Chapter 577: Chapter 306: The Allegiance of Holy Hands, Irony_2

The customer who had just finished his pet’s cleaning and caring before him, felt an inevitable sense of disappointment and helplessness.

Now Xu Ran’s words sounded like music to his ears, and the joy of turning great sorrow into great joy was unprecedented.

He took a deep look at the sign reading “Starfire Foster Care Shop” in the cleaning room and silently decided that next time he needed his pet beast cleaned and cared for, he would stick to this shop!

—————–

While the queue outside Xu Ran’s cleaning room remained as is, other caretakers gradually completed their final cleanings and left their rooms to head to the awards venue organized by the host.

There, the organizers would announce the final recipient of the “Cleaning Saint” title and present different awards to other caretakers who had performed exceptionally well and received high praise during the cleaning exhibit.

About half an hour after the chiming of the clock had ceased, the venue was filled with caretakers eager to learn who would claim the title, and the host invited by the Beast Master Association was standing on stage.

“Good evening, caretakers,” the host said with a smile as warm as a spring breeze. “Everyone has worked hard these past two days.”

“Without further ado, I believe what everyone is most concerned about is which caretaker here has received the most praise and will earn the honorary title of ‘Cleaning Saint’—an honor bestowed only once every three years.”

As the host’s words ended, a chorus of agreement rose from the seats, and eager expressions crossed the faces of the caretakers.

The title of Cleaning Saint is an honorary title awarded once every three years.

Moreover, it is a title with an expiration date.

The validity of this title lasts only for three years, and one must participate in the next pet beast cleaning and caring exhibit to claim it again.

Those caretakers who had attained it in the past could only be addressed as “Former Saints.”

At that moment, there were several such individuals present.

However, as the saying goes, new generations continue to surpass the old, and these newcomers were becoming increasingly formidable, making it more difficult for the previous title holders to reclaim their status.

“So…” the host drew out the suspense and slowly raised the card in his hand. Once he had everyone’s attention, his tone shifted, “Let us first unveil the list of outstanding caretakers of this exhibit!”

Immediately, a collective hush fell over the audience.

An outstanding caretaker was one who ranked in the top twenty in terms of overall score during the exhibit, with different awards granted according to their respective standings.

While this was also a matter of anticipation, it paled in comparison to the honor of “Cleaning Saint.”

However, this was no exception for the audience.

There had never been an awards event where the most significant award was presented first.

And…

Once the rankings of the outstanding caretakers were determined, the “Cleaning Saint” was naturally decided.

After lightening the mood in the venue, the host began to call out the winners’ names from the twentieth position, inviting each to the stage to receive their corresponding awards.

Each award recipient’s appearance on stage kept the atmosphere perpetually high.

Du Qian, sitting among the crowd, occasionally turned his head to look around.

But from the start of the awards ceremony to now, he had not seen the figure he was looking for.

Has Xu Ran not arrived yet?

Du Qian was increasingly puzzled.

With so much time having passed since the chimes resonated, even if the last pet beast Xu Ran was cleaning was a time-consuming large pet beast, and even if the clock had just started ringing during his cleaning, he should have finished by now, shouldn’t he?

As the name of the third-place caretaker was called, Du Qian grew more impatient.

Up until now, he had not heard his own name, nor had he heard Xu Ran’s name.

Confident in his own cleaning skills, Du Qian was also confident in Xu Ran’s.

Therefore, barring any surprises, the glorious title of “Cleaning Saint” would be decided between the two of them.

At such a critical moment, the absence of his counterpart was utterly baffling to Du Qian.

Could it be that Xu Ran, being new to Bright Radiance City, was not very familiar with the rules of the pet beast cleaning and caring exhibit and couldn’t find the venue for the awards?

For a moment, he regretted not taking a detour to Xu Ran’s cleaning room after finishing his own work to check on him and accompany him here.

Then, they could have exchanged a few words on the way, making up for the missed opportunity to get acquainted the previous night…

As Du Qian’s thoughts raced, the host, holding the card, began to speak deliberately.

“Second place, Du Qian!”

Is it me?

Du Qian was taken aback and then shook his head with resignation.

He had still failed to surpass Xu Ran.

It seems my sister was right; Xu Ran is indeed strong.

Despite a tinge of disappointment, Du Qian felt more determined and curious about Xu Ran.

As for the title, he was still young; there would be other chances to earn it.

He walked onto the stage step by step, casually responding to the host’s compliments, and once again scanned the seated guests from his elevated position.

From this vantage point, he could see clearly.

Xu Ran indeed had not come.

After receiving his award, Du Qian returned to his seat, his eyebrows furrowed.

Xu Ran, where had he gone?

—————–

“Next up… Achoo!”

Xu Ran, just about to call the next client, suddenly sneezed without warning, rubbing his nose with some surprise on his face.

As a General Level Beast Master, could he really have caught a cold?

“Mr. Xu, are you feeling alright?” asked the next client about to step forward, concerned. “I heard you stayed up all night washing and caring for everyone yesterday. Maybe you should call it a day for today?”