Beast Taming: Starting From Zero-Chapter 596: Special Recruitment Results

Qiao Sang was a person of action. Seeing that Gangbao was interested in decorative items, she quickly packed up and took Yabao and the others out.

Although she still had classes the next day, thanks to Lubao’s Healing Light, which was available 24/7, she no longer felt the same time pressure she initially did when it came to studying.

Before heading to 1st District for the friendly match competition, Qiao Sang had been regularly participating in the pet battle arena at Hekin Tower in the evenings.

She was very familiar with the area, knowing that besides the pet arena, the building also housed various shops. Without much thought, she decided on Hekin Tower as their destination.

Yabao still remembered the way there, so they arrived smoothly without even needing navigation.

Qiao Sang had planned to browse leisurely, but she hadn’t expected to have to go from the first floor all the way up to the twenty-fourth before finally finding a sizable pet accessories store.

Since Hekin Tower was primarily a venue for pet battle competitions, the focus there was on strength. Most of the shops sold tools and equipment related to pet training, while stores that specialized purely in decorative items were quite rare.

After searching for a while, Qiao Sang finally found one, giving her the feeling of this is the place.

And so, they began browsing in earnest.

“Do you like this one?” Qiao Sang picked up a silver necklace and asked.

“Gang Gang.” Gangbao shook her head.

“Xun Xun!”

Little Treasure immediately raised his paw eagerly.

He liked it!

“Then we’ll buy it.” Qiao Sang smiled and put the necklace around Little Treasure's neck.

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“Xun Xun~”

Little Treasure's eyes curved happily as he found a full-body mirror to admire himself.

“What about this?” Qiao Sang casually picked up a pair of rose-colored sunglasses.

“Gang Gang.”

Gangbao shook her head again.

Just as Qiao Sang was about to put the sunglasses back, an unseen force suddenly lifted them and placed them onto Yabao's face.

“Yap Yap!”

Yabao turned his head, striking a pose as if to say, Do I look cool?

“You look great!” Qiao Sang chuckled.

Twenty minutes later, Gangbao still hadn’t picked anything, while Yabao and Little Treasure were covered in accessories, all still sporting their price tags.

Especially Little Treasure, he had a gemstone ring on every short toe, attracting curious glances from passing customers.

“What about this one?” Qiao Sang, still patient, held up a lavender-colored soft felt hat.

“Gang…”

Gangbao was just about to refuse again when Qiao Sang added:

“This hat seems perfect for covering up your bald spot.”

Gangbao hesitated, then glanced at the hat before stretching out her wing to take it and place it on her head.

Qiao Sang’s eyes lit up as she praised, “It looks great! This color really suits you. Want to check yourself in the mirror?”

“Gang Gang…”

Gangbao hesitated but eventually walked over to the full-length mirror.

Looking at her reflection, she felt a bit awkward.

Does this really look good?

“Xun Xun!”

“Yap!”

Little Treasure and Yabao called out one after the other, showing their approval.

“Gang Gang.”

Gangbao looked at herself in the mirror, then at her beast master, who genuinely seemed to think it looked nice. After another glance at her reflection, she nodded.

This one would do.

Qiao Sang paid swiftly, not even bothering with a bag. Instead, she let Yabao and the others wear their newly bought accessories as they walked out of the store.

“Come again next time!” The store owner waved enthusiastically from behind.

Their shop rarely had much business, let alone such a generous customer. That farewell was spoken with absolute sincerity.

On the way to the elevator, Yabao and the others garnered a 100% turn-back rate.

Having experienced large-scale competitions like the National Campus Beast Mastering League, Yabao and Little Treasure were used to the attention. But Gangbao, usually quiet and blending into the background, felt slightly stiff and uncomfortable.

After a moment of thought, she raised her wing and quietly removed her hat.

Qiao Sang, sharp-eyed as ever, immediately noticed.

“Why’d you take it off? It looks good on you.” As she spoke, she reached over and placed the hat back on Gangbao’s head.

“Gang Gang…”

Gangbao showed a resigned expression.

Just then, an excited voice called out from behind.

“Qiao Sang!”

Qiao Sang turned to see a middle-aged, overweight Caucasian man.

Who’s this?

She quickly searched her memory but found no recollection of him.

Her brain’s capacity had reached 39%, giving her exceptional memory. Even if she had only met someone once, she would at least recall a vague impression upon thinking about it.

The fact that she couldn’t place this man at all meant she truly had never met him before.

“And you are?” Qiao Sang asked, puzzled, as the man approached.

“I’m your fan!” The middle-aged man said excitedly.

“I watched every single one of your matches in the D-rank Beast master Arena! You’ve helped me win so much money!”

At first, Qiao Sang was touched. She hadn’t expected to have a fan after such a short time here, let alone someone who still remembered her after all this time.

But when she heard the last part, that sentiment evaporated instantly.

So that’s why…

“Hello.” Qiao Sang greeted politely with a smile.

“Why haven’t you been competing lately?” The man asked eagerly.

If it was a match with Qiao Sang, betting on a 3:0 win was almost a guaranteed profit. He hadn’t encountered such a reliable contestant in a long time!

“I’ve been busy with school, so I haven’t had the time.” Qiao Sang replied.

“Are you free now? Could you do a few matches? A lot of us are dying to see you compete again!” The middle-aged man’s face was full of anticipation.

Since she was already here, it wasn’t a bad idea to do a few rounds before leaving. Plus, it would be a good way to earn back the money she had just spent on accessories…

Qiao Sang pulled out her phone and checked the time.

21:43.

She put her phone away and smiled.

“I have time.”

---

21st Floor.

Jude massaged his temples as he watched the near-effortless dominance of the young girl in the arena.

“I thought she wasn’t coming back.” He muttered.

A staff member beside him spoke urgently, “What do we do? Everyone’s going crazy! Not only is there a huge amount of money being bet, but every single bet is on a 3:0 sweep! It’s been nine matches in a row like this!”

Jude sighed and pulled out a cigarette.

“Aren’t there any top-ten-ranked Beast masters from the Pet Battle Championship around?” He asked.

“No.” The staff member shook his head.

Jude exhaled a slow stream of smoke and said in a deep voice, “Call in sick for me tomorrow morning.”

At this moment, Jude was still relatively calm.

In his view, Qiao Sang wasn’t someone obsessed with money. She seemed to compete purely for fun, which meant she wouldn’t be here all the time, just like how she had disappeared for a while before.

Most Beast masters with her skills would be here 24/7, chasing fame and fortune.

But Qiao Sang was here today. Tomorrow, she might not be.

However, he was soon proven wrong.

Because Qiao Sang came back for five days straight!

Five whole days!

On the sixth day, with a grim expression, Jude dialed a number.

After two rings, the call connected.

“Mr. Byron, you said you’d be here today. Where are you?” Jude asked impatiently.

“Is that child there yet?” Byron asked instead.

“No.”

Jude replied, “But she should be here soon. You need to arrive before she does.”

Byron chuckled.

“Last time, you said the same thing, and I ended up waiting for hours.”

“This time, I guarantee it!” Jude swore.

“I’ll stake my reputation on it!”

“I believe you,” Byron said lightly.

“Turn around. I’m already here.”

Yet, on the sixth day, after visiting Hekin Tower for five days in a row, Qiao Sang didn’t show up.

---

Sainan High School - Dormitory 502

Qiao Sang sat at her desk, turned on her computer, and logged into the official website of Central Hollow University.

The provisional admission list was right on the homepage.

Feeling both nervous and excited, she clicked on it.

With a quick scan, she immediately spotted her name at the top of the list.

"I got in!" Qiao Sang’s expression lit up with excitement. She jumped out of her chair and grabbed Yabao, showering hi, with kisses.

"Yap yap!"

Yabao didn’t quite understand what his beast master was so excited about, but seeing her so happy, he joined in the enthusiasm.

After nearly ten seconds of intense snuggling, Qiao Sang finally put Yabao down. Instinctively, she reached for her phone, ready to call her mother and share the good news.

However, the moment she opened her contacts, rationality kicked in. She took a deep breath, calmed her excitement, and placed the phone back down.

The provisional admission list wasn’t the final one yet.

Only after her college entrance exam scores met Central Hollow University’s requirements would she be officially admitted.

If she failed to reach the required score, telling her mother now would only bring unnecessary disappointment.

It would be better to wait until everything was confirmed after the exams…

With this thought, Qiao Sang clicked on the results page to check her detailed scores.

Pet Beast Energy Value Test: 50 points

Pet Beast 2v2 Battle Test: 150 points

Pet Beast Doubles Test: 150 points

Mission Test: 195 points

Total Score: 545 points

Seeing her scores, Qiao Sang was a little surprised.

She hadn’t expected to get a perfect score in the 2v2 battle test, which she thought she had messed up, while the mission test, where she felt she had performed well, had deducted 5 points.

The grading standards were truly unpredictable…

Still in a good mood, Qiao Sang shut down her computer.

Just then, her phone vibrated.

Someone in the group chat Braving the Chaosu Star had tagged her.

This chat only had three people: Tang Yi, Yang Jiayi, and herself. They had created it on their first day at Sainan High School.

She picked up her phone and opened the chat.

After missing out on many important messages in the past, Qiao Sang had made it a habit to always check when someone tagged her.

[Tang Yi: (Image)]

[Tang Yi: I got in! I got in!]

[Tang Yi: @Qiao Sang, I saw your name on the list too! What’s your score?]

Qiao Sang didn’t reply immediately. Instead, she checked the screenshot Tang Yi had sent.

525 points.

That was 20 points less than her own score.

[Qiao Sang: 545 points.]

[Tang Yi: Whoa! You only lost 5 points! Which test deducted your points?]

[Qiao Sang: Mission Test. What about you? Where did you lose 25 points?]

[Tang Yi: Lost 5 points in the Pet Beast Doubles Test and 20 in the Mission Test.]

[Qiao Sang: With how difficult your mission was, running around in a King-tier pet beast’s territory, you still only lost 20 points?]

[Tang Yi: I think the evaluators thought I was just taking advantage of the King-tier pet beasts fighting each other, and since I didn’t directly confront one, they deducted my points. But it’s fine. Getting in is what matters most.]

[Qiao Sang: True. As long as we’re in, the score doesn’t really matter.]

Yang Jiayi sent a red packet.

Qiao Sang grabbed it instantly.

[Yang Jiayi: Congratulations! So you two will still be classmates in college?]

[Qiao Sang: Not necessarily. I still have to pass the college entrance exam.]

[Tang Yi: You definitely will. With your brainpower and study habits, not getting in would be the real surprise.]

[Qiao Sang: But I only started learning high school subjects recently.]

The chat fell silent.

After spending so much time together on Chaosu Star, they had nearly forgotten Qiao Sang’s actual age.

Sensing the awkward pause, Qiao Sang quickly changed the topic.

[Qiao Sang: @Yang Jiayi, have you decided which university you’re applying to?]

Unlike her and Tang Yi, Yang Jiayi specialized in a different field, and they weren’t in the same class. They hadn’t really talked about university applications before.

[Yang Jiayi: Almost forgot to tell you, I applied to Xiekong University in Hollow Central Region. I’ve already been provisionally admitted, so as long as I don’t mess up the college entrance exam, I should be in.]

Qiao Sang sent a red packet.

Tang Yi sent a red packet.

[Qiao Sang: Congrats!]

[Yang Jiayi: Thanks!]

[Tang Yi: Let’s all get into our dream universities!]

Qiao Sang looked at the chat and unconsciously smiled.

---

The Next Day - Senior Year, Class 6

When Qiao Sang arrived at the classroom, she noticed a group of students huddled together, chatting excitedly.

She took her seat, opened a book, but secretly pricked up her ears to listen.

"What are you preparing?"

"I got three bodyguards."

"I only have one."

"My parents told me to handle it myself, but I know they secretly hired five bodyguards to follow me."

A competition over bodyguard numbers? Qiao Sang was baffled.

Just then, Yuna leaned over and asked, "Qiao Sang, we're heading to 27th District this afternoon. Are you ready?"

What?

We're going to District 27 this afternoon?

Why didn’t I know about this? I've been checking the group chat regularly…

Qiao Sang remained silent for a moment, just about to speak when...

Tang Yi, sitting behind her, suddenly exclaimed, "We’re going to 27th District? What for?"

Qiao Sang glanced at Tang Yi, relieved to know she wasn’t the only one out of the loop.

Yuna was momentarily stunned before realization dawned on her.

"Oh, right! I forgot your parents aren’t in the parent group chat."

"Yesterday, the teacher announced in the parent chat that this afternoon, we’ll be heading to 27th District for our final field training session. We’re supposed to make preparations."