Ch 119: The Cannon Fodder Won’t Play Along Anymore [QT]

Looking at the two cute little Iya people, the unpleasant mood that Mu Xing had just gotten from that sickly-sweet conversation instantly lifted.

He bent down, carefully cupping Mai Mai and Mao Mao. “Thank you for missing me. I’m really happy.”

Mai Mai stretched her little wings and flew up, landing lightly on his shoulder, affectionately rubbing against his cheek. “Mao Mao lied to you. He really missed you too, he just never says it.”

“I know.” Mu Xing answered with his mind, glancing at the little Iya standing in his palm, gazing at him expectantly. He didn’t expose that strange tsundere streak of his.

He reached out and set Mao Mao on his shoulder as well. Turning his head, he just happened to catch the little Iya’s delighted yet forcibly restrained expression.

Mu Xing chuckled softly, lazily yawning. “I’m a little sleepy. Do you want to keep me company for a nap?”

The two little Iya obediently sat by his pillow.

Mu Xing closed his eyes, catching the faintest whiff of fragrance at the tip of his nose. It was light and elusive, like drifting smoke he couldn’t grasp, slowly brushing at the edges of his thoughts.

He slipped into a sweet dream.

When he woke, the little Iya were gone. By his pillow lay a single blooming rose.

*

Mu Xing walked out of the bedroom. Lan Xi was in the kitchen making desserts, his newest hobby.

Mu Yue had set up an easel and was painting.

The old master Mu and Mu Rongrong were talking. From where Mu Xing stood, he could see them on the balcony, both looking rather grim.

Outside the house, StarNet staff had already set up a massive protective barrier, with bodyguards standing watch.

Beyond the barrier, many vehicles were parked—people who had rushed over from all across the stars these past two days.

After Mu Xing’s livestream blew up overnight, his StarNet account was flooded with private messages.

Some wanted to interview him, some wanted to see the flower, some asked for gardening advice, and others—money no object—wanted to outright buy the rose.

Mu Xing rejected them all.

He had signed a contract with StarNet, and Fang Yu had already sent professionals to plan a commercial path for him—Fang Yu believed the rose’s value was immense, and it would be a waste not to profit from it.

As for Mu Xing… he needed to make a living too.

Besides, he carried a planet’s debt on his shoulders.

And he wanted to plant all of Red Moon Star full of flowers…

All of that took money!

Mu Xing sighed in worry, then opened his StarNet livestream.

His eyes went wide in shock.

Looking at his account balance, tens, hundreds, thousands, millions… he counted carefully.

Eight digits?

And it started with an eight!

He checked his follower count next—already nine digits.

Hundreds of millions of people were following him.

Just two days away from StarNet, without streaming, and this happened?

He casually opened his livestream.

In an instant, dense crowds of avatars and comments filled the screen:

【Ahhh he’s live he’s live!】
【I’ve been waiting so long, finally!】
【Ah, this is the legendary rose, it really is breathtaking!】
【Streamer look at me! Can you open up tourism? Please, even auctioning spots would do! I just want to see the flower with my own eyes!】

【+1 to wanting to see it in person】

A rich fan dropped dozens of meteor showers just to make sure Mu Xing saw their message.

Mu Xing froze for a moment before saying, “Tourism… we’re not fully prepared yet, so it might not be possible right now.”

【Not possible right now, does that mean later you will?】

Mu Xing thought for a moment, then nodded. “Probably, but it might take some time.”

【I can wait!】
【I’ll live another two hundred years, I refuse to believe I can’t wait it out!】
【Will the livestream stay open all the time? Please leave it open, even if you don’t do anything, just let us watch the flower.】

From the moment he started, the stream was flooded with constant gifts and rewards.

Mu Xing finally understood where that eight-digit balance had come from—the sheer number of viewers was too massive.

He nodded. “The livestream will stay open. I’ll also try planting other flowers in the future, so everyone can join me online in raising them.”

【Other flowers too! Can’t wait!】

Mu Xing left the stream running. When he stepped out, he saw Mu Rongrong had already come downstairs.

Her eyes were a little red, but her expression was relaxed.

“Good news for little Xing Xing!” she said with a smile. “Red Moon Star’s debt has been taken care of.”

Mu Xing: ?

He looked at his mother in puzzlement.

Mu Rongrong said quietly, “I just talked with your grandfather. We’re splitting from the family. I don’t want anything—just let him give Red Moon Star to me, whole.”

“From now on, we’ll live here together and have a happy life.”

Mu Xing was a bit surprised. “Why bring this up all of a sudden?”

Mu Rongrong rubbed his hair. “Because I don’t want to keep getting tangled up with your uncle. He always thinks I’m trying to take his things, but I’ve always been clear I have no interest in the family business.”

Unfortunately, Mu Lin didn’t believe her.

What she didn’t say was that not only did Mu Lin keep guarding against her, now he was eyeing Mu Xing’s rose as well.

Mu Rongrong never used to care about family matters and rarely lost her temper, but she could not tolerate Mu Lin setting his sights on her own child.

Mu Xing thought of her reddened eyes just now and asked, “Grandfather was very angry, wasn’t he?”

At this moment Mu Rongrong’s expression had already returned to normal. At his words she gave a soft snort. “Of course he was angry, but he also knows that if he still wants me and Mu Lin to keep up appearances, this is already the best choice.”

She looked at Mu Xing and cautiously asked, “Xingxing, your mother gave up a very, very large fortune. Do you blame me?”

What she could normally have received was enough for their family to live in comfort and luxury for generations.

The sum used to buy Red Moon Star was not small, but compared to the Mu family estate, it was only a drop in the bucket.

Mu Xing shook his head, even feeling happy. “I think this is very good.”

He held Mu Rongrong’s hand tightly. “I’ll earn a lot of money. You don’t need to worry about this.”

In return Mu Rongrong pulled him into her arms, rubbing his head of soft curls until it was a complete mess.

Her trace of gloom vanished. “So young, don’t spend every day thinking about money. Your mother will also think of ways to earn money and support the family!”

Not many days after this, Old Master Mu left.

At the same time, a newly drafted contract was delivered to the Mu family.

The Mu family repaid Mu Xing’s loan on Red Moon Star. At the same time, they dispatched several super-large starships to transfer all residents on Red Moon Star to a few of the Mu family’s other small planets.

Though those small planets were not as developed as the main planet, they were far better than the poor and backward Red Moon Star, and everyone happily chose to relocate.

Mu Xing hadn’t expected Old Master Mu to do this—

Until he received a call from him.

The old man looked far more weary than before.

Mu Xing earnestly thanked him. “Thank you, Grandfather.”

Old Master Mu gazed deeply at him. “I heard from your mother that you want to remake Red Moon Star, to cover this planet with flowers.”

Mu Xing was stunned. He had only mentioned it casually in family conversation. Mu Rongrong had even laughed at him, saying little Xingxing was too naive.

He thought his family hadn’t taken it seriously. Who knew Mu Rongrong had kept it in mind and told Old Master Mu?

He nodded. This was indeed what he wanted to do.

“You have dreams,” Old Master Mu said, and at the thought of something, his stern face softened with a faint smile. “And you are very naive. After all, still a child.”

“But it’s good for a child to have dreams.”

His voice grew deep. “Whether or not you succeed, the hundreds of thousands of original residents on Red Moon Star were a burden. I’ve taken care of them for you. In addition, I will re-establish a starport on Red Moon Star, replacing all the former guards and staff.”

“These people, I will hand over to you later.”

Mu Xing blinked and sincerely thanked him. “Thank you, Grandfather.”

Old Master Mu put away his smile and sternly admonished, “There’s nothing to thank. Your mother is useless, chose a useless husband, and in the whole family only you seem reliable. From now on, treat your mother well.”

Mu Xing thought of Mu Rongrong’s reddened eyes and wondered—since he cared, why did he have to put on such a cold face?

But this was between father and daughter. He didn’t understand and it wasn’t his place to comment.

He only said, “You don’t need to remind me of that. I’ll do it anyway.”

“Good.”

Old Master Mu hung up the call.

*

Though the loan from StarNet had been repaid, their cooperation didn’t end.

Once the people of Red Moon Star were all relocated, the personnel StarNet sent to be stationed there became, apart from Mu Xing, the only remaining population of the planet.

Fortunately, technology was advanced enough now that survival wasn’t an issue.

Life suddenly became peaceful.

Mu Xing spread out a map of Red Moon Star. After studying it for a long time, he chose to rebuild by zones—starting with the area where the Mu family lived.

He placed massive orders through StarNet: seedlings of many kinds of plants, various types of intelligent robots, water management equipment.

The eight-figure balance in his account was spent as if without a ripple.

Luckily his live channel now brought in daily revenue at levels that could only be described as astronomical.

Luckily his family, though not optimistic about his plans, still supported him gently.

He had long been on StarNet’s key watchlist, and such large orders naturally alerted Fang Yu.

Fang Yu asked what he intended. On hearing the answer, he was stunned for a long while.

So it was that he wanted, by his own strength, to create an oasis?

Fang Yu suddenly thought, no wonder this child could cultivate such a miraculous rose.

An unusual swell of passion rose in him, and he wrote a report that very night to StarNet headquarters.

The next day, Mu Xing received a letter from StarNet.

They were willing, in StarNet’s name, to provide him every year with fixed sponsorship in intelligent equipment and plants, willing to contribute to the rebuilding of Red Moon Star.

They too were curious: what else could the boy who raised a miracle rose accomplish?

Mu Xing was puzzled: was StarNet really this kindhearted?

But benefits delivered to his door were not to be wasted. He accepted them without a shred of guilt.

The very next day, all these supplies arrived on Red Moon Star.

That day, the viewers who had been hanging out in Iya’s livestream to watch the flower suddenly found the content had changed.

No longer was it the same unchanging courtyard and seemingly eternal rose bloom.

Still in holographic livestream mode, but now the channel was divided into many sections to freely choose from.

Automated equipment working underground, thousands of intelligent robots working on the surface, and in another view, on large starships bundles of carefully packed saplings and plants being unloaded in a steady stream.

The audience: ???

❣╰(⸝⸝⸝꒳⸝⸝⸝)╯❣