【Note】: The prescriptions in this book, although verified with professionals, have not reached the level of Charles Brooks. Do not attempt them yourself; please strictly follow medical advice...

Chapter Four: Even Thieves Have Principles

In his previous life, Charles Brooks lived in the countryside as a child, so he knew that chickens become especially docile after roosting; as long as you’re not too rough, you can handle them however you like.

But according to his memories from this life, the reason that free-range speckled rooster had managed to strut around so arrogantly for so long was because there was a fierce big black dog by the chicken coop. If the dog barked, it would naturally wake everyone up.

However, this was no challenge for an expert. The so-called “stealing chickens and petting dogs” are two sides of the same coin. He had several ways to deal with both the dumb dog and the silly chicken at once. It was only considering the appetites of his three brothers and the difficulty of cleaning up afterward that he decided, for now, to leave the dog meat feast for another day.

He coaxed his two younger brothers to sleep, and by then it was dark outside. In rural areas at this time, people worked at sunrise and rested at sunset, going to bed as soon as it got dark. Charles Brooks tiptoed to the outside of the workers’ sleeping shed, and after waiting a short while, he heard the sound of snoring rising and falling.

He relaxed, strolled out of the shadows, sniffed the air, and quickly found his target outside the door. Squatting down happily, he used a twig to pick up the object... it turned out to be a stinky shoe.

As he got closer, he nearly passed out: “Damn, that’s really foul...” This had to be the work of someone with the sweatiest feet, worn from new to tattered, never washed once, to achieve such a soul-stirring stench.

This was his secret weapon against the dog... Everything in the world has its irresistible temptations. Just as cats go crazy for catnip, dogs cannot resist the smell of butyric acid. Butyric acid is a foul-smelling acid found in salted fish and cheese, but nothing compares to the pure stench of smelly shoes and socks.

If conditions allowed, he could have made “stealing chickens and petting dogs” into an art. But given the current limitations, he could only make do and focus on results, not style.

※※※

A bright crescent moon hung in the deep blue sky, illuminating an endless sea of bamboo below. At the edge of the bamboo sea, the lake shimmered with silver light, and all was silent by the shore. Only a thin, small boy, pinching his nose and carrying that stinky shoe, tiptoed near the shed where bamboo charcoal was stored... No matter how eccentric a family might be, they wouldn’t keep a dog just to guard a chicken. The big black dog’s main job was to watch over the bamboo charcoal; the rooster just happened to roost within its patrol area.

On any other day, as soon as someone approached, the big black dog would bark. But tonight, the dog poked its head out of its den, sniffed the air, wagged its tail, and stared fixedly at the stinky shoe, making ingratiating whining sounds.

Charles Brooks calmly walked up to the big black dog and placed the stinky shoe on the ground. The dog let out a low “woof,” then pounced on the shoe, intoxicated, sniffing and licking it.

“What an unusual hobby...” Although he knew this trick worked, Charles Brooks couldn’t help but marvel every time. He squatted down and stroked the back of the big black dog’s neck with just the right amount of force. The dog, enjoying both the “delicacy” and the massage, was so happy it was almost in tears, purring with satisfaction.

After a moment, the big black dog had completely switched sides. If Charles Brooks untied its leash now, it would definitely follow him. But even thieves have principles—leaving neither chickens nor dogs behind is the act of a bandit. A classy thief like Charles always leaves either the chicken or the dog, never taking both.

After building rapport, Charles Brooks left the dog to enjoy its treat and walked over to the chicken coop. He first spread his tattered clothes on the ground, then gently opened the cage door and saw the proud rooster, still maintaining its haughty posture even in sleep.

The most breathtaking scene unfolded, though there was no audience to witness it.

In the cold moonlight, a delicate, ragged boy slowly and steadily reached out both hands, softly cooing. Strangely enough, the usually spirited rooster seemed bound by some mysterious force—it neither squawked nor fled, but obediently let Charles cup it in his hands. He plucked a long feather from its wing and stuck it firmly behind its head—then, with a flick of his legs, the rooster was sent to the next world, without making a sound or shedding a drop of blood.

It sounds complicated, but from start to finish, it only took a few breaths. Charles Brooks, calm as ever, rolled up his clothes, tied the rooster securely to his back, then beckoned to the big black dog, which eagerly brought its head over.

Charles Brooks patted the dog’s head, then gently kicked the stinky shoe out of the dog’s reach.

The dog immediately whimpered in disappointment, and he comforted it a bit more before it felt better.

Only then did Charles Brooks pick up the stinky shoe and leave.

The big dog wagged its tail in reluctant farewell—though it was probably more reluctant to part with its “delicacy”...

※※※

After returning the stinky shoe to its original place, Charles Brooks went back to carry firewood, woke his two younger brothers, and led them over mountains and hills for several miles. Only when they reached a pond in a bamboo grove did he gut the rooster and clean out its insides. He didn’t pluck the feathers, but simply mixed some mud with water and coated the chicken tightly.