!
"As for He Qingyuan, you voluntarily used your resource box as a wager and lost to Ye Bai."
"I confirmed it with you repeatedly, but you didn't take it seriously."
"Now that you've lost, according to the agreement, your resource box and other stakes must be handed over to Ye Bai,"
Zhang Lingxue said firmly.
This time, the He family had crossed a line, violating one of Principal Zhang Dashan's taboos. A harsh punishment was inevitable—this was to serve as a warning to others.
Just as He Qingyuan was about to respond, his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, his hands trembled—it was his father.
He didn't dare ignore the call.
"He Qingyuan, come home immediately!"
"You stole my invitation letter to the Longteng Auction House and stirred up such trouble!"
"Just wait until I get my hands on you!"
An enraged voice roared from the phone.
Defeated and devastated, He Qingyuan released the resource box from his pet space as if he were mourning a fallen comrade.
He didn't even glance at the Boxing Rabbit as he staggered toward the school gate.
Another soul lost to the world.
It seemed he had abandoned the Boxing Rabbit on the spot.
Zhang Lingxue summoned her Light Butterfly. A gentle, milky-white glow enveloped the Boxing Rabbit, healing its battered body with soft clicks and cracks.
After a moment, it opened its eyes. Looking around and not seeing He Qingyuan, it seemed visibly downcast.
Just then, a white light flashed across its brow—He Qingyuan was venting his frustration by forcibly terminating the contract.
Though disappointed, the Boxing Rabbit didn't resist. The white light in the center of its brow dissolved into countless particles of light.
The mutual termination was complete. Zhang Lingxue let out a long sigh.
With the Boxing Rabbit's consent, she captured it into a beast card.
Abandoning a contracted beast in public—whether deliberately or not—would earn He Qingyuan further punishment from the school.
Most likely, the Boxing Rabbit would be returned to the secret realm to await a new owner.
There was no shortage of demand for a Boxing Rabbit that had awakened the Madness skill.
"Don't worry, Ye Bai. Your pet shop hasn't been shut down. He Qingyuan was just trying to scare you."
"Also, I assure you—our school will never allow something like this to happen again."
"We will protect your legitimate rights and interests."
Zhang Lingxue spoke quickly, trying to calm Ye Bai and avoid escalation or deeper conflict.
Ye Bai gave his teacher a long look. He seemed to understand something.
The He family must've received a stern warning from Shenshan Middle School—at least for now, they wouldn't dare play dirty again.
It was almost noon, and the Thousand-Change Silkworm beside him looked wilted—its chest practically caving in from hunger. It stared at him pitifully.
It was clearly starving. It needed rice. Lots of rice.
"Hang in there, Thousand-Change Silkworm. We'll head back to the shop and eat soon."
Ye Bai rushed to the nearby welfare station and bought the last 10-yuan scratch-off ticket.
He scratched it, saw he'd won, then quietly left and made his way back to the pet shop.
At the entrance, there were faint traces of a seal being broken—evidence that the He family had intended to shut the place down.
A chilling light flickered in Ye Bai's eyes. Something was wrong.
Da Hui didn't rush to greet him like usual when he heard his footsteps.
The shop was eerily silent. Normally lively and noisy, it now felt deserted.
Could it be... Da Hui and the others had really been taken away by the urban management?
Or had they just been frightened into hiding?
Ye Bai calmly opened the iron gate with his key.
The store was empty. The Thunder Pig, who usually sprawled on the ground snorting, was nowhere in sight. Even the usually invisible Chameleon had vanished.
A deep sense of dread crept in—Ye Bai's heart thudded. His instincts screamed that something terrible had happened.
He rushed to the backyard.
There, the pet beasts had formed a circle.
In the center... lay Da Hui.
He was thin. His fur had fallen out in clumps and lost its shine.
The other pets bowed their heads, tears silently dripping onto the floor, forming small puddles.
The Lightning Cat, adopted just yesterday, had opened its eyes and was gently licking Da Hui's face with its tiny tongue.
It meowed quietly, confused as to why Da Hui was lying there, unresponsive.
Why wouldn't he even open his eyes?
Da Hui lay motionless—body stiff, eyes shut.
His fur had turned completely white, just like when Ye Bai first found him.
Now, though, he looked truly pitiful.
No longer the gentle, wise dog he used to be.
His fur was a mess. A bleeding wound marred his forehead. His face was streaked with dirt.
He looked like a discarded toy—still, serene, a soft smile on his lips.
Ye Bai slowly approached, unwilling to accept that Da Hui had simply left.
He didn't believe Da Hui would leave without saying goodbye.
There was a chip from a flowerpot near Da Hui—it seemed he had tried to say goodbye to the sunflower he had watched over the longest, but fainted and struck his head on the pot.
The other beasts gently rolled Da Hui over.
Only then did Ye Bai see how thin he had become. Beneath the once-thick fur was a frail, skeletal body.
Memories flickered through Ye Bai's mind.
Quietly, he cradled Da Hui in his arms, wanting to accompany him on his final journey.
But suddenly—Ye Bai's eyes widened.
Da Hui was still breathing.
Barely, faintly... but still alive!
He could still be saved!
Ye Bai's heart surged with hope.
The Life Spirit Seed!
Without hesitation, Ye Bai pulled out the resource box.
The large square box unfolded in the yard, revealing its treasures.
From it, he drew the Life Spirit Seed—a glowing emerald orb radiating immense energy.
But just as he held it, he faltered.
He didn't know how to use this legendary item.
Wait—the Eye of Insight!
Though usually calm, Ye Bai didn't hesitate. He risked permanent blindness and activated the Eye of Insight.
His pupils turned blood red.
Da Hui's body was still shrouded in a thick fog.
A blinding light pierced Ye Bai's vision, but he endured it.
Blood streamed from his eyes as he focused.
The fog began to clear.
At the same time, Da Hui's aura grew weaker.
Finally, just as Ye Bai collapsed and shut his eyes, the last of the fog disappeared—and the information he sought was revealed.