Beast Taming: I Can Add Points

CLANG—

Su Zhi’s eyes widened as the wine bottle in his hand fell to the ground.

’Crap! I forgot the important thing!’

...

8:20 PM.

Flashes of Golden Light flickered one after another in the Luojin Mountain Range.

Although its name was the Luojin Mountain Range, there was no Gold to be found here.

The primary vegetation here was the Golden Chunting Tree, unique to Hundred Rivers. The trees’ bodies contained abundant Gold Element Energy, which was continuously channeled into their leaves as they grew.

Every autumn, the leaves, rich with Gold Element Energy, were harvested by the autumn wind and drifted gently to the ground, blanketing the mountains in gold.

The Gold Element Pet Beasts that dwelled here fed on these leaves, which promoted the circulation of Energy in their bodies and their comprehension of Skills.

Human collection vehicles also operated at the foot of the mountains, transporting tons of fallen leaves to factories. There, they were processed into high-end feed for Gold Element Pet Beasts. Zero appetite stimulants, zero preservatives, and prepared using the Water Element Pet Beast freeze-drying process to preserve maximum original flavor. High-end ingredients only need simple preparation~

"CHIRP!" Shan Bao ran onto the branch of a Golden Chunting Tree and bounced excitedly.

She recognized these leaves—they were on the packaging for her feed!

Su Zhi, on the other hand, was reminded of the Land of Flash Gold Secret Realm he had visited during summer camp. It had a strange resemblance to the Luojin Mountain Range before him.

"Too bad it’s still a long way from autumn. We won’t be able to get any pictures of the fallen leaves." Su Zhi sighed, looking at the nearby leaves that were only just beginning to turn gold.

Shen Chuqing glanced at him with a smile. "Since when do guys like taking scenic photos? I didn’t know you had an artistic side."

"I don’t really care for it," Su Zhi said, the corner of his mouth twitching into a barely perceptible smile. "But I know someone who does."

Shen Chuqing huffed softly.

"WOOF..." Yu Bao, however, was looking thoughtfully at the soil beneath his paws.

Sensing Yu Bao’s thoughts, Su Zhi voiced his own curiosity. "No abundant Gold Element resources have been detected nearby, and we’re far from Fuguang Lake. So where is all this Gold Element Energy for the vegetation coming from?"

"The root system of the Golden Chunting Tree is extremely developed. It can extend hundreds of meters, or even deeper, underground to draw nutrients and Energy from the depths of the earth. According to the Divine Strategy Alliance’s theories, there might be an abundant and active Gold Element resource deep beneath this area, triggering a resonance in the Golden Chunting Trees’ roots."

Shen Chuqing explained, then frowned. "But that’s also the mystery. To date, no known Gold Element resource matches the relevant parameters."

Su Zhi subconsciously agreed. "What if it’s not a Gold Element resource?"

They both fell silent for a moment.

"No idea, don’t get it, can’t figure it out."

Shen Chuqing shook her head, firing off the three denials, and urged him onward. "Let’s go, let’s go. We’re still a ways from the ancient village."

"Oh, right."

From behind them came Gou Yu’s exhausted voice, "Wait for me..."

"Ignore him."

"Okay."

Watching the two youngsters deliberately pick up their pace, Gou Yu wanted to cry but had no tears. He jogged after them, breathless, the fat on his body jiggling like it was dancing.

’Dammit! I’m a Vice Alliance Leader, for crying out loud!’

’I’d advise these two youngsters to behave themselves!’

’Although... in truth, he was the one who had begged Luo Sen to add him to the project team. Failing the monthly assessment would affect the upcoming alliance-wide evaluation, and Gou Yu was the only slacker in the entire Dark Alliance.’

’Alliance Leader Cui Que had given him an ultimatum: either find some work to do, or die.’

’Though, being beaten to death by Alliance Leader Cui Que might not have been a punishment, but rather a reward... Still, to avoid being hated by the Alliance Leader, and for everyone in the Dark Alliance, Gou Yu swallowed his pride and became the Divine Strategy Alliance’s "kept man."’

Just then, his phone rang. The caller was Cui Que.

Gou Yu’s eyes lit up, and he quickly answered the call. "Alliance Leader! I’m here!"

"This is Luo Sen." Luo Sen’s hoarse, magnetic laughter came through the receiver. "How’s it going today? Is the mission proceeding smoothly?"

Gou Yu pressed his lips together.

"I’m sorry, we were delayed for a bit by an unexpected situation..."

"An unexpected situation~ You mean like a certain Pet Beast spontaneously challenging someone to a duel, only to get beaten up instead?"

An agonized expression appeared on Gou Yu’s face.

’Right, the Divine Strategy Alliance has the Celestial Eye... Waaah, maybe I should just go live on another planet...’

Luo Sen said leisurely, "Don’t blame yourself. I already predicted something like this would happen, so the schedule I gave you was already adjusted. As long as you can reach the village ruins tonight, you’ll be fine."

"Okay, sorry for the trouble..." Gou Yu sighed.

"Huh? By the way, why are you calling me from the Alliance Leader’s phone?"

"Because I’m in her office, of course. Cui Que, care to say a few words to your Vice Alliance Leader, all the way over in Hundred Rivers?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, followed by a cold female voice. "If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have forgotten he even went to Hundred Rivers."

"Hahaha..." Gou Yu put on his sunglasses, forcing a smile.

"Just tell him to do his job properly and not cause any trouble. There’s nothing else to say." Cui Que sighed and said no more.

"Alrighty. Did you hear that, Vice Alliance Leader Gou?"

"I heard..."

"That’s all for now, then. I wish you success~"

"Okay, goodbye Alliance Leader Luo, goodbye Alliance Leader Cui Que, I—"

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

The call disconnected. Gou Yu stood frozen for a long time.

"Woof."

Yu Bao trotted over, snatched the sunglasses with his mouth, and strutted away. ’What a grown-up, stealing a Dog’s stuff. Has he no shame?’

With the sunglasses gone, the expression of a true man weeping rivers of tears was revealed.

·

"It’s one thing to fool your bros, but don’t fool yourself."

In a parallel scene, far away in Huai City, Wang Sujuan also plucked the matching pair of Yu Bao-style sunglasses from Su Mao’s nose.

With the sunglasses gone, the expression of a true man weeping rivers of... oh, wait, no tears. It was a smile uglier than crying.

The husband and wife looked at the screen together:

This Chapter’s word count: 250 words.

"Honey, I..."

"It’s okay, two-fifty is great too. Just remember to bring your laptop for your trial."

"Waaaaah..." Su Mao banged his head against his computer.

After chatting with the junior author Wu Bao yesterday, Su Mao was filled with emotion. Staring at the review section, which was full of complaints about his Chapters being "short and weak," Gou Mao decided to learn from this painful experience, turn over a new leaf, and bring back his old self—the "Five-Chapter Moe Mao."

He was so determined that he sat down at his computer at seven this morning, full of spirit, and opened the Er Shang signed authors’ group chat. He even specifically chose a "20,000-word King-Sized Bed Room"—Wu Bao’s favorite.

Su Mao had made up his mind: today, he would compete with Wu Bao in the same room!

He would start writing the moment Wu Bao started!

He would fight alongside this Newcomer King until the Great Dao itself was ground to dust!!!

And so, full of spirit, Su Mao—

—sat there all day, but Wu Bao never entered the writing room.

He sat there so long he wilted...

"Wu Bao, oh, Wu Bao... I finally put my trust in you for once, and you let me lose so completely..."

"Oh, give me a break. What does your inability to write have to do with Wu Bao?"

Wang Sujuan muttered, then pressed her lips together. "Every time I say his pen name, I can’t help but picture Wu Bao himself typing away... It feels weird."

"What are you thinking? Wu Bao can’t possibly write. He doesn’t even have a keyboard and can’t use voice-to-text. If he really tried to write, he’d probably be even more of a slacker than I am."

"I was just mentioning it. Are you actually comparing your writing speed to a Pet Beast’s? Have you no shame?"

Wang Sujuan huffed. "Who knows, maybe one day Wu Bao really will learn to write. He’ll write faster than you and more than you. Let’s see you show your face then."

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Su Mao declared with absolute certainty, "If that ever happens, I’ll put on a maid outfit with white stockings and a garter belt and let you whip me while I live-stream myself writing thirty thousand words!"

"So, have you written your four thousand words for today?"

"No..." Su Mao lowered his stubborn head and obediently went back to grinding out his Chapter.

’Dammit, didn’t I write yesterday? Why do I have to write again today?!’

’I wonder what Wu Bao is even doing today. Could there really be something more important to him than writing?’

’Don’t tell me he’s gotten addicted to those ’study materials’ of his...’

After confirming that Su Mao had obediently started writing, Wang Sujuan went to the reader group to placate the various fans who were threatening to send "local specialties," and only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

Recalling Su Mao’s empty boast just now, a strange competitive urge suddenly ignited within Wang Sujuan.

’Wu Bao can read novels. Yu Bao, while not a reader, is a master of posturing. And Shan Bao even borrowed an e-reader from her before setting out... The three ’Baos’ have literary aptitudes that are more heavyweight than the last. Why shouldn’t they be able to learn how to write?’

’Maybe I should give them some guidance when I have time?’

An idea struck Wang Sujuan, and she grabbed her phone.

·

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