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Chapter 188
Jack finally set the basketball aside, wiping a sheen of sweat from his forehead.“Dinner before the food turns to ice,” he said, clapping Jackson on the shoulder.Jackson grinned but didn’t protest. “Fine. But only because I’m starving.”They walked out of the court together, Lena and Matilda falling in behind them, still giggling about the “baby giraffe” comment. The faint, savory aroma in the air grew stronger with each step. By the time they reached the dining room, the table was already laid out in a glorious spread — steaming pizza with bubbling cheese, glazed barbecue ribs, bowls of golden fried chicken, trays of roasted pork drizzled with sauce, and a large dish of creamy vanilla pudding at the center.Emily set down a final basket of warm bread. “Perfect timing. It’s still hot.”Jack’s eyes softened at the sight. “Looks like you two outdid yourselves again.”“Sunday dinner,” Sarah said, taking her seat. “Just because Earth is far behind us doesn’t mean we can’t keep tradition
Chapter 187
Jackson and Jack lingered at the table tennis table for a few more volleys before Jackson finally threw down his paddle with a grin.“Alright, Dad. Enough of this. Time for a real sport.”Jack arched an eyebrow. “Basketball?”“Yeah,” Jackson said with mock swagger. “Where I can actually beat you.”Jack chuckled low in his throat. “You’re about to regret those words.”Minutes later, they stepped into the DragonJet’s multipurpose court. The overhead lights hummed on, casting a warm glow over the polished floor. Jackson was already tugging on a Boston Celtics jersey, the green bright against the court’s neutral tones. Jack pulled on a deep blue Golden State Warriors kit, his broad shoulders filling it out like he’d just walked off a championship game.“You really had to pick that team?” Jackson asked, nodding at the logo.“They win,” Jack said simply, picking up the ball.They started with a casual dribble warm-up, the sound of the basketball echoing against the walls.Jackson immediatel
Chapter 186
The soft, rhythmic pop-pop of the ball echoed through the DragonJet’s rec room, bouncing sharp and clean off the polished table tennis surface. Jackson darted to his left, swiping his paddle at the ball with dramatic flair.“And… match point!” he announced, sending the ball whizzing toward Jack’s side.Jack barely moved. With a flick of his wrist, the ball curved back in a perfect arc and smacked Jackson’s corner.Jackson froze. “No way. That was impossible.”Jack’s grin was small but merciless. “Physics disagrees.”“You’ve been practicing,” Jackson accused.“I invented half the stabilizer system for this table,” Jack replied, walking around to retrieve the ball. “I understand its bounce better than anyone alive.”Jackson groaned. “You’re basically cheating.”Jack tossed him the ball. “I’m teaching. Big difference.”Meanwhile, in the ship’s kitchen module, Lena and Matilda were elbow-deep in food prep, while Sarah and Emily worked near the induction cooktops. The warm scent of sizzlin
Chapter 185
Jackson’s pen scratched across the holopad again, tracing the last stroke of 龙 with exaggerated care. He sat back with a satisfied huff. “There. Perfect. I think I’m officially bilingual now.”Jack glanced over the character. “One character does not make you bilingual.”“Fine,” Jackson said, picking the pen back up. “Then I’ll learn the rest of the Chinese alphabet.”Lena snorted from across the table. “There’s no alphabet in Chinese.”Jackson froze. “Wait… what?”Jack chuckled. “She’s right. Mandarin doesn’t use an alphabet the way English or Spanish does. But there’s pinyin, which uses Roman letters to represent pronunciation. It’s not the same thing.”Jackson leaned back in mock despair. “Great. So I have to learn… what, thousands of characters?”“About eight thousand to be fluent,” Jack said. “But you can get by with three thousand.”Sarah gave him a sympathetic smile. “That’s… a lot of homework.”“Yeah,” Jackson said, but his grin returned. “Good thing I’m a fast learner. I alrea
Chapter 184
Jackson leaned forward again, ignoring the groans from Ryan and Lena.“So… about dragons,” he began, “you told me the Chinese see them as water symbols. But what about other countries in Asia? Do they have their own dragon stories?”Jack’s mouth curved into the faintest smile. “Yes. And each is different. China is still my favorite, though—because that’s where the symbol truly took root. The earliest dragon myths we know, some carved into jade thousands of years ago, come from there. But dragons ripple across the entire region—Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia… even the Philippines.”Matilda tilted her head. “Do their dragons look the same?”Jack shook his head. “Not exactly. In Japan, the ryū is also tied to water, but they often have three claws instead of five. Vietnam’s dragons—called rồng—are tied to the rain that feeds rice fields. Thai and Lao dragons, called nāga, are more like giant serpents that guard rivers and temples.”Sarah rested her chin on her hand, watching hi
Chapter 183
Jackson’s finger hovered over The Red Planet in the holoscreen menu for a long moment, the glint of temptation in his eyes. Then, with a sudden smirk, he scrolled past it.“Change of plan,” he announced.Lena arched a brow. “You mean you’re not going to watch the thing you’ve been talking about for days?”“Nope.” Jackson flicked through the titles with exaggerated deliberation until a bold poster filled the screen — a roaring golden dragon arched over a mist-covered fortress, its wings curling into clouds. Dragon Gate.Sarah leaned on the back of the couch. “Didn’t you just watch The Red Planet yesterday?”Jackson shrugged. “Yes. And now I’m watching this. Expanding my cultural horizons.”Matilda plopped down beside him, crossing her legs. “Translation: you just want to watch sword fights.”“Not just sword fights,” Jackson said, hitting play. “Dragon fights.”The opening sequence unfolded in a blaze of crimson and gold — sweeping camera shots over tiled rooftops, paper lanterns swayin
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