The host was too excited and not in a good state, and Happiness was even more dazed and confused. This two-hour and forty-minute interview was almost a waste of time, with no substantial conversation. In the end, Happiness completed the interview and even recorded a secret program for them to release on DVD. It was supposed to be a secret, but in reality, she just acted cute, spoke in a sweet voice, performed a school radio calisthenics routine, and sang a few songs. However, the fans were overjoyed as if they had found a treasure.
After collapsing exhaustively into the driver's seat, Happiness suddenly felt a sense of absurdity. In 2012, no TV station would have passed such a low-quality interview, not to mention the live broadcast worldwide.
Perhaps those in the media are different from ordinary fans. When they got off the plane and rushed back for post-production, they didn't do anything creepy to Happiness except asking for her autograph and a kiss mark. Happiness was surprised and touched by this. Without discussing it with Clay and the others, she agreed to SSTV's next interview invitation.
As the plane took off again towards District 2, Ben and Eliot massaged Happiness's hands, feet, and shoulders, and served her tea and water. The extreme cold had already arrived, and the interview was over. It was inappropriate to continue wearing a dress and shawl. Happiness changed into a white and pink down jacket made by Eliot. In winter, warmth was the priority, not fashion. Happiness was wrapped up like a round ball, but luckily the down hat was cute, with two fluffy dog ears on top, as well as two fur balls and two ponytails hanging in front of her chest. With thick gloves and snow boots, along with the heating in the plane and the hot ginger soup brought by Eugene, Happiness felt warm all over and didn't experience the terrifying scenario of her ears freezing off.
Even though she was very tired, Happiness was full of energy. She held the cup and sipped the ginger tea with brown sugar, feeling both happy and scared. But the smile on her lips never disappeared. She had a bank card given to her by the lion tribe host in her pocket! It was said that there was quite a sum of money in that card! She secretly asked about it, and the money in that card was enough for her to buy her dream house in District 10, completely her own. Chinese people, regardless of the past or the future, even if they traveled to outer space, have a strong sense of home. With a house, they have roots and won't drift like floating duckweed, and then they can live a fulfilling life. There is nothing more beautiful than this. Happiness was vulgar but also simple. Making money was the bottom line!
Compared to Happiness, who was no longer paying much attention to Fran, the other beastmen felt much heavier. They began to doubt whether their move was right or wrong. They had already learned about Fran's arrangements from Eugene. Compared to accepting such a powerful beastman king in their group, they were more worried about how to cool down the global craze that Happiness would bring.
Seeing the dreamy and strange smile on Happiness's face, Ben waved his mouse and browsed the housing transaction information within District 10 on the real estate website. He was somewhat surprised and asked, "Xiaole, why are you looking at this?"
Happiness's beautiful dream about "home" has never been told to any beast before. On the one hand, she doesn't want to burden Alexander and others financially, but on the other hand, she wants to earn money herself and buy a house with peace of mind. But now it's different, she can proudly talk about it! Happiness gave a mysterious smile, reached into her pocket, took out a silver card, shook it in front of Ben, and said, "This is the salary SSTV sent me. I have money now! I want to buy a house myself, hehe."
Ben said depressedly, "Happiness, don't you want to live with us? How much money is in your account? If you want to buy a house, my savings are enough to buy in District Ten. Can I buy it for you?"
"No," Happiness laughed, "I know you all have enough money and are willing to spend it on me, but it feels different. You don't understand. Besides, you can also come and live at my house."
Alexander said, "Happiness, save the money you earn. I'll buy it for you."
Abyssyus hurriedly said, "No need to buy! I have a house in District Ten. Happiness, do you want to live in District Ten? Aren't you afraid of what happened before?"
Happiness frowned, "I'm a little scared when I think about it, but when I'm with you, I'm not afraid anymore. And those interviews with the beast clan didn't feel barbaric, they were very reasonable. They just asked me to sign a paper, which was a bit strange." She thought for a moment and added, "The host told me that the show will be broadcast continuously. As long as I appear more, the situation will improve in the future."
"Don't be afraid," Ignoring Brooke's presence, Damian loudly said:, "Now you don't have to worry about being dissected, and we don't have to worry about you being hidden by Fran. That's good enough. As for the future, we'll take it step by step. If necessary, we can all go into hiding with you..."
"No hiding," Bern interrupted Rex's lengthy speech, "What Happiness should do now is to reduce the mystery. Of course, I'm not asking her to make X-rated films like 3D actresses. That would only make the beast world more crazy and give people the impression that Happiness is easy to get. I'm thinking about whether we can create a personal website for Happiness. Through the internet and videos, she can directly participate in social activities, which will also ensure her safety."
"You're right," Eugene nodded, "I'll take care of this. I promise to handle it properly for you guys!"
"I, I, I'll help too," Andy immediately joined in, grabbing Happiness's computer and getting busy. They were the only ones who could do this. Alexander and Rex knew nothing about website databases, they only had a vague understanding.
"Great idea!" Happiness was full of unprecedented fighting spirit, "I'll leave it to you guys!" This is often how things go - when you reach the end of the road, there is a glimmer of hope. Lin Xiaole's optimistic attitude reduced the worries of the beasts. Who can predict the future? At least at this moment, they are all around her and have decided not to be separated from her in their lifetime.
"I'm so hungry and hot," Vincent's current level of suffering is almost as bad as Happiness's. He has already taken off all his clothes, and his lower body has turned into a snake shape. He continuously lifts a towel soaked in ice water to wipe his body to lower his temperature. He also uses a magazine as a fan to wave it around. For a cold-blooded python, the heating on the plane is too terrifying. He feels like his blood is about to boil.
Seeing this, Eliot went to the cold storage and brought back a cup of ice cubes. Just as he brought it in front of Vincent, the python seemed to sense the coldness in the cup and immediately snatched it away, gulping it down without even biting. He put down the cup and exhaled, complaining, "I won't come out hungry again!"
"This is an unexpected situation, Vincent, please bear with it," Bern consoled.
The group chatted and laughed, and it didn't feel like much time had passed when they arrived at the second district. The deserted city was covered in thick snow, and if one didn't wear sunglasses, it would surely hurt their eyes to look down. Although Happiness had thick winter clothes on, this extreme cold weather was no joke. Eliot shook open a down blanket and wrapped Happiness up like a baby. It wasn't difficult for the tall beast to hold such a thick bundle. Happiness put on a mask, earmuffs, and windproof glasses, and stepped off the plane into the snowfall. There was a white transport plane in front of the beasts, with a prominent yellow-brown tiger head logo on it.
The wind blew across Happiness's cheeks, making them ache. As a result, she had to bury her entire face in Atai's chest. Even so, her teeth started chattering. It seemed that the extreme cold in February was not like the winters before she traveled. As long as she wore a bit more, she could get through it smoothly.
Seeing that Happiness was having a hard time, the beasts quickened their pace. The transport plane had already opened its doors, and Eliot rushed up in one swift motion!
After passing through the first door, a warm and fruity fragrance wafted through the cabin, revitalizing everyone's spirits. Obviously, this was prepared by Fran specifically for Happiness. The girl was frozen stiff and had been shaking for quite some time after being taken out of the blanket.
The two tiger guards, wearing uniforms with silver badges on their sleeves, couldn't help but be stunned when they saw Happiness. However, unlike the people accompanying their leader, they quickly regained their composure and said to everyone, "Please let the leader of the beasts from District Five accompany Miss Lin Xiaole inside."
Fran's behavior instantly won the favor of the worried beasts. If he insisted on hiding or taking Xiaole away, they wouldn't be able to do anything to Fran. This was their first meeting with Xiaole, and Fran even volunteered to have a beast accompany her, which clearly showed that he was honest and had no intention of favoritism, at least not at this moment.
Damian, Alexander, and Abyssyus stepped forward, and Happiness rubbed her face and limbs to warm up. Guard Number One pushed open the door of the luxurious cabin, and Happiness calmly followed behind the three beasts, stepping onto the thick golden carpet.
The spacious cabin had been arranged as a study. At the end, there was a row of bookshelves that reached the ceiling, and there were desks and chairs in front of the bookshelves. A man with brown hair stood up from the chair. Happiness was taken aback when she took a closer look, not because he exuded an intimidating aura, but because there was a horrifying scar running vertically down his right eye. Upon closer inspection, Fran, with his clear and handsome features, appeared to be in his mid-thirties, in the prime of his life. Compared to young beasts like Alexander, Fran had a calm and dependable demeanor. The old scars on his face gave him a sense of maturity that had been accumulated over the years. However, Fran had a good physique, with a height of over two meters and perfect proportions, without the typical potbelly of the leaders she had seen before traveling. When Lin Xiaole looked at him, the handsome uncle even winked at her.
With just this one action, Happiness immediately relaxed. A woman's intuition is terrifying. When she saw Fran, she felt the same way she felt when she saw Alexander and the others before, that this beast in front of her would definitely not harm her because his gaze was calm and upright. Just as Bern had said, Fran was indeed a person who gave off an impression of being honest at first sight.
Damian, Alexander, and Abyssyus were a bit reserved, but Fran smiled and said, "Please have a seat, everyone. Happiness, you too."
Look, the handsome uncle really lives up to being the king of the beasts. He didn't make her sit on his lap or immediately touch her. Fran gestured towards a comfortable and plush sofa.
Happiness was quite happy to sit on the sofa first. Fran seemed to find it amusing to see such a little person wrapped in a ball and watched her every move with interest. Then he said, "I won't ask you how you found her. I just watched the live TV broadcast."
The three beasts were a little nervous, after all, the media was something they contacted on their own. Klay said cautiously, "Our goal is also for Happiness 's safety."
Fran nodded in understanding and said, "I was prepared to gradually expose Xiaole, but you guys beat me to it. But it's inevitable."
Happiness hurriedly said, "Actually, I asked for it myself."
The three beasts were not as naive as Happiness . Although they had not directly spoken to Fran, they would not relax their guard just because Fran was friendly and kind. The beast world was not like human society, where there was a class distinction even among people who advocated freedom and equality. Moreover, in the beast world, which regarded class as a common occurrence, the head beast was respected. Fran had power and also had enough combat power to exercise that power, which earned him double respect. If it were Happiness trying to deal with the famous rogue leader Silver, he wouldn't even be worth a penny without the army and weapons. The masses would tear him apart.
Happiness had never seen a national leader before, and seeing that Fran was easy to talk to, she foolishly said, "I have checked the law. I can be free from the breeding camp's indoctrination. If you can approve me a legal identity, I would be very happy, like, having citizen rights, just like an ordinary male beast."
Alexander coughed to remind Happiness not to speak, but Fran smiled and said, "You don't have to be so restrained. It's nice to be like Happiness . You saved Happiness , you are heroes of the beast clan. As for hiding her privately and not reporting it, we won't hold it against you."
Happiness wanted to say something more, but she remembered Alexander's reminder and forcibly kept her words in her mouth. But she was very happy. She had originally thought that Fran would keep her locked up for himself, but she didn't expect him to be such a reasonable tiger!
"Thank you." Although he was a branch of the wolf clan, Damian was still the head wolf. He nodded and awkwardly said, "I don't know, Clan Chief Fran, what plans do you have for Happiness?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Damian and the others heard the sound of the engine starting, but it came from outside. Looking through the transparent window, they saw the plane they came in slowly ascending, and Fran's two planes were also starting up. The three beasts immediately understood Fran's intentions, but Happiness stood up and exclaimed, squinting her big eyes, "Why did our plane leave? Aren't we going to Vincent's island?"
"That was just a smoke bomb for the ancient mutants." Fran explained, "Happiness, your preciousness is self-evident. As the chief of the beast clan, I can't go with you to a hidden paradise and leave behind a group of beasts who have almost lost their reason for you..."
Happiness's eyes lit up, "I understand! This way, those intelligent ancient mutants will think that the beast clan is leaderless and there is profit to be made. In fact, you are planning to take them all down, right?!"
Fran smiled, "Indeed, you are an intelligent little female. I can't say for sure if I can take them all down, but judging from the current situation, the ancient mutants will definitely take action." This statement coincided with what Alexander and the others were thinking.
Alexander finally relaxed a bit on his face and said, "Even we believed it. Even if the ancient mutants have high intelligence, the chances of being deceived are also high."
"In that case, I want to ask Chief Fran..." Abyssyus hesitated and continued the topic of Damian, "What do you really think of Happiness?"
For a while, there was silence in the room, only the sound of the three planes getting farther and farther away.
Fran looked at Abyssyus with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, and Alexander said, "Happiness and we have already gotten used to living together. In this extremely cold weather, it's good for us to take care of her. Investigator Brook should have reported the specific situation to you. We have never abused Happiness."
"And according to that law..." Damian wanted to add, but Fran waved her hand and said, "You indeed have not abused Happiness, and I acknowledge that. However, Happiness was once kidnapped and injured by the Python Clan, and later she was attacked by ancient creatures, almost risking her life. I have to consider how she will live in the future, and the experts in District Ten will also give their opinions."
The three beasts were a bit awkward. The incident of Happiness being attacked did happen under their care.
But what about the anthropologists?! Happiness, ignoring Abyssyus's signal, said in a hurry, "It's not Alexander and them to blame. They have done their best! Chief Fran, are you looking for someone to study me as an anthropologist? Actually, you don't need to study me. I, as a human, really want to stay with them!"
Fran patiently said, "The best anthropologists and biologists are already waiting in District Two. Happiness, this is a necessary examination. The results will be announced to the global beast tribes, including the Mecha Beast Tribe. The Academy of Sciences will issue you a legal identity, making it legitimate."
With the words "legal identity," Happiness was overjoyed. She immediately nodded vigorously and said, "Chief, I'm willing to accept any examination!"
"Okay, Alexander, Damian, Abyssyus, take Happiness back to rest. I have already renovated the residence in District Two for Happiness. Happiness, take good care of yourself and have a medical examination tomorrow morning." The three beasts never expected that Fran would not keep Happiness! Instead, he let her go!
Alexander and the others exchanged glances, with relief in their eyes. This unexpected meeting went smoothly. Fran didn't control his desires and execute Happiness on the spot, nor did he investigate their concealment. The most important thing was that he agreed to Happiness's request for "legal identity"! It should be noted that with a legal identity, she would be fundamentally different from the breeding camp females. From a legal perspective, she would be equal to any male beast in terms of personality and rights. If any male beast violated her wishes and abused her, they would face severe legal punishment! And Happiness was indeed a real human female. She had no fear of any examination, even if biologists or others were to come, the final result was already determined!
Coming out of Fran's special plane, Happiness insisted on walking by herself. She rubbed her face with her hands, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Like a little rabbit, she hopped and ran towards her home in District Two. Eliot, Andy, and Lu were originally anxiously waiting outside. They were afraid that Happiness would disappear from now on, and they were also afraid that Alexander and the others would be held responsible. But now, seeing Happiness hopping towards them, they were not paying attention and slipped and fell to the ground. However, the girl didn't care at all. She covered her red nose from the impact, got up, and Bern went forward to help her up. Happiness smiled and said, "Bern, your Tiger Clan is really great. Chief Fran is easy to talk to. He even promised to give me a legal identity. Hehe, as long as it proves that I am a person, then I am indeed alive!"
Because the temperature was too low and the wind was too strong, after Lin Xiaole said these words, her lungs were choked by the cold air. She pressed her hands on her chest, her breathing became difficult, and her face turned red. Bern became anxious and immediately picked her up. The other beasts didn't waste any time and followed Xiu to the second district. They didn't even bother to use the keys and kicked the door open once they arrived in the yard. In less than half a minute, Happiness, who was in Bern's arms, was already freezing pale. Eliot quickly turned on the heater. Bern didn't care about anything else and put Happiness on the bed. He immediately transformed back into a tiger and used his warm paws to wrap around her, putting her under his belly. The whole tiger was like a mother hen hatching eggs, keeping the frozen Happiness warm.
After a while, Happiness recovered. The male beasts heard her muffled laughter coming from under the tiger's belly. Happiness poked her head out of the white fur and said with a smile, "I didn't expect, I didn't expect, Bern, you said Fran, Fran wanted to mate with me, but he didn't mean that at all. He is very kind to me, but he hasn't even touched me once. You guys are really something. You scared me on the island and made me cry so sadly."
Bern had turned into a tiger and couldn't speak, so Abyssyus asked, "Happiness, do you think Fran is good? What's your impression of him?"
Happiness replied in an enthusiastic tone, her voice hoarse from the cold wind, "Of course he's good! I have a really good impression of Fran, I can't even describe how good it is. Hmph, he's much better than you guys. Even Bern, who is so stable, touched me... Did you guys treat me any less indecently before? Although Fran is the clan leader, he doesn't have any airs at all! The whole tiger is still so kind and friendly. Bern, you're right, he is really honest and upright. If it were you guys, hmph, I'm afraid I would already be pinned down on the ground! Don't even think about being able to bring me back home now! Well, although he has some terrifying scars on his face, he's quite impressive! He's also very handsome... The whole tiger is really trustworthy..."
Fran really has good methods! All the male beasts present, including Bern who was hatching eggs, thought so!
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