Chapter 80

He's a man.

Lin Shaoze moved sluggishly, his tightly furrowed brows unconsciously relaxing; behind him, the officers who had followed let out a sigh of relief.

Immediately, seeing the man's gruesome face, a chill shot from the soles of their feet to the crown of their heads; many were stunned, rooted to the spot.

Cheng Ziming, meanwhile, was full of energy, jumping in fright: 'Mommy!'

He howled, darting behind Lin Shaoze, unable to help muttering softly: 'Is this a person or a ghost?!'

This remark voiced the officers' feelings; the scene was truly… too terrifying.

On the ground crawled bloodstains, dark red oxidized blood covering the man's whole body; nearby lay a thrown large iron hammer, the patter of footsteps echoing in the somewhat empty factory.

"Sorry." Ling Yue rolled up her sleeves: "I guess… I used a bit too much force."

The moment they saw her, everyone was dazed for an instant; this contrast was really too cruel.

Compared to the miserable, wretched man, Ling Yue's clothes were spotless, not a wrinkle, clean enough to stay dust-free.

"Cough." Cheng Ziming lightly coughed into his hand; everyone snapped back to attention, swiftly subduing the man.

Ling Yue explained: "He should be Cong Xin."

The latter suddenly reacted, denying his earlier words even more firmly: "What Cong Xin? My surname is Zhan; you've got the wrong person!"

"Let me go quickly, or I'll sue you!"

He spoke with earnest confidence, extremely arrogant; his convincing act made Ling Yue nod involuntarily.

As for the officers, sorry, they trusted Ling Yue more, having worked with her many times.

Lin Shaoze stepped forward with a cold face, the icy handcuffs clicking onto the other's wrists; his action had already proven his choice.

Take him downstairs, to the hospital, draw blood for testing.

The man's dark eyes fell on Cong Xin: "Rest assured, we won't wrong an innocent person, nor will we let a guilty one go."

The man who had been shouting just now was suddenly drained, his body collapsing limp to the ground.

Immediately, Lin Shaoze shifted his gaze; beside Ling Yue, Big Black thrust out his dog head, tail wagging rapidly, rubbing against her calf while uttering enthusiastic 'uh-uh-uh' sounds: 'Master, you're amazing!'

The dog's big eyes blinked, looking at Ling Yue with admiration.

The treasure‑seeking mouse in her pocket saw clearly, pursed its lips: 'Dog leg!'

Amid the cheerful atmosphere, only Cong Xin, who had heard that, felt utterly dejected; he never imagined that, despite the great price he'd paid, he had merely bought himself a few extra months.

Hateful!

A resentful gaze fell on Ling Yue; before she could say anything, a clear birdcall rang out, and the goldfinch shot forth like a tiny cannonball, biting the man's face: 'Bad guy! Big bad guy!'

The goldfinch's wings fluttered; obviously, it still held a grudge about what had just happened, vowing to take revenge.

As for Mr. Hawk, being a state‑protected second‑level animal, to avoid unnecessary trouble Ling Yue had kept it hidden since earlier; it never showed its face.

The matter was settled quickly; Cong Xin, as a senior member of a heinous kidnapping and trafficking ring, had done far more than just abduct people.

The police attached great importance to this: first, through him they could follow the vine to uncover other trafficking gangs; second, because he bore a homicide charge.

After stepping outside, Ling Yue silently gazed at the deformed, wrecked off‑road vehicle; a moment of speechlessness followed—worse than she had imagined, the body riddled with holes, completely rusted into a scrap heap of iron,

"Sorry." Lin Shaoze spoke stiffly: "We arrived late, and this car wasn't accidentally damaged during our operation—the precinct can't write it off."

In other words, Ling Yue would have to bear the cost herself.

Behind him, Cheng Ziming suddenly spoke: 'Boss, you forgot—there's still the reward money, 150,000; that should be enough for Miss Ling to buy another car, right?'

Ling Yue never imagined that, after all the twists and turns, that reward money would actually become the funds for buying a car.

The treasure‑seeking mouse in her pocket couldn't help poking its head out, tugging at her: 'Master, are we… at a loss?'

Ling Yue: '……'

Suddenly she felt as if an arrow had pierced her chest.

Ling Yue flicked the little mouse's head, her tone tinged with resentment: 'Duoduo, you're right—don't say that again.'

Going there had been fine; coming back, Ling Yue could only ride in the police car, but luckily the interior was spacious, easily accommodating one person and one dog.

The driver was Lin Shaoze.

Facing his subordinate's teasing gaze, he remained unfazed and voluntarily invited.

Not long after the car set off, Ling Yue suddenly heard his voice: 'Still that earlier case, the illegal poaching team—we've pried another piece of information from the suspect's mouth.'

Ling Yue was stroking the dog; hearing this, she startled, lifted her eyes forward, and instantly perked up: 'What is it?'

As Ling Yue spoke, she suddenly understood; no wonder he had personally escorted her—it was to discuss official business, something she was well acquainted with.

The man's low voice sounded in the car: 'Regarding that Mu Zi, they are preparing for the underground trade fair; the time is set for half a month from now, and the location will be decided by that so‑called Mu Zi.'

Ling Yue's eyes lit up instantly: 'An underground trade fair?'

More bluntly put, it should be the scene of illegal wildlife trade, orchestrated single‑handedly by Mu Zi; based on this half‑sentence plus earlier speculation, Ling Yue frowned, intuiting that the so‑called Mu Zi must hold a crucial position.

He is definitely an important figure.

Getting back to the point, Ling Yue basically understood Lin Shaoze's meaning.

At that moment, the big black dog in her arms suddenly barked a few times, eyes shining: 'Wow wow wow, Master, another big case!'

It hadn't taken part in that day's incident and didn't know this matter had already begun. Ling Yue rubbed the dog's head, pondered for a moment, and said: 'If you say so, I've reckoned—our earlier arrangements should be wrapping up soon; once my bees return—'

She paused, her eyes full of confidence: 'They will surely bring back intel; perhaps then we'll know who the so‑called Mu Zi is, and we can follow this lead to dig deeper.'

Ling Yue said, curling the corner of her mouth: 'The most appropriate timing would be the underground trade fair.'

Lin Shaoze glanced at the girl in the rearview mirror, his eyes flickering; Ling Yue's plan was highly feasible, but far more dangerous—any slip‑up would pit them against vicious criminals.

Yet Lin Shaoze still nodded, for in his view those dangers ought to be borne by the police, not by Ling Yue.

Although his plan had been excellent, everything that happened afterward made him fully realize that plans cannot keep up with rapid change.

Jing Shi.

After returning in the police car, Ling Yue did not choose to go straight home; instead, after collecting the reward money, she turned and went to the Song residence.

Before even stepping inside, she sensed that the aura here was different; Ling Yue gazed at the villa's upper air—ordinary people would only see bright sunshine, as if a special filter had been applied, making one feel refreshed and delighted just by looking.

In Ling Yue's eyes, golden rays shot from the sky above the villa, bathing the entire manor; this is the manifestation of luck's blessing, which she didn't have when

A feng shui fish king, bestowing blessings upon the local populace.

The treasure‑seeking mouse sighed as it looked toward the manor, saying, "Master, I don't know why, but I feel this house is very comfortable—just seeing it makes me happy."

Ling Yue: "That's because Jinjin is here."

Two small creatures followed behind; Ling Yue had already sent a message to Mr. Song Han, and she walked straight in—only to be met head‑on by a big white blob.

Ga ga ga~

Hahaha, you want to catch up to your grandpa? Not until eight hundred years from now!

The big white goose arrogantly spread its wings, twisted its long neck, and gloated at the flustered Song Xi behind it, completely unaware that Ling Yue's party lay ahead.

Ga!!!

By the time it reacted, it could not stop its feet; Ling Yue blinked—was it throwing itself into her arms?

She dodged; the big white goose smacked the grass with a pa‑pa, about to shout, when a black shadow loomed before it—its head fogged, and upon seeing who it was it instantly folded its wings, saying, "Big brother, hello!"

Song Xi rushed over, looking like a beggar who'd just crawled out from under an overpass, his clothes in tatters; seeing Ling Yue, he yelped and fled, even abandoning the goose.

Help, what was he doing just now? What's he like now—how dare he? How dare he let the streamer see him like this QAQ!

Seeing its owner take off, the big white goose forgot itself, its outstretched wings drooping instantly; the whole goose despaired, crying, "You still claim you like geese—this is what you call liking; the goose will bite you to death!"

As it staggered forward, a dog's paw suddenly landed on the goose's wing, freezing the atmosphere.

Dahei: "Want to run?"

Ling Yue glanced into the distance and suddenly said, "Dahei, let it go."

The person they'd been seeking had already arrived; at the far end of the lawn stood the Song couple and a revitalized Song Xi—though they could have sent servants to greet Ling Yue, the whole family of three went out together.

Before Ling Yue could say anything, the other spoke directly: "I know, Master—are you here to take Jinjin home?"

He spoke with a hint of reluctance, then led them inside; the moment they entered, everyone saw the beautiful aquarium, which instantly reminded Ling Yue of Song Xi's earlier remark—she had thought it an exaggeration, but it was actually modest.

Inside the transparent aquarium lay layers of shell‑sand, then pavilions and towers; most delightful was a small window opened beside a house within, revealing a graceful lady holding a fan, her features delicate and poised.

This is hardly an aquarium—it's clearly a miniature world!

The most striking was a large dragon fish weaving through the aquatic plants; Ling Yue stared at it, and the treasure‑seeking mouse rushed over, exclaiming, "My goodness, is this Jinjin? What hormones did the kid eat to grow so huge?!"

Jinjin frolicked in the water, its whole body crimson, gliding through lush waterweeds; the fish lightly flicked its tail, its perfect scales scattering seven‑colored red light, and even more beautiful was its tail—red shot through with purple, richly colored and strikingly gorgeous.

Upon hearing that, Jinjin grew angry and leapt straight out of the aquarium—

With a "pfft", the treasure‑seeking mouse got drenched in fresh water and went completely dumb.

Before it could react, Jinjin leapt from the aquarium again, thrashing its tail; droplets scattered and refracted a lovely rainbow, like heavenly maidens scattering flowers.

Ling Yue could see that Jinjin was completely different from before; if it had been slightly immature earlier, now Jinjin had fully transformed into a qualified—no, a top‑tier Dragon Fish King!

The Dragon Fish Jinjin pressed tightly against the aquarium glass, crying, "Master! Master, you've finally come to take me home!"

"We agreed on ten days—how many days have passed?!"

Hearing its complaint, Ling Yue rubbed her nose, feeling guilty; when she got busy she really forgot, dragging it out three, four, five… days?

She pressed her palm where Jinjin clung to the glass and said, "Sorry, Jinjin—I really did forget earlier, but believe me, I absolutely didn't mean to!"

Jinjin gave a cold snort: "You say what you say; I'm not as easy to fool as before."

"I am now—Niohuru Jinjin!"

Ling Yue stared wide‑eyed, finally realizing Jinjin had indeed grown a lot; before, it thought sheer strength could crush anything by force, but after the Song family's influence, it had matured.

"Actually, all Jinjin wants is simple—Master, could you hug me?"

"Putting a fish like Jinjin here for so many days, the master must have forgotten it; Jinjin waits every day from dawn to dusk for the master to come get it…"

After hearing that, Ling Yue was utterly bewildered, her head full of little question marks—how could those words be so familiar?

Isn't this her childhood enlightenment drama *Return of the Pearl*?!

Ling Yue did feel guilty; hearing that, she pressed her lips and said, "This is the milk bite I made—try it."

Jinjin blinked, and in the next instant a milk bite was tossed into the tank; its fragrant aroma spread through the water, Jinjin gulped a mouthful, and its eyes lit up instantly.

"Delicious!"

As it ate, it suddenly burst into tears: "Is this tasty treat just for me, or do my siblings get some too?"

Ling Yue rubbed her forehead, practically having two heads.

When she looked at the Song family again, her gaze shifted completely; hearing Mr. and Mrs. Song say they wanted to keep the rice, Ling Yue wished she could hoist the aquarium and run off overnight.

As they set off, Madam Song couldn't help but tear up: "If Jinjin leaves, where will I find such a perfect TV‑watching buddy?"

From Madam Song's earnestness, Ling Yue knew that these days the Dragon Fish Jinjin had been incredibly nourishing—when hungry it had wicked energy, when awake it had TV, and they often watched television together in the living room, which is why what followed happened.

Ling Yue: "!!!"

Turns out it was you who lured the devils here. JPG

When Ling Yue left, she carried both fish and tank; she wanted to take Jinjin directly, but Mr. Song Han insisted it was impossible, enthusiastically recommending, "Just take the whole thing—Jinjin is used to this aquarium; we'll raise another fish later and build a new tank."

Ling Yue listened, silently blushing; recalling her earlier free‑range keeping, Jinjin couldn't help but snort, "I'm nothing like those delicate fish—I'm super easy to keep alive!"

Ling Yue twitched her fingertip, curled the corner of her mouth, and said, "Right! But that doesn't stop me from feeling I didn't do a very good job."

"Let's not talk about that—let's go home!"

Jinjin excitedly swam to and fro; just before leaving, it flicked its tail, sending cool droplets spraying onto the Song family, its fins swaying as a stream of tiny bubbles bubbled from its mouth, crying, "Goodbye~"

Song Xi wiped the water from his face, eyes wide, and said, "Mom, how is it repaying kindness with enmity?"

Ling Yue was about to explain when she heard that, and couldn't help but laugh: "What repaying kindness with enmity? This is a blessing."

"Jinjin became a Dragon Fish King at Mr. Song's house; that is the Dragon Fish King's blessing skill—over the next three days your luck will be very good."

The Song family stared in surprise; Jinjin ducked behind the seaweed and said, "Hey, what are you looking at? It's just a bit of luck—I lack everything else, but never luck!"

It said, looking at Ling Yue, "Besides luck, I have other abilities too."

"All right, everything's secured and installed."

Ling Yue nodded, the HuoLaLa driver opposite her flushed red, flustered; he never imagined in his life that he'd be delivering goods to a villa area.

The aquarium I just saw, my goodness, a glance would blind me, it's more exquisite than where people live.

After settling Jin Jin, Ling Yue prepared to call a taxi home, but she had no choice—her car was gone, and only then did she realize how inconvenient it is without a car.

Song Xi suddenly raised her hand: "Me!"

Everyone present looked at him, Song Xi's face flushed crimson: "I have a car, I'll drive you home."

Seeing Ling Yue hesitate, he added: "Streamer, you're bringing Da Hei; a taxi definitely won't welcome him, get in my car, Da Hei can play freely!"

Ling Yue blinked, still okay to say, Song Xi's eyes welled with tears: "Streamer, do you really have to refuse even my such humble and tiny request?"

Ling Yue: "……I promise you."

Is promising you not enough, little drama queen.

When they set out, it was already evening; after entering autumn, darkness fell especially fast, and once the car drove onto Yan Bai Bridge, the twilight was like black velvet, dotted with dim stars and the moon.

Yan Bai Bridge is one of Jing Shi's five major bridges, spanning the Bai Chao River; beneath the wide bridge lies surging, turbulent water, which under the lights rolls out sparkling ripples.

Water vapor rose, gradually ascending.

The HuoLaLa driver entered Yan Chao Bridge at a steady speed; inside the cargo compartment, Jin Jin suddenly sensed a large amount of water vapor, and the whole fish swam about happily.

If Ling Yue were here, she would surely see the beautiful golden halo that had condensed around its joyful excitement—the other ability Jin Jin had mentioned before was now being unintentionally emitted by it at this moment.

Beneath the bridge, the previously calm river suddenly surged up, resembling some kind of omen.

People resting or strolling along the banks of the Bai River were the first to notice something amiss; some instinctively opened their cameras, and others who captured the scene were left stunned.

The river surface churned like boiling water; in the light, fish after fish rose to the surface, green, red, and multicolored.

The large green fish that had been gulping down bait with guttural sounds also froze, its dead fish eyes looking backward: "What is this feeling?"

Their companions involuntarily swam forward, eventually coalescing into a school of fish that spread across the river surface.

"Hiss! Are all the fish in the Bai River coming over here?"

"What's going on? It won't cause trouble—eh!"

"What are you saying, you youngster? What could happen? Yan Bai Bridge has been standing for seven or eight years—how could it possibly have an accident!"

"What's going on with this fish school?"

Rare onlookers snapped photos; on both sides of the bridge, fish swam together, and under the summons of the Dragon Fish King Jin Jin, they spontaneously gathered into masses, following the HuoLaLa's movement, countless fish swam toward the other side of the bridge.

Various clamorous sounds suddenly exploded in her ears; Ling Yue quickly clapped her hands over her ears, startled, and only after a moment did she react.

Song Xi: "Holy crap! Streamer, look what's happening ahead!"

They were on the sightseeing lane, the vehicle was already slow, and now it came to a complete halt.

The vehicles ahead crept along at a snail's pace; the bustling noise drilled into her ears, and Ling Yue listened, then realized the sounds' source must be the fish beneath the bridge.

Why so many?

The vehicle ahead rolled down its window, and excited shouts came out: "Whoa, so many fish, so many fish!"

Ling Yue startled, a golden glint flashed in her eyes; looking again, above the bridge hovered a slowly moving golden vortex; when she saw where it would land, Ling Yue's eyes widened instantly.

"Jin Jin." She murmured the two words.

If someone at this moment looked down from above the bridge, they would see that beneath Yan Bai Bridge, the water surface and the fish school had merged into one; the fish scales reflected rippling light like shattered flowing silver radiance, gradually spreading toward the opposite bank along the king's path.

Everything began because of a HuoLaLa vehicle, or rather, because of the Dragon Fish King Jin Jin.

The next day, the news spread throughout the city: the frenziedly chasing fish school, the strange and eerie omen, sparking widespread discussion among netizens.

The "culprit" behind the discussion, Jin Jin, was still sleeping soundly in the fish tank; it wasn't laziness, but yesterday it had unintentionally led the fish school, and now Jin Jin's strength was completely exhausted, so it could only lie down for now.

Ling Yue glanced at her wristwatch, then said to the Feng Shui Turtle master: "Master, I have to go to work first; please look after Jin Jin here."

The Feng Shui Turtle slowly sipped its little drink, contentedly saying: "Go on, go on; with me watching, what could this little guy possibly do?"

Pet Street.

At eight in the morning, a long queue had already formed in front of Ling Yue's pet consultation shop.

Ling Yue stared in astonishment at the visitor; the first customer she received today had a somewhat special situation.

She hurriedly rose and pushed the chair: "Please have a seat."

The woman smoothed her hanging bangs, gave her an embarrassed smile, her whole body radiating maternal gentleness, warm and non-threatening.

Beside her stood a man in a protective stance, more like a knight guarding a princess—likely her husband.

Even in her loose dress, Ling Yue could see at a glance the woman's slightly protruding belly; she was pregnant.

At that moment, the little dog she had been holding in her arms suddenly moved; a tiny head poked out from the crook of her arm—turns out it was an exceptionally cute little Yorkshire Terrier.

The dog's long hair was tied into small braids and adorned with a tiny butterfly hair clip; even though its fur had whitened, its movements were slow, and its liuli-bead-like eyes had turned grayish and cloudy, it was still dressed up beautifully by its owner, the little princess dearest to its owner's heart.

The Yorkshire Terrier's coat was shiny and supple, its face free of any tear tracks; one could see the owner had put great care into it, and Ling Yue's fondness surged upward, biubiu.

"Mommy's little star, what's wrong with you?"

Noticing the dog's movement, the woman lowered her head; even though the Yorkshire Terrier in her arms merely twitched its paw, she knew what it wanted, she wiped the dog's little paws, and the little Yorkshire Terrier plopped down on the tabletop, looking more like a delicate dog plush toy.

This warm scene allowed no one to intrude; the three of them formed a complete little family.

The surrounding onlookers reacted, already laughing along; the queued crowd had no noise at all, leaving space and time entirely for this three-person family.

The young woman looked apologetic: "Boss, sorry, our little star is a bit mischievous."

The Yorkshire Terrier gave a little cough, then lay down again.

The onlookers paused for a moment, unsure how to describe it; the dog's voice was clearly soft, yet inexplicably sounded awful to hear.

Like a little loli opening her mouth but speaking with a rough man's voice.

Ling Yue furrowed her brows; she hadn't heard the Yorkshire Terrier's words, seeming like ordinary phonetic units, akin to human sighs—ah, oh, and such.

There was also a faint heartbeat-like sound, said to be a sentence, but more like a few fragmented characters pieced together, disjointed.

Ling Yue's heart jumped; she composed herself and looked at the woman: "May I ask what you'd like to consult about? Are you facing any trouble?"

The woman blinked: "No, no, I have nothing I want to consult about, and no trouble—I just want you, boss, to do me a favor."

"My little star, it's already twenty years old this year." The female owner said, smiling a little, somewhat happy.

"Wow!" The onlookers gasped, looking at the small Yorkshire.

One should know that a dog's lifespan is generally only fifteen years; this Yorkshire is twenty years old, which is already considered extremely long-lived.

"This dog is truly long-lived; I thought it would be at most in its early teens, and its condition seems fine as well."

"For a dog to live this long, the owner must have taken great care in feeding it—look, its fur is smooth and silky."

"It's so well-behaved, just like a gentle and dignified little princess."

The female owner smiled proudly: "Little Star is the most well-behaved, most well-behaved dog."

The female owner said while rubbing the puppy's head, but her eye sockets suddenly felt moist; in an instant tears poured down like rain, and the husband beside her immediately handed her a tissue: "Tong Tong, don't cry, don't cry."

The big man, flustered by the tears, was fumbling with his hands and feet, at a loss.

Ling Yue: "o> _

She really doesn't want to eat dog food at all!

The female owner Tong Tong quickly stopped crying, her eye sockets already red, she apologetically said: "Sorry, boss, I just couldn't control myself."

Ling Yue shook her head, indicating it was fine.

Tong Tong continued: "I want you to tell it, Mom loves it, loves it very much."

Ling Yue was startled; the other person saw the shock in her eyes, rubbed the Yorkshire's little head: "My little star was diagnosed with a terminal illness half a month ago; I know it's about to return to heaven soon, it's so well-behaved. I don't want to leave any regrets between myself and it; I want it to know that Mom loves it very much."

At that moment, the Yorkshire on the table suddenly stood up, moving with difficulty, its dull gray-white eyes looking at its owner: "Cough! Cough!"

Ling Yue pressed her lips tightly, sensing something was wrong; at this moment, the Yorkshire was already exhausted and panting, lying on the edge of the table, protruding a fluffy little head.

Ling Yue startled, hearing its heartbeat.

"Mom, mom——"

The little creature's eyes looked at Mom, seeming to still be thinking about what had happened; its reaction was slow, Ling Yue guessed this might be a response to the aging of its bodily organs.

She had never encountered such a dog before.

Ling Yue directly asked the female owner: "I can help convey your meaning, but it might take a long time before it can respond and answer." To avoid misunderstanding, Ling Yue added an explanation: "I observed its appearance; is Little Star the type that speaks slowly?"

Upon hearing this, the female owner froze for a moment: "My little star, it cannot speak."