Forced To Adopt Retired Military Dog Orc Chapter 4
bySi Jiu never considered himself an overly enthusiastic or kind person.
Perhaps before the Interstellar Great Explosion, when he lived a carefree life on Yalan Star, he had strived toward that ideal.
But now, no matter how friendly, gentle, professional, and polite he appeared, the heart that still beat within him was tightly wrapped in an inescapable layer of exhaustion and numbness.
Therefore, he shouldn’t feel pity for a Canine Beastman patient he barely knew.
As Jun Qi reminded him, rather than worrying about Ran Lie, he should be more concerned about his own position as the exclusive nurse—how he should handle a sudden emergency with the patient, and the potential responsibilities he might have to bear.
Si Jiu sighed silently.
The next day, he arrived at Ran Lie’s room for the routine rehabilitation care. The large dog indeed looked less energetic than the day before.
“Woof—” He rolled onto his back, exposing the wound on his abdomen. As Si Jiu changed the gauze, he carefully inspected the area. The surgical wound had completely healed. If he completed today’s treatment, the gauze could likely be removed. After two or three more days of recovery, the large dog would essentially meet the standard for discharge.
However, his inability to achieve Human Form Transformation remained unresolved.
He might be able to continue staying at the sanatorium, but early retirement was an undeniable and pressing reality.
“Woof-aow—” The large dog barked again.
Si Jiu heard a sound from the translation app on his phone: “Hello, Si Jiu.”
“I’m here, Mr. Ran. Is there anything I can help you with?” The faint green light in Si Jiu’s hand seemed a little gentler than usual.
“Woof woof woof woof!”
—”You didn’t pet my head when you left yesterday,” the translation software stated.
???
“Woof woof woof woof!”
—”You didn’t smile at me when we met today either!” the translation software added, along with a voice prompt: “The speaker is expressing clear feelings of grievance.”
The corner of Si Jiu’s mouth twitched slightly. Perhaps because he had been preoccupied with the problem of how Ran Lie, as a Pure Beast Species, would live on the Beastman Planet after retirement, he had only greeted Ran Lie and called him Mr. Ran upon entering, forgetting his usual smiling service.
So now, Si Jiu smiled—he was amused and exasperated by the large dog in front of him.
He had actually thought Ran Lie might be depressed because he was forced into early retirement yesterday, and he had even empathized with his previous self-destructive behavior of being irritable and choosing to fast.
Gradually, a bit of unwarranted kindness had even sprouted—for instance, how he could help him within his limited capacity.
He hadn’t expected that after all that worry, this large dog was merely upset that his service was subpar!
Changing his mind, he felt a little annoyed at his own presumptuous concern.
Reaching out with a slight sense of helplessness, he gently placed his hand on the large dog’s forehead. Immediately, the dog, wagging his tail, actively rubbed his head against Si Jiu’s palm.
Why did he want to help him? He really shouldn’t worry about him.
Si Jiu narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the large dog’s satisfied expression, and couldn’t help but feel relieved again.
However, Si Jiu soon regretted his momentary, misplaced kindness.
In the afternoon, the Nurse Manager told him that the Director wanted to see him in the office.
At first, Si Jiu thought the Director had new instructions. It turned out there were new instructions, but they were not only strange—they were outrageous.
“You mean… let Mr. Ran live with me? I don’t quite understand why?” Si Jiu looked at the Elephant Director, who was pacing back and forth slowly with his hands behind his back, a solemn expression on his face.
“Si Jiu, this is also part of the recuperation. You know, Mr. Ran’s physical condition is almost good enough for discharge, but his inability to achieve Human Form Transformation is something the higher-ups take very seriously. Currently, your Healing Power has been very effective for Mr. Ran’s recovery, and it might also, to some extent, treat his persistent Beast Form Transformation issue.” The Director’s trunk swung from left to right with his steps. “It is the duty of every employee at our Military Logistics Sanatorium to restore our patients to health. We should wholeheartedly dedicate ourselves to our patients.”
But you are only asking me, one person, to dedicate myself wholeheartedly! Si Jiu complained silently in his heart. After all, this wasn’t his first day knowing the Director.
“This can also be done here at the sanatorium. Does he absolutely have to—live at my home?” Si Jiu didn’t want to offend the Director, but some things were better asked directly.
“The higher-ups have determined that Mr. Ran living with you will allow his condition to improve more quickly.” The Director repeatedly mentioned “the higher-ups,” implying the decision was non-negotiable. “This also shows how highly the military leaders regard you.”
Pausing, the Director offered his usual comforting smile. He said, “I remember you stated when you filled out your family information during the interview that you live alone. Are there any inconveniences or difficulties now? Tell me, and we can see if we can communicate and resolve them.”
Si Jiu shifted his gaze elsewhere. He understood the Director’s meaning: the matter had been decided by the higher-ups, and he couldn’t refuse.
But wanting to help Ran Lie was one thing; being forcibly commanded to live with him was another.
“The apartment I currently rent is small and run-down. It’s too cramped even for one person. Mr. Ran probably won’t be used to it,” Si Jiu said, thinking of his small, dilapidated bachelor apartment. This was the truth.
“Don’t worry about that. The higher-ups said that since you will be responsible for Mr. Ran’s daily life, his current monthly salary from the military will be directly deposited into your account. Even if he has to retire early later, the Beastman Legion’s subsidy will also be given to you for your full discretion—” The Director’s large ears twitched, and he chuckled. “His salary is quite high. In a month or two, you can move into a larger house and improve your quality of life. It’s a win-win.”
Si Jiu frowned slightly and thought for a moment before asking, “Will Mr. Ran, and his family, agree to this?”
He heard the phrase “early retirement” again. It seemed the gossip Jun Qi mentioned was not unfounded.
“Ah, Mr. Ran, like you, is a single Beastman. He is the only one left in his family now. It’s quite pitiful, tsk tsk.” The Director curled his trunk, and tears welled up in his habitually compassionate eyes. “If he retires, a Beastman who leaves the military, knows nothing but fighting, and hasn’t fully recovered, will have a very hard time living alone. Don’t you agree, Si Jiu?”
Si Jiu pursed his lips. He had considered that Ran Lie might not have family nearby. Patients with family usually received visits from them occasionally, even if they hired a caregiver, but Ran Lie seemed to have only those three visitors—the white-haired elderly people—and no one else had ever visited him.
Yes, he was like himself…
Both were alone, and both had to face the discrimination and difficulties of life in the Beastman world.
Thinking further, what difference was there between a Pure Beast Species Canine Beastman and an ordinary large dog on Yalan Star, besides the ability to understand human speech? Besides, a well-trained ordinary large dog could also understand human speech.
Worst case scenario, he would just treat it as adopting an injured, retired Military Dog.
But Si Jiu was cautious. After a moment of contemplation, he didn’t immediately reply to the Director. He needed to seek more opinions, and more importantly, he needed to talk to Ran Lie.
Back in the lounge, Si Jiu saw Jun Qi alone and called him over to a cubicle to tell him about the Director’s request.
“Let that VIP go home with you? This is an order from the higher-ups?” Jun Qi’s round eyes, one blue and one gold, instantly widened, and his ears perked up, showing an expression of disbelief. “This is essentially full-time, personal care! The higher-ups really value him!”
“Yes, my expression was probably similar to yours when the Director told me,” Si Jiu smiled, taking a sip of his tea.
“No, you wouldn’t make such an exaggerated expression in front of the Director.” Jun Qi had three cute whisker marks near his mouth. He let out a “meow” and continued, “You definitely acted as calm as usual, and then our Director started his usual gentle persuasion—you must be loving, you must give everything for the patient, blah blah blah, and he probably even talked himself into tears.”
Si Jiu mentally gave Jun Qi a thumbs-up. As a veteran employee who had worked at the sanatorium for seven or eight years, his understanding of the Director was evident.
“And then? Did you agree?”
“I said I would reply later,” Si Jiu put down his teacup.
“That’s right. Our work at the sanatorium is already exhausting. How can we manage to take care of someone else at home? Also, you need to clarify in advance how his accommodation, food expenses, and personal nursing fees will be calculated. Demand a salary increase of three—no, five times! If the Director disagrees, you’ll have a good reason to refuse! It’s also very inconvenient for a single male to live with another single male. You need to consider your future prospects for finding a partner.” Jun Qi sat on the backless stool, his large, fluffy white tail swaying behind him.
“Will it?” Si Jiu raised an eyebrow. Did this have anything to do with finding a partner?
“Of course! Think about it, if he moves into your place, and you happen to meet someone you like recently. They suggest coming over to your place for a cup of tea and a chat, but as soon as they walk in, they see a giant male Beastman lying by the door—they’ll be scared away immediately! This will definitely have an impact! Especially for Cat Beastmen like me, we would be so frightened that all our fur, including our tails, would stand up.” As he spoke, Jun Qi, fully utilizing his imagination, hugged himself and showed a frightened expression.
Cat Beastmen and Canine Beastmen have always been somewhat at odds.
Just as Jun Qi was about to say more, “Ding ding ding—” a series of crisp alert sounds rang out. Si Jiu’s Alert Band was signaling.
It was a message from the Nurse Manager, saying that a patient in another room needed Si Jiu’s help. Although the Director had promised Si Jiu only needed to provide exclusive service to the VIP, the Nurse Manager would still call on him for assistance when there were tricky patients or when they were short-staffed.
“Jun Qi, sorry, I have something to deal with. We’ll talk later.” Si Jiu gave Jun Qi an apologetic look.
“Called away to handle trouble again?” Jun Qi had just rested his chin on his hand when his Alert Band also rang.
“No choice, it’s work,” Si Jiu smiled calmly. It was just work. Meeting the Nurse Manager’s extra demands to a certain extent, provided he didn’t have to work overtime, would make future work easier.
Yes, this was just work, so after weighing the pros and cons, he should simply choose the optimal solution that benefited him the most, without letting emotion interfere.
As he passed Ran Lie’s VIP room, Si Jiu paused slightly.
The same loneliness as himself. A pure human and a Pure Beast Species would face the same unwelcome treatment…
Would agreeing to let him live with himself be considered acting on emotion?