Chapter 265 - 239: Zone 15
Vine scooped Gu Ning up from the snow while the other young wolves pulled Cook aside.
As they pulled him away, they said to the unlucky Beastman:
"We told you not to mess with them. They’re brothers, so if you mess with one, you mess with both. You’ve really got some nerve."
"Why would you provoke a Mixed Breed for no reason? It’s the middle of winter. If their mutation worsens because of this, we won’t let you off."
"We’re usually so careful to keep them calm. Look at the mess you’ve made."
"For letting things get this bad, we’re going to file a complaint against your inspection department!"
Hearing them turn the tables and blame him, the lead Beastman was furious. He wanted to hit someone, but the slightest movement sent pain shooting through him, causing him to hiss and gasp. What’s more, his eyes were so caked with blood he couldn’t see clearly.
"WOOF WOOF WOOF!!!" Cook, held back by the young wolves, still tried to lunge forward and bite him.
Infected by Cook’s energy, Gu Ning also barked at the Beastman whose face she had scratched bloody, "WOOF WOOF WOOF!!!"
The young wolves couldn’t help but look at her again.
Up ahead, Leo’s ears perked up. ’What was that noise?’
Vine immediately covered Gu Ning’s mouth and whispered, "You’re a wolf. Stop barking like a puppy all the time."
Gu Ning grumbled inwardly, ’From what I’ve seen, there’s not much difference between an angry puppy and an angry wolf cub.’
Vine put the muzzle that had fallen off back on her, then held Gu Ning up in front of the inspectors. "Still need to check?"
Gu Ning made a show of clawing at the air.
Seeing the miserable state of their leader, the inspectors all backed away, waving their hands dismissively at them.
Seeing this, Vine took the opportunity to stuff Gu Ning back into the vehicle. He then took out two High-level Healing Potions and handed them to an inspector. "If there’s a problem, have your supervisor come find me."
"..."
With the inspection over, the convoy passed through the checkpoint for Zone 15 and entered a tunnel.
Gu Ning pressed her face against the window, watching the flashing lights of the checkpoint recede into the distance. She pulled her gaze away, slumped back in her seat, and turned to look at Vine.
Vine kept his eyes fixed on the road as he drove. "You can take the muzzle off now."
Gu Ning removed the muzzle and her face mask, letting out a long sigh. "Is it over? The inspection."
Vine said, "We passed this time."
Gu Ning: ’So that means there’ll be a next time?’
’Do we have to get into a fight at every single inspection?’
"How many inspections are there? How many more?" she asked.
Vine glanced at her expression. "Hard to say. Are you scared of fighting?"
Gu Ning nodded, then shook her head.
Vine said, "If you’re scared, just fight a few more times. I’m here. I won’t let you get hurt."
Gu Ning answered honestly, "I’m not scared when there are a lot of us."
Facing a group by herself versus being in a group ganging up on one person felt completely different.
The little human sighed to herself. ’I guess this counts as me borrowing a dog’s... no, a wolf’s might for once.’
Vine heard her reply and mulled over her meaning. Once he understood, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
’Her personality really is like a puppy’s.’
The convoy soon emerged from the tunnel. After a blinding flash of white light, the scenery of Zone 15 came into view.
The familiar gray and white buildings were still there. The overall architecture of Zone 15 wasn’t much different from Zone 19, but it was noticeably cleaner. There were even trees by the roadside, though they were bare, their branches heavy with snow.
The vehicle stopped at a traffic light.
Seeing the traffic light, Gu Ning paused for a moment. A long-lost sense of order washed over her.
Because of the unpleasant incident at the checkpoint, Gu Ning’s anticipation for Zone 15 had weakened considerably. But upon seeing a scene so completely different from Zone 19, she still felt a sense of novelty toward this new city.
Even if she wasn’t going to live in this city, she still wanted to see more and learn more about it.
Gu Ning habitually opened her terminal to take pictures.
’What a shame about those two cameras. I barely had them before they were gone.’
While waiting for the light to change, Gu Ning took quite a few photos.
Vine secretly observed the little female. She seemed to be filled with wonder at the city.
He didn’t understand her fascination.
Zone 15 was a very ordinary city. The only thing better than Zone 19 was its management; in terms of area, it was actually a bit smaller.
’It seems she really has never been to a better place.’
"What is... that plant? It’s so tall," Gu Ning asked Vine, pointing at the trees outside.
She didn’t know the word for "tree" yet, so she generically categorized all flowers, grasses, and trees as "plants."
"A type of cold-resistant arbor tree," Vine said. "It’s considered a specialty of Zone 15."
Gu Ning: "A specialty?"
Vine explained patiently, "Zone 15 was just recently promoted to the Central District. To match the appearance of a mid-tier urban area, they simply planted this type of tree everywhere."
Gu Ning asked in surprise, "What about other plants?"
Vine said, "Some might sprout from the ground in the spring."
Hearing this, Gu Ning felt that the deadpan wolf captain was deliberately joking with her.
He sometimes had a way of pulling a humorous remark out of nowhere.
’Or did he not understand what I meant? A city’s landscaping can’t just be this one type of tree, right?’
The light turned green, and Vine drove on. He glanced at the little female’s confused expression and explained, "These are the only plants Zone 15 intentionally grows. They were just promoted to the Central District, and they have many other areas that need maintenance and development. They won’t spend all their resources on this."
After hearing that, Gu Ning roughly understood.
Beastmen were actually very practical. Even an entertainment website like "Press-a-Paw" was mostly free, and tipping was tiered, like an alternative anti-addiction system.
The goods they produced were also very practical. For example, food and clothing. Even in Zone 19, where choices were limited, the food sold in shops and markets came in generous portions, and the clothing was of good quality.
Of course, no matter how practical the goods, they couldn’t stand up against a Beastman with ill intentions who decided to water them down.
Before long, the convoy drove into the city center. Gu Ning saw more vehicles and pedestrians. The endless gray and white buildings and the snowy sky were now tinged with more colors, imbued with life.
The nearly modern scene gave Gu Ning a growing sense of familiarity. She even saw an atavistic fox selling grilled sausages on a street corner.
Grilled sausages!
"Want some?"
Vine caught a glimpse of the little female staring at the sausage stand on the corner, her eyes shining. He pulled over next to the stand and rolled down the window.
"Two grilled sausages," Vine said to the fox behind the stand.
"Coming right up, one moment," the fox replied, poking its head out.
Gu Ning leaned on the car window, waiting, while sizing up the small stand and the busy atavistic fox.
It looked smaller than Barto in his beast form, its fur was a lighter color, and its voice sounded very young.
The little fox must have just set up shop. It kept pulling charcoal and sausages from a storage box, tying on a small, patterned apron as it worked. Its movements were very nimble.
Gu Ning found it interesting and stared at the cute little fox bustling about.
’But why does the pattern on its apron seem... a little... familiar?’
Gu Ning wanted to stick her head out for a closer look, but just then, the little fox took out a loudspeaker and placed it on a nearby table.
The loudspeaker was incredibly loud. The sound of the little fox shouting at the top of its lungs blared out: "Gu Demiao Ning brand giant grilled sausages! The first two hundred orders get a free, limited edition, autographed photo of Yuanbao!"
Gu Ning: ’...What brand of sausages? And a free what?’
The loudspeaker repeated the phrase over and over. As it shouted for the third time, the little fox pulled out a sign and placed it next to the stand.
Gu Ning was still wondering if the terribly familiar sales pitch was just a coincidence, until she saw the image on the sign. "..."