NOVEL SIMPLE 0049 – Zoe Developing Apathy?
In a quaint pet shop run by a middle-aged man, Zoe Carter sat across from the owner. Between them, a usually rambunctious mongrel puppy sat obediently. The man couldn't help but marvel at the sight, clicking his tongue in amazement.
Despite having noticed the puppy's sudden change in behavior on the way back to the shop, the man still felt as if he were dreaming. How could this be possible? This stranger had merely touched the puppy, and it had immediately become well-behaved. Was this woman some sort of dog whisperer? Or had she secretly used some kind of chemical powder? The middle-aged man found it all incomprehensible.
Zoe could sense the man's confusion but chose not to explain. As she gazed at the now-timid puppy, an idea began to form in her mind: perhaps she should buy a dog. To be honest, Zoe wasn't sure if it was due to loneliness or some other reason. But looking at the puppy, which was surprisingly compliant, she felt a sudden urge to make a purchase.
Maybe it was the many sleepless nights, devoid of company, that had made Zoe's heart, still unaccustomed to the extraordinary, feel a pang of loneliness. She realized she might need a companion—though not a human, at least not until she was invincible.
Contemplating this, Zoe broke the silence and asked the question that had been lingering since they were on the street:
"How much for this puppy?"
Although she had never owned a dog, she had seen vendors selling puppies under three months old in various markets, typically for less than 200 euros. This seemed reasonable and affordable to her.
"Eight thousand eight hundred euros, for good luck," the middle-aged man responded without missing a beat. "This puppy has a good pedigree and appearance."
He flashed a toothy grin at Zoe, a grin that seemed friendly but also brought Zoe's thoughts to a sudden halt.
What? Eight thousand eight hundred euros? What kind of price was that? Was she being taken for a fool? That's basically the price of the latest premium gaming pc set on the market!
Zoe, unfamiliar with the true value of the puppy's pedigree and appearance, nevertheless felt certain that the man was attempting to swindle her. Her keen intuition told her that the middle-aged man was harboring ill intentions, barely able to contain his excitement at the prospect of overcharging her.
This realization made Zoe fall silent, her gaze fixed on the shop owner. After a long pause, she calmly said, "I think you should reconsider your price."
Her voice was steady, devoid of anger. Instead, it conveyed a sense of indifference, as if nothing really mattered to her.
The middle-aged man, hearing Zoe's words, found himself almost laughing out of frustration. Reconsider? Who did this gal think she was? He could simply refuse to sell the puppy.
Just as the man was about to retort, he noticed Zoe's hand resting on the edge of the wooden table. His eyes widened, and he swallowed his words. What the...?!
What kind of strength is this? The middle-aged shop owner was utterly bewildered by the scene unfolding before him. His eyes widened as he saw that his sturdy, solid wood table had somehow been broken off at a corner by Zoe, who now held the splintered piece in her hand. As Zoe squeezed it, the wood creaked and groaned, the sound tightening the man's chest as if his heart were being crushed in tandem.
It wasn't until the wood was nearly reduced to sawdust that the man snapped out of his daze. Swallowing hard, he stammered, "Y-yes, you see, my memory must be failing me."
"Eighty-eight euros... I must have mixed it up with eight thousand eight hundred. It's been a busy day, and my mind isn't as sharp as it used to be," he continued, forcing a smile that looked much more genuine than his previous one.
Zoe's perception told him that the shop owner's emotions had shifted dramatically. The man was now a bundle of nerves, his previous greed and cunning completely replaced by fear and anxiety. Seeing this, Zoe let the wood splinters fall to the floor, deciding not to frighten the unscrupulous merchant any further.
"Prepare a kennel, some dog food, and other necessary supplies for me," Zoe ordered. "Add up the total cost."
As she stood up, she took out her phone and scanned the QR code on the shop's wall, then looked back at the shop owner expectantly.
"All together, it's 120 euros," the man replied eagerly. "I've already dewormed the puppy. Just remember to bring it in for vaccinations in about a week."
The middle-aged man hurriedly gathered a kennel and a supply of dog food, placing them before Zoe. He swore to himself that this time, the price was as low as it could get, barely covering his costs. The sight of his solid wood table being crushed to dust had driven out any remaining thoughts of scamming Zoe.
He knew full well there were women who can carry two sack of grains and more so on men. He's fan of weightlifiting and MMA after all.
Though the modern legal system might protect him from physical harm, he had no desire to test his luck against someone so evidently strong.
"Alright, I've transferred the money," Zoe said with a nod. She then placed the now exceedingly obedient mongrel puppy into the kennel, picked it up, and left the pet shop, giving the incident no further thought.
The middle-aged man, however, let out a long sigh of relief once Zoe was gone. He wiped the cold sweat from his brow, feeling a chill as it dried. He glanced at the broken corner of his wooden table and the sawdust on the floor, profoundly thankful for his quick thinking. It was wise to yield when necessary, he reflected, or else his own body might not have fared better than the table.
After this harrowing encounter, he resolved to curb his deceitful ways. It wasn't worth the risk.
Zoe continued to wander around the expansive pet market. Having already purchased a dog, she paid little attention to the other pets and instead focused on finding her next target: white mice.
Although I can use this puppy if he were going to be a headache for me.
Soon, she visited three different shops, buying a total of forty-five white mice—significantly fewer than the hundred she had initially planned to purchase. This market was not a breeding ground for lab mice but a place for various pets, so her selection was limited. Nonetheless, forty-five mice would suffice for her needs even though she might buy kittens or larger pets to be used to broaden her research.
What am I thinking lately?
Zoe continues her walk and shake her head.
"Hmm..."
These mice were priced much higher than those from a breeding facility, averaging around twenty-five euros each compared to the usual five euros. Though this was expensive, Zoe deemed the cost necessary for the advanced experiments she intended to conduct on her emotional perception abilities. Using mice for experimentation avoided potential scrutinies, and the price, despite being higher than usual, was still relatively low.
With these thoughts in mind, she arranged for the three shops to deliver the mice to her home. Then, with her new puppy in tow, she hailed a cab and headed back.
