"Old Deng Counterattack System loading..."
"Review of Gu Ming's fifty-year life—"
"June of year 518: Gu Ming's college entrance exam scores were not ideal. He lied to his parents, claiming he got into a Beast Taming University, but was actually working odd jobs and was too ashamed to go home."
"Gu Ming drifted between cities, numbing himself with work and repeatedly refusing his parents' financial help."
"Unbeknownst to you, more and more Beast Taming University graduates entered the workforce, intensifying the competition. You needed to rent more Pet Beast helpers to cope with the work pressure."
"You began taking out loans to rent Pet Beasts, sinking deep into debt. On your 35th birthday, you were 'optimized' by your boss. Your debt exploded, and debt collectors came knocking at your door."
"Your parents clashed with the debt collectors, sparking a city-wide scandal. In the end, your Pet Beasts and all your family's assets were repossessed and auctioned off. Your parents narrowly survived, but the price was returning to their old hometown to farm. There was no place left for you in the city."
"You began caring for your terminally ill parents, and the medical bills piled up."
"At forty-five, both your parents passed away. Left with nothing, you gave up on yourself and spent your days and nights drunk."
"At forty-six, a tattered and ragged Gu Ming stumbled upon a stray dog, 'Ah Chai.' Thus began the journey of a man and a dog, wandering across Great Zhou."
"You and Ah Chai slept on the streets, lived under bridges, climbed high mountains, saw the great sea, and traveled through wind and snow to reach the Celestial Pole."
"At fifty, Ah Chai, who could barely walk anymore, wanted to see a Beastmaster battle in the last moments of its life."
"You carried Ah Chai, climbed a wall, and jumped into a Beast Taming Arena. You watched young Beastmasters and their Pet Beasts pour out their blood and sweat—a youth Ah Chai never had."
"You rediscovered the meaning of life and decided to form a contract with Ah Chai."
"But its time was up. As thin as a twig, Ah Chai was forever stuck in yesterday, unable to survive the winter night."
"Its only wish was to live."
"You had a sudden awakening. You stopped living passively and decided to live on, carrying Ah Chai's last wish."
"For most middle-aged Beastmasters, fifty is the peak of their lives, with almost no room for further growth."
"But for the fifty-year-old Gu Ming, his life was just beginning."
"Life review complete."
"Form a contract with a Pet Beast and begin your Old Deng counterattack."
...
Gu Ming woke up in the morning and received a notification from a new system before he had even left for work.
The system had just arrived today.
'What the hell is this fifty-year life review?'
He was only eighteen, hadn't even finished high school, and was still at his winter break job.
Right now, he was a volunteer at the Qing Lake Community's little Pet Beast Store. The pay wasn't much, just over a thousand yuan.
Other shops wouldn't hire him because the work required a Pet Beast.
If you don't have a Pet Beast, your work efficiency is half that of others, so of course, the bosses aren't happy.
Only the community volunteer position didn't require a Pet Beast.
He played around with the system in bed for a while but found no other functions besides the history log. It seemed he'd need to form a contract with a new pet before it would do anything else.
After reading the story of his other timeline's self and Ah Chai, he couldn't calm down for a long time.
But still, it wasn't something he had personally experienced. He had to return to reality.
As for getting a Pet Beast of his own, he was already saving up. Once he got paid today, he planned to go buy one.
He got dressed and headed out the door. Translucent text immediately floated before his eyes.
"One month ago, you were initiated into the Hidden Sect 'Qing Lake Community Pet Beast Store,' becoming an Outer Disciple. You have accepted the daily commissioned tasks for a monthly reward of ten Spirit Stones."
"Today marks the completion of one full month of your daily tasks. You may now proceed to the Sect's administrative office to collect your Spirit Stones."
'Huh?'
'The community Pet Beast Store became a "Hidden Sect"?'
'My job became a "daily commissioned task"?'
'My salary of over a thousand yuan is being called "ten Spirit Stones"?'
Gu Ming shook his head. 'Looks like the system is bugged. It has no grasp on reality at all.'
...
Back at the small Pet Beast Store in his community, the overpowering smell of various animals and their droppings assaulted his nostrils.
Fortunately, he had already grown used to this environment and didn't find it as unbearable as when he first started.
"Gu Ming, you're here! When does school start?"
A lazy, mature female voice called out from the right side of the store.
Following the voice, he saw the store manager walking over. She was only twenty-eight, dressed in a white uniform and a black, hip-hugging skirt, with her long black hair braided and draped over her left shoulder.
"Sister Ruan, school starts in five days."
"Here, this is your pay."
The manager, Ruan Jing, smiled and handed him a large red envelope, as the New Year had just passed.
Gu Ming thanked her and took the large red envelope, giving it a light squeeze with his fingers.
Confirming it had the feel of cash—not the Spirit Stones the system was spouting nonsense about—he didn't open it on the spot, simply tucking it away safely.
'After all, there was no such thing as Spirit Stones in this world. That was stuff you only found in novels. How could Sister Ruan possibly give me something that didn't exist?'
He went into the back of the store and changed into his volunteer uniform, which was just a red vest he put on.
He picked up a small shovel and began scooping poop, changing food, and grooming every animal-type Pet Beast in the store, causing a flurry of chaos.
After that, he moved to the plant section to water and fertilize the plant-type Pet Beasts.
A lush spring orchid and a small rush stretched out their leaves and branches, greeting Gu Ming.
By the time he finished these tasks, it was already noon—time to get off work, buy groceries, and cook.
A few customers trickled into the store, all from families that were tight on cash.
The Pet Beasts in the store were sold at cost plus a fee for their raising, with almost zero profit. The goal was to ensure every citizen could afford to form a contract with a Pet Beast.
The Pet Beasts sold in the store were all basic models—the bottom of the barrel. You get what you pay for: they were easy to raise, didn't eat much, had the lowest nutritional needs, and possessed practically zero combat ability.