Chapter 4: 004 Threat

“Yes!” Ming Ruan instinctively stood at attention, chest out.

“Well done.”

With those words, the blue figure abruptly vanished.

What, what did he do well?

Could he be that somewhat indifferent boss?

The holographic meeting concluded. The blue figures disappeared, and the Light Brain screen floated in the air, the meeting mode switching to the video mode Ming Ruan was most familiar with.

Before Ming Ruan could react, a cold snort suddenly came from the light screen.

“As expected of someone who played the Fake Young Master for decades.” Someone loudly muttered, then added in a smaller voice, “Even dares to flirt with the Adjudicator.”

From that comment onwards, it was as if the group tore off a mask and started chattering recklessly.

“I heard he took Lord Xie back to his residence? Truly stops at nothing.”

“After all, raised in luxury since childhood. Suddenly kicked out of the family, he won’t survive without finding someone to keep him.”

“Do you even dare to do Forest Patrol, kid? Executor isn’t an easy job.”

Ming Ruan felt curious.

This was his first time being gossiped about right to his face.

Was the workplace culture in the Interstellar era this free? No need to leave any bridges unburned?

Or was it simply because he was ‘Ming Ruan’?

After entering the Sanatorium Zone, due to some specific confidentiality protocols, Ming Ruan’s Light Brain had been temporarily restricted from accessing the network.

He hadn’t felt any discomfort over the past two days, but now he desperately needed a channel to understand what this body’s original owner had done before.

Surely he hadn’t actually transmigrated into some kind of villainous cannon-fodder role, like in those web novels!

Ming Ruan was spacing out, worrying about his future, when he failed to notice the door behind him silently opening a crack.

A silvery-gray figure slowly walked in.

At the same time, the constant stream of malicious words from the video meeting suddenly halted. The entire meeting fell silent.

The sudden quiet snapped Ming Ruan back to attention.

Why’d they stop talking?

I wanted to get some intel on the situation.

Ming Ruan curiously raised his head to look at the small meeting window, and in his own video feed, he spotted the Gray Wolf walking up behind him.

“Oh! You came in!” Ming Ruan was pleasantly surprised to see the Gray Wolf coming closer.

When standing, the Gray Wolf’s head reached right up to Ming Ruan’s waist. Those pair of silver-gray Colorpoint ears were right within reach, incredibly tempting.

Ming Ruan resisted. He didn’t put his hands on them yet.

“L-Lord Xie, good day.”

A voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz came from the video meeting. Ming Ruan couldn’t hear it clearly at all.

The people who had just moments ago been laughing raucously, pontificating and lecturing Ming Ruan on life, suddenly acted like mice spotting a cat, mumbling and not daring to look up.

There was no warmth in the Gray Wolf’s icy blue eyes. It raised its head slightly, staring directly into the camera lens.

Xie Gewen was now just a wolf. He couldn’t speak, he couldn’t even make human facial expressions. He had also voluntarily resigned as Council Speaker at the time of his transformation.

But none of these people, who wanted to use their Sanatorium Zone Executor position as a stepping stone to advance in government, dared to be impertinent before Xie Gewen.

After all, Council Speaker Xie Gewen before his Therianthropy had been one of the brightest stars of this era.

He had also, as the leader of the Council—the body that formed a check and balance against the Royal Family and the Adjudicator—fought for the livelihoods of countless ordinary citizens of the Alpha Galaxy.

Even now, no Beastman had ever managed to turn back into a human.

Even if Xie Gewen was now just a wolf.

The people in the video meeting sheepishly dodged the Gray Wolf’s gaze, made up various excuses for themselves, and quit the meeting one after another.

“?” Once again, question marks popped up over Ming Ruan’s head. Why did they suddenly scatter after just talking a bit?

He completely failed to realize the Gray Wolf had specifically come to back him up. He just marveled once more at how free the Interstellar era truly was.

Ming Ruan didn’t dwell on it. He tidied up a bit and, according to this morning’s plan, called for the Flying Sedan, ready to begin his first Forest Patrol mission as an Executor.

Honestly, if you didn’t run into any emergencies, Forest Patrol was basically like an outing or a nature walk.

Ming Ruan drove the open-top Flying Sedan, weaving low between the trees. The sedan was responsible for recording and scanning the outdoor zone’s conditions, performing data analysis and situation assessment. Ming Ruan was responsible for letting out noises of pure sightseeing wonder.

“Wow! So many Berry trees!”

“Wow! A wild beehive!”

Ming Ruan’s eyes were glued to a beehive hanging from a large tree. He couldn’t tear himself away.

He decided to try and get some!

The Flying Sedan parked in a clearing. Ming Ruan, armed with a bunch of interstellar gadgets, enthusiastically began a battle of wits with the beehive.

Xie Gewen sighed. He glanced at the live-stream lens hovering near Ming Ruan and took the initiative to stand up, beginning a perimeter sweep of the area.

He sniffed for the scent of other Wild Beasts, then marked suitable spots with his own scent. Meticulously, he performed all the duties a normal wolf should do.

Soon after, when the wind carried the distant howl of wolves from far, far away, Xie Gewen mentally prepared himself, tilted his neck back, and let out a long “Awooo—”

A moment later, satisfied he’d completed a wolf’s task, Xie Gewen stopped.

Only to find Ming Ruan had been staring at him wide-eyed for quite a while.

“Oh my god, Baby, you sound exactly like a wolf!” Ming Ruan exclaimed with great surprise.

Xie Gewen: “…”

“Was that the pack you lived with before?” Ming Ruan recalled; a wolf’s howl usually meant calling companions, right.

What pack? Beastmen aren’t like those Artificial Lifeforms. How could they have packs?

The fake wolf Xie Gewen and Ming Ruan stared at each other.

Nearby, the live room viewers, who’d been bottling things up for the entire morning, were eagerly releasing their pent-up need for expression.

【Looks like letting Beastmen release their natural instincts really does help mental stability. The Council Speaker seems to be in great shape.】

【It reminds me of the early days of Therianthropy, when society forbade Beastmen from eating raw meat, forcibly locking affected relatives inside houses. That dark period tortured so many people to death. Thank goodness for the Council Speaker’s proposal.】

【The Council Speaker really is something. Even as a Beast, he’s a diligent, rigorous wolf! And then you look at Ming Ruan…】

【I heard Xie Gewen used to absolutely hate inefficiency in his subordinates. Ming Ruan slacking off like this will definitely get him scolded.】

This comment got many echoes.

Yet, Xie Gewen seemed endlessly tolerant of Ming Ruan.

After their pointless staring contest, the Gray Wolf lowered its eyes helplessly, swept its tail, and headed back toward the Flying Sedan.

Time to go, the Forest Patrol must continue.

Utterly indulgent.

The morning passed quickly. The Flying Sedan hadn’t detected any unexpected situations. Apart from a few small birds, Ming Ruan hadn’t encountered a single other fluffy creature.

Ming Ruan checked the values on the Flying Sedan and carefully picked a spot suitable for the Gray Wolf to hunt.

He took out the legendary Nutrient Solution, intending to test its toxicity today. At the same time, he turned back to glance at the Gray Wolf lying in the back seat.

Xie Gewen: “…”

Receiving Ming Ruan’s gaze, the Gray Wolf lay there for a moment longer, then silently jumped off the Flying Sedan and headed deeper into the forest.

His tail drooped behind him, completely still.

Why did the Gray Wolf seem a little unhappy?

Ming Ruan wondered.

Not much time passed. Ming Ruan hadn’t even mentally prepared himself to drink that gooey, slimy, snot-like Nutrient Solution.

Suddenly, a flock of birds erupted from the forest in alarm.

A moment later, a figure pushed through layers of Shrubs and returned.

Ming Ruan couldn’t help but hold his breath. It was his first time facing a Fierce Beast in this state of being.

The Gray Wolf’s two large ears were a slightly darker silver-gray. A silver stripe ran down its back, the color gradually lightening towards the legs. Its neck and tail were also silver-gray. It looked like a refined gentleman.

And right now, its entire body was still meticulously clean. Only its brow and around its eyes were splattered with blood. It was carrying a Fawn in its mouth, a trail of blood dripping the whole way.

It set the Fawn down at a great distance from Ming Ruan.

Ming Ruan’s heart pounded.

One moment, it was lying beside you, tolerating your antics. The next, it was a predator, dominating life and death in the forest.

That was the charm of fierce, fluffy creatures.

But clearly, Ming Ruan was the only one who could appreciate it.

【…I need to log off for a bit.】

【As expected, Beastmen are just so terrifying, so bloody.】

【Sorry, I really just… I still can’t accept this.】

【Council Speaker, wuwuwuwu!】

【I feel so hopeless. Thinking one day I might end up like this too.】

【Ugh.】

Ming Ruan watched the Gray Wolf place a paw on the Fawn, bite into its soft belly, and easily tear it open.

Scarlet contents spilled out.

The Gray Wolf began chewing, bite by bite.

But Ming Ruan’s brow gradually furrowed.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that this was a deeply conflicted wolf. Inside the house with him, it hadn’t shown the slightest need to mark territory, assert dominance, or call for a pack—things a normal wolf would do—yet in the wild, it meticulously went through the motions. It clearly didn’t enjoy eating this, but forced itself to swallow.

A spark suddenly lit up in Ming Ruan’s mind: Why was this place called a ‘Sanatorium Zone’?

He’d previously assumed it was just a fancy term, like how wealthy people’s vacation spots might be named ‘Recuperation Manor’ or something.

But judging by this, it felt like it meant something more.

Ming Ruan didn’t hesitate any longer. He jumped out of the Flying Sedan and ran towards the Gray Wolf.

Seeing this, the Gray Wolf backed away with its prey, but didn’t show aggression.

It wasn’t guarding its food. It seemed more like it didn’t want Ming Ruan to get too close to this pile of blood and flesh.

“Let’s not eat this, okay?” Ming Ruan crouched at a respectful distance, whispering. “I don’t want to drink the Nutrient Solution. Let’s go back and cook a meal together.”

Hearing this, the Gray Wolf raised its head and stared steadily at Ming Ruan, its ears pricking forward.

It watched for a moment, then lowered its head again to tear at its prey.

As if it hadn’t heard.

The live room was already flooding with question marks.

【??? Why won’t you let him eat what he worked so hard to hunt?】

【Can’t he just wait until the wolf finishes eating? Why does he have to cause a scene right now?】

【So annoying. I never understood why the Council Speaker had to force himself to stay in that little shack of Ming Ruan’s. Can’t Ming Ruan just get lost already?】

【Didn’t the Council Speaker originally belong to that category of Beastmen who really liked outdoor life? He was the one who proposed the Beastman Beastification Legal Draft, freeing so many Beastmen from their constraints.】

“Come back and eat with me. I don’t know what you like, but we can pick something out together. I’ll cook it for you,” Ming Ruan tried again.

The Gray Wolf was unmoved.

But its tail gave two gentle wags.

Ming Ruan secretly psyched himself up, stood up, and shuffled right up to the Gray Wolf and the Fawn. He tentatively grabbed one of the Fawn’s legs, making as if to drag it away, while looking into the Gray Wolf’s eyes. “I suddenly want to eat this too. How about we take it back and share?”

The next instant, the Gray Wolf clamped its jaws down on the Fawn, preventing it from being pulled away. Its eyes turned up towards Ming Ruan. For the first time, it bared its teeth at him, issuing a low, threatening growl.

A clear posture of rejection.