Zhao Wu shot up from his command seat, his eyes fixed on the two MAX811 warships, each more than twice the size of his own flagship, as they swept into the center of the screen.

“Where did those warships come from?!”

His subordinate stammered, “Commander, the ships’ hulls bear the insignia of the Second Legion!”

“The Second Legion?” Zhao Wu thought he had misheard. “What are they doing here?!”

When did that old man Jin Dazhao get new warships?!

Didn’t Old Lin say the Third Legion was coming to the rescue?!

The small spacecraft, surrounded by a fleet of large warships, wobbled unsteadily as it flew into the hangar of the massive vessel.

By the time the ship landed safely in the hangar bay, its two pilots were slumped in their safety seats, looking as if they had just been fished out of water.

Qin Luo patted the person next to him. “Bro, you okay?”

“That was… too… damn exciting!” the beta pilot’s tongue was tied in knots.

He felt like his soul had left his body several times.

Qin Luo pointed to the camera and laughed. “Quick, share with your classmates. Isn’t it awesome to fly in a ship piloted by the Chairman?”

The beta pilot stared blankly for a long moment before saying, “Someone like me with only one life isn’t worthy.”

The comment section flooded with a wave of “Hahaha”—

After parking the spacecraft, Rong Shi turned to leave, taking Song Yu’s hand as he passed him.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

Song Yu, lost in thought, shook his head and replied casually, “No, this is about the same level as a roller coaster.”

Rong Shi’s brow furrowed. “Who did you go on a roller coaster with?”

Song Yu was speechless.

Was that really the point?

Song Yu tilted his head to look at him, teasing, “With my dad. What’s wrong?”

Rong Shi silently looked away. “It’s nothing.”

Seeing the two big shots heading out, Qin Luo quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and ran after them.

He had just gotten close when he heard Rong Shi say, “When this is all over, I’ll take you to an amusement park.”

Song Yu chuckled. “That’s a memory between my father and me. Are you trying to monopolize even that?”

Rong Shi: “Then we’ll go do things you’ve never done before.”

Song Yu: “Are you sure it’s appropriate for two alphas to go to an amusement park?”

Rong Shi: “…We’ll bring Mianmian and Cola.”

Qin Luo: “…”

Those two poor “tool” kids.

The three of them walked out of the hangar bay, where Qing Song greeted them with a tense expression.

“Xiao Rong, Xiao Song, are you two alright?”

Rong Shi shook his head and walked with him toward the command bridge.

“Why were you the ones who came to the rescue?”

Qing Song rubbed his freshly shaven buzz cut. “On our way back from a mission, Tianhao saw the live stream. He was worried you’d be at a disadvantage, so we came to check it out. We didn’t expect things to blow up this much.”

Rong Shi: “We’ve troubled Major General Jin.”

“Not at all,” Qing Song said with a grin. “We were originally heading to the military-industrial planet for routine maintenance. After seeing the live stream, the boss had the legion turn around to come back you up.”

Song Yu teased, “It seems those two warships weren’t a waste of a gift.”

Qin Luo followed behind them, giving the live stream audience a tour of the new warship.

But the audience’s focus remained firmly on Rong Shi and Song Yu—

“Gifting… gifting warships?! As expected of the beautiful Song.”

“How much must that have cost?!”

“I’ve only seen people gift warships in Star Battle. I didn’t expect big shots to play like that in real life.”

“Poverty has limited my imagination.”

“That way of spending money is on par with Master Cat from Star Battle.”

“Chairman: My wife is a spendthrift, I can’t support him.”

Rong Shi occasionally paid attention to the sentiment in the live stream.

Fighting against five legions wasn’t difficult for him; victory was a certainty. But merely winning was far from enough.

For his kitten, Ji Ling’s challenge was undoubtedly a dangerous signal, but it was also a good opportunity to re-establish his image.

Seeing that comment, Rong Shi said calmly, “As of now, it’s more like Xiao Yu is the one supporting me.”

The one ton of B384 energy stones that 01 had devoured alone was an astronomical sum.

Rong Shi’s sudden remark left Qin Luo and Qing Song with subtle expressions.

This big shot really dared to say anything.

Qing Song glanced at the live stream, wanting to give him an out to smooth things over.

“Young Rong, so many people are watching. Aren’t you afraid people will say you’re living off him in the future?”

Song Yu said nonchalantly, “If he doesn’t live off me, who will he live off of?”

At that moment, two gentle voices, one male and one female, spoke up.

Ares: “Sponsor-daddy’s food is delicious!”

Zerores: “Delicious.”

“Mhm,” Rong Shi tightened his grip on Song Yu’s hand and said calmly, “Everything is delicious, except for the dishes he cooks.”

Qin Luo / Qing Song / The Audience: “…”

How can you make an innuendo out of something like that?

Arriving at the command bridge, Rong Shi and Song Yu went to greet the commander. Qin Luo took the camera and moved far away, introducing the bridge to the audience and interviewing a few programmers to pass the time.

Jin Dazhao stepped down from the command seat, sizing them up with a serious expression.

“Not bad. Arms and legs are still attached.”

“How could a few weaklings like them hurt us?” Song Yu looked up at the enlarged virtual screen, where Zhao Wu’s forces were regrouping. “What’s your plan, Major General Jin?”

Jin Dazhao stood with his hands behind his back, following his gaze. “I was just passing by. The military command didn’t assign me any mission.”

The meaning was clear: he had rescued them, and other legions would handle the rest.

Each legion’s military budget was strictly controlled. An expense budget was made for every mission to prevent internal corruption. Going over budget required filing a report and facing criticism.

Strict financial control was good, but it directly led to all legions being unwilling to do anything outside their assigned missions.

For such a large legion, any action incurred significant costs in manpower and resources.

Rong Shi: “So you didn’t deliberately detour to save us?”

Jin Dazhao: “…”

Song Yu: “So you plan to just leave them be?”

Jin Dazhao: “The legion dispatched by military command is already on its way. You don’t need to worry about this.”

“The Third Legion?” Song Yu sneered. “When they get here, who knows if they’ll be helping me or them.”

Jin Dazhao glanced at Qin Luo, who had moved away, and lowered his voice. “You don’t know who’s backing the Zhao and Liu families? I advise you to think carefully before you act.”

The Zhao and Liu families were both aligned with the First Prince, backed not only by him but also by the Queen, Ji Ling.

Daring to make a move on Song Yu so openly likely meant they had more tricks up their sleeves.

“You should be advising them,” Song Yu’s eyes turned cold. “Isn’t it good to be alive? Why did they have to provoke me?”

Jin Dazhao’s brow furrowed, sensing that this matter was more serious than he had imagined.

Song Yu looked at him. “Are you sure you won’t make a move?”

Jin Dazhao: “…”

Rong Shi: “The new warships look nice.”

Song Yu: “Let me borrow them.”

Jin Dazhao: “…………”

These two little rascals.

Qin Luo walked a full circle along the edge of the bridge, his mouth dry from talking. Seeing Rong Shi and Song Yu join Jin Dazhao at the command station, he turned the camera and walked over.

Jin Dazhao deliberately raised his voice. “You two are familiar with the rebels’ tactics. For now, I’m temporarily handing command over to you. Let me see the results of your last internship.”

Rong Shi nodded slightly and looked at Song Yu.

“You lead, I’ll support you.”

Song Yu chuckled. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll mess it up for you? What if we get hit?”

Rong Shi: “The warship belongs to someone else. I won’t feel bad if it gets shot through.”

Song Yu nodded with a serious look. “That’s true.”

Jin Dazhao: “…” Was he dead to them?

In just over ten minutes, the warships of Zhao Wu’s legion had regrouped.

Song Yu swiped his hand, and layers of virtual windows spread out.

He quickly scanned the surveillance footage and the Second Legion’s combat deployment status, then said unhurriedly, “Little brother, connect me to the enemy flagship.”

Zerores: “Connecting—The other party is rejecting the call—Forcing connection—Connected.”

“Fuck!”

As soon as the connection went through, Zhao Wu’s crude curses and chaotic noises came from the other side.

Song Yu looked at the screen with a faint smile. “I’ll give you three seconds to contact the person who sent you. Have him admit his mistake in front of everyone, and I might consider leaving him a complete corpse.”

Forgetting to turn off the live stream was one thing, but now being forced into a video call… Zhao Wu stared at Song Yu’s excessively beautiful face on the virtual screen, his own expression turning ugly.

He was about to speak, but Song Yu beat him to it.

“Alright, time’s up.”

Zhao Wu: “…” There was no countdown, how was time up?!

Seeing Zhao Wu’s stunned face, Rong Shi thought, “…”

You lose the moment you believe that little kitten Song will follow the rules.

Qin Luo pressed his lips together, almost bursting out laughing.

Did he really believe His Highness’s casual words?

Song Yu beckoned, and the holographic control panel slid over to him. He tapped it a few times. “Vanguard squadrons one and two, frontal assault. Squadrons three and four, attack from the left and right flanks. The remaining squadrons will circle around from the rear for an pincer attack. Don’t be stingy with the ammunition; if we go over the military budget, I’ll pay for it.”

With the simple and direct order given, a row of bay doors on both sides of the MAX811s opened, and countless fighters flew out.

Points of light from explosions lit up across the virtual display.

Rong Shi knew Song Yu too well. He understood the next ten steps just by seeing the first.

He scanned the data on the numerous virtual screens and pushed the useful information toward Song Yu.

The live stream comment section erupted again—

“For real?! This is real command of a legion, not playing Star Battle! The big shots are amazing!”

“The number of military units on both sides is similar, but the momentum of the attack is worlds apart.”

“A frontal assault! Just like the beautiful Song, so aggressive even when playing Star Battle!”

“The Chairman is helping him filter data and manage details. One is fiery, the other is calm. Their coordination is so perfect, they’re practically made for each other!”

“I know it’s not the right time to say this, but they look so good together ahhhhhh!”

“The enemy’s morale has already collapsed. Their formation is a mess. They can’t withstand an attack of this intensity. They’re completely broken.”

Ares: “Sponsor-daddy, is there anything I can help with?”

Zerores: “I want to help too.”

Song Yu simultaneously monitored the data changes on multiple virtual windows, his hands never stopping as he directed the squadrons to change formation based on the battlefield situation and coordinate with other teams to adjust their attack intensity.

“No need. I don’t need you right now.”

Since the mecha troops weren’t needed for the time being, Qing Song and his apprentice, Qiu Tianhao, sat on the steps in the mecha hangar bay, watching the live stream.

Qing Song exclaimed one moment and sighed the next. “The boss has been tough his whole life, but I never thought he’d fall into Song Yu’s hands.”

Qiu Tianhao: “Maybe he’s just trying to scam two more warships out of them?”

“I’ve been with the Second Legion for so many years. He’s only ever delegated command twice. Once was to save Old Lin on V99, and the other is right now.” Qing Song sighed. “The stance of the boss and the legion… it already changed after that mission.”

Qiu Tianhao: “Maybe Song Yu forced him?”

Qing Song laughed. “If he were that easy to compromise, do you think he could have survived in the dog-eat-dog military command for decades without picking a side?”

Handing over command to two kids who hadn’t even formally entered the military, letting them do as they pleased.

To be able to give such a willful order, this was more than just picking a side. It was like he treasured them.

Watching the two people on screen working together seamlessly, Qiu Tianhao said in a low voice, “Just by standing there, they give off a feeling that they can do anything. If it were me, I’d side with them too.”

Within Zhao Wu’s legion, everyone was panicking.

Seeing Song Yu’s face appear on the virtual screen, a voice in their minds screamed wildly—they were doomed to lose this all-or-nothing war.

“What are you panicking for?! Fight!” Zhao Wu yelled hysterically. “If we lose, we’re all dead! Fight!”

Perhaps the word “dead” ignited everyone’s fighting spirit, and the firefight instantly intensified.

Several particle cannon beams pierced the battle line and shot toward the MAX811 flagship.

Rong Shi issued a movement command, precisely dodging all the shots, which flew past the flagship’s hull.

“Xiao Yu, we’ll encircle them in a few minutes.”

Song Yu glanced at the time. “Let’s make it ten minutes. I’m not done playing yet.”

Rong Shi: “Alright.”

Watching their calm and composed demeanor, Jin Dazhao remained outwardly stoic, but his heart was trembling.

This was a real warship! It had only been on the road for a few days, please don’t scratch the hull!

Unable to bear it any longer, he reminded them with a stern face, “Take it easy, that’s about enough!”

Song Yu didn’t even turn his head. “I’m already trying my best to control myself.”

Jin Dazhao: “…”

In less than ten minutes, Zhao Wu couldn’t hold on any longer. His earlier bravado turned to dust. He abandoned his half-crippled warship, ran into an escape pod, and prepared to flee in a small fighter.

As the small fighter slid out of its track and flew out of the warship, his racing heart finally calmed down. He was safe.

A gentle male voice suddenly sounded in his ear—

“Dear user, the intelligent system has detected that you are more suited for open-cockpit piloting. We are now matching you with this plan. The cockpit canopy will automatically eject in five seconds—Five—”

“Fuck! What’s going on?!”

Zhao Wu’s scalp tingled, and his whole body went numb. He frantically pounded the controls of the fighter, but the countdown for the canopy’s ejection wouldn’t stop.

This was space! The moment the canopy opened, he would die instantly!

“Three—Two—”

“Help, help! I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die!” Zhao Wu’s face was ashen. In his panic, he activated the emergency device and took out a spacesuit, but his hands were shaking so violently that he couldn’t put it on in time!

He had just gotten one leg in when the countdown ended. Overcome with terror, he fainted.

01: “And he dared to fight Master and Sponsor-daddy? Ptooey.”

00: “Ptooey.”

In just two or three hours, six legions were left scattered and defeated. Liu De and Zhao Wu were captured alive, and the others were taken into custody by the Second Legion. Rong Shi and Song Yu had achieved a total victory.

Qin Luo, who had been busy commentating, got so excited that he forgot to commentate and just shouted. When he came to his senses, his voice was already hoarse.

Seeing Rong Shi and Song Yu walk down from the command station hand-in-hand, Qin Luo finally remembered the live stream.

He saw that the number of online viewers had exceeded two billion, almost the entire population of a small planet.

Qin Luo’s eyes sparkled. “Brothers, watching you two command made it look so simple!”

Song Yu: “It is pretty simple.”

Qin Luo: “How simple?”

Rong Shi answered for him: “Easier than a monthly exam.”

Qin Luo: “…”

The military academy students who had been screaming in the live stream all day: “…”

Such classic humble-bragging!

By the time the Third Legion, which had been ordered to provide rescue, slowly arrived, Rong Shi and Song Yu were already en route to the Imperial Capital Star under the escort of the Second Legion.

After the huge commotion, the rest of the journey was exceptionally smooth.

Having captured a large number of rebels, Jin Dazhao needed to report back to the military command, while Rong Shi and Song Yu had to go to the royal palace.

As they parted, Jin Dazhao seemed to have something to say but hesitated.

Song Yu: “Don’t worry, give the military expense bill to my special assistant. He’ll settle it for you.”

“I’m not worried about that!” Jin Dazhao clicked his tongue in annoyance.

This was an emergency situation; the military command wasn’t so stingy as to not reimburse such expenses.

He looked at them seriously. “You’re both almost twenty. It’s about time you had children.”

Rong Shi: “…”

Song Yu: “…”

Remembering how he had missed his chance the last two times by being too high-and-mighty, Jin Dazhao thought he had to lower his stance this time and be more down-to-earth.

“You scratched up my new warship. You should at least give me one of your children, right?”

Rong Shi: “…”

From his tone, did he think they could not only have children but have many of them?

Was he that desperate for a child? Song Yu’s gaze swept over Jin Dazhao with pity. “Old Jin, you should get your eyes checked before you think about having kids.”

Jin Dazhao: “…”

“Your Highness.”

Footsteps approached from behind. They turned to see Yin Rong.

Someone from the palace had arrived, so Jin Dazhao had to stop the conversation and left, looking very unwilling.

On the way to the palace, Rong Shi looked at Yin Rong in the driver’s seat through the rearview mirror.

“Is everything going smoothly on his end?”

Yin Rong, his white-gloved hands on the steering wheel, turned his head slightly and nodded at Rong Shi.

“There has been a breakthrough, but he cannot return just yet.”

Rong Shi: “Mhm.”

“What about Father?” Song Yu rested his chin on his hand, looking out the window, his expression unreadable. “Is he any better?”

Yin Rong’s expression grew heavy. “I am restricted from entering anywhere besides His Majesty’s study, so I cannot know his actual physical condition.”

Song Yu: “Do you truly not know, or are you pretending not to know?”

After a moment of silence, Yin Rong said in a low voice, “His Majesty does not wish for you to wade into these muddy waters.”

“Is that so?” Song Yu sneered. “But if I didn’t come back, how could his plan proceed?”

Yin Rong’s hand tightened on the steering wheel.

“His actions are contradictory, and his schemes are deeper than anyone’s.” Song Yu’s face darkened. “That stubborn old man.”

---

Author’s Note:

Rong Bunny’s Notes—
August, X021, a sunny day. The first time my kitten caught a mouse, he scared the mouse so much it spat up its milk.

Song Cat: I don’t think so? I’m so adorable [licks paw, smiling]