"In a moment, transfer four hundred to Aqing; the haircut cost for Master Fox is just that."
As the shutter door closed, Master Fox, holding an electric clipper, tied the two people to a chair. In less than five minutes, two bald heads appeared in the pet grooming salon.
Master Fox put a towel on the bald heads and applied a bit of wax. With two small fox paws, he started polishing the bald heads, turning them from a matte finish to a shiny gloss.
Master Fox raised his phone, turned on the flashlight to shine on the bald heads, and, seeing them reflect the light, revealed a satisfied smile and said:
"The haircut costs you two hundred, the polishing fifty; you've spent a total of two hundred and fifty, got it?"
The beauty salon owner and beautician nodded slightly, expressionless and wooden.
They didn't have any objections to Master Fox's charges.
"Go wash up yourselves, lest you say Master Fox's charges are unscrupulous."
Master Fox called out to them, went to the front of the cashier to delete the surveillance, set the room's air conditioning to 23 degrees, and opened the salon shutter door.
Master Fox sat on the boss's chair, eating the beef jerky the beauty salon owner left on the table, and naturally picked up the phone running the game to retreat.
"What?"
"28.4% retreat rate?"
"Are you a bot? Even elementary school kids in our village maintain a retreat rate of over 66%."
Master Fox, eating the salon owner's snacks, enjoying his air conditioning, and playing his phone, widened his eyes in surprise at the salon owner's more than two thousand games and over-twenty retreat rate, blurting out a complaint.
The salon owner remained silent.
"So bad at games, yet so addicted, beautician go get two cans of wax from the warehouse, coat your boss's feet completely, so he'll have something to scratch instead of ruining others' games."
Master Fox discontentedly said, deleting the salon owner's browser in passing.
"!?"
The salon owner was momentarily stunned by the words, looking towards the beautician who also looked at him.
"I've not treated you badly..."
"Hm." The beautician nodded seriously.
...…
Ten minutes passed in a flash; Aqing came as scheduled to pick up the little fox.
But as soon as Aqing entered the salon, she saw the beautician holding the owner's arm, applying wax under his armpit, with the owner's body from toes to thighs covered in a layer of blue wax.
The owner, with hollow eyes and wax-covered eyebrows, turned to Aqing and said:
"Lost in a game of truth or dare, don't mind it, your little fox is enjoying the air conditioning, go ahead and take it!"
"By the way, show me your blue payment app for a moment."
The beautician snatched the owner's phone; the owner's pupils widened in disbelief, looking at the beautician.
The beautician nodded slightly, took the owner's phone to transfer five hundred to Aqing.
The beautician ran out without looking back once.
"Huh?"
Aqing, holding the little fox, looked at the five hundred displayed on the phone with confusion, looking at the owner:
"Owner..."
"Just lost in truth or dare," the owner gritted his teeth and said, "I can afford to lose it!"
After speaking, he stepped on the waxed floor, chasing after the beautician's direction.
"Beautician was still an intern; the owner said no commission during the half-year internship, they ended up fighting." Ansheng giggled and let out a series of wailing sounds.
"A pet beautician... Isn't it just about earning commission from pet grooming? The owner's too greedy." Aqing nodded in agreement at the little fox's words.
"No more about the salon stuff, Aqing, hurry and tell me about Abiao and Momo?"
"I'm so curious." Ansheng lay on Aqing's shoulder, pressing against her cheek, urging her to explain the car accident's ins and outs.
A car accident can be considered an accident.
But taking into account the gambling the night before, Ansheng felt there might be big news, potentially requiring Master Fox's intervention for justice.
"Well... I'm not quite sure, but from the conversation between Momo and A-Jie, it seems like A-Jie was on a business trip to intentionally lose money to someone named Liao."
"Apparently, President Liao helped A-Jie's family connect in Italy to secure a luxury furniture dealership."
"A-Jie, who is Momo's boyfriend, initially planned to lose one hundred fifty, but by the end, somehow lost three hundred, supposedly blaming a one-shot cost over a million, and A-Jie got into a car accident on his way back to the hotel to rest." Aqing pondered, summarizing the information she'd just heard to the little fox.
Aqing didn't play golf and didn't understand some of the terms used by Momo and Mo Shengjie.
But Aqing knew the core of the matter; Momo's boyfriend wasn't gambling.
Ajie just used playing golf as an excuse to comfortably give the thank-you fee meant for President Liao.
But he ended up losing badly, and got into a car accident on his way back to the hotel, crashing into a Corolla.
The entire replica sports car got embedded into the front; even seeing it made Ah Qing feel startled.
Moreover.
She also learned for the first time that golf actually involved betting.
Each swing could be worth thousands or tens of thousands.
Playing a full game, it's normal to make around a hundred swings.
One game could cost a house; even though she knew it wasn't purely about gambling, Ah Qing felt dizzy just hearing about it.
Spontaneously, Ah Qing lifted her hand to pat the fox's head and said, "You are not allowed to play golf. We don't have funds that thick at home. If you play, you're only allowed to bet a dollar or two, got it?"
"Thanks for thinking so highly of me, Ah Qing, but do I look like someone who can play golf?"
"Instead of worrying about me playing golf, you'd better worry about me using a golf club to hit someone," Ansheng said, rolling his eyes.
"You can't use a golf club to hit people either!" Ah Qing laughed as she pinched the little fox, inwardly disbelieving that little An would use a golf club on someone.
With such an obedient personality, how could little An pick up a golf club to hit someone!
He might bite the golf club and hurt his teeth.
"Whew..."
Ah Qing opened her phone's navigation and took the little fox to the nearest McDonald's dessert station, buying two McFlurries.
Although Ah Qing wanted to sit in the store, noticing that pets weren't allowed inside, she had to settle for a shady spot to sit down.
"Ah~ Try the original flavor." Ah Qing scooped a spoonful of plain ice cream for the little fox.
"Whew..." The little fox opened his mouth, taking the ice cream in, and sneaked a glance at Ah Qing.
Rong City's temperature is very hot and humid, and coupled with the urban heat island effect, it feels like a big steamer. Though Ah Qing had tied her hair up, her clothes were still a bit wet in such hot weather, especially her shoulders holding the little fox were completely soaked.
But Ah Qing didn't seem to mind, smiling as she continued to offer the little fox ice cream.
"Whew..."
Ansheng thought for a moment, stood up on his hind legs, put one paw on Ah Qing's shoulder, and used the other to wipe the sweat on Ah Qing's forehead from his arm area.
"Hmm?"
Ah Qing looked at little An's actions, a bit surprised, and said, "Are you helping me...wipe my sweat? I just thought you wanted to kiss me!"
"Don't get carried away, An may not have a cleanliness mania, but I won't lick sweat!" Ansheng nudged Ah Qing with his nose and murmured.
"Yes, yes, yes! Little An, you're so considerate!" Ah Qing said with a big grin on her face, "It's just a pity that there are no pet-friendly restaurants or malls nearby."
"Otherwise, little An, you wouldn't have to sit under a tree's shade eating ice cream on such a hot day."
"Looks like I have to work harder to aim to buy a used car, so even if we run into a situation like this, we can eat ice cream comfortably."
"Whew!"
Ansheng patted the Oreo-flavored McFlurry, motioning for Ah Qing to take a few bites to cool down and not get overheated.
When Ah Qing opened the McFlurry cup and scooped it up, the ice cream inside had already melted into cream, and Ah Qing was startled.
"Wow! It all melted, not a drop left!" Ah Qing looked at little An's bowl in shock, where the original flavor McFlurry ice cream had also completely melted into cream.
"Whew..." Ansheng sighed a long sigh, momentarily unsure whether to complain about Rong City's weather or to criticize McDonald's for their McFlurries that melt instantly.
At the same time, a strange thought suddenly popped into Ansheng's mind.
Was it really okay to keep Ah Qing away from Spirit Beasts under the guise of being good to her?
Ah Qing, studying at Xinxing Agricultural Science College, even if her future plan is to return home to focus on farming and not stay for graduate school or anything else, studying at Xinxing Agricultural Science College... is inherently on the forefront of Spiritual Particle Plant research.
Ah Qing was really just a wall away from contacting those things.
If she went to see the next-door room of the lab building, she could probably see a mimosa plant with its shamelessly big open leaves, swaying and absorbing sunlight for photosynthesis.
Seeing Ah Qing accompanying him, sitting and eating ice cream in such hot weather, Ansheng suddenly felt a conscience pang as if pricked by a needle.
"Whew whew whew—"
The little fox nestled into Ah Qing's arms, rolling and letting out a series of awkward murmurs.
Seeing the little fox lying down and rolling around as if expressing discomfort, Ah Qing was slightly taken aback and said:
"Little An..."
"Could it be that you're suffering from a heatstroke?"