What does it mean when a pet evolves incorrectly?

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Lin Chen stood up and walked towards the stage.

He was surrounded by gazes that were a mixture of curiosity, surprise, inquiry, and scrutiny, but he remained expressionless, secretly pleased.

Yes, that's exactly the feeling of being the center of attention.

Yang Xingyu stared at Lin Chen's retreating figure, his mouth slightly agape and his eyes glazed over.

Lin Chen?

Reward?

Youngest record?

These words swirled wildly in his mind, but he couldn't piece them together no matter what he tried.

Just half an hour earlier, the two temporary assistants were sitting together complaining about how boring and mundane their jobs were.

How did the other party suddenly become the protagonist under the spotlight and break the bureau's record?

He couldn't help but look at his mother sitting beside him.

Based on past experience, at such times, the mother would always say something like, "Look at other people" or "Learn from other people."

This time, however, the mother said nothing.

She simply sat quietly, her gaze following Lin Chen's retreating figure as he walked towards the stage, her expression complex.

Yang Xingyu was puzzled and couldn't help but ask the question.

Why didn't she say the same thing this time?

Yang's mother glanced at her son and sighed softly:

"Your dad has worked for so many years, and only now is he receiving an award."

"He's just a recent graduate, only a temporary assistant. Receiving this award must have been incredibly difficult and arduous..."

Yang Xingyu fell silent for a moment.

At the same moment, Lin Chen had already stood in front of Zhou Zhengping.

"Congratulations, Comrade Lin Chen."

After handing over the medal, Zhou Zhengping patted Lin Chen on the shoulder, his smile even more genuine than before, his eyes full of appreciation: "Welcome to join the Criminal Investigation Bureau after graduation."

"Thank you, Director. I will do my best."

After a brief exchange, Lin Chen turned and walked towards the award winners' standing area.

His seat was arranged right next to Lin Jianjun.

When he stood still next to his father, he could clearly feel the sudden increase in tension in the body beside him.

Lin Jianjun's gaze was fixed on a dotted point in the audience in front of him, his jawline taut, and his chest rising and falling slightly.

He was clearly filled with questions and shock, but in this situation, he could only do his best to maintain a calm facade, and didn't even dare to turn his head to look at his son.

Once the winners were lined up, the photographer stepped forward and adjusted the angle.

With the click of the shutter, the photographer captured a group image of this year's winners, as well as a father and son standing side by side.

After Director Zhou Zhengping finished his concluding remarks, the ceremony concluded amidst enthusiastic applause.

However, the atmosphere in the auditorium did not cool down; the long-suppressed discussions erupted like a flood.

Almost everyone's gaze drifted, intentionally or unintentionally, toward the side of the stage, to the young figure who was orderly leaving with the procession.

"Lin Jianjun's son? Old Lin is something else, keeping a low profile all this time, and his son is so successful!"

"Look at other people's kids, and then look at you, all you do is play online games all day!"

"Dad, why don't you learn from other fathers and get an award?"

"Hey, you little rascal!!"

In no time, many familiar or merely acquaintances gathered around to congratulate Lin Jianjun, and also curiously scrutinized and questioned Lin Chen.

Lin Jianjun's expression was incredibly interesting. His initial stiffness and shock slowly melted away amidst the tidal wave of congratulations, and he couldn't stop smiling.

When the crowd dispersed a little, Li Haotian walked over with a smile.

"Old Lin, congratulations! Double happiness!"

Lin Jianjun grabbed Li Haotian and led him to a quieter corner, lowering his voice: "What... what exactly happened? You knew all along, didn't you?"

Li Haotian nodded: "I'm Xiao Chen's boss, so of course I already knew."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

Lin Jianjun's voice rose slightly, drawing the attention of several people nearby. He quickly lowered it again: "He didn't mention it at home at all. His mother and I were kept in the dark and had no idea what he had done."

He recalled the dangerous situations he had experienced in his decades of work, and his heart tightened.

"Old Lin."

Li Haotian's expression turned serious, and his voice deepened, "You should be very clear that some things involve confidentiality clauses and cannot be revealed at all."

Lin Jianjun took a deep breath: "Was it an accident that happened while on duty?"

Li Haotian nodded slightly, then glanced at Lin Chen not far away, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration: "Old Lin, you have a good son. If you had worked a few more years, you might have been able to get promoted thanks to Xiao Chen."

Lin Jianjun: "..."

He admitted that his son was indeed very outstanding, but if he wanted to help him, he would have to be at least at the level of Li Haotian.

Even if Lin Chen were promoted to such a position, he would be close to retirement by then, and there would be no point in promoting him any further.

Moreover, what kind of father would use his son to climb the social ladder?

Even if he retains his current position, even if he retires, even if he quits, he will never rely on his son to advance his career.

There's no reason for a father to gain status through his son.

night.

To celebrate the awards received by both father and son, Liu Hui decided to have hot pot at home.

In the living room, the hot pot in the center of the dining table was bubbling away, with dense bubbles rolling in the bright red and oily broth, and Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies floating in the boiling soup.

Lin Chen deliberately scooped out a few slices of tender beef coated in chili oil from the red soup and put them into the Flame Claw Beast's food bowl: "Try it, you should like it."

Generally speaking, fire-type pets like spicy food and do not reject human food.

Without hesitation, the Flameclaw Beast swallowed the beef along with the scalding hot chili oil in one gulp. Before it could even savor the taste, its eyes narrowed into slits, and it let out a joyful cry: "Gagoo~~~"

It licked its lips, still wanting more, then looked at Lin Chen with longing eyes, its paws eagerly pawing at his calves: "Gaga gaga!"

I declare that grilled skewers are no match for hot pot!

Meanwhile, the dog was curled up into a soft white ball of fur, nestled between Lin Chen's arms and chest, with only its little head showing.

Its obsidian-like eyes stared quietly at the pot of bubbling, terrifying red food on the table, emitting a strong odor. It then glanced at the Flameclaw Beast eating with great relish, its fur even slightly bristling from the heat, and gently shook its head.

No, it doesn't like this.

So Lin Chen picked up a thin slice of chicken breast from the hot pot, rinsed it in a bowl of cold water to wash away as much grease and excess smell as possible, and then used chopsticks to hold it to Songsong's mouth.

"Here, try this."

The dog sniffed around, and only after confirming there was no strong odor did it cautiously open its mouth and begin to chew in small bites, making a soft "Mmm~" sound.

Lin Chen smiled and added a piece of soft, cooked vegetable to its plate, carefully rinsing it in water as well.

Across the table, the Flameclaw Beast, engrossed in devouring a piece of spicy beef, glanced up and saw this scene, its chewing motions unconsciously slowing down.

For some reason, it just didn't taste as good as it used to.

Taking advantage of this moment, Liu Hui took a group photo, opened her phone, and found a chat window with the contact name "My precious daughter Yueyue".

The last chat log was from three days ago.

She sent the photo she had just taken, but her finger paused on the input box, carefully choosing her words.

Finally, she typed this line:

"Your dad and brother both received awards from their workplaces today, so we're celebrating with hot pot at home. Yueyue, how's work going lately? No matter how busy you are, remember to eat on time and take care of yourself."

Lin Yue did not reply.