Chapter 28: All My Pets Are My Treasures!
Professor Yang didn’t just post his thoughts blindly; he wanted to get Manager Su’s approval first.
“Manager Su, I have an idea,” he began, outlining his vision with growing excitement. “I was thinking, perhaps we could collaborate on a science and education column focused on real pets?”
He explained that for every pet Su Wudeng introduced, he could produce a dedicated educational breakdown, showcasing the true habits, biological records, and history of these magnificent creatures.
“It would be like a documentary,” he pleaded earnestly. “I want to reintroduce these endangered species to the public. I want people to recognize these wonderful little guys, understand their importance, and realize just how critical our current ecological situation truly is!”
The natural ecosystem was tilting further out of balance every day. Sure, a handful of pets were still around now, but if things continued down this path, what would the world look like in a century? He shuddered to even think about it.
But looking at Su Wudeng, he had a strong hunch that she was the key to changing everything. “I know this isn’t your responsibility, and it might be presumptuous of me to ask…”
To his surprise, Su Wudeng smiled. “I think it’s a great idea. But I think we can do it even better.”
“Better?”
“Just lecturing about science can be a bit dry,” she explained. “Why don’t I shoot some slice-of-life videos of the Iron-Eating Beasts and we edit them in? Alongside your scientific explanations, we can show their daily habits, their quirks, and fun little details. Then, we can host a joint live broadcast to debut it. What do you think?”
Su Wudeng was looking at the bigger picture. She was going to be bringing in more and more pets as time went on. Introducing them through a popular science format was undoubtedly the best way to build public exposure. Not to mention, having the data backed by Professor Yang—the most senior pet research expert in the field—would lend it absolute credibility.
Professor Yang was stunned. He hadn’t expected her to agree so readily, let alone take the initiative to provide so much support!
“Manager Su, thank you! Thank you so much!” he stammered, his face flushed with excitement. “I truly believe that history will remember your monumental contributions to pet conservation. I’ll go draft the manuscript right now, and then I’ll post a teaser on my Star Network account.”
This reminded Su Wudeng to leverage her own platform. Her account was currently riding a massive wave of traffic; it would be a shame to waste it. “I’ll post a teaser on my end as well. We can link up for the live broadcast tonight.”
“Perfect! I can hardly wait!” True to his word, Professor Yang sat right down in the shop’s rest area, pulled up his Star Brain, and immediately got to work.
Meanwhile, Su Wudeng drafted her announcement: [Live Broadcast Teaser: Unveiling the secrets of the Iron-Eating Beast! Tonight at 8:00 PM, join Professor Yang, Director of the Endangered Species Research Institute, as we explore this cute and mysterious creature!] #RealPets #IronEatingBeastDaily #ScienceLiveStream
She tagged Professor Yang’s official account and hit send.
At the exact same time, Professor Yang published his own post: [Chi You’s Mount: The Iron-Eating Beast! Tonight at 8:00 PM, join the owner of Pet Home as we uncover the myths and biology of this legendary species!] #IronEatingBeastScience #EndangeredSpeciesProtection
The moment the teasers went live, they shot straight up the trending charts. Fans who had already fallen in love with Aihua flooded the comments with support. They didn’t really care about the science part—they just wanted to see the giant panda again!
However, seeing the rising popularity and overwhelmingly positive reception, the mechanical pet corporate syndicates could no longer sit still. They immediately unleashed their paid troll armies.
In an instant, the comment section under Professor Yang’s post turned into a toxic wasteland.
[Chi You’s mount? Is this so-called ‘expert’ living in a fantasy world? Spouting literal myths without an ounce of shame.]
[The Endangered Species Research Institute? Lmao, they haven’t produced a single result in decades. Now they’re crawling out of the woodwork to leech off Pet Home’s clout?]
[Professor Yang, how much did Pet Home pay you to shill for them? You’re supposed to be a scholar, don’t you feel guilty helping a greedy merchant jack up her prices?]
[The Iron-Eating Beast looks strong, sure, but claiming it’s connected to the War God Chi You? Ridiculous. Experts should stick to science, not fairy tales!]
[Just another pathetic commercial hype train. Looks like Pet Home finally figured out they need to buy an ‘expert’ endorsement.]
[Do people still believe in these outdated experts? Honestly, I love flowers and the Iron-Eating Beast is cute, but Manager, please stop with this circus act.]
[Just sell the pets quietly. We don’t need this manufactured drama.]
Because the Endangered Species Research Institute had been dormant for so long, public trust in them was practically non-existent. The trolls seized on the “mythological” angle of Chi You’s mount, weaponizing it to frame the old professor as a raving lunatic.
Reading the comments, Zhong Huihui’s face turned bright red with fury.
“These disgusting trolls!” she hissed. “No matter what we do, they twist it into something malicious! Professor Yang only meant well, and look at how they’re slandering him! They’ll say anything for a paycheck. Absolute leeches!”
Seeing the relentless wave of vitriol crashing down on the old man, Su Wudeng felt a sharp pang of guilt. It was obvious this was a coordinated attack by the mechanical pet merchants. It pained her that an esteemed scholar like Professor Yang was being dragged through the mud just because of her industry rivals.
“Professor Yang…” she began hesitantly. “I am so sorry. You’re getting caught in the crossfire because of us. Why don’t we… hold off on the broadcast for a bit?”
She figured she could just wait until the military officially awarded her the promised honors. Once she had the backing of the Ether War Zone, these pathetic trolls would be wiped out instantly.
“We will still do the broadcast, of course,” she reassured him. “We’ll just delay it until I handle this malicious competition. What do you think?”
Professor Yang had been quietly scrolling through the endless insults. Hearing her words, he looked up, his eyes shining with a stubborn, fierce resolve.
“There’s no need to wait, Manager Su. I’m not that fragile.” He tapped his screen. “On the contrary, this backlash proves we’ve hit a nerve. To be honest with you, I’ve never had this much traffic on my account in my life. Anything I posted before barely got a handful of replies—and half of those were probably from my own staff using burner accounts.”
He smiled a weathered, genuine smile. “This is the first time so many people are actually paying attention to what I have to say. So what if they’re cursing at me? My goal is to teach the galaxy about the Iron-Eating Beast. I want people to know them. As long as they click into that live broadcast room—even if they’re just coming to hurl insults—they will see the Iron-Eating Beast.”
He didn’t care about his pride. He only feared returning to total obscurity. Only when the masses realized the vital importance of real pets would there be a sliver of hope for future ecological recovery.
He fell silent for a moment before adding softly, “I just hope that one day, these small efforts can act as a single spark… a spark that starts a prairie fire.”
And he was willing to burn his own reputation to the ground to ignite it.
Moved by his dedication, Su Wudeng nodded firmly. “It will happen, Professor Yang. So, the broadcast goes ahead as planned?”
“Everything proceeds as usual!” he declared.
Just as he nodded, his communicator rang. Seeing the caller ID, his brow furrowed. “We haven’t spoken in months, and now she calls…” he muttered. Still, he answered it.
“Dad!” an anxious voice blared from the speaker. “Did you really go to that barren Level 4 planet?! Come back right now! The environment there is toxic—how could you just leave? Can your body even handle it? And what about Yueyue? I’m so swamped with work, how am I supposed to take care of her? Why are you messing around out there?!”
Professor Yang had expected this exact lecture. “Don’t worry about me, I know my own limits. If you’re so worried about your daughter, you should spend less time at the office and more time with her.”
He knew the planet’s environment was dreadful, which was exactly why he hadn’t brought his granddaughter, Yueyue, along. But he had seen a genuine lifeline for his Institute here; he couldn’t just walk away.
“Dad, you don’t understand!” his daughter pressed. “You’ve probably been scammed! I’m worried sick about you being alone out there. Please, just come back. You’re giving me an ulcer!”
Professor Yang went silent for a long moment. “If you’re busy with work, then go do your work,” he said quietly. “As for being scammed, I’m not so senile that I can’t tell reality from fiction. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes, and I don’t need anyone else judging what’s true or false for me. If you’re just going to lecture me, I won’t answer your calls anymore. Though, if Yueyue wants to talk to her grandpa, she’s always welcome.”
Without waiting for a response, he hung up. He let out a heavy sigh. Even his own flesh and blood didn’t believe him. This path was going to be agonizingly steep.
He looked at Su Wudeng with an embarrassed, wry smile. “Sorry you had to hear that.”
No sooner had he hung up than the Institute’s internal group chat exploded. The teaser he had posted was causing shockwaves. Even his old friend from the Ecological Bureau called him directly.
“Old Yang! Is this for real? Have you seen how many people are tearing you apart online?”
Professor Yang sighed helplessly. “What, don’t tell me you think I’m lying too?”
“Look, I know your heart’s in the right place, but the current climate is unforgiving. Do you really think you can save the ecosystem that easily? I’m telling you, keep your head down and just enjoy a peaceful retirement.”
Professor Yang scoffed. “You’re real good at giving advice, but what about you? Why are you out trekking through barren mountains every single day?”
“That’s different!”
“How is it different?!”
The two stubborn old men bickered back and forth, neither willing to yield an inch. Watching them, Su Wudeng couldn’t help but smile. In her eyes, both men were exactly the same—grumbling about how impossible the task was, yet secretly pouring every ounce of their blood, sweat, and tears into it. Call them foolish or stubborn, but nothing would deter them.
After hanging up on his friend, Professor Yang checked his group chat, where his Institute colleagues were far more supportive.
[Well done, Old Yang! You really seized the opportunity!]
[Hahaha, this is the most attention our Institute has gotten in years! Even if it’s hate-clicks, traffic is traffic!]
[You sly old dog, did you actually manage to convince the store owner to partner with us?]
[It’s not fair! You get to see the Iron-Eating Beast with your own eyes while we’re stuck waiting here. I can’t take it anymore! Booking a ticket right now! (Attachment: Starship_Ticket_Confirm.jpg)]
Seeing their praise, Professor Yang beamed. But when he realized they were all literally buying tickets to fly out, he panicked.
“Hold on! Keep calm, don’t be impulsive!” he typed frantically into the voice-to-text. “Don’t all come swarming over here—you’ll overwhelm the shop owner! But… you can send all our core equipment over. I checked, and this Level 4 planet has an abandoned Institute branch facility. It’s the perfect place to set up.”
The group chat instantly descended into chaos.
[Old Yang, you’re joking, right?!]
[You want us to move hundreds of millions of credits worth of state-of-the-art equipment to a rundown Level 4 rock?!]
[Are you talking about the joint-research analyzers we built with the Peace Corp? And the Ecological Simulation Chamber?! That thing is priceless!]
[Those are the core pillars of the Institute! If we move all that, the headquarters will basically change locations!]
Professor Yang scoffed into the mic. “What is a headquarters? The headquarters is wherever the Director is! Just pack it up and ship it to me. I’m the Director! But don’t you dare come to the store yet and bother Manager Su. I’ll summon you when I need you.”
A chorus of wailing emojis flooded the screen. [Curse you, you cunning old Director!]
Meanwhile, Su Wudeng was checking her own account. The sheer volume of hate comments was staggering. The troll armies were working overtime.
[Pet Home, please stop. You’re just taking up public bandwidth at this point.]
[Comparing it to a mythical beast? I’m laughing my head off!]
[I get using hyperbole for marketing, but there has to be a limit, right?]
[What a desperate move. Did you really think renting an ‘expert’ would make us believe this garbage?]
Because these trolls were heavily funded, they were relentless. One comment had even been artificially boosted to the very top: [If your pet is really that overpowered, why don’t you bring it to the Zerg battlefield? The frontlines are bleeding out, yet your ‘divine beast’ is nowhere to be seen? Have some basic decency! You’re completely desperate for fame!]
Su Wudeng didn’t bother replying. Instead, she methodically flagged the most vicious accounts, asking Chu Yansen to compile their data so she could sue every single one of them later.
She leaned back in her chair. If they made good time, she mused, those three envoys General Chu sent should be arriving right about now.
Far above the planet’s smog-choked atmosphere, a military express shuttle was tearing through the stars. Entering its final descent vector, the ship rapidly decelerated.
Inside the cabin, Lei Jing, Yuan Bo, and Qin Ke were scrolling through the latest updates on Manager Su’s page. The malicious comments had their blood boiling.
“How dare they speak about Manager Su like this?!” Yuan Bo growled, slamming a fist against his armrest. “She provided the military with a mountain of spiritual plants that completely turned the tide of the war!”
“Exactly!” Qin Ke agreed, his face flushed with indignation. “Not to mention she rescued a Commander-tier Iron-Eating Beast! Why don’t we just leak the military honors she’s about to receive? That’ll shut these cowards up instantly!”
Lei Jing shook his head. “Calm down. Don’t act impulsively. Manager Su is brilliant; she definitely has her own plan. Our job is just to get down there and present the medal to her properly.”
“But—!” Qin Ke started.
Lei Jing cut him off. “Think about it. If Manager Su wanted this public right now, why wouldn’t she just have the military send a digital press release? She has her reasons.” He leaned back in his seat, a savage grin spreading across his face. “Besides… if you’re going to slap someone in the face, you have to do it yourself for it to be truly satisfying!”
Yuan Bo blinked. “That… makes a lot of sense actually.”
“Now strap in,” Lei Jing ordered. “I can’t wait to see Aihua!”
An hour later, the shuttle touched down on the tarmac. As the loading ramp lowered, a wave of thick, acrid smog rolled into the cabin.
“Ugh… cough,” Yuan Bo hacked, waving his hand in front of his face. “The air quality here is even worse than the reports said.”
Lei Jing frowned at the oppressive, gray sky. “Yeah. It’s degrading fast.” At this rate, the planet would be a completely dead rock within a few decades.
Relying on their navigation, the three soldiers marched through the hazy streets until they spotted a bright pink neon sign cutting through the gloom. Warm, soft light spilled from the glass storefront of ‘Pet Home.’
The three battle-hardened veterans suddenly felt a flutter of nerves.
“This is it! This is where Aihua is!”
“Remember your training, men. First impressions are everything!”
“Be polite! Everyone likes polite people!”
“Got it, Captain!”
Hyping each other up, they tentatively pushed open the glass door.
The moment they stepped inside, a rush of pristine, sweet-smelling air washed over them. All three men froze in their tracks, utterly dumbfounded.
“What is that smell?”
“My lungs… it feels amazing.”
“Did we… just teleport to another dimension?”
At the front desk, Zhong Huihui was busy organizing a stack of invoices when the door chimed. She looked up and immediately froze.
Three towering, muscular men stood in the entryway. Although they were dressed in civilian clothes, they radiated a chilling, oppressive aura that made Huihui’s survival instincts scream. Their eyes were terrifyingly sharp, and their expressions were grim and imposing.
Panic seized her. She remembered the comments online—the ones threatening to send people to “deal with” Pet Home.
Oh no… her hands began to shake. Are they the thugs the merchants hired to arrest us?!
Trying desperately to maintain a brave front, her voice trembled as she asked, “E-Excuse me… who are you? What do you want?”
Realizing they were intimidating the receptionist, the three soldiers tried to soften their expressions into friendly smiles. Unfortunately, years of brutal warfare meant their attempts at “friendly smiling” just made them look like psychotic serial killers.
Lei Jing took a step forward. “We are looking for Manager Su Wudeng. Could you ask her to step out for a moment?”
Huihui’s heart plummeted into her stomach. It’s over… she thought in despair. They really are here to arrest the Boss!
“P-Please wait a moment,” she squeaked.
The second she turned her back, she bolted down the hall. I have to tell the Boss to run! I’ll hold them off!
In the back room, Su Wudeng was enjoying a quiet, relaxing afternoon with Aihua.
The massive Iron-Eating Beast was fully awake and in exceptionally high spirits. Stripped of the terrifying, bloodthirsty aura she had radiated while protecting her cubs, Aihua was currently displaying her true personality: incredibly gentle, lazy, and unbelievably cute.
She was sprawled out on her back, looking like a giant, fuzzy black-and-white triangle. Even though her massive, round body was capable of unspeakable destruction, right now, she just looked delightfully squishy. Her thick fur had a completely different texture from Amber’s sleek coat, and her temperament was the polar opposite of the Husky’s rebellious energy.
“Aihua, do you want another bowl of milk?” Su Wudeng asked, holding up a fresh batch of formula she had mixed based on old Earth recipes.
Aihua’s dark eyes lit up. She nodded eagerly, letting out a soft, happy whimper. Yes please!
She knew this tiny human was the one who had saved her life and helped deliver her babies. Aihua felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and absolute trust toward her.
“Drink slowly, don’t choke,” Su Wudeng said, offering the bowl. She had briefly considered putting the giant bear on a diet, but then remembered Aihua was strictly in her postpartum recovery phase. She had suffered so much; she deserved to eat whatever she wanted.
Aihua greedily slurped down the entire bowl, then let out a contented sigh, happily patting her rotund belly with a massive paw.
Taking a soft cloth, Su Wudeng gently wiped the milky froth from the bear’s snout. “Aihua, do you want me to bring one of the cubs in to see you today?”
At the mention of her babies, Aihua dramatically shook her head, slapping her paws over her ears. No! No! Those little monsters are too loud!
Su Wudeng laughed out loud. “Oh? You fought so hard to protect them, and now you can’t stand the noise?”
Aihua didn’t know! Aihua is a first-time mom! Nobody told me they would be this loud and disobedient! So annoying!
“Alright, alright,” Su Wudeng chuckled, patting the bear’s arm. “We won’t bring them in. So, do you want a snack, or do you want to watch a cartoon?”
Aihua’s round ears perked up. Because she was so chubby, you could barely see her neck when she tilted her head. It was criminally adorable. Su Wudeng’s heart melted completely. The national treasure really lives up to its name!
She gave Aihua’s belly a loving rub. “How about the one with the butterflies and the squirrels exploring the flower fields?”
Aihua’s ears wiggled with excitement. She loved flowers! Su Wudeng had even decorated Aihua’s recovery room with fresh blooms just for her.
As Su Wudeng queued up the video on the projector, Aihua bashfully shuffled closer, leaning her massive head down, and gently nudged her wet nose against Su Wudeng’s cheek in a soft kiss.
Thank you, sister~
Su Wudeng froze in shock. Internally, she was screaming. OH MY GOD, A GIANT PANDA JUST KISSED ME!
Unable to contain herself, she threw her arms around Aihua’s thick neck and kissed her right back on her furry cheek. “You are the sweetest baby, Aihua!”
Watching from the corner, Amber was absolutely appalled. What is this?! What is that bear doing?! Master, how could you cheat on me right in front of my face!
The Husky immediately shoved herself into the space between them, aggressively rubbing her head against Su Wudeng’s chest. Master, kiss me too! You belong to me!
“Ah! Okay, okay!” Su Wudeng laughed, hurriedly rubbing the jealous dog’s ears to prevent a total meltdown. “You’re both my precious babies!”
Aihua let out a rumbling, breathy laugh at Amber’s antics.
“Come on, let’s watch the show together,” Su Wudeng said, shuffling back so she could comfortably lean against Aihua’s flank while Amber curled up in her lap.
Surrounded by a Commander-tier bear and an Elite-tier wolf-dog, Su Wudeng suddenly thought, Having one on each arm like this… why do I feel like a two-timing playboy?
On the screen, colorful butterflies danced through a vibrant sea of flowers. Aihua was completely mesmerized, humming a happy little tune.
Suddenly, the frantic slapping of footsteps echoed down the hall.
Su Wudeng looked up just as Zhong Huihui burst into the room, her face as pale as a ghost.
“Boss!” Huihui gasped, out of breath. “Something terrible happened! There are men here to arrest you! You need to run—I’ll go back out and hold them off!”
The peaceful atmosphere vanished instantly.
Amber leaped to her feet, placing herself squarely in front of Su Wudeng, teeth bared in a vicious snarl. Aihua let out a low, terrifying growl, her lazy demeanor evaporating as she struggled to heave her massive bulk off the floor. Someone is trying to take Sister away?! Not on my watch!
“Whoa, whoa, nobody move!” Su Wudeng ordered, quickly pressing a hand against Aihua’s shoulder to keep her down. “Aihua, you can’t strain yourself. Stay down.”
She looked at her panicking receptionist. “Huihui, take a breath. Tell me exactly what’s going on. Why would anyone be here to arrest me?”
“T-There are three massive guys in the lobby!” Huihui stammered. “They look incredibly dangerous. And the way they carry themselves—they’re obviously military! It has to be the mechanical pet merchants. They really sent hired muscle to take us down! Please, Boss, go out the back!”
Hearing this, Su Wudeng’s tension evaporated into a brilliant smile. “It’s fine, Huihui. Those three aren’t here to arrest me. They’re here to discuss a partnership.”
Huihui blinked, her brain short-circuiting. “A… a partnership?” She had been ready to lay down her life to fight off corporate assassins. A partnership for what?!
“Yes, don’t worry,” Su Wudeng soothed. She turned back to the giant bear. “Aihua, you stay here and enjoy your cartoon. Amber, keep an eye on her for me. I’ll be back in a little bit, okay?”
Aihua relaxed, letting out a soft huff. Amber nodded obediently. To be honest, she wasn’t that interested in the cartoon anyway, but watching the squirrel constantly get outsmarted by the butterfly was pretty funny.
Zhong Huihui trailed closely behind Su Wudeng as they walked down the hall, her nerves still fried. “I was terrified, Boss. I really thought you were being hauled off to prison.”
Su Wudeng patted her shoulder comfortingly. “Relax. After today, our biggest headaches are going to be solved.”
Huihui swallowed hard. Solved? Did she mean the review bombing? The corporate sabotage?
This was her first time being in such close proximity to actual soldiers. If she had to guess, they were probably from the Ether Front in the Eighth War Zone, since it was the closest military installation. To think, just minutes ago, she was planning on sacrificing herself so the Boss could escape. Thank god it was a false alarm.
As they stepped into the front lobby, the three towering soldiers snapped to attention. Up close, their imposing, battle-forged aura was undeniable.
“You’ve finally arrived,” Su Wudeng greeted them warmly. “I hope your journey was smooth?”
In perfect unison, the three imposing veterans snapped a crisp, perfectly synchronized military salute.
“Reporting to Manager Su!” Lei Jing barked respectfully. “The journey was smooth and without incident!”
They quickly introduced themselves. Huihui stood off to the side, her jaw practically on the floor. She hadn’t expected these terrifying, hardened killers to act so unbelievably deferential to her boss! What on earth had Su Wudeng done to earn this level of respect from the military?!
Stepping forward, Lei Jing solemnly retrieved a beautifully crafted velvet box from his coat.
“Manager Su,” Lei Jing said, his voice echoing with profound reverence, “This is the ‘Sparks of Fire’ Medal of Honor, accompanied by official military commendation.”
He opened the box, revealing a brilliantly shining gold medal and a heavy, gold-plated certificate.
“For your unparalleled contributions to the Zerg frontlines, and on behalf of the entire military apparatus, we offer you our highest and most absolute respect!”
The three men bowed their heads deeply.
Huihui felt like her soul had left her body.
Holy shit… she screamed internally. When did the Boss pull off something this massive without saying a word?!
The internet trolls had spent the entire week mocking Pet Home, claiming they hadn’t contributed a single thing to the war effort compared to the mechanical merchants. Yet here was her boss, a silent mastermind orchestrating victories from the shadows, receiving one of the highest honors the military could bestow!
Oh my god, Boss, you are a literal god! Huihui was practically vibrating with excitement. Once we post this online, the internet is going to shatter! Those corporate shills are going to lose their minds! Just picturing the look on their faces made her want to cackle.
“Manager Su, it sickens us to see how those cowards are slandering you online,” Lei Jing said, his brow furrowing in anger. “If it wasn’t for you, we would have suffered catastrophic losses. Not to mention the fact that you single-handedly saved these endangered pets. Those trolls have no conscience!”
“Manager Su,” Qin Ke urged eagerly, “when are you going to make this public? Just give us the word, and the official military accounts will back you up one hundred percent. Let’s give those haters the slap in the face they deserve!”
They were desperate to defend her honor.
Su Wudeng’s mind raced. She was hosting the live broadcast tonight alongside Professor Yang. The trolls had already generated a massive wave of hate-driven traffic. Why not use that momentum? She would milk the trolls for every last drop of engagement they had, and then drop the bomb.
A sharp, cunning smile graced her lips.
“We’ll do it today.”
