Chapter 147: The Elderly Living Alone
Xu Youyou crossed her arms, curious about how her boastful little dog would explain itself to its younger companion.
Guai Guai let out a light snort and said to the little black dog, “Woof woof, that’s a term of endearment for me! My human loves me so much. Sometimes, it’s a bit overwhelming for me too.”
The little black dog immediately showed an expression of admiration.
Xu Youyou suddenly felt an itch in her hand, tempted to tap Guai Guai’s head, but she held back, wanting to save face for it in front of its new friend.
Seeing that Xu Youyou wasn’t angry, Guai Guai seized the opportunity and asked, “Woof woof! Human, can I bring my little brother home?”
Before Xu Youyou could respond, the little black dog said, “I have an owner! My owner is great too! I can’t go home with you!”
Guai Guai questioned, “But your owner hasn’t fed you for days. How is he good to you?”
The little black dog replied firmly, “My owner is just asleep. If he wakes up, he will definitely feed me! He used to treat me really well, always saving the best food for me. He’s the best owner in the whole world!”
Guai Guai shook its head. “If he truly cared about you, he wouldn’t let you starve. You haven’t eaten for three days.”
The little black dog looked a bit downcast and murmured, “It’ll be fine when he wakes up…”
Xu Youyou sensed something was off. No normal person would sleep for three days straight. A bad feeling crept into her heart. She crouched down and asked, “Little black dog, can you take me to see your owner?”
Guai Guai barked, “Woof woof! Why do you want to see him? He’s a bad person who lets little dogs starve!”
The little black dog protested, “Don’t badmouth my owner! He’s the best!”
Xu Youyou gently patted Guai Guai’s head and said softly, “We are good dogs. We shouldn’t speak ill of other people’s owners, right?”
Hearing this, Guai Guai stopped criticizing the little black dog’s owner.
The little black dog suddenly realized something and asked, “Woof woof! You understand dog language?”
Guai Guai immediately puffed up with pride. “Of course! My human is the best!”
The little black dog looked at Guai Guai enviously. “If only my owner could understand me too… I have so many things I want to tell him, but he’s always asleep.”
Xu Youyou spoke gently, “Little black dog, sleeping too much can be bad for one’s health. Should we go wake him up?”
The little black dog hesitated no more. “Okay! I’ll take you to my owner right now! It’s just through a door, very close to my home!”
Xu Youyou followed the little black dog toward the villa district’s perimeter wall. But when she saw the “door” the little black dog mentioned, she was stunned.
“This door is too small. I can’t fit through. Wait for me outside—I’ll drive over.”
Unwilling to crawl through a dog hole, Xu Youyou called her bodyguards and Xu Fang. They drove around the villa district and found the two little dogs eagerly waiting by the roadside.
Xu Fang drove slowly, following the running dogs.
In the security car behind them, a bodyguard couldn’t help but remark, “Our Guai Guai looks much more majestic than the other dog. It’s so energetic! But where exactly is it leading us?”
Another bodyguard chuckled, “Only our boss would dote on a dog like this. She even postponed her schedule to follow Guai Guai. If it were someone else, the dog would have been put on a plane long ago.”
The car drove for another kilometer before turning into a narrow alleyway.
The path was too tight for the car to pass without scraping the walls. Xu Fang hesitated and stopped the car.
The alley was lined with makeshift homes, cluttered with personal belongings. The place was eerily quiet, as if most residents were away at work.
The little black dog stopped outside a rundown shack and barked inside, “Owner, I brought friends!”
But no one responded.
Through the narrow gap of the locked door, Xu Youyou could see a bed inside with a motionless figure lying on it. The room was cluttered, but there was one small, clean, and cozy spot—the little black dog’s nest.
“Woof woof! So smelly! So smelly!” Guai Guai complained.
The little black dog, however, was confused. “Woof woof! My nose is broken… I can’t smell anything… But others always say my owner’s place stinks… But he’s really a good person!”
Xu Youyou understood why people said that. The little black dog’s owner seemed to be a scavenger, but unlike other elderly scavengers, he didn’t appear to keep things tidy.
“Woof woof, this smell isn’t normal, like a dead rat,” Guai Guai muttered.
Xu Youyou couldn’t distinguish scents as well as the dogs, but she knew that a dead rat’s smell was a bad sign.
She immediately knocked hard on the door. “Is anyone inside? Hello?”
No response.
The person on the bed didn’t move at all.
Xu Youyou’s heart sank. “Call the police! Now!”
The bodyguards acted swiftly.
The little black dog, looking distressed, whimpered, “Woof woof! My owner hasn’t talked to me for three days! He never ignored me like this before!”
Shortly after, two police officers arrived with a community worker. The officers knocked, but still no response. Left with no choice, they broke the door open.
“He’s already dead…” one officer sighed.
Xu Youyou’s heart clenched. She glanced at the little black dog.
It stood frozen in place. After a moment, it rushed to its owner, tugging at his sleeve, but the man gave no response.
“Woof woof! How… how could this happen?” The little black dog’s voice trembled in disbelief.
Even Guai Guai, usually playful, remained silent, sticking close to the little black dog for comfort.
The police turned to Xu Youyou. “Who are you? Are you related to the deceased?”
Xu Youyou shook her head and pointed at the dogs. “This one was his dog. This one is mine. They brought me here.”
The officer sighed. “Dogs are loyal. If the old man treated his dog well, it must have sensed something was wrong and wanted to save him.”
Xu Youyou didn’t argue.
A middle-aged couple soon arrived, wailing loudly.
“Father! How could you leave like this?” The man cried dramatically.
The woman sobbed, “You didn’t even get to enjoy life!”
But their over-the-top performance felt hollow, especially considering the old man’s living conditions.
The police explained the situation, but the man suddenly turned to Xu Youyou. “Did you kill my father?! He was fine before! How could he just die?”
Xu Youyou: “?”
The police intervened, “Stop spouting nonsense! Miss Xu came here because the dog led her. If not for her, you wouldn’t even know about your father’s death!”
The man retorted, “Then why was she the only one who noticed? She must be guilty of something!”
Xu Youyou almost laughed in disbelief.
Before she could respond, a system notification suddenly popped up in front of her:
[Treasure-Hunting Mission Activated: Please proceed to the target location.]
The system pointer was aimed straight inside the scavenger’s home.
