Chapter 46 Strawberry Vanilla Sundae

Chapter 46 Strawberry Vanilla Sundae

Before the documents concerning the missing cub case could be fully processed, the perpetrators struck again.

Li Hanchuan, representing the military, arrived at the scene with utmost speed. The area was already cordoned off with police tape, and the police had initiated a preliminary lockdown. Everyone present was a potential suspect.

The appearance of Major General Li, a figure usually beyond reach, intensified the pervasive anxiety and fear.

Cries echoed everywhere.

The aide-de-camp returned in a rush, his face grim.

"The opposition clearly came prepared. All surveillance footage at the scene has been destroyed."

Hyenas often operate in gangs; many are active mercenaries, living dangerously and working for money. Given their high casualty rates and transient existence, never knowing when death might strike, their ruthlessness is beyond ordinary comprehension. No one lives more in the moment than they do.

Among the previously apprehended hyena criminals, apart from those personally interrogated by Li Hanchuan, not one uttered a single word.

Kidnapping children.

For these fiends, it was considered easy work.

The Alpha gazed at the temporary stage, blasted to ruins, his eyes icy cold. "For them to act so recklessly within the Federation, there must be an inside agent assisting them, and one of considerable status."

His voice was not loud, yet the hearts of the soldiers and police officers instantly tensed.

The police chief asked, "You mean... this matter is related to the Empire?"

"Not ruling out suspicion," Li Hanchuan estimated cautiously.

"What are you doing!" A bewildered guard nearby suddenly raised his weapon, making a blocking motion that startled the scholarly and unassuming mole couple.

The Major General frowned, his authority evident without needing to express anger.

Realizing this was an inappropriate way to treat fellow Federation citizens, the guard protecting the Major General stepped back half a step. The mole couple, having had several children snatched away, were nearly inconsolable.

"Major General Li, please, you must help us...!"

The pure and hardworking mole wife cried bitterly, almost collapsing and nearly kneeling before Li Hanchuan, only to be steadied by someone.

The mole husband, cradling a continuously weeping child, described the horrific scene.

"There were many spectators and contestants around at the time. As soon as the smoke bomb exploded, the whole place descended into chaos. If it weren’t for a kind soul who pushed our little sixth child back to us, he would have been..."

Li Hanchuan’s instincts were sharp: "What kind person?"

The mole husband quickly handed over his phone, which displayed a blurry video.

"I don’t know if this will be useful to you."

Taking it, the shaky footage was filled with cries and screams, a white blur constantly spinning. Suddenly, the camera flashed, and the mole cub seemed to suffer a huge impact, tumbling head over heels directly into the parents' arms.

Immediately after, a voice-over erupted into a verbal spat—

"Damn, so heavy! Everyone come back, grab this big one! Put some effort into it!"

"Let go of me, you’re the big one, your whole family is big! I’m a mermaid, measured by the tail!"

"You? A killer whale would need two cloves of garlic to eat you, and you call yourself a mermaid."

Li Hanchuan’s originally stern and handsome face lost all color upon hearing this. The voice, both complaining and undeniably cute, was all too familiar to him.

His slightly trembling fingers rewound the video and played it again.

This time, even the aide-de-camp recognized it—where in all of Central City was there another mermaid?

"This... the one who saved them was actually the Young Madam! These beasts even kidnap adults!"

Li Hanchuan’s heart plummeted.

-

Life is full of traps. Baby Seal fainted the moment he was stuffed into a drugged sack. He remained steady as a rock despite the bumpy ride until they reached an abandoned factory on the outskirts.

In the pitch-black back compartment, the sounds of hyenas clutching their ribs and gasping in pain were everywhere.

"Is this little guy really a seal? I’ve never seen one before."

"Me neither. There aren’t many seal beastmen to begin with. Who’s to say he isn’t some prehistoric leviathan? Otherwise, how could he have such strength?"

"When he was thrashing around earlier, he almost kicked me to death..."

"In all my years on missions, I’ve carried heavy things, but why is he so heavy? Solid through and through, solid through and through!"

A gravelly-voiced hyena repeatedly emphasized, saying he needed to see a medic to check for fractures.

Mmm...

As consciousness slowly returned, Rui Rui thought he had just had a good sleep.

His hind flippers pressed tightly together as he stretched vigorously, even his muzzle straining!

With a sharp rip, the sack was unexpectedly kicked open by Baby Seal, vividly demonstrating what it means when a delicate seal splits a sack with a mighty stretch. The hyenas instantly raised their weapons, on highest alert!

All eyes focused on those fluffy, plump hind flippers.

The way they stuck out of the sack was particularly comical, but no one was laughing. Everyone knew how powerful this little powerhouse was.

Unexpectedly, the little guy closed his eyes, grumbled, turned over, and went back to sleep.

"..."

The mercenaries, having done heavy lifting, had stomachs rumbling. For some reason, this scene reminded them of shrimp tempura, and they naturally started discussing what to eat tonight.

It wasn’t until a series of muffled or hysterical shrill cries erupted that Baby Seal suddenly sat up: "Mmm!?"

Just then, someone pulled off the sack, and dazzling light immediately shone down. His already unopened black eyes quickly squinted.

Rui Rui then woke as if from a dream, his plump body trembling in panic.

Mmm and the children had been taken by the bad guys!

"Keep these here until the people on the other side pay up. Everyone stay alert. If it weren’t for following Young Master Wei, where would we find such a lucrative scheme?" This person seemed to be a small leader. After giving a few instructions, he left.

Innocent and round, the leopard face was cast in the shadow of tears behind bars.

His little paws gripped the bars, muttering to himself, "Where is this? Which Young Master Wei is he...?"

No one answered him.

He turned and saw five baby moles huddled in a ball, the cubs who had been performing diligently on stage just moments ago were now so frightened they had reverted to their true forms. Rui Rui felt a pang of heartache.

Five soft, grayish-brown balls snuggled close, resembling chocolate segments of an orange.

Suddenly, Sesame Mochi's stomach growled.

Even in the ocean, baby seal had never experienced the pain of hunger. His twitching little nose caught the scent of boxed meals, and his muzzle suddenly squeezed through the bars, his soft voice polite.

"Hello, we'd like six meals, two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes each."

The guard leaning against the wall was startled, thinking it was a large dog's muzzle that had popped out. Turning around, he saw a clueless, dazed little face.

So it was just a child.

The guard immediately snarled viciously, "You're such a chubby lot, and you still want to eat!? Don't you know your place?"

Baby seal saw no need to argue with him.

If he revealed his true form, it would only scare this man to death.

Calmly, he said, "If we starve, you won't get a single cent. Do you think the higher-ups will let you off? Let me repeat my request: three meat and one vegetable dishes with drinks. Understood?"

The guard was furious, never expecting to be threatened by a chubby cub.

But he was just a low-level lackey, the fall guy for any trouble. If anything happened to these demi-human children, he wouldn't escape blame.

Reluctantly, he fetched the meals and passed them through the rusty iron bars.

"Just one portion. Take it or leave it. If you eat, keep your mouth shut!"

Much as Rui Rui loved food, he was still an adult leopard. He coaxed the trembling baby moles, who didn't even dare lift their heads, to eat first.

He even invoked Li Hanchuan's name.

"He will definitely come save us, and soon! The Major General is the strongest Alpha in Central City. I've seen him."

The little brown balls exchanged glances, then finally gathered around, eating while crying. The boxed meal was quickly finished, but how could it be enough for so many children?

The hungry baby seal tried to bluff and coax again, but the guard sneered, "Just enough to keep you alive. Did you really think you'd get to eat your fill?"

Sesame Mochi angrily raised his eyebrows, his two paws gripping the bars tighter.

Finally, he snorted and chose to endure for now.

In an unfamiliar place, he knew he was no match for them. He couldn't afford to clash head-on just yet...

The baby moles weren't full either, whimpering and on the verge of crying again.

"Look, what's this?" His leopard claw scratched a few lines in the dust on the ground, creating a lifelike sand cake. The children were instantly captivated.

"Cake!"

"I really want cake..."

Back in baking class, Rui Rui had always followed instructions step by step without much passion. But now, seeing the children's hopeful yet hungry eyes, baby seal suddenly felt a surge of determination to master the skill seriously.

"When I first came to land, I didn't know how to do anything."

His little paw gradually slowed as it stacked sand. His eyes grew moist, welling up.

"If we can get out of here, I promise to make you the most delicious cake in the world. Even if I'm not around later, you can ask Major General Li for treats. Just tell him I said so."

A baby mole looked up, its damp nose touching the seal's soft belly.

"Isn't Major General Li very powerful? Will he listen to you?"

Baby seal pondered for a moment, overwhelmed with mixed emotions.

Had he once hoped for someone to save him, just like this?

Was Li Hanchuan really just a savior to him? They had both grown up now, in both appearance and mindset, far from the simplicity of childhood.

Unconsciously, Li Hanchuan's image transformed into an extraordinarily handsome male seal, carrying him away from this den of evil like a legendary hero.

His round leopard face grew slightly warm, and he scratched his little paw in an attempt to conceal his feelings.

"He will listen."

Little Dumpling didn't say things like "Because I'm a mermaid Omega" or "I'm actually his wife." He just murmured again, "He will listen."

The Double-Headed Eagle Building was brightly lit, bustling with tension.

No one had seen Major General Li this furious in a long time. It was said the mermaid Omega had been kidnapped too. Lieutenant Bernese sighed, "Overtime is nothing. You should be glad this isn't the Major General from a few years ago."

Back then, Li Hanchuan wouldn't have waited for layers of approval and paperwork. He would have charged into the den of thieves alone.

In the meeting room, the Alpha abruptly swept his hair back, his frantic and chaotic pheromones nearly overwhelming several colleagues.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something round.

The frantic, clueless Major General paused, then slowly clutched the little doll his wife had made for him. No heartache could compare to this.

"I will find you. I will."

-

The rust-streaked ventilation pipe was too narrow for baby seal's body, but for his slender human form, it was unobstructed.

Every minute wasted meant more danger. Rui Rui decided to take the risk.

"Big brother, I'm scared."

Five little mice trailed behind the Omega.

The ethereally beautiful, delicate figure now had disheveled hair and a dirt-smudged face like a messy kitten, but his blue eyes remained bright and determined.

He crawled forward, constantly scouting the path.

He also released a large amount of calming pheromones, softly comforting them from time to time. His maternal aura reassured the cubs, who followed him closely.

Unexpectedly, the ventilation pipe led directly outside. Rui Rui told the children to stay put while he carefully observed the lone guard.

Late into the night, the drowsy Alpha yawned. "Huh? Is it going to rain?"

Why did everything seem to go dark?

A massive shadow descended from above, landing with crushing force. Black Sesame Mochi shifted, revealing a flattened figure who called into the ventilation pipe, "It's clear. Come out."

If they wanted to go downstairs, they would have to pass heavily guarded areas.

Baby seal looked around and realized they were about two stories above the ground. Jumping wouldn't be fatal, but it would alert the enemies and hinder their movement.

Fortunately, there was a swimming pool.

Hmm!

Rui Rui clenched his fists.

The mole pups watched as a perfectly spherical object soared into the air, spinning rapidly under the moonlight before straightening its body and plunging silently into the water without a single splash.

"Squeak!?" The little ones were stunned.

Without a second thought, the baby seal climbed out of the pool, lay down on the lawn, and exposed his soft belly—

They say feed a seal for a thousand days, use him for one jump!

"Little ones, jump onto my belly! Now!"