30: Chapter 30 Lost Dog Notice

After tidying up the last few bits of clutter, the clock on the wall had already reached 11:40 PM.

Wang Hao grabbed his backpack and said somewhat sheepishly, "Chenzi, I have to head back to the dorm. If it gets any later, I won't be able to get in."

Jiang Chen reached out to stop him, his tone casual yet warm.

"Stay here. The guest room is right next door, and the sheets and duvet covers are all new. Don't bother heading back tonight. We can go to class together tomorrow morning; it's on the way."

Wang Hao's eyes lit up, and he nodded immediately.

"Really? Then I won't be polite! To be able to sleep at Yujiang Bay for a night, I'll be laughing in my dreams!"

"No need to be polite with me."

Jiang Chen smiled and pointed to the guest room. "Go freshen up; everything you need is in there."

After Wang Hao entered the guest room, Jiang Chen walked alone to the floor-to-ceiling panoramic window.

The late-night river breeze was slightly cool, and outside the window were the sprawling lights of Jiang City.

Right at the stroke of midnight.

He took out his phone, and a line of clear text suddenly lit up.

[Ding! Today's Wealth Intelligence has been updated!]

[Today's Intelligence: The Golden Retriever of the owner of Building 8 in Yujiang Bay has been missing for a full day. This dog is raised by the owner like their own son. The owner has posted reward notices in the owner group and on the community bulletin boards. Anyone who finds and returns the dog will receive a cash reward of 100,000 yuan. The dog is hiding deep within the scenic forest on the far west side of the community, inside an abandoned drainage pipe completely obscured by dense bushes. The location is extremely hidden, and an ordinary person would never find it even after searching for a whole day.]

After reading it, Jiang Chen nodded slightly.

Another job!

Let's get to work.

Earning a quick hundred thousand isn't bad either.

Without disturbing Wang Hao, he grabbed his phone and jacket and quietly slipped out the door.

The late-night Yujiang Bay was silent, with only the landscape lights emitting a soft, brilliant glow. Security patrols only walked along the main roads, while remote areas were only patrolled at long intervals.

Following the intelligence, Jiang Chen didn't take the main estate road but detoured into the dense forest on the far west side, where almost no one set foot.

The vegetation here was overgrown, with tangled vines and pitch-black darkness at night. Even the surveillance cameras couldn't reach this area, and few people came here even during the day, let alone late at night.

The dog was mischievous too, finding such a remote place.

He pushed aside waist-high weeds and layers of bushes, finding a section of abandoned drainage pipe deep inside that was completely covered by fallen leaves, with only a small opening exposed.

The pipe entrance was tightly blocked by dead branches and leaves, and the interior was dark and damp. Without deliberately clearing away all the obstructions, it would be impossible to notice that a living creature was hidden here.

Jiang Chen squatted down and called out softly toward the inside. Only then did a weak, almost inaudible whimper—hoarse from dehydration—come from deep within the pipe.

He slowly reached in and carefully pulled out a Golden Retriever puppy that was covered in mud, with matted fur, shivering, and clearly starving for a long time.

The dog was so weak it didn't even have the strength to struggle, its eyes drooping and watery.

It had clearly been hiding in this extremely secluded corner for an entire day and night, scared and hungry, pushing its limits.

Jiang Chen brushed off the leaves and mud from the dog, took out his phone, and called the number on the missing dog notice—the one on the bulletin board that had been repeatedly dampened by tears, with curled edges and multiple layers pasted over it.

The phone was answered frantically after just one ring.

From the other end came a woman's voice, so hoarse it cracked, filled with utter desperation and a sobbing tone.

"Hello? Please... did you find my son... I've been looking for him for an entire day and night..."

"I've been searching from yesterday until now. I haven't eaten a bite or drunk a drop of water. I've scoured every reachable place in the community and checked all the surveillance... I was just about to call the police, I really can't hold on anymore... He's not just a dog, he's my life...!"

She was crying heart-wrenchingly, her voice shaking so much she almost ran out of breath. One could clearly hear the anxiety, fear, despair, and exhaustion of the entire day; every word carried a tremor on the verge of collapse.

Jiang Chen's tone was steady and gentle.

"Ma'am, the dog has been found. The location was very hidden, inside an abandoned drainage pipe in the forest on the far west side of the community. He's been hungry for a day and is a bit weak, but his life isn't in danger."

"The western forest... I didn't dare go in there at all... it's too dark and remote..."

The woman laughed and cried at the same time, instantly collapsing to the ground before desperately pushing herself back up.

"I'm coming right now! I'll run there! Please wait for me! I beg you!"

Ten minutes later.

A woman wearing pajamas, with messy hair, eyes swollen like walnuts, a face covered in dried tear stains, cracked lips, and shoes caked in mud, came stumbling and crawling over.

She was exhausted to the extreme, clearly having not rested for an entire day. Seeing the weak Golden Retriever in Jiang Chen's arms, her legs gave way and she knelt on the ground, unable to even stand.

"Mommy's baby... Mommy's son... you scared Mommy to death..."

"If anything happened to you, Mommy wouldn't want to live either..."

She pulled the dog into a tight embrace and wailed, her whole body twitching as she struggled for breath.

The fear, anxiety, self-blame, and despair accumulated over the entire day completely exploded at this moment.

The dog also used its last bit of strength to lick her tears, letting out small whimpers. Human and dog clung to each other, crying together.

After a long while, the woman finally began to calm down, though her whole body was still weak and trembling.

With shaking hands, she took out a stack of exactly 100,000 yuan in cash from her bag, carefully wrapped in a black envelope.

She handed it to Jiang Chen with deep respect and even tearful gratitude, her voice so choked she couldn't form complete sentences.

"Thank you so much... you are our family's benefactor... I wouldn't have found this place even if I searched for three days and nights... This is the promised 100,000 reward, you must take it. I'd be willing to give any amount... thank you so, so much..."

Jiang Chen accepted it calmly and gave a slight nod. "No need to be polite. It's good that he's okay. Hurry and take him back to get some water and food."

The woman bowed repeatedly in thanks, saying over and over that if he ever needed anything in Yujiang Bay, he could find her anytime, and she would do anything for him. Then, she walked away crying, holding the dog and looking back every few steps.

Jiang Chen took the money and walked slowly back to Unit 2 of Building 5 along the forest path.

When he returned home, Wang Hao happened to be coming out of the guest room drying his hair, looking curious. "Chenzi, where did you run off to just now? You were gone for a while."

"Just went down for a stroll. The estate is quite large, and the night view is nice."

Jiang Chen casually placed the money on the entryway cabinet, making no mention of the intelligence or the dog.

"Go to bed early. Wake up at seven tomorrow. I'll take you to have Cantonese Morning Tea downstairs, and then we'll head to class together."

"Alright!"

Wang Hao nodded excitedly, his mind full of the happy thought of going to class and eating good food with his bro tomorrow, completely unaware of everything that had just happened.