270: Oh, ocean, you are all water.

Shen Mingyuan's voice softened after hearing Little Pink's aspirations: "I see... Your dream is indeed beautiful. But perhaps one day, you'll be able to walk openly in the sunlight of this world without having to become human."

"Eh? Really?" Little Pink blinked, but then insisted, "But I still want to become a human! Humans are so great—they're so smart and know so many things... They're much better than me."

Zhao Jinhua, who was holding it, gently rubbed its head and said warmly:

"Don't say that, Little Pink. You're great too, very great. You don't have to become a human. Besides... being human comes with a lot of hardships and things you just can't do."

"But... but humans can definitely do so much more than I can..." Little Pink muttered softly, a hint of frustration in its tone.

Zhao Jinhua sighed and didn't pursue the topic further, only whispering, "Little Pink, you just need to be yourself and be happy."

During their conversation, the three of them, led by Shen Mingyuan, passed through several quiet backstreets and finally arrived at the entrance of the GUPA Base—an inconspicuous-looking facility that was actually heavily guarded. After a brief report and identity verification, they were led inside.

Soon, a capable-looking young man in a GUPA internal uniform walked quickly toward them. It was Commissioner Chen Xing, who had been responsible for coordination and follow-up in other incidents.

His gaze quickly swept over Zhao Jinhua and the small creature in his arms—partially hidden by a jacket, yet still revealing a flash of pink and curious eyes. A professional, gentle smile appeared on his face.

"You two must be tired from your journey. I'm Chen Xing, responsible for your reception and subsequent arrangements."

His tone was steady, carrying a reassuring sense of reliability. "Mr. Shen has already briefly explained the situation. Please follow me; I'll show you around the environment first.

We have a dedicated protective housing area here with complete security measures. You can settle down here for the time being and no longer need to worry about being tracked."

Zhao Jinhua clearly breathed a sigh of relief, his tense shoulders slumping slightly as he nodded. "T-thank you for your trouble."

By this time, Shen Mingyuan had also deactivated his Shadow Form, returning to his daily suit attire. He nodded to Little Pink and Zhao Jinhua:

"Hang in there. It's safe here. If you need anything, you can talk to Commissioner Chen."

Just then, another tall figure approached. It was Cynthia. She glanced at Zhao Jinhua and Little Pink as Chen Xing led them toward the living area, then turned to Shen Mingyuan, raising an eyebrow. "What's the situation? Picked them up on the road?"

Shen Mingyuan briefly recounted the afternoon's encounter, mentioning Little Pink's innocence and its 'fairy godmother' fairytale dream.

"Oh! So that's how it is!" Cynthia's eyes lit up after listening, a bright smile appearing on her face. Her tone was light: "That's quite nice! What an innocent and cute little fellow! Its thoughts are as simple and beautiful as a fairytale."

Shen Mingyuan pushed up his glasses, a hint of a smile touching the corners of his mouth. "Yes, a little Axolotl who believes in a fairy godmother."

"If other Evolved Animalss thought like it, perhaps everyone could get along more peacefully," Cynthia said, following the train of thought with her usual positivity and a bit of longing.

"Heh, if the world were really as simple as a fairytale, perhaps," Shen Mingyuan shook his head slightly, not delving deeper into the topic. "However, reality is often more complex."

"True." Cynthia nodded, her smile remaining bright. "In any case, it's good that they've been brought in safely. Let Chen Xing handle the follow-up; he's quite meticulous. You, the 'passing Detective,' haven't been busy for nothing today."

After dinner, Shen Mingyuan encountered Zhao Jinhua and Little Pink again in the leisure corridor of the base's living area.

Zhao Jinhua was squatting in front of Little Pink, holding a small piece of cake provided by the base. His expression was as serious as if he were teaching some peerless martial art: "Little Pink, listen to me. You can't always be so easygoing. You have to learn to be appropriately... fierce. At least learn to refuse unreasonable requests. Otherwise, you'll easily be taken advantage of in the future."

Little Pink tilted its head, its pink external gills swaying gently. Its large eyes were full of confusion: "Why should I refuse people? That's so unfriendly. Isn't it good for everyone to live in peace?"

"I'm not telling you to be fierce to everyone. I'm telling you to have the awareness and courage to protect yourself." Zhao Jinhua explained patiently, waving the cake in his hand. "For example, let's pretend—now I'm going to steal your favorite thing! Look, this cake smells so good; I'm going to eat it!" He made a move as if to put the cake into his own mouth.

"Ah! Cake! Give it to me! Give it to me!" Little Pink immediately reached out its small hands to grab it. Its tone was urgent, but there wasn't a hint of 'fierceness' to be heard.

"No, no, not like that." Zhao Jinhua moved the cake further away. "You need to use a more serious and firm tone to tell me: 'No! This is mine!' or something like that. Come on, try it."

Little Pink half-understood. It clasped its small hands in front of its chest, tried to put on a serious face, and thought about it carefully.

Then, it suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Zhao Jinhua's collar with its small, slightly webbed hands, and imitated a tone it thought had a lot of Aura, saying each word deliberately:

"You—dis tingy is not bad! Dis tingy is not bad!"

Zhao Jinhua: "..."

The expression on his face froze instantly, shifting from serious teaching to complete blankness and speechlessness.

"Pfft..." A soft laugh came from nearby. Shen Mingyuan had walked over at some point, a look of suppressed amusement on his face. He looked at Little Pink and asked, "Where... did you learn that from?"

Little Pink let go of Zhao Jinhua's collar and returned to its innocent state, pointing at the television in the corner of the leisure area. "Oh, I saw it on TV! The people in there say that, and others seem to get scared!"

Zhao Jinhua pressed his hand to his forehead, stuffed the cake into Little Pink's hands, and said helplessly, "Forget it... just eat your cake first." Only then did he notice Shen Mingyuan and quickly greeted him, "Mr. Shen."

"It seems Chen Xing told you my name," Shen Mingyuan nodded.

"Yes, Commissioner Chen introduced you this afternoon," Zhao Jinhua replied, then said with some emotion, "Mr. Shen, thank you so much for today. This place... is much better than I imagined. At least I don't have to be on edge all the time."

"It's good that you're adjusting." Shen Mingyuan looked at Little Pink, who was happily licking the cake. "Do you need something from me?"

Zhao Jinhua scratched his head a bit sheepishly:

"Actually... I've always had an idea. Little Pink evolved from an aquatic Axolotl. Although it can live on land now, I always feel it would like real bodies of water, especially the sea."

"In the past... I thought that one day, if we could settle down, I would definitely take it to see the real sea. Now it feels... like it might be possible."

"So I was wondering, if conditions permit, could I... invite you along? Of course, mainly to ensure safety. I know this might be asking too much..."

"To see the sea?" Shen Mingyuan pondered for a moment. His gaze swept over Little Pink's eyes, which had suddenly lit up upon hearing the word "sea," and he nodded.

"Sure. There's nothing wrong with seeing the sea; it's good to relax. If the weather is right tomorrow, I can accompany you."

"Really? That's wonderful!" A look of genuine joy appeared on Zhao Jinhua's face, and a hint of distant nostalgia flickered in his eyes.

"When I was a child... before my family fell apart, my parents took me to see the sea once. That scene has stayed in my heart ever since. It was so wide, so deep, as if it could hold all one's troubles... It's one of the few particularly bright and good memories I have. So I thought, if I had the chance, I must take Little Pink to see it too."

Little Pink also waved its small hands excitedly, dropping cake crumbs everywhere. "Yay! I'm going to see the sea! What does the sea look like? Is it much, much bigger than Big Brother's bathtub?"

"Of course, much bigger and much more beautiful." Zhao Jinhua pulled himself out of his memories and smiled, rubbing its head with a gentle tone. "It's a different... very free feeling."

"Well, let's go together then. Leave the safety to me," Shen Mingyuan promised. Then, thinking of something, he added, "To be more secure, I'll ask Cynthia if she's free to come along. With more people, we can look out for each other if anything happens."

"That would be even better! Thank you for the trouble, Mr. Shen!" Zhao Jinhua quickly thanked him.