The previously empty living room now featured a luxurious cat tree, complete with tunnels large enough for a human child to crawl through, connecting several uniquely shaped little cat houses.
The tree-shaped cat climbing frame stood roughly seven or eight meters tall, dotted with cat dens of various sizes scattered across it.
Spotting the massive cat tree that had seemingly materialized out of nowhere in the villa, Ruan Bai widened his eyes in astonishment.
“Do you like it?” The Marshal pinched his little paw.
Ruan Bai stared up at him with glowing eyes, his face brimming with excitement.
“Meow!”
I love it!
I love it so much!!
His little paws fluttered frantically in the air, eager to climb up and play right away.
The Marshal pinched his tiny ear, and seeing his high-spirited expression, placed him onto the cat tree with a worried warning: “Don’t climb too high all at once.”
He was afraid this little creature might slip and fall if he wasn’t paying attention.
Ruan Bai rubbed his little head against him, acting exceptionally obedient. “Meow~”
I’m being very good, as if!
The moment Huo Jiuxiao released his grip, Ruan Bai zipped straight up to the highest tier like a streak of lightning.
Marshal Huo: “……”
In both his past and present lives, this was the first time Marshal Huo had ever encountered such a rebellious little rascal. Anyone else would have likely tossed the creature out long ago.
Ruan Bai raced back and forth across the upper levels, showing no inclination to come down anytime soon.
Left with no choice, the Marshal had to go handle his official duties first, only returning late at night to snatch the little milk cat, who had been playing on the cat tree ever since finishing dinner back to the bedroom for sleep.
Restrained tightly within the man’s embrace, Ruan Bai struggled desperately.
Grumbling profusely under his breath: “Meow meow meow!!!”
I’m not leaving! I want to sleep right here!
A human like you needs to sleep, but a cat doesn’t!!
He tried to kick up another fuss, but was silenced instantly when the Marshal threatened, “Act up again, and I’ll dismantle the whole thing.”
Sob, sob, sob QAQ.
This human is completely unreasonable.
The next morning, after finishing breakfast, Ruan Bai bolted.
He didn’t make it far before being nabbed by the back of his neck and hoisted straight into the man’s arms.
Gazing at the little cat whose eyes were solely focused on the cat tree, the Marshal experienced a premature taste of the headaches that came with being an overprotective father.
“Be a good boy. Come with me to the military department first, and you can play all you want when we get back.”
Ruan Bai turned his backside toward him, making his reluctance abundantly clear.
Huo Jiuxiao coaxed him patiently. “Be good. Think about how many dozen crystals you devoured in one sitting yesterday. The supplier delivering the mineral crystals from the mining star has arrived today, and the varieties are a bit different. Go take a look and see which ones you want, and I’ll allocate a larger share to you. Hmm?”
The primary reason the legions under Marshal Huo’s command possessed such formidable combat prowess was that Huo Jiuxiao heavily subsidized them using resources from the mining stars.
As an exceptionally powerful 3S mental power user, operating mechas came as naturally to the Marshal as eating and drinking, meaning he required fewer energy crystals for frequent physical training.
The output from the mining star under his personal control was among the finest in the empire in both quality and quantity, with its entire annual yield funneled straight into his legions.
Naturally, it wasn’t that Marshal Huo didn’t know the categories of energy crystals.
He was simply trying to sweet-talk the little cat into coming along to the military base.
This marked Ruan Bai’s first time venturing out leisurely in Huo Jiuxiao’s company.
The hovercar glided along its dedicated lane, surrounded by towering architecture, blue skies, and white clouds, leaving little of visual interest.
The exclusive lane hovered several dozen meters above the ground, while the civilian lanes ran below with strict height limits.
Consequently, Ruan Bai couldn’t see a thing from inside the hovercar.
Instead, the morning sunlight filtered through the windows, warming his fur to a cozy degree and prompting him to let out an involuntary yawn, his eyes narrowing as drowsiness overtook him.
By the time they reached the military department, Ruan Bai was nearly fast asleep.
Seeing his dazed expression and mist-filled eyes, the Marshal felt an inexplicable reluctance to let anyone else witness him looking quite like this, yet he ruthlessly shook him awake anyway.
Ruan Bai: …….
You humans seriously have something wrong with your brains.
The little milk cat’s resentful glare practically threatened to drown the Marshal entirely.