"The losses are devastating, devastating..."
As Zhang Lin mentioned the foxes in the Security Bureau, the golden raven hopped and turned around, spreading its colorful black wings, pointing at its own rump with the tip of a feather.
Where the tail feathers should have been, there was now not a single feather left, just a bare bird butt.
Jin Wu looked woeful and silently turned to Master Fuli, "Fuli, my butt is freezing cold and hurts....."
Master Fuli is renowned far and wide, and even the Spirit Beasts within the Security Bureau would give him respect.
The foxes caught by the Security Bureau, in a certain sense, all came from the same mountain as Master Fuli, and might all share some distant kinship.
But precisely because of this suspected kinship, those Spirit Beasts living in the research institute naturally helped open the door when they heard the foxes loudly proclaiming their desire to roam free.
At four in the morning, the research institute's doors opened, and while the birds, still dozing, were confused, a Red Fox leaped up and harshly bit onto its butt.
Though not injured, Jin Wu was startled, and as it soared into the sky, it didn't notice its tail feathers caught in the fox's teeth, getting completely plucked off.
"Ah Qing, I remember you said you bought me some heated socks before, right?" Ansheng asked Ah Qing, casting a peculiar glance at Jin Wu's bare bottom.
The sight..... worried Ansheng that Jin Wu might catch a cold with its exposed rear.
"It shouldn't be that dire, right?" Ah Qing exclaimed in disbelief, turning to Zhang Lin.
Though there are over four hundred foxes, Wang Ya's Fox Kingdom Hotel also houses nearly three hundred, and there's been no report of any foxes damaging the foundation and turning a building into a risky structure.
"You'll see when you get there with me, but we'll be heading to Mixun District, about dozens of kilometers away from the traditional city center, and it's quite congested at night."
"Do you have hotel reservations? If not, you can stay in a temporary hotel for tonight."
Zhang Lin opened her mouth multiple times to speak but decided to skip the topic of foxes, shifting her inquiry to whether Ah Qing and the others had booked a hotel in the city center.
The Imperial Capital's Security Bureau is organized differently from the security bureaus of other provinces.
The Imperial Capital has three Security Bureaus in total. First is the Security Bureau headquarters, the central hub of the entire department, mainly used for administrative duties and paper file archiving.
But the most important are personnel training and the Security Bureau Museum housed there.
The second and third Security Bureaus, however, can collectively be referred to as the "Local Security Bureau of the Imperial Capital."
Just that, due to regional differences in size and function, their locations differ; the second is located within the second ring, primarily focused on human crimes.
The third is located in Mixun District, specifically responsible for handling Spirit Beasts and Spiritual Particles incidents.
Zhang Lin is currently heading to the third, located in Mixun District, Security Bureau.
It's over a hundred kilometers from the airport to Mixun District.
"Speaking of which, what department is that Fungal Parasitic Beast working in now?"
As Zhang Lin mentioned the Imperial Capital's Security Bureau, Ansheng suddenly grew curious about the Fungal Parasitic Beast's situation.
Having not seen it for some time, he heard from people in the Security Bureau that it seemed to almost have its mortgage paid off.
"Fungal Parasitic Beast?"
"It's currently employed at the second Security Bureau, which we commonly refer to as the 'Imperial Capital Office,' partly in charge of capturing criminals, but more often serving as a bodyguard."
"With sunglasses on, it becomes unapproachable." Zhang Lin remarked to Master Fuli.
The Fungal Parasitic Beast is quite strong, and its perfect human form is a significant advantage; it is brought along for some international conferences or high-level visits.
However.
The Fungal Parasitic Beast almost caused an international incident.
The fungi and parasites on it originate from Europe; their unexpected combination forms a unique symbiotic relationship by chance.
That particular trip clarified the Fungal Parasitic Beast's origins.
Essentially, a European country's lab discharged non-compliant sewage, polluting the water supply of a downstream white jade snail breeding base.
Subsequently, a large-scale food safety crisis was triggered, resulting in the deaths of dozens, with over a hundred suffering permanent aftereffects due to excessive antibiotics.
The Fungal Parasitic Beast was the only one to gain special abilities from the accident.
However, due to the accident, the Europeans, who held numerous research reports, immediately recognized the beast's origins, as those rainbow-like onion eyes are too distinctive.
They attempted secretly contacting it, hoping to recruit the Fungal Parasitic Beast to betray its country.
Then... with great wit, the Fungal Parasitic Beast swindled them out of four million Euros and blocked the operatives.
Afterward, the beast voluntarily submitted its report, leaving everyone in the Security Bureau speechless.
The Fungal Parasitic Beast vehemently claimed:
"My father said that no law could bind me, therefore whatever I do is righteous."
"I am a justice emissary, so deceiving them means they should thank me."
"But their manners were appalling; not only did they not thank me, but hurled abuses at me, so I blocked them all."
"If it were my father, instead of sitting in an office, he would be sitting on a plane, wielding a construction vehicle, physically attacking enemy manufacturers."
...
While driving, Zhang Lin tried hard not to laugh as she recounted how the Fungal Parasitic Beast nearly caused an international brouhaha.
After all... the beast is incredibly absurd.
Every scam concluded with high-minded declarations of wanting to earn money to support its father.
Its father is frail and thin; if you want to recruit me, you'd better pay up first.
Once the money arrived, it turned around and reported them, while also earning a 500,000 yuan bounty from the Security Bureau.
"...I suspected something was up with how that beast paid off a seventy-million mortgage in half a year. Turns out Xia Dong's 'aspiring' youth lineage came into play." Ansheng couldn't hold back his expression and started to tease.
"Aspiring youth is quite rare..." Ah Qing poked at the little fox with a slightly embarrassed face upon hearing it.
The aspiring youth, initially, referred to those ambitious and tenacious young people seeking funds globally from their same-surname clan to build a fortune overseas.
It all started with good intentions.
Later... someone thought, wasn't I just borrowing a few million from my clan?
I've got millions now, why bother with business? I'm running off to become an emperor of a small country.
Now, in Changxi Town's Chen clan, the rule is to only help in urgent matters, not out of poverty. Anyone who dares to discuss borrowing from the clan or any form of fund-raising with Old Chen will face his wrath unless high-interest loans have chased them from Jiule City to the Chen Family Ancestral Hall.
If a single kilometer is spared, Old Chen won't agree to the village helping pay off any in-debt offspring.
"That house..... a Siheyuan?"
Momo's face was filled with a peculiar expression.
A one-year-old fox actually having a godson already? Who would believe this if told?
Having it is one thing, but the little fox's son is even more ridiculous, fraudulently securing a house from foreigners to support the little fox.
Doesn't this call for the next anti-fraud app?