I'm a Seal Spirit, Not a Mermaid

Liuhai is a seal, the kind that has attained human form. Because he gained his powers too early, he had to spend three hundred years looking like a little ball of glutinous rice. At long last, when he faced the lightning tribulation that would let him take human form, a bolt struck him into another world. The good news: Though transmigrated and weak, he successfully survived the tribulation. The bad news: He only succeeded halfway. His lower half was still a seal. He was taken to an ecological tank at a research institute. A bunch of strange humans lived nearby, led by a handsome but intimidating man in a lab coat. The man touched his tail as soon as they met, but whenever Liuhai asked, he could pick whatever fresh fish he wanted, and the man would even give him pretty gems to decorate his tank. For the sake of the food and shelter, Liuhai decided to forgive this rude human, wait out his weak spell, and then make a run for it. Then one day, he spotted a label on the 500-square-meter tank he called home: ID 2231. Species: Mermaid. Seal king exploiting a BUG to get free food and lodging: ...Oh no, this is a huge misunderstanding! I'll eat just a billion more meals, then I'm out! After an extinction-level event wiped out most species, human civilization entered the interstellar age and began trying to revive Earth's lost species. Dr. Jiang Xun, a brilliant biologist, led the Siren Project. The successful birth of Mermaid 2231 was hailed as a groundbreaking achievement. The seal spirit who accidentally ended up on TV with the lab-coated man: ...Help. Reporter: Dr. Jiang, do you have anything to say? How is the little mermaid doing? Is it what you expected? Jiang Xun: Its health isn't great. Its tail seems a little swollen. Liuhai looked at his plump, furry tail. Jiang Xun: I don't know if it's the water quality, but he's shedding scales. He even picks up scales from other fish and tries to stick them on himself. I'm afraid he has a bit of an inferiority complex. Liuhai, who had once tried sticking on scales to look like a mermaid: ... Jiang Xun: He doesn't match the records. His singing is absolutely awful... Liuhai angrily bumped the tank. Dr. Jiang, who was never one to smile, grinned and gently soothed him through the glass. "And I've spoiled him a little. He's got a terrible temper. So you'd better not say anything bad about him." Dr. Jiang: outwardly serious, but secretly full of tricks X a seal king who can eat a billion more meals and has a delightfully odd way of thinking Theme: Protect the environment.