Virtual Idol in the Beast World: Five Clans Fight Over Me

"Alright, you can go."

The officer took the document the little fox had signed, glanced at it, and removed the tracker from his ankle.

The bare-chested Beastman pressed against the iron bars of his cell, surprised. "Little Boss, you’re getting out already?"

Barto puffed out his chest proudly. "Of course I’m getting out quick. Someone’s bailing me out."

The bare-chested Beastman was skeptical. "Don’t you need to be family to bail someone out? Since when do you have any family? Must’ve cost a fortune, huh?"

Barto flicked his tail and huffed, "My brother is waiting for me outside. You think I’m like you? Even if you had a brother, he wouldn’t come bail you out."

He walked past him and flashed a pinky finger at him. "You just stay put in here."

The bare-chested Beastman grew furious at his words. "Just you wait, you red-furred fox! The second I get out, I’m wrecking your stall!"

Barto paid him no mind and raised two pinky fingers at him.

’Wreck my stall? I’ll chop off his tail.’

He quickened his pace, excitedly following the officer to the office to find Gu Ning.

’I wonder how that guy managed to bail me out. He can’t even talk, so how could the police believe they’re related?’

’He must have spent a fortune to get me out.’

’Honestly, what was the point of spending all that money?’

Though Barto thought this, his heart was leaping with joy.

’The little Mixed Breed does have a conscience after all...’

"Where are they...?"

Barto stood at the door, his gaze sweeping back and forth across the nearly empty office. He couldn’t see Gu Ning or Cook.

He looked up at the officer who had brought him. "Didn’t you say they were here?"

The officer found it strange too and asked a colleague in the office.

"Oh, them? They just left." The colleague explained that Cook had run off.

When Barto heard that Gu Ning had gone out to chase after Cook, the corners of his mouth drooped, and the brilliant light in his eyes instantly faded.

Alex’s car stopped at the mouth of the alley.

Gu Ning recognized the familiar street. She shrugged off her cumbersome jacket, pushed open the car door, and jumped out.

Alex didn’t even have time to reach for her. He snatched her jacket, quickly got out of the car, and followed her.

A heavy snow was still falling outside. Stepping out of the warm car, Gu Ning felt like she had just walked into a walk-in freezer.

Alex draped the jacket over her. His voice was a bit deep. "Put it on, quickly."

Worried about Cook and afraid of unexpected trouble, Gu Ning knew the jacket would be restrictive. She only let it drape over her shoulders.

Just then, a police car pulled up behind Alex. Leighton got out and hurried to catch up with them.

Two other armed officers followed a short distance behind.

Gu Ning had only taken a few steps into the alley when a familiar WOOF WOOF came from up ahead.

She focused her eyes and saw Cook’s figure sprinting toward her.

"Ning... Ning!"

Seeing Cook safe and sound, Gu Ning let out a small sigh of relief.

But when Cook saw the two tall Beastmen beside her, his clear, excited eyes instantly turned savage. He let out a low growl and lunged at them.

Alex and Leighton were prepared.

The moment before Cook pounced, Alex wrapped an arm around Gu Ning’s waist, lifted her up, and stepped aside.

Before Gu Ning could react, she caught a glimpse of Leighton pulling out a gun and aiming it forward.

Her eyes widened, and she blurted out, "Don’t!"

Hearing Gu Ning speak, Alex froze for a moment.

Gu Ning heard Cook whimper and fall to the ground. Thinking Leighton had shot and hurt him, she burst out with surprising strength and broke free from Alex’s grasp while he was stunned.

She fell onto the snow. Before she could get a clear look at Cook’s condition, Alex scooped her up again.

"He’s fine. Cook’s fine." Alex placed a hand on her shoulder, soothing her in a gentle voice. "It’s a tranquilizer gun. He needs to calm down."

"ARF!"

Cook was pinned to the ground by Leighton, his eyes fixed on Gu Ning as he struggled desperately.

Seeing him like this, Gu Ning was so anxious she could have stomped her feet. She slapped at Alex’s hand, demanding he let her go.

After about twenty seconds, Cook went limp, his tongue lolling out, and stopped moving.

"Whoa. Tough one, aren’t you? Lasted that long," Leighton patted Cook’s face, amazed.

Even a strong, healthy Beastman couldn’t withstand his tranquilizer gun for more than a few seconds, yet this Mixed Breed had held on for so long.

"Let them go!!!"

A red figure shot forward from behind them like a bolt of lightning, pouncing toward Alex.

Gu Ning heard Barto’s voice and turned to look.

Alex reacted instantly, sidestepping Barto’s attack.

Barto missed in mid-air. He landed nimbly on a nearby pile of junk, used it to launch himself at Alex again, and opened his mouth to bite down hard on the arm holding Gu Ning.

The pain didn’t make Alex flinch. Fearing that Gu Ning would get hurt in the fight, he flung Barto away and then let her go.

Once free, Gu Ning saw Cook lying motionless on the ground. In a panic, she ran over and tried to shove Leighton away, but he didn’t budge, and the force of her own push sent her tumbling backward onto her butt.

Leighton thought the little Mixed Breed was trying to attack him. He had just raised his tranquilizer gun when he saw she had only managed to knock herself down. He froze for a moment, then said with an amused chuckle, "What was that all about?"

Meanwhile, Barto saw Leighton pointing the gun at Gu Ning. Without a second thought, he leaped forward and bit his hand—right in the same spot Cook had bitten him earlier.

"HISS..."

The wound on Leighton’s hand hadn’t fully healed yet. He cried out in pain and violently shook the damned fox off his arm.

Gu Ning had just scrambled to her feet when Barto’s big, fluffy tail knocked her over again. At the same time, Leighton flung Barto, sending him flying to land right beside her.

The two of them were now lying in the snow.

Leighton’s hand was now a bloody mess from Barto’s bite.

Seeing him attacked, the two accompanying officers immediately raised their guns.

Alex sighed at the chaotic scene. He muttered an apology to the two officers, then pulled an electric shock gun from his pocket and zapped them.

Leighton saw his two officers collapse and cursed, "What the hell... Are you and your whole family insane?"

Alex raised his hands toward him. "Sorry, Officer Leiton. I think we all need to calm down."

Leighton aimed the tranquilizer gun at him. "Fine! You can all calm down, then!"

Seeing Leighton about to shoot Alex, Gu Ning grabbed a handful of snow from the ground and threw it in Leighton’s face.

His vision obscured by the snow, Leighton’s shot went wide, and Alex dodged it.

He wiped his eyes, a cold expression on his face, and grabbed the front of Gu Ning’s collar, shoving her toward the ground.

"Let her go!" Barto leaped at him.

Leighton raised his arm to block. After the little fox latched onto his arm, he slammed it hard onto the ground. As it tried to recover, he twisted around and grabbed it by the neck.

Sensing Alex approaching, Leighton threw Barto directly at him.

Then he hauled Gu Ning up from the ground, intending to use the little Mixed Breed to make the others calm down.

Held like that, a familiar fear washed over Gu Ning. She kicked wildly at Leighton. In her struggle, her loose-fitting work cap fell from her head, and its strap caught her goggles, pulling them off as well.

Leighton turned his head and met Gu Ning’s glistening, tear-filled eyes.

"..."