Richest Rag-picker

Time ticked by, and soon, more than half an hour had passed.

During this half-hour, Fang Chenyi had been observing Er Gouzi for any changes.

However, what left Fang Chenyi speechless was that in that half-hour, aside from his steady breathing, Er Gouzi hadn’t moved at all.

This suddenly reminded Fang Chenyi of the fantasy novels he used to read. In those stories, mighty cultivators on the cusp of a breakthrough would often obtain some incredible Elixir. After consuming it, they’d fall into a death-like coma for a while. When they finally woke up, they would have invariably mastered some divine new power or, at the very least, had their bodies completely transformed!

And right now, Er Gouzi was acting just like a character out of one of those novels.

This left Fang Chenyi at a loss for words again. ’If that Medicine Pill really was some incredible Elixir, didn’t I just waste a chance to transform my own body?’

’But it’s too late for regrets. Even if that Medicine Pill really was some legendary panacea, it’s already in Er Gouzi’s stomach, isn’t it?’

’I can’t exactly make him pay me back with another one, can I?’

After another look at Er Gouzi to confirm the dog was really okay, Fang Chenyi finally stepped out of the room.

When he arrived at the control room, both Qi Xiaotian and Liu Yishou were there. They saw Fang Chenyi enter and quickly asked what had happened.

Fang Chenyi waved them off, explaining that Er Gouzi had eaten a sleeping pill he’d been developing.

As for Fang Chenyi’s explanation, the two men didn’t doubt it, but they were still a bit baffled. They had no idea why their boss would be making sleeping pills.

Of course, even with their doubts, they wouldn’t ask.

For the next several days, Fang Chenyi’s life was exceptionally relaxed and pleasant.

He went fishing, swimming, and sunbathing, and tried out every entertainment facility on the cruise ship.

His only regret was that Bai Menghan wasn’t by his side, which meant Fang Chenyi had to spend his nights all alone.

After seven or eight days had passed, the cruise ship was just one day away from reaching South Africa.

He climbed out of bed, glanced at Er Gouzi still sleeping in the living room—a now-familiar sight—and headed straight for the bathroom to wash up.

But when he came out after washing up, he saw Er Gouzi, who had been sprawled on the floor, suddenly stir. The dog scrambled to his feet and gave his head a vigorous shake.

"Holy shit, you’re finally awake! Come on, let me see if you’ve changed at all!"

He tossed the towel he was using to dry his face onto the sofa, rushed over to Er Gouzi in a couple of strides, and hoisted him up, looking him over from top to bottom.

As for Er Gouzi, he groggily opened his eyes to see his master rushing toward him. Before the dog could even react, he was lifted into the air.

Having not eaten for days, Er Gouzi immediately put on a pitiful, aggrieved expression and began to whimper nonstop.

After scrutinizing Er Gouzi, Fang Chenyi was stunned. ’This guy hasn’t changed at all, has he?’

’Did I guess wrong? Was I just overthinking things? Or maybe... just like I told Qi Xiaotian and the others, that Medicine Pill was actually nothing more than a sleeping pill?’

As Fang Chenyi was lost in thought, Er Gouzi let out another pitiful whine. The poor dog was so hungry he could barely stand and was thinking of nothing but finding something to eat.

Er Gouzi’s whines snapped Fang Chenyi out of his thoughts. He shook his head with a resigned sigh. ’I’ll just have to observe him for a while. I probably was overthinking it. This is the real world, not some fantasy land. How could there possibly be an Immortal Pill?’

With that thought, he set Er Gouzi down on the floor. The moment his paws touched the ground, Er Gouzi spun around and bolted out of the room.

The dog may have fallen asleep on his second day aboard the ship, but he hadn’t been idle on the first. He’d made countless trips to the restaurant, in particular.

After dashing out the door, Er Gouzi sniffed the air hard, then took off in one direction, quickly arriving at the elevators on their floor.

When Fang Chenyi saw Er Gouzi suddenly bolt, he quickly followed. By the time he got out the door, he saw Er Gouzi standing on his hind legs with his front paws resting on the elevator call button.

"Holy shit, this little guy’s a genius!"

He knew Er Gouzi was smart, but he never imagined the dog would actually be able to call an elevator by himself!

’Of course, it wasn’t *that* world-shattering. After all, huskies are pretty smart. With enough training, calling an elevator is nothing. I’ve even seen news reports about dogs that can go grocery shopping on their own.’

He walked up beside Er Gouzi just as the elevator arrived. He followed the dog inside, curious to see if he would also press the button for the floor.

’If he can even press the floor button himself, then he’s a true prodigy. It would also prove that the Medicine Pill actually worked.’

Er Gouzi didn’t even seem to notice his master entering. His mind was completely preoccupied with food; he had no time to frolic and play right now.

Once his master was inside, the husky again raised his front paws to the button panel. But he didn’t press anything right away. Instead, he ran his nose along the entire row of buttons, sniffing each one.

When his nose passed over the button for the third floor, his eyes lit up. Without a moment’s hesitation, he lifted a paw and pressed it.

Fang Chenyi was utterly stunned to see Er Gouzi actually press the button himself!

’The Medicine Pill definitely worked on him! The little guy absolutely got smarter!’

DING!

The elevator stopped on the 3rd floor. As soon as the doors opened, Er Gouzi shot out. But when he didn’t hear any movement behind him, he skidded to a halt and turned to bark twice at his master, who was still standing dazed in the elevator.

The two barks snapped Fang Chenyi back to his senses. Seeing Er Gouzi waiting anxiously for him, he quickly stepped out and followed.

When Er Gouzi saw his master get out, he paid Fang Chenyi no more mind and took off on his own, running deeper into the floor.

By now, Fang Chenyi understood Er Gouzi’s goal. After sleeping for so long, the dog must be starving.

’Oh well, any questions I have can wait until after he’s had something to eat.’

Worried that someone might notice Er Gouzi’s unusual behavior, Fang Chenyi quickened his pace to catch up.

By the time he reached the restaurant, he saw Er Gouzi with a stainless steel tray in his mouth, persistently gesturing toward a server who was dishing out food.