Extra 1: Delinquent Cubs Gang

The dusk settled.

The bell for the long recess pierced through the vine-covered walls. Students wearing junior high school uniforms walked out of the school gate in twos and threes in search of food.

This was an eighteenth-tier junior high school in a city neighboring Beijing. The school had a terrible atmosphere and abysmal academic performance. The only somewhat noteworthy part of its history was that it had produced a few juvenile delinquents.

Behind the school, a dead-end alley was narrow and filthy, a gathering place for trash and human garbage alike, as if the “considerate” school administration had specifically provided a location for campus bullying.

In the alley, a thin boy was shrinking back as he showed his wallet to a few school bullies, pulling out a few small-denomination bills and muttering, “R-really… just this…”

The school bully disdainfully flicked the wallet aside and said, “Check your WeChat Wallet.”

Boy: “……”

With a pained expression, the boy opened the WeChat Pay interface. His WeChat Wallet had a balance of over two thousand yuan, his unused New Year’s money.

The school bully whistled.

In the information age, no one bothers carrying cash anymore. Even robberies have kept up with the times—there’s no need to steal wallets; just scan the QR code directly.

The school bully pulled out his phone. “Scan me.”

The boy’s face turned pale. “No, Ge, Ge, I’m begging you guys…”

The school bully grew impatient. “Cut the crap.”

Just as the school bully gang and the boy being robbed were at a standoff, a group of uninvited guests suddenly stormed into the alley.

There were eight of them, averaging less than a meter in height, all dressed in matching outfits that looked like kindergarten uniforms—overalls, short-sleeved shirts, and little white shoes. Their chubby little arms and legs were exposed. One wore a rabbit-eared hat, another a sheep-horn hat, one had a toy turtle shell on their back… They were eight adorably dressed babies that could make people bleed from cuteness overload.

Judging by appearances, the babies’ average age was around three. Each had a delicate little face, looking like a group of child stars who had sneaked out from a filming set.

The school bully gang stared at these kids who had appeared out of nowhere, momentarily stunned.

“…Scram, go wait over there,” the school bully was the first to react, scowling as he shooed them away.

The baby in the rabbit-eared hat rubbed the rabbit ears on his hat and spoke in a soft, milky voice, “Da Gege, this alley is already Qi Ge’s territory. No robbing allowed.”

The school bully froze, then burst into laughter. “Hahahahaha!”

The other gang members also laughed uncontrollably.

“You weaned yet, Didi?”

“Keep messing around, and we’ll spank you.”

The baby in the rabbit-eared hat slowly furrowed his tiny brows, pointed at an inconspicuous piece of paper stuck to the wall at the alley entrance, and softly said, “We wrote and marked the territory.”

The paper had been torn from a sketchbook. A row of wobbly, crayon-drawn Chinese characters was written on it:

—”This alley is covered by Qi Ge. Those under protection, please consciously pay protection fees.”

School bully: “……”

The school bully’s lackeys: “……”

After a brief silence, the school bully gang burst into even louder, gut-wrenching laughter!

At that moment, the tallest baby, the one wearing a pointy-horned headpiece, faced their laughter with a composed, round little face and said indifferently, “So there’s no room for negotiation?”

The school bully gang laughed so hard they lost all combat effectiveness.

Even the male student being robbed couldn’t help but snicker twice…

The atmosphere in the dead-end alley was as festive as a New Year’s celebration.

The baby wearing a pointed headpiece pondered for a moment with an air of authority, then tilted their head and instructed the most frail-looking little girl in their group, “Take care of it.”

The little girl, wearing a ram-horn hat, rotated her thin, twig-like neck upon hearing the order, cracking her tiny fingers with a crisp pop.

The school bully continued laughing wildly, but in the next second, his pupils reflected the image of the ram-horned girl’s small white sneakers—

They were level with his line of sight.

Thud! A dull impact echoed as half of the school bully’s face was kicked askew. A bloodstained molar shot out like a bullet, smashing against the brick wall, almost sparking upon impact.

The ram-horned girl landed steadily, while the school bully collapsed with a wail, clutching his face.

“Next.” The ram-horned girl’s face remained expressionless as she raised a single plump finger and beckoned to the bully’s lackeys.

“…What the—?!”

Snapping out of their shock, the lackeys immediately turned and bolted, not even sparing a glance at their boss’s injuries. Brotherhood? Gone in an instant.

The group of kids was clearly not normal. Even the boy who had been robbed was terrified and was about to flee—only to have his shirt grabbed by the ram-horned girl.

That soft, tofu-like little hand held an almost supernatural strength. The boy struggled with all his might, only to hear the faint sound of fabric tearing. Yet, the small hand clutching his clothes didn’t loosen in the slightest.

The baby with the pointed headpiece, seemingly the leader, remained silent, merely toying with a pencil sharpener. He blew at the shavings inside as if he were some underworld boss casually fiddling with a gun.

The ram-horned girl stated simply, “Protection fee.”

“Y-You guys…” The boy stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.

The baby wearing a rabbit-eared hat rubbed his ears and explained, “This is Qi Ge. From now on, he’s in charge of this area. One-time protection fee, ten yuan. Cash only. No WeChat.”

Because the little rascals didn’t have phones yet!

With trembling hands, the boy didn’t even bother counting his money and shoved a few small bills from his wallet at them.

Qi Ge took the bills, counted out exactly ten yuan, and stuffed the rest back into the boy’s school uniform pocket. In a voice both childish and commanding, he declared, “When you’re in the business, you have to keep your word. We said ten yuan per protection, so it’s ten yuan.”

The ram-horned girl let go, and the boy scrambled away, rolling and crawling as he fled.

After collecting their protection fees, the delinquent cubs chattered away as they poured out of the alley, disappeared through a Chaos Mark, and vanished collectively.

………….

Half an hour later, the delinquent cub gang reappeared at the Divine Beast Kindergarten.

Speaking of the Divine Beast Kindergarten, one had to mention Ye Chen’s achievements over the past year.

As his health supplement business expanded, Ye Chen successfully transitioned from a lord of poverty to a legitimate ruler of the Mountain and Sea Realm.

After using company profits to clear his mortgage debt, his acting income finally stopped evaporating instantly. His bank balance now held a steady eight-figure sum.

With ample funds, Ye Chen aggressively advanced mechanized agriculture and, under Bai Ze’s guidance, scientifically planned his realm’s reforestation and divine beast workforce allocation. By maximizing existing resources, the restoration work proceeded efficiently. In under two years, the manifested mountains and rivers had already formed an entire mountain range.

Within the realm, over a hundred species of spiritual plants flourished across the mountains and plains, thriving in harmony with dozens of divine beasts strategically introduced by Bai Ze’s calculations. This created a balanced ecological chain capable of sustaining itself. As a result, despite the realm’s expanding agriculture and livestock areas, Ye Chen and the divine beasts found themselves intervening less and less—far less than when they first began cultivating the land.

With the accelerated restoration of spiritual veins, the awakening speed of divine beast cubs also increased dramatically. At present, more than twenty cubs had assumed human forms, while a few still too young remained in their beast forms. Besides the cubs, many adult divine beasts, having caught wind of the realm’s prosperity, had begun flocking to Ye Chen from all corners of the world.

The two siheyuan courtyards quickly became overcrowded.

Thus, Ye Chen purchased a plot of cheap land in the suburbs of a neighboring city. With Bi An’an handling the administrative procedures and Li Li overseeing design and construction, they established a dedicated Divine Beast Kindergarten for the little ones.

The kindergarten covered a considerable area, complete with a playground, children’s dormitories, a large game room, a music room, a sandpit, and a swimming pool—every facility imaginable. It was far better equipped than the siheyuan had ever been. Ye Chen, Shen Mofeng, and the adult divine beasts took turns watching over the cubs. To make things more manageable, Ye Chen divided them into large, medium, and small classes based on their awakening order.

…

This evening, the final kindergarten class was music. Qiu Niu^[1]The eldest of the legendary Dragon’s Nine Sons. A mythical creature said to be a hybrid between a cow and a dragon; said to be fond of music, often seen decorating lutes. was in the music room teaching, while in the vacant game room, the sneaky Qiongqi Cub sat on a rocking horse, swinging his little legs. Zhulong Cub^[2]Also known as Zhuyin and Torch Dragon in English. A giant red solar dragon and god in Chinese mythology. It supposedly had a human’s face and snake’s body, created day and night by … Continue reading clutched a candle stub no longer than a toothpick and crept in furtively.

Legend has it that “in the northwest of the heavens lies the land of eternal darkness, where a dragon carries a candle in its mouth to illuminate the realm.” The candle held by Zhulong could rival the blazing sun, lighting up the night. However, since the candle was a manifestation of Zhulong’s spiritual power, the one held by the young Zhulong was pitifully short—barely enough to light up a bedroom, let alone the world. Apart from the fact that it never burned out, it was no different from an ordinary candle.

“Qi Ge, he’s here,” Pulu Cub reported eagerly.

Qiongqi Cub spoke in a deep voice, “Bring him over.”

Pulu Cub: “Stand still.”

Zhulong Cub, confused but obedient, stood at attention.

Pulu Cub used his chubby hands to pat Zhulong Cub from head to toe, then educated him, “This is called a body search. It’s to make sure you’re not smuggling any weapons, like, uh… black, black—”

Qiongqi Cub coughed lightly, “Black eat black^[3]A villain doing dirty on another villain..”

“Oh,” Zhulong Cub quickly tried to clear his name, nodding in half-understanding. “My water gun is in the toy box.”

“You’re good to go.” Pulu Cub stepped aside.

Noticing the crafty gaze of his natural enemy, Hou Cub, Zhulong Cub clenched his candle nervously and approached Qiongqi Cub. From the pocket of his overalls, he carefully pulled out a twenty-yuan bill.

Boss Qiongqi ordered, “Tao Tao, show him the goods.”

Taotie Cub, her soft cheeks puffing up, opened her little orange Primal Chaos bag, revealing nine packets of spicy strips. When she opened her mouth, a fragrant, spicy scent wafted out. “Here.”

Unexpectedly there is embezzlement!

Boss Qiongqi turned away, pretending not to see: “…”

Spicy strips, an unhygienic, additive-laden snack, could cause slight damage to the delicate inner cores of the divine beast cubs. Though the damage was reversible, it could still negatively impact their growth and development. For this reason, Ye Chen had strictly banned them from eating such things.

But divine beast cubs were no different from mortal children—whatever was forbidden only became more tempting. Under Ye Chen’s strict rule, the low-quality spicy strips, usually outclassed by spiritual food, had somehow become a highly coveted black-market commodity in kindergarten.

Zhulong Cub licked his lips, braving Hou Cub’s piercing glare. He trembled as he said, “I want four packs.”

Shenlong^[4]Literally “god dragon” or “divine dragon”. The spirit dragon from Chinese mythology who is the dragon god of the tempest and also a master of rain. The spiritual dragon is … Continue reading, Jialong^[5]A powerful aquatic dragon capable of controlling water. , Qinglong^[6]Azure Dragon. One of the Dragon Gods who represent the mount or chthonic forces of the Five Regions’ Highest Deities (五方上帝 Wǔfāng Shàngdì). It is also one of the Four Symbols of the … Continue reading , and himself—one pack per dragon.

The other three dragon cubs were terrified of Qiongqi’s second-in-command, Hou Cub. If they spoke to him even a little during the day, they would wet the bed at night. Even Yinglong, whose inner core had fully recovered, was still utterly spineless in front of Hou cub—despite having a face that screamed “arrogant and untamed.” Together, the four small dragons and one big dragon were dubbed the “Five Cowardly Dragons.”

Zhulong Cub had twenty yuan. Twenty divided by four equaled five… Hou Cub set the price: “Five yuan per pack.”

Fuck, really sinister… Boss Qiongqi cast a long, meaningful glance at Hou cub but said nothing. He counted out four packs from the little orange bag, exchanging them with Zhulong Cub—cash for goods.

They had just bought these from the convenience store at a wholesale price of one yuan per pack.

As the oldest among the Qiongqi gang, the cubs had exclusive control over the Chaos Mark, which allowed them to sneak in and out of kindergarten undetected. They also had the Primal Chaos bag for smuggling goods and had mastered the art of persuasion when shopping at the convenience store, securing their monopoly on contraband within the kindergarten.

The contraband smuggling boss, Qiongqi, dusted off his lollipop. “Keep your mouth shut. No selling out your brothers.”

“Mm!” Zhulong Cub nodded furiously.

Just as the transaction was successfully completed, a furious roar echoed from outside the game room—Ye Chen’s voice: “…Qi Qi! Hou Hou! Lu Lu!”

He had finished his farm work for the day and decided to visit the cubs, only to find that the usual troublemakers had all skipped Qiu Niu’s music class. He immediately began searching for them.

“Ya!” Hou Cub’s bunny ears stood up straight.

“What did you smuggle in this time?” Ye Chen asked, amused as he blocked the game room’s door.

“The cops are here, run!” Boss Qiongqi turned into a little winged tiger, grabbed Taotie Cub, and flapped his wings, flying straight out of the second-floor window.

Zhulong Cub transformed into a dragon, but just as he tried to escape through the window, Hou Cub grabbed his tail, hitching a ride as they both fled.

Pulu Cub, panicking, ran a few steps but tripped over the rocking horse, tumbling to the ground. The moment he hit the floor, his biological adhesive went haywire, and with a wet “splat,” he stuck fast to the floor.

Ye Chen: “…”

Looks like he’d have to ask Ba Ze to prepare a dissolving agent again.

Leisurely walking over, Ye Chen squatted down and interrogated, “What were you up to just now?”

Pulu Cub, his face glued to the floor, flailed his chubby limbs desperately. Within seconds, he burst into tears and betrayed his brothers in exchange for salvation: “Qi Ge took Tao Tao to the junior high school to collect protection fees! Then they smuggled spicy strips!”

A bunch of not-even-two-year-old cubs shaking down junior high schoolers for protection money… Ye Chen sighed, deciding to seal off any extra Chaos Marks tonight so they couldn’t run wild anymore.

And so, after one large-scale black market transaction, the notorious delinquent cub gang met their downfall. Justice prevailed, righteousness was upheld—truly a moment worth celebrating.