Buying a House

Leaving the canyon highway and rejoining the warm afternoon sun and traffic of Los Angeles, the little one in Alessa's arms became interested.

It chattered away as it struggled to climb from its seat to the window, gazing out at the ever-changing scenery that inexplicably excited the bear cub.

Qin Jin drove the car toward a large chain supermarket, where the bright and noisy atmosphere was filled with the everyday life of the people.

Qin Jin pushed the shopping cart, while Alessa quietly followed beside him, holding a Frankenstein doll. The two of them stood out from the ordinary customers around them who were pushing strollers or holding shopping lists, yet strangely blended into the everyday world.

Occasionally, the bear cub's head would peek out from behind the zipper of the plush toy, curiously looking around.

Qin Jin headed straight for the pet supplies section. He found puppy/kitten formula on the shelf, carefully read the ingredient list, and chose a highly nutritious and easily digestible brand, filling his shopping cart to the brim.

Then I got a matching pet bottle and several replacement nipples. As for the ones I found in Saint Simon, they were almost chewed up.

Alessa's gaze lingered briefly on the dazzling array of pet toys, but in the end she took nothing.

To her, the little creature in the shopping cart that moves, makes noise, and needs care seems to be a novel and precious toy.

After checking out, Qin Jin left the supermarket. Instead of going straight home, he drove to the Canyon Precinct police station.

The investigation in San Francisco has concluded, and he will need a brief handover process.

The police station was filled with the lazy atmosphere of the afternoon.

Constantine's desk was empty, except for Catherine, who was playing a mobile game with her legs propped up on it in a semi-reclining position.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up and saw Qin Jin and Alessa walking in, and a smile immediately bloomed on her face.

"Hey! Qin! Alessa! You're back! In San Francisco..."

Before she could finish her question, her gaze was drawn to the fluffy, wet little nose and timid, round black eyes peeking out from the chest of the teddy bear in Alessa's arms.

"Oh my god! It's... a bear cub?!"

Catherine gasped, covering her mouth in surprise. Her eyes lit up instantly, her previous languidness vanishing as she strode over.

"Oh my god! It's so cute! It's so tiny! Where did it come from?"

She reached out her finger and carefully tried to touch the little bear's nose, but the little guy immediately ducked his head back behind the doll.

"An orphan I found in the mountains." Qin Jin said succinctly, placing the formula and bottles on the table. Alessa immediately began mixing the formula with hot water. "Her parents were killed by monsters."

Catherine's expression softened with even more affection:

"Poor baby...it looks so beautiful! Its fur is so unique!" She was completely captivated by the little bear cub and forgot all about the question she was going to ask.

"Where's Jack?" Qin Jin asked, looking around.

"Who knows!" Catherine shrugged, her gaze still fixed on the bear cub.

At this moment, Alessa had already put the prepared milk bottle into the little bear's mouth. After tasting it, it lay on its back on the table and began to drink the milk with its four paws, looking incredibly cute.

"Anyway, there are no cases, let him be!" Qin Jin nodded, then gave the order:

"The investigation in San Francisco has been completed. There's no need to write a report about this. As for the details, you and Constantine will know them later."

Catherine then drew her attention back slightly, as if she had remembered something:

"By the way, Jack's weapons are almost ready. Should I call him and have him deliver them to you tonight?"

"What exactly are these things?"

"It's mainly rune bullets, mine and Alessa's. You prepared a Basmo Armor M machete. You know, this kind of knife has been banned, so it has some runes and holy silver added to it, supposedly to be effective against demons."

Qin Jin nodded. To him, the machete was just a cold weapon, and whether it had any exorcising effects was irrelevant.

"Alright, have him take him to the office. I have two things I need you and Jack to do," Qin Jin instructed after listening to Catherine's report.

"When Jack gets back, tell him. I have a rat who snuck over from San Francisco, named Johnny, nicknamed 'Gecko,' this guy..."

Qin Jin smiled knowingly. "His biggest characteristic is his incredible luck, like an unkillable cockroach. He's making a living in Los Angeles now. Let Jack make contact with him and turn him into our informant."

"No problem!" Catherine readily agreed. "That guy loves this kind of thing."

"The second thing," Qin Jin looked at Catherine, "I remember you're a local?"

"That's right, born and raised here." Catherine patted her chest.

"That's perfect. Could you do me a favor?" Qin Jin pointed to the little thing making a smacking noise on the table.

"I'm looking for a house. The location should be relatively secluded, with good privacy, preferably with a high wall or a private yard," he said very frankly.

"Alessa really likes this little guy, and we plan to keep him/her. So we need a big place for him/her to roam freely and avoid him/her causing trouble."

Catherine looked at the bear cub, then at Qin Jin and Alessa, her face showing an expression of "I knew it" mixed with excitement:

"Raising bears?! Wow! Cool! That's a very strong reason!" She stroked her chin and pondered:

"There are actually quite a few abandoned factories, warehouses, or old houses with large yards around Los Angeles. As long as you don't mind the poor accommodation or remote location, you can definitely find a suitable place! The walls in those places are usually high and sturdy enough! With a little modification, it's enough to keep a bear, or even a secret base!"

Qin Jin was satisfied with the suggestion: "Okay, let's look for one according to this standard. Let me know when you find a suitable one, and I'll have someone arrange to rent or buy it."

"Leave it to me!"

Catherine patted her chest and assured him that she had already begun searching her mind for a suitable location.

Having finished explaining the situation, Qin Jin didn't linger and left the police station with Alessa and the little bear cub.

They returned to their temporary accommodation in the canyon area, closed the door, and shut out the noise of the outside world.

Qin Jin and Alessa began to bathe the little one. The little one sensed their kindness and, although still instinctively resisting the water and wriggling its body, did not struggle violently, but only made a pitiful whimpering sound.

As the dirt was washed away, its original fur color was revealed.

The bear cub has a very beautiful, honey-colored light brown coat that gleams softly under the light, making it look exceptionally clean and adorable.

After washing it clean, Alessa carefully dried it with another dry towel.

The bear cub, now dried, looked brand new. It shook its fluffy fur, seemingly feeling extremely comfortable.

Now it has almost no wariness of Qin Jin and Alessa. It curiously opens its round black eyes, looking around at this unfamiliar environment, and makes curious "woof woof" sounds.

Then, it took its still somewhat unsteady little legs and tentatively began to crawl on the living room floor.

It sniffs here and scratches there, full of curiosity about everything.

Although the movements were clumsy, they exuded a lively energy, and the soft, whimpering sounds echoed in the quiet room, bringing a warm sense of vitality.

Alessa quietly found a cardboard box lined with an old blanket, placed it in the corner of the living room, and made it a simple little nest for it.

The bear cub seemed to enjoy it, climbing in and circling around twice before climbing out again to continue its exploration.

Qin Jin leaned against the door frame, watching the little guy running around the room. He noticed that the little bear cub's eyes were exceptionally bright, and it seemed to be more observant and adventurous than other cubs of the same age, and its learning ability also seemed to be stronger.

It even tried to pry open a drawer in a low cabinet with its claws.

"Looks like we've struck gold," Qin Jin whispered to Alessa beside him. "This little guy is very smart; no wonder it's smaller than its brothers and sisters and still managed to survive."

He guessed that perhaps it was this extraordinary intelligence, beyond that of ordinary wild beasts, that allowed it to avoid its zombified parents and siblings, and ultimately successfully await their arrival.

This is fate, or what is known as destiny!

In the room, two non-human beings, one large and one small, and a bewildered yet exceptionally intelligent little bear cub, together created a strange yet inexplicably harmonious scene in the Los Angeles twilight.

The setting sun outside the window is painting the sky a warm orange-red.