Plateau Rendezvous Kakarot bit my finger, Gine tearfully couldn't bear to send the child away

Gou Kong gently set down the space pod on his shoulder, its metal shell striking the ground with a dull, soft thud.

He raised a hand and switched off the flashing red light on his scouter, deftly removed the reconnaissance module, and casually stuffed it into the inner pocket of his bodysuit.

"They're here."

He murmured to himself, then stretched his slightly stiff shoulders, leaned back against the cold shell of the space pod, and slowly swept his gaze around.

The night wind on the plateau was especially biting, whipping fine grains of sand against his face with the sulfurous smell unique to Planet Vegeta.

Overhead was that familiar night sky, polluted into a murky gray, with a few sparse stars flickering listlessly.

"Mm, the coordinates are right."

Gou Kong confirmed it in his mind.

He knew this place all too well. In a straight line, it was only a few hundred meters from where he had hidden his backup ship before.

Next time he came, he could find it with his eyes closed.

But the problem was...

His brows furrowed slightly, and his gaze swept over the surroundings like a hawk's.

How exactly could this place avoid that bastard Frieza's surveillance net?

Aside from a few oddly shaped rocks that resembled mushrooms, there was nothing but an endless, desolate plateau.

The field of view was so open it made one uneasy, without any cover at all.

Forget Frieza's well-equipped scout ships—even an ordinary Saiyan, as long as they stood somewhere high, could see this entire area clearly with the naked eye.

"Hiding in plain sight?"

Gou Kong muttered inwardly.

Earthlings used this trick often, but in front of Frieza, the overlord of the universe, would it really work?

He scratched the back of his head, trying to find a flaw in Bardock's arrangement, or some special magnetic field he had overlooked that could block detection signals.

But no matter how hard he racked his brains, repeatedly analyzing it with an Earthling's scientific knowledge and a Saiyan's battle instincts, this place still felt unreasonable.

There was neither a source of energy interference nor any sign of spatial folding.

"Forget it. I can't figure it out."

Gou Kong finally gave up thinking and shrugged.

Though Bardock was usually as dull and silent as a rock, he was definitely no fool who would gamble with his son's life.

Especially at a life-and-death juncture like this, he was more cautious than anyone.

Since he had chosen this place, there had to be a reason.

"I'll just treat it as an easter egg."

Gou Kong steadied his mind, focusing on the task before him: memorize the terrain and wait for the rendezvous.

As for the rest, it would depend on the arrangements of Bardock, this "god of prophecy."

Before long, faint footsteps came from the distance.

Gou Kong's eyes sharpened, and in an instant he drew in all his aura, lying quietly in wait like a shadow blending into the rocks.

Only when the newcomers drew near and the fluctuating numbers on his scouter confirmed their identities did he let out a breath of relief.

One, two.

Bardock and Gine.

The two appeared in his field of vision one after the other, their steps hurried yet steady.

Gine held a swaddled infant tightly in her arms. That was Kakarot.

Gou Kong narrowed his eyes and focused his sight.

Kakarot seemed to have sensed his mother's tension. He squirmed restlessly in Gine's arms, his little hands clutching tightly at her battle suit while he made indistinct babbling sounds.

And Gine, though her face was somewhat pale, kept lowering her head and gazing gently at the child in her arms. Even when Kakarot tugged her hair painfully, she merely patted his back with a doting expression, without a single word of complaint.

"Tsk, sure enough, he was forced out of the incubator early."

Gou Kong thought to himself.

This little guy's mind was far from mature. He could not even speak a complete sentence yet. He was purely a blank slate—or rather, a little wild monster that had not been fully tamed.

If it were an ordinary Saiyan, they would have long since been driven mad by all this crying and fussing. Yet Gine could still maintain that rare gentleness the whole time. That motherly nature was truly impressive.

"That's right, that's right. Good boy, Kakarot. Be good, don't move around, okay?"

Gine's voice carried a faint tremble, yet she still tried hard to keep her tone soft.

She walked up to Gou Kong and carefully adjusted the way she held him, trying to soothe the restless little one in her arms.

Bardock, beside her, looked much more haggard than when he had left. His eye sockets were sunken, and it was obvious that stealing Kakarot out of the heavily guarded Nursery Center had taken a tremendous toll on him.

Seeing this, Gou Kong's lips curved into a teasing smile as he joked, "Yo, Bardock. Why do you look like you've had all your energy sucked dry? Weren't you pretty spirited when you went out earlier?"

Bardock glared at him irritably, his voice hoarse. "Don't even start. I don't have the strength to waste words with you. To get this little bastard out, I damn near scraped the bottom of the barrel... I burned every bit of my strength on this."

"Ha ha ha!" Gou Kong could not help laughing. "I knew it was something like that. Looks like someone's getting worked over by his kid before he's even officially become a dad."

He walked up and, just like when he had teased Raditz before, roughly reached out to rub Kakarot's head.

Unlike before, Kakarot seemed to have been mostly soothed by Gine this time. He did not struggle violently, only staring warily with those big, dark eyes at Gou Kong's "creepy hand" that had suddenly reached toward him.

The instant Gou Kong's fingertips touched that soft hair, Kakarot suddenly opened his little mouth and bit down on his finger!

"Holy shit!"

Gou Kong jolted all over in fright and yanked his hand back.

This little brat had some sharp teeth!

Even through the combat suit, he could still feel that brute force. Other Saiyan cubs would at most scratch a couple of times, but this one went straight to biting!

As expected of the future Son Goku. That vitality of his was so "bursting with life" even in useless areas.

He shook the bitten, aching finger, leaned close to Kakarot again, and lowered his voice. "Hey, little guy. Nice to meet you. I'm your dad's best friend, Gou Kong. Even though you're still a snot-nosed slug who can't even talk right now, if you see me in the future, remember to do me a favor and pretend you know me."

"Who's your best friend?" Bardock snorted coldly from the side, tearing down his act without mercy.

Gou Kong shrugged, looking like a shameless rogue. "Oh, then let me correct that. We're just casual acquaintances. If you remember me later, just treat me as some weird uncle passing by next door."

He could not be bothered with Bardock's disdainful look that said, How old are you, acting all mature? He reached out a finger again, gently hooked Kakarot's little hand, and shook it up and down.

"Tch, not biting this time? Did you figure out you can't beat me and give in, or are you just pinned down by Gine and can't move? Either way, you've finally quieted down."

Gou Kong muttered inwardly, his gaze falling on Kakarot's childish little face.

This was the man who would one day blast Frieza apart with a punch and save Earth?

Right now, aside from that iconic black hair and defiant look in his eyes, he did not seem any different from an ordinary Saiyan cub. If anything, he was even more of a handful.

"All right, enough small talk." Gou Kong straightened up and patted the dust off his hands. "Hurry up and put Kakarot into the space pod."

"Is there a problem?" Bardock asked in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over the quietly parked space pod.

"Yeah, the conditions are ready. He can leave anytime."

The moment Gou Kong finished speaking, Bardock stepped forward and deftly opened the space pod's oval hatch.

He leaned inside and quickly checked the life-support system and navigation coordinates. After confirming there were no issues, he finally stepped back and said to Gine in a low voice, "No problems. Gine, put him in."

And yet, at this final moment, Gine seemed to be nailed to the spot.

She clutched Kakarot tightly, her face filled with struggle and reluctance.

Those eyes, which had still carried a gentle smile moments ago, were now veiled with mist. Her gaze clung fixedly to Kakarot's little face, as though she wanted to carve her child's appearance into the depths of her soul.

"Bardock..." Gine's voice was choked with tears as she spoke, trembling. "Do we really have to send him away? I understand what you're worried about. Frieza is out there... but even so, I'm still scared... Sending such a small child all alone to a planet so far away... No matter how safe Earth is, he hasn't even finished his nursery period. A child all by himself, with no one around—it's too dangerous... There might be ferocious beasts there... If we have to send him away, then... then can't we escape together? At least... at least let me stay with him..."

When Bardock heard this, his brows drew tight, but he still shook his head firmly. "No. Only Kakarot is going. With our current battle power, the moment we lift off, we'll be locked onto by scouts. If we stay behind, we can draw Frieza's attention away and buy Kakarot a chance to live."

"But..."

"No buts!" Bardock cut her off. Though his tone was forceful, a trace of pain flashed through his eyes, so faint it was almost impossible to notice. "Gine, this is the only way out! If we want him to survive, we have to stay!"