Chapter 202: Master Fuli Is Extremely Polite

"Perform? What can I possibly perform? Do you want to see fox paws bloom?"

The little fox looked at Bai Tao with a puzzled expression, not understanding what her Ideological and Political Education teacher was saying.

"This right here!"

Bai Tao pulled out her phone, eyes sparkling with anticipation as she opened the notes app and said: "Specialized spirit beasts are extremely rare—those like Master Fuli who can read and write are even rarer."

"If Master Fuli truly understands dictation, we can start on The Manifesto tomorrow."

Bai Tao gazed at Master Fuli, whose physique wasn't particularly large but whose intelligence was extraordinary and whose adaptation to human society was clearly specialized.

"?"

An Sheng stared at the phone screen, then at Bai Tao, who was full of nonsense, and slowly typed a question mark.

Come on, you've already gone too far making little Fuli learn all this.

What are you talking about? Me read The Manifesto? Do red foxes even need to learn that stuff?

An Sheng's eyebrow twitched slightly as he raised his hand and typed a line into Bai Tao's phone:

【By the way, is your car automatic?】

【There's what looks like a small animal stuck on the hood of your old Honda—shouldn't you go check?】

After inputting the text, expressing his resistance to learning, the little fox pushed the phone back to Bai Tao.

Bai Tao retrieved her phone and eagerly read through Master Fuli's handwritten message.

"Hm?"

Bai Tao suddenly understood the joke on the screen, leaping up in excitement as she turned to Su Qiyuan:

"Senior! Senior, quick! It's a dad joke! Master Fuli has an incredible sense of humor!"

"Before he even created me, he politely asked whether our car was automatic!"

Bai Tao had heard from Su Qiyuan that Master Fuli had learned human writing.

But in her mind, a spirit beast like Master Fuli, who hadn't undergone systematic social training, could at best manage basic communication—even if he knew Xia's characters. Who could have imagined Master Fuli could tell a dad joke?

For forest rangers like them, when dealing with spirit beasts,

those with higher intelligence were usually easier to communicate with than those who acted purely on instinct.

"."

Su Qiyuan's face was strained as he glanced between Bai Tao's phone and the little fox, then turned to Master Fuli and asked: "Do you drink iced cola?"

【Sugar-sweet, lime-flavored, please.】 An Sheng typed, his expression utterly matter-of-fact.

After everything was ready, the two humans and the fox got into the old Honda and drove toward Sheshan.

After setting the navigation route on Su Qiyuan's phone, An Sheng sat back in the passenger seat, picked up the iced cola with the straw sticking out of the center console, and took a long, satisfied sip.

"Iced soda in summer is pure comfort—except for the weight gain."

The last time An Sheng had drunk iced cola was twenty-four hours ago.

Lately he'd been busy scamming netizens into buying tea to help Qing earn money for his iced cola, leaving no time to sneak off and sip it elegantly and discreetly.

An Sheng put the iced cola back in the center console, reached into the bag he'd been carrying, and pulled out the fruit phone given to him by Golden-Rimmed Hedgehog for communication.

An Sheng operated the call interface and dialed Golden-Rimmed Hedgehog using a short code.

"Hello! Is this Auntie Hedgehog? It's Fuli."

"." A series of "squeaks" came from the other end; Hedgehog Grandma was clearly displeased with An Sheng's address.

Hedgehog is hedgehog, Grandma is Grandma—even Golden-Rimmed Hedgehog would do.

Why must you add "old"? Grandma's still in her prime.

"It's just a name. Didn't you used to call me 'Doggy'? No big deal." The little fox chirped cheerfully: "Forget the name—let's talk business."

"Oh? Even bandits from the Spirit Beast Guild have business?" Golden-Rimmed Hedgehog teased. "Don't drag Grandma into illegal stuff—I'm old, my bones are brittle, can't handle your young ones' roughhousing."

"Stop calling it a gang. I'll share my location with you—just have the truck follow me and stand by for my orders."

"If things go well, we might find the white snake that the overseas poaching gang's been watching." An Sheng spoke casually, picking up the iced cola and taking a sip.

"Hm?" A tone of mild confusion came from Golden-Rimmed Hedgehog, as if surprised by An Sheng's choice: "You're taking the civil service exam?"

"Civil service exam? What exam?" An Sheng chirped with laughter: "Anyway, don't worry about fox matters. They want to know where the white snake is? Fine—I'll go find my fox friends in the woods and make some connections."

Due to information gaps, An Sheng didn't know the Anquan Bureau had different departments.

The forest rangers were assigned to monitor him; the loggers had invited him.

But even if he knew, he wouldn't care much.

Whether forest rangers or loggers—if they need my help, I'll help.

Let's just be friends for now.

Later, you'll handle my messes.

Whether I brawl with spirit beasts on the street, smash things with a sledgehammer, speed, or detain defeated spirit beasts—leave all the cleanup to you.

Play all you want, joke all you want, but don't tell my family about my righteous deeds out there.

I'm afraid Qing will literally eat the fox alive if she finds out.

"Mmmmm—"

"Squeak—"

Under the watchful eyes of Su Qiyuan and Bai Tao, the little fox lounged comfortably with one leg crossed, chatted for a while with Golden-Rimmed Hedgehog on the phone, then hung up.

"Why are you staring at me? Never seen a fox make a phone call before?"

An Sheng put the phone back in his bag and looked at Su Qiyuan and Bai Tao with a strange expression; the three of them stared at each other, each with odd, subtle expressions.

"Master Fuli," Bai Tao said, eyes wide with wonder, "you have other spirit beast friends? And they use phones too? Can you introduce us? We've never seen the world!"

Bai Tao's expression was pure and romantic, like a naive college girl earnestly seeking wisdom from Master Fuli.

"Cool it! You're practically screaming your hunger for performance metrics. I'm not refusing to introduce you to Golden-Rimmed Hedgehog—but that old hedgehog is a seasoned veteran; she probably held your leaders when they were still in diapers."

An Sheng chirped, waving his hand to tell Bai Tao not to entertain unrealistic ideas.

Su Qiyuan drove into the ecological reserve at Sheshan.

An Sheng climbed out through the sunroof, stood upright, and called out into the forest:

"Big Spicy Stick! Time for dinner!"

(End of Chapter)