Chapter 250

Ling Yue waited quietly for a while, seeing them finally calm down, preparing to question them.

She had already prepared her words in advance, just about to speak, when the little mouse suddenly bristled and shrieked: "Dad, what are you doing?"

"My cheese!"

The big mouse trembled all over upon hearing that, his mouth still full of sticky cheese, he immediately swallowed it guiltily, lifted his head, and met his son's shocked gaze.

Ling Yue: "……"

She had figured it out, and directly opened the cage: "You go ahead and eat first, fill your stomachs, then you'll have the strength to work for me."

The two mice stared at each other, then in an instant they swooshed down; compared to food and life, everyone knows which is more important.

We're free!

Humans are so stupid, so stupid!

Mouse Dad excitedly thought, then came to his senses, his small eyes full of shock: "What's going on? How am I still in the room!"

"Dad, save me! I'm afraid of heights!" the little mouse clung desperately to the cheese, like a buoy, rolling back and forth.

Mouse Dad lowered his head, shocked to discover he had actually flown up!

The mysterious human across from them merely moved a finger.

"Witch, spare my life!"

That shout had a distinct local flavor, leaving Ling Yue speechless and embarrassed; at the same time, she saw they were truly frightened and dared not flee again.

Only then did the two mice slowly land on the plate.

The big mouse sat face-up on the cheese, paws gripping a chunk, secretly nibbling away, his cheek pouches bulging.

Shu Shu resigned: "Um, you, what do you want me to do, sir?"

Looking at its little one, half its body had burrowed into the cheese hole, only a round, plump head showing; hearing Mouse Dad's words, its round ears twitched.

Ling Yue smiled faintly: "You should have heard about yesterday's major terrorist attack, when all the gold in the bank vault was stolen and vanished."

Mouse Dad, astonished, covered his mouth, his little short legs extending and then straightening, hanging limp; a single mouse raising his foolish son Jerry in the chaotic city these years proves he is a clever mouse.

After Ling Yue's prompting, his blocked mind suddenly cleared: "Sir, you mean the gold I saw is——?"

It clutched its little chest tightly.

Not long after, Ling Yue left the hotel, and under the guidance of the mouse father and son, together with Jun Jun came to the vicinity of the city's sewer entrance; a century of industrialization has made the sewers here extremely dense, with pipes piled up like a spiderweb.

In other cities, there are even vagrants who live in the sewers, because here it's relatively warm, making it the best resting spot in winter.

However, obviously, New York's sewers are not like that.

Upon entering, Ling Yue smelled a foul odor; at the same time, what slightly surprised her was that there wasn't a drop of water here, while the mouse father and son guiding her were used to it.

Mouse Tommy said: "This is an abandoned sewer pipe, so only I and Jerry can settle here; it's those people who have trampled my nest to pieces!"

He said this, still somewhat angry, after all, anyone who suddenly suffers an undeserved disaster would react this way.

Ling Yue, upon hearing this, felt even more resolute in her heart.

The sewer consists of thick pipes connected; Ling Yue entered, feeling like a giant stepping into a land of little people—she had to lower her head to barely get in.

As for the mouse father and son, they were instead quite free, as if they were at home.

That's correct; this is indeed the home where the father and son have lived for a long time, although before being captured he was preparing to move to another district.

Mouse Dad Tommy led Ling Yue through many twists and turns, finally arriving at the destination.

Here, Ling Yue saw the sole gold bar, engraved with the logo of New York Qihua Bank, clearly a reserve gold brick.

Besides that, on the dusty ground, footprints were scattered everywhere, stretching all the way to the corner at the end.

Ling Yue couldn't help but look up, as if her substantive gaze pierced the upper pipes, seeing empty rooms.

At the same time, as the heavy valve of the storeroom was opened, police entered to investigate; the vast vault, which had previously been glaring, was now empty—investigators stepped inside, pupils contracting, seeing only an empty void.

The spotless floor shone brightly enough to reflect a person's silhouette.

The person in charge trembled in the legs, nearly kneeling: "Ch-Chief."

The investigating officer glanced at the gold vault that even a mouse couldn't stand in, and said: "You mean, within just those few hours yesterday, the saboteurs who carried out the terrorist attack stole all the gold from the entire vault?"

After saying that, he himself almost couldn't help laughing out loud.

The person in charge stammered, unable to utter another word.

Actually, he himself knew this was absolutely impossible; the bank's reserve vault holds hundreds of tons, and gold is extremely heavy—even if a deity came, they couldn't carry away that much gold.

Yet strangely, after the terrorists left, all the gold in the bank vanished completely, heaven and earth searched, they couldn't find even a gram of miserable gold dust.

At that moment, the person in charge simply exclaimed: "Ghosts!"

In this terrorist attack, the greatest loss wasn't the number of casualties, but the bank being robbed of nearly a hundred tons of gold, which vanished, directly landing on the city's most important newspaper headline.

The authorities paid particular attention, not only because of media pressure, but also because the gold stored in the bank is the nation's reserve; after abolishing the gold standard and adopting the dollar standard, the United States thereby gained immeasurable gold resources.

A hundred tons of gold, though it didn't touch the fundamentals, is of completely immeasurable value in ordinary people's eyes.

Therefore, superiors demanded the police locate the missing gold in the shortest possible time.

Chief John, as a seasoned officer, after thorough on-site inspection, immediately speculated: "This batch of gold probably hasn't been lost!"

He furrowed his brows tightly, one hand pinching a cigarette butt: "It's very likely nearby."

The bank's person in charge wore a face full of worry: "But where could it be?"

In the coffee shop on the bank corner, two white people sat face‑facing; through the glass they glimpsed the bank opposite flashing police lights nonstop, eating cake with grinning faces: "When can we start?"

"Don't worry, the boss already said we'll act tonight."

"\"Let's pull off a big score! \" his companion said, guzzling the coffee in one gulp with fierce vigor, his face instantly wrinkling like a bitter melon."

"**！"

He immediately cursed lowly; the vulgar action and atmosphere clashed completely with the elegant coffee shop—if not for observing the police's movements, they wouldn't be here at all.

Even wearing expensive suits, their innate coarseness cannot be changed.

Seeing this, one should already be able to guess: they are precisely the criminals who earlier plotted the terrorist attack, coming suddenly and leaving mysteriously; that batch of gold, according to their conversation, is just as Chief John guessed—still on this street.

More precisely, it's right underfoot.

Their plan had been plotted for months, internal and external cooperation, they dismantled the underground surveillance network, used the abandoned underground passage, dug out a tunnel, but that location was not inside the vault, but rather, the staff restroom!

Unfortunately, man's plans fall short of heaven's; Ling Yue heard the clue from the mice, she did not overlook it but kept it in mind.

Accompanied by the mouse father and son and Jun Jun, Ling Yue followed the footprints to the end of the pipe, until she could go no further.

In the pitch‑black sewer, Ling Yue hadn't yet made out what was there when her foot struck something hard; she jerked to a halt and switched on her flashlight.

In an instant, countless dazzling golden flashes burst forth with blinding light, splendid and magnificent like a legendary sight; gold piled up in mountains, its radiant glow illuminated Ling Yue's face, the brilliant light tinting her pupils amber‑hued.

The two mice huddled together in shock, their eyes seeming to burn with clusters of fire: "Good heavens!"

"So, so much gold!" the little mouse Jierui exclaimed.

Actually, Ling Yue initially didn't associate the sewer gold with a terrorist attack—it seemed too coincidental—until she saw the mice again and her thoughts stirred.

An indescribable intuition struck her heart.

Ling Yue: "This must be all the gold the bank lost."

The big mouse: "What should we do with it? This is just too, too, too much."

It kept saying "too much" over and over, craning its neck to look, its head spinning.

Ling Yue pressed her lips in a smile, gave Jun Jun a glance; he had at some point produced a scroll, which he unfurled, and the whole mountain of gold was drawn into it.

Sorry, I'm taking this batch of gold.

The moment she saw it, Ling Yue had already planned its use: donate it to the state, for terrorists would just squander it on eating, drinking, gambling and debauchery; better to build a new China, erecting a few more Hope Primary Schools for mountain‑area children.

Afterward, Ling Yue released the two mice, also giving them a few packets of pet food; years later, Jierui had his own offspring and still remembered that tasty bite.

That night, the bandits who had planned the heist arrived at the sewer pipe, only to find it completely empty; upon seeing the scene, the leader spat out a mouthful of blood.

Everyone stared at each other; if they still couldn't figure out what was going on, their brains must be broken.

The next moment, they all drew their guns, black muzzles aimed at their comrades, every eye filled with wariness and dread.

"Where's the gold? Is it you, Laotangmu? Did you secretly send people to swallow this batch?"

"It's obviously you!" the muscular big man's face flushed red as he angrily waved his arms, his bulging veins and sand‑pot‑sized fists radiating vigor, making onlookers tremble.

"Who the hell is this bastard? This is hundreds of tons of gold!"

Back when they finished moving the loot, they all lay at home for a day and a night; otherwise, how could they have waited until today to come for the gold?

"It's definitely you, you sly brat—I remember you still owe on a loan shark—you must have leaked the news!"

The entire sewer was a complete mess, everyone suspicious of their neighbors, they argued nonstop, and in the scuffle someone knocked out the light.

In an instant, the sewer fell into a deathly silence.

The heavy panting and anger didn't subside; instead, it was like pouring hot oil on it, until finally someone pulled the trigger.

"Bang!"

A shrill cry rang out: "Traitor! It's you!"

In an instant, continuous gunfire raked the area, the foul smell of rust mixed with blood permeating the cramped space.

At that moment, Ling Yue glanced at the clock: it was ten p. m.

She gazed out the window at neon flashes, the bustling city's day‑night reversed; Ling Yue opened her computer, calculating the time, and realized it should be daytime back home.

Because she took part in the Cute Pet variety show, Ling Yue directly cut her weekend livestreams, so she now daren't even look at her own Weibo.

The facts proved she wasn't wrong at all.

Comment timestamps ran from past to present, starting with 【The streamer must be tired—let her rest a few days】 to 【Streamer, what are you doing? Come out already!!! I want to watch the stream!!!】

【Sisters, send the blades!】

【Ding ding ding, anyone doing a Ding‑ding ride‑hail? I'll pay ten bucks!】

【Add me one, I'll pay a hundred!】

【I'll pay ten thousand!】

The hot comments below were a sea of misery, their sole demand: go live!

Ling Yue opened the live‑stream room; the screen was blank, seeming to have frozen, but in fact, fans worldwide seeing her familiar face burst into tears.

【Ahhh you dead ghost, where did you run off to! Do you have any idea how much I miss you!】

【Woohoo, brothers, our yearly‑update streamer is online!】

【I need to hurry and burn paper for my great‑grandma; the streamer you've been tracking is finally back!】

【The missing person has returned! 【Universal celebration】】

The screen filled with flying pearls; countless tips almost drowned Ling Yue, she waved her hand, beckoning like a fortune cat: "Hello everyone."

【We're not okay at all!】

Fans had long noticed her background—a night‑scene; from the landmark building behind her they instantly deduced she was in the United States!

They worried sick, while she actually went abroad happily!

【Streamer, you have no heart! Wah‑wah‑cry. JPG】

【Streamer, you have no heart!】

The unanimous criticism made Ling Yue burst out laughing helplessly; she explained, "Cutie, don't be sad—I'm not traveling; I have to go abroad for business."

"And look, I'm going live." Without waiting for comments, she spoke rapidly: "I know you're angry; today there's a perk—unlimited Q&A, with random participants drawn in the stream."

In an instant, the screen's barrage froze momentarily, then erupted in a geyser‑like spray of tips mixed with cheers.

Ling Yue waited a moment, adjusted her posture, then said: "Everyone, quiet down—I'm about to start the draw."

The result came out instantly; Ling Yue blinked, saw the username, and said: "Congratulations, 'Home Little Spider'—I've posted the link; click agree, may I ask what you'd like to consult?"

Moments later, 'Home Little Spider' appeared on screen; to the viewers' surprise, he was a handsome young man, though his nickname was quite cute.

Behind him was a window with a lovely view; jade‑green banana leaves like emerald, lush greenery, and the sound of water seemed to drift in.

He wore a summer short‑sleeve shirt and shorts; before long, viewers recognized the setting as likely Thailand.

No wonder, back home they were still in spring attire—his short‑sleeve shirt and shorts were already on.

He looked at Ling Yue, as if he hadn't reacted yet.

After a moment, Xiao Zhizhu stammered, 'I‑I got picked by the streamer?!'

"Heavens, ancestors bless us! Green smoke is rising from the ancestral grave!"

He vividly illustrated what disbelief and ecstatic joy looked like, then quickly realized this was a livestream, with netizens worldwide watching, and his face changed in an instant.

Xiao Zhizhu gave a light cough, his face flushing: 'Streamer, don't mind me—I was just too excited earlier; could you cut this part out?'

Ling Yue was momentarily speechless.

The netizens who couldn't stop laughing couldn't help but remind him—

【Big bro, this is a livestream—it's going out live!】

【Hey, little bro, you're shy—go on, touch your face, it's fine; big sis loves your bashfulness.】

【This inquirer is so innocent, his face is completely red!】

Xiao Zhizhu practically wanted to dig a hole to hide in; the teasing comments online made his face burn red, and he stammered for a while: 'I'm not, I didn't.'

Little did he know, the more he reacted like that, the more people couldn't resist teasing him.

He quickly came to his senses, lowered his eyelids slightly, with a hint of 'what the hell, let's just go with it': 'Just stream it.'

"Streamer, I have a favor to ask you."

As he spoke, his face flushed again, his eyes full of anxiety: 'Everyone says you're a great summoner—can you help me find my Rose?'

【A‑a great summoner?】

【Waigua, that description is spot‑on—our Yueyue's summoning skills make anyone jealous.】

【Streamer, I can do it too—I'm a 985 graduate, I can run, jump, and feed myself; if you summon me, I'll fly over right away【hehehe】【tongue out】【bashful】】

【Yue! Upstairs, hurry up and put on some pants!】

Ling Yue glanced over the comments, subtly pressing her lips together—what a comment section—she forced her focus onto the inquirer: 'I can help you, but are you sure your pet is here?'

Upon hearing that, Xiao Zhizhu immediately gave a bashful smile: 'I'm sure—Rose is very shy; she never steps outside the door. I've found her a few times before, but this time she's been missing for half a month.'

"I've searched the whole house and still couldn't find her."

He said this, gazing hopefully at Ling Yue.

Ling Yue nodded: 'I'll give it a try.'

She began calling for Rose; her voice was ethereal yet could easily envelop the whole house, bolstered by magic—humans found it melodious, while to animal ears it was highly beguiling.

Soon she received a response.

Ling Yue's face wasn't looking good as she turned to the inquirer on screen: 'Are you sure Rose is your only pet?'

Xiao Zhizhu looked bewildered: 'What's going on?'

He scratched his head, lowered it bashfully: 'I've only ever had Xiao Zhizhu as a pet.'

Ling Yue: 'I have two pieces of news to tell you—one good, one bad.'

"Ah?" The boy stared at the camera, his eyes holding a pure, naive foolishness, like a freshman just out of school.

The netizens in front of the screen had their curiosity instantly piqued by Ling Yue's words.

【Waigua, what does the streamer mean by this?】

【Could it be… more bad than good? No, the streamer clearly said there was a response!】

【What's everyone saying? My head itches—is my brain about to sprout?】

【……】

The boy grew more anxious as he watched, unable to hold back: 'Streamer, did something happen to my little Rose?'

Ling Yue's expression was complex, but her reply was decisive: 'No, that's not it.'

"Let me cut to the chase: the good news is I've already found Rose and just made contact with her. The bad news is——"

"The creatures that came seem… a bit too many."

The boy's eyes widened like a startled squirrel: 'What do you mean… a bit too many?'

Ling Yue had no idea how to describe the sound she'd just heard; recalling it, her face twisted with conflict and hesitation—at first she too was puzzled, because when she called for Rose, the reply seemed to have an echo, but after listening carefully several times she realized there were three voices answering!

At that moment, the ceiling suddenly emitted a crack‑crack sound.

Xiao Zhizhu couldn't help but look up as fine dust sifted down, prompting him to shut his eyes reflexively: 'What's going on?'

The crack‑crack grew clearer, whether underfoot or overhead it seemed to vibrate, making him instinctively grip his phone tighter.

Suddenly, the phone streamed the streamer's decisive voice: 'Move aside, your little Rose is coming down!'

"What—what?"

Xiao Zhizhu instinctively stepped back several paces; in an instant the hairs on his neck stood on end, and the surrounding dust seemed like countless eyes locking onto him.

【Aaaah, is the house about to collapse?!】

【An… earthquake?】

【So what exactly is this little Rose? Could it be an orange cat, as the saying goes—nine out of ten orange cats are fat, with one extra weighing down the bed?】

【This isn't an orange cat—it's a mini‑Godzilla monster!】

"Crack—crack——"

Before the camera, the ceiling's suspended panels trembled visibly, then burst with a sharp crack; the continuous wooden ceiling boomed and half of it fell away.

Like a smooth piece of cloth torn apart by an invisible pair of hands.

From the black fissure came a sudden hissing sound, and a multicolored mass slowly writhed.

Xiao Zhizhu hadn't forgotten Ling Yue's earlier words—that his little Rose was coming down; had it been staying up there all along?

The clueless boy, like a robot, slowly lifted his head.

At the same moment, a patch of color concealed in the darkness dropped down; its slender tail tip swished past the lens and finally froze on the image of a forked tongue flickering in and out.

The unprepared viewers jumped up: "Aooo snake! A python!"

One can imagine how many people were scared to lose control of their bowels by the suddenly descending snake head; even Ling Yue's heart jumped, and she blurted out: "Is it really a python?"

Her gaze toward Jia You Xiao Zhuzhu instantly changed.

The trembling Jia You Xiao Zhuzhu: "…Slander! This is slander!"

"My Rose is a Chilean rose fire spider! Not a python!"

Having said that in one breath, he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into—who understands? The two snakes stared at him unblinkingly, their vertical pupils growing more terrifying the longer he looked.

The spider-hearing viewers: "???"

【Spider, spider's okay…… Ahhh why is it a spider!】

【Is there any normal animal? Where did all the kitties and puppies go! 【biting handkerchief】】

"Huh huh huh, why did our floor collapse?"

At the same time, a gentle female voice suddenly sounded. Ling Yue looked over, her sharp gaze fixed on the snake's head—more precisely, on the palm-sized little spider perched there—and she was certain this time: "You're Rose, right?"

The fire spider Rose obviously still remembered her voice, and replied softly: "Hello."

Through its compound eyes it saw its owner sitting on the floor, its many legs wiggling, and it said shyly: "Huahua, quickly let me down to find my owner."

Ling Yue then realized this was a married pair of snakes—two pythons as thick as calves coiled together, their similar patterns making them hard to tell apart.

Suddenly, the python flicked its tail and lowered its tip.

"Is this a human? It looks white and tender, seems delicious, slurp~ slurp~"

The fire spider Rose crawled down, its fuzzy legs brushing against the male student: "Owner, look, this is my new friend—isn't it cool?"

"Owner, say something."

"Host, what is Rose saying?"

Ling Yue looked at him pityingly and translated aloud.

Jia You Xiao Zhuzhu instantly burst into tears, anguishedly crying: "Save, save me!"

Finally, he called the police amid the viewers' sympathy, and the two pythons were also released back into the wild—don't ask why not the zoo; there are plenty of them in Thailand, and nobody cares.

At home, the little spider's legs are so soft it can't even stand; he sits on the ground—oh no, it's a pile of ruins—thanking Ling Yue.

The fluffy fire spider cradled in the palm turned its big eyes round and round, a flash of spirit light, its several long fluffy legs curled together, and the spider shyly whispered, 'Thank, thank you.'

Ling Yue's eyes curved with a smile: 'You're welcome.'

【Wow, is it apologizing? How weird—I actually find the fire spider a bit cute?】

【Me too… but I'm afraid it'll bring two good friends…】

【Are you a devil, upstairs?!】

After seeing off the pitiful first consulter, Ling Yue welcomed the first guest; the netizens' attitude is always that the next one is fresher, and they immediately cheer and clap.

【Ding ding ding ding! Please welcome the first guest—what performance will he bring us? I'm so looking forward~】

【To be honest upstairs, is the guest still a big sucker?】

In the discussion, Ling Yue already uttered the other's username: 'Congrats on my getting rich by stealing an electric bike—may I ask what you'd like to consult?'

On one-sixth of the screen, a hippie-smiling man with dyed yellow hair instantly appeared; upon seeing Ling Yue, he blew a rascal whistle.

"Wow, streamer, you're really pretty! I wish my future girlfriend could be as pretty as you!"

His frivolous tone and unscrupulous gaze made Ling Yue's impression of him plummet to the bottom instantly. She told herself that the consultation is about an animal—the owner's behavior has nothing to do with the animal.

She calmed her tone and said, 'May I ask what you'd like to consult?'

The yellow-haired youth laughed hehe: 'Ah, I forgot—our dog Wangcai hasn't been doing well lately; I want to consult the streamer, can we make it happier? A little beast… a little cat, what could it possibly be upset about?'

"It hasn't been eating anything lately, its fur has turned dull; please, streamer, save my Wangcai!" He said, sighing, seeming very worried, but Ling Yue clearly saw contempt and disdain in the man's eyes.

Ling Yue's expression turned cold; the hippie-smiling yellow-haired man bent over, and in the next moment a sharp, piercing meow suddenly rang out—

"Don't come over! Don't come over! Wuwuwu don't touch me, you big bad guy!"：，，.