Hiding Talents and Provocation

After the mental scan incident that night, Lin Mo had a much clearer understanding of his "owner." Wang Keke was by no means just a rich, naive heiress; her own talent and vigilance were exceptionally high. To survive and develop safely under her nose, he had to master the art of moderation.

Thus, Lin Mo began his "adaptive learning" and "role-playing" plan.

His primary task was to understand human language and provide feedback.

This was not difficult for someone with the soul of an adult human; the challenge was how to "naturally master" it without raising suspicion. He fully utilized the "curiosity" characteristic of a tiger cub. Whenever Wang Keke spoke to him, or communicated with her bodyguards and family, he would perk up his ears, his amber eyes staring "innocently" and "attentively" at the speaker's lips and expressions, as if struggling to understand the sounds of this strange new world.

"Mimi, this is nutritional paste. Isn't it delicious?"

(Lin Mo's inner thoughts: Noted, this golden glob is called nutritional paste.)

"Good boy, don't scratch the sofa."

(Lin Mo's inner thoughts: Understood, don't touch that soft, squishy thing.)

"Come on, let's go out and soak up some sun."

Through repeated context, tone, and accompanying actions, he began to map individual words to their specific meanings. At the same time, he started attempting to respond with actions and eye contact.

When Wang Keke called him "Mimi," though he still resisted it internally, he would wag his tail or rub his head against her palm to signal that he "heard her."

When Wang Keke brought out the nutritional paste, he would proactively run to his bowl and sit down, his eyes filled with "anticipation."

When Wang Keke said "No," he would stop his ongoing "destructive" behavior (such as trying to hook the curtains with his claws), lower his head, emit a pitiful whimper, and look at her with watery eyes.

This display of "spirituality" left Wang Keke pleasantly surprised.

"Aunt Zhang, look! Mimi is so smart! It seems like it can understand what I'm saying!" she said excitedly to her personal bodyguard.

The bodyguard known as Aunt Zhang remained calm, though a flicker of imperceptible scrutiny flashed through her eyes. She said indifferently, "Miss, mutant beasts are usually more intelligent than ordinary monsters, but it is indeed rare for a cub to be this human-like at such a young age. You should observe it more closely."

Lin Mo felt a chill in his heart. Knowing he had overplayed his hand, he immediately decided to "cool things down." In the following instances, when Wang Keke gave simple commands, he would deliberately react half a beat slow or misunderstand them—for instance, running off to play with a ball when told to "come here"—perfectly playing the part of an ordinarily clever cub that was "mostly clueless, with occasional flashes of brilliance."

That morning, Wang Keke held Lin Mo in the manor's training ground for basic "reaction training"—which was nothing more than using a soft laser pointer to guide him to pounce, turn, and exercise his reaction speed and physical coordination.

For Lin Mo, who possessed a human soul and combat instincts, this was as simple as child's play. But he deliberately controlled his performance. Most of the time, he acted like a normal tiger cub, clumsily chasing the light, occasionally tumbling because he couldn't stop in time, or getting dizzy from the light suddenly changing direction.

Only on very rare occasions, in moments when Wang Keke seemed slightly disappointed, would he "accidentally" display a precise, predictive pounce or an incredibly agile mid-air turn, making Wang Keke's eyes light up again, convinced that her "Mimi" still had great potential.

Just as they were taking a break from training, a slightly mocking voice rang out:

"Yo, little cousin Keke, is this the... White-Skinned Winged Tiger you spent eighty million to buy?"

Lin Mo turned his head to see a teenager, about sixteen or seventeen years old, walking over in a black training suit. He was tall and sturdy, with an air of arrogance between his brows. Behind him followed an Iron-Claw Wolf cub, noticeably larger than Lin Mo, with fierce eyes that stared at Lin Mo with hostility.

The newcomer was Wang Keke's cousin, Wang Xiao.

Wang Keke frowned and held Lin Mo a little tighter, her tone cold: "Cousin Wang Xiao, is there something you need?"

Wang Xiao's gaze swept over Lin Mo, lingering on the small lumps on his back, and the corner of his mouth curled into undisguised disdain: "Nothing much, just heard that Second Uncle really grants your every wish. Eighty million, just to buy this... thing. It looks so frail; not to mention compared to my Iron-Claw Wolf, it's far worse than even the ordinary tiger cubs that Wang Xin and the others picked. With the Pet Battle Tournament three months away, aren't you afraid of being eliminated in the first round?"

His words were filled with jealousy. As the family's most dazzling psychic genius, the resources Wang Keke received made many of her peers green with envy. This "expensive" yet "weak" pet became his outlet for venting his dissatisfaction.

Lin Mo could feel Wang Keke's body tense up. She was clearly angry, but she maintained basic courtesy: "I will raise my own pet; there is no need for you to worry, cousin."

"Raise?" Wang Xiao sneered. "By relying on this game of chasing light dots? Don't make me laugh. Pets only grow through slaughter in blood and fire! If you keep it like a pet, even the best seedling will be ruined!"

The Iron-Claw Wolf behind him cooperated with a low growl, stepping forward with a sense of wild oppression.

If this were an ordinary tiger cub, it would likely have been trembling in fear by now. But Lin Mo felt nothing inside; he even wanted to laugh.

Little brat, trying to goad me? I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice! he thought to himself, while outwardly shrinking into Wang Keke's arms at the right moment and letting out a whimper of "fear," playing the part of "weak, pitiful, and helpless" to perfection.

Sure enough, his performance solidified Wang Xiao's impression of a "useless pet" and ignited Wang Keke's protective instincts.

"Wang Xiao! You don't need to point fingers at my training methods! Mimi is still young and needs to take things step by step!" Wang Keke's tone hardened. "Aunt Zhang!"

Aunt Zhang, the bodyguard who had been standing nearby like a shadow, stepped forward. Although she didn't release her aura, her cold gaze made Wang Xiao and his Iron-Claw Wolf falter.

Wang Xiao snorted, knowing he wouldn't get the upper hand, and left with his Iron-Claw Wolf after throwing out a "We'll see who's better at the tournament."

Once they were far away, Wang Keke gently stroked Lin Mo's back, comforting him: "Don't be afraid, Mimi. We won't pay attention to that bad cousin and his bad wolf. We'll take our time; you can definitely do it!"

Lin Mo cooperated by rubbing his head against her chin, but he was sneering inside.

Wang Xiao, is it? Iron-Claw Wolf, is it? Very well, I've remembered you. When the tournament comes, watch how I use your 'bad wolf' as a snack and test out my Devour talent in the process!

He raised his head, his amber eyes looking at Wang Keke, no longer filled with feigned innocence, but flashing with a trace of extremely subtle, predatory sharpness.

Step one, gaining trust and resources, complete.

Step two, familiarizing himself with the environment and potential opponents, in progress.

Next, he needed to get as strong as possible... without raising any suspicion!