There's a chat group for pets in my neighborhood.

"Alright, alright, I know you're the best guy, so please help me out."

The sheriff knew that Tanuki was a stubborn and arrogant person, so he went along with it.

"That's more like it. Alright, we can't handle this alone. Let's call Gray Rat along too; he knows the underground routes like the back of his hand." Tanuki was clearly much more pleased with the sheriff's words.

It let out a shout, and not long after, a rustling sound came from the sewer grate next to it.

A plump gray rat emerged from inside, stood up, rubbed its two front paws together, and said with a fawning smile, "Isn't this Sheriff? What brings you here? What are your orders, Brother Tanuki?"

I hadn't seen it for a few days, and it looked very healthy, which meant it was well-fed.

It's no wonder, though. Ever since it made a name for itself in the cage-breaking plan, Tanuki has been feeding and watering it without fail, and recently, its offspring have also benefited from it.

The gray mouse was also quite sensible, not letting its offspring run around, which pleased the sheriff.

"Find a few of your most clever brothers. We need to go to Pet Love Pet Hospital today. You know the underground routes best, so you'll lead the way tonight," Brother Tanuki instructed.

"Alright." Gray Mouse nodded and readily agreed.

The investigation team was quickly ready.

Tanuki suggested waiting until nightfall to carry out the operation, but the sheriff thought it would be safer to do it in the dark during the day.

So around 6 p.m., they followed the gray rat's secret passage and slipped into the Pet Love Pet Hospital.

The store's main door was closed, but there was no lock.

A conversation could be faintly heard coming from the finance office on the second floor.

"Someone's here." Tanuki and the sheriff exchanged a glance.

"I have a voice recorder. I'll go check out the situation over there and see if I can record anything useful. You take Gray Mouse and the others to look for any useful information. If you find any, bring it back." The sheriff quietly assigned the task, and Tanuki naturally had no objections.

In front of the ventilation duct louvers on the first floor, the gray rat quickly bit through the old plastic grille in two or three bites. Tanuki and the sheriff, like two silent ghosts, nimbly slipped into the hall, with the gray rat and its capable henchmen following closely behind.

The sheriff quickly determined the direction and followed the shadow of the stair railing to the half-open door of the office on the second floor.

The office was filled with smoke, and the ashtrays were overflowing with cigarette butts.

Qian Yan was frantically bowing and scraping to the person on the other end of the phone.

"I know what you're saying, but what's done is done, isn't it? We should be thinking about how to resolve this now!"

"I really don't have any money on me right now. Even if you take this to court, it won't do any good. As long as I sell this shop, I will definitely give you the money. A boss has already contacted me, so don't worry."

"Hey, Mr. Qian, my Teddy died on your shop's operating table. I've already had it checked, and it's medical malpractice. You'll have to pay this 50,000 yuan whether you like it or not!"

A shrill, angry voice came from the other end of the phone.

"That was an accident," Qian Yan weakly defended himself.

"Seven days. I'll give you seven more days. If you don't pay, you can expect a court summons and enforcement!"

The person on the other end of the phone hung up immediately, leaving Qian Yan sitting there sighing with a worried expression.

The sheriff's eyes narrowed slightly.

Unexpectedly, this Pet Love Pet Hospital has an unresolved serious medical malpractice dispute!

If the mainland side takes over the shop, that would be a real problem.

Thinking of this, the sheriff took a few steps closer, wanting to record a clearer picture.

Unexpectedly, another phone call came in.

Qian Yan frowned as soon as he saw the caller ID. He took a deep breath, composed himself, and then answered the phone.

"Hey, Mr. Wu, what brings you calling all of a sudden? What's up?"

"Fatty Qian, stop playing dumb. When are you going to pay me the rent for the DR machine and biochemical analyzer? You haven't paid for six months! I've been putting it off, but now the company has found out and is demanding payment. What am I going to do?!"

Mr. Wu's tone was very unpleasant; anyone in this situation would find it difficult to control their emotions.

If Qian Yan insists on delaying payment, I'll have to pay for it myself.

"Mr. Wu, please give me two more days. I'm transferring this shop immediately! A rich second-generation guy who seems quite wealthy has contacted me and is very interested. You still have a year left to pay off your equipment debt, right? How about this: I'll find a way to transfer the shop and equipment to him together. After I get the money, I'll pay off the six months' rent I owe you, and you'll get back the remaining year's rent. What do you think?"

Hearing Qian Yan's explanation, General Manager Wu was visibly tempted: "Is what you said true?"

"It's absolutely true. I'm in a dire situation right now, I don't have time to entertain you. I really can't afford it, but you can at least take the equipment back, right?"

Qian Yan explained earnestly.

"Five days? I can only hold onto the equipment for you for five days at most. If I don't see payment within those five days, I'll take it away!"

Mr. Wu left with a final warning and then hung up the phone.

"What are you trying to prove?!" Qian Yan stared at his phone, cursing, "Back when my business was booming, you begged me on your knees to rent your equipment, and now you're kicking me when I'm down?!"

"I'll pay off your loan if I do, then I'm your grandson! Just you wait, I'll sell this equipment to that sucker and run away. What does the debt have to do with me then? Go ahead and ask that kid for it if you dare!"

He said fiercely, lit another cigarette, and took a big drag.

The sheriff outside the door recorded every word into a small voice recorder. He coldly watched Qian Yan puffing away in the room, a glint of cold light flashing in his eyes.

To do business to such an insane degree is truly one of a kind.

Unfortunately, dreams are often grand, but reality is often harsh.

Qian Yan's plan was destined to fail.

Meanwhile, Tanuki on the first floor also made a new discovery.

Gray Rat, along with a few henchmen, forced their way into the trash can and began using their innate skills to frantically search for anything that might be useful.

Before long, they actually found a few crumpled pieces of paper. The raccoon directed the gray mouse to take out the paper and spread it on the ground.

The words "Demand for Payment" and "Lawyer's Letter" on the cover are very eye-catching.

"Take them away." Brother Tanuki waved his hand, signaling Gray Mouse to take these things out.

While they were busy with their tasks, the gray mouse had recently gained quite a bit of weight and accidentally knocked over the trash can.

The loud noise echoed in the lobby on the first floor.

Qian Yan's alert voice came from upstairs: "Who goes there?!"