Beastmaster: I'm really just a forest ranger

Chapter 426 My Champion Brother
After saying goodbye to Chairman Ye, Chen Yuan boarded a private car back to the city.

The vehicle smoothly drove away from the association's secret base nestled in the mountains on the outskirts of the city, and rejoined the bustling traffic of the capital.

Outside the window, the glass curtain walls of skyscrapers reflected dazzling light in the afternoon sun, while the hustle and bustle of the city sounded muffled and distant through the well-insulated car windows.

The frenzy that swept the entire city during the Donghuang Tournament finals has subsided considerably in just a few days, much like the receding tide.

The giant electronic billboards on the streets have been replaced with new commercials and city promotional videos. Only in some alley teahouses and park benches can you still hear sporadic discussions about that epic showdown, with people's tone filled with reminiscence and emotion.

Although the heated discussions on the internet have not completely subsided, they have been diverted by new hot topics. The focus of the discussions has gradually shifted from the initial shock and jubilation to technical analysis of the details of the competition, exploration of champion Chen Yuan's past experiences, and various speculations about his future development.

The heat of the moment comes like a surging tide, but it will also quietly recede, and life will eventually return to its inherent rhythm.

The car stopped in front of a quiet teahouse.

Chen Yuan got out of the car and walked into the reserved private room. His younger brother Chen Wenhao was already waiting there, with the elegant Professor Song and Dean Wu sitting beside him with warm smiles.

"elder brother!"

Upon seeing Chen Yuan, Chen Wenhao immediately stood up, his face beaming with genuine joy and pride.

"Consultant Chen, congratulations on your triumphant return!" Professor Song smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, his eyes full of admiration.

"Advisor Chen, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard so much about you!" Dean Wu greeted him warmly, shaking Chen Yuan's hand firmly in a friendly tone.

After exchanging pleasantries and taking their seats, the waiter served tea, and the fragrant aroma filled the room.

After a brief greeting, Dean Wu gently put down his teacup, his smile fading slightly, his gaze becoming intense and serious, and he got straight to the point.

"Consultant Chen, although this is our first meeting, I won't beat around the bush since your time is precious."

Dean Wu leaned forward slightly, his tone sincere and enticing: "On behalf of the headquarters of the Donghuang Beast Taming Academy, I formally extend an invitation to you, hoping that you will join our academy."

He paused, carefully observing Chen Yuan's reaction, and continued to explain the conditions in detail:

"As long as you nod your head, the academy can directly grant you a dual-appointment professorship in both the research department and the combat department."

“The teaching schedule is extremely flexible. You only need to offer a few special lectures or guidance sessions each semester. The specific content and timing are entirely up to you and will not restrict your time and energy.”

At this point, he emphasized his words and offered the most tempting deal: "You will have the highest level of access, and you can freely access all the research materials, experimental equipment, training grounds, and even rare resource libraries within the academy."

"The academy will do everything in its power to support your research and pet breeding. As for salary and benefits, they will be among the best in the industry."

"Advisor Chen, with your talent and current reputation, coming to the academy is like adding wings to a tiger, and you will also set an incomparably brilliant example for our students."

The conditions are indeed incredibly generous.

Spare time, top-notch resources, and a prestigious status.

Chen Yuan's fingers, which were holding the teacup, twitched slightly, and a hint of contemplation and excitement flashed in his eyes.

The private room fell silent. Professor Song and Chen Wenhao held their breath, watching Chen Yuan and waiting for his reply.

Dean Wu's eyes were burning with anticipation.

However, after a moment of contemplation, the excitement in Chen Yuan's eyes gradually subsided.

He gently put down his teacup, looked up to meet Dean Wu's expectant gaze, a slightly apologetic smile on his face, and slowly shook his head.

"Dean Wu, I am very grateful to the academy for valuing us so much and offering such generous terms. To be honest, I am very tempted."

He changed the subject, his tone becoming frank and firm: "However, after careful consideration, I'm afraid I cannot accept this invitation."

Seeing the sudden dimming in Dean Wu's eyes, Chen Yuan earnestly explained:

“I have accepted President Ye’s invitation to serve as a headquarters advisor. The resources and support from the association headquarters are sufficient for my current needs. I would prefer to have more free time to explore and grow at my own pace and in my own way, rather than taking on the responsibility of a professor.”

Most importantly, although Chen Yuan considered himself quite capable, he didn't know how to guide ordinary beast tamers to become excellent and powerful.

It's impossible to expect them to fully utilize their pets' initiative and learn various pet knowledge, figure out different skills, and study battle videos on their own, right?
Not every pet is named Morning and Evening Fairy.

Furthermore, he was unable to teach students to shout out the system's skill point allocation.

Upon hearing Chen Yuan's firm refusal, Dean Wu could not hide his immense disappointment. Even though he had already sensed it, he still couldn't help but let out a long sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly.

He was silent for a few seconds before managing to force a smile again, though it was somewhat stiff, his tone still maintaining its composure:
"Sigh, I knew it. Oh well, everyone has their own ambitions, and we can't force them."

He raised his teacup, as if making a toast: "Since Advisor Chen has made up his mind, then I will not say anything more."

"However, our college doors are always open to you. We welcome you to visit us at any time as a visiting professor or for academic exchange. We will always be happy to welcome you!"

"Definitely. If I have the opportunity in the future, I will definitely visit the academy and exchange ideas with everyone."

Chen Yuan also raised his teacup in a solemn response.

Although the atmosphere was somewhat regrettable, it remained harmonious.

After chatting for a while, Chen Wenhao couldn't help but ask out of curiosity:
"Brother, you're the champion of Donghuang now. How does it feel? Aren't you especially excited and different?"

After a brief pause, before Chen Yuan could answer, he grinned and said, "After you won the championship, many people asked me about you, and some organizations also extended offers to me."

“Some classmates even told me to quickly publish a paper titled ‘My Champion Brother’.”

Upon hearing this, the four men burst into laughter.

After a burst of laughter, the three looked at Chen Yuan, awaiting his answer.

Chen Yuan thought about it seriously for a moment, then said with a smile, "As for my thoughts, if I had to say something, it would probably be that when I write my resume in the future, I can add a decent title to my resume—the champion of the first Donghuang Beast Taming Tournament."

His slightly humorous reply immediately livened up the atmosphere.

Dean Wu was amused and joked, "Advisor Chen, if you really sent out your resume, which company would dare to accept it? Even if they did, they would just frame it like a precious treasure."

Everyone laughed.

After chatting for a while and finishing a pot of tea, Professor Song and Dean Wu got up to say goodbye, as they had to return to the college to handle some business.

Although Chen Wenhao was reluctant to leave, he also had to return to school to carry out academic research. After agreeing to meet again during the Chinese New Year, he left with his two teachers.

After seeing the three off, Chen Yuan contacted Liu Jinglan and his sister, who were still traveling in the capital, as well as Jiang Wenning and Chang Yuhuan, who had not yet left.

The group met at a bustling hot pot restaurant.

After congratulating Chen Yuan on winning the championship, the group took their seats.

Liu Jinglan swallowed several pieces of mutton hotpot in one gulp and said casually, "I've seen enough of the excitement here. I've also taken my younger sister around these past few days. We're planning to go back tomorrow."

Liu Jingyi, who was playing with Coke, raised her head and wrinkled her nose: "Although it's quite lively here, I always feel like I can't breathe after staying here for a while."

"Although it's very hot where I live, the air is much better, and I can see many, many stars every night when I look up."

Liu Jinglan nodded in agreement, wiped his mouth, and said in a slightly more serious tone:

"Speaking of which, things have been a bit unsettled over in the Fire Continent lately."

"I don't know what's going on with Flaming Mountain lately. The fire energy is fluctuating wildly, and pets are getting agitated and going berserk every now and then. I need to go back and check on the situation to make sure nothing goes wrong."

Upon hearing "Flaming Mountain" and "energy anomaly," Chen Yuan's heart stirred, and he immediately recalled Qing Cang's warning about the imminent emergence of deities.

He put down his wine glass, looked at Liu Jinglan with a serious expression, and specifically instructed her: "Be careful in everything when you get back. Some unusual things may happen. If you encounter a situation that you can't handle, don't try to tough it out. Contact the association immediately."

Seeing Chen Yuan's serious expression, Liu Jinglan frowned. Although she didn't quite understand the deeper meaning, she put aside her casualness and nodded, saying:

"Don't worry, Consultant Chen, I know everything."

With Liu Jinglan also setting a return date, Chang Yuhuan also expressed her intention to return to Huozhou together, and Jiang Wenning also had to return to Shanghai to prepare for her graduation exams.

With his friends departing one after another, Chen Yuan's trip to the capital was drawing to a close. Over the next two days, he dealt with some trivial matters, gave a few interviews to official media outlets, and participated in unavoidable business activities.

Two days later, on the morning.

Standing in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window in the airport terminal, watching the silver wings taking off and landing on the runway outside, Chen Yuan felt unusually calm.

The glory of being a champion is now in the past; the road ahead is still ahead.

He took a deep breath, turned around, walked towards the boarding gate, and embarked on his journey back to Xuanhe Town.

As dusk fell, the orange-red sunset, like spilled molten gold, bathed the majestic and continuous Qinling Mountains.

A biting wind howled down from the mountains, sweeping across the vast snowfields and bare forests, finally settling at Xuanhe Town at the foot of the Qinling Mountains.

A black luxury car silently pulled up at the entrance to Xuanhe Town.

The car door opened, and Chen Yuan bent down and stepped out of the car.

He took a deep breath of the crisp, clean air of his hometown and was about to take a step when his gaze was drawn to something hanging at the entrance of the town.

This is a very eye-catching large red banner with a line of large characters written in gold paint:
"Warmest congratulations to Chen Yuan from our town for winning the championship of the first Donghuang Tournament!"

The handwriting isn't particularly beautiful, but every stroke conveys a sincere and simple joy.

Looking at the banner swaying slightly in the cold wind, Chen Yuan was slightly taken aback, and then the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up.

The title of Donghuang Champion, when associated with this quiet, even somewhat remote town, does indeed carry an almost dreamlike sense of unreality.

He, a beast tamer who came from a small town deep in the Qinling Mountains, actually stood on the summit of Donghuang and has now returned in glory.

This feeling is very wonderful.

He shook his head, as if trying to shake off the daze, and started walking into the town.

He had only taken a few steps when Cola, who had been quietly following beside him, suddenly stopped, raised its head, and let out a long, loud bark towards the depths of town: "Awooo—!"

I, Cola, am back!

Paw Patrol, come quick to greet us!

The sound was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

The next moment, as if a switch had been flipped, the entire town of Xuanhe was instantly ignited.

"Wang Wang Wang!"

"Ouch~!"

"Woof woof—!"

A cacophony of excited barking erupted from every corner of the town, the sounds converging rapidly as they drew nearer.

Immediately afterwards, a series of agile figures, like arrows released from a bow, darted out from the alley entrance, courtyard, and behind the hillside.

All sorts of contracted and uncontracted canine pets instantly gathered into a mighty Paw Patrol, their eyes gleaming with excitement as they raced at astonishing speed, kicking up a trail of dust.

Before long, Cola was surrounded by the enthusiastic Paw Patrol members.

The Paw Patrol members excitedly jumped and danced around Cola, the leader who had displayed great prowess at the East Coast Tournament, sniffing hard at any lingering "capital city scent" and "championship glory" on its body, wagging their tails like whirlwinds and barking with a variety of meanings.

Cola was clearly pleased with the enthusiastic support from the Paw Patrol members.

It puffed out its chest, its azure eyes filled with smugness, and let out a deep, majestic growl: "Awooo!"

Then, it turned around, took brisk steps, and trotted towards the main road in the town.

Without any commands, the entire Paw Patrol automatically adjusted their formation and followed Coke in an orderly fashion, forming a grand parade that began to race along the town's streets.

Looking at this scene, Chen Yuan smiled slightly.

Returning home in wealth and honor is like wearing fine clothes at night.

Their figures swept past like the wind, and the barking of dogs rose and fell, breaking the tranquility of dusk and instantly attracting the attention of all the townspeople.

"Look! It's cola!"

"The entire Paw Patrol has been mobilized! This looks like Consultant Chen is back!"

"Consultant Chen is back! Our champion is back!"

The news spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the town in an instant.

Men, women, and children almost all came out, surging towards the town entrance from all directions like a tide.

On the street, Xiao Zhao, who was weighing fruit for customers at his stall, heard the shout. He threw down the scale, not even bothering to collect the money, and ran towards the crowd, leaving the customers dumbfounded.

The customer was taken aback at first, but soon heard the news of Consultant Chen's return. His face instantly lit up with excitement. He stopped buying fruit and ran with the crowd, shouting as he ran, "Is Consultant Chen really back? Let's go see!"

In just a few minutes, the town entrance where Chen Yuan was standing was completely surrounded by townspeople who had rushed over after hearing the news.

The place was packed with people and extremely noisy.

Faces etched with the marks of mountain winds and time now radiated the purest smiles.
"Xiao Yuan! No, Chen Guanjun! We've been waiting for you to come back!"

"There's probably not much good food in the capital, is there? You look a bit thinner!"

"Oh my, this really makes our Xuanhe Town Mayor proud! He's bringing honor to his ancestors!"

The noise almost drowned out Chen Yuan, as he was bombarded with all sorts of concerned questions and sincere praise.

The air became warm due to the gathering of people, and their breaths mingled and rose in the cold evening.

Surrounded by this overwhelming affection, Chen Yuan showed no impatience. He maintained a gentle smile on his face, constantly nodding to the villagers around him and responding to their greetings.

Upon hearing the news, Song Guohao rushed over and, relying on his prestige, managed to squeeze through the crowd. While loudly maintaining order, he painstakingly rescued Chen Yuan from the enthusiastic throng.
"Alright, alright, everyone, quiet down! Consultant Chen just got back, he must be tired from his journey. Let him go home and rest first, we'll have plenty of time to talk later. Everyone, please disperse!"

Squeezing out of the crowd and walking to a relatively quieter roadside, Song Guohao stopped, turned around, and looked at Chen Yuan with a complicated expression.

He recalled that a few years ago, Chen Yuan was just a young man who had just graduated and was responsible for basic rescue work at a wildlife rescue station. Who could have imagined that this seemingly ordinary young man would get to where he is today?
It all seems to stem from that private chat a few months ago:
"Brother Song, I rescued an injured little bird in the village that can breathe fire. What should I do with it?"

He replied, "You decide for yourself."

Perhaps it was because of this short sentence that a champion, the focus of everyone's attention, rose to prominence.

A thousand words stuck in her chest, but in the end, they only turned into a series of pats on Chen Yuan's shoulder and a voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Good! Good! Good!"

Chen Yuan could feel the strength and deep emotion emanating from Song Guohao's hand. He didn't say anything, but simply nodded vigorously.

After saying goodbye to the excited Song Guohao, Chen Yuan walked along the familiar road towards the farm.

The closer you get to the farm, the quieter it becomes, with only the rustling of the wind through the trees and the sound of your own footsteps.

The sun had completely sunk behind the mountains, leaving only the last brilliant sunset glow on the horizon, like burning embers, painting the western sky a magnificent purplish-red.

Finally, the farm's wooden gate and the familiar outline of the fence came into view at the edge of the horizon.

Right there at the open doorway, the last rays of the setting sun outlined a tall, slender figure, standing silently like a sculpture.

Seeing this figure standing like a loyal guardian in the twilight, the last trace of fatigue from the journey on Chen Yuan's face vanished.

"It's so good to be home."

(End of this chapter)