Chapter 92

Although I know the streamer wants to change the topic, I'm falling for this—done, I'm really looking forward!

Who isn't like that.

The next moment, the viewers' live stream split in two; a bald, smiling man appeared on camera, his eyes small and focused, full of spirit, his expression revealing undisguised joy.

Behind him lay a lush mountain range; it was clear this was outdoors, whether traveling or something else, Ling Yue didn't know for now.

At that moment, the chubby bald man, Tian Lanlan, exclaimed in surprise: "Streamer, is it really you? Oh my, I've really hit the jackpot—I finally got drawn!"

The man had a loud voice, but Ling Yue felt he wasn't in a hurry to start the consultation.

It's not me who got drawn and is showing off—how painful!

This guy's got some motor-mouth—look at that yap, yap, yap, he never stops.

So what's he actually here for? A crosstalk act?

Pfft hahaha, upstairs you're the next-gen crosstalk performer—I'm dying laughing!

Ling Yue stared at the man talking fluently; her substantive gaze made him break into a sweat, his smooth speech stammering: "St-, streamer."

Ling Yue: "Tian Lanlan, what do you want to consult about?"

Tian Lanlan burst out laughing: "Streamer, and everyone watching, please look!"

He pointed the camera into the distance—there was a herd of grunting, foraging black pigs, pitch‑black all over, completely unlike the market's large white pigs, and far lighter in weight.

For some reason, the viewers saw the four characters "short and sturdy" on a pig's body.

This pig's build is unexpectedly slender?

Wow, I know—it's a black pig, smells especially fragrant when cooked, half lean meat!!!

As a kid I loved this kind of pig, but later foreign white pigs took over the market, black pigs dwindled—I never expected anyone to raise them; raising this lot is a lot of work!

For some reason, the chat drifted further off‑topic; seeing the off‑topic comments, Tian Lanlan couldn't keep the corners of her mouth from turning up—she liked it, so it was fine!

He thumped his chest and shouted: "Our Tian Lanlan Pig Farm raises only premium black pigs—don't let their size fool you, the meat is truly fragrant! Especially tasty! And they're all at least a year old, free‑range on the mountains every day, fed natural feed, lots of exercise, firm muscles!"

"If you want to buy purebred premium black pigs, come to our Tian Lanlan Pig Farm!"

Ling Yue: "……"

The stream's viewers: "……"

Even if they were slow, they should have sensed something was off; seeing Tian Lanlan put her hands on her hips and raise her hand, she exuded full‑blown authority.

"Are you here for a consultation or to sell pigs?"

"Whoa, I just had a bold thought—this consulting guy must be here to run an ad in the streamer's broadcast, right?!"

"No doubt, that's exactly it!" The perceptive viewers realized it; besides being shocked by Tian Lanlan's pitch, it felt like they'd cleared their Ren and Du meridians, their minds clearing up.

As for promotion, it's indeed not as big as Ling Yue's stream—over a hundred million viewers online; in this era where traffic is king, that's a huge sum, yet priceless with no market, since the streamer isn't short of money and normally wouldn't run ads.

Tian Lanlan laughed happily.

Quite a few bosses were eager to jump in, but so far only the pig‑farm boss Tian Lanlan has gotten the ticket; still, for him right now it's hard to say whether it's a good or bad thing.

Ling Yue should have just hung up, but catching a glimpse of his face, a flicker of shock crossed her eyes.

This person's Hall of Impression is dark—today he must face a deadly calamity, yet there's a sliver of life, as if it should be in her own stream.

She didn't press him further; instead Tian Lanlan felt embarrassed: "Sorry, streamer, I went on too much—I called this stream to have you check out these black pigs!"

"Every one here is my treasure—ask them what they dislike about their current life, what's missing, and I'll make it up!"

Tian Lanlan waved a big hand, puffed out her belly: "I know the procedure—I'll put my phone right next to these big treasures right now, hehehe~"

Hearing that, the stream's viewers gaped in shock.

"What the heck did I just hear? What is this—having the streamer ask the pigs, just to see if they're comfortable?!"

"Owoooo, am I crazy or is the world? Humans aren't even as good as pigs!"

"My goodness, I've never seen a stream like this—the boss has some kid‑like tricks up his sleeve."

"Kind of… boring, streamer I'm sleepy, can't we…" 【cut off】.

That last line voiced what most viewers felt—after all, no consulter ever streams just to make money.

Seeing this, the pig‑farm boss Tian Lanlan panicked, quickly grabbing her phone and holding it near the pigs: "Streamer, come on, let's ask the pigs quick—I'll have Xiao Zhao drive them over for you; these pigs run like crazy!"

At that moment, the employee driving the black pigs stared at the boss, voice unnatural: "Boss… boss!"

Tian Lanlan glanced over, puzzled; the other shrank his head, his guilt obvious even to a blind man: "What's wrong?"

The stream's viewers had already sensed something unusual, and instantly perked up.

"Wow, look at that guy's guilty expression—did something happen?"

Tian Lanlan happened to glance at the screen, her heart tightening: "What's going on?"

The guy, under his feigned stern tone, immediately trembled all over, at a loss, looking at the nearby black pigs: "These pigs have a problem!"

Tian Lanlan stared wide‑eyed: "What?"

Before he could react, the stream's viewers started discussing.

"Think about it—every consulter who gets picked in our consultation stream has something going on; I just said it was boring, I apologize!"

【Tian Lanlan: red‑red‑fire‑fire dazed‑confused. JPG】

"Nice, turns out you were waiting here, sisters—I'm perking up."

"So what's the situation this time?"

Seeing the viewers' lively discussion under these circumstances, Tian Lanlan felt choked up, unable to swallow or spit, and could only glare fiercely at the employee: "Stop hemming and hawing—say, what else is going on?"

Pig‑farm employee: "Since this morning these black pigs have been disobedient—won't go up the mountain or move their dens, just staying at the foothills; no matter how I drive them, I can't get them to move, boss, I didn't do it on purpose."

As he spoke, he made a shooing gesture; the black‑pig herd let out heart‑rending screams, yet came even closer, and the biggest, sturdiest one impatiently scraped its hoof.

Ling Yue heard the black pigs trembling and shouting: "Ahhhh, don't go up the mountain! Don't go up the mountain!"

"Help! Humans are going to kill the pigs!"

"Great King, protect us—we can't go up the mountain anymore!"

Black Pig King snorted from its nostrils, letting out a hiss: "Stupid humans, how can you possibly go up the mountain now? If you want us dead, just say so—don't think you can harm my people!"

Ling Yue didn't have time to hear more before seeing the Black Pig King preparing to attack; she immediately shouted: "Get out of the way, the pig's going berserk!"

Xiao Zhao felt a sudden jolt of alarm; he knew the boss's plan—spending two thousand each week on a lottery draw, basically freeloading off the traffic of a top-tier online streamer with over a hundred million followers. He'd always scoffed at it, since he also watched that stream, but now, hearing the familiar voice, wasn't that the streamer's voice?

His mind could still react, his body already dodging instinctively; the next moment, the Black Pig King snorted from its nostrils and launched a fierce attack!

Everyone could see how strong it was—once its hundreds-of-jins weight struck, the consequences were unimaginable, and everyone sucked in a breath of cold air.

Yet the pig farmhand directly anticipated it, sidestepped to avoid it; countless people breathed a sigh of relief, while Tian Lanlan even wiped his brow, pulling up a hand full of cold sweat, his back sticky with sweat.

The Black Pig King's strike missed; it had already lost the best opportunity, grudgingly retreating into the herd: "I'll let him off this time!"

Actually—seeing other staff rush over upon hearing the news, wielding steel pitchforks and clubs, the Black Pig King thought: It's not stupid; how could its flesh and blood stand against human weapons?

Yet its brave act had already drawn countless sows to flock to it: "My king, you were truly mighty just now, so brave!"

"Even if it later had to retract its hooves, it would still be so wise and valiant!"

"Our king knows how to read the times—making him an outstanding pig! With the king protecting us, it's our blessing!"

The Black Pig King snorted proudly a few times, buoyed by the sows' praise to the point of floating away.

At this moment, Tian Lanlan wanted to cry but had no tears—what on earth is happening?

He wore a grim face, no trace of the earlier relief; for the first time he realized that freeloading would bring disaster!

"Streamer, what's wrong with these black pigs? I admit free-range makes it easy to raise aggressive pigs, but they weren't like this before!"

He said, unable to stop smacking his lips: "It's just going up the mountain, streamer—our black pigs used to go up the mountain every day; raising them this way makes them meaty and fragrant, the flesh firm and strong, perfect for braised pork or spare ribs—so good you could swallow your tongue!"

【Master, stop reciting, stop reciting—can't I just buy your pork?】

【Wow, this boss's pork is still for sale—even in this situation, they dare to keep promoting it.】

【Help, this is off the charts—we were talking about black pigs, how did we suddenly start talking about food?】

【We don't know either, we daren't ask—just blink and it's like this 【dog】【dog】】

Tian Lanlan panicked, actually becoming even more talkative than before, chattering on: "Streamer, could it be a natural enemy?"

"Or did a wild beast break onto the mountain, frightening the black pigs up there so they dare not go up?"

Ling Yue gave a sideways glance to the brave, combative Black Pig King, who was currently nuzzling his little wife—his face showed not a trace of panic, and he could even give Tian Lanlan's boss a kiss right now.

"Those stupid humans, wanting us to go up to seek death—must be brain‑damaged; in this situation, who'd dare go up the mountain?"

Its dear little wife leaned in: "Yeah, the mountain's full of gullies and crevices—if we slip in by accident, do we even still have our lives?"

"Definitely not—so we absolutely cannot go up the mountain! We must not go up!"

This firm attitude left Ling Yue quite puzzled, yet she also knew it wasn't a natural enemy; she spoke up: "What's happening on the mountain?"

The Black Pig King startled, then instantly realized: "Good heavens, humans can actually understand our speech now?"

Ling Yue: "Having heard the whole process, your owner is also puzzled—what happened, and why aren't you going up the mountain?"

The Black Pig King widened its pig eyes: "Going up the mountain? That's just seeking death!"

"Who'd dare go up the mountain now? The mountain's full of cracks, huge ones! There's even some shaking—it scares the pigs to death!"

Upon hearing this, Ling Yue's expression grew grave—mountain fissures? Tremors?

It's said animals are the most sensitive, able to perceive things humans can't—so these black pigs' resistance makes sense.

But whether those mountain fissures are from a landslide or…

Tian Lanlan put on a brave face: "Streamer, what did these black pigs say?"

【The streamer's complexion looks off—could another big problem have arisen?】

【It's not that it won't happen—it definitely will!】

【What did the pigs say? How serious is it?】

Suddenly, Ling Yue spoke up, having Tian Lanlan point the camera at her face; she had previously read his physiognomy and seen his death calamity, and now she directly took control of herself to explore his life.

Tian Lanlan shivered violently; in an instant he felt his entire life laid bare before her eyes, with nowhere to hide.

Ling Yue saw Tian Lanlan's first half of life: an ordinary worker with some luck, who later chose to start a business as a boss, began raising black pigs, and indeed promoted them through his own livestream—but before he could see any results, the mountain collapsed.

To be precise, it was a mountain collapse and earth fissure!

His hometown lay in a seismic zone, but no one expected this earthquake to strike so suddenly; Tian Lanlan's home was the epicenter closest to the quake, the scene of mountain collapse and ground subsidence—he had tried every means to drive the black pigs up the mountain, yet at six in the evening the earthquake hit.

The entire mountain was flattened in an instant; Tian Lanlan was struck by rolling stones from the mountain, and just before his death, the small village at the mountain's base vanished in an instant—then the image ended.

This was the final image before Tian Lanlan's death.

This near‑death experience, vivid as if she were there, made Ling Yue's face turn cold; she looked at Tian Lanlan and changed her tone: "I suggest you move the pigs quickly, because the mountain… is going to collapse!"

Tian Lanlan stared blankly, instinctively retorting: "How could that be! Streamer, this joke isn't even funny."

Ling Yue: "I'm not joking—I heard these pigs say the mountain now has many cracks and gullies, so they won't go up again, not even dare to approach."

"You should know that when danger approaches, animals are more sensitive than humans."

Tian Lanlan laughed, a grimace worse than crying: "This mountain's been around for years—there aren't even many landslides, let alone huge cracks!"

Ling Yue gazed at him, eyes deep: "There's one more thing I haven't said—put simply, it's not big cracks; what kind of fissure can topple a mountain? The answer can only be one thing—an earthquake."

That statement hit like a heavy hammer on everyone's heads, causing even the usually active commentators to fall silent.

【Holy cow, streamer, we dare not spout nonsense like that—an earthquake? That's a huge deal!】

【!!!! But none of the streamer's previous statements have failed to come true, right?】

【Streamer, did you really hear that? You're not lying, are you?】

【Ahhhhh, Mommy, I believe the streamer—if you don't believe me, go up the mountain and see for yourself; the huge cracks the black pigs mentioned must really exist, right?】

【Boss Tian Lanlan, are you going or not?】

The terrified livestream chatters sitting before their screens all broke out in a cold sweat from sheer fright, let alone Tian Lanlan, whose heart gave a jolt at the words: "I… I don't know."

He himself began to hesitate, but the timing Ling Yue perceived didn't allow him to delay; she said in a low voice: "It'll probably happen around six o'clock—though the affected area isn't large, the quake's magnitude is high, and it will come suddenly."

Around six o'clock, exactly when families were eating or preparing meals, the earthquake struck without warning—there was no escaping it.

The employees who heard this were stunned, nervously looking at the boss: "What do we do? It's already past four!"

"I want to go up the mountain!" He still didn't quite believe Ling Yue's words—how could there be an earthquake? This place is the safest around; nothing major has happened here in decades. How could it be!

"Streamer, please help me, I want to know exactly where that fissure is."

He said this while actually half-believing, half-doubting; the matter is truly too huge for one person to handle, and besides, the streamer has no proof—solid evidence is needed.

Ling Yue: "Then let the Black Pig show you the way."

"Black Pig?" Tian Lanlan rubbed her face: "How would it lead? It doesn't even want to go up the mountain."

Ling Yue glanced at the Black Pig King: "You heard me—there are still two hours; just take us to the nearest place where the fissure appears."

The Black Pig King didn't want to agree; going up the mountain now would be suicide, but when it tried to shake its head, its whole body stiffened suddenly—this feeling—

It was like being stared down by a ferocious big tiger; the whole pig trembled uncontrollably, and even the little sow beside it felt it, with a pattering sound, throwing itself to the ground.

The Black Pig King's little hooves shook like sifted chaff, hearing the humans' icy voice: "Going or not?"

The Black Pig King gave a little grunt: "Let's go, let's go, let's go! I'm going, okay? QAQ"

Do we have to be so fierce!

Her gaze just now made it truly feel like it was about to kick the bucket any second.

Ling Yue: "Don't worry, I guarantee you'll be fine; the activation time is around six."

The Black Pig King narrowed its small eyes: "Do you think I believe you?"

Immediately, the oinking Black Pig King trotted up the mountain, with Tian Lanlan and a few gutsy employees behind it; the mountain path had already been tramped solid by the black pigs, so the journey wasn't difficult.

At that moment, countless viewers in the livestream were eagerly discussing.

【Is it real or fake? That's an earthquake!】

【Have you forgotten what happened before? That person's tomb—if it weren't for the streamer, who would know.】

【But…… but……】

【I believe the streamer; I didn't before, but now my face is all swollen.】

Also some newly joined viewers: 【Definitely fake, just seeking attention!】

【Holy crap! Tian Lanlan's pig farm? Isn't that the base right by my house? I heard it was built by a wealthy returning big boss, raising over a hundred black pigs in one go! Everything matches—an earthquake?!】

【Run upstairs, quick!】

【Holy crap, look quick, look quick!】

The Black Pig King suddenly stopped, in a patch of nibbled weeds, turned its head to look at the humans behind it, and oinked: "Right here."

"What?" Its reaction was obvious—Tian Lanlan also noticed the problem, frowned and walked over; suddenly, the pig-hand boy next to her shouted: "Boss!"

"Quick, quick look over there!" He pointed forward with trembling hands; Tian Lanlan looked ahead, and beneath the concealing grass, a long crack faintly appeared on the ground, surrounded by large and small fissures, like a bloody maw gaping open from deep underground.

Tian Lanlan, who was parting the grass, suddenly saw it and shuddered all over, nearly stumbling and falling in.

Although with his build he'd at most get stuck, everyone knows the fissure is constantly expanding; if he got trapped then, he'd just wait to die alive.

Tian Lanlan gasped, cursed outright, then couldn't hold up any longer and collapsed to her knees, legs weak.

【Holy shit, this fissure is practically a small canyon!】

【It's actually real, which means——】

【The earthquake is real!】

【Ahhhh, call the police quick, call the police!】

【Thanks to my parents for letting me be born on the plains—if I had to see this, I'd be scared awake by nightmares every night!】

"Boss, are you okay?"

Tian Lanlan's face turned deathly pale as she knelt on the ground, glaring fiercely at the employee: "You, you, you, you—do I look like I'm okay?"

"Hurry up and pull me out, quick! Quick!"

The following shot shook wildly, then steadied; a group had already sprinted down the mountain in one breath, but Tian Lanlan and the others hadn't forgotten Ling Yue's earlier earthquake warning—once an earthquake hits, how could it possibly affect just one mountain!

Even the Black Pig King was weighing whether to feel like taking its wife and kids and fleeing, but where could they go? In the end, they could only follow alongside the humans.

Livestream viewers threw out various plans; locals even more anxiously dialed phone numbers—even if the earthquake ultimately didn't happen, such a huge fissure on a mountain isn't fake!

This is also a serious geological disaster.

While self-rescuing, the boss bowed deeply to Ling Yue, his face still ashen, but he had now resolved: "Thank you, streamer; I'll call the police and inform the government right away!"

【Me too, I helped call the police and even reposted on Weibo.】

【Me too, this can't be delayed—better safe than sorry!】

【Yes, if it weren't for the streamer, the outcome…… I can't even imagine 【scared】【scared】.】

【With so much time left, everyone hurry up and mobilize! Seize every second!】

【Is this really a coincidence? I drew several times in the livestream and never won. I used to think I was non-lucky, but now I suddenly find being non-lucky pretty good—I love non-lucky QWQ】

Seeing that last line, Tian Lanlan nearly spat out a mouthful of old blood; having been smug earlier about not worrying about his pork, now——

He regretted it! Regretted till his intestines turned green.

Other bosses thinking of free-riding were even more cowed; this is a bloody lesson—others free-ride for money, but here the streamer free-rides for life!

Too terrifying!

In front of the camera, the pig-hand boy looked at the boss and said: "Boss, I'm taking leave; my family lives right at the mountain's base—I need to rush and get them out!"

Tian Lanlan looked at him and slapped his shoulder with a smack: "What kind of leave is that, you weakling? Let's hurry and run! Get in my car!"

Having said that, he looked at Ling Yue: "Thanks, streamer, thanks!"

Ling Yue nodded, gave him a deep look, a glint flashing in her eyes: "Around six, remember it's around six."

As soon as she finished speaking, the livestream connection ended.

The livestream viewers nervously watched her; the previous words had been said, they looked at the screen and suddenly realized they had nothing to say.

After a while, only a few comments drifted by.

【That chubby Tian Lan Lan them, will they encounter trouble?】

【Pah pah pah, what nonsense are you spouting? Being picked by the streamer, getting a live connection, you think that's just a coincidence?】

【It must be heaven's blessing!】

【Streamer, they'll be fine, right?】

Ling Yue's eyes flickered slightly, recalling the physiognomy she had seen before, she nodded: "A virtuous person naturally bears heavenly signs."

It seemed just an auspicious saying, but the stream's regular viewers who knew her understood that the streamer wouldn't embark on a battle without confidence, nor would she speak aimlessly.

For no reason, countless people felt their hearts lighten.

Ling Yue said a few words, and amidst the countless viewers' shouts, she cleanly ended the stream.

This time, Cen Ming didn't regret the stream's closure; instead, he anxiously had his subordinates monitor the situation where Tian Lan Lan was, while glancing at his wristwatch—four thirty-five, only one and a half hours left!

Ling Yue's stream room was closed, but its impact didn't disappear; rather, as time passed second by second, it continued to ferment and expand its influence.

The local government suddenly received calls from all over the country, each insistently saying an earthquake would strike the area; the officers, initially doubtful, became solemn.

After investigation, it was found that some locals already believed they should run to open, obstacle-free flat ground.

Only later did they learn the message came from an online streamer's mouth; to confirm it wasn't a rumor? Even the world's most advanced earthquake detection instruments can only give a few seconds' warning.

Before they could do anything, a call from the superior department came through.

"Organize police forces, fully evacuate the population!"

At the same time, Ling Yue's villa.

After going offline, she began to look into the local situation.

Ling Yue furrowed her brows tightly, her gaze somewhat wandering; just five minutes ago, she received a strange call, the other party's first words being an invitation for her to join the National Special Safety Bureau.

This was also Ling Yue's first contact with the national special department, but from the conversation it seemed somewhat weak.

In fact, up to now she had only come into contact with a small part; from the feng shui turtle master she learned that in the degenerate age, there were hardly any spirits or practitioners left.

The feng shui turtle had lived for over five hundred years; due to scarce spiritual energy, its cultivation was gradually declining, and becoming human was hopeless, so it was easily captured by people, nearly ending up as a dish on the table.

Ling Yue pondered for a moment, then refused the invitation.

"Okay, thank you, Miss Ling. If you change your mind, you can come find us at Room 101, West Ming Road, Jing Shi."

Ling Yue acknowledged and hung up the phone.

What she didn't know was that after her refusal, the other person's disappointment was especially evident: "Another refusal."

"Actually it's not bad." A colleague walked over holding documents: "Compared to abroad, we're just petty witches facing great witches, after all, back then during that turmoil, those people all fled overseas."

Unnoticed, the time had reached six o'clock; that day, countless local streamers appeared online, Ling Yue casually picked one, most of whom didn't really believe.

"Viewers, look behind me—so many, many people, all came out after getting the news. Where am I? I'm in the park beside the residential compound, it's packed with people!"

"It's six o'clock… uh, five minutes past, that big streamer's words don't seem very accurate."

"Hahaha, this kind of thing, of course if it can be avoided, it should be avoided——"

The streamer's voice cut off abruptly, he looked in terror at the trembling screen.

Not far away, the building shook; watching documentaries or videos could never convey this feeling—heaven and earth spun, as if in an instant only he remained.

Around him were terrified screams; he also swayed as if on a giant teacup ride, completely unable to control his body.

Crack—

The chair beneath his buttocks broke into two pieces, he also plopped onto the ground, the shaking grew stronger, rumbling came from afar, under the night sky, a towering skyscraper collapsed entirely!

Just looking at the incessantly shaking screen shows how intense the tremor was; viewers before the screen were drenched in cold sweat.

The next day, Ling Yue turned on the TV to watch the official broadcast; this earthquake caused zero deaths, one injury, and rather laughably, the sole casualty was someone who frightened themselves when the quake came, lost footing, stepped into empty air, and broke a leg.

Ling Yue, upon seeing the news: "……"

This is also a talent akin to a hidden dragon and phoenix chick!

At the same time, netizens also discovered a news piece: an interview with Tian Lan Lan, showing his survival after the disaster.

The reporter asked what he most wanted to thank; Tian Lan Lan, one arm around a large black pig, the other holding a phone, eyes brimming with hot tears, exclaimed: "You're a reporter from Jing Shi TV? I'm going to be on TV?!"

"Yes, may I ask who you most want to thank?"

"Wuwuwu, thanks to the streamer on the Huwei platform for saving my life, saving the lives of over a hundred black pigs in my pigpen!"

Netizens who saw this scene: "Hahahahaha!"

Such an absurd scene was turned into various comedic videos, going viral—a necessary element; even the state father pointed out: the Huwei platform streamer, through years of interaction with animals, observed his own set of methods, applied them, and by detecting strange animal behavior discovered mountain fissures, thereby saving locals before the quake.

As for Ling Yue's accurate timing prediction and her ability to communicate with animals, not a word was mentioned.

State father: We must trust science.

Such heat overwhelmed the big-eye guy's hot search; even a first-line entertainment star couldn't match her fame at the time.

Many turned their gaze to Ling Yue; her excellent animal affinity was also noticed, a certain small variety show under Mango TV, the director watching the recording, felt greatly moved.

He turned to look at his assistant: "Isn't this a coincidence? Our show 'My Little Life with It' is about to start filming; if we could invite her, there would definitely be heat!"

The assistant director startled, knowing his director's temper, but——

"This internet celebrity, this tier…… might not be qualified enough? Maybe it's just marketing-made fame; better to invite an ordinary person than her."

The director gave him a sideways glance: "You mean ordinary person—is it your relative preparing to enter showbiz, using my program as a stepping stone, that girl?"

The assistant director's face stiffened at once; 'My Little Life with It' actually isn't valued by the station, even though its chief director is the recently strong director Liu Hengdu, but he's now past his prime!

Only this low-cost variety show, cute pets—aren't they just cats and dogs? What's there to see?

But he was merely an assistant director; he opened his mouth, unable to speak.

Chief director: "Just her—figure out a way to set up a meeting."

His tone was lax, unaware that because the state intervened, all videos circulating online had been cut, with all metaphysical content completely removed.

But he had eyes; he could see how entertaining Ling Yue's streams were—such a unique ability surely fits his cute pet variety show, right?

Being an internet celebrity makes it even better—cheap, affordable!

The director rose, mulling over the guest list; his ambition was huge—even though this shabby little variety show now only had a skeleton, he wanted to make it as perfect as possible, to become the nation's one‑of‑a‑kind traveling cute‑pet variety show.

He had confirmed one, but there were still several others; the people he wanted turned him down, so he could only look among the remaining misfits. After all, the budget wasn't enough either, unless he could drum up a big sponsorship!

Early morning, at the pet consultation shop.

"A Qiu!"

Ling Yue sneezed, looked toward the glass door, and saw a huge crowd—so long you couldn't see the end at a glance.

It was probably the aftermath of the earthquake; she pursed her lips and said, "Next."

"Boss, I have something I'd like to consult."

Ling Yue looked up; a burly, gold‑chain‑wearing, tattooed big brother carried a small cage holding a pigeon—pale gray all over, with slightly curled tail feathers surrounded by a faint purple halo, quite handsome and with an air of the ethereal.

The pigeon sat obediently in the cage, half‑closing its eyes in contentment.

"Ah, comfortable~"

Ling Yue asked the man, "What would you like to consult?"

"This pigeon flew onto my balcony today out of the blue; it stood there for two hours, and I thought it had eaten something poisonous or been stunned by the glass, so I grabbed it—never expecting it to just walk right in."

The big brother scratched his head sheepishly and said, "I asked around the neighborhood, but no one answered; nobody around here keeps pigeons. I'd like to ask—what is this pigeon for, and where does its home lie? I figure I ought to send it back."

Ling Yue glanced at the pigeon, her eyes locking onto the small metal ring on its leg; with her sharp sight she instantly made out the number engraved above the ring.

Ling Yue curled her lip and blurted out, "This is a racing pigeon."

"Do you see the metal band on its leg? That's its ID; it bears an identity code. Look up the Carrier Pigeon Association online, enter the code from the band, and you can find the owner."

The big brother stared at her, astonished—people who don't deal with this truly don't know; he had assumed it was someone's pet pigeon.

Solved, he instantly beamed: "Thanks, boss—if I find its owner I'll send it back." He made cooing sounds, and the pigeon tilted its head curiously at him.

The man said, "Boss, look—this pigeon is clever and good‑looking; its owner must be worried sick."

Ling Yue glanced at him: "... Probably not."

The big brother who had brought the racing pigeon stared, then looked at her curiously.

In the cage, the racing pigeon cooed a few times at her words, its tiny bean‑sized eyes fixed on Ling Yue: "No way, you jerk—I don't want to go back! QAQ"

"Big jerk, big jerk, big jerk!"

Ling Yue suddenly turned her head; the pigeon gulped its coo back down, looking embarrassed at her: "What, what are you looking at? I only cursed you twice—I haven't even cried yet."

"Could you really understand what I'm saying?" the pigeon thought back to the discussion it had overheard in the crowd, and flapped its wings nervously.

Ling Yue: "Hmm."

She looked at the little pigeon in the cage and said, "So you mean you don't want to go back? Should I pass along your message?"

The racing pigeon's tiny bean‑sized eyes lit up instantly: "Really? Really?"

"Sniffle sniffle sniffle, please don't let him send me away—I, I'm scared to die! QAQ"

Hearing that, Ling Yue was basically certain: "Before you flew to Jing Shi, were you in a race?"

The racing pigeon cooed and nodded.

"I'm a racing pigeon raised by my owner; this time, dozens like me flew out, but I got lost along the way—sniffle sniffle sniffle I'm utterly useless, I've trained hard, but I just can't remember the route, flew till I was exhausted, and ended up on his balcony."

"Please don't send me home—my owner spent ten‑plus thousand on me this time; if I land outside, it proves I lost the race, and I'd be of no use to them. Sending me back would just make me like the other predecessors."

The racing pigeon drooped its head and mournfully cooed: "I'll be stewed into pigeon soup by my owner—I don't want to die! QWQ"

"Boss?" the consulting big brother looked at her anxiously, full of worry: "What's wrong with the pigeon? Why is it listless?"

Ling Yue tapped her fingertip: "Because it doesn't want to go home."

"You weren't curious earlier why I said that? Racing pigeons differ from ordinary pet pigeons—they undergo long‑term training and are usually used for races; the one you caught simply veered off course, so it landed midway."

Those nearby, hearing this, chimed in curiously: "Boss, what happens when a racing pigeon lands?"

"How dumb—if a racing pigeon lands before the finish line, hasn't it already lost the race? But even if it loses, would the owner really discard it? Isn't it long‑term trained? Training takes a lot of work."

Ling Yue nodded: "Congratulations, you got it right—too bad there's no prize."

Hearing that, everyone stared at her in shock.

"If a losing racing pigeon is sent back, there's only one outcome: the owner kills it. Only then will the other pigeons strive to fly. Have you heard of 'failure breeds benevolence'? It's a fitting description for racing pigeons."

She paused: "That's the fate of a racing pigeon—no rest until death. Like the pigeon you brought, big brother, if it's sent back, its end is what I just described."

Upon hearing this, everyone froze: "That's too cruel, isn't it?"

"Ten‑plus thousand for a single race? Good grief, that's intense!"

Ling Yue shook her head: "You wouldn't know this if you weren't into racing pigeons—some birds cost tens of thousands each, with exclusive pedigree certificates, but this one's just ordinary, with no resale value."

"You still want to send it back?"

The latter hesitated, looking at the pigeon's pleading little eyes: "No way, I'm not sending it back—I'll keep it! How could anyone bear to kill such a cute pigeon?"

Seeing someone start to blame the pigeon's owner, Ling Yue let out a soft sigh: "This is also a misunderstanding—pigeons aren't affected by radar, they can work for special personnel, so they must be trained every year."

"Just like lab mice."

After those remarks, everyone fell silent, for the humans were the architects of this situation, yet they also knew there was presently no way to change it.

Just then, the big brother who had brought the pigeon suddenly spoke up: "If that's the case, then I'll take good care of it—saving even one is worthwhile."

He said this while rubbing the pigeon's little head with his fingertip; the tiny racing pigeon was startled dumb, not daring to chirp or move, but soon it soaked up the new owner's care.

However, the man, to be safe, still looked up the pigeon's owner—more than five hundred li from Jing Shi.

He called; the original owner said bluntly, "No thanks, it's useless now."

"Keep it, eat it, or kill it—do as you please!"

After hanging up, the racing pigeon heard the former owner's voice and instead cooed at Ling Yue: "Thank you—I'm really lucky."

"By the way, before I blundered into the city, I was about to die of thirst, so I flew into the mountains to eat wild fruit. I found a cave and saw someone inside—a little girl whose hands and feet were tied up; she scared the living daylights out of me, and I cooed in fright."

"Isn't that what you humans call kidnapping?"

Ling Yue sprang to her feet, staring intently at the racing pigeon, which shrank its head in fear: "You‑you, you're making me scared!"

Not to mention it, even the people around were startled.

「Hey, Boss Ling, what's wrong with you? 」

Ling Yue looked toward the new owner of the racing pigeon: "Can I borrow your pigeon for a moment?":,,.