C21 Talent Selection

Upon returning to the Pet Shop, Liu Xu immediately picked up where the female staff had left off.

The tasks at hand were straightforward: cleaning cages, feeding the animals, and shifting items around. He finished them in no time at all.

Mopping his brow, Liu Xu realized his physical condition needed improvement. A brief stint of work had him sweating, and today's scuffle underscored the need for new skills.

With that in mind, he flipped open his phone, launched the familiar Charizard app, and browsed for options that suited him.

Oh right, he hadn't checked the reward for completing his mission. Liu Xu quickly tapped on the mission reward notification:

[Chu Family Crisis (Phase One): Mission Content: Rescue the kidnapped Chu Menghan (Completed)

Rewards: One: A chance at the Lucky Raffle

Two: 200 points gifted by the system.]

"Such a hefty reward?"

Liu Xu rubbed his eyes in disbelief. He hadn't anticipated such a generous payout of 200 points for the mission.

He understood the significance of points; 50 points could unlock an animal skill, and with 200 points, that meant four skills.

Plus, there was the familiar Lucky Raffle, and this was just the initial phase of the mission. The Chu Family mission promised even richer rewards down the line.

Flipping to the next page, he was greeted by a familiar system prompt:

"The raffle opportunity resets every 24 hours. You have one unused chance. Would you like to use it now?"

Absolutely.

The golden wheel on his phone screen spun, and when it halted, the pointer landed on a groove-patterned slot.

"You've won a special talent extraction slot in this raffle."

The system never failed to deliver exactly what players wished for.

Liu Xu was thrilled at the prospect of a new talent, allowing him to toggle between strength and finesse. But which animal would bestow the skill enhancement he sought? The excitement was tinged with frustration.

Lost in thought while seated, Liu Xu was jolted back to reality by the chime of the wind bell at the Pet Shop's entrance. He looked up in haste, stowing his phone away just in time to see Hsu Xiaoyue struggling through the door with two hefty bags in tow.

Hsu Xiaoyue caught sight of Liu Xu casually lounging in a chair, engrossed in his phone, while she had been braving the sweltering heat to stock up the store, and she couldn't help but seethe with irritation.

With a huff, she tossed the bags onto the floor and confronted Liu Xu, "Where were you all day? How long did it take you just to deliver some items this morning?"

Liu Xu, noticing a bead of sweat trail down Xiaoyue's neck and the stormy look on her face, quickly offered an apologetic explanation, "I'm terribly sorry, boss. This morning, when I was out delivering goods, Miss Chu ran into some trouble. I took her to the hospital, but then she insisted I escort her to her company, fearing something might happen on the way. You know how seriously we take our customers' concerns; it's our duty to address them, so it ended up taking a bit longer."

He bowed earnestly, adding, "From now on, I'm at your beck and call, Ms. Hsu. Just one phone call away!"

Watching Liu Xu's almost farcical earnestness, Xiaoyue's anger began to dissipate. She realized that although she had hired him for the heavy lifting, she couldn't expect him to handle everything. Besides, he had put in both hard work and effort defending the Pet Shop and Ma Dazhuang.

Softening, Xiaoyue instructed Liu Xu, "Stop calling me 'Lady Boss'; it makes me sound old. 'Ms. Hsu' will do. And remember to step up your game from here on out."

A potential crisis defused, Liu Xu breathed a sigh of relief and vowed, "I'll be sure to prioritize your directives, Ms. Hsu."

Xiaoyue cracked a smile and nudged the black bag at her feet, saying, "You take care of this. I'm going to freshen up; it's just too hot today."

"Got it," Liu Xu responded with gusto. He began to inspect the contents of the bag, which contained special pet food for creatures like Brazilian turtles and hedgehogs, all the while reminiscing about Xiaoyue's earlier display of frustration.

As he organized the items on the shelves, Liu Xu mulled over which talent to select next. Perhaps he should consider animals associated with Ancient Martial Arts, like those used in snake or monkey fist styles?

In the realm of insects, there was the mantis fist technique. Next time he faced off against the policewoman Lin Zimo, he wouldn't be at such a disadvantage.

As evening approached, a throng of schoolchildren pressed their faces against the pet shop window, longingly gazing inside. It seemed their parents forbade them from having pets, so they settled for this fleeting indulgence. The gentle tinkle of wind chimes signaled the door opening.

A young girl in the No.1 High School uniform entered and made a beeline for the cage of a little hedgehog. Liu Xu watched as the hedgehog seemed to come alive with excitement at her presence, exposing its soft belly and contentedly squinting under her gentle touch.

"Looking for something in particular?" Liu Xu approached, offering assistance.

Startled by his voice, the girl quickly withdrew her hand, causing the hedgehog to curl up in alarm. Liu Xu cursed his own clumsiness, yet the girl's voice was soft as she replied, "I'm... just looking."

"This little hedgehog is quite affordable, only about forty yuan, and it's easy to care for. All it needs is some basic hedgehog food."

"No... no, thank you," she murmured, her voice tinged with sadness.

The hedgehog, picking up on her disjointed speech, let out a series of plaintive squeaks, as if to offer solace.

Clearly, something was amiss for the girl to seem so forlorn.

"Hey, buddy, do you recognize this student?" Liu Xu whispered to the hedgehog, tapping into his unique gift for conversing with animals.

"Of course, she used to be my owner," the hedgehog replied.

"We're that close, calling each other 'brother' now?"

"Didn't you remember who gave you a bath today? Would you say we're acquainted?"

"Fine, try to comfort her. She looks like she's on the verge of tears."

"What exactly happened? I need to understand the situation."

Liu Xu continued his quiet dialogue with the hedgehog.

After hearing the hedgehog's story, Liu Xu gained a general idea of the situation: The hedgehog, named Shazhi, was purchased by a little girl's mother a month ago as a gift for her 16th birthday. The little girl adored Shazhi, spending time each day after school chatting and feeding her spiky friend. Being shy, she confided her secrets only to Shazhi.

Sadly, the happy times were short-lived. In the past few weeks, the little girl failed to provide Shazhi with new food, resorting instead to giving it scraps of vegetables and fruits from home. A healthy diet for a hedgehog requires special food, which the little girl hadn't managed to buy.

Eventually, her mother discovered the situation and, despite the little girl's protests, firmly decided to return Shazhi to Hsu Xiaoyue's pet shop.

"Why return it? The girl seemed to care deeply," Liu Xu inquired.

"Her mother said she gave the little girl enough allowance to buy hedgehog food, but she spent it elsewhere, showing no responsibility. Returning me was a punishment," the hedgehog explained.

"Where did she spend the money? Besides, pet food isn't expensive. The bags the owner brought back today only cost a few hundred yuan," Liu Xu said, puzzled.

"How should I know? All I can say is I'm tired of eating leaves," the hedgehog replied.

Realizing he couldn't get the full story from the pet, Liu Xu gently stooped down and looked into the little girl's reddening eyes, asking, "Do you like this hedgehog?"

She nodded, her gaze lingering on Shazhi with longing.

"Did you know each other before?"

"It... its name is Shazhi. My mom sold it here," the girl murmured.

"But why didn't you buy food for it? If you hadn't wasted your money, Shazhi wouldn't have been sold by your mother," Liu Xu said, his tone carrying a hint of reproach.

The little girl looked up, surprise etched in her eyes. "How did you know?"

"Your Little Hedgehog told me. I have a special ability to communicate with animals."

"Did she spill my secret to you?"

The little girl's anxiety was palpable.

"Relax, I don't have that much information. You think I can have a heart-to-heart with it? We just communicate simply."

She nodded, her worries easing.

"Remember, adopting a pet isn't just about getting a new toy; it's a commitment. Once you understand that, I'm sure if you confess your mistake to your mom, she'll let you adopt Shazhi again," Liu Xu counseled.

"But... but..."

The little girl faltered, stamped her foot, and dashed off.

She didn't strike Liu Xu as irresponsible. Was there more to the story?

Just then, his phone buzzed with a new mission from the Elf Pet App:

"Shazhi's Dilemma (Part One): Find out why Zhao Qian abandoned Little Hedgehog Shazhi. Ultimate goal: Convince Zhao Qian's mother to readopt Shazhi. (Completion: 40%)

Reward: 20 points and activation of the second phase of Pet Gratitude Mode. Ultimate goal reward pending."

Liu Xu pondered the mission. He'd thought he knew the full story behind the little hedgehog's situation, but clearly, there was more to uncover.

Yet, he barely knew Zhao Qian, just that she was a student at the city's No. 1 High School. It looked like he'd need to leave work early tomorrow to catch her at the school gates for the next mission phase.

And what about reactivating the Pet Gratitude Mode? Last time it unlocked two features. Could completing it this time unlock something else? Filled with curiosity, Liu Xu knew he'd have to wait and see.

Turning to the Little Hedgehog, he asked, "Buddy, if we sort this out, would you want to go back to the little girl's place?"

Munching on its lunchbox meal, the hedgehog looked up at Liu Xu's voice, pondered, and replied, "If she's still feeding me just lettuce leaves, count me out. But honestly, she does take good care of me."

"That's exactly what it meant. And what's with that ridiculous name Zhao Qian came up with for you? Poor Shazhi, you met such a tragic end!"

"I am a hedgehog, not a hamster!"

With an indignant cry, the Little Hedgehog turned away, ignoring Liu Xu completely.