Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Little Pang Qiu replied, "I found him outside."

He was afraid that if he mentioned it, the terrifying Uncle Your Majesty might devour his father.

Uncle Your Majesty probed further, "Where exactly?"

Little Pang Qiu dared not reveal the truth. "I can't remember. I picked him up on the surface of Planet K."

His mind raced as he quickly spun a lie.

Danjiao had learned that this person with the surname "Huo" was an unlucky fellow. Judging from his menacing expression, he probably had some unresolved grudge with his father.

Father had spoken ill of someone with the surname Huo before.

Sob, sob, it must be a horror story indeed.

He had been kidnapped by human traffickers and spent the whole day attending classes and taking exams, only to then face the terrifying Uncle Your Majesty.

Now... he was still that "unlucky fellow with the last name Huo" mentioned by Father!

His Imperial Uncle massaged his temples and called over a few individuals.

He issued orders in a low voice.

Danjiao didn't catch the specifics, but he heard something about searching a place called the K Galaxy.

It seemed to be the same planet where the competition was held.

His Imperial Uncle asked him, "Did you see anyone when you picked it up?"

Little Fat Ball replied, "Nope, I don't know anything."

If Lu Wei were there, he would recognize this as a classic sign of Danjiao's lying.

"I saw this on the ground when I was at Planet K. It smelled nice and soothing, so I picked it up."

However, his acting skills were still decent enough to convince those who weren't his father.

Yet, it seemed His Majesty's uncle had no attention for him, gripping the small yellow duck with unusual force.

His bicep muscles were robust and well-defined.

His expression was enigmatic, revealing no hint of his thoughts.

Danjiao let out a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, he had reacted swiftly earlier and hadn't divulged any more information.

Danjiao didn't yet understand the saying that "a humble abode is better than a golden or silver nest," but he already disliked this Royal City immensely.

—Not only was there no father here, but he also had to attend classes and face that terrifying uncle.

This must be a nightmare.

Danjiao learned that the child on the other side was named Huo Nian.

And Uncle, the human trafficker, hadn't intentionally brought him back; it was because he'd mistaken Danjiao for the child named Huo Nian.

It was crucial to contact that youngster immediately.

Danjiao could logically deduce that Huo Nian bore an uncanny resemblance to him.

However, despite their similarity in appearance, their statuses were vastly different.

Danjiao was a poor little fellow, while Huo Nian was the young prince of Emperor Star.

With tears still in his eyes, the chubby little ball muttered, "Daddy must be devastated not to see Danjiao."

He activated his wristband to access the Surfing Star Network.

Huo Nian was the nephew of the terrifying His Majesty and also the crown prince of Emperor Star.

Unlike Danjiao, there was a detailed profile of him available on the New Network.

But no photos could be found.

Perhaps it was due to security reasons; only basic information was disclosed.

However, Danjiao was certain that he resembled this person a great deal, otherwise, Uncle Human Trafficker and Creepy Uncle wouldn't have mistaken him.

But how similar they were, he wasn't sure.

Pang Qiu slapped his forehead. "I need to contact Father first."

He had to let his father know that he was safe.

Only to realize – he couldn't get through.

Due to Wu Star's lack of connection to the Star Network, Father didn't have a Star Network user ID.

Father had only started applying for a new account after they arrived on another planet. Before he could ask for the ID, Danjiao was taken to Demon City.

[I'm Universe's Best Support: Is anyone there? Can SOS save me?]

Someone quickly replied, asking what had happened.

[I'm Universe's Best Support: I've been kidnapped to a Demon City, and everyone there calls me the Crown Prince. Now, I can't see Father, and I really want to escape, sobbing.]

And the replies downstairs were rather impolite:

[...]

[...??]

[If you're drunk, take some cephalosporin.]

[I Carry the Universe's Number One Goodness: Really!!! Sobs... I don't want money, I don't want to be a crown prince, and I definitely don't want to attend classes or take exams. I just want a father.]

[Let's disperse, another one gone crazy.]

[If you're so rich, show your strength with 100 Star Coins.]

[You... Never mind, I'm out.]

It was understandable that they didn't believe Danjiao, after all, how could someone wake up as a crown prince of a planet overnight?

Danjiao: If it hadn't happened to me, I wouldn't have believed it either.

Someone advised him to go undercover and investigate further.

Following the suggestion of his online friends, Danjiao prepared to seek out His Terrifying Majesty, the uncle.

He then heard that His Terrifying Majesty had gone to another place called the Starlight Tower.

Danjiao waved his chubby little hand. "Can I go too?"

Adjutant: "....Your Highness?"

Danjiao said, "I want to have a look."

- In reality, he was lying, aiming to gather more intelligence so he could escape from here.

Adjutant: "...."

The royal family's hereditary genetic illness, when combined with the fiery temperament, turned into a volatile gene bomb.

And that's how the current young prince came to be.

Danjiao clenched his chubby little paw, "I hope it won't disturb others. Should we go to that Interstellar Shark place?"

The adjutant scratched his head.

Well, it shouldn't, considering it's the young prince.

But the young prince never seemed eager to participate in such events. Not only were they dull, but he'd also have to deal with that group of cunning elders.

Ever since the queen vanished, these people had been vying for ways to inquire and try to place someone beside His Majesty.

There were quite a few who had attempted to approach the young prince indirectly, hoping to become his stepmother.

Adjutant: "Forget it, let's just go."

The 'human trafficker' picked up Danjiao, who beamed with excitement,

"Are there any cars that can give us a thrill? Let's ride one of those!"

The adjutant pondered for a moment, "I've heard about Interstellar Speeders outside Emperor Star. They can fly freely through the skies."

Danjiao: "Sit in that one, I'm sure my father would love that type of vehicle too!"

Aide: "Haha, His Majesty, perhaps?"

Has the young prince been getting particularly close to His Majesty lately?

Danjiao inwardly resisted the notion: No.

The aide stroked his chin. "Though, I do know someone who is particularly enamored with interstellar vehicles. He's obsessed with starships, in fact—"

His voice abruptly cut off.

Damn.

That person was none other than Spicy Pepper!

He nearly revealed that, which might have triggered the young prince's sorrowful memories.

The aide swallowed the rest of his words, turning them back in his throat.

Pang Qiu nestled on his shoulder, asking his question.

Danjiao: "Uncle Human Trafficker, can you also take my Beefball Number One with us?"

The adjutant inquired, "What is Beefball Number One?"

He was genuinely curious about this new term.

Danjiao sighed, patiently explaining to the seemingly clueless uncle, "Beefball Number One is the little green caterpillar I caught yesterday."

Adjutant: "Then what's a beefball...?"

Danjiao sighed again. "It's a kind of frozen food, silly uncle."

Listening to Danjiao's tone, as if he was speaking to someone incredibly ignorant, the adjutant felt a momentary daze.

The last person who had left him utterly speechless was Spicy Pepper.

After all, the Little Prince was indeed Spicy Pepper's offspring. Despite being raised by His Majesty, the fiery genes of Spicy Pepper must still run deep within his veins!!

The aide reminded, "Insects aren't allowed inside the Interstellar Tower."

Danjiao replied, "Okay."

The two of them boarded a transfer shuttle.

Danjiao continued to ask, "Can't we take a starship?"

The aide rubbed his nose. "That requires a license, one that you have to pass an exam for."

Danjiao said, "So Uncle, you don't even have a starship license."

"..."

The little prince was no longer adorable at all!

The aide escorted him into the Interstellar Tower, smoothly entering and exiting with just their faces as identification.

When His Majesty the Terror saw them appear there, he even raised an eyebrow.

Upon arriving, Danjiao discovered a startling truth:

There were no seats available.

Every spot in this interstellar shark was assigned and occupied, leaving no room for extras.

But it didn't matter; Danjiao was an incredibly clever child.

Influenced by his cheerful, magnanimous, and universally kind father,

He knew what to do when there were no seats:

Fetch a small stool and listen from the sidelines.

So, Danjiao waddled next door, exerting his chubby little hands to carry a tiny stool over.

He then sat down beside the gathering.

It was the Little Prince's first time attending an interstellar meeting. Seeing such a plump little ball, who combined the best features of both fathers, even those who held animosity towards him couldn't help but be charmed.

But!

Observing the chubby Pang Qiu survey his surroundings and realize there were no available seats, an idea suddenly struck him.

He hurried to fetch a small stool from the neighboring area.

The assembled nobles: "...."

Truly the offspring of that person! Even their approach to problem-solving was identical!

One could see that the Queen's petite stool was still on the golden steps!

Before Pang Qiu could even warm his seat, the Sovereign scooped him up.

"Sit here."

He placed him on the Queen's stool beside him.

—If not for him, Danjiao wouldn't have noticed the stool's presence.

Danjiao: Oh oh oh!

So there's actually an unused little stool beside us.

Charming and sophisticated!

The same thought crosses Danjiao's mind – they're surely compatible with Danjiao.

How to describe this action?

For a young prince, it might be rather impolite yet delightfully endearing.

Under normal circumstances, a compliment or two wouldn't be unusual.

Yet, the great hall was unusually silent.

No one dared to speak.

—Because this is exactly what the former Queen used to do.

The young prince and the queen share a bloodline, so it's not surprising that they have similar thought patterns.

But if they were to inadvertently provoke His Majesty, they would be the ones in trouble.

This small incident made the meeting an excruciating affair.

Huo Jin's attention was fixed on Pang Qiu, who had fetched a stool for himself.

With narrowed eyes, the king pointed casually, "What do you think of him?"

His finger was directed right at Pang Qiu.

The attendant ventured a cautious question, "Has the young prince become more cheerful after his outing?"

Leaning on his chin nonchalantly, the king said, "I'm asking you, do you think he's Huo Nian?"

The tone was flat, leaving the attendant uncertain about the underlying meaning.

The servant dared not respond and simply fell silent.

Unlike the blissfully naive adjutant, he had thoroughly parsed the Emperor's intentions. If His Majesty were to ask such a question, it would inevitably mean that suspicion had already arisen.

Based on his intuition, the young one before him, whether it be an extraterrestrial or in terms of genetic ranking, should indeed be none other than Little Prince himself.

However, their personalities were indeed quite dissimilar. Explaining it with a genetic disorder would only be a barely acceptable rationale.

Yet, logically speaking, there shouldn't be another offspring with such an intimidating gene anywhere in the universe.

Only a lineage like this could exert such a powerful sense of dominance. Considering that, it could only be Young Master.

The attendant observed cautiously, "…."

After a moment of contemplation, he ventured to ask, "Should we still send someone to Planet K to search for the queen?"

His Majesty had his eyes closed, lost in thought. "If she were to be found, she would have been found long ago."

He then added, "Keep an eye on him for now."

The attendant glanced at Little Pang Qiu and nodded.