The Family's "Backbone" and the Scheming Mobilization

Time flies like a white horse passing a crack in a wall; only half a month remains until the Pet Battle Tournament that has captured the hearts of countless people.

Early this morning, over twenty elite descendants of the Wang Family, including Wang Keke, along with their diverse pet beasts, were summoned to the grand hall of the family's main training ground, a space comparable to a small stadium.

The atmosphere was solemn and grave. The family head, Wang Qingtian, stood on a high platform with his hands behind his back, his expression heavy. Behind him stood several powerful elders of the family, as well as over a dozen steady and seasoned core members, including Aunt Zhang.

Lin Mo sat crouched beside Wang Keke. He was now as formidable as a large dog, his white fur shimmering with silver light under the hall's illumination. With his wings tucked against his back and his amber eyes holding a hint of human-like scrutiny, he observed the formation. What kind of stunt is this? A pre-battle mobilization? They're acting like we're about to head to the front lines.

Wang Qingtian's gaze was like a torch, sweeping over every young and vibrant face below. His voice was deep and powerful as he began his speech:

"Children! You are the future of the Wang Family, the hope of our clan!" The opening was classic. Lin Mo automatically translated it in his mind: 'My little leeks, you're growing well; time for the harvest.'

"Do you know how prosperous and flourishing Huaxia was before the Great Cataclysm? Yet today, we can only cower within the base cities. Outside the walls lie endless monsters and ruins riddled with crisis!"

Wang Qingtian's tone was pained as he described the hardships of history and the cruelty of reality. "The Wang Family was able to rise from the ruins of the Great Cataclysm and stand tall in Northeast Base City. What did we rely on?"

He paused, his gaze deepening. "We relied on the blood, sacrifice, and... the unavoidable choices of generations of clansmen!"

Before the words had even faded, he suddenly tore open his combat jacket, revealing his muscular back! At the same time, Aunt Zhang and the dozen or so core members behind him also tore open the clothing on their backs in unison!

Hiss--!

A collective gasp of cold air echoed through the hall!

Every one of their spines was embedded with dense, intricate brackets and connectors that shimmered with a cold, metallic luster! Those metal objects seemed to have completely fused with their bones and nerves, exuding an inhuman, mechanical coldness!

Wang Qingtian's voice carried a hint of imperceptible hoarseness. "Do you see this? This is the price! To gain the power to protect our family and the base city in the shortest time possible, we abandoned the step-by-step path of natural evolution, which holds greater potential, and chose to implant this 'Extreme Spine'! It granted us War General-level combat power, but it also nearly severed our possibility for further advancement!"

His gaze swept over the shocked young faces below. "We did it willingly! For the country, for our families, and so that you could have a relatively stable environment to grow up in! We are the temporary, crude 'backbone' of this family!"

He pointed to the map of Northeast Base City and its surroundings hanging on the hall wall and said in a deep voice, "Do you know? On the surface, our Wang Family has five War General-level fighters! But where are your Uncle Thirteen and the Fifth Elder? They are in Songhua Satellite City! On the front lines! Using their 'Extreme Spine' to fight monsters and carve out living space for the country and our family!"

"And now!"

Wang Qingtian's voice suddenly rose, filled with passion. "It is your turn!"

"You possess better talent and a brighter future than we ever did!"

"You do not need to rely on such external objects to force your growth as we did!"

"You and your pet beasts are the new 'backbone' of the family, filled with infinite possibilities!"

"The upcoming Pet Battle Tournament is not just a simple competition!"

"It concerns the distribution ratio of mining rights for three rich iron mines and one rare associated crystal mine outside the city! This relates to the family's resource reserves and development speed for the next decade!"

"More importantly!" He was practically shouting. "This is a pilot program and a bellwether for the country's strategy of 'using beasts to control beasts' and the peaceful utilization of monster power!"

"The higher-ups want to see if we humans can truly tame and cultivate monsters, making them our helpers in fighting the apocalypse rather than just our enemies! You are carrying the rise and fall of the family on your shoulders, and perhaps... even a possibility for the future of humanity!"

His words left the young people below with boiling blood and reddened eyes. Even the pet beasts at their feet seemed to sense the tragic and impassioned atmosphere, emitting low whimpers or growls. Wang Keke clenched her fists tightly, her body trembling slightly from excitement.

Lin Mo was also infected by the atmosphere for a moment, but he immediately noticed something sharp: the First Elder and Second Elder standing beside Wang Qingtian had subtle, almost imperceptible... awkward and unnatural expressions on their faces?

Especially when Wang Qingtian spoke of "severing the path" and "willingly," the corners of their mouths seemed to twitch ever so slightly.

Hmm? Something fishy going on? Lin Mo's gossip—no, his investigative soul—began to burn.

Sure enough, once the impassioned mobilization ended and the group of hyped-up young descendants left with their pets, shouting as they went to prepare for tomorrow's "real-combat trial in the ruins outside the city," only the high-level members remained in the hall.

Wang Qingtian, who had just been full of tragic, righteous indignation, slowly put his jacket back on, his face expressionless.

At this moment, the First Elder, who had been holding back, finally couldn't help but speak in his slightly hoarse voice, teasing with a hint of mockery: "Tsk tsk, Qingtian, oh Qingtian, it's truly you. A warm face but a black heart, you've got the whole act down! That 'backbone' theory of yours almost moved this old bag of bones to tears."

The Second Elder stroked his beard and chimed in slowly, his tone full of ridicule. "Indeed. And about that 'Extreme Spine' severing the path... I recall that the Extreme Alliance released the 'Neuron Regeneration Fluid' and the 'High-Level Energy Guidance Method' three years ago, didn't they?"

"Although the cost is high, with our Wang Family's financial resources, repairing the foundations for a few core members like you—while painful to the wallet—isn't entirely unaffordable, is it? How did it become a total sacrifice in your mouth?"

He mimicked Wang Qingtian's tone from earlier: "'We did it willingly! We severed our possibility for further advancement!'... Pfft, you really have a way with words when it comes to fooling the juniors of the family, not a blush or a skip in your heartbeat. No wonder everyone chose you as the family head back then; this mobilization ability is truly something else."

Wang Qingtian's originally solemn face darkened at a visible speed. He shot a cold, ambiguous glare at the two old men who were tearing down his act and let out a grunt through his nose:

"Hmph! What do you know?"

"Jade must be carved to become a vessel!"

"If I don't put some pressure on them, if I don't let them feel the 'heaviness' of the family, how can they grow quickly?"

"The repair fluid and guidance methods exist, but they cost the family a huge price! Can I just tell them that easily? I need them to feel the urgency and the sense of mission!"

He straightened his collar, regaining the dignity of a family head, but muttered under his breath, "Besides, watching those little brats get completely hoodwinked is actually quite amusing..."

The voice was soft, but who among those present wasn't sharp-eared and keen-eyed?

The First Elder and Second Elder exchanged a look, both showing expressions of "as expected" and "you old fox," shaking their heads and chuckling.

Meanwhile, Lin Mo, who had already taken in the entire conversation with his keen hearing, was currently being rubbed against by Wang Keke, who was nuzzling his neck, feeling the girl's cheeks, which were slightly hot from excitement.

He was frantically roasting them in his mind:

Good grief! I mean, seriously! So that moving, tear-jerking speech was all just a setup? This Wang Family head is a proper black-bellied old fox!

Painting big pictures, building personas, peddling anxiety... he's got the whole combo down to a science! If he were in my past life, he'd definitely be a top-tier pyramid scheme leader or a master of workplace PUA!

But... a real-combat trial in the ruins outside the city? A flash of excitement and greed crossed Lin Mo's tiger eyes. Sounds like... there are plenty of monsters to 'devour' out there!

It seems that while the motives for this pre-battle mobilization were "impure," the outcome seems to be exactly what he wanted.