In the pet roster, besides an increase in Loyalty, all other stats for Lightning have also seen an improvement. Zhang Yang recalled that Lightning’s Toxin value was previously 48; this time, it had jumped to 52.

This indicated that Lightning was also progressing, and the primary catalyst for this growth was likely that Immortal Fruit Pill. While Zhang Yang taking the Immortal Fruit Pill boosted his Internal Strength, Lightning possessed no Internal Strength; consuming such a spiritual medicine enhanced its greatest inherent trait—its toxicity.

Lightning’s specialty was poison. What about the Treasure-Seeking Mouse?

With a flicker of thought, the data for Shadowless, the Treasure-Seeking Mouse, immediately appeared. This little fellow was slightly slower than Lightning and less powerful, possessing no toxicity, but it featured an added attribute: Treasure Scent.

This Treasure Scent must be its ability to locate valuables. Shadowless’s Treasure Scent rating stood at a remarkable 57, many times higher than any of its other stats, surpassing even Zhang Yang’s Zhang Family Qigong and Medical Skill ratings, and even exceeding Lightning’s Toxin value.

Zhang Yang understood that this Treasure Scent was the Treasure-Seeking Mouse’s strongest asset—an acute sensitivity to treasures. Closing the system interface, Zhang Yang slowly opened his eyes and let out a soft breath.

The mission had been accepted; there was no turning back. He could only embrace it and figure out a way to raise Shadowless’s Loyalty to sixty within three days.

Achieving this would not only complete the mission but also grant him another powerful ally. “Doctor Zhang, please stay and rest a while longer.

I’ll brew some fine Longjing tea immediately; it’s excellent for washing away fatigue!” Only after Zhang Yang had removed all the needles from Wu Yan did Old Master Wu speak softly. The tea he referred to was certainly not ordinary leaves, but undoubtedly the absolute best, top-tier variety.

Judging by Old Master Wu’s lifestyle and habits, whatever he did, he always insisted on the very best. “No need, I have matters to attend to back home.

I will return tomorrow!” Zhang Yang shook his head, declining Old Master Wu’s kind offer. Under normal circumstances, if he had nothing pressing, he would certainly have stayed to savor that so-called fine tea.

Regrettably, having just accepted a mission, his mind was entirely elsewhere. Failure to complete the task carried significant peril for him.

Seeing that Zhang Yang was unwilling to stay, Old Master Wu did not press the issue. He and Wu Yan escorted Zhang Yang to the elevator bank.

Since they were all staying in the same hotel, it was merely a matter of going up or down floors; there was no need to see him all the way back to his room. Zhang Yang returned to his own room.

The moment he opened the door, a white streak lunged toward him. Lightning was faster than before, instantly leaping onto Zhang Yang’s shoulder and immediately beginning to tickle his neck incessantly with its tail.

“Stop messing around. Where is Shadowless?” Zhang Yang carefully lifted Lightning off his shoulder and cradled it in his arms.

Cradled, Lightning cocked its head, looking at Zhang Yang with a hint of confusion. “The little mountain rat!” Zhang Yang patted his own head.

Shadowless was the name he had just given the Treasure-Seeking Mouse; no one else knew it, and even the intelligent Lightning couldn't possibly know what he meant. Mentioning the little mountain rat seemed to trigger a realization in Lightning, which immediately hopped down and bolted toward the bedroom.

Zhang Yang followed it into the bedroom. Inside the glass cage on the table, the Treasure-Seeking Mouse was frantically scurrying in circles.

Upon seeing Zhang Yang enter, it immediately let out a series of sharp 'jī jī' cries. It appeared quite agitated, clearly displeased with being confined in the glass enclosure.

“Jī jī jī!” The Treasure-Seeking Mouse, clinging to the glass cover, shrieked persistently. Zhang Yang hesitated for a moment before finally lifting it out.

Before releasing it, Zhang Yang made sure to block every door, window, and any possible escape route, even plugging up minute crevices to prevent it from hiding away. The Treasure-Seeking Mouse’s Loyalty was still under fifty.

Releasing it now meant it could vanish at any moment. If it had run away before, Zhang Yang would have only felt a pang of regret; but if it ran now, the mission would be deemed an immediate failure.

Mission failure meant not only losing the Treasure-Seeking Mouse but also incurring severe repercussions for Zhang Yang himself, potentially impacting his current condition. Tied by a rope around its leg, the Treasure-Seeking Mouse seemed distinctly unhappy, kicking out a few times.

Seeing that Zhang Yang had no intention of undoing the restraint, it ceased struggling. Zhang Yang pulled out several Ginseng Pills from his pocket—ordinary ones.

The best way to endear himself to a small animal was to provide plenty of good food. Look at the dogs and cats he normally fed at home: if you treat them well and give them frequent tasty treats, they will certainly stay loyal.

Spirit beasts are still animals; they lack the complex thought processes of humans. This was the simplest method to win them over.

This time, Zhang Yang took out three ordinary Ginseng Pills in one go. In his resolve to fully secure the Treasure-Seeking Mouse and make it follow him willingly, Zhang Yang was prepared to invest heavily.

After feeding the little creature well, Zhang Yang lengthened the rope, granting it some space to move freely. The next morning, upon waking, Zhang Yang’s first glance went to the bedside.

Seeing the Treasure-Seeking Mouse sleeping soundly on the pillow, Zhang Yang felt a measure of relief. It was a good thing the little mouse hadn't run off.

Before sleeping last night, Zhang Yang had secured a soft cord around its neck, which he kept holding, ensuring any movement would rouse him. At its current Loyalty level, Zhang Yang truly couldn't feel entirely at ease.

After feeding Lightning, Zhang Yang took both of them outside. Lightning had startled the small mouse again during its meal.

Lightning only ever ate live snakes, starting from the head. A live snake, once bitten on the head by Lightning, would continue to writhe, creating a scene of absolute horror.

Because of this very spectacle, Mi Xue never watched Lightning eat snakes; for her, it was the stuff of nightmares. When the Treasure-Seeking Mouse looked at Lightning, the fear in its eyes intensified considerably.

Zhang Yang, meanwhile, gently stroked its head, carefully soothing it. In his urgent need to raise its Loyalty, Zhang Yang was lavishing meticulous care upon it—far exceeding the attention he had initially given Lightning.

In the dining area, Long Cheng, Huang Hai, and Li Ya were already seated. Yang Ling, Su Zhantao, and Wang Chen had yet to arrive.

This time, Zhang Yang was not the last to appear. The three men immediately began to playfully interact with Lightning.

A small head cautiously peeked out of Zhang Yang’s canvas bag, surveyed the area, and quickly retracted. Hiding in the canvas bag was Shadowless, the Treasure-Seeking Mouse.

It was significantly smaller than Lightning; the bag couldn't hold Lightning, but it was more than spacious enough for Shadowless. This little creature seemed quite content in Zhang Yang’s canvas bag and showed no inclination to leave.

Zhang Yang’s canvas bag contained many treasures, including the remaining Immortal Fruit Pill and several Ginseng Pills derived from Thousand-Year Ginseng. These were also spiritual medicines; though less potent than the Immortal Fruit Pill, they held significant allure for spirit beasts.

The little one inside was constantly grabbing one item and then another, playing with infinite delight, unwilling to set anything down. Soon after, Yang Ling and the other two arrived.

After finishing breakfast, the group walked once more to the Auto Show Center. The crowds today were no less dense than yesterday.

Typically, the first few days of a car show represent the golden period, drawing the largest attendance before numbers and sales volume begin to drop in the later stages. The majority of transactions are concentrated in the opening days.

For instance, on the very first day, many companies secured numerous new orders; some even achieved satisfactory results on day one alone. This included many luxury car companies.

Post-event statistics showed that Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi combined signed over a hundred contracts on the first day alone. Audi led the pack, securing more than forty vehicle sales on day one, half of which were paid in full on the spot.

While this figure might seem ordinary at later auto shows, in this era, it represented an extraordinary achievement. Aside from the Big Three, other luxury brands also saw substantial gains.

Porsche sold six vehicles, one of which was contributed by Wang Chen. Ferrari sold eight.

Luxury brands like Hummer, Bentley, and Land Rover all achieved sales figures that satisfied them; the first day was a major harvest for everyone. This was just the first day.

Although the later days wouldn't match the initial peak, the cumulative volume over the following days would still be considerable. Many companies held high expectations for this auto show, leading them to significantly ramp up their promotional efforts within the venue.

When Zhang Yang and his group arrived at the Auto Show Center, it was already teeming with people. Many cars were guarded by beautiful models; some of the previous displays had been updated with new models, making the exhibition hall visually pleasing, even beyond the cars themselves.

Zhang Yang and his companions entered through the section dedicated to mainstream vehicles. These were still renowned brands, just considered somewhat ordinary in the eyes of the luxury-focused attendees.

Ford, Toyota, Honda, Peugeot, and numerous Volkswagen models were displayed here. These cars generally started in the low hundred-thousands, and while they held little appeal for rich young men like Long Cheng, they were precisely what many ordinary citizens desired.

The economy had recovered significantly by 1998, and there were quite a few wealthy people among the general public, especially in Shanghai. Many could afford private vehicles and hoped to drive one home by taking advantage of the auto show discounts.

The data clearly showed that these mainstream cars were far more popular than the high-end luxury models. On the first day alone, the orders for Santana exceeded three hundred units—more than all the luxury car orders combined.

However, looking at the total value, the price of just one Audi surpassed the combined price of three hundred Santanas. “Actually, my very first car was a Santana!” Walking past the Volkswagen Santana stand, Huang Hai suddenly paused, saying it with a touch of nostalgia.

Huang Hai had clawed his way up from the bottom through sheer effort. Among everyone present, he was the only one who had truly experienced the hardships of the grassroots level.

Su Zhantao started from scratch, but he began as a businessman, immediately becoming his own boss. Li Ya played the stock market, a far more flexible endeavor.

Wang Chen had been born with a silver spoon; when Huang Hai started working, Wang Chen’s pocket money likely exceeded his monthly salary by a vast margin. The others were similar.

Even Zhang Yang, in his previous life, had only struggled for a few months after his internship as an ordinary doctor. However, once his reputation spread, he became a famous physician, renowned throughout the land, meaning he never endured much foundational struggle.