Parasitic Child: Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Dog from the sky.

Even heaven has moments when it opens its eyes.

It wasn’t until the next day that Lao Wang fully accepted the good fortune of this miraculous Husky.

This dog was definitely not an ordinary mutt. The fur, the eyes, the markings—all of it revealed the dog’s pure lineage and flawless quality. Lao Wang pulled out an old pet magazine from his paper pile, examining the Husky from every angle, confirming it was undoubtedly a one-in-a-million, impeccable show-quality dog.

And, surprisingly, this Husky was very well-behaved—unlike the “typical” Huskies he’d heard about.

When he had inquired about prices at the pet store, the clerk had described Huskies like this: “This breed is especially silly—hence the nickname ‘Erha’ (goofy Husky). They excel at destroying homes, love eating, and are full of energy.”

But this Husky was different. It was so quiet, it didn’t even seem like a dog. As a country man, Lao Wang had owned dogs before and knew they loved to run around and dig everywhere, but this one was nothing like that.

Most of the time, it just stayed in the corner, quietly watching Lao Wang work. It didn’t bark, didn’t cause trouble, and the only thing it did was occasionally nibble on some paper.

This stirred a sense of pity in Lao Wang. According to the pet store clerk, this type of show-quality dog was high-class, with special needs for food and care. Eating paper just seemed beneath its dignity.

Lao Wang tried offering his own meal, but the Husky only sniffed at it, looking uninterested.

Did it want raw meat? He went to the market and bought two pounds of tenderloin and chicken breast, but the Husky just sniffed and turned away again. Then he went to the store to buy the dog food the clerk had recommended, pouring a full bowl, but this time it didn’t even sniff, completely ignoring it.

This was getting strange—what on earth was this dog being so picky about?

Over the next few days, the Husky only ate paper. Old newspapers and magazines were its only diet. Lao Wang, after all his years, had never encountered anything like this. He knew dogs might eat odd things, but to find one with a taste for paper? Perhaps this dog was a scholar in its past life. High-class dogs were certainly different.

After a few days, seeing that the Husky was as healthy as ever, with a fine coat and good energy, he accepted its paper-only diet.

Liang Liang had gone away for a summer camp out of town, and when he returned, it would be his birthday. By then, Lao Wang could bring this Husky to meet him. He could already imagine Liang Liang’s eyes widening with excitement, joyfully shouting, “Grandpa, you’re the best!”

This show-quality dog, worth well over ten thousand yuan at the pet store, would surely make his son and daughter-in-law smile too.

So, he was in high spirits, completely putting behind him the incident where the enforcement team had cleared out his old goods. As for the idea that this Husky might be lost, that its owner could be searching frantically, or that it could be someone else’s beloved pet—these thoughts did cross his mind but were quickly overshadowed by visions of Liang Liang’s smile. No one had come by looking for it, so he became even more convinced that this Husky was heaven’s gift to him.

After years of painstakingly raising his son, his only thought now was his grandson. Heaven must have seen how honest and diligent he was and finally decided to bless him with the one thing Liang Liang wanted most. With this dog, his grandson would be happy, and his son might finally agree to let his grandson visit him more often.

And so Lao Wang continued to think this way, feeling completely justified.

This Husky also behaved as he wished: it didn’t run around or bark. It accepted the little nest Lao Wang arranged for it and naturally chewed on his old newspapers as though it was truly his dog. The only unusual thing was that it never wagged its tail.

No matter how Lao Wang tried to coax it, it only looked at him with those beautiful blue eyes, its tail perfectly still. So, Lao Wang figured this dog must be nobler than others—more like a wolf, hence unlikely to engage in such fawning behavior.

By the third day, the Husky even started helping him with his work. It would use its mouth to pick up miscellaneous items in the warehouse and pile them neatly, saving Lao Wang quite a bit of effort. At first, Lao Wang was astonished, but soon he happily accepted it. No wonder this kind of dog could sell for over ten thousand yuan—it was even cleverer than the village mutts. If he weren’t set on gifting it to his beloved Liang Liang, Lao Wang would’ve wanted to keep it himself.

This quiet Husky not only won his affection but also attracted nearby dogs. A stray yellow dog that wandered the area somehow caught a whiff of the Husky and began hanging around the entrance of Lao Wang’s recycling stand every day. Whenever the Husky so much as peeked out, the yellow dog would wag its tail and try to approach, hoping for a sniff or nuzzle.

Irritated, Lao Wang thought, This is a show-quality Husky, a dog fit for competitions abroad. Does a stray dog like you think you can just waltz up and touch it? He grabbed a stick and went out to chase the yellow dog away. But the yellow dog was cunning; it ran off the moment it saw the stick, only to return shortly after, loitering nearby again. Exasperated, Lao Wang stamped his foot but could do nothing about it, ultimately conceding that this Husky truly was charming, even attracting a love-struck fool of a stray.

Then, just as Lao Wang was picturing the bright smile on Liang Liang’s face for his birthday, someone came looking for the dog.

It was a very handsome young man. When he stepped inside, his dark eyes swept around the room, making Lao Wang’s heart beat a little faster.

The boy took out a photograph and asked Lao Wang if he had seen this dog. At the sight of the picture, Lao Wang’s mind went blank. Although he thought all Huskies looked somewhat similar, he could instantly recognize the unique beauty of the one he had found.

There was no mistaking it—this was the Husky he’d picked up.

Lao Wang’s heart pounded. How did this kid find this place? Ever since I took in the dog, I haven’t taken it out for walks, so no one should’ve seen it. Does he know something?

The boy was waiting for his response.

His mouth spoke before his brain had fully processed: “No, I haven’t seen it.”

The boy said, “Someone mentioned you had a dog…”

“No, no,” Lao Wang said, his voice suddenly flustered. “I don’t keep any dog here.” He turned his head, avoiding the boy’s hopeful gaze.

His face felt hot, his heart pounding. Honest and straightforward all his life, Lao Wang never imagined he’d lie to a child over something like this. He felt terribly guilty; if the boy pressed him just a bit more, Lao Wang felt he’d buckle under pressure and confess everything, even bringing the Husky out to return it.

Just then, his regular customer, Teacher Feng, saved him. Teacher Feng happened to be the boy’s teacher and arrived just in time, allowing Lao Wang to breathe a sigh of relief. The boy, whose name was Yan Zhen, didn’t stay long; he exchanged a few words with Teacher Feng before leaving.

After the boy left, guilt weighed on Lao Wang, and he asked Teacher Feng, “You know him?”

Teacher Feng nodded. “He’s my student, Yan Zhen. Strange, though—what would bring this young master to a recycling center?”

“Young master?”

Teacher Feng laughed, “You didn’t know? He’s the son of President Yan, the company president.”

Lao Wang was taken aback. “President Yan?” 

“Who else could it be?” Teacher Feng replied. “He’s the most famous one in our city. Isn’t your son working at his company?”

“…”

After Teacher Feng left, Lao Wang fell into a state of extreme panic. Of course, he knew who President Yan was. 

He had once visited the high-rise office building where his son worked. He didn’t have the credentials to go inside, so he could only push his cart through a side entrance to collect scrap paper. After finishing, he pushed his cart to leave the premises under the disdainful gaze of the security guard. 

The garbage cart broke a spoke due to the excessive weight. Just then, a black car drove up, and Lao Wang was caught off guard, sitting down hard on the ground. The driver leaned out and asked what happened.

Lao Wang explained that his cart was broken. The driver glanced at him with contempt, looking ready to lash out. Just then, someone got out of the car. The driver immediately put on a smile, saying, “President Yan, why did you get out? I’ll have the waste collectors hurry up.”

President Yan looked to be only in his thirties; Lao Wang even felt old enough to be his father. Unlike the driver, President Yan spoke very gently, asking if he had been hit by the car. Lao Wang quickly shook his head, saying he just fell over clumsily.

Then President Yan, showing great kindness, helped him up himself, called for security to assist in moving his cart to the side of the road, and even arranged for someone to fix it. Because of President Yan’s attitude, the security guards who had initially looked at him with scorn immediately changed their demeanor, and some even discreetly inquired about the relationship between President Yan and Lao Wang.

That day, Lao Wang was enveloped in a mixture of astonishment and wonderful joy. His son’s big boss was President Yan! People often say you can judge a person’s character through small matters, and this boss was so nice that he would surely treat his employees well. Lao Wang felt a vague sense of reassurance regarding his son’s present and future.

But now, he began to tremble with anxiety.

That boy was actually President Yan’s son, which meant this Husky belonged to President Yan’s family.

If he really treated this dog as a gift for Liang Liang and it was discovered later, he’d be labeled a “dog thief.” His son would lose face, and it could impact his son’s career at the company. How would Liang Liang see him as a grandfather?

Lao Wang, frantic, pulled at his messy hair as he paced the room. How could he be so foolish? Why did he go off the deep end and outright deny it to that boy?

He recalled the boy’s innocent and hopeful eyes, and guilt and regret washed over him as he sat down hard on the floor.

What should he do now?

The Husky raised its head and looked at him, hearing the commotion.

Even in this moment of anxiety, fear, and confusion, Lao Wang still thought it was an exceptionally beautiful dog, with shiny fur and deep blue eyes, quietly gazing back at him. 

He had originally entertained the thought of abandoning the dog, but now he had not a single trace of that feeling left.

He hugged the dog tightly and whispered, “What should I do?” If he took the dog to meet President Yan and properly apologized, would President Yan forgive him? Even if President Yan could forgive him, what about his son? He had lied to him after all. What if this affected his son’s career and future?

Regret and shame overwhelmed him, and he nearly cried while holding the dog. The dog extended its tongue and licked his face.

“Knock, knock, knock.” There was a knock at the door.  

Who could it be at this hour?

Lao Wang opened the door to find a stranger standing at the entrance. When their eyes met, Lao Wang’s heart skipped a beat, and his body involuntarily took a step back.

The unfamiliar visitor was tall and expressionless. His cold gaze swept through the room and landed directly on the husky.

Without saying a word, he walked straight toward the husky.

“Hey? Who are you?” Lao Wang exclaimed, both shocked and angry, trying to block the stranger’s path.

“This isn’t your dog,” the stranger replied. His voice was quiet, yet it startled Lao Wang, causing him to shiver.

“W-What do you mean? Who are you?”

The stranger stared at the husky in the room, and the husky silently returned his gaze. In that moment, Lao Wang felt a strange and beautiful blue light flicker in the husky’s eyes.

After the blue light flashed by, the stranger suddenly displayed a look of confusion, and his expression softened somewhat. He muttered, “This isn’t the target I’m looking for.”

“Huh?”

“This isn’t the target I’m looking for.” The stranger repeated this and then turned to leave.

Lao Wang stood frozen in place, feeling utterly bewildered. He turned to look at the husky, which acted as if nothing had happened and approached him, rubbing against his leg.

What kind of strange person was that? Lao Wang muttered to himself. He reached out to close the door when he noticed a cat silently jump off the windowsill and disappear into the darkness.

**********

Mr. Mao said, “I’ve roughly deduced the characteristics of this pet.”

Xiao Zhen asked, “What is it?”

After visiting the scrap yard during the day, Mr. Mao had quietly surveilled Lao Wang’s home.

Now, he was holding an intelligence feedback meeting with the other two Mind Eaters.

“This pet is initially inferred to be a herbivorous creature. It has a strong liking for paper, and it’s speculated that it primarily feeds on plant fibers. From its few days of living with Lao Wang, it appears to have no aggression towards him or humans.”

Xiao Zhen said, “Sounds pretty good.”

Captain Ban remarked, “A harmless herbivorous pet worth 10,000 credits. Its original owner must be a wealthy person who’s burning through money!”

Mr. Mao licked his paw and replied, “No, it’s not that simple.”

“What do you mean?”

“I just saw another bounty hunter. Even disguised as a human, I could smell his scent.”  

“You mean there are other aliens showing up?”  

“Yes, they’re Gnusians.”  

Gnusians are a type of intelligent life form originating from the Wide Star Region.  

Xiao Zhen wasn’t surprised; with fox merchants and bounty guilds on this planet, it was only natural that there would be other aliens as well. This target was worth ten thousand credits, so it made sense that other alien bounty hunters would be eager to try their luck.  

“So, are you saying that this pet was snatched by the Gnusians?”  

Mr. Mao shook his head. “No, no, no. What I’m about to say next is the pet’s peculiar nature.”  

He looked at Xiao Zhen and the chicken with satisfaction and cleared his throat. “That Gnusian turned and walked away like a fool after seeing the pet.”  

“What do you mean?”  

“I’m sure that husky is the target of the mission. You know how Gnusians are; they’re muscle-brained, just charge in, grab the pet, and run. But that guy just now looked like he was on drugs, staring blankly, saying this wasn’t the target, and then he turned and left.”  

“…” Xiao Zhen said, “I get what you mean now. Are you saying this pet has the ability to manipulate others’ consciousness?”  

“Yes. I detected brainwave fluctuations,” Mr. Mao said. “If I’m not mistaken, this pet should have the ability to manipulate memories. In that moment, it altered the Gnusian’s memory, causing him to leave.”  

The chicken flapped its wings and exclaimed, “This pet can modify memories?? Herbivorous, non-aggressive, and that scrap yard is so damp—I know what this thing is!! There are really crazy people who keep something like this as a pet?”  

Xiao Zhen stroked his chin, “I get it now. No wonder the high price of ten thousand credits has been hanging there for so long without anyone claiming it. Probably the moment those bounty hunters found it, they were brainwashed and sent away.”  

“Exactly,” Mr. Mao said. “It not only brainwashed and sent away all the bounty hunters who came looking for it, but I suspect it also altered the memories of the person who adopted it, Lao Wang.”

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