"Miss Lin, Master Fox seems to particularly like his current disguise."
As time gradually approached three o'clock, everyone started leaving Hailenglong, and after heading to the parking lot, Lin Shu went to drive the car out. Lin Ying and Lin Bingyun looked at the little fox with peculiar expressions on their faces.
The little fox stood upright in front of a full-length mirror provided for guests to tidy up their appearance.
The little fox wore a saddlebag across its chest, tightly secured so the entire bag was snug against its front. The little fox was full of self-admiration, spinning in front of the mirror. After a while, he reached into the bag with his tiny paw, pulled out a black box, and stabbed forward with it, instantly releasing a burst of white electric light.
"Zzzzz—"
Electric light danced at the front end of the shock device. After a brief simulation, the little fox quickly withdrew his paw and stuffed the shock device back into his saddlebag.
"As expected of me, even my moves are purely stylish!" Ansheng had a pleased expression on his face and let out a soft coo.
The power of the shock device didn't have much significance for the physique of a spirit beast, but Ansheng found the gadget fascinating, like picking up a straight stick by the roadside and feeling compelled to wave it around.
Ansheng naturally knew he looked somewhat awkward mimicking agents from Western movies in the mirror.
But... he couldn't help it; he really was handsome!
No wonder he's a regular in myth and magic novels, even a whitewashed red fox still looks charming.
"Master Fox, we should head back."
The black business car slowly approached, and Lin Ying called out to the playfully busy little fox.
"Coming!"
Upon hearing the call, Ansheng returned to all fours and hurriedly dashed into Lin Ying's arms, a wide grin on his face, and let out a crisp coo as he lay directly in Lin Ying's arms.
"It's okay to step on the clothes; we'll change them when we get home."
Seeing the little fox nestled in her arms, lifting his paws to avoid stepping on her clothes, Lin Ying sat in the back seat of the black business car, smiling as she spoke.
"Coo, coo," the little fox waved his paw, indicating he wasn't a fox without manners.
The business car gradually moved forward, heading towards Changxi Town.
Sitting in the airline seat, Lin Ying thought for a moment before speaking to the little fox: "Master Fox..."
"Coo?"
Originally adjusting the car's built-in tablet to watch videos, Ansheng looked to his side, a bit confused as to why Lin Ying fell silent after calling him.
"The chairman of the New Crown Group might have some connection with the Security Bureau. He knows a lot about spirit beasts and related topics, and he just vaguely hinted at an important piece of information to me."
"According to the rules, the delivery mule only knows three things: the quantity, timing, and address of delivery. They won't know anything else." Lin Ying spoke with a complicated expression towards Ansheng:
"In other words, the information about the White Snake is definitely beyond what the delivery mule can disclose. The White Snake's intel could come from a government agency. Frankly speaking, the hedgehog was asking you if you wanted to take a civil service exam?"
"Coo?" Ansheng looked at Lin Ying in confusion. What did you all talk about while I was away?
Seeing Master Fox's bewildered expression, Lin Ying sighed, and opened her mouth a little helplessly:
"I'm not entirely clear on the specifics, but based on the hedgehog's hints, the invitation to take the civil service exam is likely from the [Pest Control Expert Group]."
"You can understand it as people working in tandem with spirit beasts, addressing spirit beast-related hazard events together. I've seen such a group at the Dongxiang Research Institute, but they were blown up by fungus parasites with RPG rockets..."
Ansheng: "......"
RPG? What on earth is Chen Nian doing...
The existence of Ansheng, or including the presence of the Golden-edged Hedgehog, cannot be completely hidden from the high-definition satellite footage. For those high-intelligence spirit beasts living secretly in the city, someone will come to interact and record relevant reports.
Upon confirming the danger level of spirit beasts, various handling plans are made.
Depending on their traits, some spirit beasts that can seamlessly blend into human society may receive special invitations from official agencies.
The Golden-edged Hedgehog had evidently received such an invitation, thus understanding the process and informing Lin Ying about it.
But judging from the contented hedgehog grandma's appearance, she'd clearly never attended any civil service invitation exams.
The Golden-edged Hedgehog passed messages for official agencies, yet subtly hinted at some things concerning the civil service exam process and the agency's name to Lin Ying for personal benefits.
[Pest Control Expert Group].
They are also known informally in the spirit beast research circle as 'Woodcutters'—a special task force.
Woodcutters differ from forest rangers, though both are under security bureau agencies, their responsibilities vary.
Forest Rangers' main duty is to track and contact spirit beasts in the woods, and after achieving some level of familiarity and trust, they educate spirit beasts in general knowledge.
The work of Woodcutters, on the other hand, involves collaborating with their paired spirit beasts, heading into cities, and unleashing a powerful response on those spirit beasts with clearly chaotic intentions.
The task of the [Pest Control Expert Group] is to use a spirit beast's strength to subdue other spirit beasts.
Jiule City has never experienced chaos caused by spirit beasts, and due to its coastal proximity, there are no stationed Woodcutters.
Yet with fungus parasites escaping, experts from the [Pest Control Group] were invited for consultations in Jiule City.
Someone shared the intelligence regarding Master Fox and the White Wolf with them.
The spirit beasts partnering with the Woodcutters watched the video, shaking their heads vigorously like rattles.
You want me to go? Are you joking? If I act recklessly, let me tell you, our health insurance cards will be overused till sparks fly.
That fox in the video can smash a concrete dam with an alligator. He would batter me like a badminton shuttlecock!
I should go?
Go to hell, I refuse to visit your granny's rheumatic old leg!
........
The White Snake affair was extensive, and after grasping some information, Ansheng didn't linger long at Lin Ying's home, but hurried back before dawn to his own place.
He promised Ah Qing he'd return early and help out in the stream channel the next morning, hence couldn't spend the night outside.
As for whatever concerning the White Snake...wait for some free time and ask the King Cobra in the mountains.
"Wait! What did the hedgehog just say? There's a White Snake around our Jiule City?"
Snoozing in bed, clutching his newly obtained charming saddlebag, Ansheng made himself comfortable, resting on Ah Qing's arm ready to sleep, but muddled over the White Snake issue, and inevitably linked it to the snake overlord, the King Cobra.
Then.
Ansheng sprang up, eyes wide open, a sense of foreboding creeping up his heart.
White Snake... you better be a King Cobra!
In Xia Dong's July, August, and September, it's the King Cobras' breeding season.
"White Snake is a spirit beast, consider it overlord-level, but a King Cobra is also an overlord-level spirit beast!"
"Given that King Cobra's ophiophagous tendency and gluttonous nature..."
"It couldn't have showcased its belly with the White Snake inside it, could it?"
Originally about to nod off, Ansheng suddenly felt like he wasn't overly sleepy, rather, the fox was startled.
Yet Ansheng checked the clock, gazed at the sleeping Ah Qing, pondered, and snuggled back.
The last encounter with the King Cobra nearly happened a fortnight ago.
If that White Snake were meant to survive, surely it is alive; otherwise, it might already be reincarnated, perhaps ready to hatch anew.
Ah, let it be! I'll inquire at Snake Mountain tomorrow evening for information.