A is in StarCraft, just disembarked from the Zerg Prince spaceship.

************

......

The Prince ship landed smoothly at the Blue Ocean Airport of the Human Federation.

The familiar moist air and the scent of grass and trees rushed towards me, dispelling the feeling of being away from home during my interstellar journey.

After obtaining the pet entry and exit visas, Gao Tian and Lan took the snow leopard mother and her cub back to Yunnan.

The hovercar flew across the land of China, heading towards their villa halfway up the mountain.

The bougainvillea at the entrance of the villa is still blooming like a magenta cloud.

The access control is open.

Gao Tian and the Crown Prince pushed open the gate and went in first, then turned back to call to them.

The snow leopard got out of the car, its amber eyes filled with the natural vigilance of a top predator, scrutinizing the unfamiliar environment from all sides.

Gao Tianchong beckoned.

The snow leopard felt somewhat relieved and walked gracefully into the yard.

The snow leopards in Lehrnia are much larger than snow leopards on Earth. The majestic and massive body of the female leopard walked across the doorway, casting a huge shadow.

She stepped steadily onto the path among the grass and trees in the yard, leisurely following behind Gao Tian and the others, like a queen inspecting a new territory.

The little snow leopard peeked out from behind its legs, cautiously extending its paws to step onto the stone path in the yard.

The smart home system detected that the homeowner had returned and opened the living room door.

On a winter afternoon in Yunnan, sunlight streamed warmly through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows into the living room of the villa.

Gao Tian and the Crown Prince led the snow leopards into the living room.

"Little Yellow! We're back!" Gao Tian called out to the little dog emperor.

A rustling sound came from behind the sofa, and the little dog Emperor strode out with an air of indifference.

The next second, the grayish-white shadow saw a beast the size of a small mountain, let out a panicked howl, and darted back behind the sofa with lightning speed, revealing only a pair of terrified sapphire-like eyes.

With her 500-600 kg size, smooth muscle lines, imposing presence, and the wild aura of a top predator, the Leopard Sister was incredibly impactful to a half-grown husky.

The little dog emperor's ears instantly turned into airplane ears, pressed tightly against his head, and his whole body shrank back behind the sofa, letting out a low, trembling, menacing growl: "Woof—!"

Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!!!

I was really scared, I almost peed my pants.

Leopard Sister merely glanced at the little cowardly dog's tail peeking out from behind the sofa, sniffed it, and, confirming there was no threat, led the little snow leopard straight to the thick, soft carpet in the center of the living room, where she calmly lay down in front of Gao Tian and the Crown Prince.

The snow leopard's massive body stretched out, resembling a snow-covered hill, elegant and beautiful.

The little snow leopard also lay down like its mother, snuggling up beside her and giving a small yawn.

Gao Tian looked at the little dog Emperor's trembling furry back behind the sofa and found it a bit funny. Suppressing his laughter, he called to it in an exceptionally gentle voice, "Come here, it's okay. This is our big sister, she won't hurt you."

The little dog emperor peeked out half his head, looked at the high sky, then at the leopard sister's imposing figure, his blue eyes filled with hesitation and fear.

After a while, seeing that Gao Tian had not been eaten by the leopard, it tentatively stretched out its front paws and gently scratched at the floor.

The snow leopard glanced at it, then quickly retreated, its tail wagging extremely slowly, its eyes filled with suspicion and uncertainty.

After a long while, the dog's head cautiously peeked out from behind the sofa again.

Gao Tian and the Crown Prince waited patiently, each busy with their own affairs, and did not forcibly pull it.

The leopard seemed completely unconcerned about the puppy, instead lowering its head to gently lick the snow leopard cub's head. The cub contentedly squinted its eyes and purred softly.

It seems quite safe.

This tranquility gave the little dog emperor a bit of courage.

Blue eyes were fixed on the snow leopard mother and cub on the carpet, especially the large snow leopard that looked like a small mountain.

It tentatively, step by step, very slowly, very slowly, moved out from behind the sofa.

Its tail was tucked tightly between its legs, its body was half-lying down, and every step it took was taken with utmost caution.

It slowly approached the edge of the carpet, stopping five or six meters away from the large snow leopard and the small snow leopard. It dared not go any further, lowered its body, and kept sniffing the unfamiliar scent of wild beasts in the air.

Leopard Sister didn't even lift her eyelids. She simply rested her chin on her front paws, closed her eyes to rest, as if the timid little puppy that approached was just a speck of dust floating in the air.

This neglect actually felt like a form of safety to the puppy.

Its body relaxed a little, and its tail swung a little more.

It slowly moved closer, sniffing as it went, trying to understand the enormous creature better.

The little dog Emperor slowly moved to a spot just a few steps away from the snow leopards. The little snow leopard opened its round eyes and looked curiously at the strange, grayish-white creature with its tail tucked tightly between its legs.

The little dog Emperor tentatively moved its nose a little closer to the snow leopard cub and let out a soft "woof".

The little snow leopard tilted its head, stood up from beside its mother, and imitated the puppy by letting out a soft "woof." It lowered its body, stretched out its paws, and extended its five paws into a plum blossom shape.

For dogs, lowering their bodies and extending their paws forward means they want to play together.

The little dog emperor's tail gave a slight, tentative wag.

The next second, the snow leopard cub suddenly pounced! The two roughly the same size furry creatures immediately rolled into a ball.

They rarely see playmates of similar size, and they chase and frolic on the carpet, making excited purring and howling sounds.

Sister Leopard finally opened her eyes and quietly watched the two cubs playing.

It didn't stop it; a hint of gentleness even appeared in its eyes. After a while, it stuck out its huge tongue and gently licked the slightly messy fur on the head of the puppy that had rolled to its feet, just like it would its own cub.

"Ooh..." Oh no, I got carried away. The little dog emperor froze at the sudden lick from the queen, but then felt the comforting sensation from the rough tongue.

It had no mother since it was a cub, and no female animal had ever licked its fur.

The little dog emperor squinted its blue eyes comfortably, making a satisfied purring sound in its throat.

The little snow leopard got tired of playing and rolled over to its sister's warm, soft belly.

The little dog Emperor tentatively rubbed against the snow leopard's warm belly.

The snow leopard didn't refuse; it shifted its body to make room for the puppy.

Leopard Sister also included the puppy in her sanctuary.

The Crown Prince's expression softened considerably as he observed all of this.

No wonder Ruby Beasts are the most popular pets in the Liernia Empire; they are indeed obedient and intelligent, and it is difficult to describe them as traditional wild beasts.

Gao Tian laughed: "They're all black, white, and gray, and you know what, they actually look quite similar."

He took out his personal terminal to record this rare and heartwarming cross-species moment.

We often see large dogs raising kittens, but it's really rare to see a large cat raising a small dog.

But just as he switched to camera mode to take a picture, the device suddenly vibrated.

"Huh?" Gao Tian asked in surprise.

A message pops up on the screen:

[Sender: Office of the Commander of the First Military District, Human Federation]

[Content: Major General Gao Tian, ​​Commander-in-Chief Qi has made an appointment in advance to meet with you at the First Military Region Commander-in-Chief's office at 15:00 this afternoon.]

Oh right, before he left, President Qi said that he had some private matters to discuss with him when he returned.

But what private business could President Qi possibly have to discuss with him? I can't figure it out.

"What's wrong?" Lan asked, looking at him.

Gao Tianchong raised the terminal: "Didn't we agree before I left? President Qi wanted to meet with me. He said it was some private matters, nothing serious, I'll go."

He stood up and kissed Little Butterfly's face: "Don't worry, President Qi seems quite calm, it's probably nothing serious, he'll be back soon."

"Alright." The Crown Prince also had his own things to do this afternoon.

It took them another day to get back, and there were only two days left until the New Year's celebrations in Liernia. He needed to prepare, gather the Royal Guard, and kill Orion first.

......

*********

......

Gao Tian drove himself to the First Military Region Commander's office.

On the way there, the sky was overcast, and it looked like it was going to rain.

The sky was overcast, like a dull, yellowish lead block, with thick, low-hanging clouds. The air was so stuffy it was hard to breathe, and there wasn't a breath of wind, only a heavy, humid atmosphere.

It's unbelievable! It's only been a short time since spring began, and spring rain is usually as precious as oil. It's strange that there's such a downpour in this kind of weather.

The hovercar drove into the heavily guarded headquarters of the First Military Region.

Outside the car window, the rain-laden clouds pressed even lower.

A little rain is a good thing. After the rain, the dry and cold winter will pass and spring will come.

The car stopped in front of the Commander-in-Chief's private Independence Building.

Gao got off the bus and looked up at the military headquarters building in front of him.

I don't know what President Qi said to him, I only remember that before returning to Liernia, President Qi said that he had some private matters he wanted to discuss with him.

Although the weather wasn't great, he was still in a pretty relaxed mood.

He recalled Commander-in-Chief Qi's words before leaving, "I have some private matters to discuss," and guessed that it might be about Gao Xing, or perhaps some coordination issues within his military duties, or maybe he was simply concerned about his and the Zerg Crown Prince's recent situation.

However, it shouldn't be anything bad, otherwise President Qi wouldn't be so calm.

He even thought about the three furry creatures huddled together in the villa, and what he would eat with the Crown Prince tonight.

Gao Tian straightened his military uniform and entered the building.

The building was still very busy, and the reception staff rushed over to greet him when they saw his military uniform.

He checked the meeting appointment with the receptionist and went up to the floor where Commander-in-Chief Qi's office was located.

Once you get here, it becomes spacious and quiet.

There was no one in the entire corridor except him, and only the sound of his footsteps echoed in the silent corridor.

There are guards at the entrance to the building.

Gao Tian checked the appointment with the guard again. The guard saluted him silently and pushed open the heavy wooden door engraved with the words "Federal Earth" for him.

As Gao Tian walked in, he was immediately enveloped by an almost vacuum-like silence.

Commander-in-Chief Qi's office was very large and tall, extremely spacious, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows that occupied almost an entire wall, letting in natural light.

However, at this moment, dark clouds rolled in outside the window, and the dim sky made the room feel gloomy.

The ceiling was very high, and a huge federal star map projection stood like an island in the center of the room, with satellites slowly rotating around the Earth.

There was no one behind the desk.

Gao Tian's gaze swept across the room, finally settling on the floor-to-ceiling window.

Commander-in-Chief Qi sat in an ordinary chair with his back to the French windows.

I don't know why the lights in President Qi's office were off; the dim light from the window cast a silent silhouette on him.

For some reason, Gao Tian had a bad feeling.

He shuddered, forcibly suppressing this ominous premonition, and stood at attention at the door: "Reporting, Commander! Gao Tian reporting!"

Outside the window, the first pale lightning bolt tore through the thick clouds, and a few seconds later, a muffled rumble of thunder rolled in, like a giant beast roaring in the clouds, before returning to silence.

Commander-in-Chief Qi stood up, as if wiping his face, and pointed to the chair opposite his desk: "Sit down."

The sound remained steady, calm, and without any abnormalities.

But his figure, against the backdrop of the dim sky, resembled a silent, standing statue.

Lightning flashes outside the window occasionally tore through the dark clouds, briefly illuminating his expressionless profile before disappearing back into the deeper gloom.

How could I dare sit on such a high place?

Gao Tian: "Mr. Qi, it's getting a bit dark. Shall I turn on the lights for you?"

Commander-in-Chief Qi seemed to wipe his face again, looking somewhat dejected: "Sorry, I forgot, the switch is on the right-hand side of the door."

Gao Tian looked to his right and saw the light switch. With a "click," he turned it on, and the office lights blazed on.

It looks more normal now, not as strange as it did before.

Commander-in-Chief Qi walked to his desk and sat down, looking once again like a pillar of humanity.

He gestured towards the seat in front of his desk: "Don't be shy, Major General Gao Tian, ​​have a seat. I'm only here to discuss some personal matters."

Gao Tian walked to the chair as instructed, but did not sit down immediately.

An inexplicable intuition crept up his spine, making him feel a chill run down his spine.

This atmosphere is really not right.

The dim lighting, the rolling dark clouds outside the window, and President Qi's unusual demeanor... in short, this certainly didn't seem like a simple private matter.

Gao Tian hesitated to sit down and said cautiously, "No, no need, please sit down. I just got back. I've been on the boat for a long time, so standing is good for me."

President Qi then did not mention having Gao Tian sit down again.

He looked down at the table and knew that Gao Tianhui had sensed something was wrong. He remained silent for several seconds before looking up.

His gaze fell on Gao Tian's face, and there was an expression in Gao Tian's eyes that he had never seen before.

...a heavy feeling that borders on pity.

I don't know if he wanted to cry, or if he wanted to cry for someone else, but his eyes looked like he wanted to cry.

A storm was brewing outside the window, while inside the house, a suffocating silence reigned.

Commander-in-Chief Qi glanced at Gao Tian once and then looked away, his gaze settling on the smooth, cold surface of the desk.

Gao Tian followed his gaze.

There was an open, antique-looking dark wooden box.

It's one of those carved wooden boxes you see in TV dramas, exquisitely carved. I don't know what kind of wood it's made of, but it must be quite expensive.

The wooden box was lined with red velvet. On top of the velvet were several pieces of jade.

It should be jadeite, right? Anyway, it's all green, and even someone who doesn't know much about jadeite can tell it's very beautiful.

They lay there quietly, bathed in the dim light, exuding a gentle and understated charm.

The water quality is excellent, and the colors are rich, like new leaves in early spring or water in a deep pool, carved into a magnificent pattern.

They look quite old, not new; each piece seems to have accumulated over many years, representing a silent and profound history.

Commander-in-Chief Qi reached out and gently pushed the jade pieces from in front of him toward Gao Tian, ​​who was sitting across from him on his desk.

His movements were light, yet carried an indescribable solemnity, as if entrusting something to someone.

Gao Tian looked at the jade on the table, then looked up at Commander-in-Chief Qi.

The ominous premonition grew stronger.

A sudden whistling sound came from outside the office window.

The wind is strong, and it might rain soon, making people feel uneasy.

Gao Tian stood straight, his body taut like a fully drawn bowstring, the muscles beneath his military uniform unconsciously tensing, as if he were about to turn and run at any moment.

He dared not sit down, nor even breathe too heavily, and asked cautiously, "President Qi... what's wrong...?"

"I've sorted out some things." Commander-in-Chief Qi's voice rang out, deep and calm, very steady, piercing through the noise of the wind.

For the first time, his gaze truly and without hesitation fell on Gao Tian's face, looking at the face that looked exactly like Gao Xing's.

Commander-in-Chief Qi paused for a long time, as if he needed to gather all his strength before he could say what he was about to say.

"...These are some family heirlooms of our Qi family."

Gao Tian felt a chill run down his spine.

He looked at the box of warm, lustrous jade on the table, then met Commander-in-Chief Qi's eyes, which seemed to be trying to express something.

The Qi family heirloom? Why show it to him? Is it meant for him?

No, even if he is the Zerg Crown Princess, it's not like he'd go that far, Commander.

Commander-in-Chief Qi did not give Gao Tian any extra time to think.

Now that things have come to this point, Commander-in-Chief Qi's lips pressed into a hard, straight line.

Let's be honest and straightforward.

He looked into Gao Tian's eyes, which bore a resemblance to his own in his youth, and Gao Tian spoke to him, word by word, directly and clearly:

"Gao Tian, ​​I am your father."

boom----!!!

Outside the window, another pale bolt of lightning suddenly cleaved the dark sky, illuminating the dim office as bright as day.

Immediately afterwards, a loud thunderclap exploded overhead, and the whole world trembled in the thunder.

The first cold raindrop finally struck the window with a soft "plop." Then, like a giant curtain being torn open, the dense rain instantly enveloped the entire world, leaving only the deafening sound of the rain.

Gao Tian's expression went completely blank.