Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 148: Chasing The Turbo

Star curled up contentedly on the rug between the two of them, his tail thumping rhythmically against the floor in sheer happiness.

Having his private sanctuary suddenly invaded by a swarm of lively small animals—plus Nancy—made Barry feel incredibly restless. The air in the cabin felt uncharacteristically thin.

Wait a minute.

He suddenly snapped back to reality.

Didn't I come down here specifically to give Nancy a piece of my mind?

How on earth had things devolved into this?

Barry let out a cold snort. He turned his head, only to see Nancy’s eyes sparkling with excitement. She was staring unblinkingly at the screen filled with robust athletes in swimwear, a faint, thrilled smile playing on her lips.

Barry’s brow furrowed even deeper.

Subconsciously, he reached out and flicked Nancy’s forehead with a long finger—not hard, but with a hint of irritation he hadn't even noticed himself. "Hey, wipe your mouth."

"Your eyes are practically falling out of your head."

Nancy instinctively swallowed and tried to sound composed. "Who... who's looking at handsome guys? I'm not!"

"Tonight is the first day of the finals! The very first event is Gabriel’s 400-meter freestyle. It’s a huge deal. We need to start the tournament with a win!"

The first event on the final schedule was indeed the 400-meter freestyle featuring the veteran, Gabriel. Not only was Gabriel the oldest member of the national swimming team, but he was also the first athlete to undergo the "Snake Coach" special training. His performance was critical.

As Nancy watched the broadcast with bated breath, she also kept a frantic eye on the live discussions on her phone. Her eyes were working overtime.

She suddenly noticed that in the live feed, the foreign athlete in the lane to Gabriel’s right seemed to be making small, provocative gestures, occasionally leaning over as if whispering something to Gabriel. Gabriel kept his eyes fixed forward, expressionless, completely ignoring the taunts.

Confused, Nancy glanced at the comments in the live chat and understood immediately.

The foreign swimmer harassing Gabriel was named Jake. He was one of the top favorites to win the freestyle gold and had a stellar record. Interestingly, when Jake was a newcomer, he had been soundly defeated by Gabriel.

Before the race, during an online interview, Jake had been asked specifically about Gabriel. He had responded with pure disdain: "There’s nothing to discuss. The name in first place isn't mentioned alongside the name in eighth."

He had added with a mocking sneer, "He's lucky just to have squeezed into the final at eighth place. But this is probably Gabriel’s last world-class competition, right? It’s time for him to retire. I wish him a happy retirement."

These arrogant remarks had caused an uproar online, and the Dracovian netizens were absolutely fuming.

On the starting blocks, Gabriel was in Lane 3, and Jake was right next to him in Lane 4. The proximity only made the smell of gunpowder in the air even thicker.

The live chat was boiling over with anger:

"This Jake has zero class! He's been bitter about losing to Gabriel as a rookie for years. He actually cares way too much!"

"I'm so mad! It’s so frustrating! But Gabriel really is older now, and his stamina has dropped. He just can't out-swim Jake in his prime!"

"I have that helpless feeling of wanting to slap someone through the screen."

"I really hope a miracle happens. Gabriel should return to his peak form and win gold just to shut Jake up!"

"Unfortunately, the reality of competitive sports is cruel. We can only hope a freestyle prodigy emerges next year to get revenge for Gabriel."

As the Dracovian netizens howled with frustration, wishing they could reach through the screen and smack the arrogant Jake, Nancy’s lips curled into a mysterious smile. Her gaze remained fixed on the giant screen.

At that moment, the coach in the tank, Snowtooth, perked up excitedly. His tongue flicked rapidly. Go for it! Make your teacher proud!

If you take first place, I’ll kiss you to death!

Nancy: "..."

She massaged her temples. It was a good thing this boy-crazy snake was only shouting inside the RV. If she were at the actual venue, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Suddenly, the starting signal let out a crisp Beep!

The race officially began!

Gabriel leaped into the water, his momentum exploding instantly. Like a flood-dragon returning to the sea, he surged forward with an unstoppable force. His arms sliced through the water with incredible power and his kick was fierce. Within seconds, he had visibly pulled ahead of the other swimmers by nearly half a body length!

The netizens in the live stream were stunned. The chat went nuclear:

"What the?! Is that Gabriel?! Isn't he the oldest one on the team? Did he swallow a turbocharger before the start?!"

"That’s not swimming—it looks like he’s got ten crocodiles chasing him!"