Chapter 8

The first line is Ling Yue's name, only it differs from that of an animal.

【Name: Ling Yue】

【Identity: Freelancer】

【Skills: Animal mind reading, beast speech, basic olfaction, introductory combat】

【Pets: Crow flock, Big Black】

It's simple, also basically summarizing all her current information; Ling Yue stared in shock, a bold idea popped into her mind, she fixed her gaze on passersby on the street, not even noticing when the crow flew away.

One unfamiliar name after another appeared before her eyes, various occupations dazzling, the most numerous being the drifters in Beijing.

It was confirmed; she could also see human information panels.

"Caw!"

The crow spread its wings, gliding over from a nearby large tree, its urgent call tugging at Ling Yue's thoughts: "Master, I've just finished communicating with the junior; nearby there happen to be a few suitable storefronts for rent—shall we go check them out?"

As it turned out, the crow had left earlier to communicate with the juniors; needless to say, with their help Ling Yue saved a lot of effort.

Her eyes lit up, she nodded and said, "Of course we should go."

She had previously asked the crows to help look for it, but she didn't expect news so soon.

At the same time, a distinguished guest arrived at the Dragon Auspicious Jewelry Store in the city center.

Upon seeing the other party, Zhao Lin's expression turned surprised—what wind blew this person here? Looking at the man's handsome appearance, even in ordinary casual wear it gave off an undeniable austere coolness that was hard to hide, making him quite eye‑catching in the crowd.

"Captain Lin—"

Lin Shaoze waved at him: "Manager Zhao, just call me Shaoze; this is private time."

The words Zhao Lin wanted to say got stuck in his throat and came out as: "Shao— Shaoze."

He almost blurted out the address from his mouth, his tone stiff.

This person before him, though young, is truly formidable—only twenty‑five, already appointed captain of the Criminal Police Brigade; as for his background, it's extraordinary, a scion of a prestigious compound.

Zhao Lin sighed inwardly.

Lin Shaoze had already taken a few steps to the display of the town's treasure; many internet celebrities were still checking in, and upon seeing him they instinctively made way, as if an inexplicable aura surrounded him—like a mouse seeing a cat, causing people to shrink back unconsciously.

Lin Shaoze gazed intently at the display; under the soft lighting, the butterfly‑knot diamond necklace placed inside black velvet sparkled with brilliant radiance, dazzling and eye‑catching.

Seeing the missing jewelry reappear, Lin Shaoze finally confirmed the case was solved—but not by the Criminal Police Brigade.

Priceless antiques worth millions had been stolen; when the case was first reported it attracted great attention from the police squad, yet even after he took over no clue was found, and the former captain still regretted it upon retirement—this also became a heartache for Lin Shaoze.

"May I ask boldly, how did you retrieve it?"

Zhao Lin tensed up, a hint of relieved smile appearing on his face: "After the incident I hired a private detective; until recently they uncovered some leads and recovered the items."

He spoke nonchalantly, tapping his fingertips occasionally on the counter; Lin Shaoze glanced over and said, "Really?"

"Then I won't disturb you; I came today mainly to follow up on the aftermath—since everything's fine here, I'll head out now."

Zhao Lin immediately stood up, after reacting he lowered his gaze slightly and smiled: "You see, the shop is too busy, so I won't see you out."

Lin Shaoze nodded and walked out of the shop.

Not far away, a police car was parked; as he just got in, his teammates in the back seat all poked their heads out like hungry cubs, eyes gleaming with excitement: "How is it, how is it? Captain, is this really true?"

Cheng Ziming scratched his head: "I just heard Manager Zhao on the phone say the case was withdrawn—I was stunned. What kind of person is this badass, solving the case silently? When did our Jing Shi produce such a master?"

As he spoke he suddenly let out an "aiyo"—it turned out a colleague had poked him in the waist: "Old Cheng, if you don't speak nobody will take you for a mute!"

Just as they thought the captain wouldn't speak, a hoarse male voice came from ahead; Lin Shaoze fixed his dark, deep gaze forward and said, "Hmm, the case is solved."

"But he's lying."

Thinking of the other party's various reactions, the offhand introduction, the unconscious little gestures, his curiosity grew ever stronger, a fierce urge to explore welling up from his bones.

Who exactly is that person?

The teammates were left bewildered by his words—what, lying? Isn't it good that the case is solved? Or perhaps there's another hidden twist to the case!

Or perhaps the captain is feeling dejected?

Everyone can see the captain's excellence; his résumé fills a whole big book, and they've all been watching—who knows they simply aren't given a chance.

If this happened to them, they'd also feel depressed.

While the teammates were wildly speculating, Lin Shaoze had already adjusted his state and said in a low voice, "Let's head back to the brigade first."

Ling Yue still didn't know that someone had already imagined her as a detective hiding in the shadows, and she didn't realize that there would be many more chances to meet in the future.

Ling Yue lifted her gaze, taking in the entire street scene.

Not knowing whether it was the scorching heat or the sparse foot traffic, the street felt a bit chilly, while the colorful signs were lively.

The landlord signed happily, without a hint of hesitation, even though the transaction price was several tenths below market value: "Miss Ling, pleasant cooperation."

His eyes held joy, but more so a barely concealed anticipation.

Ling Yue curled the corner of her mouth.

Behind her, an eighty‑square‑meter shopfront was her newly opened pet store.

Other shop owners, seeing a newcomer, couldn't help but poke their heads out; upon seeing such a pretty girl, they couldn't help shaking their heads and sighing, "Which wealthy family's miss is this? Actually renting this place."

"Yeah, Old Liu's pleased this time—he can swindle people again, cough cough, make a packet; I wonder how long she can last."

The clueless onlookers couldn't help but ask: "What's wrong? Is the house's feng shui bad, or did something happen?"

"No, but look across the way." The boss pointed to the opposite street; at a glance one could see the upscale sign hanging there, and through the glass window one could see the various small animals inside, spotless.

Lo and behold, it too was a pet store.

"This is actually a well‑known domestic chain pet store—PetLove, a big brand; on this street it does the best business, of course the point isn't that—I've been open on this street the longest, so I've basically witnessed the whole process."

The boss sighed: "Before PetLove opened, there was a pet store opposite; after it opened, relying on low prices it directly drove people away, and then it kept opening more pet stores one after another—none lasted over three months."

"But I suppose that makes sense—PetLove is a big brand, it carries many pet varieties, regardless…" He paused: "Not talking about the quality inside, just looking at it, it appears glamorous, and customers all like to go to PetLove."

Other pet store owners chimed in: "Bullshit! It's all about crushing with money—have you looked around the few hundred meters? Aside from PetLove, what other pet store is there?"

The customer instantly gasped: "That's also way too overbearing."

The little girl is probably going to lose badly.

No one noticed that, while a few people were chatting, an oily, smooth-feathered crow was taking shade on the big tree.

Ling Yue was thinking about the pet store's upcoming decoration when Crow flew in, cursing: 'I'm so angry! I'm so angry!'

Crow told Ling Yue everything the younger sibling had heard, feeling regretful: 'It's all my fault for not paying attention; master, let's not rent this place—it's no good at all.'

Ling Yue: 'But I've already signed the contract; the penalty for breach is double.'

Crow instantly slumped: 'Ah, what should we do? It's all my fault for being impatient—I only saw his low price and that nothing had happened before; how could there be such a person who actually deceives people!'

Who would have thought Ling Yue laughed: 'It's fine; our pet store isn't what they imagine—no matter how good their business is, it won't affect us.'

Really?

Ling Yue nodded, opening her phone without a second thought: 'Of course. Let's pick a decoration—do you like cozy style or fresh and natural?'

One person and one bird gathered together; Crow chattered nonstop, while Big Black was just making up the numbers—he's still a baby.

Fortunately, there weren't many people around then; otherwise, seeing this scene would have frightened them.

Across from them, the clerk immediately reported the matter to the store manager.

PetLove Pet Store's manager is a smooth-talking, worldly middle-aged man; at noon today, with few customers in the shop, he dropped the pretense, his cold expression making people feel chilly.

Knowing that a clueless newcomer had come to the noodle shop opposite, he crossed his arms and sneered repeatedly.

The subordinate, worried, absentmindedly opened the cage and roughly pulled out the kitten: 'Manager, will there be any problem?'

The manager snorted coldly: 'What could happen? She's just come to her own death; before long she'll be crying for her parents as she pays.'

The veteran employee relaxed at once, not wanting the kitten in her hand to struggle and almost scratch her; she grabbed the cat's tail: 'You little beast!'

The cat cried out in pain, and the other animals in the shop gathered to look; the manager frowned: 'Xiao Qi, why are you arguing with a mere beast?'

'Manager, I was wrong. It's not that this one is too weak— the others can run and jump, but it can't even drink milk, sick all day; I just wanted to check it out.'

The manager: 'Put it back, raise it a few more days; if it's still like this, give it some medicine and sell it quickly—this is a purebred cat that can fetch a good price.'

All right.

Who would have thought that the smiling clerk, in private, treats pets this way? The cats and dogs in the cages all lifted their heads in unison, gazing at the busy humans with hostile looks.

Here, they are nothing but merchandise.

Over the next few days, Ling Yue was busy nonstop, getting a dog license for Big Black, the pet store's business license and qualification certificate, and renovating the shop.

Meanwhile, the surrounding shop owners were puzzled; after watching for several days, seeing only a single German Shepherd, they began to doubt their own memory, wondering if that young lady really ran a pet store.

Ling Yue is preparing to open tomorrow. As for today, she first trains Big Black and Crow, because being able to communicate with them makes the process tough but effective.

In the evening, Ling Yue took Big Black out for a walk; just as she stepped outside, she encountered an unwelcome guest—a middle-aged man in a black suit, his head slicked back, the dim incandescent light in the hallway paling beside him like a flickering candle.

The moment he saw her, his eyes lit up instantly.

'Yueyue, you're going out?'

His eyes almost glued to her, Ling Yue felt as if she'd hit a streak of bad luck, wondering if she should go to a Taoist temple to pray.

She didn't want to engage with him at all, but she underestimated his thick skin—he actually tried to lay hands on her!

The man, embarrassed and angry, grabbed her wrist; he had scoped out the area beforehand, and with few people around, he thought he could do as he pleased with this weak woman.

Woof woof woof!

Big Black lunged from behind, barking fiercely: 'Don't touch my master!'

The sound echoed through the hallway.

In the dim hallway, a huge dog over half a person's height suddenly lunged out; the man turned pale with fright: 'There, there's a dog biting people—help!'

Ling Yue tugged the leash, and Big Black immediately sat obediently; nearby residents drawn by his yells came over, eyeing the scene suspiciously.

The man collapsed on the ground, his face grim: 'You dare sic your dog on me!'

On one side was a soft little girl and her well-behaved dog behind her—though large, it had curled up into a ball; everyone burst into laughter, unsure who was bullying whom.

The man patted his clothes and shouted angrily: 'Everyone come look—she's so vicious; I only said a few words, and she actually set her dog on me.'

No wonder they're mother and son.

Ling Yue smirked inwardly; without him saying it, someone already recognized him: 'You're not Wang Dama's son, are you? You don't even live around here—what are you doing coming here?'

'Ling Yue set her dog on you? Her dog is practically skin and bones!'

A few words hit the nail on the head.

The man's face flushed and pallid; why else come here but to listen to Wang Dama's scheming, intending to bully the little girl? Ling Yue has never been the type to let others walk all over her.

Moreover, she directly called the police; when they arrived, the man finally felt fear—more so, resentment.

The neighbors seemed to be meeting Ling Yue for the first time, and couldn't help but sigh.

Lele's dad said: 'If anything comes up, you can find me; you're on your own now, and hearing that the Wang family… has connections, you as a lone person need to protect yourself even more.'

Liu Dama opposite stared at the light: 'This light is too dim; I'll call property management—who is this dim light supposed to shine for? As a Liu Dama with bad legs, if something happens, they'll be responsible.'

'Ling Yue, your dog's great; a little girl ought to raise a big dog—dogs protect their masters, and no one would dare bully you.'

Big Black proudly barked twice; the man gave a chuckle: 'Hey, you heard me praising you, huh?'

Everyone laughed.

Outside the residential complex flows a Clear Water River; Ling Yue took Big Black for a night run along its banks, the breeze brushing her face, the willows swaying gently. Suddenly, her gaze shifted—on the shimmering water something seemed to float, rising and falling.

Big Black barked toward the riverside.

Ling Yue frowned, and only when she neared the embankment did she see clearly: it was a piece of driftwood drifting along the water's edge, with a small, golden, fluffy creature perched on top, locking eyes with Big Black: 'Squeak squeak, I'm a rat who's fallen low and been bullied by dogs!'