Chapter 16: Crazy, But Still Able To Sign A Contract!
God knows how devastated Su Wudeng had been when she first calculated just how much those little cubs could pack away. She had honestly wanted to drag that shameless dog Amber out and give her a thorough beating.
No wonder the contract had been such a breeze; the matching hound had a whole pack of starving runts waiting in the wings. Worse, the offspring ate with a ferocity that put their self-appointed babysitter to shame. Amber had clearly reached her absolute limit trying to keep five bottomless pits fed, which explained her desperate hustle to find a clueless buyer to shoulder the burden.
After a firm, educational scolding, Amber had whimpered out the truth: the cubs were on the precipice of a massive, rapid evolutionary spike. Their bodies were screaming for raw calories to fuel the transformation, which was why they were inhaling food like it was their last meal.
Su Wudeng thanked her lucky stars she’d had the foresight to hire Zhong Huihui yesterday. Without an assistant to manage the front desk, she’d be trapped in a permanent cycle of grinding dog food from dawn till dusk.
Looking at the two prospective buyers standing in her shop, she had no intention of letting them slip away. It was time to give them a glimpse of what they were actually buying.
“Amber, get out here!” Su Wudeng called toward the back room.
The door to the breeding room swung inward with a crisp whoosh on cue. A fully grown, majestic husky stepped into the storefront.
Amber marched out with her chin held high, her silver-blue coat gleaming beautifully under the artificial lights. Her stride was steady and full of innate elegance, her sapphire-blue eyes shifting intelligently as she surveyed the room. The longsword secured across her shoulders swayed rhythmically with her steps, catching the light with an icy sheen.
Shu Can and Uncle Lan collectively held their breath.
“My god…” Shu Can breathed, entirely transfixed. “She’s exactly as magnificent as I imagined!”
The build, the posture—it was flawless execution. The texture of the fur and that piercing, intelligent stare were an absolute masterpiece. Even though Uncle Lan didn’t utter a word, the raw awe written all over his face spoke volumes.
Thoroughly satisfied by their blown minds, Amber gave her head a handsome toss, soaking in the admiration. Just as she’d always known, a gorgeous hound like her was an absolute crowd-pleaser wherever she went.
Su Wudeng looked at the smug canine, her forehead practically breaking out in dark lines. “Cut the modeling routine and show them your actual skills.”
Amber tilted her head, shooting her a look of supreme disdain. Excuse me? I am a dignified, matured blade-master. Why would I degrade myself with a childish performance meant to amuse toddlers?
Su Wudeng’s expression turned dangerously dark. She stepped forward, mercilessly grabbing Amber by the scruff of her neck. “I am trying to secure high-end meal tickets for your runts right now. If you don’t cooperate and give them a show, the premium rations in the back… well. Consider your gourmet treats permanently canceled.”
Amber’s wise eyes went wide. She tried to twist out of the grip, barking frantically as she prepared to engage in a full-blown verbal shouting match with her tamer.
Su Wudeng: …
Realizing the dog was too stubborn for threats, she played her absolute trump card. “If you execute this perfectly, I’ll grill you a thick, juicy steak for dinner tonight.”
Amber’s eyes ignited instantly, a thick thread of drool threatening to spill past her jaws. She broke out of her relaxed posture, her muscles coiling tightly as her blue eyes turned as sharp as steel blades.
“Woof, woof, woof!” Watch and learn, amateurs!
In a fraction of a second, a brilliant flash of silver light cleaved the air. The longsword crossed Amber’s back unsheathed with blinding speed, tracing a flawless, sweeping arc through the wind. The cold radiance reflecting off the edge was so sharp it felt like it could physically slice through the fabric of the room.
Before either man could even blink, Amber had already landed fluidly back on all fours, her longsword returning to its scabbard with a heavy mechanical click. The entire sequence was executed with terrifying precision and lethal grace.
She hoisted her head proudly. Well? Pretty spectacular, right?
The brief demonstration delivered an absolute shock to Shu Can and Uncle Lan’s systems. They stood rooted to the floor, staring at each other in utter disbelief.
An authentic Sword Heart Husky.
They had initially assumed the historic texts were exaggerating, treating the breed as a standard, visually striking husky variant that carried a decorative blade. But the weapon secured across its back wasn’t an ornament—it was a lethal, high-tier instrument of war, and the dog genuinely possessed an elite mastery of the blade!
How long had it been since humanity had witnessed a spectacle of this tier?
What staggered them even more was the effortless, instinctual communication between Su Wudeng and Amber. The commands and responses flowed with a near-telepathic fluidness. A seamless tacit understanding of that level could mean only one thing: a soul-binding contract.
Both men whirled their heads toward Su Wudeng, a blinding surge of hope burning in their eyes.
“Shopkeeper,” Shu Can said, his voice trembling violently. “Are you saying… we can actually purchase a pet of this caliber?”
Before Su Wudeng could even open her mouth to confirm, Shu Can exploded into a frantic, non-stop torrent of words. “Shopkeeper, you don’t understand how impossible it is to secure a contract-capable beast in this day and age! Even at an elite institution like the Beast Taming Academy, the administration only allocates one or two precious contract quotas a year to the absolute top-tier graduates, letting them bind with endangered specimens. And yet… you’re telling us we can just casually buy an animal capable of establishing a neural soul-link right out of your shop?”
His voice was practically cracking with emotion. “We can just… directly sign the contract papers with them? This is literally a miracle falling straight from the sky!”
Listening to Shu Can’s breathless breakdown, Su Wudeng finally grasped the true, staggering rarity of the Sword Heart Husky line. It seemed their massive, terrifying appetites weren’t a structural flaw at all; it was simply a high-density capital investment required during their initial growth phase. The exact second they reached full maturity and locked in a soul-link with a human, their commercial and strategic value would skyrocket into the stratosphere.
Su Wudeng stroked her chin thoughtfully. “Right. So it’s just a matter of putting in a bit more capital early on.”
“Investment? Calling this an investment is an understatement!” Shu Can lunged toward the counter, closing the distance between them. “So what if they eat a lot? Don’t worry about the expenses, Shopkeeper! I don’t care if they eat me out of house and home, I will fund their rations perfectly!”
Then, his frantic energy flipped in an instant. He adopted a deeply pitiful, begging expression, his voice turning incredibly whiny. “So please, Shopkeeper, I beg you, give me one. If I walk out of here empty-handed today, I won’t survive the heartbreak.”
As the words left his mouth, a sudden, blinding realization hit Shu Can.
“Wait a minute, Shopkeeper! The Snow Crystal Cat you sold to Chu Yansen… don’t tell me that breed is contract-capable, too?”
Su Wudeng blinked, considering the question for a moment before replying casually, “I can’t say for certain, but they originate from the exact same ecosystem, so they should follow the same rules.”
She reasoned that since both species hailed from the untouched bounty of the Great Prosperity Era, if the huskies possessed the capacity to forge a soul-link, the Snow Crystal Cats would be no exception.
Shu Can felt his entire perception of reality splintering. What kind of godly, omnipotent entity was this shopkeeper?
A sudden thought crossed his mind. Wait… does Chu Yansen even realize what he bought? Did that idiot think he was just purchasing a standard, high-end luxury lapcat?
According to the shopkeeper’s logic, once that Snow Crystal Cat navigated its evolutionary transition period, it would unlock full contract capabilities! Chu Yansen hadn’t just bought a companion animal; he had secured a priceless, living combat partner for pennies. The profit margin on that transaction was astronomical.
Fired up by the realization, Shu Can blurted out, “Shopkeeper, I’ll pay one hundred million credits right now! No, wait… that’s an insult to a beast of this tier…”
He desperately wanted to match Chu Yansen’s spectacular bid of two hundred million, but his current liquid capital simply couldn’t support a transaction of that magnitude. If he had remained oblivious to their contract capabilities, he might have swiped his card for the initial quote with a clear conscience. But now? His own moral compass refused to let him swindle the shopkeeper, and he was terrified a lower bid wouldn’t be enough to move her.
Su Wudeng had absolutely no intention of gouging him. To her, the financial figures were entirely secondary; her primary focus was the quality of the owner. All that mattered was that they cleared her stringent criteria and respected her rules. She intended to visit these cubs regularly to verify their living conditions, after all.
She waved her hands to calm him down. “As long as you can keep its belly full, that’s enough for me. These little guys are on the verge of awakening their contract channels, which makes them incredibly ravenous. If you can handle the maintenance—”
“It’s absolutely not an issue!” Shu Can slammed a fist against his chest, guaranteeing fiercely. “I can easily afford to keep a hundred of them stuffed!”
Su Wudeng let out a satisfied breath. “Alright. But even though you’ve read the overview, I need to officially state my adoption protocol…”
Shu Can rattled off the conditions from pure memory. “Don’t worry, Shopkeeper! I will treasure it like my own flesh and blood! Absolute zero mistreatment! I will upload high-definition video diaries on a strict schedule, and your monthly in-person welfare checks will be granted immediate access—”
Before he could finish his frantic speech, Su Wudeng cut him off with a warm chuckle. “Fair enough.”
“We follow the standard house rules: let the animals decide. Whichever puppy actively initiates contact and chooses you, that’s the one you get to take home.”
Shu Can practically pumped his fist into the air, letting out a silent scream of pure ecstasy. His dog! He was finally going to have a living, breathing hound of his very own!
“Alright, let’s see it! Your future dad is ready to bring you home!”
However, off to the side, Uncle Lan fell into a heavy, suffocating silence. He took a subtle step backward, his posture shrinking slightly. He was just an ordinary citizen running a small grocery shop in a lower-tier sector.
He understood with absolute clarity just how devastatingly rare and precious these animals truly were. A contract-capable pet beast couldn’t be bought on the open market if someone dropped tens of millions of credits. Even an elite institution like the Beast Taming Academy had to pool its entire institutional network just to secure a handful of contract quotas for its prodigies. What right or qualifications did a commoner like him have to claim a treasure of this magnitude?
He stared at the cluster of vibrant, tumbling puppies, a profound trace of loneliness settling deep within his eyes. A mythical beast of this tier was a luxury far beyond his station.
Right then, the breeding room door slid open, and the pack of puppy huskies surged out like a miniature silver-blue whirlwind.
Amber stood by the door, letting out a series of low, authoritative barks to coordinate them. The cubs responded with a cacophony of high-pitched, baby howls.
“Big sis says we need to pick our human meal tickets immediately!”
“Yeah, yeah! Big sis also mentioned that since we plundered her artisanal cake earlier, her own breakfast portions have been cut in half!”
“Quick, scan the room! Which human looks the most generous?”
The tiny huskies began weaving between the two men, their small noses sniffing intensely around their shoes. An exceptionally energetic puppy began bouncing frantically around Shu Can’s legs. It was blindingly obvious that it had locked onto him. Its crystal-clear azure eyes blinked with pure excitement, its tail thumping a rapid rhythm against the floorboards as it extended a chubby, padded paw to hook onto Shu Can’s trousers.
How could Shu Can possibly resist an invitation that adorable? Being explicitly chosen by a beautiful little angel was an absolute critical hit to his heart. He squatted down instantly, scooping the puppy up into a tight embrace. Elevated into the air, the tiny husky looked like it had achieved pure euphoria, letting out a stream of high-pitched “Awoo, awoo~” cries.
Shu Can buried his face straight into its plush fur, taking a deep breath. “Man, you smell incredible!”
At the exact same time, a slightly larger puppy with remarkably poised, elegant manners padded over to Uncle Lan’s side. It didn’t engage in any chaotic bouncing; it simply sat down quietly on the floorboards, tilting its small head as it stared up at him with unblinking blue eyes.
Uncle Lan’s heart skipped a beat when he realized a husky had selected him. But when he opened his mouth, the smile he forced onto his face looked incredibly strained and hollow.
He loved the puppy sitting obediently by his boot with every fiber of his being. Its coat looked as smooth as pure silk, practically begging to be touched. Its oversized ears were incredibly plush and thick, and he could easily visualize how breathtakingly beautiful it would look when it grew into its full frame. If he brought it home, he would gladly pour every ounce of his love and energy into providing it with the best possible life.
But… the more he loved it, the more his conscience refused to let him accept it.
A magnificent creature like this belonged in the hands of a young, extraordinarily wealthy prodigy like Shu Can—someone who could provide it with endless resources to unlock its full potential. He was just a baseline ordinary man. He was so completely average that accepting the puppy’s affection felt like an act of pure selfishness, an act that would only bottleneck its future growth.
He turned toward Su Wudeng, forcing a tight, hollow smile. “Shopkeeper… I think I’ll pass after all. Truth be told, a heavy-duty mechanical pet is more than enough for a shop like mine. Treasures of this tier should be reserved for tamers who truly need them for the front lines. A commoner like me… I’m just not a good fit.”
It wasn’t that the Husky wasn’t a good fit for him—it was that he wasn’t a good fit for the Husky.
However, the exact second the rejection left his lips, the poised little husky extended a tiny paw, placing it gently and deliberately right onto Uncle Lan’s knee. Its blue eyes remained fixed on him with unwavering, absolute resolve, as if explicitly declaring: I chose you, and I am not changing my mind.
Uncle Lan’s entire frame shuddered.
A rush of dormant memories flooded his mind, dragging him back to his youth when he, too, had dreamed of passing the grueling trials to enter the Beast Taming Academy. But his mental capacity had fallen short, permanently shattering his aspirations. For decades, he had buried that unfulfilled dream deep beneath the mundane routine of running a grocery store, convincing himself that an ordinary life was enough.
Shu Can whirled around, cradling his own ecstatic puppy. When he caught the tail end of the exchange, his jaw dropped. Uncle Lan was actually turning down a Sword Heart Husky?!
“But Uncle Lan, look at it! This little guy clearly, explicitly wants you!”
Su Wudeng noticed the profound hesitation and self-doubt weighing on Uncle Lan’s shoulders. She walked over, her tone incredibly gentle. “The little guy made its choice on its own merit, Uncle Lan. Why not give yourself a chance?”
“Give myself a chance?” Uncle Lan murmured, staring down at the tiny paw resting against his uniform.
His hand shook visibly as he slowly reached down, his fingertips lightly brushing against the plush fur of the husky’s head. “Are you certain… you truly want to choose an old timer like me?”
Right at that exact moment, a massive explosion of sound erupted from right across the street.
The Iron Wolf War Pet Shop had officially initiated its grand opening celebration, blasting music and firing holographic streamers into the air.
Shu Can and Uncle Lan snapped out of their trance, their expressions turning dangerously dark as they remembered the corporate warfare unfolding outside. The malicious smear campaigns and coordinated wave of toxic reviews targeting Su Wudeng’s shop earlier had left a terrible taste in their mouths.
They knew exactly who was funding the trolls. It was that backstabbing playmate across the street.
“Shopkeeper Su, are you seriously just going to let them get away with this?” Shu Can hissed, his chest tightening with indignation.
Su Wudeng was a literal saint, and the Snow Crystal Cats were pure, innocent angels. Seeing her venture get buried under a mountain of funded corporate vitriol was something they refused to tolerate. The trolls kept screaming that the living pets were nothing but fragile, synthetic fabrications meant to weaken society. But standing right here in the room, they knew the truth.
These weren’t just common companion lapcats—they were high-tier, contract-capable mythical beasts destined for greatness. They knew that the moment this bombshell hit the network, public perception would experience a violent, irreversible reversal.
Yet, Su Wudeng remained the absolute picture of cool, effortless composure. A slow, razor-sharp smile played at the corners of her lips.
“Relax,” she murmured smoothly. “The real show hasn’t even started yet.”
