Having happily accepted the fact that he possessed a gestational sac, Qin Zhen finally had the peace of mind to properly look around the maternity preparation room.
It was a spacious private suite featuring a two-meter-wide bed, a leather sofa, an independent bathroom, and even a refrigerator stocked with carefully selected or pre-cooked delicacies.
Even five-star hotels from his previous life were only comparable to this, not to mention the dilapidated military barracks back on the colonial planet.
“So this is the treatment a beast soldier enjoys!”
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Qin Zhen went to open it and found himself face-to-face with the visitors.
“Lu Yanqiu, Vice Commander, Excellency.” In addition to them, there was an old man he had never seen before.
Qin Zhen’s appearance clearly caught the three of them off guard. He had an apple in his left hand, a banana in his right, and was biting into a piece of bread, with organic cream smeared over half his face.
“Qin Zhen.”
The three had initially come to hold him accountable. Had Qin Zhen still been completely naked, it would have been a straightforward matter. However, he had quickly changed into his pajamas, with every button meticulously fastened up to his neck. This made it embarrassing for Lu Yanqiu to speak.
She paused and then emboldened herself to say, “His Excellency and the Director came to see you. This is the Director of the Breeding Center; you may address him as Director Lao.”
Sure enough, both Ding Xiaoyi and Director Lao shot him dissatisfied looks.
Lu Yanqiu pretended not to notice. By intercepting and changing the tone of the visit, she might be able to downplay Qin Zhen’s previous indecent behavior toward his superiors. Furthermore, the Commander in Chief had not uttered a single word from beginning to end; it was hard to say who was offending whom.
Ultimately, the preparation room was considered the private space of the expectant trainee.
Qin Zhen, oblivious to her subtle maneuvering, was dizzy with pleasant surprise. He quickly gave Director Lao a military salute: “Hello, Old Director!”
With the bread in his mouth, his speech was muffled, so no one caught his slip of the tongue.
Director Lao glanced at the banana Qin Zhen was holding high and pursed his lips without saying a word.
Lu Yanqiu hurried to ask Ding Xiaoyi for instructions: “Your Excellency, what do you think?”
“Teach him the rules properly!” Ding Xiaoyi dropped the remark and walked away with a cold face.
Director Lao followed him, while Lu Yanqiu stayed behind.
Once the two had walked a distance away, Lu Yanqiu looked at Qin Zhen and said thoughtfully, “Just now, you.”
Qin Zhen took a bite of the bread, swallowed it whole, and excitedly interrupted her: “Lu Yanqiu, did the Vice Commander and the Director come specifically to see me? Am I held in such high regard?”
“Uh.”
If I told you they came because they saw you doing yoga and dancing ballet in front of the mirror, would you believe me? Even the Commander in Chief of the Empire was a witness; never mind.
Seeing Qin Zhen’s face full of excitement, Lu Yanqiu swallowed her words and forced a smile: “We need to check the development of the gestational sac tomorrow morning. Get some good rest.”
As for the surveillance, there were so many new arrivals; he would find out after living here for a couple of days.
“Understood!” Qin Zhen saluted again, thumping his chest loudly. “Do not you worry. With a physique like mine, the gestational sac will definitely develop super, incredibly well!”
Only about half an hour ago, he had been depressed about being diagnosed with a gestational sac. Could admiring his own perfect body really boost his mood that much?
Qin Zhen was too happy to notice Lu Yanqiu’s confusion. After closing the door, he continued to gloat to himself.
“My son!” He stroked his belly. “Did you see that? Personal visits from the Vice Commander and the Director; this is top-tier treatment! You have to do your best and develop well inside your father’s belly. You must help your father follow in his idol’s footsteps and become the greatest God of War in the galaxy, do you hear me?”
That night, Qin Zhen had the best sleep since his transmigration. When he was woken up by the speaker, there were marks of happiness all over his pillow: drool.
“Expectant Trainee Number 1069, Expectant Trainee Number 1069. It is time for breakfast. Please change into your maternity wear and proceed to the first-floor dining hall.”
“Expectant Trainee Number 1069, Expectant Trainee.”
Qin Zhen gave the speaker a light tap, and it finally went quiet. The voice it produced was so high-pitched and childish that one might think this was a postnatal care center rather than a war beast breeding center.
He was in a great mood. Perhaps influenced by the childish voice, he unconsciously started singing: “Where is the maternity wear, where can it be? The maternity wear is right in the wardrobe.”
Looking at the two light blue long dresses hanging in the closet, and the clear words “Maternity Wear” on the adjacent label, Qin Zhen was a bit stunned.
He had just said this was not a postnatal center. As an institution directly under the Central Military Department, the difference between this and a military uniform was far too great!
The label also had a sentence highlighted in bold: “Do not pair with trousers.”
“Pants are not allowed, but dresses are fine?” Qin Zhen could not help but complain.
Fortunately, the maternity wear only looked like a long dress when hanging. Once put on, it was not actually that long and was so loose it had no waistline. Rather than a dress, it looked more like a surgical gown.
As he was inspecting it, the same childish voice from the speaker suddenly came from the wardrobe: “I am the bracelet. Please wear me. I am the bracelet. Please wear me.”
It turned out to be the narrow, long label, and the words on the tag had changed to “Please wear.”
“Hah, quite high-tech.”
Based on Qin Zhen’s ten years of knowledge since transmigrating, the technological level of this interstellar world was high primarily in the military field, including starships and high-energy weapons. Everyday technology was similar to Earth; for instance, communicators looked like mobile phones, though the signal was stronger, covering thousands of planets.
This was the first time he had seen a flexible screen bracelet as thin as paper.
He placed the label on his wrist. Detecting his temperature and pulse, the label automatically curved and tightened, wrapping completely around his wrist. A few seconds later, the wraparound screen was filled with information: time, weather, body temperature, heart rate, and more.
The childish prompt sounded again: “Please go to the dining hall immediately. Breakfast service ends at 8:00.”
Qin Zhen’s interest in it immediately deflated. Looking at the time, he realized there were only 10 minutes left until 8:00!
Ignoring washing his face or brushing his teeth, he took off running.
“Please do not run or jump. Be careful of miscarriage. Please do not run or jump. Be careful of miscarriage.”
Qin Zhen’s legs went weak, and he nearly face-planted.
What on earth? Miscarriage?
He suddenly remembered the information he had gathered while browsing the forums yesterday. When searching for gestational sacs, some posts mentioned terms like protecting the fetus and miscarriage. The general idea was that the process of breeding a war beast was similar to human reproduction, so the Breeding Center had adopted obstetric theories, including many professional terms.
Miscarriage was clearly one of them.
Qin Zhen could understand it and reluctantly accept it, but it still felt strange to him.
And so, alternating between “service ending soon” and “be careful of miscarriage,” Qin Zhen arrived at the dining hall just in time. The dining area was empty, with only nurses standing behind the serving counters.
“Strange, where is everyone?”
Did they all oversleep?
Thinking of the speaker that acted as an alarm, Qin Zhen felt it was quite likely. He had gotten up as soon as the alarm went off. Since he had not bothered to wash up, it was reasonable that he was the first to arrive.
At this thought, Qin Zhen puffed out his chest and marched toward the serving counter with the rhythmic stride of a soldier and the handsomeness of a man. These nurses in their cyan uniforms were each more beautiful than the last; he had to leave a good impression.
The walk was one thing; picking the food was another. The food in the glass cabinets was richly colored and looked delicious. Even though Qin Zhen had emptied half the fridge before bed last night, he could not help but feel his appetite stir. He wanted to eat until he had to be carried out; however, in front of so many beauties, he could not do something so undignified.
He took only a little bit of each dish, moving with great elegance. Every time he put down the tongs, he remembered to replace the lid, and he would smile and nod at the nurses behind the counter to express his gratitude.
This behavior perfectly showcased his quick wit. Firstly, the gentle movements prevented the bracelet from making embarrassing noises. Secondly, it would leave a good impression on the beautiful nurses.
Perfect.
That should be enough, Qin Zhen thought. The first impression had been established; next was the ice-breaking moment. In that short time, he had even analyzed how to address them. “Beauty” was definitely out; too flippant. “Little Sister” was also no good; it did not fit the serious atmosphere of the Breeding Center. The most appropriate address was: “This beautiful lady.”
Closing the last lid, Qin Zhen held his tray in his left hand and tucked his right hand into his pocket, his thin lips curving into a perfect arc.
“May I ask, am I the first one here?”
“Ah, uh.” The beautiful nurse was clearly a bit taken-back. After a pause, she shook her head gently. “No, you are probably the last one.”
The background music in the dining hall was a low, soothing piano piece. Their conversation immediately drew the attention of the other nurses. The gazes of the beautiful women made Qin Zhen’s body tense, but they also gave him a surge of adrenaline.
He chuckled softly: “You must be joking. The food on these counters is full. Clearly, no one has touched them before me.”
Yes, this sentence would showcase his excellent power of observation. It would surely surprise and impress the beautiful nurses, leaving them with a lasting memory of him.
However, Qin Zhen had no way of knowing that the dining hall rules required food to be replenished as soon as it was taken, and tables to be cleared as soon as someone left. Even if the last diner arrived late, the counters would be full and the dining area would be spotless.
The nurses looked at each other, and two of them were almost unable to hold back their laughter. Right then, the dining hall announcement system chimed.
“Expectant Trainee Number 1069, Qin Zhen. Please proceed immediately to the third floor of this building for your gestational sac examination.”
“Expectant Trainee Number 1069, Qin Zhen. Please proceed immediately to the third floor of this building for your gestational sac examination.”
Number 1069 was precisely the number on the chest of Qin Zhen’s maternity dress.
The two nurses finally burst out laughing.
Qin Zhen’s smile froze, and the hand in his pocket could not stop trembling.
What a disaster! Why announce it now? Could they not have done it through the bracelet? Why did it have to be over the public loudspeaker?
He wanted to wait for the announcement to stop so he could say a few words to save his image, but the broadcast seemed to have a grudge against him. It repeated the message over and over without any sign of stopping.
Now, none of the nurses could hold back. Some turned away, their shoulders shaking; others covered their mouths, struggling to suppress their laughter. The nurse facing Qin Zhen had it the worst; she could neither turn away nor cover her mouth, so she could only bite her lip desperately.
Crack; Qin Zhen heard the sound of his heart breaking.
He slammed the tray down and fled.
As the saying goes, it never rains but it pours. The childish voice from his bracelet started shouting: “Please do not run or jump. Be careful of miscarriage. Please do not run or jump. Be careful of miscarriage.”
Qin Zhen, with his maternity dress fluttering, fled even faster.
As soon as he burst through the dining hall doors, the nurses behind him erupted into a fit of giggles. Their clear, melodious laughter chased after him, dealing a devastating blow to Qin Zhen’s already wounded soul.