CH 143

Sensing the movement behind him, Gu Langu mechanically turned his head, emitting a strong aura of stiffness. However, the moment he laid eyes on Shu Shuishui, he seemed to transform as if someone had pressed a start button. His neck relaxed, his voice warmed, and he went from standby mode to fully charged in an instant.

“Gu Gu, you’ve had a hard day today,” Shu Shuishui reached out and patted Gu Langu’s head to comfort him.

Gu Langu smiled very kindly. “Not at all, children should be a bit mischievous.”

Because the little hummingbird had stiffened from maintaining a posture for a long time, it stumbled to the ground upon hearing this, letting out a pitiful chirp.

The others remained silent, thinking that this primitive eye-rolling technique was something they had abandoned at the age of three! Big brother, what happened to your wisdom in maneuvering through vast battlefields and toying with the enemy in the palm of your hand?

Following the sound of the little hummingbird’s call, Shu Shuishui turned his head to look. Gu Langu also calmly stepped forward, picking up the hummingbird lying on the ground. “Look, its feathers are all dirty. I’ll go wash it, so it can grow up clean and chubby.”

Shu Shuishui nodded, feeling that Gu Langu had completely grown into a qualified ‘dad,’ and the idea of ‘clean and chubby’ seemed to align with his aesthetics.

The little hummingbird, thinking it could finally be free when Shu Shuishui returned, was carried away sadly for a bath. Poor little hummingbird hadn’t had enough of its childhood and had already begun to experience the bitter journey of having a ‘stepdad.’

The people around Shu Shuishui glanced at each other, feeling that Gu Langu might indeed need some maintenance; his brain was getting rusty. Unfortunately, Shu Shuishui remained completely oblivious, probably the classic case of ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ and they could only silently mourn for the little hummingbird in their hearts.

When Shu Shuishui returned to their residence, he found Gu Langu holding a drenched hummingbird in his palm, standing in front of the faucet. The once-dainty hummingbird had now become thoroughly soaked under the running water, a small and somewhat unkempt figure, fluttering its wings incessantly.

Gu Langu grinned, “Look, Shui Shui, Cui Cui also likes to take a bath. It’s so happy it might just fly away.”

Due to the strong water flow, Cui Cui had to flap its wings vigorously. “…Chirp chirp chirp!”

Gu Langu chuckled, “Listen, it’s singing out of happiness!”

“Chirp chirp chirp! Chirp chirp chirp!” Cui Cui finally burst into song. It seemed to forget that it was a bird and attempted to take flight with its flapping wings. However, Gu Langu gently slapped it down, cradled it in his hand, and then placed it by a towel before giving it a good rubdown. When Cui Cui finally wriggled out of the towel, its entire plumage was ruffled, with a tuft of disheveled feathers atop its head. Cui Cui staggered around as if it was drunk, spun in circles twice, and then plopped down on the table.

Gu Langu gently poked Cui Cui. “It looks like it’s tired. Children who play too much during the day need to sleep early at night to grow well.”

Shu Shuishui nodded beside him. “Gu Gu makes a good point.”

With that, the two placed the little hummingbird into a white porcelain bowl. Of course, the bowl was lined with soft cotton and covered with pure white silk. If it weren’t for the unusual container, it could pass for a nice bed. Shu Shuishui smiled and lightly tapped the hummingbird’s head with his fingertip. “Goodnight, Cui Cui. Early to bed and early to rise will make you grow.”

The little hummingbird responded reluctantly, chirping softly. Then, it used its beak to adjust its tiny blanket, settled down obediently, and fell asleep.

Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu quietly withdrew. Shu Shuishui leaned in close to Gu Langu’s ear and whispered, “It seems like Cui Cui really likes the bed you provided. Gu Gu, you’re truly the best, no one can resist liking you.”

Gu Langu gave a faint smile. “As long as Cui Cui likes it, this bowl can serve it for a lifetime.” From sleeping to cooking, it could do it all.

Shu Shuishui nodded. “Indeed, it can be used for sleeping, dining, and bathing—truly practical.”

After a long and eventful day, the little hummingbird was now peacefully asleep, occasionally chirping in its dreams. Shu Shuishui gestured with his finger to Gu Lan Bone, indicating they should leave quietly and not disturb it. The two of them left to have dinner.

During their journey, Shu Shuishui inquired about Cui Cui’s eating habits and whether they had any mischievous tendencies. Gu Langu patiently answered his questions. “It had a good appetite in the morning; it ate both flower blossoms I picked for it. At noon, it had a sip of water, and in the afternoon…”

As they exchanged questions and answers, they appeared quite harmonious and in sync, like an old married couple of many years, discussing the most ordinary child-rearing matters. Little Cui Cui, peacefully asleep at home, was unaware that the image of Gu Langu as an exceptional father had become even more unshakable in Shu Shuishui’s heart. For a tiny bird, the long journey ahead in life would be incredibly challenging.

Because everyone had their own tasks, their meal times weren’t entirely synchronized. Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu had just sat down when Xie Feng and Cheng Que had hurriedly finished their meals and swiftly departed. Cheng Que and Xie Feng were deeply engrossed in their research, to the point where sometimes it felt like the experimental system they were using was enjoying more leisure time than the two of them. At least occasionally, they could see the spherical form of the system lazily sunbathing on a rock, and after basking in the sun on one side, it would automatically flip over to sunbathe on the other side.

The system still couldn’t speak, but what surprised everyone was that the system seemed to be somewhat fond of Xie Feng, the experimenter. However, upon closer consideration, within their group of people, Xie Feng was probably the one who understood the system the most. After all, Xie Feng’s research direction was all about various technologies. The system didn’t seem to mind experiments and appeared willing to cooperate, enjoying its temporary single life without any rush to bind to a host.

Cheng Que’s experiments had reached a crucial breakthrough phase. For him, a day was spent mostly in the laboratory, and even when he ate, it was a three-minute battle, not a second longer. If they could solve the issue of mutant creatures going berserk, it would have a significant impact on the Canghai Galaxy and even the entire star system. Cheng Que felt both excited and aware that even if they resolved the problem of mutant creatures going berserk, it wouldn’t save the Canghai Galaxy and the Xian Ge Galaxy. The power of the Seventh-Dimensional civilization, once witnessed, made it clear that it couldn’t be matched!

Strangely, Cheng Que no longer felt fear. It seemed that the long, and seemingly fleeting experiences from his past life had truly turned into a dream. He could still imagine the scenes, but they were veiled by a layer of mist, becoming blurry. Even in this life, as the Seventh-Dimensional civilization arrived as expected, it appeared that there was nothing to fear as long as one was on Cang Zhan Star, especially within the Shui Jing Gong.

Inside the Shui Jing Gong base, there were many people like Cheng Que and Xie Feng. After a quick dinner, some individuals were reluctant to waste time and continued to work on tasks within their capabilities.

Some were noisily polishing wooden boards, as they were planning to gradually replace tents with wooden houses. Wooden houses offered greater comfort and safety, and in the Cangyu Mountains, with proper timber harvesting, they could also reshape the terrain of the Shui Jing Cheng.

Others were assembling optical power generation equipment, intending to install the devices at dawn the next day. Some were working on organizing the electrical grid, and planning for the installation work to be done tomorrow. There were also those processing the recent harvests in the base, including game1not the literal game like the one that would be played… and plants.

Not all of the creatures in the Cangyu Mountains were mutant creatures. Mutant creatures made up a minority, while ordinary creatures were still abundant. These creatures served as both a food source for humans and a food source for mutant creatures.

The main area of the basin had long been electrified, and the lights covered almost the entire basin area. It was a bustling scene, resembling a city with a vibrant nightlife.

This place was indeed a feng shui treasure, typical of having warm winters and cool summers, offering comfort comparable to the Shui Jing Gong Valley. After all, that valley was protected by Shu Shuishui’s guardian formation. This basin had its own climate regulation function, except for not being able to resist attacks, its climate, temperature, and lighting conditions were all excellent.

Soon, the Nan brothers, Nan Ge and Nan Fang, also arrived for dinner. Two power stations in the base had been completed today and would be put into use in the next few days.

Following them, the tree-planting team and the maritime exploration team returned one after another. The tree-planting team had a mix of humans and gray rats, with the gray rats’s efficiency even surpassing that of the humans. In the early stages, tree planting was mainly carried out in the Cangyu Mountains, and the gray rats played an indispensable role.

In contrast, the maritime exploration team was relatively normal. They had almost located all the fleets that could be found by now. The current search was more for understanding the external situation and guarding against attacks from Zones A and S. The risk was high, and beyond the Cangyu Mountains, the world was as if engulfed in flames, the scorching heat making it unbearable. Although conditions were harsh, everyone worked in rotation with great cooperation, avoiding conflicts.

“It hasn’t even been a month into the dry season, and the outside has already turned from an endless ocean into a parched land. The water level has rapidly dropped, the Cang River channel has narrowed, and our previous docks had to be modified again and again. As long as the Cang River doesn’t run dry, we can still use them.” Yan Ling, who had just returned from outside, expressed concerns about the water level.

This is Cang Zhan Star, where too much water is a nuisance, and too little is a disaster. In short, it’s never comfortable.

Nan Ge sized up Yan Ling. “You look quite disheveled. Did you run into a hunting squad?”

Yan Ling nodded, showing no fear on his face. “It was a small hunting squad, not their main force. They were wandering near the mountains, probably scouting the area. Unfortunately, we couldn’t capture any of them alive.”

This wasn’t the first time the Shui Jing Gong had encountered a hunting squad. Over the past month and a half, there hadn’t been any major conflicts, but there had been mutual probing. The members of the hunting squads were almost all madmen, rarely leaving survivors, and some went to the extent of consuming mutant creatures to induce their own berserk state to enhance their combat capabilities. Dealing with these attackers who sought only to fight to the death was quite troublesome.

Shu Shuishui patiently listened as everyone reported their findings. When it was his turn, he shared his progress. “I can confirm that the physiology of mutant creatures is better suited for cultivation than humans. This might be due to the fact that their mutations were a preparation for cultivation from the start. The awakened intelligent mutant creatures we’ve discovered so far have very high innate talents. Some can sense spiritual power in as little as a week. Xiao Bai Bai has the highest talent. He has already begun absorbing spiritual power and even initiated Qi circulation in his body.”

Of course, these talents to some extent are related to the environment. After all, the Cangyu Mountains themselves are a treasure trove with rich spiritual power. Without spiritual power, even the greatest talent would be in vain.

After Shu Shuishui finished reporting his progress for the day, everyone’s gaze naturally turned to Gu Langu. Gu Langu remained composed and said, “After taking care of the child all day, I deeply appreciate how challenging it is to raise children. Fortunately, all of you are single, so you don’t have to worry about this issue. As for the harvest, it’s probably that the hummingbirds aren’t very fond of insects, but it might be a deception.”

Everyone: “…”

Nan Ge: “Let’s freshen up and rest early. If there’s nothing urgent, let’s disperse.”

Surprisingly, everyone was in perfect agreement, rising from their seats and rejecting dog food and brainless activities. Getting some rest was the real priority.