Polopolo, chewing a tree gum favored by his species for freshening their breath, mumbled compliments to Dukat: "Look at my Laozufu Hao—it was torn to pieces by those barbarians, and you can make it fly again? Heh, with skills like yours, your annual salary must be at least a million Star Alliance gold coins, right?"

The pure white Laozufu Hao lightly evaded two small space fortresses, each no larger than three thousand cubic meters, situated outside Yafika Star, and slowly initiated its spiral descent sequence.

After a moment of silence, Dukat crossed his arms and stated faintly, "Wrong. I... don't receive a single cent of salary."

Gu Xichen turned his head and gave Dukat a deep look. His gaze was fervent, possessing a soul-piercing power that was startling. Under Gu Xichen’s aggressive stare, Dukat became agitated. He sullenly lowered his head, his heart churning with astonishment and doubt: How did this guy, Gu Xichen, become so strong?

Kan Hua clapped a hand onto Dukat's shoulder, exhaling smoke from his cigar with a grin, "Hey, life must be tough for mixed-bloods like you over there, right? Why not follow us brothers?"

While repairing the damaged Laozufu Hao, Dukat's mechanical control abilities had astounded both Gu Xichen and Kan Hua. The Laozufu Hao, almost shattered by Zhao Yi and the others, was fully restored in a mere three minutes; there wasn't even a seam visible on the newly welded hull. This level of mastery was incredibly powerful and practical. Gu Xichen’s interest in Dukat grew sharper, and Kan Hua also thought, This kid is good; he’s definitely worth recruiting.

Dukat stared blankly out the viewport at the slowly approaching green earth, shaking his head slightly. After pondering for a while, he finally mumbled vaguely, "If it were possible... I mean, if it could be... In the future, perhaps... if there's that possibility... you all could..." Dukat’s face flushed slightly, as if he were somewhat ashamed to voice what he intended to say.

Kan Hua raised an eyebrow, about to deliver a sharp jab, but Gu Xichen had already firmly placed his hand on Dukat’s shoulder: "When you've sorted out your affairs and want to come blend in on Earth, I'll protect you! I have two good brothers by my side, of the same lineage as you—they are all my good brothers!"

Dukat froze, frowning hesitantly.

Kan Hua grumbled unhappily, "Men are men; we're all one bird with two eggs—what’s all this whining about? You don't look like you're living so well over there, do you?" He sneered, "Being forced into a second fusion with a woman you care for, a life-or-death second fusion—can you get used to that kind of life?"

Dukat’s face turned the color of blood; his nostrils flared, and he gasped heavily under his breath.

Gu Xichen noticed the turmoil in Dukat’s mind. He rapidly reviewed every detail from the moment he first met Dukat until now. A sudden flash of inspiration struck him, leading to a bold guess. He pressed down hard on Dukat’s head and said with extreme seriousness and weight, "We, the ancient Chinese, value the concept of 'falling leaves return to their roots' (Ye Luo Gui Gen). Even if one dies abroad, even the ashes must be returned to their homeland, buried alongside their ancestors... If you need any help, find me!"

With a boom, the Laozufu Hao suddenly shuddered, and all the electronic instruments on the vessel simultaneously flared with blinding electrical sparks. Amidst Polopolo's terrified and despairing scream, the ship plunged several thousand meters downward. Fine, needle-sharp silver light sprayed from every pore of Dukat's body. His eyes transformed into two emotionless, crystalline spheres of silver-red. He stared fixedly at the clouds flashing past the viewport and roared deeply from his throat, "Mama."

Gu Xichen nodded and retracted his hand. An invisible, traceless divine sense was released, instantly gathering a massive amount of nearby clouds, transforming them into a cotton-candy-like cushion beneath the Laozufu Hao, slowly supporting the vessel as it descended toward the ground. Screaming until his voice cracked, with a large patch of wetness in his crotch, Polopolo stared in shock at the altimeter on the dashboard, bewildered, and forcefully smacked his own head.

"Wow... What a filial son?" Kan Hua looked at Dukat with utter astonishment, fumbling around until he pulled a cigar from his belt and offered it to Dukat. "I like kids who are filial! Hey, I remember, back when I was a living human, my old mother taught me the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars. Heh! Have a smoke?" He diligently produced a lighter and sparked it.

Dukat glanced dazedly at Kan Hua. The terrifying, immense power radiating from him suddenly receded. With trembling fingers, he accepted the cigar, brought it to the flame, took a deep puff, and expelled a thick cloud of smoke through his nostrils. It was his first time smoking a cigar, and the shock made Dukat cough violently. After coughing for a long spell, his nose running and eyes watering, the parched Dukat finally managed to say, "Mm, my mother taught me to recite those too..."

"Besides that first chick I liked from the JL faction, she's the only one whose face I remember clearly—my old mother!" Kan Hua exhaled a thick plume of smoke, tilting his head to look at Dukat. "But that was hundreds of years ago... Her bones could probably beat a drum by now. The last time the Federal Government was tearing down land and disturbed her ancestral grave, I went to move her tomb and personally cleaned her bones. What about your mom?"

Unbeknownst to the others, Dukat, who always seemed like a masked man, and Kan Hua, always grinning without a shred of seriousness, were now hunched over, shoulders touching, in the command cabin, muttering incessantly. Dukat told Kan Hua about being severely beaten as a child for failing to properly recite the Jiuyang Zhengang incantation, and Kan Hua recounted the time he forcibly kissed the neighbor's little girl when he was nine and was chased from the east end of town to the west end by his mother wielding a laundry club.

Gu Xichen watched the white clouds drift slowly past the viewport with a smile, gently guiding the ship toward the ground. Warmth echoed only in his heart. He seemed to see the white-skirted girl in the field of white tulips again, and perhaps he saw himself as a child, stumbling after butterflies in that very field.

Polopolo squinted sideways at the three men lost in their reverie. He didn't understand their language, but he could read the expressions on their faces—all radiating extreme warmth and softness. Polopolo sighed deeply, "How many years have they been flying in subspace? I bet they haven't touched a female being in ages. Heavens, hundreds of male beings on one ship. How pitiful... how very pitiful!"