But the person asking this question was an unparalleled prodigy, not yet eighteen, who already owned four General-level Pet Beasts.
Without a second thought, he lowered his head to look at the computer screen and check the detailed information.
About half a minute later, the middle-aged man looked up and said:
"The first theft occurred a month ago. There were two more after that, and the task was only logged a week ago. There havenât been any updates since, but the task is still available, which means the thief hasnât been caught yet."
He disclosed everything he knew and provided his analysis.
Who said examiners were difficult to deal with? Doesnât he seem perfectly reasonable to talk to... Qiao Sang nodded:
"Got it."
When she left the office and arrived on the first floor, she immediately spotted Teacher Mikaela.
"Did you finish signing up?" Yaobaoâs fiery wings were so eye-catching that Mikaela noticed Qiao Sang immediately through Yaobao and walked over to ask.
"Yes." Qiao Sang nodded.
"What about your assessment task?" Mikaela asked.
"Picked it up too." Qiao Sang replied, "Itâs to catch a thief."
Upon hearing this, Mikaela replied calmly, "For a task like this to be posted as an assessment, it means the local police havenât caught the thief yet. This thief must be somewhat capable."
She paused briefly, then changed her tone to a more considerate one:
"We just arrived in Dragon Country, so take some time to rest first and start on the task tomorrow."
They had just gotten off the plane, then rushed over here to register and accept an assessment task. She didnât want such a rare talent, one that might only appear once in countless years, to overwork herself.
"Iâm not going to rest." Qiao Sang said seriously, "Thereâs only half a year left before the regional competition begins. Iâm already six months behind other people. I need to focus on completing the tasks as soon as possible."
Mikaela was silent for a moment before softening her tone to offer gentle persuasion:
"Youâre still in your developmental stage; rest is very important too."
Qiao Sang remained serious:
"Itâs fine. My Lubao has Healing Light."
Mikaela: "..."
...
5:22 PM.
High above in the air.
Qiao Sang sat on Yaobaoâs back, heading toward the item warehouse.
Just moments ago, she had contacted the warehouse manager, who had sent her the address.
Holding her phone, Qiao Sang began calling the officer in charge of this case.
After two beeps, the call connected, and a manâs voice came through the speaker:
"Who is this?"
"Hello, Iâve accepted the theft investigation assessment task for the warehouse at the Pet Beast Tool Center. Iâm wondering if we can meet up to discuss the case details." Qiao Sang said.
"Do you even know what time it is?" The man answered impatiently, "Itâs almost time to get off work. If you want to know about the case, contact me tomorrow when Iâm back on duty."
With that, he hung up the phone.
Qiao Sang: "..."
No wonder this case ended up as an assessment task; with such lackluster effort, how could they possibly solve it... Qiao Sang couldnât help but silently complain in her heart. She patted Yaobaoâs fur and said:
"Looks like tonight, weâre on our own."
"Ya ya!"
Yaobao let out an excited cry and sped up.
...
Changqing City, outskirts.
Half an hour later, Qiao Sang arrived at the item warehouse.
The Pet Beast Tool Center has several warehouses, and the one where the theft occurred was located in a remote suburban area.
Just as Qiao Sang dismounted from Yaobao, she spotted a staff member in uniform standing at the entrance alongside a two-legged crocodilian Pet Beast, also dressed in a uniform, waiting for her.
"Excuse me, are you Miss Qiao?" The staff memberâs sense of reassurance soared upon seeing Yaobaoâs powerful and elegant presence. Ignoring Qiao Sangâs somewhat youthful appearance, he quickly approached her.
"Thatâs me." Not wasting any time, Qiao Sang got straight to the point, "I need to know when the latest theft happened."
"It was last night at 9:05 PM." The staff member replied while leading her toward the warehouse, "I happened to be on duty last night, but I didnât hear a thing, and the surveillance cameras didnât capture any trace of a person or Pet Beast."
"Then how do you know the item was stolen at 9:05?" Qiao Sang asked.
"Because when we reviewed the footage, the item was still there at 9:04, but by 9:05, it was gone." The staff member answered clearly.
Soon, the two stopped in front of a shelf.
The staff member pointed to an empty spot: "It was right here."
As he spoke, he couldnât help but complain, "We reported it a month ago, but since the warehouse mainly holds defective items, neither HQ nor the police have taken it seriously..."
While listening to the staffâs account, Qiao Sang picked up the now-shrunken Yaobao and placed him on the empty shelf.