17: Chapter 17 Father's Reward

The evening light was a chaotic mix of light and dark, carrying the residual warmth of the day yet eager to sink into the embrace of the night.

When Lin Chen returned home, the living room was quiet; his parents hadn't finished work yet.

"Phew—"

He let out a soft sigh, relaxing his slightly weary shoulders.

The Flame Claw Beast paced back and forth in the not-so-spacious living room, its claws making a faint "click-clack" sound on the floor, a restless low growl coming from its throat, and a desire for battle burning in its deep green eyes with nowhere to vent.

"Ga-gu!"

It was a genius; it wanted to train, to fight, and to become stronger!

"Combining work and rest is very important."

Lin Chen changed into his slippers, reached out to press down on the Flame Claw Beast's head, and gently pushed it onto the sofa to sit down. "It's rest time now, sit properly."

The Flame Claw Beast wriggled its body reluctantly but didn't resist, merely staring at Lin Chen with its round eyes as if in accusation.

Lin Chen thought for a moment, turned on the TV, and skillfully switched to the pet channel.

This channel would broadcast simple animations or live-action shorts tailored to the intelligence levels and interests of pets, with content mostly simulating hunting, chasing, puzzle-solving, and fighting, making it very suitable for keeping domestic pets entertained.

The Flame Claw Beast's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the flickering screen. It tilted its head and watched for a while, the low growling in its throat gradually stopping.

It even adjusted its sitting posture, finding a more comfortable spot on the sofa, with its front claws resting on the armrest, watching intently.

Settled.

With a slight smile, Lin Chen turned and walked into the kitchen.

When the sky turned from orange-red to a deep, quiet blue, the sound of a key turning in the lock rang out right on time.

"We're back."

Lin Jianjun and Liu Hui finished their day's work and finally came home.

"Dad, Mom, wash your hands and get ready to eat."

Lin Chen happened to be bringing the last dish of stir-fried seasonal vegetables to the table.

After washing their hands, the three of them sat down.

Lin Jianjun rarely didn't pick up his chopsticks immediately; instead, he stood up and took a small brown porcelain bottle from the wine cabinet, then took out a tiny wine cup.

"Dad, you're drinking today?" Lin Chen was a bit surprised.

His father was very disciplined during work periods and almost never touched a drop of alcohol unless it was a holiday or a very special family gathering.

"Yeah, just a little."

Lin Jianjun had no particular expression on his face; he just unscrewed the cap and poured himself a shallow cup.

The clear liquid swayed slightly under the light, emitting the mellow aroma unique to grain-brewed spirits.

Liu Hui glanced at her husband but said nothing, instead first putting a piece of rib into Lin Chen's bowl:

"Chenchen, it was your first day at the office today. How was it? Are your colleagues easy to get along with? Is the work tiring?"

"It felt pretty good,"

Lin Chen swallowed his food and replied, "Uncle Li took great care of me, and my colleague Brother Zhang is also a very nice person."

Then, he briefly mentioned going to the Northern Suburbs to deal with the Velvet-Tusk Boar during the day.

"Fieldwork on the very first day? And dealing with wild pets?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Hui immediately put down her chopsticks. "Then you must be extremely careful. Listen to your seniors more, don't try to be a hero and rush forward on your own. Safety first, you know..."

"That's enough."

Lin Jianjun picked up his small wine cup, took a light sip, and interrupted his wife. "The boy is an adult now, and a Beast Tamer at that. He knows what he needs to know."

Lin Chen smiled and nodded: "Mom, I'll be careful."

Only then did Liu Hui feel slightly more at ease, putting a few more servings of food into Lin Chen's bowl. "That's good. Eat more. Working is hard, you need to keep up your nutrition."

The conversation at the dinner table slowly shifted from work to domestic matters.

Lin Chen noticed that although his father seemed calm, he was drinking more frequently than usual. His slightly narrowed eyes and the occasional curl of his lips seemed to hide some good news.

When Lin Jianjun picked up his wine cup again only to find it empty, he gave a light cough and glanced at his wife.

Liu Hui gave him a look but had a smile on her face. She picked up the bottle and refilled half his cup, teasing, "Look at you, can't even keep a secret after one glass of wine?"

"If Chenchen joins the Beast Management Bureau after graduation, he'll definitely do better than you. He might even receive commendations until his hands are soft."

"Commendation?" Lin Chen caught the keyword and looked at his father.

Since his wife had exposed him, Lin Jianjun simply put down his wine cup, straightened his back, and cleared his throat, though he still tried to keep his tone flat:

"The list for this year's unit commendations has been finalized, and I'm on it."

Lin Chen's face immediately lit up with joy.

His father had worked diligently at the grassroots level of the Beast Management Bureau for decades. Although his talent was limited and his promotions slow, he was a veteran, down-to-earth, and had never made a mistake in his work.

The unit had recommendation spots for commendations to superiors every year, which served as a form of recognition and solace for veteran employees and could also add a significant mark to one's resume.

Despite this, the competition for commendations among colleagues who also craved honor was quite fierce.

His father had talked about it for years, and he hadn't expected to finally get it.

"Dad, congratulations!" Lin Chen said.

"Yeah." Lin Jianjun nodded, a satisfied smile finally appearing on his face. "It's nothing much, just the unit seeing that this old fellow is still dependable and giving me some encouragement."

After a short pause, he looked at Lin Chen: "But your mom is right. If you enter the Beast Management Bureau after graduation and work hard, you might be able to get a commendation while you're still young."

Liu Hui said, "Chenchen is technically part of the Beast Management Bureau now too. Do you think there's a possibility..."

Before she could finish, Lin Jianjun interrupted her directly: "No, there's no such possibility."

"For a young employee to receive a commendation, they must make an outstanding contribution, and such contributions are things that can be sought but not guaranteed."

"Besides, Chenchen has only been working for two months. This year's commendations will be announced in a few weeks; there's simply not enough time."

"It's impossible for him to make an outstanding contribution in just one month, right?"

"That is absolutely impossible."

Lin Jianjun's tone was certain.

After some discussion, Lin Chen remembered something and asked, "By the way, Mom, is there any news from my sister?"

At the mention of Lin Yue, the smile on Liu Hui's face faded slightly, and she sighed:

"Your sister... there are still very few chances to contact her. She did send a message yesterday saying her internship is very busy, with closed-off training and practical projects. The cycle might last for more than half a year. She told us not to worry, and she might not even be back for the New Year."

She looked at Lin Jianjun, her brow slightly furrowed in worry. "Old Lin, what kind of internship did Xiaoyue find?"

"It's so mysterious, no contact for half a year. Could she... could she have been tricked into doing something illegal?"

Lin Jianjun's expression also became serious. He put down his chopsticks, pondered for a moment, and shook his head:

"I asked someone to check the registration and seals of her internship unit. The procedures are all legal and compliant; it's a legitimate large institution."

"It might just be that the nature of the work is special, with high confidentiality, or it's a project at some remote, closed-off base. Xiaoyue is an independent and smart child; she wouldn't be tricked."

Despite saying this, the furrow in his brow did not completely smooth out.

Lin Chen listened silently without asking further.

The night grew deeper.

After dinner, Lin Chen finished washing up and returned to his room.

The Flame Claw Beast had already curled up into a ball on its soft mat, sleeping soundly and snoring lightly.

Lin Chen sat at his desk and turned on the lamp, its warm yellow glow illuminating the desktop.

He turned on his computer and searched for cultivation materials and skill combination ideas related to the Flame Claw Beast.

His fingers tapped quickly on the keyboard, his gaze focused.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated continuously, and group message notifications popped up at the top of the screen.

[Qinglan City Beast Tamer Talent Reserve Base] Unread messages: 99+

Clicking in, Zhang Xiaoxiao and the others were heatedly discussing a topic.

The center of the topic was the annual newcomer event—the Young Eagle Cup—which was to be held in three weeks, spearheaded by the Qinglan City Beast Tamer Association in collaboration with major battle clubs, cultivation institutions, and related units.

This was a large-scale competition for all of this year's new Apprentice Beastmasters in Qinglan City and the surrounding areas.

It aimed to test the newcomers' phased results, provide a platform for display, discover potential newcomers, and offer generous resource rewards.

The tournament format usually included multiple stages such as auditions, qualifiers, and the main event, with some matches even being broadcast live on local TV and online platforms, garnering high attention.

Almost every ambitious newcomer Beast Tamer in Qinglan City would view the Young Eagle Cup as their debut battle and an important springboard.

Messages in the group were scrolling by rapidly.

Zhang Xiaoxiao: "@All Members Everyone saw the announcement, right? The Young Eagle Cup starts in three weeks, and the registration channel opens tomorrow!"

Zhou Ming: "I must participate! I heard this year's prizes are even more generous than last year's, and the champion can even get one-on-one guidance from a Professional-level Beast Tamer."

Zhang Xiaoxiao: "Yuan-yuan, you're participating too, right? @Su Qingyuan"

Su Qingyuan: "...Yes."

Everyone discussed the tournament format, potential opponents, and what preparations to make; the atmosphere was fiery.

Almost everyone explicitly stated they would participate.

Soon, Zhang Xiaoxiao tagged Lin Chen, who was lurking as usual.

Zhang Xiaoxiao: "Student Lin Chen! Calling Student Lin Chen! Young Eagle Cup! Are you participating? Are you?"

Lin Chen looked at the jumping words on the screen and the excitement and expectation permeating the group; his finger lingered on the input box for a few seconds.

He certainly knew the importance of the Young Eagle Cup; it was a good opportunity to quickly accumulate combat experience, obtain resources, and make a name for himself.

But, he had to work.

So Lin Chen weighed his words and sent a message: "No, but I will watch the competition then. Wishing you all victory in the matches."

Afterward, Lin Chen put down his phone but suddenly remembered something and set this group chat to Mute.

Now it was finally quiet.