Ever since Grandmama’s birthday banquet, Pawbert had latched onto Kevin like a stubborn burr, showing up every few days to hang out.
His mind had drifted far from his studies, his grades plummeted, and eventually he stopped going to school altogether, just dropped out without a second thought.
Kevin, meanwhile, had spent the better part of a year holed up, grinding through his university entrance exam preparations.
During those months, he practically fused himself to his desk at home.
When the results finally came out, he’d scored just one point shy of a perfect score and earned himself admission to Zootopia University.
When word reached Tundratown, Grandmama was absolutely delighted.
Counting on her fingers, she figured that out of all the generations in their family, Kevin was by far the best-educated of the bunch.
In her joy, she proved remarkably generous, she rewarded him with a car on the spot.
Too bad he’d only just turned thirteen.
Tall as he was, his age was still an obstacle, no driver’s license for him yet.
Mr.
Big, however, did grant him permission to leave Tundratown and stretch his legs.
The catch was that he had to have bodyguards with him at all times and carry a gun on him at all times.
With only a few days left before classes started, Kevin decided to take the opportunity to visit Bunnyburrow, Judy Hopps’ hometown.
He’d been in Zootopia for years, but ever since elementary school, he’d hardly ever set foot outside Tundratown.
Stuck at home day in and day out, this was a rare chance to get some fresh air.
He also figured that on his way back from Bunnyburrow, he’d swing by Nick’s place for a visit.
—— “Kevin, this car is absolutely gorgeous.” Pawbert hunched over, leaning close to the chassis.
He carefully breathed a puff of air onto the door panel, then stretched out his sleeve and rubbed it back and forth with exaggerated care.
The black paint gleamed so brilliantly that it reflected his furry face in crisp, perfect detail.
“It’s alright, I guess.” Kevin’s words were casual enough, but his grin was already stretching from ear to ear.
He thought to himself, ‘Grandmama really knows how to splurge.’ A sports car, no less, the latest black convertible from Ferrari.
Even sitting still, its sleek, streamlined body exudes a fierce, aggressive energy.
The price tag must be astronomical.
In his past life, he figured he could’ve sold himself for spare parts and still not scraped together enough for just the rear bumper.
He pulled open the door and dropped into the driver’s seat.
‘Man, that’s soft.’ The leather upholstery molded perfectly against his back as he sank in, the sensation was so luxurious he couldn’t help squinting in bliss.
He gripped the steering wheel, then stretched his feet out one by one to test the brake and clutch.
The feel of them was exactly as he remembered.
Even though he was only thirteen in this life, whether thanks to good nutrition or just good genes, he’d always been a full size bigger than other wolves his age.
Now, looking at his frame, he was only a little shorter than a full-grown wolf.
Sitting in the driver’s seat, there wasn’t much difference, you’d never guess he was just a kid.
Kevin poked his head out the window and nodded at Pawbert, who was still gazing at the car with stars in his eyes.
“Pawbert, get in.
I’ll take you for a spin.” “Huh?
You?
Take me?
For a spin?” Pawbert’s cat ears twitched, his face a mask of confusion.
“Do you even know how to drive?” “I just haven’t reached the legal age, that doesn’t mean I can’t drive.” Kevin couldn’t be bothered with more talk.
He got out, grabbed Pawbert by the scruff of his neck like a wayward kitten, and with one good heave, tossed him into the passenger seat.
He slid back in, smoothly inserted the key, and gave it a twist.
Vroom!
A low growl rumbled from deep within the engine, the steel beast had come alive.
“Dang, that’s sick.” Even Kevin couldn’t help murmuring an admiring curse under his breath.
“Stop, stop!
I never said I wanted to ride!” But Kevin had already slammed his foot on the gas, and the black sports car shot forward like a bullet from a gun.
Pawbert felt the G-force pinning him deep into his seat, followed immediately by a sudden, jarring brake.
Before he could react, his nose smacked hard into the dashboard.
“MEOOOW!!!!” “Sorry, my bad.
Wrong pedal.” Just as Kevin tore out of Tundratown with Pawbert in tow, three black sedans fell in close behind the sports car.
Even on the outskirts of the city, Kevin couldn’t drive too fast, so the polar bears in those sedans had no trouble keeping pace.
“Kevin, are we really okay doing this?” Pawbert glanced around nervously.
“If the cops catch us, we’re done for.” The moment those words left Pawbert’s mouth, alarm bells went off in Kevin’s head.
‘Oh no.
This is an anime world, you do NOT say stuff like that!’ Speak of the devil.
Sure enough, in the very next second, a red light turned on up ahead, and their car came to a stop at an intersection.
And just then, a police cruiser rolled slowly around the corner at the far end of the street.
Two tiger officers hopped out and began ambling down the line of cars, checking each one unhurriedly.
The red light had just turned, and Kevin’s car was stuck in the middle of the queue, no way forward, no way back.
“Damn it, we’re toast,” he muttered under his breath.
He instinctively thought about throwing the car in reverse, but a glance in the rearview mirror showed the polar bears’ black sedans had already pulled up right behind him, with several more cars packed in behind them.
The entire escape route was blocked solid, not even a crack to squeeze through.
Pawbert spotted the uniforms too.
His cat ears flattened back against his skull, and his lips quivered a couple of times before he managed a smile that looked more pained than pleased: “Kevin… don’t look at me like that.
I really didn’t think we’d actually run into cops.” “You and your big mouth.” Kevin gritted his teeth.
“So… so what do we do now?” Pawbert’s voice went weak as he shrank his neck in.
Kevin pulled off his sunglasses and tossed them onto the center console, let go of the steering wheel, and slumped back in his seat.
“What else can we do?
We’ll just have to play along.” Inside, though, his thoughts were churning.
No license?
That’s just a fine.
But the gun tucked in my waistband?
That’s the real problem.
If they find that, how the hell am I supposed to explain it?
One by one, the cars ahead were waved through.
The sounds of horns, engines, and the crackle of police radios all mingled together in the morning air.
Finally, it was their turn.
“Good morning, sir.
May I see your driver’s license, please?” A young tiger officer leaned in close to the window.
His uniform was so crisp it didn’t have a single wrinkle, and the badge on his chest was polished to a mirror shine.
He stood ramrod straight, and there was still a gleam of idealism in his eyes, the kind that hadn’t been worn down by the job yet.
Clearly a fresh graduate from the academy, still full of drive and ambition.
Meanwhile, the older police chief had just finished checking the car ahead.
His eyes swept over the long line of luxury black cars, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Dropping his casual attitude, he straightened his collar and ambled over.
“Uh… my license?
Yeah, hang on, let me find it…” Kevin patted himself down, rummaging through all his pockets in a fluster.
Finally, he turned to look at Pawbert.
Pawbert bared his teeth in a clueless grin.
“Don’t look at me, I don’t have a license either.” “Sir.
Your license.” The young officer puffed out his chest again, extending his furry tiger paw to the edge of the window, his claws almost touching the frame.
At the same time, the three black sedans behind them all rolled down their windows at once, revealing a row of white-furred heads, all staring intently in their direction.
The old police chief’s pupils contracted sharply.
He strode over in three quick strides and yanked the young officer back by the arm.
“Let me handle this.” He said it in a low voice, then put on a friendly smile and bent over to the window.
His tiger face, which ought to have looked imposing, was now creased with affable lines, like an oversized house cat forced into a customer-service role.
But his voice, though soft, was calm and firm: “Sir, please cooperate.
Thank you.” Kevin froze for a second, thinking the chief had recognized Pawbert.
He quickly elbowed Pawbert in the passenger seat and gestured frantically below the dashboard: “Quick, give me some ID, anything!” Pawbert fumbled around for a while, then finally fished a crumpled student ID out of his pants pocket.
Kevin snatched it and immediately handed it out the window.
The old chief took it and glanced down, Pawbert T.
Lynxley, the name clearly printed on the laminated card.
His mouth formed a silent “O.” When he looked up again, the laugh lines around his eyes deepened.
“No problem at all.
Take your time, sir.
Drive safe.” ‘Huh?
That actually worked?’ Kevin blinked, and the tense knot in his chest loosened considerably.
As expected, a lynx’s face is better than any ID.
“Oh, well… thanks then.” He put his sunglasses back on, reached out the window, and shook the chief’s hand.
Then he pulled an unopened pack of expensive cigarettes from the center console and handed it over casually.
The officer accepted it with a smile, took a half-step back, and watched as the black sports car roared to life and sped off through the intersection, followed by its string of black tails, disappearing into the flow of traffic.
The young officer clutched his notepad and ran up, his brows knitted in confusion.
“Why did you let them go?
You didn’t even check his license.” The old officer glanced at him and tossed the pack of cigarettes into his chest.
“Here.
This one pack is worth half your monthly salary.” He dusted off his hands and said lightly, “The guy in the driver’s seat is the underground boss’s heir.
And the one in the passenger seat?
That’s the third son of the Lynxley family.
You’re new here, you don’t get it yet.
The roads in this city aren’t governed entirely by traffic laws.” “The law exists to uphold justice, sir.” “No.
The law is just what keeps this city from falling apart.” The chief pulled open his car door and glanced back at him.
“You get paid peanuts.
Don’t throw your life away for nothing.” The young officer pressed his lips tight.
The badge on his chest burned hot under the sun.
He stood on the curb, watching the endless stream of cars go by, and didn’t move for a long time.
“I don’t agree with you, Chief.” His voice wasn’t loud, but it was weighted with conviction.
The old chief was already in the driver’s seat, leaning his head out the window.
“When I was your age, I said the exact same thing.” ————•★•————★ Author Note: Thanks for reading!
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