Nearby, Williams' gaze sharpened as he observed Zhou Tianming's military salute: "Child, does someone in your family serve in the military?"
Lowering his hand, Zhou Tianming shook his head: "No one at home, but I often see it at school."
"I see." Williams nodded. "Your salute posture is exceptionally standard."
"Thank you."
Olivia pinched Williams' arm with a smile: "Come on, tell big sister which spaceship you'd like to tour."
For the following period, Zhou Tianming toured alongside Natarle's family.
Initially unsure what topics might interest Natarle, he simply observed quietly to satisfy his own curiosity.
After watching for a while, his idolized image of her shattered—she seemed nothing extraordinary, just an ordinary girl with somewhat boyish tendencies.
If he had to identify distinctive traits, it would be her remarkably military demeanor despite her young age—her back ramrod straight when walking, each footstep precisely measured.
Having lost interest in the girl, Zhou Tianming turned his attention to the spaceships.
However, since he hadn't come specifically for the tour without particular objectives, he left the selection to Natarle's family.
Unexpectedly, the choice of ships to visit rested with Natarle. Zhou Tianming had assumed Williams, being a military officer, would be the spaceship enthusiast.
Seeming to sense Zhou Tianming's puzzlement, Olivia covered her mouth and 'whispered' conspicuously: "Natarle's loved spaceships since childhood. We even have a room at home dedicated to displaying spaceship models."
Hearing this, Natarle's cheeks flushed as she grabbed Olivia's arm: "Mother! Please refrain from mentioning irrelevant matters."
"Yes~ yes~"
Seeing the usually composed Natarle flustered made Zhou Tianming chuckle, earning him a glare.
Perhaps because her hobby had been exposed, Natarle became more relaxed, her face lighting up with smiles upon entering each spacecraft.
After touring several ships consecutively, Zhou Tianming realized her passion was genuine—she knew every model intimately, along with weapon specifications, special equipment, speed metrics, and defensive capabilities.
Though Zhou Tianming considered himself quite knowledgeable from modifying the Black Tortoise, Natarle's exhaustive expertise left him thoroughly impressed.
Before they knew it, the two fell into easy conversation.
Watching Zhou Tianming and Natarle chat animatedly from a short distance behind, Olivia nodded approvingly: "How rare to see Natarle enjoying someone's company so much."
"You worry unnecessarily. It's not that she couldn't converse with others—she simply chose not to."
"And whose fault is that?" Olivia shot Williams a sidelong glare. "You raised Natarle like some soldier—completely unfeminine! No wonder she finds other children immature."
Looking at Natarle's smiling face, Williams sighed, "Our family members are destined for the military."
At this moment, Olivia showed concern, "You know I work in administration. Lately, there have been so many believers of Blue Cosmos in the office, and many people are being pressured to join."
"..." After a moment of silence, Williams added, "It's the same in the military. I rejected a few Blue Cosmos members from boarding the ship, and now higher-ups are pressuring me to recruit some."
The atmosphere between the two grew heavy, but it didn't affect Zhou Tianming and Natarle.
"Badgiruel, do you love spaceships so much because you want to be a captain someday?"
Nodding vigorously, Natarle smiled, "I want to be a captain like my father, with a ship of my own. It'd be even better if it could serve as a mothership in battle."
Her face filled with longing.
You did achieve it, but...
Thinking of Natarle's fate in the original story, Zhou Tianming sighed.
Her brows furrowing at the sigh, Natarle glared at him, "What's that supposed to mean? Think I'm daydreaming?"
"No, no," Zhou Tianming waved his hands quickly, then came up with an excuse, giving her a thumbs-up, "I just think your dream is amazing. I've never thought that far ahead."
I just want to be an 'ordinary' Gundam pilot, that's all.
Flattered, Natarle blushed slightly and turned her head away.
Suddenly, Zhou Tianming sensed a hint of 'killing intent' behind him.
A pair of thick hands clamped onto his shoulders, fingers tightening. Williams wore a stern expression, "Your physique isn't up to par—too frail."
Olivia pinched his waist hard, making his eyebrows twitch, though his expression remained unchanged.
Are all fathers like this?
Wearing a helpless look, Zhou Tianming twisted free from Williams' grip.
Without hesitation, he hid behind Olivia, peeking out with a big grin.
A vein throbbed on Williams' forehead.
"Tian Ming! Come here, there's an East Asian 'Dilu Type-3' over there!"
Natarle's voice rang out.
The killing intent intensified.
Zhou Tianming took a wide arc to avoid Williams' 'murderous aura' and walked toward Natarle.
Olivia chuckled.
Just then, Zhou Tianming's phone buzzed.
Pulling it out, he saw a message from White Rabbit—...
Checking the time, he realized over two hours had passed. The application had long been approved, and the Black Tortoise had already arrived nearby.
Women really do complicate things—the ancients weren't wrong.
Looking up, he said to Natarle's family, "Uncle, Auntie, my mom's looking for me. I should get going."
To Natarle, who had walked back, he added, "Badgiruel, see you next time. Bye!"
With a wave, he glanced at the coordinates White Rabbit had sent and ran off.
Natarle, now back with her parents, watched Zhou Tianming's retreating figure with a thoughtful expression.
"Dad, let's follow him."
Williams froze, his 'killing intent' surging, though his face remained calm, "Sure. I quite like that kid—just a shame he lacks training."
Olivia shook her head, "What's the point of us tagging along when he's meeting his mom?"
"He's lying. He's definitely not going to see his mom."
"This..." Williams hesitated. "After all, it's someone else's private matter. It's normal they wouldn't tell us, since we've only just met."
Natarle's eyes sparkled with detective-like curiosity. "He didn't leave a phone number. I'm going after him to ask."
With that, she quickened her pace to catch up.
"Natarle! Natarle!"
Olivia was both exasperated and amused. "Daughters grow up and don't listen anymore. Is she really that easy to fool? Though little Tianming is quite handsome indeed."
As she muttered to herself, she heard suppressed whispers nearby.
Looking over, she saw Williams clenching his teeth and fists.
...
"White Rabbit, where's the Black Tortoise?"
"Coordinates 1121-779-3314, centered around the venue."
Zhou Tianming immediately visualized a 3D coordinate map in his mind, locating the position instantly.
Arriving at a white ticket machine, Tianming tapped the screen to select the area and direction, quickly finding the Black Tortoise hidden in a corner among dozens of spaceships using the coordinates.
He selected boarding permission.
[Hello, the spaceship you selected does not permit boarding. For visits, please contact the spaceship staff or enter a dedicated invitation code for verification.]
Tapping his earpiece: "White Rabbit, invitation code."
Following White Rabbit's instructions, Tianming input the code. The machine dispensed a rigid card printed with an image of the venue.
"White Rabbit, plot a route. I need to conduct detailed tests on the Black Tortoise—start with a straight-line sprint, then find some complex terrain to test turning..."
With a pleased expression, he turned to leave.
Not long after he left, Natarle arrived. Watching Tianming's retreating figure from afar, she wrinkled her nose and snorted.
After operating the ticket machine, she found Tianming's target—the Black Tortoise.
Frowning at the image displayed on screen, her face showed confusion.
Just then, Williams and Olivia arrived. Seeing the spaceship on screen, they exclaimed in unison: "That hunk of junk?"
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