Chapter 141: Nandao Zoo

"Aowu——"

Tu Song Abai, who was piloting the Da Fei at full speed, froze the moment he saw his young master, memories from his childhood flashing into his mind.

In the flashback, Abai clearly remembered that shortly after opening his eyes, he saw Qiu Lingling crouching before him, playing with his body, then frowning as she paid five hundred yuan as a deposit to the dog kennel owner.

After that, Qiu Lingling would come to Chen's Dog Kennel every few days to tease him.

"This time, I'm done for."

After the memory flash, Tu Song Abai looked toward Qiu Lingling on the fishing boat, a flicker of fear crossing his face.

【Save me! Noticing the possibility of being confined, Boss Bai swallowed hard, panic flashing in his eyes; he clenched his teeth, preparing to fight to the bitter end—even though his legs trembled, he still intended to pretend he didn't know his young master.】

【Wish fulfilled: Fox Brother, save me! (Being confined is just temporary physical pain; but if my young master recognizes me in front of all my brothers, calls me "Xiao Bai," and pinches my snout—this spiritual wound is one Boss Bai, the tyrant who rules the Changle River and dominates the dock processing zone, can never heal.)】

The wish list flashed rapidly; Abai's terrified wailing transformed into a single wish, appearing directly in An Sheng's mind.

An Sheng's expression turned strange as he stared at the giant white wolf outside the window, now stiffening into stone.

"Buddy, just admit it already! I'm not the one who'll get beaten later."

"You're acting like Pan Jinlian—pretending to resist while actually luring me to help. If Yu Xueqing finds out I've taken on a subordinate out here, she'll grab my tail and spin me around till she beats my ass."

The little fox teased inwardly, but seeing Abai about to be caught and the wish list flashing, An Sheng shoved aside the cutting board beside him, dropped to the floor, and began rolling wildly, shouting:

"Aqing! Save me! The cutting board has come alive and is pinning me down, ready to boil me in a pressure cooker!"

"Ying ying ying——"

The little fox's piercing cry echoed onto the deck outside the cabin.

Yu Xueqing, who had been watching the spectacle, froze at the sound of her fox's cry.

"Wah wah wah—Master, save the fox! The fox is lying on the cutting board!"

"Who dares eat my fox?!"

Yu Xueqing snapped back to awareness, her wrist instinctively tightening on the carbon fiber fishing rod, making it creak; she shot toward the cabin with blinding speed.

Mo Yiqing and Qiu Lingling hadn't even registered what happened when they saw Yu Xueqing's life jacket vanish around the corner.

"Someone wants to eat fox meat?"

Mo Yiqing blinked in shock, then grabbed her fishing rod and dragged the still dazed Qiu Lingling toward the kitchen.

"Boom——"

An Sheng had locked the kitchen door when he entered, fearing passing fishermen might see him preparing fish sashimi—and forgotten to unlock it.

But because he forgot, he now witnessed a scene that left him stunned.

As Yu Xueqing kicked the kitchen door with full force, the metal latch twisted grotesquely into a "U" shape.

The door shuddered violently; the impact, like a primordial beast, sent vibrations rippling through the cabin's metal walls, making the ceiling straps emit a constant "xixi susu" sound.

"!?"

The little fox, momentarily forgetting his act, stared blankly at the door.

"Boom——"

With her second kick, the entire door shot off its hinges like an arrow, swinging in an arc and slamming into the wall; the cabin window shattered instantly from the shock.

"An Sheng! Who wants to eat my fox?!" Yu Xueqing stood furious at the doorway.

Her gaze swept the cabin but found no violent assailant.

All she saw was the cutting board, normally fixed on the stove rack, now lying on the floor—just a short distance from the little fox.

Dressed in a life jacket, the little fox lay limp on the ground, limbs twitching independently, unable to support himself.

Yu Xueqing blinked in surprise.

The little fox froze.

Mo Yiqing and Qiu Lingling, who arrived moments later, stared at the kicked-open door with strained expressions.

Captain Zheng, drawn by the noise, looked utterly shocked.

"Aqing… just admit it—you're some spirit beast skilled in the art of skin-shifting, aren't you?"

"It's fine—I won't despise you. Teach me the skin-shifting technique, get me an ID, and I'll swear to become your adopted son."

Having witnessed Yu Xueqing's brute strength again, the little fox pressed his nose hard against her life jacket, like a great explorer uncovering a secret.

"What's the little fox saying?" Mo Yiqing asked.

Yu Xueqing struggled to hold her collar shut, preventing the fox from prying open the zipper, and whispered awkwardly:

"An Sheng says… 'so safe.'"

Qiu Lingling stared at the frail-looking Yu Xueqing, then at the bent metal latch, speechless.

I knew it—that box of tea last time nearly broke my back.

Are you a sports school student, Aqing?

…………

After calming the little fox, Yu Xueqing, embarrassed, asked Captain Zheng about compensation.

Captain Zheng waved it off, refusing to accept anything.

The Hunter was domestically made; replacing the latch and glass was cheap—asking for payment would seem petty.

He only said that if she felt guilty, she could help a fisherman reel in a catch later—no compensation needed.

Relieved, Yu Xueqing hugged the fox and prepared to return to her seat to watch the spectacle.

Back on the right side of the Hunter, the Da Fei once piloted by Abai had drifted beyond the spotlight's reach, swallowed by darkness—no one could see inside.

【The wish "Fox Brother, save me!" has been fulfilled. Abai's keen hearing detected the commotion on the Hunter. He wore a solemn expression, thinking inwardly: I didn't choose the wrong brother—he understands me!】

【Power +2】

The little fox stared blankly, then gave a gesture toward the direction of Abai's Da Fei.

Later, An Sheng claimed he was tired and crawled under the bed to sleep under Yu Xueqing's watch.

But after Yu Xueqing left, An Sheng sprinted to the Hunter's upper deck, used the spotlight, and signaled to the Da Fei, which had been trailing far behind the fishing boat.

Tu Song Abai received the signal and steered the boat over to pick him up.

"Let's go! The Hunter will stay at Fishing Spot #2 for about two hours—we're going after a big score."

The little fox leapt onto the Da Fei, marked the Hunter's position on the nautical chart, then led Abai and the wolf pack to claim new territory.

An Sheng had no real concept of territory—as long as the bastards across the way didn't sleep on his bed or urinate on it to mark it, he didn't care.

But other dominant spirit beasts saw An Sheng and treated him as an enemy.

Now that Qing Aodao's territory has been secured, and it seems tied to some deep-sea fish trade network.

No—more accurately, there's a barter exchange platform between land spirit beasts and ocean spirit beasts there.

Though it was an unexpected bonus from this trip, An Sheng didn't know what he could do there.

But claiming it first was always better—maybe he could even broker a partnership between Abai and the Golden Lion.

Both seemingly mighty bosses were, in truth, broke as dirt.

"Ying!"

An Sheng arrived at Beidao on Qing Aodao, preparing to meet the doctor Lin Ying had arranged for him.

But to his surprise, he saw Lin Ying and Chen Zhi sitting together on a long bench, both expressionless, utterly silent—clearly in an awkward stalemate.

"What's going on…?"

An Sheng looked questioningly at Lin Ying and Chen Zhi.

"I have no trustworthy veterinarian—I could only ask Miss Chen for help."

Having spent long periods with the little fox, Lin Ying couldn't understand his speech, but could read his body language.

Lin Ying explained to the Fox Elder.

"Fox Elder, are you injured?" Chen Zhi stepped forward, gently taking the fox's paw and examining his body.

But An Sheng shook his head, signaling for them to follow him.

This time, to accommodate Lin Ying and Chen Zhi's stamina, An Sheng took the normal path instead of shortcuts—as they rode the sightseeing vehicle from Beidao to Nandao.

An Sheng saw something that made his expression strange.

Because.

On the stone monument at the resort entrance, it read: 【Jiule City · Lin Family International · Resort Tourism Area】

Lin Family?

An Sheng instinctively glanced at Lin Ying.

"This resort was invested in by my uncle," Lin Ying said, expressionless. "But due to gambling, prostitution, and other illegal activities, my uncle is now on the Tropical Continent. His business agent may face execution in two years."

"Currently, Qing Aodao is nominally under Lin Family Holdings' tourism subsidiary, but the entire area has been sealed and cleared out."

Lin Ying spoke without visible emotion.

Because the Qing Aodao investment involved internal Lin clan struggles—her uncle, dissatisfied with the status quo, tried to make changes.

Though they never openly broke ties, Lin Ying's father and her uncle's family fought fiercely.

People kept ending up in prison—each side tried to destroy the other completely.

(End of Chapter)