Zhang Yang also went back to his own quarters; each of them had a one-bedroom suite. Returning to the bedroom, Zhang Yang first checked the glass cage housing Little Lightning.

He had brought Lightning with him on this trip to Shanghai.

He was staying for several days this time. Mi Xue was at home, but she possessed an instinctive fear of venomous snakes and couldn't possibly feed Lightning.

Letting Lightning out on its own, or leaving it behind, was even less feasible. With Zhang Yang absent, no one could control the little creature. If it truly went berserk, the destructive power would be astonishing, a risk Zhang Yang dared not take.

In the end, the only option was for Zhang Yang to take it wherever he went.

Having experienced freedom only to be caged once more, Lightning was thoroughly displeased. As soon as Zhang Yang entered, it turned around and presented its rear end to him, clearly signaling its annoyance.

Unfortunately for the little beast, its tail was twitching in a most unnatural way—an undeniably endearing movement that couldn't help but make Zhang Yang chuckle.

This adorable little creature truly inspired affection.

"Lightning, my fault for playing gooseberry with Young Master Su. I'll let you out right now!"

Zhang Yang said with a laugh. He knew that even if Lightning couldn't understand his words, it could grasp his intention.

This little one was exceptionally clever.

Indeed, the creature immediately lifted its head and revealed a dopey grin. When the little sable smiled, its eyes narrowed to slits, looking irresistibly comical.

After setting Lightning free, Zhang Yang slipped it a pill.

Lightning caught it instantly and happily popped it into its mouth.

This pill was certainly not a Thousand-Year Ginseng Pellet or an Immortal Fruit Pill—those were potent spiritual medicines. This was one of the ordinary ginseng pills he usually refined, made primarily from hundred-year-old ginseng.

Such a pill would be a great tonic for a normal person, but to Lightning, it was merely a tasty snack.

It was purely by chance that Zhang Yang discovered Lightning enjoyed these things. A single Thousand-Year Ginseng Pellet could boost Lightning’s loyalty by 5 points. While these hundred-year ginseng pills offered far less potency, feeding it many would still accumulate some increase.

For a Celestial Spirit Beast like Lightning, even Zhang Yang wished for its loyalty to be high—not necessarily hitting a full one hundred percent, but at least above ninety.

That way, even after his own century passed, he would leave behind a guardian spirit beast for his household.

With a few soft crunching sounds, the pill was completely consumed. This type of pill wouldn't induce sleep; at most, it would just give it a slight energy boost.

Zhang Yang stroked its fur and shook his head gently.

Even hundred-year-old ginseng was rare, but not impossible to acquire. From one large root of hundred-year ginseng, Zhang Yang could concoct hundreds of pills. Feeding one to Lightning every day was entirely sustainable for him.

After resting for over two hours, Su Zhantao came knocking on the door again.

Accompanying him was Yang Ling, the owner of the car dealership. Zhang Yang was playing with Lightning in the living room when Yang Ling spotted it, and her eyes visibly sharpened.

"Zhang Yang, when did you get such a large rat?"

Su Zhantao walked over, expressing surprise, and even reached out to touch Lightning.

Lightning's cute appearance made anyone want to reach out and touch it; Yang Ling felt the same, though she wasn't familiar enough with Zhang Yang to make such a move.

"Squeak!"

Lightning suddenly hissed sharply at Su Zhantao, appearing quite fierce.

Zhang Yang quickly grabbed it. If Young Master Su had been bitten, the consequences would have been dire.

Fortunately, the explicit order Zhang Yang had given it—never bite people—was firmly imprinted, so it refrained from biting randomly, limiting itself to merely scaring Su Zhantao.

Its ferocious posture did indeed startle Young Master Su, who suddenly sprang upright, staring at Lightning in alarm.

"This is a little sable, named Lightning. It’s not some big rat, so don't ever call it that again!"

Zhang Yang shook his head helplessly. Lightning was very intelligent, and Young Master Su had angered it with that inappropriate name just now. If they were in the wilderness, Young Master Su might well be lying dead on the spot by now.

"Lightning Sable, a good name. This little sable is so cute. Where did you buy it, Young Master Zhang?"

Yang Ling nodded, speaking with a cheerful smile, a hint of longing still in her eyes. Zhang Yang had no doubt that if he told her the location, she would rush out to buy one herself.

Zhang Yang chuckled, "I encountered it in the mountains, and it followed me accidentally. I didn't buy it!"

Yang Ling looked slightly disappointed. "Oh, I see. Young Master Zhang is truly lucky. But this also proves you are a good person; such a smart little sable is willing to follow you!"

"A good person?"

Zhang Yang was momentarily taken aback, then he laughed.

This little one following him wasn't because he was inherently good; he had essentially forced it to come along, and only through twists of fate did it begin to stick with him.

However, he wouldn't explain this, nor was it necessary.

"Wait for me a moment, I need to pack a few things!"

Zhang Yang stood up, holding Little Lightning. Yang Ling watched with renewed envy. Lightning's fur was pristine white and fluffy, immensely appealing to the eye.

At that moment, she would willingly trade a car for the Lightning Sable in Zhang Yang's arms.

They had come to find Zhang Yang because they had arranged to go out and have fun that evening.

After the afternoon rest, it was free time. They wouldn't start visiting the auto show until the next day. Everyone else had their own plans, but only Zhang Yang and Su Zhantao were first-timers. Before they arrived, they had agreed that Yang Ling would take them to see the Shanghai nightlife in the evening.

When the time was nearly right, Su Zhantao hurried out, first calling for Yang Ling before coming to fetch Zhang Yang together.

After changing his clothes, Zhang Yang took a rope loop and fitted it around Lightning’s neck before they left together.

When going out with more people, anything could happen. No matter how smart Lightning was, it was still a wild animal. It wouldn't act unless provoked, but if someone, or some child, mischievously annoyed it, a bite could cause serious trouble.

Using a lead rope prevented that possibility.

Yang Ling said nothing about Zhang Yang restraining the Lightning Sable with a rope, but Su Zhantao started complaining.

He insisted that Zhang Yang shouldn't treat an animal so cruelly and that he should release the cute little sable to let it roam freely.

Young Master Su’s words actually made Little Lightning nod repeatedly, displaying that same silly grin. Its behavior stunned both Su Zhantao and Yang Ling; they had never seen such an intelligent small animal before.

Yang Ling's envy toward Zhang Yang grew even stronger at this point.

The three of them left in only one car.

Since neither Zhang Yang nor Su Zhantao was familiar with Shanghai’s layout, the driving task fell to Yang Ling, using her BMW.

Young Master Su, showing questionable loyalty, dumped Zhang Yang in the backseat, opting to sit in the front passenger seat himself. Fortunately, Zhang Yang had Lightning for company, otherwise, he would have been miserably alone in the back.

This prompted Zhang Yang to loudly lament his poor choice of friends, ridiculing Young Master Su throughout the drive.

Sadly, the young man possessed an incredibly thick skin, completely unfazed by Zhang Yang’s jabs. He even argued righteously that a beautiful woman driving alone would be bored, and he should keep her company—men should yield to women.

Faced with his flawed logic, Zhang Yang could only feel exasperation and speechlessness. The young scoundrel clearly wanted to pursue her but cloaked his intent in such high-sounding, sophistical nonsense. Zhang Yang truly admired his nerve.

Yang Ling drove directly toward the Bund.

The hotel wasn't too far from the Bund, so they arrived shortly. This was a place they absolutely had to see after coming to Shanghai. Zhang Yang had visited countless times in his previous life.

To him, it was merely crowded, with slightly better air quality—he felt little else.

He couldn't fathom why so many people loved coming here, perhaps it was just due to its fame.

The Bund in '98 was indeed slightly different from how it would be in later years. Zhang Yang couldn't recall the specifics, but he could sense a subtle change.

The three arrived just as the sky was beginning to dim—the busiest time for the Bund. Holding Lightning, Zhang Yang deliberately kept several paces back, ensuring he wouldn't play the third wheel.

He didn't know Yang Ling well, but that didn't mean he would prevent Su Zhantao from getting close to her. Romance was a personal choice; Zhang Yang would simply keep an eye on Yang Ling, just in case.

"What an adorable little sable!"

After only a few steps, a little girl darted toward Zhang Yang.

The girl wore a pink dress and looked about thirteen or fourteen, appearing quite cute.