HLM – Chapter 156 The Queen and the Crown Princes

Lasek packed the six little pups into a cardboard box meant for dog food. When Wang Bo reached out to carry them away, the little ones finally realized they were being taken and began to cry out, “Woof-woof-woof…”

Their voices were tender and sweet to the ear.

Just then, a loud and fierce barking rang out — “Woo woo WOOF WOOF! Woo woo woo woo!”

The kennel door that Lasek had brought the Rottweilers out of banged furiously. The mother dog, having heard her puppies’ cries, grew agitated and started struggling violently inside.

Upon hearing their mother, the puppies barked even more anxiously. The mother dog, realizing she couldn’t get out, let out mournful howls, sounding almost like a wolf: “Awooo, awoooo!”

Lasek signaled Wang Bo to leave quickly. He went to fetch a bag of dog food and scattered it inside the kennel.

But the Rottweiler wasn’t tempted. Instead, she leaped up and grabbed his arm with her teeth, then quickly climbed onto the top of the kennel wall. Clinging tightly with her front paws, she lifted her head, desperately searching for her pups.

She was a fully grown Rottweiler — square head, big ears, muscular frame. Her chest was broad, back straight — she looked every bit the powerful beast.

However, there was no fierceness in her bronze eyes, only raw urgency. Following the sound of her puppies, she spotted Wang Bo. She opened her mouth to bark, but her front limbs couldn’t support her weight, and she slowly slipped back into the kennel.

Realizing her pups were being boxed up, she seemed to understand what was happening. She stopped howling and stared at Wang Bo with eyes full of sorrow and despair, then finally collapsed inside the kennel.

The scene made Wang Bo feel terrible, as if he were a dog trafficker. Aside from Zhuang Ding, he’d never seen such humanlike emotion in a dog’s eyes.

Zhuang Ding possessed a Pet Heart, but Wang Bo was sure this mother dog didn’t. Her deep maternal bond was deeply touching.

Eva grabbed his wrist and said hesitantly, “Wang, if it’s possible, would you consider adopting the Queen too? Even though she’s an adult dog and hard to train for loyalty, she’s a smart girl — very quiet most of the time. She… she might be useful to you.”

The large dogs in the shelter were usually unwanted strays or ferals captured by the police. They had little chance of being rehomed — as Eva said, adult dogs were hard to retrain and might even pose a danger to their owners. Nobody wanted them.

But Wang Bo remembered he still had a Pet Heart. Adopting an adult dog might not be an issue at all.

He smiled gently at Eva, then turned to Lasek and asked, “Hey, buddy, if I take the Queen with me too, is that okay?”

Lasek shook his head. “I get what you’re thinking, Wang — you’ve got a good heart. But trust me, the Queen’s not right for you. You might take her home today, and tomorrow she could disappear back onto the streets. Worse, she might harm someone.”

New Zealand was basically a paradise — no bears, tigers, or wolves. The locals weren’t used to danger. A single stray dog could frighten people badly.

Wang Bo replied, “Don’t worry. I’ve got Zhuang Ding. He’s the king of dogs. With him around, everything will be fine.”

Lasek gave a few more well-meaning warnings, but when Wang Bo stayed firm, he stopped pressing. Truth be told, having someone willing to adopt a large dog was a blessing — it lightened his workload.

Eva thanked Wang Bo for his kindness. Wang Bo chuckled, “I should be thanking you! Do you know how much dogs like this go for in my country? Thousands, even tens of thousands!”

Lasek said, “These Rottweilers aren’t worth much — they don’t have pedigree papers.”

Wang Bo shrugged, “Doesn’t matter. Back home, even without papers, a Rottweiler can fetch thousands.”

The Queen was placed in a large cage. Naturally, the pups were returned to her. Initially tense, the Queen visibly relaxed once her pups were back in her arms. She gathered them close, watching over them.

From her appearance, it was clear the Queen had excellent lineage. Her head was entirely black except for her mouth and eyebrows, which were a deep brown — giving her a kind of regal, fierce beauty.

The cage was loaded into the car. The Queen immediately tensed again — she smelled Zhuang Ding’s scent and quickly nudged her pups behind her, wide-eyed and alert.

But Zhuang Ding didn’t act aggressive at all. Seeing the kennel again seemed to make him a bit melancholy — he had his head lowered, quietly lost in thought.

Wang Bo wanted to soothe the Queen, but the moment he approached, the big Rottweiler bared her teeth and roared menacingly.

Eva, standing at the car door, grew tense. “Wang, I’m more familiar with the Queen. Let me sit with her and help bring her home.”

That delighted Wang Bo. “Sure — won’t it be a bother?”

He was secretly hoping the Queen would bark even more fiercely.

But the moment she did, Zhuang Ding wasn’t having it. Seeing another dog bare its teeth at his master, he stood up slowly, eyes glowing with menace, and opened his mouth, silently baring his fangs at the Queen.

A super dog with a Pet Heart — just one look from Zhuang Ding and the Queen was instantly cowed. Her strong body trembled slightly. She closed her mouth, let out a low whimper, and fell silent.

Originally, Wang Bo had planned to buy alpacas after picking up the pups. But a call to Motak revealed that none of the nearby ranches raised them. With the big Rottweiler and Eva in tow, he had no choice but to return to the town first.

The Marauder roared back into town at top speed. With Highway 8 finally open, travel was much easier now.

Back on his own turf, Wang Bo opened the sandbox interface, located the vehicle, zoomed in, and took out the Pet Heart from the Heartbox, fusing it into the Queen.

Once she absorbed it, the Queen’s nervous energy gradually faded. She furrowed her brow, curiously scanning her surroundings — her bronze eyes now gleaming with a trace of spirit.

Wang Bo knew that as time passed, the Pet Heart would continue to transform her. She would grow smarter and more responsive.

In fact, the Queen might eventually surpass Zhuang Ding in intelligence. After all, Mastiffs were less intelligent than Rottweilers — and on the international dog IQ rankings, Rottweilers were in the top seven!

On the drive back, Eva brought up a new topic. “Wang, the Queen’s six pups don’t have names yet. Have you thought of any?”

At that, Charlie and Bowen in the front seat immediately turned their heads in sync. “No no no, boss, let us name them — we beg you! Don’t do it yourself. Commander, Zhuang Ding — what kind of names are those?!”

Wang Bo hadn’t really thought about names, but these two jokers had just triggered his temper. “Shut it! I already decided. Their mom’s name is Queen, so her kids are all Crown Princes. First Prince, Second Prince, Third Prince, Fourth Prince…”

“Oh, sh*t!”