As the news anchor presented the report, surveillance footage appeared in the top left corner of the screen. The camera was positioned quite a distance from the alley, capturing only a blurry figure. However, it was discernible that it featured a girl and a red Contract Beast.
Her mother squinted at the television and asked, "Doesn't that person look a bit like you?"
Qiao Sang forced a calm expression and replied, "I guess good-looking people all look similar."
Mother: "..."
The Fire Tooth Dog finished gulping down the water in its cup. When it raised its head, its eyes fell on the playing footage.
"Yaya!"
"Yaya!"
The Fire Tooth Dog pointed at the television with a look of astonishment. How did it end up on TV?!
Seeing this, her mother asked, "What is the Fire Tooth Dog saying?"
Qiao Sang replied, "It says the person on the TV looks good."
"Yaya!"
"Yaya!"
"Ya!"
With its still hoarse voice, the Fire Tooth Dog frantically explained. That wasn't the point! It was just excited about showing up with its Beast Master on television!
Her mother turned to look.
Qiao Sang translated, "It says I'm right."
Fire Tooth Dog: "..."
…
Returning to her room, Qiao Sang counted her remaining money.
4663 Alliance Coins.
Ever since she won money placing bets on the Interstellar Betting Network for the second time, she had taken all the cash out, afraid she might lose control and bet again.
This amount should be enough to repair the wall…
She figured that since the part destroyed by the Fire Tooth Dog was only in the middle, she only had to cover that section.
Thinking this way, she casually set aside 1000 Alliance Coins from the total.
After estimating the compensation, Qiao Sang took out some paper and a pen, spending over half an hour writing an apology letter of about 500 words.
She placed the letter and the 3500 Alliance Coins in an envelope, grabbed her phone, and called for Didi Quick Delivery.
Didi Quick Delivery was a fast and efficient delivery service in the city. It quickly delivered everything from meals to parcels. Unlike professional delivery workers from her past life, anyone registered with Didi Quick Delivery were idle Beast Masters who took on orders to earn a bit on the side.
Of course, most deliveries were handled by Contract Beasts, not needing the Beast Master to personally deliver them. If luck was on their side, and the delivering Beast Master had a superpowered beast, they might deliver the items accurately within ten seconds.
Two minutes later.
"Ya!!!"
"What’s wrong? What’s wrong?" Qiao Sang was startled.
The Fire Tooth Dog was nervously pointing at the windowsill with its paw.
Following its direction, she looked outside the window.
She saw a small black Contract Beast the size of a soccer ball, with dark red eyes fixed on her.
When it noticed her looking, it opened its mouth slightly, revealing a pair of gleaming white fangs.
Then, in a surprising turn, its body sprouted a hand with only two fingers, which knocked on the window.
Qiao Sang steadied herself; it turned out to be a Sucking Goblin Treasure. As a ghostly-type beast suddenly appearing could be quite frightening, the Fire Tooth Dog seemed overly reactive.
Logically, it shouldn’t be that timid.
Qiao Sang opened the window.
"Ya!"
In a burst of energy, the Fire Tooth Dog dashed to the edge of the bed, peeking out with just its head at the Sucking Goblin Treasure.
The Sucking Goblin Treasure floated in, grinning to show off its fangs, then used its two-fingered hand to rummage inside its own body.
Soon enough, it pulled out a mobile phone.
After a couple of simple taps, Qiao Sang’s phone displayed the message confirming that the Didi delivery was here.
Qiao Sang handed the envelope and 150 Alliance Coins over.
Didi Quick Delivery required users to set a payment amount for the service, and if the receiver agreed, the order would be accepted. Qiao Sang had set her amount to 150 Alliance Coins. The delivery destination was the street office on Jiangyi Street, not far from her home.
After taking the envelope and coins, the Sucking Goblin Treasure stuffed them into its body.
With another polite flash of its fangs, it floated out the window and departed.
"Ya!"
"Yaya!"
With the Sucking Goblin Treasure gone, the Fire Tooth Dog revealed itself and started questioning Qiao Sang madly.
How could that terrifying creature appear here!?
Listening to the Fire Tooth Dog’s words, Qiao Sang fell deep into thought. She remembered that the Sucking Goblin Treasure was a character from the ghost movie she had let her Fire Tooth Dog watch…
So the Fire Tooth Dog had remembered it until now?
It seemed the Fire Tooth Dog wasn’t as brave as she thought…
How would it deal with other ghostly-type beasts in the future?
Should she show it more ghost movies to train it or maybe take it to a haunted house for fun…?
A chill unexpectedly washed over the Fire Tooth Dog, making it tremble slightly.
…
The next morning.
Qiao Sang woke to the barking of the Fire Tooth Dog.
"Yaya!"
"Yaya!"
Full of energy, the Fire Tooth Dog called out, showing none of the weakness and fear it had the night before.
Qiao Sang turned over and mumbled, "Let me sleep a bit more."
After finally finishing her High School Entrance Exam and having vacation time, what was the point of life if she couldn’t sleep until she woke up naturally?
"Yaya!"
Seeing Qiao Sang still in bed, the Fire Tooth Dog directly tugged at the blanket with its mouth.
After some commotion, Qiao Sang didn’t get to savor the meaning of life.
…
At yesterday’s open training ground for Contract Beasts.
The Fire Tooth Dog had just taken a bite of an incredibly spicy grilled wing, practicing its fire-breathing skills.
Watching from the side, Qiao Sang felt a pang of guilt; all the annoyance from being woken up was forgotten.
Her own Contract Beast had gotten up early to train, even waking her up, and now had to endure the torture of the extreme spiciness to learn what she had whimsically suggested: Meteor Shower.
This made her, as a Beast Master, feel quite embarrassed.
For a moment, Qiao Sang couldn't think of any solutions.
The Fire Tooth Dog seemed determined to master Meteor Shower, but it was nearly impossible for a beginner Contract Beast to learn an advanced skill.
Learning a new skill wasn’t like improvement; she didn’t possess a corresponding 'golden finger' to help.
Everything relied on hard work.
The Fire Tooth Dog had nearly expended all its energy within and came to Qiao Sang, panting with its tongue out.
At the perfect moment, Qiao Sang handed over a bottle of Qi Source Milk.
With only three bottles of Qi Source Milk bought this morning, after compensating the 3500 Alliance Coins, Qiao Sang only had 1013 Alliance Coins left.
After buying the incredibly spicy grilled wings and the Qi Source Milk, she had just 689 Alliance Coins remaining.
If she continued at this rate, the money would be gone in just two days.
Qiao Sang could only pin her hopes on the upcoming Baixin Competition.
That was the event on June 30, which only allowed F-grade Beast Masters to register.
She had already signed up last night, having checked the eligibility and regulations; she didn’t hold much hope of coming in first place.
The Baixin Competition allowed any F-grade Beast Master to register.
This meant even a newly awakened Beast Master who had completed their High School Entrance Exam and had two evolved Intermediate Contract Beasts could register, as long as they hadn’t yet taken the league’s assessment for E-grade Beast Masters.
Looking at it that way, fresh Beast Masters who just awakened after their entrance exam would just be going through the motions if they signed up.
Mostly, the purpose would likely be to attract more attention to the Baixin Competition.
Qiao Sang did not hope to win first place, but she was determined to place in the top ten.
After all, if you didn’t place in the top ten, let alone getting evolution stones or motorbikes, you wouldn’t even receive a single Alliance Coin…
(End of Chapter)