Chapter 5: Fulfilling a Wish 3
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye it is the day of the 7th "Aijia Pet Competition" in Baoshi City.
The competition venue is located in a sky blue and white building in the city center. On the high roof, flags of various colors are planted. When the breeze blows, the bright flags flutter in the wind.
From a distance you can hear the cheerful music that sets the atmosphere, and occasionally the cries of various animals.
I held Abaibai in my arms, and Lu Zhan held Xiaohuihui, who was restless even when walking, as we walked towards the competition venue.
Today, Lu Zhan wore a white shirt with beige trousers, a khaki windbreaker, and a pair of black casual shoes, which made him the focus of everyone's attention. Although no one was around him, I heard many people whispering about him since I got off the car.
"Wow, that boy is so handsome, and he even has a Samoyed, such a cute dog. Oh my god, I feel my heart pounding."
"Yeah, yeah, I feel like I'm suffocating!"
I hugged Abaibai, feeling helpless.
Alas, a bunch of guys who only care about appearance. Yes, Lu Zhan is very handsome, but today is not a beauty pageant, it is a pet competition. The owner has to interact with the pet. Lu Zhan’s outfit is obviously not suitable!
"That's right, you are a bunch of ignorant guys. Xiaoduo, Xiaoduo, Lu Zhan's outfit has automatically given up. Let Master Abaibai take you to defeat all the pets and reach the peak of your life!"
When I heard Abaibai's arrogant voice, I felt even more depressed.
Alas, none of them are reliable!
I looked up and around. I hadn't seen Bai Xiaocong since he announced that he was going to participate in the pet competition. He also sent me a message saying that he was going to practice in seclusion for the competition and asked me not to look for him for the time being...
Since he has prepared so seriously, I hope his performance this time will be more reliable!
"Xiaoduo, what are you looking for?" Lu Zhan's pleasant voice sounded in my ears.
I turned to look at him and said, "Are you looking for Bai Xiaocong? This guy hasn't shown up yet!"
As we were talking, a very eye-catching car drove past us. The pink body of the car sparkled brightly under the sunlight, and even the wheels looked as if they had just been installed, so clean.
At this time, the car door opened and a handsome man in a black tuxedo got out of the car.
Just as I was wondering why the uncle was driving such a strange car, the handsome uncle had already walked to the other side of the car and respectfully opened the back door.
A girl wearing a white lace baby doll dress, pink lace-up sandals with small flowers, and holding a cat got out of the car.
She looked around, then focused on stroking the cat's head in her arms with disdain.
The cat in her arms had the same expression, looking at the pets walking by and proudly turning its face to the other side.
"Tian Moli!" I waved at the arrogant daughter!
"Meow, it's Xiaoduo and Abaibai Oppa——"
Tian Moli walked towards us, and I heard Teodora in her arms greeting me.
"Hmph, don't be so vulgar. It's very impolite to speak so loudly!" Tian Moli said while touching Theodora.
"Meow meow... Xiaoduo, Abaibai Oppa, long time no see, did you miss me?"
Maybe because I rescued Teodora, this lovely Persian cat was still very polite to me.
"Tian Moli, are you here to participate in the competition too?" I said to Tian Moli.
"I won't do anything so rude! I'm here to cheer for Bai Xiaocong!"
Ah? To cheer for Bai Xiaocong?
I felt like I was hallucinating. In my understanding, Tian Moli and Bai Xiaocong didn't know each other at all!
but……
I recalled that the second time I met Bai Xiaocong was at a party hosted by Tian Moli. Later, Bai Xiaocong helped "find" her cat, so it was natural that the two of them had contact.
I don’t know why, but when I think of this, my heart feels like it’s blocked by something. It’s so uncomfortable, as if someone poured some sour liquid into my heart…
I pursed my lips and said nothing, watching Tian Moli holding Teodora and walking towards the entrance of the auditorium.
After bidding farewell to Tian Moli, Lu Zhan and I followed the crowd into the competition venue. All around us were dogs barking lively, cats meowing lazily, and occasionally one or two cats lay on the platform, basking in the sun and licking their fur.
In addition to cats and dogs, there were some other animals participating in the competition. A white cockatoo was swaying its body and dancing to the music.
"Hello everyone, happy birthday to you--" a colorful parrot is singing.
As we walked along, when we signed in and were waiting in the waiting area, I actually felt a little unconfident.
“There are so many people participating in the competition!”
"Hey, Xiaoduo, don't be so unconfident! You should know that you are the only one here who can understand what the animals say!"
Abaibai stared with eyes like black grapes, jumped nimbly on the ground a few times, and then looked at the big white bear dog closest to us whose tail was like a marshmallow.
As soon as the big white bear dog saw Abaibai, it immediately lay on the ground obediently, sticking out its tongue and slightly curling its front paws.
"Look, there are dogs bowing down before Master Abaibai's paws soon, so the championship must be mine!"
"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you! But why hasn't Bai Xiaocong come yet?" I looked around. Now it was time to divide into groups and wait. Lu Zhan and Xiao Huihui were first in this group, and I was the tenth.
Each group has ten contestants, and there are three groups in total. The competition mainly tests the tacit understanding between pets and owners. The first round is a display of pet specialties, and the second round is for contestants and their pets to cooperate in completing an obstacle course. The one with the highest comprehensive score of the two will win!
Several staff members wearing cat ears and rabbit ears were walking back and forth. Beautiful music was playing, and even the waiting area was decorated with pet posters, flowers, balloons, etc. A group of people who brought their pets to participate in the competition gathered together, and the scene was crowded but very lively.
"Xiaoduo, I saw Bai Xiaocong. She is at the back left, holding a box, looking very mysterious!" A Baibai suddenly reminded me.
I tried hard to look towards the waiting area on my left, and not far away, a figure wearing a dark blue sweatshirt with white waves came into my sight.
He was wearing a hoodie's cap on his head and standing sideways. You could see it was a shark-shaped cap. His large black-framed glasses covered most of his face. At this moment, he was holding a box and talking to Tian Moli who was sitting in the first row of the audience.
It was Tian Moli again! As expected, Tian Moli came to cheer Bai Xiaocong up!
I felt even more uncomfortable, and the sour feeling just now came up again. I originally wanted to say hello to Bai Xiaocong, but my feet seemed to have taken root here and I couldn't take a step forward.
"The competition is about to begin, please get ready to go on stage!" said a staff member wearing a white bunny costume.
So, the contestants brought their pets and stood in a crooked line.
"Okay, dear audience friends, welcome to the 7th Aijia Pet Contest!" With the exciting music, a host wearing a brown suit with a brown teddy doll sewn on his shoulder walked onto the stage and gave an enthusiastic opening speech, then introduced the judges sitting in the stands...
After a long string of introductions, the host finally announced the entry of the first contestant!
But in the next second, I heard a burst of noise coming from outside.
The contestants who were originally lined up to enter the venue all crowded to the entrance where they could see the front desk...
I became one of the people rushing to the entrance amid the crowd, and was "honored" to get the best seat.
Lu Zhan was really handsome. When he stood on the stage, he looked like a natural king. The sound of cameras clicking could be heard. The music mixed with the audience's comments had not stopped since Lu Zhan came on stage.
Lu Zhan stood with his legs straight and his back straight, casually holding the leash. Little Huihui sat on the stage, his white fur slightly fluttering in the breeze, and his big white tail, which was as big as a cotton candy, swept from time to time.
"Well, please let this handsome contestant say hello to everyone and introduce your pet." The host said with a smile on his face, as if he was also feeling lucky to have such a handsome contestant!
"Ahhh, super handsome guy!"
"Ahhh, the handsome guy's dog is also very handsome!"
"This is my pet, a Samoyed breed, and its name is Xiao Huihui!" Lu Zhan's pleasant voice sounded, but was suppressed by an even louder voice the next second.
"Ahh, what a cute name! I'm almost choking!"
The discussion backstage was also very loud.
"Wow, what a handsome boy! His pet is a Samoyed. I'm so touched!" said a girl next to me who was holding a Chihuahua.
"That's right, oh my god, I'm going to take a picture and upload it to Weibo. I haven't seen such a beautiful boy in a long time!"
"Aaaah, damn, my boyfriend has taken my phone, what should I do!"
The noise in the backstage was getting louder and louder, bringing the already lively pet competition to a climax right from the start!
Because there were so many people watching Lu Zhan, I found an opportunity to step down from the stage.
I saw Bai Xiaocong sitting alone in the last seat backstage, still holding the paper box in her hands.
"Hey, Bai Xiaocong, I've been looking for you for a long time. Why didn't you meet us? And I couldn't get through on the phone." I couldn't hold back my anger and blurted it out.
"Yes, yes, Xiaoduo is very worried about you!" A Baibai jumped and interrupted.
Bai Xiaocong looked up at me and A Baibai, but didn't say anything.
I didn't care about Bai Xiaocong's attitude. I picked up A Baibai and sat in front of him, then continued, "We were going to train with you these few days, but you never showed up. You were so mysterious and I didn't know what you were doing."
"I'm training my pet, she's very shy!" Bai Xiaocong looked at me, her eyes sparkling behind her big glasses.
I looked into Bai Xiaocong's eyes and my heart beat faster for a few seconds.
"Oh, it's this box, can I take a look at it? It will be uncomfortable if you keep it like this!" Feeling uncomfortable being stared at by Bai Xiaocong, I could only change the subject.
"Don't open the box, it...it's very shy!"
I watched Bai Xiaocong hug the box tighter in her hands, and laughed in my heart, why are you so nervous? I wouldn't be afraid even if you were carrying a snake!
At this time, a staff member wearing a black cat costume walked backstage and said in a very anxious voice: "Everyone, form groups of two, and get ready to go on stage!"
"Ah? Aren't we supposed to go up one by one? How can you change the rules at will?" A dissatisfied voice sounded.
"Contestant number one has wasted too much time. If the next contestants go on stage one by one, the competition will not be over until tomorrow. You two, you two will be a group!" said the Black Cat staff, pointing at Bai Xiaocong and me.
"But..." But there's a lot of distance between my number and Bai Xiaocong's...
"No buts, everyone, follow my instructions. The numbers just given don't count. Line up in groups of two and go on stage immediately!"
The remaining twenty or so contestants lined up together. The girl standing in the first place looked at the staff resentfully. I think she was angry why the rule was not like this just now, so that she could be in the same group with Lu Zhan.
Alas, Lu Zhan is indeed very handsome, but does everyone have to be so crazy about him?
I looked at A Baibai with a confident look on her face and her little chest puffed up, and Bai Xiaocong with a mysterious look on her face and holding a big box with boredom.
After hearing the host announce the remaining contestants, our remaining twenty-nine contestants began to appear one after another.
Of course, it was not as popular as Lu Zhan’s appearance just now. Everyone’s interest dropped, and even the host’s introduction seemed dry.
When I went on stage, I saw Tian Moli sitting in the first row, but when I looked at her, she turned to look at Bai Xiaocong next to me.
I suppressed my unhappiness and continued to concentrate on participating in the competition, introducing Abaibai to the audience, judges and hosts in the most elegant and generous way I thought. Abaibai also worked very hard, completing every move perfectly and received rounds of applause!
"Woof woof, I told you, as long as I, Abaibai, come on stage, this place will be my world!" Abaibai announced proudly when he heard the applause and cheers from the audience.
Its pride ended when Bai Xiaocong came on stage and opened the box in her hand.
And I finally understood why Bai Xiaocong looked so mysterious before.
He actually made a robot dog!
The noise in the audience was no less noisy than when Lu Zhan came on stage just now.
"Ahem, this is my participating dog. It's a high-tech electronic robot dog named Duoduo!"
Today, Bai Xiaocong's voice was particularly clear. As a contestant who had already entered the stage, I stood aside and watched him finish his introduction with a serious look on his face, and then remotely controlled the robot dog painted with a layer of black paint to perform various actions...
It was a medium-sized dog with a metallic luster. Well, I don’t think it should be called a dog. It would be more appropriate to call it a robot dog.
The robot dog's eyes are small cameras that look very deep, and its nose is a red accessory that glows red. According to Bai Xiaocong's explanation, it can emit infrared rays and can be used to automatically explore the way when traveling in the wild.
"Duoduo can perform various actions according to my commands. Duoduo, do it with me!" Bai Xiaocong said, constantly pressing the remote control in her hand.
I watched the robot dog named Duoduo perform many actions similar to ordinary animals: running, rolling, sitting, jumping, barking, and even wriggling like a snake!
"Uh, contestant, today we have a pet competition, not a high-tech competition. I think you have come to the wrong place!" said the host while wiping his sweat.
There were bursts of laughter from the audience.
"That's right. And this contestant is dressed so weirdly, like a shark. It would be more appropriate for him to participate in the pet competition himself!"
"This is the first time I've seen someone use an animatronic dog to participate in a pet competition..."
"Hurry up and record it with your phone, it's really weird..."
Another burst of laughter rang out.
That's too much! I felt a strong sense of dissatisfaction when I heard those voices. Although Bai Xiaocong is a little bit eccentric, he can't be called a weirdo! And what the person said before can be regarded as a personal attack! My Bai Xiaocong is obviously very cute!
"I would like to ask the judges, can any pet participate in the competition?" At this time, Bai Xiaocong said to the host in a very serious voice.
"Uh, this, we need to discuss it with the judges." The host wiped his sweat.
"I don't think I need to research it. The 17 rules of the competition clearly state that any pet can participate. Even though my pet is controlled by an electronic program and has a robot body, it is still a pet!"
Bai Xiaocong's powerful words left everyone speechless.
"Hahaha, the assistant host just told me that the judges in the audience have exchanged opinions. Contestant Bai Xiaocong is qualified for the competition. He passed the first round of performance. Now we will proceed to the second round of competition. Pets will challenge wisdom and courage! Everyone, please look at the big screen——"
Then, a venue appeared on the big screen.
"This is the competition venue for our Pet Intelligence and Courage Challenge. It's right in front. There are a total of eighteen levels. The contestant who brings his pet and reaches it the fastest will be the champion of this round!"
This is too easy!
"Wow, then I must be the fastest!" Abaibai, who came on stage again with me, shouted loudly.
"Haha, you must think it's easy, right? But at every level there will be a bowl of the most delicious pet food! All the pet food and champion prizes of this competition will be given by..." The host began to read the sponsor's advertisement.
"Hey, Abaibai, you have to hold back for a while, okay? Don't just give in to a little bit of immediate benefit..."
I looked at A Baibai, feeling a little worried. Could this foodie hold back? I really didn't dare to think about it!
"Haha... don't worry, I, Abaibai, am the most wise and brave!" Abaibai moved his nose, sniffed the air, and then said with confidence.
"Really? You have to do what you say!" I looked at it skeptically.
All the contestants of the second round came on the field. There were two race tracks in front of them, and two contestants participated at a time. Of course, there would never be a situation where the pets in front ate up all the pet food and the ones behind would not be tempted, because when a golden retriever and a shepherd dog in the first group ate up all the pet food, the staff immediately filled up the pet food, and I also heard the sound of many pets drooling!
"In the second round, Chen Jingzhi and her Chinese rural dog Jiaomei won in 1 minute..."
After the host announced the results of the second group's competition, it was Lu Zhan's turn.
"Come on, classmate Lu Zhan!"
I applauded Lu Zhan from a distance. Bai Xiaocong next to me gave me a resentful look, but I pretended not to see it.
Lu Zhan waved to me and walked to the front of the track handsomely. The person competing with him was a very sweet-looking girl, who was also holding a Samoyed.
"Ahhh, so calculating, this girl isn't from our group! How could she be like this!"
"that is!"
Haha, has anyone started to attack Lu Zhan now?
I watched the girl frequently showing her sweet smile to Lu Zhan, and I couldn't help but light a candle for her in my heart.
That guy Xiao Huihui is not someone you can easily mess with!
Sure enough, at the beginning of the game, Xiao Huihui pushed the girl's Samoyed pet aside with his big butt. However, under Lu Zhan's leadership, it only broke through half of the level and stopped, opened its mouth wide to eat pet food, and refused to run forward no matter how Lu Zhan comforted it. The girl seemed to be stunned, and she didn't even care about her pet, just looked at Lu Zhan.
Every group of contestants after that was like this. Some could pass a few levels, but still couldn’t resist the temptation of delicious food. One German Shepherd even ate dog food in front of the finish line ribbon when it was about to win the race!
"Abaibai, you must keep going, you must keep going!" I hugged Abaibai's chubby body and kept rubbing its head.
“I’ll do my best!”
But this is just empty talk...
When Bai Xiaocong and I walked onto the track, everyone's attention was focused on the electronic dog named Duoduo.
When the whistle of the game sounded, Abaibai and Duoduo rushed out at the same time like arrows from a bow. Abaibai looked even more dashing and heroic on the track in his knight outfit.
I ran hard behind Abaibai, repeating to myself, "Abaibai, resist the temptation, resist the temptation!"
Yes, Abaibai, you are a super dog. As long as you resist the temptation of dog food, you can win the final victory!
Abaibai lived up to my expectations and passed one level after another; while Bai Xiaocong calmly controlled the remote control in her hand, making the electronic dog named Duoduo follow closely behind Abaibai...
That's it, keep up the pace, Abaibai!
I shouted loudly in my heart, but just when I was about to reach the second to last level——
"Xiao Duo! I'm sorry. The recent special training has been too tiring. I really can't bear it anymore! I want to eat, eat, eat..."
A particularly painful sound came from his ears, and then Abaibai jumped into the nearest pet food bowl.
"Ahhh, you are such a big fool who doesn't keep your word!"
I sat directly on the track and watched A Baibai feasting on the food in the huge bowl.
"Ah, it's simply heaven!" Abaibai said after a burp.
In this way, in the following game, Bai Xiaocong's electronic dog Duoduo took the lead and won the game without any suspense!
Because it is the only one that will not be tempted!
It’s so unfair!
"It's not fair! Why should that weird robot dog win the championship? This is a shady deal. It must be that the sponsor doesn't want to give us food!"
"That's right, how can a robot dog participate in a pet competition!"
…
The girl competing in front of me and her pet dog looked angrily at Bai Xiaocong, who was wearing a garland, holding a robot dog and standing next to the prize with a shy smile.
"There's nothing we can do. There is no restriction on breeds in pet competitions. Electronic robot dogs are also a type of pet, so he is eligible to participate!" The handsome boy who was competing with a border collie next to the girl answered helplessly.
I watched quietly without saying anything.
In fact, this situation does not mean any loss to me, because electronic pet dogs will not eat pet food. Bai Xiaocong is the owner of Abaibai, so the pet food of this year actually belongs to Abaibai!
"Ahh, I want it so much, handsome master, I want to eat it too!" Little Huihui rolled over and rubbed Lu Zhan's pants, saying coquettishly.
Lu Zhan half-knelt down and touched its head, whispering something as if to comfort it.
Alas, the owner is good but the pet is not, just like Abaibai and Xiaohuihui, they are all gluttons, so it is normal that they cannot win the championship!
After Bai Xiaocong walked down from the podium, she handed me a thick stack of pet food coupons. I reached out to take it, and I felt much more balanced.
"Not bad, classmate Bai Xiaocong, you are actually leading the way. Alas, my training is in vain!" I looked at Bai Xiaocong's proud face and said jokingly.
"Hehe, since we won the championship today, I'll treat everyone to a meal. By the way, Lu Zhan should come too!" Bai Xiaocong was originally looking at me and smiling happily, but when she said the last sentence, her tone became extremely cold, and her eyes lightly passed over Lu Zhan, as if she had just noticed him.
"Eating together? But many restaurants don't allow pets. However, I know a branch of Caesar Garden Restaurant in Gem City where you can dine with your pets. There are luxurious meals specially prepared for pets. We can go there!" Lu Zhan smiled and suggested politely.
The two people's eyes met, and unknown sparks flew in the air.
"Ah, it seems very expensive there! In fact, we can just buy some fast food and eat in the garden!" I whispered. I don't know why, but I always feel that the atmosphere here is a little weird!
Just when we were still thinking about what to eat, a fat, bald man in a well-fitting suit called us, or to be exact, called Bai Xiaocong.
"Oh, congratulations to classmate Bai Xiaocong. I've watched the competition just now. It was really exciting! I'm the equipment sponsor of this competition. My last name is Chen. I want to meet you and make friends!"
I looked at this weird uncle who kept nagging in confusion. He even grabbed Bai Xiaocong's hand and shook it. Oh my god, Bai Xiaocong's face turned pale.
"I don't know you!" Bai Xiaocong frowned and tried to shake off Boss Chen's hand, but was held tightly by the enthusiastic uncle and could not move.
"Don't get me wrong, I will treat the champion to a meal every year. Bai Xiaocong, please do me the honor of having a meal with me as well."
"Woof woof!" Go away, Lord Abaibai will bite you!
"Woof woof woof!" Go away, you annoying guy, go away, you ugly, unhandsome guy, go away!
A Baibai and Xiao Huihui stepped forward, and Boss Chen took a step back in fear. Then Bai Xiaocong broke free from Boss Chen's hand.
However, when Boss Chen dodged, the look he gave Abaibai and Xiaohuihui made me feel very uncomfortable.
It was a look of great disdain.
This businessman, who claims to be the sponsor of the pet contest, does not like animals.
"Is this your pet? Not bad, not bad, very cute..." From a distance, Boss Chen took out a tissue and wiped the sweat from his forehead, praising dryly.
"Well, it's okay, we'll leave first." Bai Xiaocong hid and walked forward a few steps. I helped carry the box containing the electronic dog Duoduo and followed closely.