“Mom, just stay with me later. If something holds me up, let Qi Xia follow you,” Lu Xunzhi reminded his foolish mom worriedly.
Pu Xin was playing with the emerald-green cat’s eye gemstone hanging from a silver chain around her neck. This was the return gift Xiu Xiu Little One had given her after she gifted the little red-plum blossom.
Zhizhi little one was like an overly worried old man. Pu Xin grew impatient and said, “You’ve already said it several times. I’m not a child. You’re the one who hasn’t grown up yet.”
She used Lu Xunzhi’s own words to shut him up.
He was momentarily speechless and wanted to continue speaking, but his foolish mom raised a finger and began bending one down for each point.
“Don’t go with strangers, don’t talk to strangers, stay away from that square-faced old man…”
She listed every instruction Lu Xunzhi had just given her, then lifted her chin at him. “Don’t treat me like a little idiot.”
Lu Xunzhi had even less to say now.
Although he always thought of her as “foolish mom,” he knew very well that his mom was not stupid at all. She was powerful and also extremely lucky.
Helplessly, he glanced at the Little Chives tied around her wrist like a wristband and swallowed the rest of his warnings.
Setting aside what his foolish mom could do, this Little Chives alone was not easy to deal with. He reluctantly nodded and suppressed the inexplicable “nagging old man” trait he had developed ever since meeting her.
Instead, it was Pu Xin who began to worry after he quieted down.
She remembered the scene from that day when her little one had been taken away and had been powerless to resist. Her delicate willow-leaf brows trembled slightly as she took Little Chives off her wrist and handed it to Lu Xunzhi.
“I gave Little Red Plum to Xiu Xiu, so Little Chives is for you. Zhizhi, be careful in the future. Don’t get captured again. Luckily that place was shabby and poorly guarded, so you managed to run out on your own. Otherwise, who knows how long it would have taken me to find you.”
The little dandelion naturally assumed that her precious little one had not deliberately infiltrated the underground auction house but had simply been foolishly captured like when he was young.
Her expression grew melancholy, and Lu Xunzhi quickly understood the thought process of his foolish mom. A row of large ellipses seemed to appear above his head.
The underground auction house’s defenses were absolutely strict. They even kept a large number of violent alien species trained there. If anyone else wandered inside recklessly, they would have one hundred percent become food for those creatures.
He put Little Chives back on his foolish mom’s wrist and patiently explained, “That night I wasn’t captured. I wanted to see what those people were secretly planning.”
Lu Xunzhi never expected that he had unintentionally created such a huge misunderstanding for his foolish mom. If that bastard Arcius found out, he would probably laugh himself to death mocking him.
He spoke seriously and saw his foolish mom blinking back at him. Thinking she believed him, he did not expect her to remove Little Chives again and put it back on his wrist, giving him a look that said I understand everything.
Lu Xunzhi had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, her next words left him completely at a loss as to how he could convince her that he was very strong, extremely strong, strong enough that ordinary people could not defeat him.
“Zhizhi, Mom knows you’re very strong now, but in my eyes you’ll always be a little one. Last time you couldn’t even beat the Purple Mandrake. If you run into it again next time, Mom will worry.”
Lu Xunzhi: “……”
It was not that he could not defeat it. He simply did not fight with his full strength because he feared demolishing the entire underground auction house and affecting the FSB personnel there.
Little Dandelion clearly did not understand what he was thinking. She continued earnestly, “Xiu Xiu obediently accepted my Little Red Plum…”
Lu Xunzhi: “……”
Major Lu no longer knew how to describe his mood. His foolish mom seemed to have discovered a method recently that stimulated both him and Arcius.
Whenever he or Arcius disobeyed, she would mention how well-behaved the other one was.
He stiffly nodded and secretly resolved to find the undercover agents inside the FSB as quickly as possible and thoroughly clean up the internal environment.
Little Chives, which had been passed back and forth, obediently wrapped around Lu Xunzhi’s wrist like a wristband. One of its leaves curled up and greeted its little master.
Its texture felt no different from ordinary silk. If Lu Xunzhi had not personally seen it transform into chives and drag Liya through the underground auction corridor while smashing her until she was left with only a breath of life, he would have thought it was as harmless as his foolish mom.
After living with his foolish mom for some time, Lu Xunzhi had become less stern than before. He politely greeted Little Chives.
“Hello.”
Little Chives became even more enthusiastic and used two leaves to form a heart shape.
Although staying beside the little master was not as comfortable as staying beside Pu Pu, the little master was one of Pu Pu’s most important little ones. As long as it protected the little master well, Pu Pu would definitely help it advance just like she helped Little Red Plum.
Thinking about this, the heart made by Little Chives twisted slightly. It had only stayed beside Pu Pu for half a month but could already feel the power that had trapped its ability at the peak of A-rank for a long time beginning to loosen.
No wonder the tyrannical rulers of Devil’s Eye were willing to bow before Pu Pu. Pu Pu was not only powerful but also kind. She helped the weaker alien species grow stronger.
Arcius had no idea that the Little Red Plum hairpin he had proudly shown off in front of Lu Xunzhi for so long was no longer the unique gift their mom had given.
A top-tier hovercar belonging to the Aaron Group was parked arrogantly outside Lu Xunzhi’s residence. Most people living nearby were Federal officers, and those passing by could not help but wonder why the usually low-key Major Lu had suddenly adopted such a flamboyant style.
An officer who was familiar with the guards handed over a strawberry-flavored cigarette and asked curiously, “Where’s our Major going? On a blind date?”
Otherwise there was no need for such an exaggerated display. If malicious people photographed it and spread it online, they might even accuse the Major of corruption.
Su Qing, the youngest guard and also the one Pu Xin liked the most, pushed away the cigarette and rubbed his forehead helplessly.
“You know that imperial tycoon who’s been making trouble recently. The FSB couldn’t detain him and shoved the problem onto our Major instead. The one going out today is him.”
Arcius possessed imperial noble blood and was also Madam’s other son. If the news spread, it would put both the Major and the Marshal in a difficult position, so the information that the cold-blooded capitalist was Madam’s son was still being kept secret.
Su Qing also understood the importance of the matter. It was not about distrusting comrades, but some things simply had to remain confidential. Marshal Lu Bieling already knew about it, and when the time came, it would not be hidden.
The officer nodded knowingly and did not ask further. Instead he said, “Where’s Madam? She gave me some food the other day. My mom sent some local produce from our hometown. I’ll bring some later. I hope she likes it.”
Their brief conversation soon ended.
The person everyone was curious about, Arcius, was wearing a wine-red suit today. His expression was cold and serious, yet different from Lu Xunzhi’s dignified composure.
He appeared cold but often smiled. His manners were elegant and noble. With his outstanding appearance and endless wealth, anyone could easily develop a favorable impression of him. On the interstellar public platform, he had hundreds of billions of followers.
Elegant though he was, “approachable” had little to do with him. When those narrow fox-like eyes looked over, anyone would feel intimidated.
Standing beside him was Secretary Roth, who usually did not know where to put his hands and feet when facing Pu Xin. Now he stood tall and confident. He was a famous elite on the interstellar rankings and followed Arcius wholeheartedly. Some well-known entrepreneurs had even said that if he worked independently, his achievements might rival those of his ruthless capitalist master.
Noticing the surrounding gazes, Arcius restrained the aura that kept strangers away and gave the Federal soldiers a gentle smile.
He had heard from Mom that the soldiers living nearby were very kind to her.
The officer watching the spectacle had clearly heard of Arcius’s formidable reputation. He had merely come to watch the gossip but suddenly received a smile from him. Startled, he nearly stumbled.
The negative impression he had formed because of Arcius’s flashy display and his prejudice against wealthy capitalists slowly dissolved, and he returned the smile.
Arcius’s thoughts were simple. He wanted everyone around Mom to like him and realize who was truly Mom’s most obedient and sensible little one, even if those people were his stingy brother’s subordinates.
Lu Xunzhi suddenly sneezed.
Pu Xin immediately grabbed his shoulders and examined him carefully, thinking he had fallen ill.
He thought about Arcius, who had promised obediently to stay home but had now already gone out dressed in a suit. Lu Xunzhi sneered, knowing that he must be slandering him again.
“I’m fine. It’s probably some jealous lemon spirit cursing me. Mom, focus on what you’re doing. If there’s danger, call me immediately.”
Seeing that her little one really seemed fine, Pu Xin relaxed slightly. She wanted to ask who the lemon spirit was, but remembering the serious task ahead, she suppressed her curiosity and decided to ask after the interrogation.
Beside them was the place where the FSB detained violent-type aliens. Each alien was given decent treatment.
Each one had its own separate cell.
After being imprisoned, the violent aliens had once bared their fangs and claws, but unfortunately a mysterious force inside their bodies restrained their powers. Not only could they not overturn the FSB, they could not even enlarge themselves. They could only angrily roll around inside their cells with their palm-sized bodies, trying to overthrow that mysterious force.
Communicating with alien species was extremely simple for Pu Xin. She carefully looked herself over and, after confirming that she appeared sufficiently dignified, raised her hand like she had seen the FSB Director do when commanding subordinates.
“Open the door.”
The FSB Director, who had just hurried over, happened to witness the scene. He frowned, thinking that this little dandelion was far too arrogant, acting with such airs inside the FSB.
Fang Jing, who had also rushed over, twitched the corner of his mouth. He watched Wang Ruzhi, who had been reassigned to the logistics department after investigation cleared her, obediently open the door. She now managed the violent aliens in the cells and was completely submissive.
Pu Xin’s adorable appearance made it impossible for her to maintain a heroic aura for long. Once the door opened, she lowered her hand and said to Wang Ruzhi, “Thank you.”
Having witnessed Pu Xin’s strength, Wang Ruzhi no longer dared to look down on her. After being thanked, she straightened immediately and gave a respectful salute.
“You’re welcome. Please go ahead.”
Little Dandelion walked briskly into the violent alien prison.
Inside, the aliens that had been rolling around in boredom suddenly trembled. They all looked toward the entrance simultaneously.
It would have been better if they had not looked.
The moment they did, every one of them stiffened.
The little willow stump still had the same branches as before. After being imprisoned for half a month, some new leaves had sprouted on its previously bald head. Though it still looked ugly, it was better than being completely bald.
As Pu Xin stepped inside, the currently harmless violent aliens began trembling uncontrollably and curled up in fear.
The little willow stump did not know what kind of traumatic shadow it had experienced in the underground auction house. It knelt the fastest, placing its two free branches in front of itself in a prayer-like posture, seemingly begging the great demon king before it to spare its life.
Seeing it so obedient, Pu Xin laughed softly. It seemed that her earlier lessons had worked.
It had become quite polite.
She walked to the cell and gently patted the little willow stump’s head that had leaves but still looked as if it had none. The stump stiffened completely and did not dare move.
But when Pu Xin withdrew her hand, a surge of vigorous vitality suddenly filled its body.
In everyone else’s eyes, the little willow stump seemed to have taken a miraculous tonic. The new leaves on its branches instantly grew larger, and countless fresh leaves sprouted continuously. Soon the “balding” appearance vanished, replaced by a lush little willow tree with dense, vibrant branches.
The FSB Director, who had entered behind them, widened his eyes slightly at the sight.
Alien species possessed extremely strong recovery abilities. As long as they were not killed on the spot, they could recover eventually. The only difference was the time required.
The recovery speed of violent aliens was especially terrifying, but even that came at the cost of exhausting their life force.
Yet after Pu Xin touched the little willow tree, it showed no signs of life depletion and instead radiated vigorous vitality.
The Director felt a chill run down his spine, and a subtle change appeared in his expression. He did not realize that Fang Jing and Lu Xunzhi had quietly observed his reaction.
The other violent aliens witnessed what happened to the little willow tree.
The trembling little aliens looked at one another. Without hesitation, they immediately slid into kneeling positions, using the submission posture their species used when facing stronger aliens.
Pu Xin liked little aliens who corrected their mistakes. She did not miss a single one.
Soon the aliens, who appeared brutal and uncontrollable in human eyes, clung to the titanium bars of their cells with different body parts, scrambling to push their heads forward for Pu Xin to touch.
They looked exactly like chicks in a nest waiting for their parents to feed them.
The absurd comparison flashed through Lu Xunzhi’s mind, and alarms rang loudly in his head.
One Arcius was already enough. These aliens had better not daydream in broad daylight.
The aliens who desperately wanted Pu Xin’s attention suddenly felt a chill down their backs and begged for affection even more eagerly.
As long as they could be held in Little Dandelion’s arms, no one would ever be able to harm them again.
Pu Xin had not seen so many adorable little aliens in a long time. She had just begun to teach them that good aliens should not fight randomly when the FSB Director suddenly snorted.
“These are killing machines, yet you’re helping them recover their injuries?”
His sudden accusation silenced the prison.
The aliens sensed his hostility toward Pu Xin. Their bouncing movements stopped. The little willow tree’s branches began to sway, flames ignited within the sunflower’s disk, and the autumn crocus blossoms deepened in color.
The Federation had studied alien species for many years. The Director naturally recognized this as the precursor to violent alien rage.
Thinking he had caught Pu Xin red-handed, he sneered.
“So you truly have ulterior motives.”
The accused little dandelion looked up in confusion.
Her long hair was tied into a ponytail with a ribbon Lu Xunzhi had braided for her. Rather than appearing mature and authoritative, she looked soft and adorable, making people want to poke her cheeks.
Her expression was innocent and puzzled, as if asking, What nonsense are you talking about, you nasty old man?
The Director felt momentarily suffocated by her gaze, and his anger intensified.
If this dandelion had not appeared, the underground auction house’s trap for the FSB would not have failed. Lu Xunzhi would have been seriously injured under Liya’s control, and the Deputy Minister of Defense position he had coveted for so long would not have slipped away.
For the past half month the Director had been mentally exhausted, terrified that Liya or the fox-mask man might reveal him.
Finally finding a chance to vent his anger today, he sneered and shouted, “Ever since you appeared, the FSB’s plans have failed again and again. There is no undercover agent. The real problem is you!”
Framing others was something he excelled at. Though his words targeted Pu Xin, the real target was Lu Xunzhi.
Little Dandelion did not understand the complicated schemes of the human world. She did not understand why the annoying old man was so angry, but her thoughts took a strange turn regardless.
She knew the annoying old man was technically Zhizhi’s superior. Pouting slightly, she looked like a worried mother who did not want to make things difficult for her little one.
“But if the people under you can’t do their jobs well, aren’t you also at fault?”
Grandpa Cangshu had taught many of the little aliens in Devil’s Eye. He once told her that if she wanted them to behave, she had to lead by example and could not preach principles while acting the opposite.
The Director was struck speechless.
His inability to control his subordinates was his deepest humiliation. Especially after the young Fang Jing became the FSB Deputy Director, his sense of crisis had grown sharply. That was why he had proposed bringing Lu Xunzhi, who did not get along with Fang Jing, into the operation.
He never expected that his attempt at balancing power would instead invite a formidable problem.
Lu Xunzhi had been ready to defend his foolish mom, but she never gave him the chance.
Just like several previous times, he stood aside like an observer, watching his foolish mom effortlessly anger the Director until his face turned green.
The anger in Lu Xunzhi’s chest had not even fully formed when he saw the Director helplessly furious. Instead, he felt like laughing.
Pu Xin did not want to waste time arguing with a superior who could not manage his own subordinates.
She remembered the interrogation task and reached into the cell to take out the little willow tree. It obediently flipped into her palm.
“You know someone in the underground auction house named Old Gou?”
Zhizhi little one had already told her what to ask.
The Director’s heart skipped violently.
He never expected Pu Xin to know about Old Gou.
He knew how cautious he had always been. He had never shown his face at the underground auction house and rarely interacted with its people.
How could she possibly know about Old Gou?
It was he who had proposed letting Pu Xin participate in the interrogation, originally intending to create trouble for her. Now he realized he had lifted a stone only to drop it on his own foot.
With so many people watching, he could not act recklessly. Any suspicious move might expose him.
These alien creatures could not possibly know he was Old Gou. He must not panic.
He kept repeating this to himself, yet his heart beat faster with every passing second.
Everyone waited for the answer.
The little willow tree in Pu Xin’s palm tilted its leafy head, as if searching its memory for someone named Old Gou.
Time passed slowly.
The Director’s palms were drenched in sweat.
Suddenly the willow tree moved. Shaking its branches, it gently tapped the titanium bars of the cell with one leaf, indicating that it wanted to come out.
Inside the cage its abilities were restricted, so it could not express itself as clearly as Little Chives.
Pu Xin trusted it and prepared to take it out.
The Director nearly had a heart attack. He immediately stopped her.
“What are you doing? Violent aliens will enter a berserk state without the restraint of titanium. Do you want to flatten the entire FSB?”
His reason sounded plausible, but coming from someone who knew Pu Xin could pacify violent aliens, it seemed highly suspicious.
Lu Xunzhi stepped in front of his foolish mom and smiled faintly.
“Director Gou, you seem a little nervous.”
The short sentence almost frightened the Director to death. Fortunately he controlled himself well and did not reveal anything on his face.
Suppressing the ominous feeling inside, he forced his tone into righteous justification.
“Lu Xunzhi! Do I need to remind you how terrifying violent aliens are? If they’re released and something happens, who will take responsibility?”
Lu Xunzhi raised an eyebrow casually.
“I will. But more importantly, the interrogation of violent aliens was directly assigned to me by the Ministry of Defense. I have the authority to decide how to conduct it.”
He paused before continuing with a straight-faced lie.
“If you’re here to observe the interrogation, you’re welcome. But if you keep placing unfounded accusations on my mom and cause her emotional distress so she can’t communicate with the aliens, will you take responsibility then?”
Once again, responsibility was thrown back to the Director.
Faced with the choice between falling into an abyss of exposure or being suspected and suspended for investigation, the Director chose the latter without hesitation.
“Lu Xunzhi! I am the Director of the FSB. As long as we’re on FSB territory, everything follows my orders. You—”
“Ouch!” The sudden cry interrupted his rant.
Lu Xunzhi immediately looked down at his foolish mom. Just as he prepared to pull her away, the little willow tree suddenly sliced her fingertip with a leaf and sucked away the drop of blood that appeared.
At the same instant, the leaf resting against the cell bars hardened.
With a crisp crack, the titanium cage was cut apart.
Everyone present was startled. Lu Xunzhi immediately prepared to suppress the willow tree.
But his foolish mom, whose finger had received only the tiniest scratch, suddenly threw herself into his arms with a series of pitiful sobs.
“Zhizhi… Mom’s hand hurts… Mom’s hand got cut… It’s all his fault for shouting so loudly and scaring me. That’s why my communication with the little willow tree failed… sob sob sob… it’s all his fault!”
Lu Xunzhi stopped his attack and looked down at his foolish mom, who buried her forehead against his chest. Only the top of her high ponytail was visible.
He pretended not to notice her secretly tugging at the ribbon on his uniform.
Lu Xunzhi had not stopped the willow tree in time, but the Director suffered terribly.
Although he possessed abilities, his rank was not high. Before he could react, the willow tree’s branches had already tied him up tightly.
He opened his mouth to speak, but another branch shoved itself into his mouth and gagged him, leaving only muffled sounds.
It did not stop there.
The willow tree seemed to have held a grudge against him for a long time. It swung its other branches and slapped him hard across the face.
One slap followed another.
The crisp sounds echoed repeatedly through the prison.
Fang Jing, who had originally planned to intervene but was stopped by a glance from Lu Xunzhi, pushed up his glasses and turned his head aside. The corner of his mouth curved upward with unmistakable schadenfreude.
Wang Ruzhi felt somewhat helpless, but seeing both Lu Xunzhi and Fang Jing remain still, she also abandoned the thought of interfering.
The “wronged” little dandelion clung pitifully to her little one and spoke in a deliberately aggrieved tone.
“Zhizhi… sob sob… Mom is so useless. I can’t do anything right. If the interrogation fails, will you get scolded because of me…”
Lu Xunzhi: “……”
She was really getting more and more into the act.