Chapter 443: Chapter 390

The arrival of several Mixed Breeds threw the scene into instant chaos.

The rhythm of the two fighting Beastmen was broken. Kaper quickly ducked into the crowd, and after chasing for two steps, Philinos immediately turned back to find Gu Ning.

Just then, Gu Ning’s view was blocked by the Wolf King’s massive body. She clutched Alex’s fur, anxiously searching for any sign of Cook and Barto. The area was in chaos, a cacophony of the Mixed Breeds’ roars and the crowd’s panicked shouts and curses. Alex’s mountain-like frame remained a steadfast shield around her, keeping every other Beastman at bay.

Just as Gu Ning was about to crouch down and peer between Alex’s thick paws to find Cook and Barto, her body suddenly felt light.

By the time she realized it, she was already in mid-air.

Gu Ning turned her head and met Philinos’s gaze.

"Don’t worry, they’re over there."

Philinos tightened his arm around Gu Ning slightly, using his other hand to point his knife toward a spot below.

Gu Ning followed his gesture and looked down. The first thing she saw was Alex. His massive beast form stood across the middle of the street like a great boulder splitting a river, dividing the crowd in two.

Directly in front of him was Barto, besieged by the Mixed Breeds, and beside him stood the dazed little dog, Cook.

A security team squad pushed its way through the crowd, hurrying toward them.

The moment the security team arrived, the group of Mixed Breeds scattered to the winds, fleeing in every direction. They vanished in the blink of an eye. Even Gu Ning, high up in the air, couldn’t spot a single one, as if their retreat had been planned all along.

"Who fired the shot?"

The patrolling security team surrounded Alex and his group. The captain stepped forward, his cold gaze sweeping over them.

Barto ignored the question. He glanced up at Gu Ning in the air, then tugged on Cook, who was craning his neck and looking all around. "Dumb dog, Xiao Ning is up there."

Cook let out an "AWOO" and looked up to find Gu Ning.

Upon seeing Ningning, Cook’s anxiety was instantly soothed. Ignoring the strange Beastman holding her, he jumped and barked up at Gu Ning, his eyes filled with nothing but her.

The security team members all looked up as well. Upon seeing the female above, their stern expressions softened.

"Philinos, let’s go down," Gu Ning said in a low voice, giving him a light pat on the back.

’Judging by the security team’s attitude, we’re probably in trouble.’

Philinos’s back tensed at her touch, and he landed softly on the ground while still holding her.

"Ning... Ning..." Cook dashed to Gu Ning’s side, nuzzling against her affectionately.

The force of the little dog’s nuzzle made Gu Ning sway, and Philinos, who had just withdrawn his arm, immediately reached out to steady her again.

"Let me see, are you hurt?" Gu Ning didn’t notice Philinos’s movement. She held the little dog’s head, rubbing it soothingly as she checked him over and asked in a low voice.

Cook: "Awoo."

Gu Ning breathed a sigh of relief. ’It’s a good thing he isn’t hurt.’ Just now, from the air, she had seen so many Mixed Breeds surrounding and attacking him and Barto; she’d thought for sure they were injured.

"Barto," Gu Ning called out in a hushed voice to the little fox, who was looking down and searching for something on the ground. Hearing her, Barto walked over quickly and slapped Cook on the head. "Dumb dog, where’s the bag?"

Cook froze for a second, then touched his mouth with his paw and looked all around on the ground. Only then did he realize Ningning’s bag was gone.

He let out an "AWOO!" and began anxiously pawing at the snowy ground.

Philinos’s gaze swept the area. His nose twitched as he sniffed the air. "The bag was probably snatched by those Mixed Breeds," he said.

Cook grew even more frantic. He had been carrying the bag, but he hadn’t been careful and had lost it. ’And it had so many yummy snacks inside!’

Seeing the little dog so worked up, Gu Ning held his paws and soothed him, "It’s okay, Cook. I’ll buy you more later."

’The food inside was secondary; the important things were some of Cook’s childhood keepsakes. But Gu Ning figured Cook was more worried about the food, so calming him down was the priority.’

"Awooo..." Cook felt terrible for not taking good care of Ningning’s bag. His spirits sank, and he leaned dejectedly against her.

The patrol members all raised their eyebrows at the sight of such a huge Mixed Breed clinging to the tiny female. Their hearts softened, especially when they saw the young female gently and patiently hugging the Mixed Breed’s large head to comfort him.

’Oh... what a lucky Mixed Breed.’

"Ahem..." The security captain stepped forward and addressed Gu Ning. "Hello, Miss. Excuse me, are you with them?"

He pointed to Cook, Barto, and the impossible-to-ignore Black Wolf.

Gu Ning nodded.

The security captain took out his credentials and showed them to Gu Ning. "I’m afraid they’ll have to come with us to the station."

.

The police station near the entrance to the outer district was usually bustling, but today it was unusually quiet. That was because a gigantic Black Wolf was blocking the main entrance.

Its size and scent alone were enough to make everyone involuntarily tense. This was an alpha wolf. Although the 12th District had its share of Wolf Packs, one of this size was a rare sight.

"It’s like this, Miss."

The officer placed a cup of hot water in front of Gu Ning and explained gently, "While the 12th District doesn’t outright ban weapons, firearms are explicitly forbidden. Moreover, this... person of yours..."

Gu Ning said, "Partner."

Behind her, Barto, Philinos, and a black-and-blue Lanuo—who had been beaten up by the Mixed Breeds—all stared at her, their expressions a mixture of emotions.

Barto, who had been lounging against the wall, immediately straightened up at her word.

The officer glanced at the red-haired Beastman, who now stood with his chest puffed out. "Your partner not only discharged a firearm in a public area, but the weapon itself was never cleared through a checkpoint inspection. He has violated the security regulations of the 12th District. He will be sentenced to a detention of fifteen to thirty days. We are still finalizing the exact duration, and we will issue you the official detention documents by tomorrow."

Gu Ning’s eyes widened slightly, but she quickly composed herself. "Excuse me," she said, "can I... post bail?"

’She had some experience with this, so she wasn’t panicking.’

The officer replied, "You can, but the bail will be quite expensive. Furthermore, during the bail period, he cannot leave the 12th District and will be restricted to a specific area."

Barto frowned and started to speak, but Philinos pulled him back. "If you don’t want to cause her more trouble, shut your mouth. This isn’t Zone 19; you can’t just do whatever you want here."

Barto took a calming breath and leaned back against the wall. Gazing at the back of Gu Ning’s head and replaying her use of the word "partner" in his mind, the anger that had been simmering inside him dissipated.

"Bail... We’ll pay, the bail money," Gu Ning said slowly, trying her best to articulate clearly.

Fortunately, people who spoke the common tongue poorly—or not at all—were not an uncommon sight in the 12th District. The officer had even thoughtfully provided her with a translator, though he hadn’t been needed and was just sitting there idly.

’After all, besides Cook, no one here could understand her mother tongue, and she had no intention of revealing it so casually.’

"If you’re sure about posting bail, please sign here."

The officer handed Gu Ning a document.

Gu Ning looked at the document but couldn’t understand it completely. ’But I can’t just pull out my terminal to translate it right under the nose of the Beast Police,’ she thought. She turned to look at the others behind her.

All three of them stirred, but Gu Ning said, "Philinos."

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