"...Dog license?!"
The other person stalled for a second, then immediately caught on, sneering, "Do you think I would believe that?"
"It's not about what you think; it's about what I think."
Li Ang grinned like a domineering CEO. "Your true identity is already in my hands. Keep being stubborn, and you're definitely not going to like the outcome.
Believe it or not, I can go on the forum right now and leak your personal information?"
"Go ahead and leak it."
The other person crossed their arms, laughing confidently. "You think this face is really me? Any player who dares to venture out has a few false identities, or even false appearances."
Indeed, many Lone Wolf Players, after getting past the newbie stage, would create several fake identities for the safety of their friends and family. They usually adopted a 'Vest' persona in their daily lives.
This female model in front of him, despite her beautiful looks, might just be some greasy, overweight otaku dressed as a woman.
Li Ang frowned, staring intensely at her attractive face, trying to spot any flaw.
He looked left and right but saw nothing unusual. Li Ang then simply lay flat on the ground, looking up. Suddenly, he jumped up, shifting his body from side to side and shaking his head like a rattle drum, scanning the other person's face back and forth.
Such bizarre maneuvers startled the other person, who instinctively covered their skirt and stepped back half a step, sharply exclaiming, "What are you doing?! You pervert!"
"The prettier the woman, the more deceptive."
Li Ang sneered, "Unfortunately, you can't fool me. That kind of behavior is a clear sign of guilt. Admit it, you were a man before."
"Are you sick or something?"
The model clenched her fists. They were now equipped with knuckledusters made of some alloy, their surfaces embedded with five sharp spikes that looked quite intimidating.
"Wake up, sis. Don't try that dramatic act on me. We're all thousand-year-old foxes here; what kind of ghost story are you trying to pull with me?"
Li Ang waved his hand, putting away his long rifle. "Fighting now won't accomplish anything, and neither of us can hurt the other. Still want to complete the mission or not?
You've got to give me a name, right? Otherwise, I'll just call you Dog-Loving Hero?"
Before waiting for a response, Li Ang casually picked up a gas inspection sheet from an openwork cabinet, reading the information aloud, "Tang Ranno? Whatever, I'll just call you that."
"Hmph."
Tang Ranno, the new tenant of Room 2084, narrowed her eyes coldly. "And you? Want me to call you 'short and chubby'?"
Li Ang's current Vest was indeed not tall, even a bit shorter than Tang Ranno, the professional model.
"Just call me Brother Hu."
Li Ang waved his hand. "Time waits for no one. If we still want to complete the mission, we'd better get moving. What do you say?"
Tang Ranno narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at Li Ang's frivolous smile. She nodded silently and snapped her fingers.
The dog-skin-clad man in the cage immediately began to whine, reaching out his hands and collapsing forward within it. The yellow dog skin covering him seemed to come to life, continuously extending and stretching, wrapping tightly around his entire body.
But that was not all. The man's body started to change shape rapidly.
His limbs shortened and thinned, his skull jutted forward and tapered, and his tailbone tore through his skin, extending outwards and rapidly growing a coat of long, golden fur.
A few moments later, the man had completely transformed into a goofy-looking golden retriever. It barked twice at Tang Ranno, its beady black eyes filled with joy and excitement, as if eagerly awaiting its master to take it for a walk.
He's completely turned into a dog...
Li Ang looked on coldly as Tang Ranno opened the cage and took a leash from the cabinet. She fastened it to the golden retriever, just like an ordinary white-collar woman taking her dog for a walk.
Tang Ranno reached for a hat, sunglasses, and a parasol from the clothes rack, quickly fixed her hair, and asked Li Ang, "Shall we go?"
The two players, each with ulterior motives, stepped out of the door, entered the elevator, and walked side by side.
Li Ang was broad-shouldered and burly, unrefined in appearance, sporting a large gold chain and a flashy watch—the very picture of low-class.
Meanwhile, Tang Ranno was tall and slender, with god-like good looks, her long dress fluttering in the wind, exuding a celestial aura.
Their appearances clashed, yet they walked shoulder to shoulder, so close they looked like a couple to any onlookers.
Passersby cast glances at Li Ang, their eyes seeming to say, "One look at your girlfriend and it's obvious you're loaded."
The two left the residential complex, and Tang Ranno hailed a ride-share taxi, with Li Ang accompanying her to Dongfan Street Wanjun Community.
The large, yellow-furred dog sat squatting between them in the back seat, its pitch-black dog eyes fixed on Li Ang.
Annoyed by the stare, Li Ang glared back at the dog and said grimly, "Keep looking, and I'll have you neutered.
"Understand?
"The big scissors are sharpened. With one snip—KACHA!—they'll cut off your precious jewels and stick them to your forehead with superglue. Then you can cosplay as a Golden Unicorn! AWOO!"
The dog seemed to understand Li Ang's threat. It immediately cowered, lowering its head, unable to meet Li Ang's gaze. Meanwhile, the middle-aged ride-share driver in the front seat was startled. He flicked an almost imperceptible glance into the rearview mirror before unconsciously speeding up.
Moments later, the car stopped outside the Wan-Rong Community. The ride-share driver didn't even dare to ask for a good rating. As soon as they got out, he slammed the accelerator and sped off, leaving a cloud of dust.
The Wan-Rong Community wasn't in great condition. The buildings were old, dating back ten or twenty years, and the external air conditioning units hanging on them were all coated in dust.
Several police vehicles were already parked beneath one of the buildings. Yellow police tape cordoned off a patch of grass, beyond which stood a circle of curious onlookers.
"This is the place."
Li Ang stood on the outskirts of the community, not in a hurry to enter. Instead, he stood on the roadside and observed for a while, watching the busy police officers. He casually asked Tang Ranno, "What's with the dog?"
He hadn't expected an answer, but Tang Ranno pushed up her sunglasses and replied calmly, "He was my model agent before.
"He was quite well-known in a certain niche circle in Yin City; you could find his information online."
She paused, a mocking smile flashing across her face. "Actually, he was quite competent: the work was easy, the pay was good, and he treated the models under him well.
"A pity, though. He previously lost his mind for some reason and tried to drug me, so I just put a dog skin on him and let him properly be a dog.
"Oh, and don't be fooled by its current appearance—its nose is very keen, and it bites, you know."
"Really?"
Li Ang smiled wryly. "Can it help us bypass the authorities and directly investigate the cause of death for that Xia Junqiang?"
"Sure."
Tang Ranno nodded, gave the leash a little shake, and said, "Mao Mao, show him what you've got."