, feeling dizzy. He simply didn’t want any older brothers and turned around to find Zhuang Zhuang, “Sister, the same!”

“They are twins.” Zhuang Zhuang, who is three and a half years old and looks like a normal five-year-old child due to being a class leader for a long time, has quite a leader-like temperament like Jin Zhe. She comfortingly patted Tata’s small head, “The fatter one is the older brother, and the thinner one is the younger brother. But the younger brother is older than you, so you have to call him big brother too.”

The goddess’s words were effective. Tata was instantly brainwashed and obediently turned his head to call Jin Xuan, “Dada.”

Jin Xuan was born second due to a half-minute difference, and for many years, this was the first time he had been called “big brother,” causing him to grin from ear to ear and rub his hands together happily, “Little brother is so good, big brother likes you so much, mwah mwah.” He also kissed Tata’s cheek.

Since Tata was only one and a half years old and a bit shy, being surrounded by two strange older brothers made him smile shyly and start looking around anxiously, “I want mommy, mommy hug…”

Kazumi Koyama happened to catch up from behind and quickly took his son from Wu Chenghe’s hands, “Tata is such a good boy, daddy hug.” Then he shook hands with Wu Chenghe, “Long time no see, are you all doing well?”

“We’re fine,” Wu Chenghe exchanged pleasantries with him, “How about you? How’s life at the naval base? Is Yin Bo adjusting to his civilian position?”

“It’s alright. He’s the kind of person who adapts easily and is happy wherever he is.” Kazumi Koyama still had that typical Daynese rigid and reserved demeanor, but perhaps due to having a spouse and child, he seemed a bit gentler, with a smile often on his face. 

Tata, being held by him, was still restless, twisting around in his arms. His small hands reached over his shoulders and grabbed, “Not dad, I want mom, mom hug…”

Yin Bo came out from the gate dragging his suitcase and carrying bags. Unable to free up his hands to hold Tata, he kissed his son’s lips first, “Let daddy hold you first, mom has to get the luggage.”

Wu Chenghe was speechless. The term “mom” was really hard to accept. Although in most male-x-male families in the Federation, children were called that, how could Yin Bo, as a man, tolerate such an odd title?

Even if it were a woman, it would be hard to accept. Did all future people’s minds go through Gatlin scans? Wu Chenghe felt deeply troubled. Thankfully, Jin Xuan had secretly brainwashed the twins from the start, attempting to take away the sacred title of “dad,” firmly suppressing it. Thinking about it now, he felt a bit scared…

Yin Bo noticed his expression and awkwardly coughed, “There’s no way around it. I’ve corrected him many times, but he insists on calling me that.”

Since it was someone else’s family matter, Wu Chenghe could only chuckle and take the suitcase from him, “You’ve worked hard. What about Dean?”

“He’s back there, arranging for people to move instruments and equipment.” Yin Bo freed up one hand and immediately took his son. He was strong, with slightly wider shoulders and solid chest muscles. Tata nestled in his arms, feeling secure, and quickly found the most comfortable position around his neck, obediently sucking his thumb. Kazumi Koyama wanted to take the travel bag, but Yin Bo refused, “You’re not feeling well. Take a rest. I’ll handle these.”

Kazumi Koyama obediently agreed with a “mm” and didn’t argue further. He carried Tata’s coat and followed alongside. Wu Chenghe looked at this extraordinary family and felt the long-lost breeze of the reversed CP blowing in his face once again. Although it was a bit awkward and weird, it was unexpectedly familiar. He asked Kazumi Koyama with concern, “You’re not feeling well? What’s wrong?”

“Just a minor illness, nothing serious, he’s just too nervous.” Kazumi Koyama said modestly.

“Haha, lying in bed for half a month without getting up, and you call that nothing serious?” Yin Bo gave him a glare and complained to Wu Chenghe, “You don’t know how stubborn he is. When there was a problem with the experiment, he locked himself in the lab for several days and nights to find the flaws, like a madman! If it weren’t for me almost having a manic episode, he’d still be in the clean room raising mice now!”

Kazumi Koyama lowered his head, with a guilty expression as if saying “I’m sorry, I’m guilty.” He didn’t even dare to refute him face to face, just smiled sheepishly at Wu Chenghe, “He’s exaggerating. It was only a few days, and I’m not raising mice, I’m raising genetically modified mice specifically bred for this project…” Like all scientists, when it came to their professional fields, he was completely different, talking non-stop. Fortunately, Wu Chenghe was in the medical field and was familiar with those tedious names, so he could patiently listen, “This project is really not easy. The difficulty of human experiments is so great.”

“Yeah, I was too naive before, thinking that my research was very rigorous and foolproof when applied to humans. I almost had it directly used in clinical trials by the insurgents.” Kazumi Koyama sighed, looking guilty as he glanced at Yin Bo, “Fortunately, I was relatively conservative with the doses of that batch of drugs back then. If something had happened to him and the child, I would have…”

“Alright, stop talking!” Yin Bo interrupted his confession, “It’s been several years, why are you still bringing up those things? We finally meet again, can’t we talk about something happy?”

“Yeah, no matter what, don’t push yourself too hard. Your health is the foundation of everything.” Wu Chenghe comforted him following Yin Bo’s words. 

Kazumi Koyama was manipulated by Lancer in the past and almost sacrificed himself. He had been feeling particularly guilty since the Tartarus incident. Mu mentioned before that he used to work very hard on his research. It seems that he is deeply troubled by the mistakes he made in the past and is trying his best to make up for them.

This is also a good thing. For someone with a rigid and somewhat obsessive personality like him, only when the research is completely successful can he find redemption in his heart.

The three of them waited in the parking lot for fifteen minutes before Mu and his two assistants hurried over. It seemed that he hadn’t changed much in two years, still the same icy demeanor, wearing his iconic black shirt and black trousers. He didn’t look like he was here for work but rather for a funeral.

“Dean!” This time Wu Chenghe was excited, he left the two children behind and rushed over, giving Mu a bear hug, “Finally see you!”

Mu’s lips curled slightly, patting his back teasingly, “Why not call me dad?”

Wu Chenghe grinned sheepishly, remembering the day he got married when he had a bit too much to drink and called everyone “dad.” After sobering up and learning about his foolish behavior from Jin Zhe, he wished he could dig a hole and hide in it. Since then, he vowed to quit drinking, and now he didn’t even touch beer, only drinking juice with his two sons. “Dean, please don’t laugh at me in front of the kids. Give me some face.”

Mu recalled the scene when he talked to him on the phone that day and couldn’t help but laugh. He patted his head affectionately, “Alright, I’ll give you some face. I won’t mention it anymore. Just remember to watch your mouth from now on… Where’s Jin Xuan? Has he set sail? Can’t you go with him?”

“No, he’s at home preparing dinner. Miaomiao was interning here for a while, and he’s also at my place now, helping out.” Wu Chenghe helped Mu with the luggage. “Let’s go, let’s not stand here and talk. We can chat at home.”

A large group of people marched to Wu Chenghe’s house, where Jin Xuan had already prepared a sumptuous dinner. Chen Miaomiao had picked up some cooking skills recently. He had been helping Jin Xuan a few times over the past two or three months and had learned a thing or two. The salads he made were very well received by everyone.

With Chen Miaomiao around, nobody discussed project-related matters at the dinner table. Instead, they talked about other things. The four children mixed together, although they were arranged by age, they quickly found common ground and began playing happily under the leadership of the tomboy, smearing tomato sauce on the dolls and animals in the house, as well as on themselves, and then started playing the “zombie apocalypse” game, which was quite brutal.

Mu was accustomed to his daughter’s violent tendencies, or rather, the terrifying combination of her beautiful appearance and terrifying personality was the result of his careful cultivation. Therefore, he was not worried about the problem of “what if a girl grows up playing such a distressing game.” Wu Chenghe was a typical “let them grow however they want” type of parent, intervening only in cases where there was a clear violation of natural laws and moral principles. So, he turned a blind eye to the scene of his two sons covered in “blood,” sticking out their tongues and crawling around on the floor.

Only Kazumi Koyama was a little worried that his delicate son would be frightened, but Yin Bo insisted that boys should play such terrifying games. Tata himself seemed to have found a new source of excitement, giggling non-stop. So he didn’t say anything further and tacitly accepted the fact that the three demon kings were corrupting Tata’s worldview.

The group chatted until late at night. The four children had used up two bottles of tomato sauce and had begun to doze off while hugging their dolls. Reluctantly, everyone bid farewell to each other and prepared to return to their hotels with their little ones. Chen Miaomiao lived nearby, so he could go back by himself. Jin Xuan drove Yin Bo’s family, and Wu Chenghe took Mu and Zhuang Zhuang. They all went their separate ways, starting up their hovercars and heading to their respective destinations.

“Is Zhuang Zhuang asleep?” Wu Chenghe asked Mu in the car. 

Mu held his daughter, “Almost. With all this tomato sauce on her, she’ll need to take a bath before she can sleep.”

Wu Chenghe remembered his own two little ones at home, still rolling around in a pile of toys, smearing tomato sauce everywhere, and couldn’t help but laugh, “With these four together, it’s just too lively. Thank goodness we split into three households. Who could handle having all four of them in one house?”

“When you have your own, you’ll manage,” Mu said with a smile. “The twins are almost three years old now. If you have any plans in this regard, you should prepare as soon as possible. You’re still young, so it’s better to have a second child sooner rather than later. The older you get, the higher the health risks.” Male pregnancies are difficult, and giving birth is even harder. For example, he, at forty-nine, nearly lost his life during the birth of his first child.

Wu Chenghe fell silent, his expression hesitant. He used to think that the idea of having children was unimaginable, and he wouldn’t even consider trying it again if you killed him. But as the twins grew older, he gradually began to appreciate the joys of being a father. He started to feel that his previous thoughts were a bit too extreme. Since men have the ability to procreate, he shouldn’t be so averse to his own nature.

For thousands of years, women have been able to accept pregnancy calmly, so why can’t men? Women have longer pregnancies and endure greater pain during natural childbirth. They make sacrifices for the reproduction of the human race, so why should men reject it?

Wu Chenghe found himself deeply contemplating the philosophical question of childbirth, ultimately concluding that his reluctance stemmed from the remnants of chauvinism ingrained in him from a thousand years of transmigration. Although he had been relatively enlightened in his previous life, without chauvinism and with a great deal of respect for women, deep down he still believed that childbirth should not be the responsibility of men.

Now, thanks to the experiences of transmigration, he had thoroughly understood what “gender equality” meant. The lesson was harsh, but the results were significant. He now began to understand why Mu was so calm about his ability to give birth and even took pride in it. Letting go of his preconceived notions, he deeply appreciated that reproduction was not a burden but a gift of innate talent.

Women were truly amazing. Give them a batch of sperm, and they could create a world. Unfortunately, women from a thousand years ago were too obedient, enslaved by patriarchy to the point of becoming foolish, completely unaware of their own worth. For example, in his past life, some excellent women around him, pressured by the social stigma of being “leftover women,” married men who were inferior to them, passing on their talents to propagate inferior genes. In the end, their descendants failed to pass the selection process and board the Ark to Planet Dunkirk.

It was a bit better to find a high-intelligence sperm bank; at least their own genes could be passed on, and they could be carried forward by outstanding descendants… Wu Chenghe’s thoughts wandered so far that his expression twisted slightly. Mu had to pat his face and scold him, “Focus on driving! Why are you drifting off into your thoughts when you’re only twenty-three?”

Wu Chenghe snapped out of it with a blank “hehe” and said, “I was just thinking. Are there enough volunteers for the research group? Should I talk to Jin Xuan and sign up too?”

“The more volunteers, the better. But we already have twenty-five pairs, plus the four pairs from Tianzuo. That’s nearly thirty pairs, enough for the first phase of the experiment,” Mu said. “And mainly, we are still selecting female subjects. Male pregnancies are too difficult. You and Yin Bo are exceptions. It’s not something you can just seek out.”

“Ah, I see,” Wu Chenghe nodded. “Are all the pairs in the first phase of the experiment Sentinel-Guide pairs?”

“There are five pairs of ordinary people,” Mu said. “Our experiment is classified as a level one federal secret, so the scope of volunteers is very limited. The Great Purge happened just over fifty years ago, and ordinary humans are still quite taboo about the idea of guide pregnancies. Guides, on the other hand, can understand it better, so the majority of volunteers we recruited for this phase are Sentinel-Guide pairs.”

Wu Chenghe nodded again. “That’s good. Once the results of the first phase of the experiment come out and if the drug interference effect is good, perhaps the acceptance of ordinary people will be higher. After all, the more guides there are, the more lenient the protection laws become. When the number of Sentinels matches the number of guides, most of the problems should naturally be resolved.”

“Yeah,” Mu sighed. “But this process will take a long time, at least fifty years… I hope I can see that day.”

“Why not? You’re not a Sentinel,” Wu Chenghe said, seeing Mu’s sudden dimming expression and guessing that he was probably thinking of Jin Zhe. He hesitated for a moment before asking, “Speaking of which, Dean, what’s the situation between you and the President?”

Mu frowned. “Why are you asking about this? It’s none of your business.”

“Jin Zhe is my big brother, why would it be none of my business?” Wu Chenghe said. “He made it so obvious during his inauguration speech; the whole federation knows he’s pursuing you. Don’t you feel any pressure at all?”

“…Fine,” Wu Chenghe couldn’t help but sigh at Mu’s obstinate attitude. He could only indirectly remind him, “Jin Zhe is already sixty years old.”

“Damn it, sooner or later, he’ll die. That’s fate,” Mu said, disdainfully looking at his disciple’s anxious and naive face. But inwardly, he moved up the deadline he had just set by half a year—there had to be some time left to prepare for the wedding and transition of duties. Yes, that’s it.

Wu Chenghe sighed again and parked the car in the hotel parking lot. “We’re here. Zhuang Zhuang is asleep, right? Let me help you with her.”

“No need, I can handle it myself. She’s covered in tomato sauce,” Mu said cautiously as he gently lifted the sleeping little girl out of the car. He whispered to Wu Chenghe, “Come with me. I want to talk to you about the situation in the Zhifu Chain Nebula. Don’t worry, I won’t inquire about Jin Xuan’s confidential matters. I just want to know about Hannibal’s movements. The direction of the research group seems a bit off recently.”

“What? Did someone from the Voyager Army infiltrate the research group?” Wu Chenghe was surprised. 

Mu shook his head, “That shouldn’t be the case. Our early research has a high level of confidentiality, so there shouldn’t be any spies. It’s just that this time, with the recruitment of volunteers, the information has spread a bit more. I feel like the Voyager Army is getting restless.”

 

 

 

 

 

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