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Chapter 40: Who Doesn't Want a Free Ride?
🕑 Added 2025-09-13 13:03:51 +0000 UTCThe comment section under Alex's announcement was exploding with reactions.
"Holy shit, Stormwind's going full original! I'm actually getting hyped for this now!"
"After seeing that Lamborghini design, I'm genuinely excited. What other surprises are they hiding?"
"Alex said there are cars even cooler than the Lamborghini. Now I'm really curious!"
"Fast and Furious—just the name gets my blood pumping. Can't wait to play this!"
"Seriously, when does this go live?"
"Hey, what about that guy who said he'd eat a car model on stream? Dozens of original designs means dozens of models to eat!"
"These comments reek of astroturfing. Did Stormwind hire a bot farm?"
"No pictures, no proof. Anyone can make wild claims."
"This is pure hype. Watch—all the cars will look identical except for the Lamborghini they already showed."
"Focus on gameplay instead of flashy marketing bullshit. That's why racing games are dead!"
"Don't be so quick to trash them. Remember how many people got proven wrong with Avatar."
"So much negativity and prejudice in these comments!"
"I'll wait to see the other models before judging. Actually looking forward to this."
Alex scrolled through the responses with growing confidence. The community's reaction to Lamborghini proved that automotive aesthetics translated well between worlds. Players weren't rejecting original designs—they were excited about the possibilities.
The main concern seemed to be execution rather than concept. Would Stormwind deliver on their promises, or would everything after Lamborghini be disappointing?
Given that Alex was working with designs perfected by the greatest automotive engineers and designers in his previous world's history, disappointment wasn't really a concern.
"I need some fresh air," Alex muttered, stretching as he stood up from his desk. The office atmosphere was getting stale.
Walking outside, he ran into Nathan emerging from the conference room.
"Alex, great timing," Nathan said with obvious satisfaction. "Avatar's official expansion passed final testing. We can launch whenever you give the word."
"Handle the release schedule however you think best," Alex replied, continuing toward the yard. "I'm taking a break."
He headed for the small fenced area where they'd set up doghouses for Prettyboy and Basin. Those two had become office mascots over the past few weeks, providing stress relief and entertainment during long development sessions. Everyone loved playing with them during breaks, and their goofy antics always lightened the mood.
"Prettyboy! Basin!" Alex called out, expecting the usual enthusiastic response—two small dogs racing toward him with tails wagging frantically.
Nothing.
Alex walked closer to the empty doghouses, suddenly worried. The dogs always responded to his voice. Looking around the entire yard revealed no sign of them.
"Where are Prettyboy and Basin?" Alex asked as he walked back inside.
"Oh, Mr. Morrison! I forgot to mention—I took them home yesterday," Emily Watson said quickly, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Did your landlord finally allow pets?"
"Not exactly. I asked my parents to take them back to our family home." Emily's expression showed mixed relief and sadness. "I couldn't keep bouncing between apartments with them, and I felt bad leaving them here permanently even though you never complained. My parents just lost their old dog anyway, so the timing worked out."
Alex felt an unexpected sense of loss. Those two ridiculous dogs had become part of the office environment. Their empty doghouses made the whole space feel less lively.
"Maybe I should get some office pets," Alex thought. He'd originally planned to buy cats and dogs when they first moved to the villa, both for employee morale and basic security. Now seemed like the perfect time.
Decision made, Alex drove to the city's largest pet market. The place was like a miniature zoo—cats, dogs, rabbits, pigs, chinchillas, hamsters, parrots, lizards, even spiders. Apparently anything could be domesticated if you tried hard enough.
After browsing several shops, Alex saw plenty of expensive purebreds but couldn't find what he was specifically looking for. When he asked about Trump dogs, the shopkeepers explained that while the breed was prestigious and valuable, they weren't popular due to their unusual appearance and limited market demand.
More problematically, Trump dogs were extremely difficult to breed, had low reproductive rates, high mortality rates, and significant health risks. Very few breeders worked with them, keeping prices astronomical and availability nearly nonexistent. Special orders might be possible through national or international contacts.
"Forget it," Alex decided. Pets should be appealing rather than prestigious.
As he left one shop, a quietly dressed young woman with glasses and a ponytail approached hesitantly.
"Excuse me," she said softly, "are you here to buy a dog?"
"Yeah, I am." Alex studied her curiously. She looked like a college student and seemed genuinely nervous.
"Could I talk to you for a moment?" Her sincerity was obvious.
"What's this about?"
The woman opened a folder from her backpack. "I'm a volunteer with Haven Pet Rescue Center. We have lots of wonderful, well-behaved dogs and cats available for adoption—completely free. They're all looking for homes, and if no one adopts them..." Her voice caught slightly. "They'll have to be euthanized."
Her emotional investment was clearly genuine, eyes getting slightly misty as she spoke about the animals.
"Really free?" Alex asked cautiously. Too many scams involved emotional manipulation.
"Absolutely free. You can look us up online—we're a registered non-profit funded entirely by donations and volunteers. Here's my student ID for verification." She produced a university identification card.
Sarah , local resident, freshman English major at Metropolitan Normal University.
"Most of these animals were abandoned or lost," she continued, flipping through photos in her folder. "Some were dumped because of medical issues, but our veterinarians have treated and cured most conditions. At least everything in this album represents healthy animals. Look at this Shiba Inu—only three months old. His owner apparently regretted the purchase and literally threw him in a garbage bag in a dumpster. He's incredibly sweet and smart now..."
Sarah passionate advocacy for each animal was touching. She clearly cared deeply about finding them homes.
"Wait, is that...?" Alex stopped at one particular photograph.
"Oh yes, that's actually a very rare breed. You usually can't buy them even with money. This one had severe skin disease when we rescued him—almost all his fur had fallen out and he nearly died. Our veterinarians managed to cure him completely, and now he's perfectly healthy. Would you be interested in adopting him?"
Sarah looked surprised that Alex had noticed that particular dog.
"If he's really free and healthy," Alex said immediately, "I'll take him."
Who wouldn't want something valuable for free, especially when it helped save an animal's life?
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