When Alpha Star’s captain asked, Lu Mingming subconsciously held her breath, her heart briefly stopping before resuming: “You’re the second person I’ve met who’s interested in a woman’s personal affairs. Truly, appearances can be deceiving.”
Unmoved by her words, the Alpha Star captain continued to stare at her bag, causing Lu Mingming a flicker of anxiety.
“If you’re busy with your private matters, why are you so nervous?” the Alpha Star captain asked. He then chuckled and gestured with his mouth towards the bag, “What’s inside? Something delicious? I finished that pot of soup yesterday, it was truly wonderful.”
“It seems your curiosity is quite strong,” Lu Mingming replied, changing the subject.
The Alpha Star captain remained noncommittal, and the two remained locked in a standoff.
As more people gathered around, Lu Mingming couldn't help but say, “I need to take the cub to the restroom. Don’t waste my time.”
As Lu Mingming turned to leave, the Alpha Star captain suddenly shouted, “The crystal token in your bag, isn’t it?”
Other teams, their attention drawn, glanced over discreetly, their actions gradually ceasing.
“Isn’t that the one who made the venison soup yesterday? It looks like there’s a conflict with the Alpha Star team.”
“They say Lu Mingming has a crystal token in her bag. Are they about to start a fight before the official announcement?”
“I’ll go call our captain right away, maybe she can grab it.”
Lu Mingming’s heart tightened, her brows furrowed. She turned back with feigned annoyance, saying, “If you want to know the result, why don’t you wait for the announcement? Please don’t frame me.”
With that, she turned to leave.
The Alpha Star captain let out an inscrutable hum, and his team members immediately surged forward, forming a circle.
“If you want me to see, then don’t go too far. Let’s all wait here together,” the Alpha Star captain said with a smile.
“What’s going on?”
The Dragon Tribe leader, having just finished his ablutions, saw the head chef in peril. He called out to his teammates and strode forward, his face stern. Despite the man’s formidable muscles, the Alpha Star captain showed no fear.
“I suspect your team member is secretly carrying a crystal token. Perhaps we should wait for the official announcement.”
The Dragon Tribe leader retorted righteously, “That’s absolutely impossible. She’s been with us the entire day.”
With both sides sticking to their stories, only Lu Mingming clutched her backpack strap tighter.
The broadcast began: “Next, we will announce the teams possessing crystal tokens…”
As the announcement was made, no one noticed a faint, subtle fragrance drifting on the breeze, dispersing into the air without drawing any attention.
“First, the number 1 token is with…”
A jarring burst of static drowned out the team’s name, before quickly returning to normal. The teams present were bewildered; not a single person had clearly heard the name of the team with the crystal token, let alone how to target them.
*Number 1 crystal token is in my bag, isn’t it? Why wasn’t it announced?*
Lu Mingming naturally thought of the cub also in her bag, wondering, *Could it be his help?! Did the little cub activate his psychic powers so early?*
Lu Mingming’s racing heart began to calm. Although she didn’t know what had happened, she had at least escaped this predicament. Relieved, she figured since she only had the number 1 token, the rest was no longer her concern.
Soon, the broadcast announced the name of the next team possessing a crystal token. This time, there were no issues, directly announcing that the token was in Angelina’s team.
“They’re playing this game on me.”
Angelina’s face darkened. Her teammates surrounded her protectively, wary of potential attacks from those nearby. The teams gathered there yesterday numbered no less than seven, with three being invincible powerhouses and one a large, mixed-type team. Even if Angelina was the previous year’s champion, she couldn't guarantee everyone’s safety while protecting her token if all the other teams joined forces.
The broadcast continued without pause, announcing the next.
The team with the number 4 token belonged to an unknown, nameless squad. Clearly, they had become the prime target, with many teams eyeing them, ready to strike. The leader of the small team signaled, deciding not to linger. He pushed aside the tangled bushes obstructing their path, and they scurried away one by one, trembling.
Within five seconds, other teams quickly caught up, stealthily following with the intent to capture the nameless team. The Alpha Star team sat back, waiting for the show, a half-smile on their faces as they anticipated Lu Mingming’s exposure.
“The number 6 crystal token is with the Xing Fu Star team, the number 8 crystal token is with the Insectoid team, and the number 10 crystal token is with the Xing Fu Star team. The announcements are now complete. We hope everyone works hard to strive for first place in this parenting zone competition.”
Another burst of static, and the broadcast fell silent.
*Who has the number 6 and number 10 tokens?!*
Lu Mingming’s surprise was evident, and she exchanged glances with her teammates.
“See, what did I tell you?”
The Alpha Star team slowly formed a semicircle around the Xing Fu Star group, their intentions obvious. The cubs, facing such a situation for the first time, looked fearfully at the strangers, unwilling to let go of the hands they held.
“Is it you?”
The Dragon Tribe leader looked troubled.
Lu Mingming shook her head and gritted her teeth, saying, “I can let someone check my bag for a cub, but he’s very timid, so you’ll need to be quiet. However, once my innocence is proven, will you compensate me for my losses?”
Seeing Lu Mingming’s apparent openness, the Alpha Star team seemed to hesitate, looking to their captain for a decision.
“What are you looking at? Don’t hurt the cubs. Do the rest of you need me to direct you?”
Just as the Alpha Star team was about to make a move, an unknown small team approached, their faces etched with clear anger: “How can the number 10 crystal token be in their hands!”
The leader of the small team spoke: “We and the Duck team are from friendly planets. The number 10 token was encountered by both our teams simultaneously. I requested that it be given to them. Why is it now with the Xing Fu Star team?”
“Speaking of which, the Duck team was diagnosed with poisoning and is still in the medical unit.”
The Alpha Star captain continued to stir the pot, his words causing other races to become vigilant, recalling their interactions with the Xing Fu Star team.
Observing everyone’s expressions, the Alpha Star captain said, “Not only that, but the number 6 crystal token in their team is also very suspicious.”
“I first discovered the number 6 token near the Shy Vine,” the Alpha Star captain explained. “As everyone knows, Shy Vines are very dangerous. At the time, the Squirrel team and the Duck team were competing there. In the end, the Squirrel team ran off with the crystal token and lost their tracks. The Duck team didn’t want their efforts to be in vain and rushed over there. Logically, it shouldn’t have ended up in the Xing Fu team’s hands! Did you two teams do this?”
“It seems they’re in trouble,” the Elf Star prince stated with a serious expression.
“Whether they did it or not, the broadcast clearly announced that the number 6 and number 10 tokens are in their possession. There’s no escaping that. People are willing to do anything to achieve the results they desire.”
William, not entirely understanding his brother, nodded obediently.
“No, there’s someone…”
The Dragon Tribe leader, comparing the timelines over the past two days, instantly noticed something amiss. If the Dragon Tribe had obtained it, his teammates would have reported it, but he hadn’t received any news.
“Hua Xia, is it you?” The Dragon Tribe leader subconsciously believed Lu Mingming wouldn’t do such a thing.
“You’ve decided it’s me?” Hua Xia chuckled, strangely not refuting.
The next second, thick white smoke billowed from beneath his feet. His companion, Xu Jia Jia, lunged with a paw, but only grasped air—where Hua Xia had stood, there was now an empty space, with only a piece of paper bearing a drawn pattern left behind. Lu Mingming leaned closer and saw a mischievous red rabbit depicted on the paper, its freckles dotted across its face, making it rather cute.
“He disappeared, damn it.” The Alpha Star captain cursed, his target shifting back to Lu Mingming: “Now it’s time to deal with you.”