Will the kemonomimi encounter Alien Ranch Story?

However, none of this matters to the doctor who needs to concentrate all human and material resources to complete the Ark within 300 years.

According to the current solar activity patterns, Terra's surface environment will begin to become "uninhabitable" in at most 150 years.

In reality, the actual ground construction and building period was only about 100 years. After that, it was necessary to relocate as many people as possible to the poles and the Ark construction site.

However, considering Lao Xia's extreme environment survival skills, this timeframe might be extended to some extent, but the fact that he must flee within 300 years is undeniable.

The cruise ship glided through the yellow sands of Kazdel, gradually entering the territory of Syracuse. "Look, what's that?!"

Swire refers to the enormous man-made objects in the distance, which the locals call "sundials." These are like metal statues, eternally raising their heads to gaze at the sky, towards the direction where the sun rises.

"Radio telescope..." The structure was rusty, with only the frame making a slight sound in the wind. The antenna had long since broken and fallen, and the equipment and useful items inside had been looted by bandits and refugees.

This is the last vestige of Terra's ancient civilization. In the distance, space launch pads rise and fall, reflecting light on the edge of the wasteland, gradually being swallowed by the yellow sand, and then left behind by the landships.

What is a radio telescope?

"A device for observing the stars..." Old Xia explained simply what this device was for and what its appearance meant for a civilization.

For the Covenant, the emergence of such devices is the dividing line between savages and civilized people, in short.

When a race begins to look up at the stars, it will no longer be content with ignorance. The advent of radio telescopes signifies that they are no longer satisfied with the narrow world that ordinary optical telescopes can observe, and have begun to explore the deeper mysteries of the universe.

They began to try to determine what they meant to the universe, no longer confined to the surface of planets, but wanting to find their place and position in a larger ecosystem. For the Covenant or most interstellar civilizations, this stage of civilization means that they have "become civilized".

Of course, this isn't necessarily a good thing. You can tolerate rats in your backyard, but it's hard to tolerate when a group of rats declares itself a nation and your garden is their territory.

Therefore, an enlightened civilization is the minimum requirement for participating in interstellar warfare—because even the most primitive civilizations would not consider it an "enemy" or a "future enemy."

Just as no one would set fire to a house for a cockroach, no one would use annihilation weapons and fleets for a group of "dangerous wild animals" or "primitive intelligent life." For these civilizations, perhaps they can survive long years in ignorance.

But once they look up at the sky and build the first radio telescope, the fleet that might be there to carry out the extermination is already on its way.

"So, our ancestors once looked to the ends of the stars, but now Terra..."

Swire understood Old Xia's meaning, withdrew her gaze, and shook her head. She understood why Old Xia and the Doctor had such similar temperaments.

Although one is cold and silent, and the other is much more approachable, both of them have a sense of alienation and indifference towards the people of Terra and the entire Terran society.

This subconscious attitude is difficult for ordinary people to notice; only those with extremely keen perception can realize their similarities.

"Yes, but for ordinary people, it's perfectly understandable to focus on the land beneath their feet..."

Old Xia said helplessly, because there was nothing he could do about it. Compared to the distant starry sky, tomorrow's food was more important. This was also why he could have some common ground with people like Swire.

Because you really can't discuss things above the heavens with people who are more concerned with what to eat tomorrow, how much money they've made, and who exhaust themselves for fame, power, status, and vanity. When you talk about the distant starry sky, the burning sun, and the magnificent yet empty veil of nebulae, they won't be moved at all.

This applies to Skadi as well. Of course, she's aquatic, so you'd be better off talking to her about deep-sea landscapes. Unfortunately, most Terran girls will be considered boring and uninteresting no matter what you say about the deep sea or distant stars. Talking about technology, philosophy, or politics will only make them seem dull. You can only talk to them about vulgar jewelry, trendy fashion, and pretty boys that you don't appreciate.

However, Swire is an exception, because she doesn't care about jewelry, fashion, or anything like that. For her, these are just ordinary parts of life. The brands that young girls talk about with starry eyes are just everyday clothes to her, and she doesn't find them anything special.

On the contrary, talking to her about these magnificent and profound things will actually make her feel very romantic and sophisticated. This isn't just true for women; men aren't much better at it either.

In contrast, men tend to prefer more political commentary, but that's about it; some might even think, "What's the point of you saying all this?"

"Ding ding ding!" The ship's bell rang, and the land-going ship entered the mobile city and docked. As a luxury cruise ship with a ticket price close to six figures, it naturally would not enter the lower-level dock, but would directly dock in the VIP channel specially reserved for vehicles of the upper class.

The boat ticket was paid for by Swire, or more accurately, by the old sick tiger, whose idea was to bring back the "Prince" as soon as possible.

What he didn't know was that, due to the symbiote, the embryo had actually already implanted, but the embryo's development speed was suppressed to reduce harm to the mother.

As the embryo develops and the placenta develops, the symbiont wraps around the capillaries that extend deep into the mother's blood vessels, greatly reducing the mother's pain and making it easier to remove during childbirth without causing severe bleeding.

However, there are side effects, namely that the mother cannot take any anti-inflammatory drugs during this period and will experience low-grade fever from time to time.

Because this aggressive behavior of the symbiote triggers an immune system response, the symptoms can persist for a long time until the two sides adjust to a certain level.

For the Covenant, pregnancy is an instant comprehension. However, for the little tiger without a symbiote, there's absolutely no feeling, not even morning sickness or mild pain. She'll probably be in a real panic when she finds out her period is late in two months.

"Gentlemen—" As soon as they stepped onto city grounds, two tall men in suits blocked Old Xia and Swire's path. "His Excellency Corleone wishes to invite Mr. and Mrs. Xia to his residence as guests..."

“I know…” Although there was no formal exchange of information during the visit, there was some private communication.

"Please—" A limousine stopped by the roadside, with two vehicles full of bodyguards in front and behind. The guards responsible for security near Lao Xia did not react at all. Soon, two wheeled armored vehicles came out of the cruise ship's cargo hold and came up the circular ramp.

“You can trust our strength…” This made the tall man in charge of security frown slightly. The guest’s behavior was undoubtedly a sign of distrust towards the host. However, the other party was indeed a distinguished guest of extraordinary status, and he could not say anything more harsh.

"Don't misunderstand, they were just doing their duty, and..." Swire looked at the other person with a half-smile. She knew about what happened to the family a few days ago, when a group of assassins broke into the mansion.

Although they were defeated, one of the Godfather's right-hand men left for some reason. Under such circumstances, it is undoubtedly difficult to convince people to trust their strength.

The man's expression turned grim, but the two in front of him were more troublesome than the last. He couldn't just throw them off the edge of the moving city's deck like those clueless guys and let them be eaten by the carnivorous giant worms.

Moreover, what the other party said was true. The Godfather is just the Godfather. He is only the leader of the largest family. In the underworld of Syracuse, his absolute power can only cover 1/3. The rest needs to be fulfilled through compromise with other families and the government.

If these two guests were indeed attacked, the Corleone family would immediately become the biggest laughingstock in Syracuse, with many people waiting to see them make a fool of themselves, and there might even be traitors within the family.

Otherwise, if assassins wanted to directly enter the family mansion for an attack, they would have had a higher success rate attacking the royal palace or government building in Syracuse.

【Note 1】

The paternal symbiont extends along the direction of placental implantation, forming a capillary sheath that prevents the fetus from rapidly absorbing maternal nutrients, while also providing additional nutrients when the maternal supply is plentiful.

For Covenant members with symbiotes, the mother symbiote will also react upon discovering the entry of foreign micromachines, forming a hemangioma-like structure in the extrauterine blood vessels and directly obtaining extra nutrients from the gastrointestinal tract. During this stage, the mother's appetite will become extremely strong.

However, to avoid increasing the burden on the gastrointestinal and cardiovascular systems, hospitals recommend that women who choose natural conception opt for direct administration of concentrated medications and puncture injections to provide the necessary protein and nutrients for the symbiotic tumor.

Subsequently, the paternal symbiont and the maternal symbiont together form an outer membrane that envelops the placenta and embryo, delivering nutrients at a higher intensity and protecting the fetus from miscarriage due to external impacts, while also further reducing the mother's pain.

During childbirth, the placenta can detach very smoothly due to the presence of capillary sheaths, making it less likely to cause dystocia and bleeding, much like pulling a pen out of its cap.

Over the next month, this capillary sheath, composed of micromechanical components, will be squeezed out by the healing tissue and then form a barrier in the uterus, preventing the mother from becoming pregnant again in the short term.

Continuous childbirth is an inhumane form of torture for women's health. Even if the Covenant aims to maximize population growth, it does not do so at the expense of mothers' health and lives.

This barrier will last for 3-4 years until a regular health check (part of the Star Alliance health insurance program) determines that the mother is capable of conceiving again, at which point the medication to remove it will be administered.

Of course, we will also respect the other party's personal wishes. For example, if they do not want to have children or have another child, they can continue to maintain this barrier. The embryo will not be able to implant successfully and will be encased in micromechanical components and then expelled.

Chapter Thirty-One: Motive?

-------------Chapter Dividing Line---------------

The Syracuse are quite similar to the Yan people and place great importance on family and reputation. This is reflected in their hospitality, where they are both warm and respectful, and they feel very offended if guests are rude or disrespectful.

Of course, first-time visitors to Syracuse usually receive some leniency and preferential treatment, even though to the Syracuse locals it is no different from the Godfather's mansion, which is like a den of dragons and tigers. Or, to use a famous line from Yakuza: "The mob are creatures who live for face!"

The convoy soon arrived at the mansion on the outskirts of the city, which was surrounded by the Godfather's estate. This was a tacit understanding with the Syracuse government: he would not bring weapons and armed personnel into the city, and the Syracuse government would give him the respect and compromise he deserved.

"It would be difficult to launch a direct assault here, wouldn't it?" Swire looked around, assessing their defenses from the perspective of a seasoned breaching commander in the Lungmen Guard Bureau. "The manor itself is protected by ancient stone walls, surrounded by servants' quarters and open, unprotected areas. The outer perimeter consists of villas serving Mr. Corleone's men. Considering that each trusted leader has several bodyguards, breaching this place wouldn't be easier than breaching a street with layers of fortifications..."

"Uh..." The man in the black suit in the driver's seat had a contorted face. He kept reassuring himself that these people were from out of town, didn't know the local rules, and were young and of high status. He took a deep breath and didn't get angry.

Of course, he also knew that if he lost his temper at this moment, the Godfather would definitely deal with him first, not these guests. It was understandable that the first guests did not know the rules, but if he, as the leader of the greeters, did not know the rules and argued with the guests, the Godfather would definitely not tolerate it anymore.

"Because the 'family' system in Syracuse inherently includes this function."

During the Gallic invasion, the Syracuse launched a large-scale resistance, subsequently forming large and small "communes" based on blood ties, territorial relationships, and vassalage with feudal lords, and building barricades.

These communes were the precursors to the modern Syracuse Mafia "families," expanding from purely blood ties to a higher level of cultural and ethnic identity. This is why, without a higher-level narrative, these "families" are unlikely to disappear from Syracuse. [This corresponds to the Sicilian Vespers uprising and is indeed the origin of the Mafia...]

"But Gaul is gone now."

"But Letania is still here..." This question is like saying that the French Frederick dynasty is gone, the throne of the Kingdom of Sicily is gone, but the French Republic is still here.

The change of the country's name does not mean that the hatred and antagonism have disappeared, even for the Syracuse.

Instead, it became even more profound, because the other party stated that it was the Gallic king's fault, and their Republic of Letania had no reason to pay for such a thing.

It's pretty much the kind of thing where it's none of Leitania's business if you go after the Gauls. This is also the biggest conflict between the two countries in modern times, almost comparable to the conflict between China and Japan.

"Guest, this is a family matter. Please don't pry too much into its origins..."

“Oh—” Swire didn’t ask any further questions. She had only asked that one question because the structure made her feel a little uncomfortable, like she was walking into a trap.

After all, it's normal to feel uncomfortable when one side is a mafia family and the other is a Royal Guard cop.

In contrast, Old Xia seemed much calmer. However, what he didn't say was that if it were his team of elite shield guards, along with armored vehicles, it would only take them less than 30 minutes to break through the manor.

“Welcome, my friend!” Corleone stood in front of the spiral staircase and waited until the door opened before warmly stepping forward to greet him. “I hope you won’t mind my presumptuous invitation.”

Judging from his appearance alone, the Godfather was not a dignified man at all. He looked no different from any other old man next door, dressed quite like a gentleman.

Of course, the other party could not tell from his appearance that Xia Lin was a warlord who controlled nearly half of Kazdel's power and military force.

In fact, according to the Godfather's own opinion and understanding, this young man should still be in school. He should still be at the age where he is chasing after handsome sports stars and beautiful girls, showing his youth and vitality in school.

However, the truth is that he has become a representative of a certain power, and even the head of a newly emerging and huge group.

As an old man who already has grandchildren, he can't help but compare his sons with his own sons and feel a little sad. His eldest son looks serious and upright and seems like a good heir, but in reality, he is a guy who will lose his mind for a woman.

The younger son, on the other hand, is a cynical playboy, though he possesses unique talents beneath this facade. However, how can a fledgling eagle, yet to spread its wings, be compared to a raptor that has already conquered a part of the sky?

"Also, please allow me to apologize for something else, because some things have happened in the family recently. So, you two have witnessed some... less-than-respectable things."

The Godfather refers to the increased security measures around the manor; sincerity is the greatest weapon in negotiations.

In particular, it is very worthwhile to use sincerity on trivial matters to gain the other party's leniency at crucial moments.

“I understand. After all, Swire was a police officer in Lungmen before, so she has that kind of insight…” Old Xia explained. “But, do you know what kind of change happened?”

"Ah, that's a bit difficult to say. It's just some family conflict that's made us a laughing stock..." The Godfather was vague and unwilling to reveal the inside story, an attitude that was within Lao Xia's expectations.

"It's getting late, and I'm sure you two must be quite tired. It would be very impolite to talk in this hall. Please allow our distinguished guests to rest first. Apart from my office, they are free to tour and explore the manor at will. There will also be a grand banquet tonight, so please be sure not to miss it."

Clearly, the Godfather also had a lot of mess to deal with, so he had to very unceremoniously tell the guests to go and rest first.

Instead of guiding guests on a tour of the estate and exchanging pleasantries about trivial matters to build rapport.

As soon as he returned to the study, the kind expression on the old man's face disappeared. "Boris, how is Lisa?"

"The ore infection has been confirmed, and the doctor we called in said it's best to..."

"How much would it cost to treat her? I've heard that the Xia Group has excellent treatments for Oripathy."

After turning halfway around, Corleone sniffed the rose on his collar, calming himself with its fragrance. "Her mother was one of us. Family members sacrificed for the family, and the family should take care of every member." As long as the price wasn't excessive, the Godfather didn't say the last sentence aloud.

This simple sense of responsibility is the only thing that maintains the cohesion and existence of a "family". If the family cannot stand up for its members and take care of their wives, children and elderly parents, then the members will not participate in family affairs as "family members". There is a big difference between participating under the coercion of power and the temptation of money and participating voluntarily.

However, more and more "families" are unwilling to uphold these rules that originated in the era of uprisings. They have transformed from "families" into outright gangsters, with only Godfathers, a relic of the previous era, stubbornly adhering to these values.

The early Syracuses did not organize for the sake of crime alone; they organized themselves for the sake of the harmed women and children, forming an autonomous regime that used various violent criminal means to fight against the invaders who ruled the country at the time. However, after the re-establishment of the country, these people were not absorbed into the new society.

This led to the Mafia, which was inevitable. Although the world did not have the precedent of the Paris Commune, both capitalist and feudal groups realized what a terrifying monster this form of "commune" would become if it were taken a step further.

“I don’t know, Godfather. I think it might be a good idea to follow her mother’s wishes and entrust her to Dr. Kal’tsit of Rhodes Island.”