Time flew by. Only half a month remained before the Pet Battle Tournament that had captured the hearts of countless people.
Early that morning, more than twenty of the Wang Family's elite youths, including Wang Keke, were summoned to the grand hall of the family's main training grounds, a place large enough to rival a small stadium. Their battle pets, each with a different appearance, came with them.
The atmosphere was solemn and grave. The family head, Wang Qingtian, stood on the raised platform with his hands behind his back, his expression serious. Behind him stood several powerful family elders, along with more than a dozen steady, capable family members, including Aunt Zhang.
Lin Mo crouched beside Wang Keke. He had grown to the size of a large dog, and his white fur shimmered silver in the light. His wings were folded against his back, and his amber eyes held a trace of distinctly human scrutiny as he sized up the scene. What's all this about? A pre-battle pep rally? They're acting like we're going to war.
Wang Qingtian's gaze swept over every young, spirited face below. His voice rang out, deep and powerful, as he began his speech:
"Children! You are the future of the Wang Family, the hope of our clan!" It was a classic opening. Lin Mo translated it automatically in his head: My little cash crops, looking healthy. Time to harvest.
"Do you know how prosperous Huaxia was before the Great Calamity? Now we can only huddle inside the Base Cities, while outside the walls lie endless hordes of monsters and ruins riddled with danger!"
Wang Qingtian spoke with sorrow, describing the hardships of the past and the harshness of the present. "My Wang Family rose from the ruins of the Great Calamity and established itself in Northeast Base City. What do you think made that possible?"
He paused, his gaze growing more intense. "The blood and sacrifice of generation after generation of our people—and the choices we had no other option but to make!"
Before his words had even faded, he suddenly tore open the jacket of his combat uniform, baring his muscular back! Aunt Zhang and the dozen or so family members behind him likewise ripped open the clothes covering their backs!
Hiss—!
Gasps rang out across the hall!
Every one of them had an intricate framework of supports and connectors embedded along their spine, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen! The metal seemed completely integrated with their bones and nerves, giving them an inhuman, mechanical air!
Wang Qingtian's voice turned faintly hoarse. "Do you see? This is the price we paid! To gain the strength to protect our family and our Base City as quickly as possible, we gave up the slower path of natural evolution, with its greater potential, and chose to have the Extreme Spine implanted! It gave us the combat strength of a War General, but it also all but cut off our chance to advance further!"
His gaze passed over the shocked young faces below. "We did it willingly! For our country, for our families, and so you could grow up in relative safety! We are the family's temporary, crude 'backbone'!"
He pointed to the map of Northeast Base City and its surroundings hanging on the hall's wall. "Do you know that the Wang Family has five War General-level fighters in public records? But where are your Uncle Thirteen and the Fifth Elder most of the time? At Songhua Satellite City! On the front lines! They fight monsters with their Extreme Spines, fighting for our country and our family's room to survive!"
"And now!"
Wang Qingtian's voice rose sharply, brimming with fervor. "It's your turn!"
"You have better talent than we did and a brighter future!"
"You don't have to rely on an external device to force your growth like we did!"
"You and your battle pets are the family's new backbone, full of limitless potential!"
"The upcoming Pet Battle Tournament is about more than a simple competition!"
"It will determine the shares of mining rights for three rich iron deposits and one rare associated crystal deposit outside the city! Those resources will shape the family's reserves and pace of development for the next ten years!"
"And more importantly!" he practically shouted. "This is a pilot program and a bellwether for the country's strategy of 'using beasts to control beasts' and making peaceful use of monster power!"
"The people at the top want to see whether we humans can really tame and raise monsters, turning them into allies against the apocalypse rather than merely our enemies! You carry the fate of our family on your shoulders—and perhaps even a possible future for humanity!"
His words set the young people below ablaze with fervor, their eyes reddening. Even their battle pets seemed to sense the tragic, stirring mood, letting out low whines and growls. Wang Keke clenched her fists, her body trembling slightly with excitement.
Lin Mo was swept up in the atmosphere for a moment, but then he noticed something: the Great Elder and Second Elder, standing beside Wang Qingtian, wore faint expressions of discomfort and awkwardness.
Especially when Wang Qingtian spoke of "cutting off any chance to advance" and "doing it willingly," the corners of their mouths seemed to twitch almost imperceptibly.
Hmm? Something fishy going on? Lin Mo's gossip-loving—no, investigative—spirit began to burn.
Sure enough, once the rousing speech ended, the young members, fired up and shouting, headed off with their battle pets to prepare for the next day's "live-fire ruins trial outside the city." Only a few senior family members remained in the hall.
Wang Qingtian, who had just looked so solemn and righteous, calmly put his jacket back on, his expression blank.
At last, the Great Elder, who had held his tongue until now, couldn't resist. In his slightly hoarse voice, he teased, "Well, well, Qingtian, you're really something. All smiles on the surface, ruthless underneath—you put on quite a show! That whole 'backbone' speech nearly brought these old bones of mine to tears."
The Second Elder stroked his beard and joined in, his tone dripping with mockery. "Exactly. And about the Extreme Spine cutting off any chance to advance... I seem to recall that the Extreme Alliance introduced 'neuron regeneration repair fluid' and 'advanced energy guidance methods' three years ago."
"They're expensive, sure, but with the Wang Family's wealth, repairing the foundations of a few core members would sting, but it wouldn't be impossible. Why did you make it sound like you'd sacrificed everything?"
He imitated Wang Qingtian's earlier tone. "'We did it willingly! We gave up any chance to advance!' Pfft. You've got quite the way of spinning a tale for the youngsters. You don't even blush. No wonder everyone picked you to be family head back then. You really do know how to rally the troops."
Wang Qingtian's solemn expression darkened before their eyes. He shot the two old spoilsports a cold glance and let out an ambiguous snort.
"Hmph! What do you know?"
Jade had to be carved before it could become a useful vessel!
If they didn't put some pressure on the youngsters and make them feel the family's "burden," how could they grow quickly?
"The repair fluid and guidance methods exist, but the family paid a huge price to obtain them! Could we just tell the youngsters that? We need them to feel a sense of urgency and responsibility!"
He straightened his collar and regained the dignity of the family head, but muttered under his breath, "Besides, watching those little brats get completely taken in was pretty entertaining..."
His voice might have been quiet, but everyone present had sharp ears.
The Great Elder and Second Elder exchanged a glance. They both wore expressions that said, "Just as I thought," and "You old fox," then shook their heads with a laugh.
Lin Mo had taken in the whole conversation with his keen hearing. Wang Keke was now hugging his neck and rubbing against him, her cheeks warm from excitement.
He ranted to himself:
Good grief! So that whole tearjerker of a speech was all a ploy! The Wang Family head is a downright cunning old fox!
He paints them a rosy picture, builds up his image, and sells them anxiety... What a flawless combination! In my old life, he'd have been a top-tier cult recruiter or a workplace gaslighting guru!
But... a live-fire trial in the ruins outside the city? A glint of excitement and greed flashed in Lin Mo's tiger eyes. Sounds like there'll be plenty of wild monsters to devour!
Looks like this pre-battle pep rally, though motivated by less-than-pure intentions, might work out just fine for him after all.
Before you continue