Another ordinary working day draws to a close. Just as Min has finished his lab duties and started to pack up, he feels a tap on his shoulder.

  When he turns around, he is somewhat surprised to find that it isn't the team leader who tapped him. Instead, it's another member of the group — whose name... he can’t recall. He'd never been good at remembering names.

  "Min, are you interested in PSDM?" Seeing him turn, the man flashes a bright, sunny smile.

  "What's PSDM?"

  "It's the Private Science Discussion Meeting. They have a discussion meeting and it's happening this weekend, and over thirty people might attend."

  "But what exactly do they discuss? And I've never heard of this Private Science Discussion Meeting before. Is it a new organisation?"

  "Pretty much anything. It's mainly about cross-disciplinary exchange of academic insights and exploring potential collaborations. Not the typical lecture or conference format. More like a gathering. We chat about the latest news in specific scientific fields, even share some science jokes. The group started a year ago, and this is the third session. However, as the name suggests, it's a private discussion group and is not open to the public. It's normal not to know about it."

  "But you're just telling me about it now. Did I do something recently that caught your attention?" For some reason, Min starts to feel uneasy.

  Based on his description, it sounds party-ish, but why would they invite him specifically? Has someone discovered that he was secretly harbouring an alien at home? Will he be zapped with a wand and lose all memory of the alien after attending? For reasons equally unclear, Min senses that this PSDM might not be as straightforward as it seems. Events closed to the public rarely remain so purely for quality control...

  "No, actually, we just decided that anyone who attended last time could invite whoever they deem suitable. And since you arrived a bit late today, I'd already sent invitations to everyone here except you. Here, this is yours."

  Min takes the invitation and examines it briefly. It looks more like a sticky note than an invitation. Handwritten on it are the words: "PSDM Invitation, Min Ye". In the bottom right corner, there is an illegible scribble that looks like a signature. Overall, it looks extremely shabby. The font itself is the only thing that could be considered a security measure. On the back are several rules and suggestions for the meeting. It looks like it was printed on a cheap printer costing less than twenty dollars.

  Looking at this so-called invitation, Min doubts the quality of the meeting. Will so many people really be willing to attend?

  After asking for the address and the exact time, Min bid him farewell. Whether to attend this PSDM or not will depend on the situation. If he really has enough free time, he could consider it. After all, even if it turns out to be terrible, there won’t be any real downside.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  ***

  After leaving the lab, Min doesn't go straight home. There is still one very important "surprise" that he needs to prepare for Xi P today.

  That's right — he is actually going to buy a silver fox!

  The thought of keeping a fox as a pet in front of an alien who looks like a fox is thrilling and irresistible. The best part is that Xi P cannot do anything about it — he agreed to it. Moving out is out of the question. And killing the fox? Xi P probably couldn't bring himself to do it.

  Domesticated silver foxes originated from nearly 50 years of Soviet and Russian experiments. Compared to the potentially centuries-long process of domesticating dogs, the taming of silver foxes seems remarkably brief. The trend of keeping them as pets only emerged in the last decade or so — and might have started even later if the project had been better funded. Min learned from the local news that the pet shop had recently received a shipment of domesticated silver foxes. Everything seem great, until he actually sees the foxes, when he notices a small issue:

  "Through selective breeding, the new silver foxes have become more docile but increasingly dog-like. Domesticated silver foxes differ from their wild counterparts in both behaviour and temperament. They are friendly towards humans, droop their ears like dogs, wag their tails when happy, and even bark. They have also developed coat colours similar to domestic dogs and lost the scent characteristic of red foxes." - Excerpt from Wikipedia.

  If they are slightly larger, with different skull and tail characteristics, Min would suspect that the creatures inside aren't silver foxes at all, but dogs labelled as "domesticated silver foxes". Their barking and behaviour are both strikingly dog-like. Min doesn't actually know what a fox's bark sounds like, but it surely isn't this dog-like... right?

  'Or maybe I've just seen too much fox-shaped alien recently that I've lost the ability to recognise what a normal fox should look like?' Min thinks to himself.

  It's worth mentioning that back then, they had only conducted artificial selection based on friendliness towards humans. These physiological changes were entirely accidental. Some of the stylistic changes even mirror those seen in other domesticated animals. To this day, the exact reasons for these alterations caused by domestication remain unclear. This is a question that deserves deep consideration by geneticists. Under normal circumstances, Min might have immersed himself in his own world for a while longer, pondering it. But right now? He is completely submerged in a wave of excitement and exhilaration, leaving him no time to dwell on such profound questions.

  Signing, paying, and following the shopkeeper's advice to purchase numerous dog supplies. When Min finally holds the cage containing the silver fox, he can no longer contain his laughter. He walks out of the pet store, trembling with suppressed, low, maniacal chuckles.

  Seeing Min burst into such inexplicable laughter after receiving the cage, the shopkeeper can't help but question his mental state. Just as he is about to get up and ask, Min hops directly onto the bicycle and rides away, leaving the shopkeeper no chance to inquire. With that, the shopkeeper can only sigh and silently hope that the poor silver fox wouldn't suffer.

  ***

  Hearing the door open, Xi P glances over. It is Min. So he turns back and continues to play with his phone.

  Soon, he hears Min greet him again. Setting aside his chess game, he looks toward the sound. What meets his eyes is a rectangular box nearly a metre long, with holes cut into its sides, a handle on top, and a lock at the front. Min is unlocking it.

  Judging by the size and shape of the box and the timing of Min's return, it would be delusional of Xi P not to suspect that something is going on. However, he doesn't voice his thoughts, merely tilting his ears at an increasingly awkward angle as he studies the box. He needs to confirm exactly what game Min is trying to play....

  But in less than half a second, Xi P's thoughts freeze. He can only stare blankly as a fox suddenly shoots out of the box and begins circling around Min...