Forced To Adopt Retired Military Dog ​​Orc Chapter 20

“Si Jiu, long time no see.” That face overlapped with the memory of the youth from the dream, the contours vaguely familiar but now etched with a hint of weariness. His voice was extremely low, but Si Jiu recognized him. The person deep in the woods was indeed him.

Luo Hao, the former leader of the youth supply search team for the Rebirth organization. After years apart since Yalan Star, Si Jiu hadn’t expected him to be on Beastman Planet as well.

Si Jiu looked at him through the shelves, highly vigilant. His feelings about the organization and the past were complicated, and he couldn’t yet determine if Luo Hao’s sudden appearance meant he was friend or foe.

“Heh, are you still trying to save something now?” Luo Hao wore a playful smile.

But the next second, a sudden gust of wind swept past the shelves without warning.

Luo Hao sharply narrowed his eyes, his expression instantly darkening. He frowned and clicked his tongue. “Tch, it’s that dog again. A persistent ghost.”

Before the words finished, a low “Awoo” sounded in Si Jiu’s ear. Almost simultaneously, Ran Lie’s agile figure darted to his side. His claws fiercely gripped the shelf, his entire body shielding Si Jiu. He met Luo Hao’s gaze through the gaps in the shelving. His breathing grew heavy, and a continuous low growl rumbled in his throat, his faintly visible fangs gleaming coldly in the shadows.

Luo Hao’s sinister face immediately vanished from between the opposite shelves, his retreating clothes momentarily obscuring the view.

“Woof! Woof woof—”

Ran Lie shot toward the end of the aisle like an arrow released from a bow, but every step was obstructed in the crowded supermarket. A sturdy Brown Bear Beastman (Patient) blocked the way with a shopping cart, and a nimble Monkey Beastman swung down from above, nearly colliding with Ran Lie. Rabbit Beastmen and Squirrel Beastmen were visibly startled by his rapid dash…

“Ran Lie, don’t chase,” Si Jiu called out, quickly following behind him.

He had already noticed that the situation around them was wrong. In just a moment, the Beastman residents surrounding them in the narrow aisle had increased. Several Lizard Beastmen had somehow blended into the crowd, practically forming a circle around him and Ran Lie.

Not far away, the startled Rabbit Beastmen were collectively stomping their feet in panic, creating a rapid drumming sound. Even more troubling, an alert Squirrel Beastman, clearly displeased, was staring at Si Jiu and had already pulled out his phone, his claws rapidly sliding across the screen, apparently preparing to call the police—

The current situation was unfavorable for them, and Si Jiu could sense that Luo Hao was not acting alone; a hidden force was subtly backing him.

Was it Rebirth? If it were the human organization Rebirth, the one more likely to seek him out would be their leader, Wei Jie.

So far, various clues suggested that Luo Hao seemed to have a closer relationship with the Lizard Beastmen and the Pure Beast Species.

However, this was only his own speculation; nothing was clear yet.

Just as Ran Lie reluctantly stopped his pursuit, Si Jiu’s phone suddenly flashed.

It was an unfamiliar text message.

Si Jiu quickly opened it. It starkly read: “We will come for you again.”

Si Jiu’s heart sank. It seemed this force was far more resourceful than he had imagined. It would be best not to act rashly until he understood their true intentions.

Ran Lie, having halted his chase, stood with his back slightly bowed, returning to Si Jiu’s side with a hint of frustration. The large dog’s expression was unusually solemn and grave compared to normal. He seemed to harbor intense hostility, even murderous intent, toward Luo Hao.

Although Ran Lie wasn’t particularly friendly toward other Beastmen either, his immediate and aggressive reaction upon seeing Luo Hao, without any hesitation, and his determination to pursue him relentlessly, coupled with Luo Hao’s sudden change in attitude upon seeing Ran Lie, led Si Jiu to suspect that Ran Lie’s hostility wasn’t just because of him. Ran Lie and Luo Hao might have known each other long ago and had a falling out.

Speaking of which, Si Jiu had never asked Ran Lie about his life before he was injured, including the cause of his injury that prevented his Human Form Transformation, nor had he inquired in detail about which unit of the Beastman military he belonged to or what high-ranking position he held.

Initially, due to the sanatorium’s rules, Ran Lie’s identity was confidential. Si Jiu had always treated living with Ran Lie and assisting his recovery as merely part of his job. If Ran Lie fully recovered, he would certainly return to the Beastman military, and there would be little chance of their paths crossing again—a professional conclusion, never to meet again. If Ran Lie couldn’t recover, he would simply retire and continue life as a Pure Beast Species canine, his military glory becoming a thing of the past. To probe into these matters would be akin to rubbing salt in Ran Lie’s wounds.

But gradually, Si Jiu developed a bit of selfishness. It was as if by not knowing Ran Lie’s past as a military Beastman, he could temporarily feel justified in simply treating him as a handsome dog that he was keeping.

However, things always developed in unpredictable directions.

Humans are such creatures: once they develop feelings for a living being, they inevitably become curious about its past.

Yet, Si Jiu didn’t want to admit that he had developed any special feelings for Ran Lie in just a few days.

The people he had emotional connections with had all passed away, their lives ending so swiftly, without time for goodbyes, some without even remains. Therefore, Si Jiu didn’t want to easily form deep attachments with anyone, or any creature. Why bother learning too much about each other? Maintaining a superficial friendliness was enough—that way, separation wouldn’t be too painful.

But he had become curious about Ran Lie, hadn’t he?

Perhaps it was only because of Luo Hao’s appearance, which created a subtle connection to the past—after all, he was being targeted by a mysterious force.

Si Jiu knew nothing about this force’s true intentions for approaching him, and the enemy was hidden while he was exposed. But choosing not to act rashly just now didn’t mean he would sit idly by forever.

While pondering, Si Jiu pushed the shopping cart to the checkout counter. The Peacock Beastman (Cashier) at the register was as rude to humans as ever, constantly leaning sideways and inexplicably rolling her eyes at Si Jiu, roughly tossing the items from the cart into Si Jiu’s large shopping bag. But as the large dog beside Si Jiu slightly raised an eye and let out a soft growl, the cashier noticed him. The Peacock Beastman immediately and grudgingly straightened up, pouted, lowered her head, and frantically sped up the scanning process. The many Beastmen queuing behind them also involuntarily took several steps back.

Clutching the large shopping bag, Si Jiu looked at Ran Lie, who was shielding him completely. After the encounter with Luo Hao, Ran Lie’s aura had suddenly become sharper. He remained silent the entire way, his back slightly bowed, in a state of extreme vigilance, like a fierce beast whose territory had been invaded, ready to pounce and attack at any moment.

Fortunately, the journey back to the apartment was uneventful.

Upon arriving, Si Jiu quickly put down the groceries, closed the doors and windows, and even turned off his phone, then gestured for Ran Lie to sit on the sofa.

The large dog immediately sat up straight on the sofa. He must have sensed that Si Jiu had something important to say.

“Ran Lie, I need your help,” Si Jiu said softly, sitting down on the sofa as well.

Ran Lie’s heart stirred. His eyes grew more resolute, and his pointed ears twitched slightly. He nodded without hesitation, waiting for Si Jiu to continue. It seemed he would agree to anything Si Jiu asked without fail.

Si Jiu looked into the large dog’s eyes, his voice still soft: “I have a plan to draw that guy out, but I need to borrow your strength…”

Ran Lie listened intently, and then—

“No! I don’t agree!” The large dog’s front paw slammed down, leaving a dent in the sofa.

Si Jiu raised a hand to press down, signaling Ran Lie to lower his voice. His tone was gentle yet irresistible: “Trust me, I can handle it.”

“That man is very dangerous. Let me go with you!” Ran Lie insisted, turning his body away in frustration, his tail slapping the sofa restlessly.

Sure enough, his guess was correct. Ran Lie was not unfamiliar with Luo Hao. Precisely because of this, if Ran Lie had appeared from the start, it might not have been easy to draw Luo Hao out.

“Ran Lie, please, you’ll help me, won’t you?” Si Jiu smiled slightly, raising his hand to stroke the fur on the large dog’s back.

Ran Lie’s muscles relaxed slightly in response. He lifted his head, his jawline and neck forming a clean, sharp curve. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he accepted Si Jiu’s petting, seemingly deep in thought.

After a brief pause, he spoke in a low voice: “Wait for me.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ran Lie leaped gracefully off the sofa, his paw pads touching the floor silently. He walked straight to the corner of the room and dragged out the small leather suitcase. He skillfully flicked open the copper clasps with his paw, producing two crisp “click” sounds of unlocking.

The moment the lid opened, the sight that greeted Si Jiu made him catch his breath slightly.

The interior of the case was meticulously divided into several compartments, resembling a miniature armory and tactical equipment center. Inside lay several guns with a cold metallic sheen, ranging from compact pistols to components for a detachable sniper rifle—everything was present, each piece polished and impeccably maintained. In the grooves beside the firearms, different models of specialized Beastman Planet ammunition were neatly stacked, glinting with dangerous, cold light.

Occupying a prominent position nearby was a latest-model personal mobile terminal and a tablet—Si Jiu had seen Ran Lie use it at the sanatorium. Next to the tablet was a military-grade encrypted communication device.

At the very bottom, a set of dark-colored Beastman military fatigues was neatly folded, the insignia on the shoulder patches clearly visible even in the dim light. Beside the uniform was a uniquely shaped arm patch, symbolizing some special honor.

Si Jiu couldn’t help but feel that his previous assumptions had been too conservative.

Ran Lie’s mobile terminal was a dog collar. He lightly pressed it with his paw pad, and a light screen projected into the air.

He quickly tapped the screen a few times, and a video box popped up, showing the Leopard Beastman Officer You Zhi.

“Hey, looking for my help?” You Zhi tossed his golden hair slightly, not forgetting to wink at the somewhat stunned Si Jiu beside Ran Lie.