宠物灵魂觉醒

Chapter 11: Five Kilos of A5 Wagyu

"Hua Ge, are you really interested in this Husky?"

"A bit curious, but I'll need to see more of its performance."

"Alright, then I'll check with Director Zhang later."

...

At the forefront, the two masters had observed for a while but couldn't quite figure out what made the Husky special. Tang Ming eventually approached Dai Xiaomeng.

"Young lady, has your Husky always been like this?"

Dai Xiaomeng paused and blinked a few times.

"What do you mean, sir?"

"I mean, has your Husky always been this smart, and aloof? It doesn't quite fit the typical Husky demeanor."

Dai Xiaomeng thought for a moment and shook her head.

"It used to be crazy, jumping around everywhere. But after my grandfather passed away, Boss became less active and would often sit alone in thought. Though he's become smarter."

"I see, it looks like your grandfather's passing had a significant impact on him," Tang Ming noted thoughtfully, then refrained from asking more. However, these few exchanges eased the audience's minds somewhat. The Husky's human-like behavior had been a bit too uncanny, but now with the backstory of emotional trauma, it seemed more understandable.

Subsequently, Dai Xiaomeng and the Husky were directed to a resting room as the show continued. The simple audition test proved challenging for many dogs, but thankfully, there were many participants. Half an hour later, a second team distinguished itself—a Labrador Retriever, strictly trained from a young age and benefiting from the breed's inherent advantages. Despite salivating profusely, it managed to hold back and advanced, much to the delight and slight embarrassment of its owner. With Boss the Husky's performance as a tough act to follow, the Labrador's drooling victory seemed somewhat disgraceful.

Three hours later, as the competition neared its conclusion, another participant advanced—a Border Collie. Its performance was markedly better than the Labrador's; it circled the dog food but ultimately didn't indulge.

With that, the first round of auditions concluded, with only three dogs successfully advancing, prompting sighs all around. Fortunately, being a nationwide audition, the few successful entries still provided plenty of exciting footage. Edited well, these could certainly attract substantial attention.

As the contest ended, the three successful participants were asked to stay by the production team. As the first batch of advancers, the team wanted to record some daily footage of the dogs for promotional materials for the upcoming extensive auditions, also prepping for future competition segments.

Faced with an additional daily allowance of 500 from the production team, the three participants quickly agreed. Exposure and fame were too good to pass up.

As Dai Xiaomeng and others left the filming building, discreet cameras followed, capturing their movements closely. Naturally, the production team wouldn't just shoot aimlessly. Simultaneously, "The Ultimate Pet Champion's" official website set up three sub-pages where fans could continue to follow their favorite contestants live.

Walking home, Dai Xiaomeng was significantly more nervous than she had been inside the studio. The streets were not as forgiving as the studio when it came to un-leashed dogs. Unfortunately, Boss had loathed leashes since her grandfather's death, and getting him to wear one was as dreadful to him as death itself. So, each trip into the city was a cautious affair, with Dai Xiaomeng's hand always on Boss's neck.

Fortunately, Boss seemed to understand the stakes and never strayed far from her on the streets.

Upon reaching the less crowded market near their rented home, both relaxed a bit. After exchanging a look, they excitedly ran towards the market, with the camera crew scrambling to keep up.

From a distance, they heard Dai Xiaomeng's boisterous voice: "Uncle Wu! Five kilos of A5 Wagyu, please!"

The previously quiet live stream boiled over with activity.

"I knew it, all that poor talk was just an act."

"Yeah, A5 Wagyu is usually sold by the gram, isn't it? She orders five kilos just like that—did she forget the humble persona she just set up because she's too excited about winning?"

"Young girl, young girl, can't keep calm!"

"Miss, take it from me, reality shows are too deep for you to fathom!"