Parasitic Child: Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Business Takeover

Xiao Zhen’s room was clean and cozy, giving off a warm and inviting atmosphere. However, when a small mouse appeared on the spotless floor, it only led to an immediate human freakout.

Xiao Zhen, an alien parasitic entity known as the Soul-Eating Demon, was currently trying hard to disguise himself as a human living in this household. He silently stared at the mouse on the floor, wondering whether he should scream first or grab a broom and hit it directly.

The little mouse’s whiskers twitched. “Calm down, I’m Boss Han’s customer service representative.”

“I know you’re Boss Han’s customer service,” Xiao Zhen grabbed the broom, “but that doesn’t stop me from dealing with an intruder mouse.”

Mr. Mao jumped next to the mouse. “Stop, stop, it’s here because I called it.”

“Why did you call Boss Han’s mouse over?”

The mouse corrected him, “I’m customer service. Mr. Mao is taking a job from my boss.”

Xiao Zhen was stunned. “I thought you avoided dealings with Fox Merchants at all costs.”

Mr. Mao licked his paw. “I hate Fox Merchants, but right now I want to cooperate with them. I need to make some pocket money.”

Just like this planet’s universal currency, credit points were money. Money meant they could buy more convenient equipment to improve their lives. Xiao Zhen admitted he was envious of all the various alien products Boss Han offered, but for some reason, his StarNet account had been frozen. Mr. Mao also claimed to be penniless. At the moment, the only one who could pay in credit points was Captain Ban.

Obviously, they couldn’t always rely on a bird to foot the bill.

Captain Ban landed on the desk and said, “You’ve finally decided to earn money on your own? How admirable.”

“That’s why I called customer service,” Mr. Mao said, nudging the mouse with his paw.

The mouse pointed into the air, and a screen popped up. Han Junqian’s handsome face appeared on it.

Han Junqian greeted Xiao Zhen and the others with an exaggerated smile, “Hey~ How’s everyone doing~”

Boss Han’s face was flawless, comparable to a TV star’s, but his smile was always a bit too forced. Xiao Zhen, while getting goosebumps, couldn’t help but think Han Junqian must have a fundamental misunderstanding of human facial expressions.

Han Junqian flashed a dazzling smile and got down to business.

In short, he knew that Mr. Mao was currently penniless and stranded here. He was now offering a job opportunity. Boss Han had a legitimate license as an agent for the Galactic Bounty Guild branch, and he had many commissions from alien intelligent life forms living in this city. The rewards could be settled in galactic credit points.

“The pay is absolutely reasonable and generous,” Boss Han added.

Trusting a Fox Merchant was about as wise as slitting your own throat.

But they needed credit points.

Xiao Zhen figured that some of Boss Han’s products might come in handy for him in the future. Mr. Mao initiated a three-way mental conference in Xiao Zhen’s head.

“We need to earn credit points. For now, we can take on some commissions from the bounty guild. The three of us working together will get things done faster,” Mr. Mao said.

Captain Ban questioned whether Fox Merchants were trustworthy and asked if Mr. Mao was prepared to eat dirt again.

Xiao Zhen thought for a moment and said, “Fox Merchants aren’t trustworthy, but the Galactic Bounty Guild is. Even if the Fox Merchant is an agent, they’re still under the guild’s supervision. I agree to take the commission and earn credit points.”

Captain Ban abstained from voting, and the three-way meeting concluded smoothly. Mr. Mao became a part-time bounty hunter, with Xiao Zhen and Captain Ban acting as his assistants.

After signing a pile of agreements and completing the necessary procedures, Boss Han cheerfully sent over their first mission.

When they opened the file, a large photo of a Husky appeared on the screen, accompanied by the following details:

Mission Title: Retrieve Pet 456A-5  

Mission Level: C

Mission Validity Period: 7 rotational cycles of the planet

Mission Details: The client is urgently searching for their beloved pet. A photo of the pet is attached below.

The husky in the photo had sleek fur and an arrogant expression.

Captain Ban grumbled, “Find a dog? Are you kidding me? The bounty guild wants us to find a dog?”

“The reward for retrieving this pet is 10,000 credit points.”

Captain Ban shouted, “Of course we’re finding this dog!”

Mr. Mao, however, cautiously remarked, “Isn’t the mission rank a bit too high for just finding a regular pet?”

Xiao Zhen nodded in agreement. He was quite familiar with the Galactic Bounty rankings, and a typical pet retrieval mission should only be ranked F. A C-level ranking and the high bounty were undeniably suspicious.

Boss Han, still smiling, invited them to check the second page.

(Continued from previous page)

(Summary)

This pet is equipped with an optical cloaking device, disguising its appearance as the husky shown in the photo. The true form is unknown.

“What do you mean by ‘true form unknown’?” Xiao Zhen asked.

With a grin, Boss Han answered, “It simply means the client wants to keep it confidential.”

Mr. Mao raised his voice slightly, “You’re telling us to find a creature that looks like a husky but could actually be anything?”

“Exactly.”

“…”

Xiao Zhen followed up, “Is there any other information you can share?”

Boss Han replied, “The husky is named Qiuqiu. It responds to its name.”

“Anything else?”

“All relevant information is in the file. It went missing around a week ago.” A map appeared next to Boss Han’s face, with a red light flashing to mark a specific location. “Its owner is quite distressed right now.”

“Does this creature have any aggressive tendencies?” Xiao Zhen inquired.

Grinning, Boss Han replied, “It’s a pet. The client says it’s well-behaved.”

Yeah, right. Definitely full of lies.

“Don’t forget the Independent Civilization Protocol, and good luck!” Boss Han signed off with a standard sales pitch, his face vanishing from the screen. The mouse twitched its whiskers, spun in a circle, and bid the three Xixinmo farewell.

Mr. Mao commented, “This mission seems suspicious.”

Captain Ban cawed, “But it’s worth 10,000 credit points.”

“This 10,000 credit points are also part of what’s suspicious!” Mr. Mao turned to Xiao Zhen. “This place is a lawless region of the galaxy, outside the jurisdiction of the Safety Committee and the Supervisory Eye. Who knows what dangerous illegal pets these people might be harboring.”

“Boss Han did mention that if anything major happens, it could attract the attention of both the Committee and the Supervisory Eye. I doubt the alien residents here would want to do anything to disturb the peace of this haven,” Xiao Zhen said, rubbing his chin in a thoughtful gesture he had learned from human TV shows. “Let’s just hope this husky is something we can handle.”

“Are we really going to take this job?”

“Yes.” Xiao Zhen looked at the map on the screen. “Because the place where the dog went missing is my school.”

Xiao Zhen’s school was the city’s well-known Fourth High School, a top-tier institution that many parents dreamed of sending their children to. Since it was currently summer vacation, the school was quiet, with only a few students playing ball on the sports field. Otherwise, the place was deserted.

The security guard at the school gate said he hadn’t noticed any stray huskies around. The students on the field also shook their heads, saying they hadn’t seen one either. There was indeed a dog around the school, but it was a large yellow stray that often lounged near the school entrance.

The yellow dog was lazily basking in the sun, barely opening its eyes to glance at Mr. Mao as he passed by, before rolling over and going back to sleep.

Unlike humans, animals still retained a degree of wild instinct and awareness of potential threats. Judging by how relaxed the yellow dog was, it hadn’t been spooked by anything. On the bright side, maybe the missing husky really was just a harmless alien pet.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mao had found a new way to gather information. Several stray cats lived in the school, freeloading food and shelter as the unofficial school cats. With the students on break, the cats were idle, playing around with each other. When Mr. Mao approached them, the cats arched their backs and hissed, trying to fend off the intruder.

From Xiao Zhen’s perspective, Mr. Mao made a few mock-threatening meows before the cats lowered their guard and began communicating with him in their own feline way. After a while, Mr. Mao returned to Xiao Zhen.

“Go buy some sausages,” Mr. Mao said.

“Huh?”

“Those dumb cats want chicken sausages and cod-flavored sausages, not the regular kind.”

“…”

*********

Even though it was summer vacation, the school’s convenience store was still open. Xiao Zhen bought a few sausages.

The cats gathered around, happily eating the sausages, purring in contentment.

As Mr. Mao sat on the ground, he questioned the cats and relayed their answers to Xiao Zhen and Captain Ban.

“They said the big yellow dog at the gate is a fool.”

Xiao Zhen: “I don’t care about that dog’s intelligence. Have they seen the husky or not?”

Mr. Mao: “Cats’ thought processes are a bit scrambled. Their answers tend to jump around. Be patient.”

“Any other information?”

“They said your sausages were so-so. They’d prefer canned food.”

“…Ask them if they’ve seen the husky in the photo!”

“Patience.”

Ten minutes later, Xiao Zhen found himself knowing more about the students who regularly fed the cats than about the husky. The cats still hadn’t gotten to the point.

Captain Ban flapped his wings: “This is why I often feel like pecking cats’ tails. They’re just too dumb.”

“Don’t make excuses for your host’s weird habits!!”

When the sausages were completely eaten and even the ground was licked clean, one of the fattest tabby cats licked its paws and finally said something noteworthy to Mr. Mao.

“Missing?”

Mr. Mao nodded. “It said its companions have mysteriously disappeared from time to time.”

“And what does that have to do with the husky?”

“This school has had several cats go missing. The cats suspect there’s a sinister cat thief.”

“Does that have anything to do with the husky we’re looking for?”

“Not as far as we can tell.”

“…Give me back the sausages I bought!”

“Calm down.” Mr. Mao exchanged a few more words with the tabby. “It said there’s a suspicious guy at a scrap yard on the street behind the school. They think he’s the cat thief.”

“We’re not here to solve a cat-napping case!”

“That guy recently got a dog. A husky.”

“……”

The three alien mindflayers quickly arrived at the scrap yard the cats had mentioned. The area behind the school belonged to the old part of the city, and deep within a narrow alley was the scrap yard. Piles of unsorted junk spilled onto the alleyway, and stagnant water pooled on the ground. Behind the mountain of scrap was a weathered wooden door.

Xiao Zhen stepped forward and knocked. The door creaked open, revealing a dark interior. He entered, greeted by the damp, musty smell in the air. The room was cluttered with all kinds of junk, and every step crunched on stacks of old books and magazines.

“Ugh, it stinks,” Mr. Mao muttered, clearly uncomfortable with the smell in the warehouse. A cat’s sense of smell is about 80 times stronger than a human’s, so the scent was especially unpleasant for him.

“Is anyone here?” Xiao Zhen called out. He heard the sound of something running behind the clutter. Just as he was about to investigate, a figure emerged from behind the shelves. “Who is it?”

The person was a short man, appearing to be in his 60s. He looked tired and was likely the suspicious “uncle” the cats had mentioned.

“Are you the owner of this scrap yard?” Xiao Zhen asked.

The uncle nodded.

Xiao Zhen took out a photo and asked if he had seen the dog in the picture.

The uncle stared at Xiao Zhen, silent for a moment before answering, “No.”

“Someone said you have a dog…”

“No, no,” the uncle interrupted anxiously, “I don’t have any dog here.”

“You’re really not raising…”

“There’s no husky here. I said I don’t have one!”

Xiao Zhen activated his detection skill, his invisible mental tendrils probing into the uncle’s mind. The man was clearly resisting, his thoughts swirling with panic and desire, like rain scattering around Xiao Zhen’s probing consciousness. He glimpsed the image of a smiling child and other blurry fragments. As he tried to delve deeper, the mental images shrieked and scattered away.

Just then, the door creaked open, and a young man entered. “Lao Wang, I’m here to sell some scrap paper.” The young man noticed Xiao Zhen and exclaimed, “Yan Zhen? What a coincidence!”

Who are you?

Xiao Zhen looked at the man in front of him, but Yan Zhen’s memory offered no information. Apart from Liu Xingquan and Cui Mingzhi, Xiao Zhen knew nothing about Yan Zhen’s social circle. The young man wore glasses and looked quite refined.

The uncle smiled. “Teacher Feng, more magazines?”

The young man pulled out a large bundle of magazines from behind him. “Yeah, see how much these can fetch.”

Xiao Zhen quickly echoed, “Teacher Feng.” Teacher Feng and Lao Wang, the uncle, seemed quite familiar with each other, like a regular customer. Teacher Feng smiled and asked, “Yan Zhen, are you here to sell scrap too?”

“I’m looking for a dog, a husky. Teacher, have you seen a husky around here?”

“A husky?” Teacher Feng replied, “I haven’t really noticed any.”

Naturally, Teacher Feng’s attention shifted to Captain Ban standing behind Xiao Zhen. “Why… why do you have a chicken behind you?”

“He’s my friend.”

“Oh…” Teacher Feng’s eyes began to wander, likely unable to comprehend why his student would keep a chicken as a pet.

After that, the conversation between the teacher and student inevitably shifted to homework. When Teacher Feng asked how Xiao Zhen was progressing with his summer assignments, Xiao Zhen quickly ended the conversation and exited the scrap yard.

That uncle, Lao Wang, was hiding something.

This was the unanimous conclusion of the three Mind Eaters.

Mind probing was an inherent skill of the Mind Eaters’ true forms.

Lao Wang’s emotions had fluctuated greatly after seeing the photo. Though he tried to conceal it, Xiao Zhen and the others saw right through him.

He was definitely hiding something. But with Teacher Feng present, Xiao Zhen and his companions couldn’t force their way in for a closer look.

Mr. Mao said, “I think the husky is with him.”

Captain Ban corrected, “It’s that thing that only looks like a husky on the surface.”

This was exactly what worried Xiao Zhen. A Class-C request, with a reward of 10,000 credits—there were only two possibilities. One, this pet was extremely rare and valuable, and the client was hiding its species to avoid trouble. Two, the pet was difficult to capture—either it had an extraordinary ability to escape or it was highly dangerous and aggressive.

In the Galactic Sector, 10,000 credits could hire the best hunters to track down a ferocious giant tyrant lizard. Right now, Xiao Zhen sincerely hoped the client was just an extravagant benefactor who loved to throw money around for a beloved, well-behaved pet.

They weren’t really afraid of whatever alien beast the pet might turn out to be, but rather the endless troubles that would follow if they caused a commotion. For instance, the Supervisory Eye. Or the Security Committee.

The biggest headache would be if this pet turned out to be some massive creature that caused a lot of chaos, and they still had to make sure the local humans believed that everything was fine, that nothing had happened at all.

If you're enjoying the story don't forget to support the author! You can also support me on KOFI for site maintenance, raws purchase or as an energy boost~ 

Join discord to get notified whenever a new chapter is uploaded since I'm  incapable of keeping up with a schedule~