"Your train of thought is really all over the place..."
First, we were talking about nuclear explosions, then Master Fox suddenly said he wants to buy a house in the big city, instantly lightening the originally slightly heavy atmosphere.
Grandma Hedgehog's eyelid twitched, and she could no longer maintain her sultry mature woman composure, cursing silently:
"With advanced information communication, humans aren't as wild as they used to be, but their gear is always being updated. Now, they catch Spirit Beasts in the wild using mouse trap glue; once they're stuck, they use physical or chemical methods to knock them out and pack them up."
"You wouldn't want to be covered in glue and have all your fur shaved off in a research lab, right?"
The Golden Hedgehog slowly spoke, recounting to Master Fox the glorious days of humanity.
Monsters and demons, right?
They would be lured into remote mountains and then blown up, as the light of material science dispelled feudal superstitions. By the way, those monsters could also be used to test the effects of new equipment on carbon-based life forms.
The Golden Hedgehog was born in the Xia West desert. After witnessing certain events, it packed its bags overnight and secretly fled from Xia West to Xia Dong, away from those scientists who muttered about breaking superstition.
With the progress of the era, archaeology dug up certain things, and advances in biology followed.
Creatures beyond human comprehension gradually got their rightful name from demons and monsters and no longer needed to be shot at.
Guys like Master Fox would've been tricked into the fields and blasted with mortars in the Golden Hedgehog's era.
Any Spirit Beast who had studied for a few years knew how well-armed the people of Xia Country used to be.
"They can glue whoever they want, it has nothing to do with me anyway. To be honest, I haven't even applied for my bravery award from them!"
Hearing the Golden Hedgehog's words, Ansheng's face turned black as he looked at it: "Don't talk nonsense there."
The Golden Hedgehog's words were really terrifying for the fox.
It made Ansheng momentarily imagine himself being blown up by a nuclear explosion in his little mind.
But Ansheng quickly came to his senses, thinking, "Whatever, let Spirit Beasts get nuked if they have to, what's it got to do with me?"
Don't you ask around when you come here, what line of work does Master Fox in Changxi Town do?
I, Ansheng, specialize in punishing Spirit Beast mischief and granting wishes, with a sterling reputation in the field: [Xia Dong Dora Fox Dream].
You would nuke the magnificent Dora Fox Dream?
"I, Ansheng, am a public servant, unlike you lot running tax-free businesses. I almost got trapped in a dead-end road by you Golden Hamster." Ansheng opened his mouth to unreservedly criticize the Golden Hamster.
I can get two hundred bucks from Su Qiyuan as social relief funding every day, even if I don't count civil service entry, promotion to director of the Spirit Beast Control Office, at least I'm on the official whitelist.
No, are you, running a tax-free business, coming over to teach me, a law-abiding citizen, is that appropriate?
"Golden Hamster?"
Hearing Master Fox's criticism, Grandma Hedgehog's fair face looked stunned, her lips twitching, feeling like a hamster herself now, who caused this?
Back when I still had spikes, my dear grandchildren worshipped me as if I were the sun!
"Don't concern yourself with the fox's matters. Anyone who gets hit by my hammer doesn't respect the fox's authority." Ansheng waved his hand nonchalantly: "Just prepare the stuff. I said I'd stop by last night, but got held up by something, I'll head over tonight to pick it up."
"By the way, doesn't your family have plenty of little brothers?"
"Please, Master Fox, be mindful of your words. Our group doesn't raise little brothers; they are employed security guards dispatched by labor companies," Grandma Hedgehog corrected Master Fox's inappropriate wording.
"Who cares about them, it's not like others can hear what we're saying. Just help me out. If any Spirit Beast comes for revenge during this time, cover for me when I need it, and I'll hammer it."
A snow-white fox and a big hedgehog, white with a tinge of gold, sat facing each other.
The fox let out a few squeaks from its mouth, while the Golden Hedgehog chirped a few times back, and humans on the side periodically provided the Golden Hedgehog with cigarettes and fruits, creating a rather bizarre scene.
But none of the little brothers present were laughing, their expressions very serious, guarding the surroundings, afraid that other tourists might accidentally disturb the two 'lords' in various senses.
As the conversation concluded.
The little brother under the shade closed the umbrella, and Lin Hao, who was sitting opposite preparing tea for Ah Qing, received the signal from the little brother and smiled as he said to Ah Qing:
"Sorry, our White Immortal, due to physiology, needs to use the restroom, I have to go over for a bit."
Regular hedgehogs are notoriously indiscreet, munching on food while making a mess from behind is normal.
Lin Hao took this cue to return to Grandma, rolling up his sleeves and escorting her off with the little brother.
Meanwhile, Ah Qing and the viewers in the livestream were all left in a state of bewildered surprise.
Ah Qing had kept the stream going out of concern that Lin Hao might harbor malicious intent, and worried she might overdo her self-defense.
Lin Hao was aware of Ah Qing's streaming, but as the topic was all about cute pets, he didn't care.
"Phew—"
Ah Qing looked at Lin Hao's retreating figure, noticed that Grandma Hedgehog, with a small hand holding a cigarette, stretched it towards the cutting board, and the young man in a black suit beside her respectfully reached out, took out a disposable ashtray, and the Golden Hedgehog flicked its cigarette, then put it back in its mouth to blow smoke.
Ah Qing's eyes went straight, and then she looked at Xiaolan, sitting all alone at the tea table, feeling a pang of sympathy.
"Xiaolan... is really pitiful."
[The contrast is just striking! The tea shop's waiter and the group's board directors' daughter...]
[Damn it! All my hard-earned wages aren't even enough to cover the hedgehog's weekly electricity bill!]
Lin Hao and Ah Qing were discussing pet care experiences.
Giving the livestream viewers an in-depth look at the extent of Xia Dong people's superstition and wealth.
In Lin Hao's story, Grandma Hedgehog is their ancestral 'Immortal'.
His grandfather was once on the verge of starvation, collapsed by the river, and then a hedgehog with fruits on its back passed by, his grandfather ate the fruits stuck on the hedgehog's back, grateful for the hedgehog's lifesaving grace, he captured that little hedgehog.
From then on, their family fortunes soared.
This Golden Hedgehog is a descendant of that lifesaving hedgehog, passed down to this day, the Golden Hedgehog is already the seventeenth generation.
The Golden Hedgehog has the purest lineage, and the Lin Family regards the Golden Hedgehog as an 'Immortal'.
Moreover, when it comes to marriage, they first consider whether the other side venerates hedgehogs as 'White Immortal'.
Here, Lin Hao wasn't making things up. When relatives in their family get married, they either choose locals or people from Xia North. No one dares to disrespect Grandma Hedgehog, even outsiders, nor do Hao Villagers who offend Grandma Hedgehog; they get kicked out of the family register to fend for themselves.
Grandma Hedgehog is a symbol of wealth, the true wealthy lord of Hao Village.
Grandma Hedgehog's daily electricity bill is nearly 8000.
An insulated swimming pool costs 800, not to mention, insulated wine cellars and other property consumption, it's simply outrageous.
Ah Qing and the livestream audience were left speechless.
Both are cute pets, comparing Grandma Hedgehog to a fox with a daily food budget of 8, just adds to Ah Qing's heartache.