Dad Texted “Mo Li”… And My Terminal Started Ringing

Such a commotion quickly attracted the security personnel.

The two guards who had gone ahead also rushed back. Seeing the scorched mess on
the floor and then the wide-eyed Mrs. Mo and Guard No. 3, they were stunned.

“Wh-what is this…?”

Mrs. Mo and Guard No. 3 didn’t speak.

They were both looking at Mo Bai.

Mo Bai had very little divine power to begin with. After expending it to summon
a lightning strike, his little face was pale and sickly, covered in cold sweat.

Seeing more and more people entering, Mo Bai glanced at the scorched biological
mecha on the floor and at Strell, who was likely just as charred. He shook his
little head and looked toward Mrs. Mo.

Seeing no fear or terror in her eyes, only shock, he felt a slight sense of
relief.

“Mom,” Mo Bai called out, wanting to go to her. But after only two steps, his
shaky body gave way.

Mrs. Mo’s mind was still reeling, but her body moved faster than her thoughts.
She rushed over and caught Mo Bai’s collapsing body.

“Baibai! How do you feel?!”

Mo Bai rested his head on Mrs. Mo’s shoulder without speaking. He had no
strength left. His soul could slip out at any moment.

Just then, Mo Xiangtian arrived with the other security personnel.

“God! What happened? Baby? Baby, what’s wrong with you?”

Thinking his son was hurt, Mo Xiangtian quickly called for a medical pod. He
took the little brat from Mrs. Mo.

Finding the little brat covered in cold sweat, Mo Xiangtian held him tighter.
“Don’t be scared, baby. Daddy’s here. Daddy’s right here. Does something hurt?
Bear with it. The doctor will be here soon!”

Seeing the growing crowd and feeling his consciousness fading, Mo Bai, not
wanting to frighten his parents, shrank into Mo Xiangtian’s arms. “Daddy, I’m
scared… I was so scared…”

He was trying to act weak so his parents wouldn’t see him as a monster. He
wanted them to live happily and then, after they passed, he could fulfill this
karmic bond. His soft, weak voice and pale little face made him look pitiful.

Mo Xiangtian’s heart melted.

Thinking of how his son had almost been kidnapped and taken hostage—such a
small, weak little baby—how could anyone be so cruel?

Still furious, Mo Xiangtian, holding Mo Bai, walked over to the scorched
biological mecha and gave it a vicious kick. “You bastard! How dare you bully
our baby! I’ll kill you!”

The security guard said, “…Boss, he’s already dead.”

Mo Xiangtian growled, “Then I’ll desecrate the corpse!”

The security guard thought, ‘You’re the boss. Whatever makes you happy.’

Mo Xiangtian kicked a few more times, comforting the little brat in his arms as
he did. “See, baby? Daddy’s beating him for you! If Daddy kills him, he won’t
dare bully you again!”

Guard No. 3 and Mrs. Mo: “…”

Um. Should they tell Mo Xiangtian that the scorched mess on the floor was
actually caused by their little brat?

The security personnel examined the item on the floor and confirmed it was the
stolen biological mecha, now completely destroyed.

“Boss, this biological mecha is useless now.”

Useless?

Mo Xiangtian paused mid-kick. He looked reluctant. “How did this person die? Why
is he dead? How can I make him pay for the mecha if he’s dead!”

Guard No. 3 and Mrs. Mo: “…”

Um. Should they tell Mo Xiangtian that the biological mecha was actually
destroyed by Mo Bai?

But would anyone believe that?

Mrs. Mo, however, was thinking more.

Where had Baibai gotten this strange power?

She had only ever heard of mermaids having special ability, which could soothe
humans. Humans relied on their physical genes and consciousness sea.

But what Baibai had just used looked like neither a mermaid’s special ability
nor a human’s natural ability. So what was it?

Whatever it was, she knew that if it were revealed, it would bring huge trouble
for Mo Bai.

Mrs. Mo signaled to the guard with her eyes, ordering him not to say a word.

Guard No. 3 quickly understood and nodded. ‘Don’t worry, ma’am. I’ll handle it.’

But there was no need. Wen Zhaoyan, who had been watching the surveillance, had
already erased the footage from the top floor.

If anyone later investigated how Strell died, they would only see from adjacent
buildings that a lightning strike had hit and killed him.

After deleting the suspicious surveillance, Wen Zhaoyan stared at the screen,
lost in thought, his mind replaying the scene of Mo Bai facing Strell.

What was the little brat’s power?

Why hadn’t Mo Li been there? In such a dangerous situation, Mo Li should have
been invisible nearby, protecting him. But Wen Zhaoyan’s careful analysis showed
that the little brat never looked in any direction other than his mother or the
guards.

If Mo Li had been there, the little brat, even if he couldn’t ask what to do,
would have glanced toward him, if only for a moment of silent communication.

And there was no question that the little brat couldn’t see Mo Li. When Wen
Zhaoyan had asked Mo Li to look up during the auction, Mo Li had told the little
brat he was ‘up there.’ That meant the little brat could see him.

But the little brat hadn’t.

A careful analysis showed no instance of Mo Bai’s gaze going elsewhere, not even
briefly.

That meant Mo Li hadn’t been there.

But how could Mo Li not be there?

He had said, “I’ll watch the little brat.”

He had said he would evacuate with them.

Had something happened to Mo Li?

The thought made Wen Zhaoyan unable to sit still. He stood abruptly, his tall
figure casting a long shadow in the moonlight.

He made a call, his voice cold and indifferent:

“Prepare a spaceship. I’m going out.”

–
Mo Bai slept for two days straight without waking.

His fragile little body was exhausted from overdrawing his divine power. His
soul had slipped out again and, for now, couldn’t return.

Mr. and Mrs. Mo stayed by the little brat’s side.

Occasionally, Mo Bai would look at his own sleeping body, his feelings
complicated.

He was certain the little brat’s body had no other soul, only fragments of his
own. Perhaps these fragments had caused him to reincarnate as the little brat,
who had lived until age six before pulling the rest of his soul toward him. He
even wondered if he had already died, his soul drifting unconsciously until
finding its home in the little brat.

But there was no way to know.

After watching over his body for two days, Mo Bai decided to go back to the mall
and see how things were being handled.

What he didn’t know was that no sooner had he left than Wen Zhaoyan arrived.

Mo Xiangtian was surprised but quickly invited him in.

“Your Highness, why are you here?”

Wen Zhaoyan said, “I saw what happened. I was worried about the little brat.”

Mo Xiangtian was touched, ready to call Wen Zhaoyan a brother. “It’s good that
you care about the baby.”

He knew Wen Zhaoyan’s special status and couldn’t easily leave the sanatorium
planet. Coming here must have been secret, avoiding many prying eyes. Not easy!

Yet despite the difficulty, he came to see the baby.

Touched, Mo Xiangtian said, “Since you care for the baby so much, after he wakes
up, you can be his godfather!”

Wen Zhaoyan paused.

Having the adorable little brat as a godson wasn’t bad. Besides, he liked Mo Li,
and Mo Li adored the little brat. If he and Mo Li got together, they would spoil
the little brat together. That seemed fine.

Just as he was about to agree, Mrs. Mo heard them and came out. She bowed and
invited him in.

“Baibai is still in the medical pod. He hasn’t woken up.”

The conversation about a godson was interrupted, but Mo Xiangtian made a mental
note to make it official when they returned to the sanatorium planet.

It was fine that Wen Zhaoyan was young. He himself had married at over seventy,
and his wife was only forty, thirty years younger. In the interstellar, where
people lived over two hundred years, one only entered old age after 160.
Marriages with century age gaps were common.

Wen Zhaoyan’s youth wasn’t a problem, as long as he loved the baby enough.

Unaware of Mo Xiangtian’s plans, Wen Zhaoyan entered the little brat’s room and
checked on him.

Mrs. Mo said, “The medical pod shows all vitals normal. The only reason he won’t
wake up is likely fright.”

Wen Zhaoyan nodded, confirming the little brat was fine. Then he looked around.

He was searching for Mo Li.

Mo Li had said his mental energy was the best detector.

But Mo Li wasn’t there.

Wen Zhaoyan was troubled. He didn’t understand how the little brat had such
power, nor where Mo Li had gone.

Then, a strange thought struck him.

Mo Bai and Mo Li… had never appeared at the same time.

Once the thought surfaced, Wen Zhaoyan instinctively looked at the little brat
in the medical pod.

They had never appeared together. And they looked so similar.

What was their relationship?

Wen Zhaoyan had a bizarre suspicion.

But he immediately dismissed it. Impossible. His consciousness sea rage must
have left after effects. Otherwise, how could he have such a nonsensical idea?

How could Mo Bai and Mo Li be the same person?

Even if Mo Li could disguise himself, how could he compress his body into a
seventy-centimeter child?

But even thinking that, more suspicious points came to mind.

When he told Mo Li to look up, it was the little brat who looked up.

The little brat spoke like an adult, not a child.

The little brat was highly intelligent. No matter how complex the mecha model,
he could assemble it quickly without adult help.

The more he thought, the more anxious Wen Zhaoyan became.

If Mo Bai really was Mo Li…

He looked down, his gaze fixed on Mo Bai, determined to ask when he woke up.

He waited another day.

His feelings swinging between ‘this is impossible’ and ‘why isn’t Mo Bai waking
up? Why hasn’t Mo Li appeared? Could they really be the same…’

Just as Wen Zhaoyan was feeling restless, Mo Bai’s soul drifted back.

Seeing Wen Zhaoyan, he was surprised.

“Wen Zhaoyan, why are you here?”

Seeing Mo Li, Wen Zhaoyan breathed a huge sigh of relief.

He felt as if he had been reborn.

The little brat and Mo Li had appeared together. His earlier random thoughts was
just that—random thoughts.

How could the little brat be Mo Li? How could an adult disguise as a child? In
the interstellar, even dwarfism could be cured!

Feeling a sense of relief, Wen Zhaoyan stood and looked at him. “Mo Li, are you
okay?”

Mo Xiangtian had stayed at the hospital for a few days. When the doctors said Mo
Bai might sleep another day or two, he left to handle the aftermath. After Wen
Zhaoyan arrived, he sent Mrs. Mo to rest in another room, saying he could watch
the little brat.

Mrs. Mo, who hadn’t rested in days and needed to discuss something with Guard
No. 3, left.

So when Mo Bai returned, only Wen Zhaoyan was there. His parents were gone,
though guards were outside.

Mo Bai shook his head. “I’m fine. Why are you here?”

Wen Zhaoyan pressed his lips but didn’t answer, just looking at him.

Mo Bai immediately realized how foolish his question was.

Why else would Wen Zhaoyan be here? He was worried. Asking only made things
awkward.

His gaze drifted. He walked to the medical pod and looked at his own body,
feeling guilty.

Fortunately, Wen Zhaoyan didn’t stay silent long. “I’ve cleared the surveillance
data.”

Mo Bai: “…Oh. Which surveillance?”

Wen Zhaoyan: “The top floor.”

Mo Bai: “???”

Mo Bai suddenly remembered something.

Wen Zhaoyan could see the surveillance!

When he had lost consciousness, his soul had left his body, so he had seen Mrs.
Mo telling the guard to delete the surveillance. He had been relieved. But he
had forgotten that Wen Zhaoyan had been watching the surveillance during the
auction, tracking the thief.

That meant Wen Zhaoyan had seen everything on the top floor.

Sure enough, Wen Zhaoyan asked, “You weren’t there that day?”

Mo Bai cleared his throat. “I was worried about Mo Xiangtian. I went to him.”

Wen Zhaoyan thought, ‘As expected.’ If Mo Li had been there, he wouldn’t have
let the little brat and Mrs. Mo be in danger.

“Did you know about the little brat’s special ability?”

Mo Bai played dumb. “What special ability?”

Wen Zhaoyan opened the video he had copied and encrypted, unbreakable by anyone
but him, and showed it to Mo Bai.

Mo Bai didn’t want to see it.

He stood still, as if not looking would erase his guilt.

Wen Zhaoyan moved closer, holding his terminal in front of him. “This is from
the surveillance.”

Mo Bai had to look.

He acted shocked. “That’s little Mo Bai?”

Seeing Wen Zhaoyan’s surprised expression, Mo Bai asked, “Haven’t you noticed it
before?”

Mo Bai put a hand to his chest dramatically. “I’ve never seen this! Little Mo
Bai is like this? My god, has he been modified by the Uruk Civilization too?”

Wen Zhaoyan: “…”

Was it his imagination? Mo Li seemed strange today.

After a pause, he said, “Unlikely.” The little brat had never been lost. He had
always been with his parents. He couldn’t have been taken to the Uruk
Civilization.

“I see.” Mo Bai said, worried, “Then what’s going on? I’m so concerned!”

Wen Zhaoyan said, “I have a theory.”

Mo Bai said, “…Oh? Tell me.”

Wen Zhaoyan said, “The little brat likes playing in your pool. The pool has your
‘energy liquid.'”

Mo Bai breathed a sigh of relief. So that was it.

He nodded seriously. “Oh, so you’re saying the little brat might have
genetically mutated from all that soaking and gained abilities?”

Wen Zhaoyan said, “Yes.”

It was the most reasonable explanation.

Both he and Xixi had been treated by the ‘energy liquid’ in that pool. Wen
Zhaoyan didn’t know what it was. Everyone had secrets. He believed it was Mo
Li’s, and it was their good fortune that he was willing to use it on them. He
wouldn’t ask what it was.

Mo Bai pretended to think. “That’s possible. If so, it’s fine. The water in
that… pool… the ‘energy liquid’ is good for the body. It won’t hurt him.”

(Sorry, he still wasn’t used to calling it ‘energy liquid.’)

Wen Zhaoyan grunted in acknowledgment but said that since the little brat had
such talent, he should start learning to use it properly.

Mo Bai, relieved, waved it off. “Whatever you say.”

Wen Zhaoyan made a mental note to plan how to guide Mo Bai’s development.

–
The auction was interrupted, but the aftermath was handled. It couldn’t
continue, as the last item was destroyed.

Mo Xiangtian retrieved the surveillance footage, except for the top floor, which
had been mysteriously erased. He discovered the mall manager and auction
director conspiring and opening passages for the thief.

He fired them immediately and charged them for the destroyed biological mecha.

The director protested, “I’ve been here for years! Since the auction started!
Firing me will be a mistake! No one knows this place better!”

Mo Xiangtian had been worried about that, but keeping them would be a bigger
hidden danger. He fired them, permanently banned them from the trading planet,
and sued them.

They felt wronged. They had planned the theft, but they didn’t get the mecha.
Why were they being charged for its destruction? It was worth a fortune!

Mo Xiangtian sneered. “If you hadn’t meddled, would it have been destroyed?”

“It was struck by lightning!”

Mo Xiangtian said, “Struck by lightning? Why did it only strike the mecha? My
wife and son were right there! You must have put a lightning rod on it. You
planned to destroy it if you couldn’t have it!”

Who knew why it only struck that one spot?

Unable to defend themselves, they were taken to court.

Mo Xiangtian also fired their loyal subordinates. The sudden firing of so many
people at the Universe’s Largest Mall was watched by many wealthy attendees.
They marveled at Mo Xiangtian’s decisiveness but waited to see how the mall
would fall apart without its veterans. They sighed, thinking the trade zone
would decline from now on.

The fired director and manager thought so too. They waited for Mo Xiangtian to
fail and beg them to return. But they waited, even after being taken to court,
and he never came.

In the days before their trial, the director had strange dreams about the
auction.

“Everything feels off,” he said. “Strell was a seasoned interstellar thief. He
never failed in thirty years. Why this time?”

The manager sighed. “Maybe he’s old.”

“Did you see the surveillance? From the moment he took the space button, things
went wrong…” The director listed the bizarre accidents. “I keep dreaming of Mo
Xiangtian burning incense, telling me the Wish-Granting God would protect him,
that anyone who interfered would keep having bad luck… And look at Strell. Isn’t
that what happened?”

The manager was speechless. “Don’t scare yourself. If it were that effective,
why would the mecha be destroyed? Why would the auction be interrupted?”

“But think. If Mo Xiangtian’s guards hadn’t saved Strell, he would have been
killed by his own mental storm. If he had died, the mecha would have been
recovered, and the auction would have continued. It was Mo Xiangtian’s guards
who saved him that made the difference…”

“Enough. There’s no such thing as ghosts or gods. Stop being superstitious.”

The director fell silent. The manager had a point. But he couldn’t shake the
feeling. He wondered: if the Wish-Granting God was that effective, could he pray
for acquittal?

If Mo Bai were there, he would say, ‘Don’t bother.’ Such evil wishes couldn’t be
heard.

Faith required karma. A god who helped you harm others would incur that karma.
No god was that foolish.

–
Mo Xiangtian wasn’t worried.

He played ‘The Great Compassion Mantra’ to calm his mind. Then he set up a large
incense burner and incense sticks outside the mall, gathered the remaining
executives, and led them in worship.

The watching wealthy were confused.

‘What is wrong with this man?’

Ignoring them, Mo Xiangtian prayed earnestly. He had seen the surveillance.
Strell’s bizarre accidents, the theft gone wrong—it had to be the Wish-Granting
God’s protection.

He prayed for the mall’s continued success and for new, reliable managers.

One businessman, who had recently made a deal with Mo Xiangtian, couldn’t resist
asking, “What are you doing?”

Mo Xiangtian said, “Ah, it’s you. You’re still here? Since you’re a friend, I’ll
tell you. You know my bad luck? My son sick, almost bankrupt, nearly homeless.”

“I’ve heard.”

Mo Xiangtian lowered his voice, telling him about the Wish-Granting God: his
son’s health, saving his company, his wife’s kindness, and Strell’s bizarre
fate. “My mall is in a tough spot now, so I’m praying. You’re a friend, so I’m
telling you. Don’t disbelieve.”

The businessman didn’t believe. He thought Mo Xiangtian was desperate and
turning to superstition. He said, “I know ancient Earth history. Your
Wish-Granting God, from temples? A ‘wishing well’ where you throw coins? And a
beautiful red fish called a ‘koi’ that brings luck.”

Mo Xiangtian was stunned.

Red koi?

He thought of the crucian carp in the pool—bought for soup, put there by the
little brat, never fed, yet they grew larger, their tails turning red.

The businessman said, “Seen one?”

Mo Xiangtian hesitated. “I don’t know. But these fish… they’re next door…”

The businessman thought Mo Xiangtian was brainwashed. He didn’t want to
discourage him. “Well, good luck.”

He told others, and they all laughed.

“He’s quite naive.”

“Let’s bet on when the mall fails. Six months?”

“Three.”

“Two. It won’t fail. In two months, I’ll take it over.”

These old-money families, unlike new rich Mo Xiangtian, had generational wealth.
They only did business with him out of necessity.

–
Unaware of their bets, Mo Xiangtian returned to the sanatorium planet with Mo
Bai after five days.

He visited the pool and saw the crucian carp. Their tails were now completely
transformed, dazzling and beautiful, scales glistening.

He sent a picture to the businessman, Mr. Liao.

[Mo Xiangtian: Mr. Liao, is this the koi?]

Liao laughed. [Did you Photoshop that? It’s pretty.]

[Mo Xiangtian: No, it’s real! Here’s a video.]

But Liao still didn’t believe.

Mo Xiangtian gave up and stared at the fish, thinking. How had a crucian carp
turned into a koi?

And what about the fish’s keeper, little Mo Bai?

Mo Xiangtian grew thoughtful. What secrets did his baby have?

He didn’t tell his wife, but he began secretly observing Mo Bai.

Observing outwardly showed nothing. Then he remembered his terminal was linked
to Mo Bai’s, and the little brat probably didn’t know how to disable parental
mode.

In parental mode, he could see what the little brat searched online.

He checked and found Mo Bai had searched for a lot of information about the
Mermaid Association. Could such a young child understand such complex things?

Scrolling back, he found the baby had signed up for a singing competition.

“The baby signed up for a singing competition?”

His plan to observe forgotten, Mo Xiangtian was curious. He wanted to see how
adorable his son had been.

But the linked terminals didn’t allow him to see uploaded files. He would have
to wait for a chance to ask or sneak a look at the baby’s terminal.

–
Liao, left hanging, shared the news with his friends for a laugh, waiting for
their bet to play out.

A month passed. The mall ran smoothly.

Two months passed. The mall found an excellent new manager and performance
quietly grew.

Three months passed. The mall held a new auction, setting a record high,
shocking the interstellar.

The wealthy were baffled.

The man who had bet on buying the mall was speechless.

Liao, seeing the record, instinctively opened Mo Xiangtian’s StarBlog.

[Mo Xiangtian V: The fish are growing more beautiful. [Video]]

Liao stared at the video for half an hour. Then he found old books from his
ancestors. On one page, a painted koi matched Mo Xiangtian’s video exactly!

Liao: “!!”

He quickly messaged Mo Xiangtian: [Friend, I’m on a business trip. Can I visit?]

[Mo Xiangtian: I’m busy.]

[Liao Ze: Doing what? Let me help. We’re brothers!]

[Mo Xiangtian: My son’s birthday. I’m planning a party.]

[Liao Ze: What a coincidence! My company has a new intelligent warship model,
very popular with kids. Let me come and give it to your son.]

[Mo Xiangtian: Alright.]

Relieved, Liao prepared to fly to the sanatorium planet. He had to see if those
really were koi.

–
On the sanatorium planet.

Mo Bai had been a good baby since returning. He ate and slept normally.

When Mrs. Mo hesitated, Mo Bai thought about confessing. If she asked about his
abilities, he would tell them. If they saw him as a monster, he would still
protect them but might not be able to stay by their side.

But Mrs. Mo never asked. She just patted his head and said, “As long as you’re
healthy.”

Mo Bai didn’t know what she meant. Did she want to know or not?

Three months passed. Today was his birthday. He would turn seven.

Mo Xiangtian had custom-made a ‘monster baby’ outfit.

“Today’s your birthday, baby. You have to wear it!”

Mo Bai looked at the blue cartoon monster outfit. He was embarrassed. Dressed
like that, how could he keep his dignity? But seeing Mo Xiangtian’s expectant
face, he sighed. “Fine. I’ll take a bath.”

‘What can you do? He’s your father.’

He took the outfit to the bathroom.

Mo Xiangtian waited eagerly, camera ready.

Then he remembered, “I haven’t invited Mr. Mo Li!”

He logged into StarBlog and messaged him.

[Mo Xiangtian: Mr. Mo, today is my son’s birthday. Can you come?]

Send.

‘Ding.’

Mo Xiangtian looked at Mo Bai’s terminal on the bed.

He assumed it was a message for the baby, maybe from his uncle.

He continued: [Today he’s wearing an adorable monster outfit! You have to see
it!]

Send.

‘Ding.’

Mo Xiangtian looked at the terminal again.

What a coincidence?

He typed: [Mr. Mo Li?]

‘Ding.’

[Mo Xiangtian: ???]

‘Ding.’

Mo Xiangtian: “…”

One or two coincidences were fine.

But this frequency?

He hesitated, looking at the bathroom door. His morals said children had
privacy, even from parents. Parental mode only allowed browsing history, not
this. But his curiosity grew.

After a few seconds, he walked over and picked up the terminal.

Mo Bai had no password. Mo Xiangtian opened it.

The screen showed StarBlog notifications—

[My Simple Dad: Mr. Mo, today is my son’s birthday. Can you come?]

Mo Xiangtian: “…………??”