Chapter 44 Using a Dog to Commit Crimes

[WARNING! Target with 'Sin Value' of 50 detected within range! Location: End of the queue directly behind you!]

[Target Information: Negligently causing serious injury (allowing a large dog to attack someone, resulting in serious injury and disability to the victim), endangering public safety.]

The system alarm sounded coldly.

Su Xiaonuan's heart skipped a beat, but her smile remained unchanged as she continued her work. She casually glanced up, following the direction of the red arrow marked by the system.

Soon, a figure came into her view.

He was a man wearing a black leather jacket, with a buzz cut, sunglasses, and a metal cane.

Beside him was a large, muscular, and rather imposing golden retriever.

The dog seemed well-trained, quietly following the man's feet, but its occasional glances around revealed a wariness and ferocity not typical of a purebred golden retriever.

The man stood quietly at the end of the line, his face behind sunglasses revealing no expression, but his head, slightly turned towards the stall, showed that he was also attracted by the unusual aroma.

Su Xiaonuan lowered her eyes, continuing her work while quickly calculating the remaining amount of ingredients and the number of people in line.

She realized that at the current rate, the remaining soup and bread bowls would be sold out just in time for the man!

A plan instantly formed in her mind.

She remained calm and continued working efficiently, as if nothing had happened.

The procession moved forward slowly and in an orderly fashion.

Finally, it was the turn of the man in the leather jacket and buzz cut.

Su Xiaonuan raised her face, revealing a very sincere and apologetic expression, and said in a soft voice, "Sir, I'm so sorry... we just sold out of soup today. The customer in front of you ordered the last two servings. I'm so sorry to have made you wait in line for nothing."

As she spoke, she quickly flipped the small blackboard next to her from the "Open for Business" side to "Temporarily Closed, Please Come Back Tomorrow".

The man was visibly taken aback upon hearing this.

His sunglasses obscured his eyes, but the lines of his jaw seemed to tighten for a moment.

The diners who hadn't left yet cast sympathetic or relieved glances at them.

After a brief silence, the man suddenly let out an extremely unpleasant laugh, like a rusty saw tearing through wood: "Ha... sold out?"

The voice was harsh and grating, carrying an undisguised chill and displeasure that made listeners feel physically uncomfortable.

"I've been queuing for so long, and you're telling me they're sold out?" He stepped forward with his cane, and even through his sunglasses, Su Xiaonuan could feel the uncomfortable gaze directed at her from behind.

The golden retriever at his feet seemed to sense its owner's emotions, letting out a low, threatening growl and its muscles tensing slightly.

The atmosphere instantly became somewhat tense.

Qin Haoran and Zhao Liming, who were not far away, immediately noticed the unusual situation. They exchanged a glance and moved closer to the scene without making a sound.

Su Xiaonuan's heart raced slightly, but she maintained her composure and apologetic expression, preparing to apologize again and explain...

The man's grating, sawing laughter had barely faded when he raised his voice, pointing at Su Xiaonuan's stall with an arrogant and unreasonable tone, and shouted: "Sold out? Humph! I bet you're just playing favorites! You're deliberately not selling to me, aren't you?! Who knows if your roadside stalls are clean? Do you even have a business license? What if you used moldy mushrooms or expired cream to make something poisonous?! Can you take responsibility if someone gets sick from eating it?!"

As soon as he uttered these distorted and unreasonable words, the diners who hadn't yet left frowned. Some wanted to speak up for Su Xiaonuan, but when they saw the large, seemingly unapproachable golden retriever beside him, they hesitated.

The golden retriever beside the man was clearly extremely sensitive to its owner's emotional changes.

Hearing the man suddenly raise his voice and become agitated, it immediately became more restless, and the low growl in its throat turned into a loud and warning bark!

"Woof woof woof! Woof woof!"

The dog barked fiercely and aggressively, drool dripping from its bared fangs. Its massive body was taut and muscular, staring intently at Su Xiaonuan as if it might pounce at any moment.

The man seemed startled by his dog's sudden and intense reaction. He exaggeratedly cried out "Ouch!" and squatted down. He pretended to stroke the dog's neck and back with one hand, as if to soothe it, while his other hand quickly and discreetly pressed a small device hidden in his sleeve. At the same time, some inconspicuous white powder seemed to be flicked onto the dog's nose between his fingers.

It's this subtle movement!

The next second, the golden retriever seemed to have been injected with stimulants; its eyes instantly became bloodshot and turned red, revealing an extremely ferocious light!

It completely broke free from the man's "soothing" and its barking became hysterical, filled with pure bestiality and aggression!

"Oh no! Duoduo! What's wrong with you! Calm down! Calm down!" The man pretended to be panicked, even "frightened" himself so much that he fell to the ground with an exaggerated expression of fear on his face. He pointed at the raging dog and shouted to the people around him, "Quick! Stop it! It's out of control!"

It all happened so fast! From the man's unreasonable behavior to the dog's sudden and complete rage, it only took a dozen seconds!

The enraged golden retriever no longer just barked in Su Xiaonuan's direction, but suddenly stood up on its hind legs, its thick paws gripping the window sill of the stall, the huge impact causing the stall to shake slightly!

It opened its blood-red maw, its sharp fangs gleaming coldly, and dripped saliva mixed with a fishy smell. Its scarlet eyes were fixed on Su Xiaonuan behind the car window!

"Ah—!" The surrounding crowd erupted in terrified screams, retreating in all directions, and the scene instantly descended into chaos!

"careful!"

"Get out of the way!"

"That dog has gone mad!"

Qin Haoran and Zhao Liming's expressions changed drastically, their previous ease instantly replaced by an unprecedented solemnity and seriousness!

The two charged forward almost simultaneously like cheetahs! Qin Haoran shouted loudly, trying to attract the dog's attention, while Zhao Liming had a clear target and pounced straight on the man who was still sitting on the ground pretending to be something!

But no matter how fast they moved, they couldn't outrun the ferocious dog that was right next to them and had completely lost its mind!

The golden retriever suddenly pushed off the ground with its hind legs, using the strength it gained from gripping the windowsill to leap into the air with incredible agility! With a gust of foul wind, it opened its gaping maw, large enough to snap bones, and viciously lunged at Su Xiaonuan's face!