You call this beast taming?

You call this Pokémon?

Why don't you just call it Palu?

I would have said it was the Kingdom of Locke!

Growlithe again....

"Ugh..."

The golden-maned dog in the cage remained motionless, though it was unclear whether it was unable to move or afraid to.

For the first time, a flicker of emotion appeared in those murky, dim eyes. Aside from a little curiosity, there was more fear and unease.

That look touched Wen Zhixu, who was complaining about the system.

Whether it was his past life or the original owner, he always had this kind of look in his eyes when he was bullied back in school.

Wen Zhixu pursed his lips, ran his fingers through the golden-maned dog's fur, and rubbed its head.

He took a deep breath, stood up, as if he had made a decision.

"Teacher Wang, let me handle this myself," Wen Zhixu said calmly but firmly.

"You'll handle this?" Teacher Wang's eyes widened slightly as she looked him up and down.

Can you handle this?

Teacher Wang had subconsciously wanted to ask that question, but seeing Wen Zhixu's half-wet clothes and serious eyes, she chose a more tactful way to ask it.

Asking questions tactfully does not necessarily mean that his attitude will change.

If you could really handle it well, how could those loan sharks from society have caused trouble at the school?

If the security guard hadn't stopped him in time and informed him immediately, the matter would have really blown up. A public reprimand wouldn't have been enough to quell the controversy, and the criticism Wen Zhixu would have received would have crushed a young man with a strong sense of self-esteem.

"What are your plans to do?"

"I'm going to tell my mom the truth."

Wen Zhixu knew that his "trust value" with Lao Wang had dropped to the lowest point, so he simply brought up the banner of "parents".

Sure enough, after hearing his words, Teacher Wang's expression visibly relaxed.

But he was still a little worried and asked, "What about your mother...?"

As the homeroom teacher, he knew Wen Zhixu's family situation very well.

"My second uncle's family owns an orchard, so they should have some demand."

orchard?

Is this a golden-maned dog labeled as a "pet"?

However, this is indeed a good approach.

"Teacher, I would like to ask for half a day off to deal with this matter," Wen Zhixu said sincerely.

Teacher Wang hesitated for a long time, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Wen Zhixu and the golden-maned dog several times, before nodding and saying:

"Okay, I'll approve the leave."

But she quickly added, "Ah Xu, about this matter..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wen Zhixu hurriedly interrupted him, saying:

"Teacher, I promise you, this will never happen again, and this incident will not have any further impact on the school!"

Although Lao Wang thought his guarantee was almost worthless, his attitude still made Lao Wang feel quite gratified.

"Don't try to be a hero," Teacher Wang advised. "If you really can't handle it... come to me. I still have some connections. And your studies too, you know you're about to take the college entrance exam, right?"

"I know!" Wen Zhixu said without any politeness, smiling as he picked up the cage and walked out.

"This kid..."

Seeing his hurried manner, Old Wang chuckled and scolded him in an annoyed tone.

I feel that Wen Zhixu's personality seems to have changed somewhat.

That makes sense. Boys need to go through some setbacks to become stronger; it's a necessary path.

After a slight hesitation, he took out his phone and decided to inform Wen's mother first, so that things would not get out of control again.

...

Carrying the iron cage, Wen Zhixu jogged out of the school.

Compared to schools where students mainly learn theoretical knowledge, there are many more pet animals on the streets outside.

"Hot water! Hot water! Excuse me, please make way!"

A young woman in her mid-twenties was riding her two-headed ostrich, weaving through the streets with a panicked expression, repeatedly shouting "boiling water," clearly having just received her "mount/pet license."

"Wow! That's impressive, Xiaobai!"

A playful boy and his white-eared rabbit sat on a park bench playing on their phones. The rabbit's long, slender, and flexible ears gave it remarkable dexterity, no less than a human's hand.

"Trash, trash recycling!"

A sanitation worker stood on the street corner with her corrosive beast, cleaning up the household waste from the neighboring residential area.

"This is... the world of beast taming." Standing at the school gate, Wen Zhixu looked at the scene before him and couldn't help but sigh.

However, he did not linger for long. Instead, he carried the cage through the alleys of the old neighborhood and arrived at a secluded grove of trees.

There was an abandoned room inside, which served as his and his best friend Yuan Jingfan's secret base.

Entering the abandoned house, we put down the cage, lifted the cloth covering it, and revealed the weak golden-maned dog.

"Waaah..."

The golden-maned dog, now in an unfamiliar place, huddled in the corner of its cage, whimpering anxiously.

Wen Zhixu squatted beside the cage.

He has decided to tame this golden-maned dog.

This wasn't just a momentary lapse of judgment.

Actually, he had been thinking about it for a long time during the half hour he sat by the lake, but the system that finally appeared made him make up his mind.

Although that "Strongest Trainer System" doesn't seem very reliable at all, what if it is?

It's often said that the rich rely on technology, while the poor rely on mutation. System mutation is also a form of mutation.

Even if these two systems are unreliable, he had thought of a few ways worth trying, which were better than returning the money to the lender and being left with a mountain of debt and nothing.

Information I had learned about Golden Mane dogs as pets came to mind.

Golden Mane Dog, a type of canine pet.

Race level: Intermediate extraordinary.

Racial skills: Roar, Pounce, Thick Fur...

Racial traits: Intelligent, very docile, and rarely initiates attacks.

Although it doesn't look particularly powerful, it is indeed a very suitable pet for novice beast tamers.

Everyone wants to tame those powerful-looking pets, especially majestic and imposing dragon-type pets.

Is it realistic?

The more powerful a pet is, the more arrogant it becomes. Why should it obey a weak beast tamer or even an ordinary person?

not to mention.

Given his impoverished background, did he have any other choice?

puff--

Wen Zhixu patted himself down and realized he didn't seem to have much to eat. He smiled awkwardly and then opened the cage door.

Even when the door opened, the golden-maned dog huddled in the corner, showing no intention of running out.

Seeing this, Wen Zhixu sighed inwardly. He didn't know what the little guy had gone through.

"You can go now." He turned the cage door towards the entrance of the abandoned house.

"There's a forest outside, so not many people should be out here. If you're lucky, you might be able to escape. Just don't get caught again."

He spoke words of advice while pretending to be generous and saying things he didn't mean.

"Huh?"

For the first time, a hint of liveliness appeared in the golden-maned dog's cloudy eyes.

He looked at the gate and the woods outside, then at Wen Zhixu, not understanding what he was doing.

Wen Zhixu chuckled and rubbed his nose, then placed his hands on the ground behind him, assuming a semi-reclining position.

"Actually, we're quite similar."

"Huh?"

"Look at you, all the hair on your body is stuck together. I'm soaking wet too, aren't we both pretty pathetic?" Wen Zhixu laughed self-deprecatingly.

The golden mane cautiously stuck out its tongue and licked its sticky fur.

Seeing that the little guy hadn't run away, Wen Zhixu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"I think we can be friends," he continued gently.

friend?

The golden mane dog doesn't quite understand what friends are.

but...

It's just weak, not stupid.

It could clearly sense that after experiencing so many things and meeting so many people during this time, this person in front of it... was the only one who made it feel safe and secure instead of afraid.

Pets are also living beings; they have their own intelligence and can distinguish between good and evil, especially canine pets.

Looking at Wen Zhixu's gentle and approachable face, it felt as if it had seen the sun.

My eyes are a little sore...

"How about it? Want to try being friends with me?" Wen Zhixu sat up straight, leaned down and looked into the golden-maned dog's eyes, and said seriously.

"Let's not talk about anything else."

He reached his hand into the cage and laid it out in front of the golden-maned dog.

"As long as I have food to eat, you won't go hungry."

Hungry?

Gollum-

The little guy's stomach suddenly made a sound.

"Ha ha..."

Gollum-

Wen Zhixu hadn't been laughing for long when his stomach started growling.

I was disturbed at school early this morning and even jumped into the school lake for a swim. I didn't even have lunch.

"Ugh!"

Hearing the noise, both the man and the beast were stunned for a moment. Wen Zhixu looked embarrassed, and the little guy smiled for the first time.

Oh, the sun...

After hesitating for a moment, the little guy trembled as he reached out his paw and placed it on Wen Zhixu's hand.

This made Wen Zhixu overjoyed instantly, and the embarrassment on his face vanished.

We've lost possession! We need to lose possession quickly!

wrong!

It's a contract!

At the same time, the message reappeared before his eyes.

[Congratulations, young trainer, on taking your first step and capturing your first Pokémon, Growlithe!]

[Rewards: Fire Stone (White) x1, TM for Morning Light x1]

The system actually successfully identified these two transactions?

In Wen Zhixu's arms, there was a warm, crystal-like orange-yellow gem.

Fire Stone!

and many more!

Does the Golden Mane Dog have a Fire-type evolution path?