《Strange Life of a Cat》


 Chapter 1: Everything Happens for the Best

    Chapter 1: Everything Happens for the Best


    Zheng Tan hopped onto a branch of the Chinese Parasol tree. He squinted at the sunlight leaking between the leaves and scratched his ears with his now furry paws. He managed to find afortable position and yawned.


    A sunny September afternoon; it was just the perfect time for a nap.


    Zheng Tan was a cat, now. But once, not long ago, he had been 100% human. He didnt know what spawned the transformation; he woke up one day and just like that, he had whiskers.


    There he was, in an unfamiliar city with unfamiliar rooms filled with strangers. He had an unfamiliar, but more importantly, a devastating new identity. Whats more, his now magnified world was that of 2003.


    Zheng Tan had to confess, he did not like cats, hated them even. He always felt that cats were a species closer to the insane. Now, he himself had be such an animal.


    Maybe this was the universes idea of retribution?


    Zheng Tan admitted that he was, by all means, not a very good person. He bullied the weak and may have set a few not-too-big fires. He idled about without any decent work and once lived way too extravagantly. But at least he never murdered.


    Judging by his left-unchecked-for-too-long moralpass, there were more than enough bastards out there who were way worse than him. So why was he suffering from the universes vengeance?


    Did he feel lost? Did he feel powerless? Did he feel angry? Did he feel hopeless?


    In the face of stone cold reality, everything seemed to be of no avail. Remembering his past luxurious life, Zheng Tan sighed and told himself, [Everything happens for the best.]


    Up to now, he had spent three months in the past. That was one season, a quarter of a year, ny degrees on the wheel of nature. Despite his initial disbelief and despair, he had slowly grownfortable in his new surroundings.


    Sometimes, giving up ones ambition and settling for whatever one had was not too bad.


    So here he was, in one of the top universities in central China. Being an elite 100-year-old college, Chuhua university had arge campus filled with green spaces. Under his tree, students came and went, walking briskly past Zheng Hua. The atmosphere here was peaceful but full of youthful spirit.


    Zheng Tan settled down and managed to almost doze off until he was jerked back into reality by a burst of dog barks. Without even opening his eyes, Zheng Tan knew perfectly well who was causing the ruckus.


    About a hundred feet from where he was resting, a brown Chihuahua was barking at a camphor tree and on the branches stood a cat with a ck and white coat. The cat was swaying its tail while barking at the creature under the tree. Thats right, barking.


    This situation might seem like amon urrence. Indeed, any pet owner could testify to seeing this situation countless times. However, there was one little thing here that was different from your everyday cat-dog standoff. Both the dog and the cat were barking.


    This cat was named "Sheriff". Now eight months old and slightly smaller than Zheng Tan, Sheriffs coat had an uncanny resemnce to the ck cat in the popr childrens cartoon Sheriff ck Cat, hence his name. Sheriff was one of Zheng Tans closest friends since he became a cat.


    Now there were two things one needed to know about Sheriff. Number one, he was aggressive. He fought with absolutely no regard for his life. Second, he knew how to bark. He was a dog-like cat.


    Zheng Tan first met Sheriff when the guy was squatting on andscape stone barking at the same Chihuahua. It was only when he saw Zheng Tan, did he sheepishly switch to meowing.


    At that time, Sheriff had not yet mastered the caninenguage. But those days were gone. Now his barks were dog enough to fool any listener. Zheng Tan even caught him panting with his tongue out like a dog on a few asions.


    Zheng Tan secretly suspected there was a dogs soul inside that cats body.


    No longer paying attention to that side, Zheng Tan yawned and curled up to sleep again. He was not even a little bit worried about Sheriff. Sheriff and that Chihuahua had been fighting since he was a kitten.


    Sheriff has a simple reason for why he always gave the Chihuahua a hard time. The Chihuahua was the smallest of all the pet dogs in the Eastern Quarters of the Faculty Residence. Always pick on the weakling. Even cats knew that.


    Zheng Tan slept until the bell rang, signaling the end of third period. He got up, stretchedzily, then slid down from his tree. He trotted down the trail through a patch of peach trees to a wall. Behind the wall was the primary school affiliated to Chuhua university, a school for the children of the faculty.


    Zheng Tan hopped onto the wall, took a nce at two ssrooms on the second floor and sixth floor and walked towards the school gate, where he sat and waited. Seven or eight minutester, the school bell rang. It was a merry little melody instead of the usual sharp shrill. Very humane, Zheng Tan noted.


    A little girl, wearing a floral dress and carrying a Hello Kitty backpack walked out of the building. The moment she came out the door, she started searching for Zheng Tan. When she saw him sitting on the wall near the gate, her normally emotionless eyes shone with excitement and she ran towards him.


    "Yuan said he had a quiz in thest period, we may have to wait a while..."


    Before the little girl could finish, Zheng Tan saw a boy shoot out the building, dragging his backpack behind him like a sack, his hair a tousled mess. He ran straight toward them, a bragging grin on his face, gesturing towards them a V for victory. Seemed like the rascal did quite well on the quiz.


    The boy was Jiao Yuan, a sixth grader, the single child of the family that had adopted Zheng Tan. The little girl, Gu Youzi, was his cousin. Her parents were divorced and for some reason, her mother took her back from abroad and sent her to live with the Jiao family. She was in second grade.


    Jiao Yuan took Gu Youzis backpack and slung it over his shoulder, then the pair and their cat set off towards the Eastern Quarters.


    "Look, the Jiao familys cat went to pick up the kids again!" some passerby eximed.


    Most people they passed on their way home, however, were used to the scene. This had been going on for three weeks now, after all. Originally though, it caused quite a stir.


    The faculty residence was not far from the school. They were there in under ten minutes. The Jiao Family lived on the fifth floor of Building B in the Eastern Quarters. Jiao Yuan swiped his key chain across the security sensor and the iron door sprang open.


    There was a small round tag on Jiao Yuans key chain, which was a security ess key. Everyone living in the quarters had one. Even Zheng Tan had one hanging from the cor. But his was special. It had his picture, the current cat version of course, on one side and the Jiao familys contact information on the other. It was a security ess key and a pet tag all in one.


    Papa Jiao had it specially made.


    Zheng Tan took a peek at the balcony of an apartment on the first floor. He didnt see Fatty. He must have been taken along to visit rtives again.


    Around dinner time, the Jiao family usually left the front door open. The little trio could hear Mama Jiao cooking in the kitchen and someone chatting in the living room. The faculty residences had excellent security. There were security cameras in the lobby as well as the security door outside.


    "Its a deal then. So I can count on you for the advertisement, Professor Jiao."


    Zheng Tan paused before entering the door. He knew that voice, it was the owner of the pet supplies store near Chuhua University. Hisst name was Guo and his brother was a veterinarian. Zheng Tan had gotten his vine from the guy.


    Last week, Zheng Tan had overheard Mama Jiao saying that Mr. Guo wanted him to pose in an ad for canned cat food. Was that what this visit was about?

 Chapter 2: Can I Borrow Your Cat

    Chapter 2: Can I Borrow Your Cat


    Mr.Guo''s customers were basically people rted to Chuhua University in one capacity or another, and doing business with the university folks was not easy. For one thing, food safety and quality problems had absolutely nowhere to hide.


    People who spent all their time in theb, with nothing but science equipments and experimental data to look at, needed to have fun somehow.


    They would sometimes take a bus to a back alley to buy a bowl of noodles to take back to theb and test it for Naphthalene. They would test sesame sauce from the little convenience store nearby for atoxin or check it to see if the E. coli contained was above approved levels.


    So, to do business with college teachers and students and maintain a good reputation, good quality products were the key.


    Mr. Guos store withstood the test of time andbs; it grew popr and funds started to pour in. He had rented the few neighboring stores and merged with his brother''s pet clinic to set up a pet center.


    From what Zheng Tan knew, the guy was decent fellow. He had a mind for money-making ideas but his heart was in the right ce. At least he treated the animals well.


    After Mr.Guo left, there was no mention of the cat food ad in the Jiao family. After dinner, Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi retreated to their room to write homework. Mama Jiao went to the gym to learn dancing with a few friends.


    Zheng Tan went into the master bedroom. He nudged the door closed before and pawed thetch, locking the door. In the bedroom, Papa Jiao was already waiting behind his desk.


    Papa Jiao didnt even bat an eye at Zheng Tans actions after he entered the room, for he had seen it too many times. Zheng Tan jumped on the table and Papa Jiao closed the folder he was reading.


    "Today, Mr.Guo came to talk about the cat food ads. I havent given him my word yet; I wanted to get your thoughts first," Papa Jiao said while cing a document in front of Zheng Tan.


    The document contained the details of the cat food campaign and a list of pros and cons, drafted up by Papa Jiao.


    Mr. Guos shop made a store brand cat food that was quite popr with cat owners on campus since the price was cheap and the quality was good. Mr. Guo had long been ready to promote this cat food, but the outbreak of "SARS" had put a stop to his original ns.


    Now he was ready to start over again. Also, he was short on cash due to the costs of setting up his pet center. He needed the possible sales from the cat food more than ever.


    Although there were few pet food ads on Chinese television, Zheng Tan found out aftering here that there was an expanding market for it. The economy was booming, and the pace of life in the city was faster than ever. People had no time to take care of themselves, even if they wanted a pet, they needed to figure out how to feed it first.


    Zheng Tan never had a knack for making money and he still didnt. However, even he could tell they would make a small fortune if this thing went well.


    Zheng Tan did not eat cat food; he ate whatever the Jiao family ate. Since bing a cat, he was most grateful that his digestive system was strong enough to handle human food. But he wouldnt need to eat cat food for the ad.


    Zheng Tan thought in all seriousness that doing this ad was really not a big deal. After all, it was just for pet food. ording to the file, the initial distribution would be solely inte based. If the public responded well, there would be more to follow.


    Mr. Guo was simply testing the waters with this first ad. His financial constraints were probably the reason he had his eye on Zheng Tan. Foreigners were willing to spend a few tons of food to shoot a scene for a pet food ad. If Mr. Guo used a different cat, a few tons of food might be excessive, but he definitely couldnt shy away from throwing in some food.


    Zheng sighed while looking at the document and was thinking hard about the pros and cons when Papa Jiao patted him and said: "You dont have to make a decision immediately. I told Xiao Guo Id give him an answer in three days.


    Zheng Tan was not in a hurry anymore, now knowing that he had three days to think it over. He had to be careful being in his current state.


    Zheng Tan heard a knock at the front door.


    Papa Jiao left to open the door, Zheng Tan did not follow him, though his ears perked up.


    The visitor was the otaku who lived with his parents across the hall. Both his parents worked at the university.


    The guy usually stayed at home all day. He had a predilection for StarCraft, Spider-Man, Star Wars and Spongebob-themed T-shirt, but did hisundry once a week at most. Even in the summer.


    Zheng Tan wondered if mushrooms grew in his neglected heap ofundry in summer.


    He sounded embarrassed when he spoke.


    "Brother Jiao, Its like the mice over at my ce have superpowers or something. The mouse trap I bought didnt manage to catch anything. They are driving me crazy. If um its ever convenient, you know, maybe I coulduhborrow your cat?


    Zheng Tan jumped off desk and stuck his head out the door to have a look. The guy had a lunch box in one hand and was frantically scratching his head with the other.


    Zheng Tan rolled his eyes. He clearly remembered this guy boasting to Jiao Yuan about not ever having mice in his ce. The next day he wasining about mice chewing apart his inte line.


    He tried everything short of poison. However, none of the mouse stickers and mouse traps did a thing. Zheng Tan was beginning to think that being in a university had raised the IQ of the mice somehow.


    Now that he thought about it, he never once tried to catch a mouse after bing a cat. For some unknown reason, the Jiao family never had got any mice. Maybe it was because of him. Anyhow, he would really be clueless if he was tasked with catching mice now.


    Not that he was afraid of them. Zheng Tan used to catch mice in middle school to scare the girls in his ss. But it was different being a human being.


    Zheng Tan looked down woefully at his furry paws. He was officially annoyed.


    Papa Jiao finished his conversation and went back into the room. He waved Zheng Tan over. "Do you know how to catch a mouse?"


    He sat still and stared back nkly.


    Papa Jiao broke the silence. Well, lets give it a try.


    Try? Where? How?


    Zheng Tan was confused.


    Papa Jiao grabbed his keys and a bag, then motioned for Zheng Tan to follow him.


    Zheng Tan sat in the back of Papa Jiaos scooter and watched him take a familiar route out of the residential quarters. He was starting to get an idea of where they were going.


    He still had no idea how Papa Jiao was going to let him try to catch a mouse, and he was getting anxious. He was stronger than the average cat. He felt he could still get stronger, maybe even reach the level of an average adult in a year or two.


    However, having strength did not mean he could catch a mouse. He never used to like cats, so he never took the time to find out how a normal cat did it.


    While he was thinking, the scooter pulled in front of their destination - the College of Life Sciences building.


    As an assistant professor, this was where Papa Jiao spent most of his waking moments.


    After properly parking the small scooter, Papa Jiao shook open the bag he carried and motioned to Zheng Tan. His lips twitched, if such a thing was possible for cats, and he grudgingly jumped into the bag. The bio building was not a ce where cats would wander. It was best to not be seen.


    Papa Jiao then walked toward the main entrance of building, calmly greeting people going in and out.


    They were alone by the time he reached the stairs. Most people chose the elevator.


    Zheng Tan stuck his head out from the bag and looked around. Even at 7pm, there were still a lot of people around. Laboratory lights were all still on and he could see the UVmp of the sterile rooms from the other side from the staircase windows.


    He was quite nervous the first time Jiao Yuan brought him here, but now he was getting used to it. Though, Zheng Tan still felt fortunate that this family who had adopted him were not science freaks.


    Papa Jiaos office was on the second floor. He was the one of the few assistant professors who had an independent office. Sometimes when Mama Jiao was too busy, Jiao Yuan woulde here to do homework or take a nap. Once in while, Zheng Tan would follow him, always wrapped in a bag or hidden under clothes.


    Papa Jiao found some keys in his office, then carried Zheng Tan up to the fourth floor. The rooms up here were seldom used. This was Zheng Tans first time up here.


    Papa Jiaos footsteps were abnormally loud in the quiet corridor. The sound-controlled lights lit up allowing Zheng Tan a glimpse at the door tags. No wonder no one was here. This was where they stored unused equipment and chemicals. But...Wait a minute


    Zheng Tan twitched his nose. He caught a whiff of a certain creature.


    Papa Jiao stopped in front of a room on the far end of the hall and took out his keys.


    The door squeaked as it opened.


    Even in the dim lighting, Zheng Tan could see clearly theyout of the room.


    Cages of little white mice were stacked in a room inside. A table and some shelves were put near the door.


    Papa Jiao switched on the light and set the bag with Zheng Tan down on the experiment table. "Wait here and dont run around. There are lots of chemicals here, so you could get hurt.


    Papa Jiao threw on ab coat and took out some gloves from a drawer. He went into the inner room and soon came out with a cage in his hand. In it, were five white mice.

 Chapter 3: This Is How You Teach a Cat

    Chapter 3: This Is How You Teach a Cat


    Laboratory mice were calm and gentle, which was the nice way of saying they were slow and stupid. Maybe it was due to inbreeding.


    Recently, Zheng Tan often saw Papa Jiao mention them in PowerPoint slides for his course on gics. Now looking at the five mice in the cage, he couldnt help but think that Papa Jiao was not lying. He did not see any hint of fear in the eyes of those mice. Instead, they begged for food as if the feeder was here.


    Papa Jiao took a mouse out of the cage and said to Zheng Tan, Watch it; dont let it run around.


    Zheng Tan and looked at the mouse that had no idea what it was about to face and lifted a paw to pin the mouse by the tail. The mouse did not struggle too much, but it did try to crawl forward.


    Here, you had the difference between the wild and the domestic. If a mouse in the wild was pinned at the tail, it would either struggle as hard as it could to break free or turn around and fight back.


    Papa Jiao put the other four mice into a cardboard box so they couldnt see what was going on outside.


    "I dont know how your kind catch or kill mice, but Im going to tell you how we usually do it here in theb, Papa Jiao said as he took the mouse from Zheng Tan.


    "Well, here we go. In anyb in China, the basic method is to break its neck. Its probably the method that causes least pain for the animal. If carried out precisely, the mouse doesnt feel a thing. Its somewhat aligned with the whole animal welfare thing foreigners talk about. "


    Zheng Tan sat on the side and watched quietly. Papa Jiao was in his lecturing mode. Sometimes at home, after Papa Jiao made his lecture PowerPoint, he would do a run through of what he was going to say in ss. His subject was usually Zheng Tan.


    He knew exactly what wasing when he heard the words here we go.


    "Breaking the neck is really dislocating the cervical spine, which breaks off the spine and brain stem. One way to do it is to hold the mouse by the neck with one hand and hold his tail with the other. Tug to opposite directions in one swift but fierce movement and vo. Theres another way we often use; it might be easier for you. Watch carefully. "


    Papa Jiao seized the tail and grabbed either sides of the mouses neck and pressed down hard.


    The mouse shuddered. Then, it was motionless.


    Zheng Tan watched the limp body of the mouse lying still on the desktop. Then he looked back up to Papa Jiao who had a hopeful I have faith in you. His ears twitched.


    "Look, the operation is actually very simple. Even if you never did it before, youll be fine. Ive seen the speed at which you beat up Tiger; catching a mouse certainly is no problem.


    The Tiger that Papa Jiao mentioned was a yellow Tabby cat. He was another one of Zheng Tans cat buddies. Unlike Sheriff, Tiger always managed to get himself in some fiasco. Zheng Tan always had to suppress the urge to physically knock some sense into him. Somehow though, Tiger was never around these days.


    Papa Jiao took out another mouse and motioned for Zheng Tan to give it a try.


    It took Zheng Tan three presses before he could kill this first mouse. He used too much force killing the second one, but at least this one did not suffer.


    Zheng Tan felt fortunate that he became a cat. The further down on the food chain, the harder life would be.


    "Cervical dislocation is easy, the mouse''s cervical spine is very fragile. You just need more practice." Papa Jiao pointed out.


    "Dont hesitate next time. Try to break the spinal cord and the brain marrow, instead of pulling off the head. You need to control your force to do this. I had some students use too much pressure resulting in the mouses eyeballs exploding.


    Zheng Tan was speechless.


    That was f-ing horrifying.


    Papa Jiao seemed so calm while he said those things. In that moment, Zheng Tan felt as if he saw a cold gleam in the mans eyes.


    Zheng Tan suddenly remembered chatting about this with his clubbing buddies back in the day. One of them hadmented that in fact, the scariest killers were not those who appeared vicious. It wasnt the people who carried knives and had big tattoos with rings in their nose. It was those people who could kill easily but managed to remain cool and calm all the way through it.


    Now that he thought about it, experiencedb technicians had a surprising amount of simrities with killers.


    Zheng Tan thought about it again and realized Papa Jiao was probably the only person in the world who taught his cat how to kill mice usingb methods.


    He got better killing the third and the fourth. At least these two had a more decent death, if that was possible. Soon five mice corpsesy on theb table. One killed by Papa Jiao the other four by Zheng Tan.


    Cleaning up the five mice, Papa Jiao went back into the inner room and came back with a slightlyrger cage. In it were five mice again. This time, however, they were muchrger.


    "These are the bigger albino house rats. You can kill them using the same method. Do you need me to show you how its done again?


    Zheng Tan shook his head.


    "Good boy."


    Like Papa Jiao said, killing the rats was harder but after getting through them, Zheng Tan considered himself a pro.


    "Do you want more practice? Papa Jiao asked.


    Zheng Tan shook his head.


    "Well, Then thats it for killing rats. Here we go, let me just say"


    And Papa Jiao was in professor mode again.


    "In ourboratory, in addition to the using cervical dislocation, there are other execution methods. For instance we kill frogs with just a needle. Next week, in my anatomy ss, we are dissecting a bullfrog. Ill bring one home to show you. Papa Jiao waved his hand.


    Anyway, what I really want you to pay attention to is death by air embolization. Thats how we kill dogs and cats in theb. "He paused and looked at Zheng Tan:"Do you know what it is?


    Zheng Tan shook his head. His muscles were stiff, and the furs on his back and tail were still sticking up. He was starting to feel a tad cold.


    "Basically it is pumping air into the veins.


    Zheng Tan shuddered. This he understood. Even without much prior knowledge in biology, he knew what would result from that.


    "When air gets into the blood cirction system and enter the lungs, it will end up blocking the pulmonary artery and causing a temporary shock or even death.


    For example, when you swim upwards from somewhere deep under water, the pressure change could lead to gas expanding in the lungs, which could lead to expansion of the lungs themselves. It is quite dangerous if the excess gas is not removed in time. Some of the passengers on the Titanic died this way.


    Papa Jiao realized that talking to a cat about the Titanic was probably of no use, so he went back to what he was saying before and came to a conclusion. "You must be careful. Stay away from possible danger and learn self-help.


    Now that Zheng Tan had mastered the art of mice killing, they had achieved what they came for. Zheng Tan still loathed the idea of having to catch mice, but that was expected of a cat. Even that moron Tiger could do it. Zheng Tan felt he would be alright.


    Back at the eastern quarters, Zheng Tan saw a car with familiar army license tes parked in the empty lot. So fatty was back.


    While Papa Jiao went to park his scooter in the shed, Zheng Tan jumped onto the first floor balcony and peeked inside.


    There was a bag of instant noodles on the desk near the window. On it sat a chubby Chinese Li Hua Cat.

 Chapter 4: You Can Do It, Charcoal

    Chapter 4: You Can Do It, Charcoal


    Three months ago, when Zheng Tan first met Fatty, he was small and thin. Now, he was starting to look like his name. Zheng Tan admired the olddy, who named him, for her foresight.


    As if he felt movement on the balcony, Fatty turned to look outside. This, however, was slightly too much for the instant noodles he was sitting on. The noodles broke with a crisp snap.


    Hearing the sound, Fatty froze immediately, his ears drooped and he turned back to his original position, his figure exuding a sense of destion.


    Zheng Tan felt a pang of guilt. Looks like Fattys midnight snack was gone.


    The olddy who owned Fatty had a son working in the military. Once a while, she would bring Fatty to visit him at the military camp. Sometimes, he woulde over to visit her here. Those days were Fattys worst nightmare.


    Zheng Tan remembered doing military training in his freshman year in college. Whenever he made a mistake, his toon officer would make him stand at attention for hours. That was not realistic for a cat. So instead, whenever Fatty did something wrong, the olddys son would make him squat on a pack of instant noodles. The quality and quantity of his snacks depended on how intact the crispy noodles were after he was done.


    Papa Jiao was done parking his scooter, so Zheng Tan jumped off the balcony railing and followed him home.


    Mama Jiao was already home when they entered the house. She was giving Zheng Tan a funny look that he did not like. He escaped hurriedly into Gu Youzis room and eavesdropped from behind the door.


    "What''s the matter?" Asked Papa Jiao.


    Mama Jiao sighed. Well, Tiger is dead.


    Zheng Tan froze in surprise. Tiger was jumping up and down just a few days ago with all the energy in the world. How could he be dead?


    He listened on and realized that by qushi they meant neutered[1] . So Tiger was a eunuch now?!


    "I heard from Ling that this would help Tiger quit some of his bad habits. Since Tiger recently turned eight-month-old, they took him to get the surgery done. There was a long pause.


    Today Ling asked me if we were going to take Coal to Mr. Guos ce as well, to do the procedure. I said no. " Mama Jiao said.


    Zheng Tan felt a chill go down his spine. He didnt let out his breath until hearing herst sentence. By the way, Charcoal was his cat name. He was a ck cat, of course. It was typical, he knew.


    "Our cat doesnt need that surgery," Papa Jiao said emphatically. "Cats are not all the same. Her family''s cat needed to be neutered. Ours doesnt. Just straight out refuse if Ling ever brings it up again."


    "Thats what I thought." Seeing that her decision was supported by her husband, Mama Jiao smiled in relief.


    And so did Zheng Tan. He did not want to lose his manhood. He would rather run away if he had to undergo that surgery. His soul, after all, was still human.


    He did feel bad for Tiger, but just for a minute. He always knew Tiger peed everywhere. Even if he was at home, he would manage to pee outside his litter box every single time. His family had to find him a doubleyered litter box. He was even worse when he was outside. You could smell cat pee all around the residence quarter. Zheng Tan had to teach him lesson on multiple asions. The guy just did not learn.


    Since Tiger was not in a life-threatening situation, Zheng Tan decided not to worry. Cats had their own destinies. Ever since he came into this life, he had been telling himself to get used to it.


    The next day, the otaku across the hall came knocking on the door. The dark circles around his eyes were the only color left on his face.


    It was a Saturday. The kids were home and enjoying a peaceful breakfast.


    Oh, arent you early! Mama Jiao eximed in surprise when she opened the door.


    It was nine already. How was it early?


    Gu Youzi looked out at the bright sunshine and exchanged a nce with Jiao Yuan. The two kept their heads down and decided to pretend to focus on their noodles and eggs.


    It was, however, very early for Qu, and Mama Jiao knew this. The boy seldom got up before noon.


    Qu forced a smile and looked around the living room. UmIs Brother Jiao here?


    "He hasb sessions today and left early in the morning. If its urgent I can call him." Mama Jiao offered.


    Well ... you know its nothing that important. " Qus eyes were set on a stool near the dining table. More specifically, the cat eating noodles on it. Say, Miss. Gu, can Imaybelike borrow your cat?


    Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi looked up from their bowls in unison. They stared at Qu who was standing awkwardly at the door. They too remembered a certain someone braggingst month about not having rats in his home.


    Seeing the children stare at him, Qu was even more embarrassed. He fake coughed. "I mentioned his to Brother Jiao yesterday.


    Mama Jiao did not give him a hard time. To her, people wanting to borrow her cat just meant that her cat was talented. This filled her with pride.


    So she waved her hand. Thats no big deal. Juste get him when you want him.


    Zheng Tan and the children were speechless. Mama Jiao was always quite dictatorial when Papa Jiao wasnt home.


    Oh, thank you so much. Ille get Coal after dinner today. Gosh, you have no idea. The rat in my ce is driving me nuts. Qu seemed so relieved now that he got the cat. He returned to his ce in full triumph.


    Mama Jiaos face broke into a huge smile. Thats whats good about having a cat.


    Jiao Yuan poked at his noodles and tried to imitate Qu. No rats at my ce, not even one.


    Mama Jiao gave him a light smack on the back of the head. Eat your food.


    Gu Youzi pursed her lips. She did not look happy.


    Around eight that day, Qu came to pick up the cat. Mama Jiao did not have to urge. Zheng Tan picked himself up and walked across the hall, shrouded by a sense of purpose. He had to do his sooner orter. Might as well get it over with. Or else what was yesterdays practice for?


    Jiao Yuan cheered him on at the door. Go Charcoal! Show them how its done!"


    Mama Jiao was not impressed. Homework. Now. Careful or Im cutting your pocket money.


    Zheng Tan followed Qu inside.


    At first nce, the room felt familiar. It was a mess. Just like his room back in the day.


    On second nce, he noticed some familiar creatures.


    He saw the cockroaches the moment he walked in. One just went into the bathroom, one escaped under the cab and the one closest to him saw him, paused, shook its tentacles and dived under a pile of magazines.


    As the oldest living insects on earth, there little crawlers that once lived with the dinosaurs were famous for their ability to survive. Apparently, it was still evolving. God knew what it could be.


    Footnotes:


    [1]:Died and neutered sound the same in Chinese

 Chapter 5: Fantasuperaculous

    Chapter 5: Fantasuperaculous


    Qu saw the cockroaches too, of course. An image of a ck cat springing into the air and catching the cockroach with great ease formed in his mind. The reality, however, couldnt be more different. The said ck cat merely nced at the little pests before hopping onto a rtively clean chair to take a nap. He didnt even notice the ribs and sweet and sour pork on the table nearby.


    Qu felt like he swallowed a fly. He looked at the food on the table and the cat resting on the chair, took a deep breath and decided to let it be. He turned off the living room lights and went into his bedroom.


    He sat down in front of hisputer and opened the thread he started on a inte forum a few days ago. He found a certainment and clicked reply. Nonsense. The rat in my house doesnt eat cockroaches. Neither does the cat.


    Qu went on the forum for help when his mousetraps failed. It was because of it that he knew to buy a mousetrap in the first ce. Someone evenmented in his thread that the reason behind the increased intelligence of rats was due to the fact that they had survived SARS. Any weaklings would have been killed by humans as an aftermath of SARS. It was Darwinism at its finest. It was survival of the fittest.


    When mouse traps turned out to be a disappointment, the mostmon suggestion he got was to find a cat. Hence, he went and borrowed Charcoal.


    Among those who supported finding a mouse, one person boasted that his pet cat not only caught mice, it was a predator for cockroaches as well.


    "Well, if your cat doesnt even budge at the sight of a cockroach, it wont catch a mouse either. Even if it wanted to, it wouldnt know how," The guy replied.


    "Lets see about that!" Qu typed at if he wasnt pressing on keys on the keyboard but rather poking the person arguing with him.


    Zheng Tan opened his eyes in the other room. He flexed his paws and looked at the sharp nails that peeked out.


    He was not nervous at the task he was about to face. Instead, he was excited. It was impossible to exin.


    Killing mice yesterday did not make him nauseous like he thought it would. Instead, he felt bloodthirsty. It was an unusual feeling that he did not get often. Maybe he just didnt notice it normally. Yesterday was only a trigger that brought out the animal instincts in him.


    Even the cutest, cuddliest and calmest cats were predators after all. They hunted even when they were full. It was their instinct.


    It was like what the documentary Jiao Yuan watched recently said: Inside every kitty, lyingzily by the fire, is a tiger ready to pounce.


    He took a long breath and rxed his paws. He closed his eyes but perked up his ears and listened. He listened carefully to the light rustles that once in a while disturbed the peace of the room. That was not the sound a mouse would make. So Zheng Tan remained still and waited.


    Time passed slowly, the night was growingte. Zheng Tan did not hear or smell the rat, but he could sense its presence in the room. He knew it recently came out, so he was patient. He quietly waited some more in the dark and messy living room.


    The light from the bedroom allowed him to see the living room clearly.


    He knew most of the people living in the Eastern Quarters were asleep. The Jiao family was past bedtime as well. It was quiet all around. The only sound was the clicking of keyboards and swearsing from Qus bedroom.


    What was that?


    Zheng Tans ears twitched. His eyes shot open, pupils erged in the dark. He silently hopped off the chair and crouched low. He moved fast, using the dark as a cover. Soon he was beside the stack of magazines. He learned these moves from Sheriff.


    Qu took off his headphones after finishing a game. He turned his stiff neck just in time to see Zheng Tan slide off the chair.


    Could it be?


    Qu got up hurriedly and took out a digital camera from his desk drawer. He paused, then put it back. He found a video camera instead. Turning it on, Qu inched outside on tip toes. His phone rang at that very moment, making him jump. He hastily took it out and whispered something.


    Zheng Tan was waiting in the dark. The rat came from the study. It didnt head off into the kitchen. Apparently, it had grown familiar to the house and its inhabitant. Qu never cooked. He got take-out or ate at the cafeteria. Anything to eat would either be in his bedroom or in the living room.


    The mouse was crawling at the foot of the wall towards this way. It stopped and looked around for danger every few steps.


    This mouse was norger than the rats Zheng Tan killedst night. However, it was far more alert.


    When it reached the bedroom door, the mouse noticed the person on the phone inside. In a split of a second, Zheng Tan pounced.


    Like an arrow leaving the bow, he shot directly at his prey.


    The mouse only noticed that there was a lurking hunter the moment Zheng Tan leapt.


    The study was too far. It would be caught before it got there. The mouse darted towards the bedroom.


    Qus room was not much of an improvementpared to the living room. It was messy and provided too many hiding spots for pests. If the mouse got in, Zheng Tan wasnt sure he could still catch.


    But it wasnt going to get in.


    A ck paw, nail sharp and extended, stepped and pinned down the tail. The other furry paw was already on the mouses neck before it could react.


    Snap.


    The sound was so soft it was barely noticeable.


    The mousey limp on the ground. It didnt even let out a squeak.


    Qu was at the door when he saw a shadow sh by. He looked down, there it was, the ck cat. Under its paw was a motionless rat.


    "Oh... ... F*ck!"


    Qu almost dropped the video camera and the phone he had in his hand.


    He looked at the cat, then back to the mouse, then to the video camera he didnt get a chance to use.


    "F*ck! He cursed again.


    Thats it?


    Wasnt the cat supposed to do a big chase around the house, toy with the mouse a bit after it caught it, then end its misery when the cat finally felt like it?


    Hell, he didnt even finish his phone conversation and the cat was done?


    What was that clean and crisp kill?


    Thisthis was ... absolutely fantasuperaculous!


    He was going to tell the guy who told him cats that dont catch cockroaches cant catch rats to shut it.


    "Hey, Cricket. Whats going on? Why did you go quiet?" The guy at the other end of the phone was confused.


    "Oh, to hell with you. Im busy." Qu hung up and turned on the living room lights.


    He took a pair of used disposable chopsticks and poked the rat.


    It didnt move.


    So it was really dead, huh?


    Chopsticks were not enough. Qu found a set of tongs he never used before in the kitchen. He picked up the rat with the tongs and dangled it a bit to see if it was really dead. Then he took pictures from all angles before dashing back to hisputer. He was too triumphant to game anymore. He couldnt wait to upload the pictures on to the forum. His vivid descriptions of the events that had just transpired were met with wide disbelief.


    An experienced cat owner replied with some pictures of his own. The rats in his pictures were covered with bite marks. Some were missing body parts; some didnt even resemble a rat anymore.


    Qu looked at the cat stretchingzily in the living room. It didnt show the remotest interest in the prey it just caught. He went back to argue some more online, before his phone rang again.


    Zheng Tan inspected the rest of the house. There didnt seem to be another rat. His work here was done.


    When he was ready to jump back onto the chair to go back to sleep, he heard a faint sound. Someone was singing downstairs.


    Zheng Tan was annoyed. He went on the balcony to listen at bit closer, whilst ignoring the sounds of the keyboard in Qus room.


    "Last night, ~ the starsst night, ~ has fallen ~ down, ~ ~ disappeared~ in the distant Gxy. ~~~"


    Zheng Tan: "... ..."


    The unique tone that was unmistakable even when hushed; the quivering voice that was an attempt to show emotion; the song that was older than Zheng Tan.


    What the hell! The bitchy bird downstairs had decided to stay awake to sing nostalgic old songs again.

 Chapter 6: The Four Musketeers and the Parrot with Everything

    Chapter 6: The Four Musketeers and the Parrot with Everything


    The inhabitants of the apartment below Qus ce stood out because of their pet. They owned a parrot and not just any in parrot. It was a very rare blue and purple macaw.


    This bird was named "General", and it was the rich and handsome of the parrot world. The price of such a pet was enough to cover a 100 square meter apartment in downtown Chuhua and was still rising.


    He was smart, had the ability to learn severalnguages, not to mention, very eye-catching. Combine that with the fact its species was near extinct, it was no wonder that the bird was expensive.


    Unlike most people living in the building, the fourth floor residents had thick wires all around their balcony in order to keep it from getting out. Not that they were afraid he would fly away, but rather, he might cause trouble for other animals or even people. The bird seemed harmless, but in truth, he was a wicked bastard.


    General had a nickname; he was known as the cat bully". The name was self-exnatory. General loved tormenting cats, especially nipping at their ears. Quite a few strays in the school were made victims.


    Papa Jiao mentioned these stories a lot when Zheng Tan first got here. They were meant as cautionary tales to make sure he understood to be careful of fire, careful of theft and careful of parrot.


    Just looking at his size and thinking about the power of a macaws bite, it was easy to imagine how deadly he could be when he was infuriated.


    However, Zheng Tanter found out General picked his victims. The eastern quarters cats were fine as long as they dont initiate a fight. But a western quarters cat was not that lucky.


    Influenced by his owner, the bird especially liked to sing old songs. There were some songs on his repertoire that Zheng Tan knew only from documentaries about the past. For others, he had no idea what they were, just that they were old. The song he was singing earlier, which dated back to the eighties, was one of the newer works he liked.


    What amazed Zheng Tan the most was that while most parrots might had the intelligence of a four or five year old, General was the brain equivalent of a grown-up human being.


    Downstairs, the parrot was still humming. Zheng Tan lost his patience. He looked up at the stars and sighed before looking around the balcony and finding a mosquito coil holder. He nudged it close to the railing and tapped on it with his ws.


    "ng nk, ng ng, ng nk ng nk ... ..." That meant youre too noisy.


    The singing stopped abruptly. Immediately, Zheng Tan heard the sound of wings fluttering and nails hitting the wires. The parrot didnt expect to hear such noises at this time of the day; he was excited. Soon came the sound of the bird pecking on some box.


    "Tack Tick, Tick Tick, Tick Tack Tack Tack, Tick Tick Tack ... ..." That meant youre up!


    Who would have known that at this hour, in building B of the Eastern residential quarters, a cat on the fifth floor and a parrot on the fourth weremunicating in Morse code.


    Zheng Tan didnt know Morse code that well. In fact, he hadnt learned until recently. The master of thenguage was the in looking Fatty.


    His owner in the military would test him on all sorts of code games whenever he saw Fatty. Just the easier ones, like Morse code or Rail Fence Ciphers and basic card games. If Fatty didnt do well, the instant noodles would be waiting.


    General was a big fan of puzzle games. When Fatty was home, he would always carry cards over in his beak to engage in some friendly games. When he couldnt find Fatty, he would chat in Morse code with his owner or Zheng Tan. However, his owner was usually busy, so Zheng Tan typically drew the short straw. Last week,General was brought to a nature reserve, much to Zheng Tans relief.


    Now realizing the guy was back, Zheng Tan was starting to feel depressed.


    [I heard that Tiger was neutered? I saw him today with the cone of shame] General was to psyched to find someone to chat with at midnight to really feel sympathy.


    [I have not seen him for days] Zheng Tan continued to knock out messages on the mosquito coil holder.


    [s, such is the fate of you pet cats. How sad. To think that the Eastern quarter four musketeers is going to be the Eastern quarter four eunuchs.]


    [Not every cat undergoes that surgery.]


    [Stop lying to yourself.]


    [Whats it got to do with you? Im leaving.]


    [Dont go. Lets chat. Arent cats nocturnal?]


    [Thats none of your business. Im going to bed and cant you sing something newer?]


    Half a minuteter, the singing resumed.


    "You are like ~ a fire! Your mes ~ warming me. ~ ~"


    Zheng Tan was speechless. One of these days, he was going to strangle the thing.


    Ignoring the hyperactive bird, Zheng Tan curled up in a ball on the living room chair and hid his ears under his paws.


    Early next morning, Qu was awakened by a loud and screeching meow. He mustered up some energy and climbed out of bed in his SpongeBob pajamas to let Zheng Tan out.


    He knew how to open doors by himself, but this was someone elses ce, and he wanted to be careful. Besides, he decided to give Qu a hard time. The guy was not sleeping in if he could help it.


    Qu yawned and opened his front door, only to find the Jiao family had theirs open as well. Apparently, they heard the noise too. The who family was gathering towards the hallway.


    He rubbed his eyes and greeted them semi-cheerfully.


    Zheng Tan went straight over to the breakfast table. Mama Jiao had already set out his food. Outside, Qu was showing Papa Jiao the dead mouse. Not bad. Papa Jiao nodded, a bit too much force, but not bad at all.


    Zheng Tan pretended not to hear him and focused on his breakfast.


    Mama Jiao invited Qu in for some vegetable congee, while he recountedst nights events in excruciating detail to the great enthusiasm of the whole family. Mama Jiao was especially proud. She managed to mention it to everyone she met that day.


    At noon, Tiger was brought over by his owner. The cone of shame was already gone.


    Tiger seemed to have lost some weight and was looking a bit weary. In all the time Zheng Tan had known him, hed never seen him like this.


    Mama Jiao chatted with his owner.


    "Ling, has Tiger not recovered from surgery?" She sounded worried.


    "I dont think so. Other cats that got the procedure were back to normal the very next day. He did behave better after the surgery though. At least he doesnt pee everywhere anymore.


    Zheng Tan went into Jiao Yuans room and rolled out a giant ss marble.


    Tigers ears twitched at the sound of the marble rolling. He looked up.


    Well, at least that got a reaction. Zheng Tan was worried the surgery was too much for Tiger and that he had just lost it. He rolled the marble across the floor to Tiger.


    The yellow cat lying listlessly on the floor caught it with his paw.


    Five minutester, it was business as usual for Tiger.


    Zheng Tan looked at him running around the house ying with a ss ball and felt exasperated. The idiot was not devastated; he was just bored from being kept indoors.


    Finally, under Mama Jiaos suggestion, Zheng Tan and Tiger were let out to y.


    Tiger was so excited, he ran down the hallway, half meowing, half howling.


    The two women standing on the balcony were perplexed. Cats supposedly became mellow after being neutered.


    Knowing Tiger, Zheng Tan understood that he was just being excited to be free from the cone of shame and be out of the house. At the same time, he was calling out to his buddies.


    They turned a corner and came face to face with the elderly Mrs. Di from third floor. All the cats knew her.


    "Could this beTiger!" Zhai olddy cried.


    Hearing his name, the howling maniac suddenly stopped. He squinted and sat down. Tilting his head towards her and letting out a very soft, very dainty meow.


    Zheng Tan swore it was like watching Arnold Schwarzenegger suddenly turn into Marilyn Monroe.


    Along the familiar path they trotted forward, until they came to the edge of the woods near the residential quarters. There, waiting for them, were Fatty and Sheriff, summoned by Tigers meowing.


    Fatty seemed only half awake, while Sheriff was chewing something. An insect, perhaps.


    The four cats walked together into the woods. Suddenly, Zheng Tans ears twitched. He heard something; they hadpany.


    Sure enough, looking up, there was the familiar sh of blue. It was General with his curved yellow beak somewhat akin to a naughty grin.


    Tiger saw General too and greeted him with another meow.


    The parrot looked down. His yellow rimmed eyes gave the four cats a once-over before he raised the foot without the GPS tracking device and told them to shush.


    Zheng Tan was once again left speechless.


    What was he up to, and what was he looking at?

 Chapter 7: Can’t Eat the Guinea Pig

    Chapter 7: Can¡¯t Eat the Guinea Pig


    Zheng Tan climbed up the tree to look for the source of the voices he heard.


    It wasnt long before he understood roughly that a real-life episode of those soap operas Mama Jiao loved so much was ying out in the open. The only difference was that the woman did not cry.


    Zheng Tan lost interest. The bored parrot could watch it by himself, at least it would keep him busy so he couldnt bother Zheng Tan. For that reason alone, Zheng Tan hoped whoever was putting on the show would have enough problems so they could air it here for the whole day. Maybe even turn it into a series.


    It wasnt a kind thought. But then again, Zheng Tan was not kind. He had turned his back on the idea of morals and shame for as long as he could remember. He left those useless things forgotten as long as his self-interests were not harmed.


    Under the tree, Fatty was curled up in afortable position looking like he was falling asleep. Sheriff and Tiger were gone, but Zheng Tan assumed they wandered off somewhere to y.


    There were only a few ces around here that cats frequented. Zheng Tan wasnt worried about losing the two.


    He brushed Fatty with his tail to motion him to follow. The guy seemed tock sleep 24/7. At first, Zheng Tan thought it was because he used his brain too much. Later, he realized Fatty was like this even when he did nothing. It was hard to imagine that a sleepy chubby cat was a specialist of Morse code.


    Dont judge a book by its cover applied to cats as well.


    There was a small supermarket called "Dongyuan supermarket" near the residential quarters. Recently, the ce was undergoing some renovations. Heaps of gravel were left near the back door. Even better, the workers were taking a day off today.


    Sure enough, Zheng Tan found Tiger squatting on a pile of gravel at the back door. He had a solemn look on his face while he took a dump. Afterwards, he covered up the evidence with some sand, jumped off the gravel, shook his fur and left as if nothing had happened.


    Tiger did, in fact, stop peeing everywhere after his surgery, but he was still him. Now he was causing trouble in a different way.


    Zheng Tan wondered how the workers would react when they found the cat poop tomorrow. Worse yet, if they didnt find it and it ended up on the wall of the supermarket.


    Zheng Tan decided he would strangle Tiger if he became the owner of the ce.


    There was a big patch of grass near the supermarket. Zheng Tan and co. did not go there normally. There were always hordes of people, both adults and kids, there. It was just a breeding ground for trouble. Young kids who didnt yet know better were the arch enemies of cats. They couldnt fight back when the children grabbed their tails or yed too rough. Even when the children were at fault, the cats were punished.


    So, for the most part, the four musketeers yed in the woods.


    Tiger was scratching trees. He would do his work on one and move on to the next. Sheriff was looking for insects to snack on. As for Fatty, his front paws were tucked under him, making him look like a meatloaf, and he was resting,pletely uninterested in anything.


    Zheng Tan looked around to check for people. When he saw no one, he found a spot under the sun and settled down.


    The wind brought the sweet scent of may flowers. Apart from the asional sound of cat ws, the hustle and bustle from thewn did not affect the peace and quiet of the woods.


    The warm afternoon sunshine was starting to make Zheng Tan drowsy.


    Suddenly, there was a strange cry, simr to the cry of a bird but not quite it. It was the first time Zheng Tan had heard such a sound.


    He opened his eyes. Tiger was standing at the source of the sound, holding up a front paw, turning his head left and right, as if deciding where to strike.


    Sheriff heard the sound too and rushed towards that direction. The next minute, a fur ball appeared out of the bushes.


    A guinea pig?


    This one was a bit different from the usual guinea pigs. Its hair was rtively long and had a long strand of white fur dangling down from the top of its head like bangs. Compared to the guinea pigs locked in cages all day that Zheng Tan had seen before, this one moved a lot faster.


    It was, however, no match for two energetic cats.


    Sheriff and Tiger blocked the guinea pig from two sides to corner it between them. Whenever it tried to run away, they would force it back in ce.


    Zheng Tan considered it, then stopped the two just when they were about to feast. Most of the guinea pigs on campus were pets. They werent like rats and could not be treated as such. Not to mention this one seemed to be special.


    Zheng Tan observed that its fur was very clean and carefullybed. It was obviously very dear to its owner. There was no guarantee that they wouldnt leave a trace after eating it. If the owner found out, trouble, no, big trouble was ensured to take ce.


    The guinea pig did not take the chance to run away when Zheng Tan stopped Tiger. Instead, it looked cautiously around, then inched towards Zheng Tan.


    Did it know he wouldnt eat it?


    Have to admit, animals sometimes have surprisingly urate sixth senses.


    Zheng Tan wagged his tail while walking away from the guinea pig, when out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone. A stranger.


    If it was just a stranger, he wouldnt be this shocked. But, this stranger managed toe this close without four cats noticing. They had no idea how long he was there for or if he was hiding close by.


    Zheng Tan s eyes fell on the guys hand. His palm was faced inwards and his right hand was hidden partially by his body.


    When their eyes crossed, Zheng Tan was suddenly reminded of the look Papa Jiao had when he was killing mice in theb that night. Papa Jiao had that look only when dealing withb rats. This man, thoughThis man sent chills down Zheng Tans spine. Something told him, this man killed more thanb rats.


    Tiger jumped when spotting the intruder too. However, he cared more about the fur ball beside Zheng Tan. He raised his paw attempting to have another go at it.


    Zheng Tan couldnt help but give Tiger a hard p. Couldnt this idiot tell there was a dangerous person around?


    Zheng Tan didnt let the guy out of his sights even when dealing with Tiger. This guy felt too threatening. He and his buddies were like theb rats from the other night. They were somehow pinned down, unable to move and helplessly waiting to have their necks broken.


    Fatty was no longer lying in the grass. He jumped up, arched his back and pulled back his ears. All his fur were standing on end. He no longer had his usual sleepy look but was staring at the intruder fiercely while hissing out his warning. This was the first time Zheng Tan had ever seen him like this.


    The other two realized something was wrong when they saw Zheng Tan and Fatty. They too now looked alert. Although they were a bit off-putting at times, Tiger and Sheriff did not run away when it mattered. That was loyalty right there.


    In fact, Sheriff was prepared to run away, but when he found the others standing still, he immediately turned around and stiffened up like his buddies.


    What should we do?


    Zheng Tan was furiously racking his brain for solutions.


    Immediately escaping would be one of the better ways. It was also the mostmon. But Zheng Tan was not sure they could escape in one piece. The guy was still looking at them; it was as if any move could set him off. His half hidden hand worried Zheng Tan greatly.


    The two sides stood in confrontation for two minutes. Then, the manughed. The atmosphere seemed to loosen with hisughter. The man shook his arm then raised both hands and said, "Here kitties. I mean you no harm. I just came to look for my pet.


    The man pointed guinea pig hiding behind Zheng Tan. The guinea pig did not y along. It scooched closer to Zheng Tan as if hiding from the guy.


    Zheng Tan let out a sigh of relief, but he did not dare topletely rx. He felt that the stranger had something in his hand, perhaps a de or something else, that he hid when he shook his hand.


    Who was this man? Zheng Tan thought.


    "Chestnuts,e. Hurry. Your owner would be worried." The man called out to the guinea pig huddled behind Zheng Tan.


    The pig did not budge, or even let out a squeak.


    "Oh Chestnut-" the man squatted down and summoned the stubborn fur ball again.


    Zheng Tan cursed the thing. He moved over, exposing the guinea pig. He didnt want to put his little group in danger because of this thing.


    Seeing that it still wasnt moving, Zheng Tan nudged it forward with his tail. Just go away for gods sake! he thought.


    Finally, it reluctantly and begrudgingly went over to the guy. Thankfully, he did not stay after he snatched up his pet.


    Zheng Tan held his breath until the guy waspletely out of sight. He made a mental note to avoid this area from now on.


    On the other hand, the guy, who was just treated to a stand-off by cats, ignored the protesting sound of the guinea pig in his arms. He looked back into the woods as he walked. He couldnt help but feel that the two cats he saw in there were very special ... ... especially the ck one.

 Chapter 8: Be a Good Boy When Home Alone

    Chapter 8: Be a Good Boy When Home Alone


    Because of the encounter with the stranger, Tiger and Sheriff obediently remained home for a few days, and Fatty never left the house on his own anyways. As for Zheng Tan, he agreed to do the cat food ad for Mr. Guo and was brought to Clearly So pet center for a two-day photo shoot.


    The first ad was not in video form as he had expected, but it was a story told by a series of pictures.


    Zheng Tan had forgotten that online videos were not amon thing in 2003. Many people were not optimistic about the future of online videos. Some even predicted it was doomed for failure.


    However, Guo thought otherwise.


    When discussing the issue with Papa Jiao, he mentioned that the charm of the inte was its ability to change and evolve as technology upgraded. This insight greatly raised Zheng Tans opinion of him. As someone from the future, Zheng Tan knew exactly what the inte would develop into in the next ten years.


    Unlike otherpanies that used a simple poster ad, Guo decided to make his ads a series of pictures that could tell a story. It would be interesting even for families without pets. It would improve the brands visibility.


    With Zheng Tans help, shooting such a story was easy. He didnt even need to waste any cat food, which made him very happy. It was very difficult to force cats to do the perfect expression. The limitations of the time deterred most businesses from spending too much energy in pursuit of simr ads.


    The ad would be distributed on a pet forum; at the same time, it would also be published on a magazine. That was the reason behind Guos urgency to do the photo shoot right away. One of his friends recently started a new pet magazine. Guo wanted to hatch a ride.


    Before Zheng Tan, Guo had attempted to use a few other cats, but the photo shoot process and the final effect was ... Lets just say it gave Guo ulcers.


    After Zheng Tan came aboard, the photo shoot was smooth sailing. He didn''t need to be told twice about what to do. Just like that, the ulcers in Guos stomach healed, and he couldnt wait to sign a contract with Papa Jiao.


    The Beloved magazine was a monthly. So, Zheng Tan had to go in every month for some new pictures. It was a piece of cake. Besides earning him a quick buck, Zheng Tan saw it as a fun thing to do. The most interesting thing about the ads was that at the end of the story, in small print, was the name of the actor: ckC.


    Guo insisted on adding the name of the animal actors but this name "ckC" was entirely Papa Jiaos idea. It was a form of protection for Zheng Tan that his real name was not used.


    When Guo inquired about it, Papa Jiao exined that ck was ck and "C" represented carbon in the periodic table. Together, ckC implied Charcoal.


    His first paycheck wired over by Guo was a whopping sum of 1000 yuan. It was much more than what Mama Jiao expected. Back in the day, 1000 yuan was really nothing to Zheng Tan. Now, it was a considerable amount ofpensation.


    Papa Jiao applied for a bank ount for Zheng Tan, specifically for saving his advertising ie.


    In fact, not only Zheng Tan, Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi both had their own bank ounts. Their red packets from Chinese New Year and do-well-at-school rewards were saved in them. It was where their pocket money came from, though Papa Jiao temporarily managed the ounts for them to prevent them from blowing it all away.


    This was money education, Papa Jiao-style.


    It puzzled Zheng Tan that he would do this even for the family cat.


    Sometimes, Zheng Tan had trouble understanding Professor Jiao. But in the end, after more three months, Zheng Tan knew enough to be sure that he would never harm him. Maybe scientists always epted weird events with more ease than others.


    Most people would be utterly shocked if they saw how Papa Jiao and his cat interacted with one another. No one, including Mama Jiao and the kids, knew that they acted like equals when they were alone.


    Afterpleting his acting stint, Zheng Tan stayed home idly for a few days before getting restless. He couldnt resist taking a stroll outside. He did a search of thewn but did not find the stranger fromst time. He did see that guinea pig with a little girl around Gu Youzis age and her mother. Zheng Tan vowed to stay away from the pair to avoid the stranger.


    One day, Zheng Tan returned home from his daily walk and immediately sensed someone unfamiliar.


    A guest?


    The atmosphere in the living room was solemn. Mama Jiao was cooking in the kitchen like usual but she seemed absent-minded. Papa Jiao and someone were seated on the sofa, smoking without exchanging a word.


    The guest was about the same age as Papa Jiao but looked like he was going through some rough times. His doleful eyes were bloodshot like someone who had been up all night. Papa Jiao addressed the guy as "Yuan Zi"; it was clear that they were close. So why were they sitting in heavy silence?


    There was a small table in Jiao Yuan''s room. It was a wooden table with chess patterns Mama Jiao always set out, when guests were here, and the conversation topic was not suitable for children.


    Zheng Tan was even more curious.


    What was happening that must be discussed with the children out of earshot?


    Zheng Tan jumped onto his chair and quietly assessed the situation. Papa Jiao looked up at him but acquiesced in his presence.


    Three sses of alcohol down, the two finally opened up. Zheng Tan managed to piece together the full story through bits and pieces of their tear-filled conversation.


    Papa Jiaos graduate school supervisor, who also happened to be Yuan Zis father, Professor Yuan had fourth stage lung cancer. The doctor gave him approximately two more months.


    When Papa Jiao graduated from Nanhua University, Professor Yuan was abroad. Papa Jiao did not see a reason to remain at Nanhua University, so he took a job teaching at Chuhua University which was in his home province of Xinhan.


    Nanhua University was to southern China what Chuhua University was to the central region. Both were top schools.


    Mama and Papa Jiao were both close with this Yuan Zi and had a good rtionship with the professor when they were at Nanhua. Naturally, they were both upset to know that the old professor was ill.


    Yuan Zi didnt choose to follow his fathers footsteps. He had no interest in academia, or rather, he never even liked school. Like Zheng Tan, he was a rascal.


    Zheng Tan didnt know what Yuan Zi went through after graduation. From what he gathered, he had changed a lot. He was a yboy turned good, ording to Papa Jiao.


    People say that a fault confessed is half addressed. However, often the fault was best left untouched. The cost of confessing a fault was so great that it was sometimes best to leave it be to avoid that cost.


    "So, if it was not for Fei Hang informing me that you were in Chuhua, you were going to go through this all by yourself? You were really going to keep everyone in the dark forever?!"


    Papa Jiaos voice was low but strained; the rims of his eyes were turning red. He was fighting desperately to control his emotions. Mama Jiao sat aside him, quietly wiping away tears.


    "The old man he did not want people to know about his condition. After all, hes no longer epting treatment. He wanted to pass away in peace back home." Yuan Zi sniffed.


    Back in the day, Papa Jiao was Professor Yuans trump card. Everyone at the College of Life Sciences in Nanhua University envied Professor Yuan for having such a student. Seeing that his own son was wasting away his life, Professor Yuan always treated Papa Jiao like a son. Papa Jiao owed most of his achievements to him.


    Since the old professor returned from abroad, the two kept in contact through the asional email or chat online. It didnt happen a lot since the professor always seemed to have something on his hands.


    Last week, Papa Jiao had received an email from Professor Yuan saying that he wouldnt be able to ess theputer for a long time. It seemed that he had his mind set on keeping his illness to himself.


    Papa Jiaoposed himself and asked, "What were your ns in Chuhua? Fei Hang mentioned you were here to inspect something. If theres anything you need, just say the word.


    "Im thinking of opening a biologicalpany. Im aiming to go big or go home," Yuan Zi answered.


    Papa Jiao nodded, "Chuhua is a good location to do that. Theres too manypanies opening up on the south coast, both domestic and foreign. Theres Southern Gene Bio Base in Mingzhu City in the East and Huada Bio in the capital. Thepanies over there have formed oligopolies[1]. Trying to break into those markets isnt impossible but it will be tough.


    In contrast, there is much lesspetition here. Areas around here are developing rapidly and I can also be of some help.


    Papa Jiao and Yuan Zi were discussing stuff Zheng Tan did not understand. He didnt know what kind of apany they were nning and lost interest after listening for a while, so he went into Jiao Yuans room.


    A few dayster, Zheng Tan was told by Papa Jiao that the entire Jiao family was taking a trip to Northeast China.


    Professor Yuan''s hometown was in the northeast, so it was an understandable decision. But ... did that mean he was going to be home alone?


    Papa Jiao asked if he wanted toe along. If he did, Papa Jiao would rent a car and the family would drive to the Northeast.


    Zheng Tan considered but refused. He would tag along if they were going down south. He was curious if he, the person that is, still existed in this universe. But they were going up North, so he respectfully declined the offer.


    Zheng Tan didnt want to be sent to a pet hotel nor did he want to stay at someone elses ce. So Papa Jiao left him a key.


    The family had all sorts cautions for Zheng Tan, which eventually summarized to be a good boy and dont open the door for strangers.


    Zheng Tan wanted to roll his eyes. Did they really think he was a child?


    Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi had a hard time leaving him. They left all their snacks on the sofa for him out of fear that their cat was going to starve.


    But when the family of four finally left, Zheng Tan looked around the now empty house and suddenly felt it was muchrger than usual.


    Well, this was going to be f*cking boring.


    Zheng Tan rolled from one end of the sofa to the other. He hung upside down on the armrest to get an inverted view of the house. He focused on the calendar in the living room.


    It was Wednesday. Papa Jiao said they would be gone for a week. That meant they would return next Wednesday.


    Wait.


    Wednesday?!


    Zheng Tan sat up straight.


    Every Wednesday was the delivery day for Dongyuan supermarket. The delivery truck would arrive around four or five in the afternoon and leave somewhere between six and seven.


    It was now 4:30 pm.


    Zheng Tan hung the keys Papa Jiao left on his neck and left the house.


    So, three hours after being told to stay home and be a good boy, Zheng Tan decided to take a road trip.


    ---


    FOOTNOTES:


    [1]:Oligopoly: a state of limitedpetition, in which a market is shared by a small number of producers or sellers.

 Chapter 9: Boss, Did Your Cat Run Away?

    Chapter 9: Boss, Did Your Cat Run Away?


    Zheng Tan found a little note on the stairs leading to the fourth floor. It was stuck right at his eye level.


    "When leaving the house, turn off all unnecessary electronics to avoid a safety risk. Draw the curtains after closing the windows to avoid dust storms. Remember to bring food... For specifics please see the detailed description on the desk."


    It was in Papa Jiao''s handwriting.


    Zheng Tan sighed. With some difficulty, he opened the front door using the keys on his neck, then went into the master bedroom. Sure enough, spread out on the desk was a notebook with instructions on things he must do before leaving the house.


    Zheng Tan obediently followed the steps while going around the house, switching off electronics and drawing curtains.


    He snatched up a pack of crackers before finally leaving the house again.


    He let himself out the building door after swiping his security ess card.


    He climbed up a parasol tree on the side of the main road. There, beside a branch was a hole the size of a fist. Zheng Tan hid the key and ess card inside, before covering it up with leaves.


    There were very few birds near the residential quarters. As for the other cats, they preferred to y in the grove and generally left the trees near the road alone. So Zheng Tan knew his stuff would be safe here.


    After all, it would be highly inconvenient for him to take his pet identity card and home key on a long road trip. If he was caught for any misdeeds, there would be a lot of trouble.


    After settling that business, Zheng Tan went to Dongyuan supermarket to wait for an opportunity to get on the truck.


    The driver was busy unloading. When he was done, he was leaning on the truck door for a cigarette when he saw Zheng Tan sitting in a bush nearby with a pack of finger crackers beside him.


    "Yo, Charcoal. Going out to y today?"


    The delivery driver knew Zheng Tan and was familiar with his antics. He had done this before, except this time he had a bag of biscuits. Maybe it was a long trip?


    He had already taken the truck twice. At first, the driver was not happy at all with his passenger. However, after receiving a bottle of alcohol and two cartons of cigarettes from Papa Jiao, he was mighty pleased to see Zheng Tan.


    As long as the cat still rode his truck, he would continue to receive gifts. The cigarettes and wine were good stuff. They would cost over 100 yuan at the department store downtown.


    Zheng Tan stretchedzily. He picked up the biscuits and went into the back of the truck to wait for the driver to settle his ounts with the supermarket manager.


    The truckpartment was empty today.


    "Hey Charcoal, I''m done with all my deliveries today so I''m not going to the department store. We''ll leave through the gate on the North, instead of the East gate. I''m going home directly this time."


    Thest two times, Zheng Tan went to check out the department store. It was about a 20-minute walk from the residential quarters. From there, he could clearly see all the tall buildings belonging to Chuhua University. The school campus was huge. One end was several bus stops away from the other.


    The truck driver did not expect a cat to understand what he just said. His job was just to give the ck cat a ride. Where the cat was riding to was none of his business.


    It was almost six when his work here at Dongyuan Supermarket waspleted, and off they went toward the North gate.


    The sun was setting on the horizon. It was spectacr sight of orange and red. Students wereing in and out of the North end cafeteria. Thest period just ended. They were chatting excitedly about their days.


    Squatting in the shadow of the truck, Zheng Tan looked at the students passing by. They reminded him of himself. He was suddenly sad. Beforeing here, he was a junior in college.


    When the trucked reached a fork in the road near the cafeteria, Zheng Tan saw a young man wearing a white uniform riding an old bicycle that creaked everywhere but the bell. If you didn''t see ''Chuhua University North end Canteen'' printed on his chest, you would think he just came out of aboratory.


    Surrounded by the future elites, this young man on the old bike did not show any envy nor any self-consciousness. He rode his bike into the sunset, humming, with a grin on his face. The wind was blowing gently on his face. His canteen uniform suddenly seemed like high end fashion.


    From the north gate of Chuhua University, Zheng Tan could see the lights from the central department store even though it was nowhere close. These were familiar sights. The huge LED screens were lit; neon lights were zing everywhere. This was a metropolitan city.


    Zheng Tan looked at the scenery back away from the car window. He felt like an outsider looking in; not knowing where he fit. He saw a lot, but his mind was oddly nk. It was as if he entered a trance.


    The truck left city center and took the Third Ring Road to the suburbs. The night was growing dark and the wind was growing cold.


    The small truck suddenly came to a halt. Still in a daze, Zheng Tan slid and banged into the side of thepartment.


    Hebed the fur on the top of his head with his paw.


    From the conversation outside, he could tell that the driver was home. So, he got up and shook the dust off himself. He snatched up his crackers and jumped off the truck. He decided to look around for a ce to sleep first. He could do the sightseeing in the morning.


    He was a cat now. But, he was still a morning person.


    As Zheng Tan was looking for amodations, the phone rang in a certain room in the graduate student dormitory in Chuhua University.


    The guy closest to the phone picked it up. He exchanged a few words of pleasantries before respectfully replying: "I''ll go get him. He should be done showering by now. Please hold."


    He put the phone down on the table before walking towards the bunk bed across from him.


    The person on the bed was fast asleep. He was somehow grinding his teeth whileughing at the same time. After the initial scare, the other three people living in the dorm learned to ignore this creepy behavior.


    The man who had just answered the phone whispered to the guy asleep: "Yi Xin, your boss is on the phone! I told him you were taking a shower."


    The words ''your boss'' worked like a charm. The guy sobered up immediately. He jumped up and ran into the washroom to clear his throat.


    He didn''t want his voice to be hoarse, betraying the fact he just woke up. Yi Xin did not want his academic mentor to know he was sleeping at this golden hour for memorization.


    "Professor Jiao, you were looking for me? Sorry I was showering earlier." Yi Xin pick up the phone. He felt he was doing a good job pretending.


    His gaming roommates were even in on the act and stopped using the keyboard. They even started a fake conversation on nutrition, specifically why it was necessary to consume meat with garlic.


    There was a pause on the other end of the phone. "Sorry to wake you up," said Papa Jiao.


    ''Damn it,'' thought Yi Xin, ''what were Professor Jiao''s ears made of?''


    Luckily for Yi Xin, Papa Jiao decided to let it go.


    "Are you free right now?"


    "Yes!" Yi Xin replied hurriedly. Even if that was not true, he would find time.


    So twenty minutester, there he was, with the key he got from his professor''s office drawer, standing in the professor''s living room.


    This was Yi Xin''s second time in his mentor''s home. The first time was when he first got epted into the program early this year. He was professor Jiao''s first graduate student, plus he was quite capable. Professor Jiao valued him greatly, therefore he was invited to dinner.


    Yi Xin had never met Zheng Tan. No one other than the family knew about Zheng Tan''s asional visits to the Bio Building. So the boy had yet to find out his mentor''s cat was a bit special.


    He didn''t see the cat after searching the apartment. He looked inside the bedroom and called Papa Jiao back from thendline.


    "Hey Boss, did your cat run away from home? I don''t see him." Yi Xin wanted to bite his tongue after he said those words. What was that familiarity? Who did he think he was talking to?


    "Is the air conditioner unplugged?"


    "Yes. So is the stove," Yi Xin answered eagerly. He quickly described the situation inside the ce.


    "Professor, should I go get a bag of cat food?"


    "No, that''s unnecessary, as long as the fridge is full and the snacks on the sofa are still there."


    Yi Xin was at a loss for words. Could you raise a cat like that?


    "Come and check every day. Call me from myndline. Don''t worry about your work report this week."


    Hearing that he didn''t have to report his experiment progress this week was a huge relief for Yi Xin. The experiment had not been going well these past few days. He really didn''t have anything to report.


    "Rest assured. I wille here to check on him every day at this time."


    On a train somewhere, Papa Jiao pocketed his cell phone after his call and looked out into the night.


    Darn it! That rascal ran out again!

 Chapter 10: Hey! Hey…F*ck

    Chapter 10: Hey! Hey¡­F*ck


    Zheng Tan squatted on a tree. It was the only suitable amodation he could find.


    There were several houses 200 meters away, two of which still had their lights on, and he could asionally hear voices chatting.


    The area was surrounded by fields, but under the dim starlight, he could see that there were hardly any crops. The area would probably be demolished soon.


    Zheng Tan settled down in afortable position. He closed his eyes, but his ears were on alert. It paid to be vignt outdoors.


    Lights in homes switched off, one by one. Once in awhile, he could hear cats meowing in the distance, answered only by the asional dog barks from the households. It was finally dark.


    The temperature in the suburbs was lowerpared to downtown. The wind was chilly, blowing away thest of his haziness.


    Just when he was debating whether to get up and find something to do, he heard footsteps. They were light, but cats had good hearing.


    Zheng Tan peeked out from the leaves. A man wearing a loose hoodie was walking towards this direction. He had one hand in his pocket holding something while the other was carrying a small shovel.


    The man wore a hat. Zheng Tan could not see his face, nor was he sure this person was indeed a man. But girls didnt usually wander around alone at this hour, did they?


    Guessing from his appearancewas he preparing to bury something? A corpse, maybe? Zheng Tan was letting his imagination run wild. He was curious, but didnt dare to follow the person. Who knew. Even a cat could be eliminated.


    The person walked toward some dpidated brick houses. From the look of them, they had been deserted for a long time. Weeds were growing wild all around.


    The man stopped in front of a half copsed house. Zheng Tan decided to watch from his tree; after all, it wasnt far away.


    The man squatted down in a corner. He had his back to Zheng Tan doing who knows what. Zheng Tan heard not the sound of bricks but light nging of ssware colliding.


    The person didnt leave until daybreak. Zheng Tan went to check out the brick house, but did not go too close. He smelled the unpleasant scent of pesticides.


    Zheng Tan was curious, but he also valued his life. Even if it was the life of a cat, it was his.


    The families around the area were still asleep. Zheng Tan jumped into one yard and found a faucet to clean his paws off the pesticides. The water was too cold with no tissues nearby to dry off. Zheng Tan didnt want to lick his paws, so he looked around.


    He saw some clothes the family hung outside to dry and picked a long dress with the best material to wipe his paws, leaving behind a string of gray marks. He then stole a persimmon from the fruit tree in the yard before leaving.


    A dog barked next door. It had probably heard Zheng Tan moving about. The barks were soft; it was probably a puppy.


    It was morning when Zheng Tan returned to his tree.


    Not before long, swearing could be heard from the house. The dress Zheng Tan had used to rub his paws was found.


    With the sun rising, the temperature gradually rose as well.


    Zheng Tan felt the warmth of the sun on his back. He yawned and stretchedzily, opening the bag of crackers. This was his breakfast. He had the persimmon if it got too dry.


    A small, brown dog ran out of a yard, jumping around merrily. This was probably the puppy he heard earlier.


    No one managed the fields. There were a few hens there pecking around for food. The little dog ran over to chase the hens.


    There was a fat hen among the group that stayed still when the small dog charged at it. The puppy paused near it, gave a few symbolic bites without even touching the hen, then ran off chasing other birds. The more they ran, the more he chased.


    The fat hen, however, managed to avoid being chased every time by remaining still. The fatties sometimes were the wisest.


    The small dog was tired of chasing chickens. It panted while jotting down the road. Suddenly, its ears moved. It stopped and looked around, then ran straight over to the tree.


    Zheng Tan chewed the crackers loudly while looking down at the dog barking and running in circles at the foot of the tree. He threw the remaining bit of cracker down. The pup paused, walked over, sniffed it, then ate the cracker.


    After it was done, the small dog looked back up at Zheng Tan eating his biscuits, wagging his tail happily.


    Zheng Tan left a bit of cracker to throw down to the dog every time. Then he watched amused as the dog looked for the leftover in the bushes or jumped up to catch it in the air.


    Zheng Tan was having fun. The bag of biscuits emptied out soon. He was just about to let out a sigh when he heard a lighter.


    Theres someone around? Zheng Tan was surprised.


    He traced the sound to the source. A man dressed like a migrant worker was nearby. But Zheng Tan recognized the guy immediately despite his different clothes.


    It was the guy looking for the guinea pig.


    The small dog also saw the stranger. He started barking.


    Zheng Tan rolled his eyes. Stupid foodie. What good was barking now?


    The small dog did notst long under the threatening gaze of the man. It soon gave up and ran away with its tail between its legs.


    Zheng Tan did not run. Rather, he was not sure if he could run away.


    Should he wait to see what the guy wanted or pretend to not know him? After all, there were a lot of ck cats around.


    The man puffed out some smoke: "Even without your pet identity card, I recognize you. Youre a wicked one, arent you? Teasing a dog, eh?"


    Damn. The guy was not easy to fool.


    Zheng Tan felt himself stiffen up. Although the guy seemed amiable now, but their first encounter was too unpleasant. He couldnt let his guard down.


    The man smoked while spitting out nonsense. Then suddenly, he looked up and asked, "Were you herest night? Did you see anyone strange?"


    Strange? Did he mean the guy in the hoodie?


    "You did!"


    Wei Ling could tell from the subtle changes in the cats expression and the look in its eyes that it knew what he was talking about.


    He had asked the question expecting nothing. Who knew the cat really did see something.


    "Look, Im not going to ask too many questions. I just want to know what the guy was doing. Or rather, what was he hiding?" Wei Ling spread out his hands and shrugged, with his cigarette dangling from his mouth. He wanted to show that he meant to harm.


    Zheng Tan thought about it. Eventually, he raised his chin to point to the brick house.


    "Thank you!"


    Wei Ling walked towards the house. Zheng Tan decided to use this opportunity to run away, but was stopped.


    "Dont go. I have something to ask you. I will catch you again if you slip away. Trust me."


    Zheng Tan saw a sh of silver then a thin metal sheet sticking out of the dirt road appeared in front of him.


    Zheng Tan stared at the metal piece. His whiskers trembled. He squatted down, carefully poking the metal with his paw. He was surprised. He looked over to the guy over at the brick house. The man in the hoodie took so long to hide this thing, it would take this guy some time to find it.


    Five minutester, Wei Ling reappeared with a brown jar in a gloved hand and a cell phone in the other.


    "Hey, good new... I said, there is good news ... can you hear me? Hey ... Hey ... I said ... F*ck!"


    The phone rang right away after he hung up.


    "Hey ... yes, I said I have a clue here... Hey ..."


    The location and a brief description of the events took ten minutes, and it was repeated over and over again. Zheng Tan grew tired of listening to it.


    Zheng Tan roughly estimated that out of the ten minutes, that person spent half the time saying "HeyHey", then "f*ck".


    Wei Ling finally finished the call. He pocketed the phone looking relieved. "Damn, broken PHS[1]!"


    Wei Lin nodded towards Zheng Tan, who was waiting patiently. "Youreing with me. Dont even think about running away, or I will wait for you at Chuhua University. You actually live there, right? You have to return there sometime. "


    "..." This trip was turning into a nightmare.


    "Wait here. I''m going to get my ride." Having said that, Wei Ling hurried off with the jar.


    After two of three minutes, the man appeared, riding a pink womens bike on the bumpy road.


    This was this dudes "ride"?


    Footnotes:


    [1] PHS: A Chinese phone brand popr in the early 2000s.

 Chapter 11: Act cute? Hell no!

    Chapter 11: Act cute? Hell no!


    His ride in the front basket of the bike along the dirt road was a trip Zheng Tan preferred to forget.


    He couldnt wait to get out when they arrived at Wei Lings destination. He felt dizzy and almost couldntnd on his feet.


    They arrived at a small two-story building in a mostly residential neighborhood. This ce seemed to be within the demolition area. Many houses were empty, with DEMOLISH spray painted on the walls. The area was surrounded by huge billboards of the building that had been nned to be built.


    The high-tech business area was expanding. The demolition of this piece was inevitable. In the next ten years, high-tech enterprises would slowly take over this entire area.


    Wei Ling opened the door; pushed his bike inside the house, opened the refrigerator and grabbed a handful of beef jerky. Then he sat on the sofa and started watching TV. He paid no attention to Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan looked around, jumped on the coffee table and started to eat Wei Lings jerky. Wei Ling told him on the way here that he would drop him off at Chuhua University after he finished his business. So he was in no hurry to leave... not that he could leave anyways.


    Ten minutester, the doorbell rang. A man in a police uniform came in.


    Seeing Zheng Tan, the man was surprised. " Where did you get the cat? I am not keeping it! You know I prefer dogs!


    "Its not yours to keep. It belongs to some other people. Im sending it back tomorrow." Wei Ling threw some jerky into his mouth, then took out the ss jar.


    The man did not say anything more. He held the jar in a gloved hand and took it into the bathroom, reemergingter with a small bag.


    The bag was transparent, and the contents could be seen clearly.


    Jade, diamonds, a gold ring ...


    The bag was small, but the value of its contents was anything but.


    "Did you see the person?" asked the man.


    Wei Ling shook his head and pointed to the Zheng Tan. "The cat found it.


    "Bullshit!" The man obviously did not believe him, but changed the topic: "What else did you find? I couldnt hear clearly over the phone... ... you really need to give up that PHS. You dont have coverage whenever you leave downtown.


    Wei Ling described the situation over at the brick house.


    "The guy deliberately sprayed the area with pesticides to ward off livestock, but not kill the weeds. The residents nearby were busy moving. No one will sniff around those abandoned houses. The bag was well hidden, and the tracks were carefully cleaned. Be careful, this was not the work of a newbie.


    "Of course this wasnt his first time. That guy is responsible for several murders. He has this stuff down as a science. Only you could find it. If it was one of my men, they woulde back with weeds. "


    The guy in the police uniforms shook the little bag. He considered it for a moment then handed Wei Ling a folder.


    "A man?" Wei Ling frowned. This had contradicted his guess. He had always thought that the culprit was the only female suspect.


    "The bureau got new equipment, the results cant be wrong." The man in the police uniform patted Wei Ling on the shoulder. "OK bro. I really owe you one for finding this evidence. I got men on the ground over at the brick house.


    He paused. I gotta say. You retired from the army three years ago. Now that your wounds have all healed, why dont you find something to do? Whether it be joining the force or starting apany you have the connections and the skills.


    Wei Ling lit a cigarette andid back on the couch. "Imzy."


    "Bullshit!" The guy in the police uniform took the folder and smacked him but did not say anything more.


    He turned to look at Zheng Tan pawing open the packaging of the beef jerky on the coffee table. "You dont say. This cat is smart. But its nothingpared to the masters bobcat... "


    The guy stopped himself mid-sentence.


    "Why did I mention it!"


    "Why did you mention it!"


    They said simultaneously.


    The thought of the Bobcat looking at them, with the exact look their master had, gave the two chills. It was why Wei Ling was not that surprised by Zheng Tan.


    Rubbing away the goosebumps on his arm, Wei Ling kicked the uniform. "Bro, you should go back to the office. These cases would keep you busy.


    "Youre right." The guy gathered his stuff, then bragged with a straight face: "I cant possibly ept another promotion without solving these.


    "Narcissism is an illness and needs to be cured."


    Didnt you read that article on the paper? Napoleon, Roosevelt, Stalin, Edison, Carnegie, Rockefeller, Ford and Hitler were all narcissists. Its a necessary trait for a leader. "


    Having said that, the policeman left while whistling. He stopped at the door and added: "You can keep my daughters bike; just get her a new one. Her birthday ising up. You know, just get her one of those that could be folded up. "


    Zheng Tan was eating the whole time but his attention was on the conversation between the two men. It seemed that neither were ordinary and both had the same master.


    After the police officer left, Wei Ling had some instant noodles then threw some more beef jerky on the table.


    I need a nap. Eat the beef if you are hungry. I dont have anything else. I strongly advise you to stay put. This ce isnt like anywhere you are used to. Wanna know why there arent any strays around?? They all became stew for the construction workers nearby. Lots of people want to eat ''dragon and tiger''[1]. You should stick to bullying puppies.


    Zheng Tan: "..."


    The next day, Wei Ling picked up a bag of clothing and rode his bike to Chuhua University. Once again, Zheng Tan sat in the basket of the pink womens bike. The roads were much better near the city. Other than the wind blowing hard on his face, he didnt have anyints. That was if he ignored a certain someones wordiness.


    Ever since they set off and all the way till they reached the university, Wei Ling recounted Zheng Tans ws.


    "You cant jump; Your reflexes are slow, and your hearing is probably on par with a pig. You cant even tell when someone is beside you.


    Zheng Tan wanted to refute. Unfortunately, when he opened his mouth, only cat sounds came out. To the pedestrians, this was an odd sight. A man was on a girls bike, talking nonstop. After every few sentences, he was answered by a meow from the cat in the basket. It was as if the man and the animal were quarrelling.


    It was two-hour bike ride to the university, but Wei Ling showed no signs of being tired.


    Wei Ling rented an apartment near the school. He had bought a house not far from the university but it was being renovated. He couldnt move in for at least another six months.


    The mother and daughter Zheng Tan sawst time at thewn were the family of one of Wei Lingsrades. The man had died in service. Wei Ling had been helping them out ever since he left the army.


    The ce he rented was near the Eastern quarters and about a five-minute walk from the school gates. Students often rented there.


    Wei Ling let Zheng Tan off. "When you go back, take time to exercise. As a cat that likes to wander, you would turn into stew sooner orter if you stay weak."


    I will be jogging on campus everyday around six or seven. You are free to join me.


    Having said that, he locked his bike and went upstairs. He was not worried about the cat getting caught. Wei Ling felt that the cat wouldnt be worth training if it was so easily snatched away.


    Zheng Tan was familiar with the area. He ignored the cooing of students and walked directly towards the east gates.


    "That cat is so unfriendly."


    "Exactly. Its not like that spotted cat the other day that rolled around."


    "Are all ck cats like that?"


    "No. My aunt has a ck cat. Its so cute, not at all like this one..."


    Zheng Tan heard the girls chatting behind him and twitched his ears. He was annoyed right now. Roll around? Act cute? Hell no!


    He had to admit that after entering the Eastern quarters, he suddenly felt at peace. He was calmer. Maybe, this was what it felt like to belong?


    But before he could relish in his new-found peace, a bark made him annoyed again.


    He knew the bark. He hadnt heard it for over a month now, and the Eastern quarters had been rtively peaceful for over a month.


    Zheng Tan looked around. A dog with a stic bottle in his mouth was running towards Zheng Tan, his owner chasing along behind him.


    This dog was called Sahara. It had nothing to do with the famous desert but was named as such because he was a Samoyed, Husky and Labrador mix [2].


    Sahara had the serious look of a Husky but also the grin of a Samoyed. That made for a very oddbo. He also inherited a Labrador''s intelligence. But he never used this intelligence on anything good.


    For example, now, Sahara was running around with a bottle of water that his owner had just purchased. He just liked to be chased.


    Xiu---


    Saharas sharp teeth punctured a hole on the stic bottle. Water shot out and hit Zheng Tan right on the face when Sahara ran past him.


    Maybe his reflexes were too slow.


    The culprit was already far way with the water bottle still in his mouth. Zheng Tan shook off the water. Before he could sigh, he heard the sound of pping wings.


    On the courtyard walls behind him, a blue figurended.


    "Yesterday I passed your door ~ you were pouring out water onto the road, ~ it sshed on my shoes ~ and the pedestrians walking by ~ Oh, what augh~ what augh we had.


    Zheng Tan: "...


    Just kill me now.


    Footnotes:


    [1] Dragon and Tiger is a famous Chinese dish, traditionally made from eel and pork. Urban legends have it that it could be made proper with snakes and cats.


    [2]Sahara is Sa Ha La is Chinese. The three breeds of dogs are Sa Mo Ye,  Ha Shi Qi and  La Bu La Duo in Chinese. So Sahara is simply the first syble of each breed put together.

 Chapter 12: Fleas are the Worst

    Chapter 12: Fleas are the Worst


    Zheng Tan shook off the water and shooed the parrot away. He found his hidden ess card and key from the hiding spot on the tree, then trotted down the road toward the Jiao house.


    He jumped up and swiped his ess card before running all the way up to the fifth floor.


    Because it was an old building, many households still had security doors. The Jiao family was one of them. It was just that their door was broken. The building had good security, and they lived on a higher floor, so they never bothered to fix the door. They were satisfied with just a simple wooden door.


    The metal security door was left wide open so as to not block the corridor. It was old and slightly rusty.


    Zheng Tan jumped on a grid of the metal door. He held on tight to side and kicked the wall. The metal door carried him towards the actual door, its rusty hinges creaking all the way.


    When Zheng Tan was close enough to insert the key, the door swung open from the inside.


    Last night, Yi Xin was using Professor Jiao''sputer to write his paper. He fell asleep on the sofa at dawn and only woke up to use the washroom. When he was stumbling back to the sofa, he heard a sound at the door. He was immediately wide awake. He rushed to open the door without even putting on his shoes. The boss mentioned the door creaking whenever his cat returned.


    Yi Xin hadnt yet figured out the link between the bosss cating back and the security door creaking, so he was in for a surprise when he opened the door. Right in front of him, a ck cat was dangling from the metal door by a leg and a paw, with a key in its mouth. He froze.


    Zheng Tan did not expect to find anyone here either. The person looked familiar, too.


    Zheng Tan was trying to remember who this person was, and Yi Xin was still too shocked to move. For a moment, a person and a cat just kept staring at each other.


    Finally, Zheng Tan remembered. During one of his secret visits to the office, Papa Jiao had mentioned to him that this person was Yi Xin. At the time, he was overseeing ab session for some undergrads. He was with a few grad students, carrying boxes of chemicals to the publicboratory, while Papa Jiao and Zheng Tan watched him through the office window.


    Since the identity of this person was now confirmed, Zheng Tan didnt care about him appearing here anymore. He certainly had Papa Jiaos approval, and that was trustworthy enough for Zheng Tan.


    He hopped down from the door and headed straight to the sofa.


    Yi Xin had moved all the snacks to a nearby chair. Zheng Tan counted the items, feeling satisfied that nothing was missing.


    Yi Xin was still standing at the door. Although he was starting to recover from the scene he saw after opening the door, but what he was about to witness sent him into shock once again.


    When he had called Papa Jiao yesterday, he was told not to touch the food on the couch. If he was hungry, he could have the snacks kept in the second cupboard in the kitchen. But the ones on the sofa were to be left untouched.


    He didnt quite understand on the phone. Now he did. The cat was nodding at the packs of snacks. That was him counting them, right?


    Zheng Tan ignored Yi Xin. He was hungry. He bit off the packaging of a pack of pudding and started eating.


    Yi Xin felt his face twitching in disbelief as he watched a caty on the sofa, eating pudding. He nudged into the bedroom to call the boss.


    Zheng Tan listened to the soundsing from the bedroom.


    Ohoh Yi Xin agreed and nodded twice then he switched on speaker. Papa Jiaos voice came through the telephone: "Charcoal! Make a sound.


    Zheng Tan: "Wa woo!


    Yi Xin: "... " That was a unique answer.


    "You sound well." Papa Jiao was satisfied. He told Yi Xin to put him off speaker to make a few more requirements.


    Yi Xin was answering the phone respectfully, but he was, in truth, feeling like there was nothing he could do. After the phone call, he went into the kitchen to boil some water. He then took out a white, stic basin.


    In the past, Yi Xin heard that it was best to pick a mentor with older children and no pets. Or else, he would be tasked with asionally taking care of the kid or the pet. At the time, he thought people were only joking. Now, he realized that they were spelling out his fate. He hadnt had to take care of the kids yet, but the pet


    He rinsed the basin. As he was adjusting the water temperature, he wondered that he was going to be pet-sitting a lot in the future. Maybe he should ask for a raise when the boss returned.


    Zheng Tan went into the bathroom; looked at the basin of water then delicately tested the water with a paw. It was just right. Just what he would expect from someone in academia.


    Zheng Tan inspected the shampoo, the towels folded nicely next to the basin and the hairdryer, then happily jumped into the basin. He ruffled the fur on the top of his head, then closed his eyes enjoying this bath with his chin on the edge of the basin.


    Yi Xin felt like his world was turning upside down. He had seen rtives attempting to bathe their pet cats before. It always ended with their arms being scratched bloody. This was his first time seeing a cat enjoy a bath.


    No wonder this wasboss Jiaos cat.


    Zheng Tan felt the water cool down. He was ready to get out when he saw a bug the size of a sesame seed floating in the water. Its legs were still moving.


    Against the white stic, the small insect was quite eye-catching.


    Outside by the door, Yi Xin was looking at the time. He could guess the water temperature without a thermometer. He was wondering why the cat wasnting out so he took a peek. The cat was staring at the basin with wide eyes.


    What was the matter now? Yi Xin recalled Papa Jiaos instructions. He did everything he was told to do. He went over timidly to have a closer look. The bug in the water soon caught his eye.


    Yi Xin was an expert at picking out bacterial colonies. This was naturally not going to escape his eyes.


    Damn! Fleas!


    What were you supposed to do with fleas?


    Kill them!


    Then what?


    No idea.


    Yi Xin was out of ideas, so he decided to call Professor Jiao. Five minutester, Yi Xin opened a cab. Inside it were some household chemicals, including two bottles of pesticides. One was a bottle of a well-known brand of parathyroid insecticide; the other was ubeled.


    Thetter was what he wanted. This was probably the product of a pesticide research program led by the bio and the chemistry department. At this stage, only some insiders had ess to it.


    Yi Xin sprayed some around the house like he was told. As for the cat, another bath was unavoidable.


    Catching fleas was the worst. There were some in the grass around the residential quarter, but Zheng Tan had managed to avoid getting infected so far. Who knew that he would get fleas from his trip? Must have been the thick shrubs in the suburbs.


    Whenever a flea appeared in the water, Zheng Tan squashed it with his ws. He was not letting go even those that appeared to have drowned already. It took him two hours before he coulde out. He dried off by rolling on a towel.


    Yi Xin helped blow-dry the cat.


    "Charcoal, Papa Jiao said we would be out of insecticide soon. He told you...told you to find some and to get some ointment for yourself while you were on your way.


    Yi Xin didnt know why the boss had said that. He was told to just follow the cat.


    He wept a little inside for himself. Who knew taking care of a pet was harder than writing a paper.


    After he was dried off, Zheng Tan shook his fur. He went to the door and looked back at Yi Xin.


    Yi Xin remembered his instructions. He quickly put down the hair dryer, picked up his keys and opened the door.


    Zheng Tan lead the way in front, Yi Xin followed behind.


    Yi Xin was full of doubt but there was no point in asking a cat. So he kept his difort to himself.


    Zheng Tan went down two floors, stopping in front of an apartment on the third floor.


    "Here? Ill ask ... I suppose"


    Before Yi Xin could muster up the courage to knock, Zheng Tan jumped up. He mmed the door like smashing a volleyball.


    "Bang!"


    Yi Xin felt his hair stand on end. He didnt know who lived here, but knew well enough that people living in the eastern quarter were mostly faculty with seniority otherwise known as people he could not afford to offend.


    Yi Xin started drawing up a list in his mind. He only hoped that the resident of this ce was not someone on this list!


    Zheng Tan paid no regard to Yi Xins fears. He smacked the door two more times. Every time louder than thest.


    Someone finally answered.


    "Coming! Do you think Im deaf? Why knock three times?"


    The voice belonged to an old man and was familiar. Yi Xin was getting nervous.


    The door opened, revealing a harsh face covered in wrinkles.


    Yi Xins heart sank.


    "ProProfessor LaLaLan!"


    Yi Xin stared at the man at the door with the stern look. His first instinct was to run.


    Unfortunately, Zheng Tan once again ignored Yi Xin. He marched right in. He was not afraid of this old man, he owed him a favor.


    The house was sparsely furnished. The floor still had water stains.


    Zheng Tan had just had a bath. Though his body was blow-dried, the fur on his paws was still damp. HIs paws were muddy aftering down the stairs, leaving little paw prints on the floor as he walked in.


    "Little bastard! I just mopped!" Professor Lan cursed.


    Zheng Tan pretended not to hear him.


    Professor Lan stared at the cat waltzing into his house, then looked down at the paw prints on his floor. Eventually, he turned to Yi Xin: "Youll wipe this clean!


    Yi Xin: "..."


    God, he hated cats.

 Chapter 13: Kids These Days

    Chapter 13: Kids These Days


    Yi Xin timidly exined the purpose of this visit. Professor Lan scoffed when he heard Zheng Tan had fleas. He gave the cat a harsh look: "You deserved it!"


    With that said, Professor Lan still went to fetch Zheng Tan the medicine, with the cat trailing behind him.


    As for Yi Xin, he was faithfully mopping the living room.


    Professor Lan was a retired faculty of the College of Life Sciences at Chuhua University. Although he didn''t teach anymore, he still held considerable influence in the department. He was an advisor to manypanies in town. Though his apartment had little furnishing, his worth was anything but.


    Professor Lan rarely, if ever, smiled; giving off the impression that he was ill-tempered and too serious. He would go visit the bio department from time to time. He once decided to make himself the auditor of a botany course. The young lecturers oftencked the confidence to speak up in front of him, let alone the students.


    It was no wonder that Yi Xin stuttered when he saw the man. He hadpleted his undergraduate studies here as well. The botany ss left him scared. He was curious, though. Professor Lan was not someone who followed the rules, not even the dean of the department could make him do something he did not want to do.


    So why was he tolerating the cat? Certainly not because its owner.


    Zheng Tan earned this tolerance through a random act of kindness. More than a month ago, Zheng Tan ran into Professor Lan''s wife, Madam Di, during one of his strolls. The olddy suffered from heart problems and was on a verge of a heart attack when she was helping some otherdy from a different building carry some stuff.


    Professor Lan was out of town and most people living in the residential quarter were at work at the university. Madam Di''s hand shook, dropping her medicine bottle, and it rolled down the stairs. At the time, Madam Di could hardly walk. It was Zheng Tan who ran downstairs and brought her back the bottle.


    She was able to take her medicine in time, and all was well.


    Since then, Madam Di always greeted Zheng Tan with a smile. If she was home today, Professor surely wouldn''t have scolded Zheng Tan. To other people, he had quite the temper. But at home, Madam Di called the shots. Of course, she never gave him a hard time in public.


    So, with Madam Di as his supporter, Zheng Tan was not at all afraid of the professor.


    Professor Lan took out two bottles; one was a liquid, the other was a powder.


    The liquid medicine was to be used in baths, so as to avoid catching fleas outside. Zheng Tan had used it before, but he had run out of it and always thought it was too much trouble to ask for more.


    The bottle of powder was to be sprinkled on, after finding fleas. These things were not sold anywhere. They were all the old man''s own configuration, consisting of purely natural elements. Even if it was consumed idently when cats licked their fur, it wouldn''t do any damage. Not that Zheng Tan ever licked his fur.


    The old man poured out some powder on the palm of his hand and rubbed it all over Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan looked back at his messy fur, then looked back up at the professor disapprovingly.


    The professor didn''t say anything, but gently put the cap back on the bottle and returned the bottle to its cupboard. He slowlybed through Zheng Tan''s ruffled fur. After the cat looked good again, he gave it a pat, which almost sent Zheng Tan to the ground.


    "I could buy a house of cats if I sold this medicine. Seeing that you got such a great deal, maybee help me in the garden someday?"


    The professor did not expect the cat to understand. He was just voicing out his annoyance and using the time to pat Zheng Tan a few more times as retaliation.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears, shook his fur and ignored the old man talking to himself. He left the room, ready to go home.


    Outside, Yi Xin had finished mopping. He was sitting stiffly on the edge of the sofa. Even a fool could see that he was nervous.


    Professor Lan handed Yi Xin the two bottles, then went back into the room and brought out a small ss bottle.


    "Those two bottles are to be used on the cat. Ask your mentor for the specific instructions. The ss bottle contains pesticides. It is 10 times concentrated. Remember to dilute it first."


    Professor Lan then opened the front door, signaling to the cat and the student that their stay here was over.


    "Thank ... thank you so much. Sorry for the trouble!"


    Yi Xin squeezed out a thanks, then followed Zheng Tan out.


    Only when they were back on the fifth floor did he let out a sigh of relief


    Zheng Tan was feeling more at ease as well. Now that he knew the problem of fleas was solved, he felt like he was floating on clouds. He tore open a bag of grilled fish to snack on to pass some time.


    However, before the pair could get toofortable, the doorbell rang.


    Listening to the frequency of knocks and themotion outside, Zheng Tan could guess the identity of the visitors. He looked up at the ceiling and rolled his eyes.


    ''I just cannot catch a break.''


    Yi Xin opened the door.


    Outside were three little boys, all about Jiao Yuan''s age. All of them were in sixth grade at the same affiliated elementary school and lived in the quarter. They were ymates of Jiao Yuan. Zheng Tan knew them, but Yi Xin did not.


    Before he could ask, a child beat him to it: "Who are you?"


    The question was filled of righteousness. One of the taller children even brought out a rolling pin covered in rat bite marks.


    Looking at three kids with vignce and suspicion in their eyes, Yi Xin could feel his face stiffen.


    He then spent the next five minutes trying to exin his identity. He even pulled out his student ID.


    Three boys gathered around to look at the photo on the ID then looked back at Yi Xin.


    "The man in the picture is your brother, isn''t he? He looks like he has been through the vicissitudes of life," The child with the rolling pin said, then paused. Suddenly pleased, he added: "I actually used the ''vicissitudes of life'' in a sentence!"


    "Remember to use it in your next essay, maybe you''ll score a 90," Another child said, finally giving back Yi Xin his student ID.


    The trio walked into the living room. They felt reassured when they saw Zheng Tan lying on the sofa in one piece. If the cat was well, the person must be an acquaintance. They sat down on the sofa.


    Yi Xin saw that the sofa was taken, so he went and brought a chair from the dining table.


    As he was about to sit down, he caught the three kids staring at him. He stared back nkly. They were looking at him as if he did something wrong.


    Zheng Tan looked at them and sighed. He went to the fridge, then jumped up and opened the door.


    "Oh. ~ ~"


    "Charcoal is a much better host."


    "This is the basics of hospitality. Mr. Yi, even a cat knows it."


    Yi Xin managed to hold his tongue under the criticism. ''F*ck, if this were my ce, I''d know it too. But this is Professor Jiao''s house. I''m scared to eat a bag of snacks. I''m a guest too!''


    The strongest kid was the fastest. He was in front of the fridge in no time, rummaging through it like this was his own home.


    "Xiong Xiong, I want mango. Last time, I saw Jiao Yuan hide it. Look in the drawer."


    "I want apple!"


    Yi Xin felt his face twitch. Were the Viking piging a vige?


    Xiong Xiong returned with three popsicles.


    Looking at the three kids slurping their popsicles, Yi Xin asked: "So you three are herebecause?"


    "My granddaddy said that someone was here. We haven''t seen Jiao Yuan for a few days, so we came to ask why he wasn''ting to school." The child who had chastised Yi Xin for poor hospitality answered.


    "Uh, and your grandfather is?"


    "My granddad is a Lan Tiesu."


    Yi Xin could barely maintain his smile.


    Lan Tiesu was Professor Lan''s name.


    The kids were  Professor Lan''s grandson Lan Tianzhu, the son of a chemistry professor named Su An and Xiong Xiong. Zheng Tan did not know the specifics of Xiong Xiong''s background, but he had heard that the family was well connected, with ties to the headmaster.


    Yi Xin knew his boss was in another province, but didn''t know the specifics. So he told the kids something hade up and the Jiao family had to leave for a week.


    "Oh...." Xiong Xiong was not satisfied with this exnation. They were already here and his mother, who forbid him from eating ice cream, was sure to scold him if he went home like this. Might as well finish the popsicle before leaving.


    Xiong Xiong asked Yi Xin: "You are the Department of Health Sciences, right? I have a question."


    Yi Xin sat up, "Speak."


    "I heard that if you don''t eat breakfast, your body will eat feces. Is that true?"


    Zheng Tan, who was pretending to be asleep on the couch, was listening intently.


    Su An and Lan Tianzhu also looked over to Yi Xin.


    Yi Xin''s smile stiffened. He decided to answer this question in academic terms: "Strictly speaking, it is not correct. Food enters the small intestine, where nutrients are digested and absorbed, then the remaining residue enter therge intestine. It will then leave the body in the form of feces and urine. Therge intestine is not like the small intestine, it does not absorb anything except water and inorganic salts. So even if you do not eat breakfast, therge intestine will not absorb anyeh''residual residue''."


    "My mom lied to me again!" Xiong Xiongined.


    "You can argue with your mother."


    "No. She''ll punish me by making me kneel on the wash board."


    "That''s not bad at all. I had to kneel on the keyboard two days ago. My mom said I can''t get up until the space bar falls off." Su An said while nibbling on his popsicle.


    "Why?"


    "In order to verify that aqua regia can indeed dissolve gold, I threw my mom''s golden leaf earrings into the mixture. Turns out, it can dissolve gold."


    Zheng Tan and Yi Xin were both speechless. This wasteful kid.


    "My dad banned me from hisb, and my mom took away my pocket money." Su An went on.


    "Actually..." Lan Tianzhu wiped his mouth, "corporal punishment is illegal, isn''t it? You can call 110."


    "It''s useless, I tried." Xiong Xiong said, "After that, my mother switched to arger washboard."


    Once again Zheng Tan and Yi Xin were speechless.


    "F*ck, kids don''t have human rights!" Xiong Xiong eximed.


    Lan Tianzhu nced at him: "Language!"


    "F*ck, kids don''t have human rights!" Xiong Xiong re-eximed.


    Zheng Tan and Yi Xin gave up.


    Xiong Xiong rolled up his trousers to show them red marks on his leg from being pinched.


    That surprised the adults.


    "Wow. Your mother is really ruthless!" Lan Tianzhu and Su An swallowed nervously.


    "No!" Xiong Xiong looked proud. "I pinched myself really hard to cry! My mom felt bad and changed the original one hour kneeling into kneeling for fifteen minutes."


    Zheng Tan: "..."


    Yi Xin: ""


    Why was he looking so triumphant! What was he proud of!


    Listening to the conversation between the three children, Zheng Tan realized that when he was a kid, he was really, really, really f*cking naive.


    Yi Xin was swearing inside as well. ''Kids these days! How did they be this way!''


    The three kids finished the popsicles. They reluctantly put on the backpacks and left. Before leaving, though, they remembered to remind Yi Xin and Zheng Tan that recently there were thieves in the area. Apparently, several families had already been robbed, so they shouldn''t lend out their ess cards nor let strangers into the building.


    After three kids left, Zheng Tan and Yi Xin finally felt the world was at peace again.


    Boiling bath water for the cat, drying its fur, applying medicine and entertaining children ... all in one day. Yi Xin was physically and mentally exhausted. He decided that when the boss came back, he was going to ask for a raise. Without a doubt!


    Zheng Tan didn''t care about what Yi Xin was thinking. He was tired as well. These two days had been like a roller coaster ride. Remembering what Wei Lin said, Zheng Tan decided to go out for a run tomorrow.


    So, he went to bed early and was asleep before 8.


    Yi Xin was modifying his essay using Papa Jiao''sputer. When he was done, it was already 2 in the morning. He stretched and turned off theputer before getting up to go outside to sleep on the couch.


    Walking pass Gu Youzi''s room, he looked inside. With the lighting from the living room, he could see arge stuffed Garfield in the middle of the bed. The ck cat was lying on the toy with one leg curled up, the other leg on Garfield''s fat smiling face. It was fast asleep.


    Yi Xin curled his lips. Such a bad posture!


    In his dream, Zheng Tan became strong and he caught the thief.

 Chapter 14: So Nepenthe is Daylily?

    Chapter 14: So Nepenthe is Daylily?


    Yi Xin was awakened by the rm clock early in the morning. He had a report to make, for which he needed to prepare some slides in advance.


    Zheng Tan and Yi Xin left the house together.


    Yi Xin went to the east cafeteria to buy two bags of buns and after some consideration, two cups of soy milk. He brought it to the grove in the woods, where Zheng Tan was waiting for him on the stone table.


    Yi Xinid down a bag of buns and a cup of soy milk. He wasnt sure if cats could have soy milk, but Papa Jiao had mentioned on the phone that this cat had a strong stomach. Yi Xin thought buns were too dry, so he got the cat a drink as well.


    He threw a straw into the disposable cup before realizing that cats probably couldnt use straws.


    By this time, Zheng Tan had finished a bun. He brushed away Yi Xins hand and started drinking from the straw.


    If he wasnt in a rush to go prepare for the report, Yi Xin would definitely stay here to study how Professor Jiaos cat managed to defy the structure of a cats mouth and suck on a straw.


    Zheng Tan paid no attention to what Yi Xin was thinking. He was famished. He wanted to finish the food as quickly as possible, then rest for a while before going for a run. He wouldnt have the strength to run if he didnt eat.


    When he was about to start the sixth bun, Tiger and Sheriff appeared. They got the remaining food. They didnt bother saving anything for Fatty. He was like Zheng Tan. The guy didnt eat other peoples leftovers.


    As always, Tiger howled first to signal the location so the others shoulde quickly, then went straight to scratching trees.


    Zheng Tan threw the stic bags and soy milk cup into the trash then calmly walked around the stone table to help digestion.


    When Fatty showed up, Tiger was starting on his third tree.


    Zheng Tan felt he was ready. So he called out to his buddies before leading the way towards campus. Tiger quickly followed, though he stopped asionally to chew grass.


    Zheng Tan thought he would run on his own if he didnt see Wei Ling. After all, if was just running, and he had three other cats to apany him.


    However, he ran into Wei Ling before he even left the quarters. The man was doing pull-ups on thewn.


    Tiger had the strongest reaction to seeing Wei Ling again. He crouched up immediately, and all the fur on his body stood on end. In contrast, Fatty was vignt, but calm.


    Wei Ling stood up straight and looked at the four cats, focusing again on Fatty and Zheng Tan. He followed them without saying much.


    "How about we jog first? Doesnt the school have a running track that circles the whole campus? Lets start with ap.


    Zheng Tan: "..." A fullp?!


    Chuhua University had a huge campus. During his limited time here, Zheng Tan mostly stayed near the eastern quarter, onlying on campus to pick up the kids from school or visit the department of health sciences. He had also been to Professor Lans garden a few times, but that was about it. He had never seen the majority of the university before.


    Ap around the school might not be too bad. It would give him a chance to grow familiar with the campus.


    Twenty meters into his run, Zheng Tan looked back. Fatty was yawning without moving a step, Tiger was ying dead in the grass, and Sheriff was licking his lip while looking up at a sparrow on the tree.


    Well, they couldnt be counted on.


    He was better off running on his own.


    Wei Ling began running right away without waiting for him. He wasnt fast but his speed was steady. Zheng Tan followed along behind him.


    In the morning, students were walking or riding their bikes to ss from the cafeteria, dormitories and public squares. Students in the opera club or glee club were practicing their vocals under the patch of peach trees.


    The may flowers had been blooming for some time. Their scent was growing faint. The flowers were about to wither. The season was almost over.


    Zheng Tan saw Madam Di and her friends waving bright red fans, dancing some sort of fan dance. Their dance ss was about to end. They typically stopped half an hour before first period sses so as to not disturb the students.


    Madam Di was doing a swirl when she saw Zheng Tan panting and jogging. She almost dropped her fan. She had been dancing here for a long time, but this was the first time she had seen him. She didnt think he would stray so far away from the residential area. After all, this ce was close to the ssroom buildings. In general, cats rarely came to this area at this time.


    Zheng Tan did not see the olddys expression. They were only jogging, that was true. But he was so tired he could faint. He had never exercised like this, so no wonder it was so painful.


    The first half of thep was not too bad; he still had enough energy to look around at the scenery. This second half, however, was just pure torture.


    Wei Ling slowed down slightly, but Zheng Tan didnt stop.


    He wanted to exercise; he wanted to be stronger; he wanted to go further. He had to keep going.


    He was doing this for his life, after all.


    After he finished thep, Zheng Tan dropped to the ground and rolled around in the grass. He knew there was a water fountain on the other side of thewn, so he got up to go have a drink of water.


    Wei Ling did not idle around. He had run ap like Zheng Tan but was acting like it was just a simple warm up. He immediately started doing pull ups after they reached thewn.


    Zheng Tan stood next to the fountain to rest. He tilted his head to take a drink of water. When he looked back up, Wei Ling was running again. He was running faster this time.


    Zheng Tan took a few deep breathes and set off again. He was, however, no match for Wei Lings speed. The man was out of sight in an instant, so Zheng Tan decided to called it a day. He turned around at a fork road to head over to Professor Lans flower garden.


    As usual, Zheng Tan chose to jump over the wall. The actual entrance was still some distance away, and he waszy. Except, he forgot he had just finished a run. He almost didnt make the leap up.


    It was said to be a small flower garden, but in reality it was not small at all. A few greenhouses filled the space, inside of which grew all kinds of nts.


    Zheng Tan did not jump in right away, but walked along the wall until he came to a specific greenhouse. He hopped andnded on top of it with a bang.


    Inside, Professor Lan looked up from his work and waved his shovel emphatically. Cant you jump somewhere else! You are going to break my shed.


    Zheng Tan ignored him. He went to the other side of the greenhouse, where several wooden boxes were stacked to form a staircase. He walked down with ease and elegance. The greenhouse was transparent, so he could see inside quite clearly.


    Lilies, eh?


    Yellow ones too!


    Zheng Tan had never seen yellow lilies before. Other than the color, the flowers inside look exactly like the lilies he used to buy to woo girls.


    What was that old geezer doing, nting yellow lilies? Wouldnt the white ones sell better?


    Zheng Tan walked in. There was a wooden box filled with brown stuff in front of the greenhouse, but Zheng Tan did not pay it any attention. He was fixated on the yellow flowers.


    Professor Lan was holding a small shovel and busily at work. He did, though, find time to yell at the cat: Careful! Dont harm my day lilies.


    Day lilies?


    So these were not actual lilies?


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears in confusion. He was an idiot in this area. He couldnt figure out anything even if it was put right under his eyes. He barely remembered what lilies looked like but remotely recalled that they looked something like these flowers in front of him.


    While Zheng Tan was contemting hisck of knowledge in botany, people started to walk in.


    It was a few students, who came to get a sample.


    Like most people, the students were very timid when approaching Professor Lan.


    "Professor Lan, we made an appointment earlier toe get some samples for the antioxidant research."


    Lan did not stand up. He raised his hand and pointed to a corner in the greenhouse: "You can take anything from the area I have marked. Dont touch anything else.


    "Well be careful." A student hastily agreed.


    The students went to the appointed space. Clearly new to this school, one of them asked in hushed tones: "So this is Nepenthe[1]? Why do they look like lilies


    Another student was prepared to answer, but Professor Lan beat him to it.


    "Day lilies belong to the Angiosperms[2] de; Asparagales[3] order; Asphodceae[4] family; Hemerocallidoideae[5] subfamily. Did your teachers not teach you this? Why is it strange that they look simr to lilies? They belong to the same family.


    Professor Lans voice was gentle, but it was clear he was far from pleased.


    The students worked without another word. They were terrified to say something else that the old professor found offensive. They left as soon as they were done.


    Zheng Tan squatted beside the old man. He was rethinking what the students just said. So Nepenthe was just day lilies? The first name sounded much better. Inparison, day lily was too in. Zheng Tan had never linked the two together.


    Professor Lan stood up straight after the students left. He messaged his back while walking out of the greenhouse. He didnt forget to take his wooden box with him.


    "Fresh day lilies have higher fat and vitamin C contentpared to dried ones. But thetter contains more proteins and trace elements. I prefer it to fresh ones. There are lots of it back where I grew up, but here in the city its hard to find. Charcoal, let me tell you "


    .


    These retired profs still liked to lecture. They managed to go on and on and on even if the only listener was a cat that barely understood anything.


    From the moment he heard let me tell you, Zheng Tan knew that like Papa Jiao, Professor Lan was entering teaching mode.


    Zheng Tan spent the rest of the morning in the garden before leaving at noon.


    It was sunny when Zheng Tan reached the Eastern quarters. Tiger was lying in the grass, half hidden in the shade, half basking in the sun light. What surprised Zheng Tan was the fact that there was an animal lying next to Tiger. It whined until Tiger started to lick its fur.


    What the f*ck! When did this thing with the odd face came to the eastern quarters? Why hadnt he seen it before?


    Before Zheng Tan could recover from the surprise, out came another one.


    What the hell was this deformed thing that looked it was once punched in face?!


    FOOTNOTES:


    [1]: Nepenthe: a nt of a genus thatprises the Old World pitcher nts


    [2]: Angiosperms: a nt that has flowers and produces seeds enclosed within a carpel. The angiosperms are arge group and include herbaceous nts, shrubs, grasses, and most trees.


    [3]: Asparagales: an order of nts in modern ssification systems


    [4]: Asphodceae: a family of flowering nts in the order Asparagales


    [5]: Hemerocallidoideae: botanical name of a subfamily of flowering nts, part of the family Asphodceae

 Chapter 15: What Did You Do Now, Charcoal?

    Chapter 15: What Did You Do Now, Charcoal?


    In front of Zheng Tan were two puppies.


    One nestled against Tiger. The other one, that just came running over, began to bite Tiger''s ear after a few barks. From the look of it, he was just y biting or else Tiger wouldn''t be taking it so calmly.


    The three of them seem familiar enough that they must have met before. These two puppies must have arrived in those two days he was gone.


    Zheng Tan jumped on a nearby tree. The owner of the two pups should be in the vicinity; he was prepared to find out who they were.


    Half an hourter, several old men slowly walked over; two of them had dog leashes in their hands.


    Listening to their conversation, Zheng Tan figured out the reason behind the appearance of the puppies.


    The first of the two men, Mr. Li, was also a retired biology professor. He specialized in botany and often went on walks to Professor Lan''s garden. He lived on the first floor of Tiger''s building. Tiger often went in through his ce when he couldn''t open the front door. Zheng Tan was familiar with him.


    The second man, Mr. Yan, did not belong to the department of health sciences. Zheng Tan had seen him around the Eastern quarters a few times but didn''t know much about him.


    ording to them, several cases of theft had happenedst week in the quarters, so the two men decided to raise dogs to guards their homes.


    Mr. Li''s building hadn''t been robbed so far, but he lived on the first floor and decided to take precautions. He called his son to get him arge dog. He said he didn''t have any requirements except that the dog had to berge. He wanted something that looked imposing. He didn''t want anything like a Chihuahua. They didn''t look they were capable of much.


    His son thought about it then contacted some friends. City bws had restrictions onrge dogs, which made pet registrations extremely difficult. It wasn''t like he could get his father an aggressive dog anyways. What if it harmed someone living in the faculty residence? But it wasn''t like he could refuse his father''s request.


    Eventually, he bought a St. Bernard from a friend. It was big enough and rtively gentle. Though the drooling could be a problem.


    Mr. Li studied nts, so dogs weren''t his specialty. He decided that as long as it was arge dog, he would be happy. So when he saw the dog, he immediately decided he was going to take it.


    "This is a nice pup. I''ll call him Daisy."


    Zheng Tan pictured a full grown St. Bernard, with its droopy face, being called Daisy. It was awful.


    Mr. Yan lived in the building where the theft happened. His home was untouched but he too was worried. So he rang up his daughter, who was abroad, for some advice. His standards for a dog were different from Mr. Li. He didn''t care about its size, as long as it bit.


    Of course the dog wasn''t supposed to bite anyone living in the quarter, but it needed to be able to protect its owner if someone dangerous came near. Some dogs only looked scary, but wouldn''t even bark when thieves break in.


    So his daughter had a friend bring him this bull terrier. It was the somewhat deformed looking puppy that just ran over. It was white with ck circles around its eyes, like it was punched in the face. The puppy looked somewhat funny with its small beady eyes.


    Mr. Yan had named the bull terrier Mighty. After learning that the breed was aggressive to other animals, he decided to let it familiarize itself with the animals in the quarter. Even if it was going to grow up into a mean little thing, it shouldn''t be mean to its neighbors


    It appeared that this bull terrier, like the noisy parrot, liked to bite on cat ears. It was also a tad too energetic. It had been jerking around this whole time. It was probably not going to calm down after it grew up. In contrast, Daisy, who wasrger than both Tiger and Mighty, was much quieter. After whining a bit, she was falling asleep after being licked by Tiger.


    The three were getting along well, but who knew what would happen after the puppies grew up?


    In any case, Zheng Tan could foresee peace forever leaving the Eastern quarters.


    Zheng Tan went back home to have lunch. Yi Xin had brought back some food. It was cold by the time he got home, but he had to live with it.


    Yi Xin had fallen asleep on the couch after lunch. He still had to work on his thesister.


    Zheng Tan grew bored, so he went out again. Basking in the warm afternoon sun, he was growing sleepy. He didn''t see the other cats around, so he decided to go to theke. At this hour, the area was usually deserted. Zheng Tan jumped on a willow tree.


    Since he became a cat, Zheng Tan developed a habit of lying on high ces. it was strange that he was not afraid of the height, nor was he afraid of falling off in his dreams. He always slept peacefully on trees.


    He heard someone approaching, Zheng Tan opened his eyes. A young woman holding a stack of books sat down on a bench near his tree.


    The women looked familiar. He searched his memory. It was the "actress" from the "soap opera" that parrot was watching the other day.


    Zheng Tan looked at her belly. Perhaps it was because she was wearing loose fitting clothes, she didn''t look three months pregnant. Zheng Tan had left early that day and missed the rest of the "show". He didn''t know much about her, but from the looks of things, she was close to her due date.


    He twitched his ears. Zheng Tan didn''t try to figure out the plot of that day''s events. It had nothing to do with him. Besides, "soap operas" like that one happened every day in this country.


    He closed his eyes, ready to fall back asleep, when he heard approaching footsteps again. This time, it seemed like a man.


    But it wasn''t a man. Zheng Tan saw a woman, around 50, walking towards them. She had a stern look that wasparable only to that of Professor Lan''s. She had the aura of someone in high ces, who was used tomandeering those around her.


    The woman deliberately looked around to check that they were alone, before walking up to the younger woman.


    "Zhuo."


    Thedy''s expression softened, and her voice was gentle. Zheng Tan felt she was using hushed tones so as to avoid being overheard.


    Was something shady going on?


    Zheng Tan stuck up his ears.


    "Professor Ye."


    "Sit. Sit. Don''t get up."


    She sat down next to the young woman, but for a while, the two did not speak.


    The atmosphere felt heavy.


    Finally, the older woman sighed and asked: "You really decided?


    "Yes. Yes, I did."


    "We''re talking about project A!"


    She lowered her voice even more when she said "project A". Zheng Tan could barely hear them with his hearing.


    "I know Professor Ye. I have decided."


    They talked for a while. Zheng Tan attempted to figure out what this "project A" was, but the rest of their conversation was all about physics and so technical that he barely understood a word. This project A was never mentioned again.


    The willow branches hid Zheng Tan. Thedy only checked for people but not animals. So she never caught Zheng Tan eavesdropping.


    The woman, Zhuo, didn''t leave untilst period.


    Zheng Tan, too, went back home. All night long, he couldn''t take his mind off that project A. It was so very mysterious.


    The next day, Zheng Tan finished his daily run with Wei Ling, went home for lunch, then strolled over to theke again. Sure enough, Zhuo was at the exact same spot reading a book with a pen in her hand, jotting down something in her notebook.


    Zheng Tan considered it, then walked over and hopped on the same bench.


    Zhuo looked up and saw a ck cat with round eyes staring at her. She smiled at it, then resumed what she was doing.


    Zheng Tan saw she didn''t mind, so he inched closer to look at what she was writing.


    He saw a series of abstruse forme made up of symbols he never seen before and etc. In short, it was stuff he didn''t understand.


    As for the book, it was in English and consisted entirely of professional vocabry and terms. Zheng Tan thought he knew some English, but this was way beyond his level.


    How frustrating!


    Zheng Tan didn''t understand the book or her notes, but he did not leave immediately. He was really curious about the so-called "project A". He figured if that he stuck around long enough, he should be able to find a chance to figure out what it was.


    So, Zheng Tan spent the afternoon on the bench. The other woman came by. She checked his pet ID after seeing him, then left without saying anything.


    The next few days, Zheng Tan settled into a routine. He would train in the morning, then sleep on the bench by theke in the afternoon. The older woman woulde by every day. She would stay for a few minutes, sometimes saying a few words before she left again. If Zhuo was doing calctions, she would stand and watch quietly.


    One day, Zheng Tan went home straight after his run. He had nothing nned for the rest of the day and waited on the sofa. It was Wednesday again. A week had gone by and the Jiao family wasing home.


    Yi Xin had to spend his day in theb so he wouldn''t be bringing lunch. Zheng Tan ate snacks instead.


    Checking the clock on the wall every few minutes, Zheng Tan felt that time had never passed slower.


    Finally, at three in the afternoon, Zheng Tan heard Jiao Yuan''s voice downstairs. He rushed onto the balcony.


    Mama Jiao, Gu Youzi and Jiao Yu were downstairs each holding a bag. They saw Zheng Tan''s head poke out from the balcony railing and all smiled. After they entered the building, Zheng Tan opened the front door and waited.


    Back at home, the three look tired and somewhat sad. But being home, the kids were much more rxed. After a bath, Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi went back into their rooms to take a nap. Kids got tired easily and they had not been able to get a good night''s sleep since they left. They weren''t used to sleeping elsewhere.


    Mama Jiao was preparing to make dumplings. She would wake the kids after dinner was ready.


    Zheng Tanid on the couch watching TV. He was in a good mood, and for the moment, he couldn''t care less about project A or Daisy and Mighty or whatever.


    The Jiao family returning meant he wouldn''t have to eat cafeteria food and snacks anymore. Life was beautiful.


    Papa Jiao came home at five. He had to take care of some business. Yi Xin needed to borrowb equipment from the physics department, some of which required his mentor to be present to vouch for him.


    Papa Jiao looked confused when he came through the door. He saw Zheng Tan on the couch and asked: "Did you do something, Charcoal?"


    Mama Jiao, who was testing her cooking, was displeased at what he said. "Charcoal is a good boy. What on earth can he do to anger you? You are a scientist. You need to present proof before you make usations."


    "I just went to the physics department to borrow equipments and ran into ''the Buddha''. She actually smiled at me!" Papa Jiao frowned in confusion.


    "Do you mean sneered?" Mama Jiao asked.


    It was a fair assumption. Every time Papa Jiao went to borrow equipment, ''the Buddha'' always treated him like he owed her a billion dors.


    "No, she actually smiled."


    Smiling like a normal human was not normal for ''the Buddha''.


    Mama Jiao frowned. She came out the kitchen, still holding a spoon in hand, and looked at Zheng Tan, who was lying innocently on the couch.


    "Charcoal, what did you do now?"


    Zheng Tan: "..."

 Chapter 16: The Fat Cat Can Jump

    Chapter 16: The Fat Cat Can Jump


    Zheng Tan felt lost; he didn''t even know "the Buddha". Originally, he thought Papa Jiao was going to talk about him running away, but not only did he not mention it, he was talking about some "Buddha".


    "Forget it. He doesn''t look like he knows anything." Mama Jiao returned to the kitchen. She didn''t think a cat could make Chuhua''s famous "Buddha" change her attitude.


    Papa Jiao sat down on the sofa and described "the Buddha" to Zheng Tan.


    When he heard Papa Jiao say she was a woman in her fifties with a stern look, he immediately thought of thedy who came by theke every day.


    "Buddha" was actually Ye He. She was the dean of the Faculty of Physics. Because she was so serious and demanding all the time and her name happened to be part of the name of that famous Qing Dynasty Buddha Yehe N [1], she was nicknamed "the Buddha". Her department was part terrified and part in awe by her. It didn''t help that her husband was now the headmaster.


    Zheng Tan recalled Dean Ye''s look and her leadership style. The nickname was really quite fitting.


    Papa Jiao did not ask about him running away nor did he say anything more about "the Buddha" smiling. It didn''t seem like a bad thing.


    The kids woke up at dinner time. Jiao Yuan went immediately to the fridge to check on his "treasures".


    "Oh, sh*t!"


    Mama Jiao, who was carrying out dishes of food, caught him the moment he started swearing. Sheid down the te and gave his ear a hard tug.


    "Foulnguage. That''s one buck deducted from your pocket money!"


    "Hey, don''t. I was in the moment. I couldn''t control myself. Have mercy." Jiao Yuan begged while rubbing his ear.


    But Mama Jiao''s heart was set and Jiao Yuan was out of a buck. Zheng Tan could tell from his gritted teeth, those three boys were going to get a tongueshing from him tomorrow.


    After being deserted for seven days, the Jiao household was lively again.


    After dinner, the two children watched a bit of TV, then obediently went back to their rooms to study. After missing school for a week, they had quite a bit of catching up to do.


    Mama Jiao cleaned up the dishes, then left to visit her colleagues.


    Mama Jiao taught junior high English at a school near Chuhua University. Her co-workers had to sub in for her when she was gone. Now that she was back, she bought some fruits and went over to their ce to thank them.


    As for Papa Jiao, he was now sitting at the desk with a book.


    Zheng Tan went over to see the cover. It was a collections of essays by Lu Xun. This meant Papa Jiao was not in a very good mood.


    People unavoidably suffered from negative emotions from time to time, but each had their own way of dealing with it. For some people, it was alcoholism; for others, it was fighting or extreme sports. Papa Jiao never swore or did intense stuff to vent. Because there were children at home, he rarely smoked or drank.


    So, when Papa Jiao was frustrated, he read the works of Lu Xun.


    Zheng Tan remembered in August, when Papa Jiao was waiting for the National Natural Science Foundation to announce the list of scientists receiving funding this year, he started reading Lu Xun''s "The True Story of Ah Q".


    A few dayster, the National Natural Science Foundation contacted him to notify him he was on the list.


    As for today ...


    Zheng Tan jumped on the desk to take a closer look. Papa Jiao was reading "Some Thoughts on ''F*ck'' ".


    ... times were progressing; it couldn''t possibly regress to the age of ''f*ck''. After deep thought, coupled with our long history of cultural heritage, we finally found a word that was "more elegant", "more civilized" and more exhrating than "cool" - "Ass". "My ass" was now said out loud with ease ... [2]


    Zheng Tan read the paragraph, then looked back at Papa Jiao, who was reading on with a straight face. Well, everyone had to vent somehow. Sometimes, he really didn''t understand Papa Jiao.


    Zheng Tan went to the balcony to get some fresh air. The night air was cool with the slight sweetness of flowers. Before he could take a deep breath, unique singing from the fourth floor disrupted his peace.


    "I nt~ a mellow at the foot of a wall, watering it every day ~ visiting it every day ~ it sprouted ~ flowers bloomed~ and it became ~ a big watermelon ~, big watermelon oh big watermelon, ~ I can''t even hold it ~ "


    Zheng Tan: "... "


    Hold a melon your as*.


    The parrot was watering a pot. During summer, he spat a watermelon seed into the flower pot on the balcony. When he found out it had sprouted a stem, he was exhrated. Each time he watered the pot, he sang this song.


    It was a miracle that this melon actually survived. The parrot and its owner sometimes went away for weeks on end, with no one here to water the nt. It was left entirely to nature. If it rained, the nt got some water.


    As for fertilizer, there was plenty of bird poop.


    Zheng Tan looked down. The melon seedlings had grown quite a bit. Only God knew how much longer it could survive in this habitat.


    Zheng Tan went back inside, before the parrot realized he was there. He rolled around on the sofa for a bit, before falling asleep.


    He had to get up early tomorrow. He was informed that Wei Lin was increasing the intensity of his training since he didn''t feel that tired anymore after running ap. He was to practice climbing trees too. It was going to be a long day.


    The night passed in peace.


    The next day, Zheng Tan felt he was going to cry over his eggs and pork noodles at breakfast. It was great to have people at home. No more cafeteria food.


    Zheng Tan took his time eating his noodles and strolled slowly to thewn. Wei Ling was warming up.


    "You are fifteen minuteste."


    Zheng Tan ignored him. He rested for a while, digesting his food. Then after a quick warm up on thewn, he began his daily run. His paws were rougher due to his daily runs. At first, it hurt quite a bit. Now, he was used to it.


    They took a slightly different route today. It was filled with slopes and stairs. The distance was longer too. It was supposed to be more tiring and it was.


    Afterwards, Zheng Tan felt as if his limbs were made from noodles. He was fatigued to the bone and ceased to walk. He limped instead.


    Wei Ling had to walk him home to the eastern quarters. Zheng Tan needed guarding at the moment, a small Chihuahua could kill him in his current state.


    Zheng Tan looked over to the grove on his way home. Tiger was rolling in the grass; Sheriff was staring at a turtledove. As for the Fatty, Zheng Tan looked around. That guy was sleeping, as always, in a heap of stones.


    Weeds grew all around the stones. If you didn''t know what you were looking for, it was quite easy to miss the sleeping cat. It was crouched into the shape of a peanut with its head on the ground.


    Zheng Tan took one step in that direction. Fatty''s ear immediately perked up. He was upright in the blink of an eye. His eyelids were no longer drooping. He looked alert, unlike what he usually looked like after waking up.


    Since Fatty began a stage of horizontal development, he gained lot of flesh on his face. Together with his fluffy fur, his head appeared huge, making his ear appear small inparison. But his hearing was just as good.


    Zheng Tan was feeling puzzled when Fatty came running towards them. At the same time, a familiar car with army tes came rolling down the driveway.


    The window rolled down slowly. Before it was halfway down, Fatty, who just came running, jumped up and into the car through that small crack.


    If weren''t for the fact he just he witnessed it with his own eyes, Zheng Tan never would have believed that this chubby kitty could jump with such agility and precision.


    Couldn''t Fatty have waited until the window was all the way down? This was so dangerous.


    This guy was a masochist, for sure. He was looking to be punished. They were definitely going to be treated to the sight of him squatting on instant noodles when they got back.


    Zheng Tan was pitying Fatty, when Wei Ling suddenly stood up straight and saluted.


    Zheng Tan looked at Wei Ling, then back at the car, then back at Wei Ling. He was puzzled.


    "That was my oldmander. Of course, now he has climbed up the ranks." Wei Ling answered sensing Zheng Tan''s confusion.


    ''No wonder he felt weird the first time he saw the fat cat. If it was trained by that person, everything could be exined.''


    Zheng Tan was surprised. Who knew Fatty''s family''s rtive was someone of great importance?


    Wei Ling tossed a stic water bottle into the trash. Although he had left the army, he saluted on reflex.


    "Could you jump like that?" Wei asked.


    Zheng Tan knew he meant that precise jump made by Fatty a moment ago. He twitched his ear. The odds were not good if he were to attempted the same move. If the window waspletely rolled down, he could definitely jump in. But if the window was only half way down like it was ... it would be difficult. He could hit his head or his limbs could get caught.


    Zheng Tan was smaller in sizepared to Fatty. So technically, it should be easier for him. But he wasn''t so sure of himself.


    "So, you still have lots to learn." Wei Ling came to a conclusion.


    What he just saw was just the tip of the iceberg. He believed that cat was capable of much more than it was showing. Although it had rarely moved since he came to the university, but its vignce, keen observation powers and ability to calcte its enemy''s next move had set it apart from other cats. Not to mention, it could jump as well as any feline.


    "You have a long way to go!" With that said, Wei Ling left. He didn''t continue running like he did the day before, but left campus to visit an old friend. He needed to share what he just saw.


    Zheng Tan recovered from his surprise. He climbed trees for a while then went home for lunch.


    What he didn''t know was Papa Jiao came back to copy a document. He saw Wei Ling saluting to the car with Zheng Tan by his side. He heard from Yi Xin about his cat''s daily runs. Madam Di also mentioned it to him. He was just figuring out how to investigate Wei Ling, when he saw this scene.


    It was good he knew these people.


    After copying his document at home, Papa Jiao went to visit Fatty''s house on the first floor. Ten minutester, he left.


    That evening, when the Jiao couple were chatting about their cat, Papa Jiao said, "Rest assured. Although that Wei Ling''s exact background is a mystery. He could definitely be trusted. It''s good that Charcoal is learning tricks from him. It could be helpful to keep him out of harm''s way on future trips."


    [1] Ye He Na La is thest name of a famous female ruler who ruled with an iron fist. The Chinese sometimes call the mother/grandmother of an emperor "the Buddha". She both ruled as the mother of an emperor and the grandmother of another.


    [2] A Paragraph from Lu Xun''s essay. It was satirical.

 Chapter 17: A Call From The Cat

    Chapter 17: A Call From The Cat


    When life bes a routine, times passes quickly.


    Zheng Tan''s mornings now consisted of running, climbing stairs, climbing trees and practicing jumping.


    The Jiao family calendar was flipped to November already. Only when he saw it, did Zheng Tan realize how much time had passed. He had been here for five months now.


    Zheng Tan flexed his paws. Sharp ws appeared. These ws looked no different from the ws of other cats, but Zheng Tan knew, they were not the same. At least, they were different from what they were two months ago. He never deliberately grinded his ws, nor did he cut it. His ws grew, then his training wore them out. Then it grew again and was worn out again.


    Cat ws were indeed a very magical thing. There were sharp, flexible and retractable. Some said that cat ws were like portable Swiss Army knives. So Zheng Tan was training his to be more sharp and more tough.


    Zheng knew he was different from other cats. He heard Papa Jiao say before that cats cannot taste sweetness, but he could distinctly taste it. He could also eat a lot of things cats were supposed to avoid. People debated whether cats were color-blind. He didn''t know what it was like for other cats, but at least he could distinguish between colors.


    Then there was the issue of ws. Even if other cats underwent continuous training, they would not experience the surge in strength Zheng Tan was experiencing, nor would their ws change drastically.


    However, that was about it. He didn''t experience anything miraculous. Even if his strength was now close to the level of an adult, he was not physically turning into a human being. Just like even if he trained like a monkey, he was not bing a monkey.


    Was this really what it was going to be like from now on?


    Zheng Tan pondered these things while running. Not only was he significantly faster, he could now afford to distract himself with thoughts. He wasn''t tired to the point where breathing was painful anymore. At most, he experienced some mental fatigue, which went away after a bit of rest.


    Afterpleting twops, Zheng Tan came to a small patch of woods on the edge of campus. It wasrger than the grove in the eastern quarters and usually deserted due to its distance from ssrooms. The school recently demolished some red brick buildings that had ''too much history'' nearby and was nning to build a new dorm in its ce. The university was expanding rapidly, and the old dormitories were filled up to capacity.


    Therefore, the area was frequented only by construction workers and construction vehicles. Students and faculty living off campus usually avoideding in through the side door here. Zheng Tan came here every day to climb trees after his run because no one was here to discover any peculiar behavior of his.


    Wei Lin had been helping that police officer recently. Apparently, the case he was investigating was not yet solved. Zheng Tan mostly ran and trained alone these days. As for the other three cats, he gave up on trying to get them to exercise with him since the first day.


    After taking a short break, Zheng Tan began his daily tree-climbing exercise. Another advantage of training here was that the trees wererger, which meant they were more suitable for climbing.


    Zheng Tan hopped onto a big pagoda tree. He scratched the trunk a few times before picking a branch that could withstand his weight. He slipped off the branch, hanging himself upside down. He held on tightly with his legs, then took a deep breath.


    His hind legs let go of the branch, leaving him dangling by only his two front legs. His ws sunk into the tree, and he started moving outwards to the tip of the branch. When he was almost there, he swung himself back onto the tree.


    He then looked around, selected a suitable branch within a reasonable distance. He prepared himself before jumping onto the new branch and repeated the whole process again.


    When he first heard of this training method from Wei Ling, Zheng Tan had his doubts. After all, he was a cat, not a monkey.


    Wei Ling acknowledged Zheng Tan''s confusion. He asked, "Do you think it''s not possible? Or that no cat can do it?"


    "I had known a cat that could run through the woods with the agility of a monkey. It moved from branch to branch, tree to tree without touching the ground. Ever since it learnt to climb trees, it had spent most of its time on trees."


    "Remember, sometimes for cats, trees are yourst lifesaver."


    So, Zheng Tan began his training, hoping one day, he might be able swing from branch to branch on one leg like a monkey.


    After climbing five trees, Zheng Tan jumped onto an old Liriodendron tree. He first noticed it, because of its oddly shaped leaves. At the time, Zheng Tan was resting on its branches, when a leaf fell in front of him. It looked just like a vest.


    Wei said that this tree was called Liriodendron and was a rare and endangered species. In a city, it was seldom seen anywhere out of a botanical garden. The fact that one of these existed on campus was a testimony to Chuhua University''s long history.


    Liriodendron flowers looked like tulips. Its English name could be tranted to "Chinese tulips", but unfortunately, Liriodendron blossoms bloom in May and June. Zheng Tan nned on bringing the Jiao family here next year to see it together.


    Zheng Tan listened to the leaves rustle around him. The wind was softly caressing his fur. He looked side to side, the trees were slowly turning golden. Soon, the temperature was going to drop again. Then, after a rainy or windy day, the leaves would start falling.


    Winter wasing to Chuhua.


    It was still early. Third period had just ended and Zheng Tan wasn''t due home for lunch until the fourth period. If he went home early, he would just end up wasting time waiting around for food to be cooked.


    As usual, he decided to go to theke.


    It seemed like calm, obedient animals had the ability to make people lower their guards, which was why people often vented to their pets. That Zhuo talked to Zheng Tan sometimes. She never mentioned "Project A" though. She mostly said pointless things like "you came again" or "are you hungry?".


    Once in a while, Zhuo would talk about stuff rted to her field like Papa Jiao. One time, she was reading something, when she suddenly got excited and tore a corner from her notebook. She then tore the corner into even smaller pieces. She closed her notebook with the torn paper still inside, then took out a pen with a rubber cap and rubbed it against Zheng Tan. She put the pen close to the pieces of paper in her notebook and was able to attract paper scraps.


    Zhuo showed the pen, now covered in paper scraps, to Zheng Tan with a wide smile: "Look, this is called the static electricity from friction! So what caused it? Let me tell you. Everything in our world is made up of atoms. The atom, on the other hand, is made up of positively charged protons and neutrons... "


    Zheng Tan almost wanted to choke when he heard "Look, this is called static electricity from friction". Then he heard "Let me tell you". He wanted to cry.


    Why did he always run into people like this!


    Zheng Tan stayed on the bench next to theke until end of fourth period, when he got up to go pick up the kids.


    However, Zheng Tan didn''t see the two little figurese out of the school.


    Lan Tianzhu and his bunch saw the ck cat sitting on the wall, so they called out: "Charcoal, Jiao Yuan left already. Auntie Ling came and got him after first period."


    Auntie Ling was Tiger''s owner, but also Mama Jiao''s colleague.


    He was soon informed by a girl that Auntie Ling picked Gu Youzi up from ss as well.


    Zheng Tan started to worry. Something must have happened or else the kids would not be taken out of school early.


    He ran back to the Eastern quarters, brushed his security ess card and hurriedly climbed up to the fifth floor. He meowed loudly at the door for a long time, but no one answered.


    So he went back down and fetched the key he hid in the tree.


    The house was quiet, very quiet, just like how he left it in the morning. Usually, by this time, it would be full of hustle and bustle and the aroma of food.


    Today was different. Zheng Tan searched every room, not even the kids'' backpacks were here. That meant they never came home after they left school.


    There was no notebook spread open on the desk or notes stuck in the corridor. No tips and memos left around the house.


    Zheng Tan was at a loss. He started walking in circles out of frustration.


    Although this family was not rted to him by blood and he probably wouldn''t even meet them if not for this whole turn-into-a-cat fiasco, but Mama Jiao had found him inside a dumpster at the farmers'' market and brought him home. The Jiao family, all four of them, treated him really well. And after five months, Zheng Tan had developed a sense of belonging he did not want to admit.


    When he was human, he had properties in several locations, but none of them made him feel the way he felt now. He couldn''t quite describe this feeling. It was as if whenever he was upset or angry, all he needed to do wase through the front doors, and he would feel alright again.


    Just when he was starting to feel dizzy from circling too much, Zheng Tan suddenly remembered something. He ran back into the bedroom and hopped next to the phone on the table. He pressed the speaker button before dialing Papa Jiao''s cell phone.


    It rang several times before he picked up.


    "Hi?"


    Papa Jiao''s voice sounded hoarse. Zheng Tan could feel he was suppressing his emotions. This made him even more upset. He let out a howl.


    "Ah Woo-"


    On the other end of the line, Papa Jiao was momentarily speechless. Only his family''s cat made noises like that.


    He did not expect to receive a phone call from hisndline at home. When he saw the caller ID, he had no idea it was his cat. His cat wasn''t like any other house cat, but he didn''t expect it to call.


    Not getting a response, Zheng Tan howled again.


    This time, Papa Jiao answered.


    "I am at the hospital; I have the kids here with me. Ronghan got into an ident. Be a good boy and stay home for now. There are snacks in the fridge..."


    "Ah Woo- Ah Woo-" Zheng Tan continued to howl.


    Ronghan was Mama Jiao''s name. Her full name was Gu Ronghan. Hearing she got into an ident, he couldn''t just remain calm and stay put. He wanted to ask where the hospital was, but of course he couldn''t. Frustrated, he just kept howling.


    He was so irritable that when he saw a stack of books nearby, he lifted his paw right away and smacked it off the table.


    Hearing the sound of books falling to the ground, Papa Jiao was silent for a second, "I''ll get Yi Xin to bring you some food?"


    "Ah woo -"


    Zheng Tan looked around. There was a cup they got from their milk supplier sitting next to the keyboard.


    He wagged his tail and off the table it went.


    Papa Jiao heard the sound of ss breaking through the phone; he was silent for a bit longer this time.


    "I will get Yi Xin to bring you over; wait at home. Stop breaking things. "


    Zheng Tan howled his agreement :"Aoo."

 Chapter 18: Charcoal, Help Out at Home

    Chapter 18: Charcoal, Help Out at Home


    Zheng Tan waited at the door. No one came. He scratched the door out of frustration. Of, course he didn''t scratch his own door, but Qu''s door across the hall. He stuck his paw through the metal bars and went crazy on the wooden door inside.


    That otaku Qu Xiangyang was yingputer games with headphones on. He didn''t hear the noise outside. When he finally noticed, his door was severely ''scarred''.


    Zheng Tan waited for nearly an hour before Yi Xin showed up covered in sweat.


    Yi Xin was busy with his experiment when he got the call from the boss. He was told that he should finish his work first. However, he knew from past experience, the boss''s cat was ill-tempered.


    Yi Xin darted out the door the moment he was done, throwing off hisb coat on the way. He jumped onto his newly-bought second-hand bike and pedaled as fast as he could while trying to open the cap on his water bottle.


    When he finally got to the fifth floor where the Jiao family lived, he was not surprised to find the murderous ck cat waiting for him. The sound of ws on wood sent the a cold shiver down his spine.


    He looked at the door, then at the look in the cat''s eyes and quickly exined his reasons for beingte. He stressed that this was with the approval of his boss.


    Zheng Tan didn''t want to listen to him babble. He ran back into the living room and fetched the bag Papa Jiao used to take him into the Health Department.


    Yi Xin was not surprised by Zheng Tan''s actions. He was surprised enough thest time that he was now immune. Following Papa Jiao''s instructions, Yi Xin opened the bag.


    Zheng Tan jumped in without being told, then stared at Yi Xin. Trying to urge him to get moving with his eyes.


    Not being able to talk was a huge inconvenience. Before, he had little sympathy for the deaf and the mute. Now he knew exactly what it felt like. After all, most people couldn''t read your mind.


    Yi Xin did not understand the look Zheng Tan gave him. He simply followed his orders and carried the bag with the cat downstairs. He was on t ground when he remembered that he could have just let the cat walk down by itself.


    Yi Xin proceeded to bike the two of them to the university hospital.


    Unfortunately, things could go wrong even with a bike ride.


    They didn''t make it too far out the Eastern quarters, when Zheng Tan heard a ''nk'' followed by the bike slowing down.


    Hearing Yi Xin swear, Zheng Tan looked out from the basket. Everything seemed normal. Then he looked behind them. There, in the middle of road, was a broken chain.


    ''How bad is the bike, that the chain can just break off! F*ck!''


    They had to wait quite a while for the school shuttle, and it stopped way too often anyways. Zheng Tan didn''t have the time to wait. Take a taxi? Who knew when a taxi would drive through campus? Go by bike? From whom could they borrow a bike? Zheng Tan didn''t know what he would do if Yi Xin borrowed another bike that broke down half-way to the hospital.


    Zheng Tan suddenly remembered seeing Papa Jiao''s scooter in the shed when they came downstairs. The weather had cooled down recently. When time permitted, Papa Jiao jogged to work.


    Yi Xin didn''t have a clue what to do. He was squatting next to his bike when he saw the ck cat jump out the basket.


    "Hey, why are you running! Wait!" Yi Xin more anxious. He could buy another bike, but how could he face the boss if he lost the cat.


    So Yi Xin left his bike on the side of road and ran after the cat. The bike was second-hand anyways. Now with a broken chain, it was so worthless that only sanitation workers would touch it. No one was going to steal his bike.


    Zheng Tan ran back to the quarters. Back home, he found the other key to the scooter in a corner of the desk drawer. He brought the key out, just when a panting Yi Xin caught up with him.


    Zheng Tan nced at Yi Xin then jumped onto Papa Jiao''s scooter. He patted the seat andid down the keys.


    Yi Xin: "... "


    Well, it was official. The boss''s cat was different.


    The scooter was much more reliablepared to the bike. It required less physical work by Yi Xin as well. It was great that he didn''t need to pedal anymore; Yi Xin wasn''t sure he still had the strength to do so.


    Zheng Tan was still dissatisfied. A scooter was slowpared to a motorcycle. It was during times like this that Zheng Tan really wished the Jiao family had a car of their own.


    On the way to the hospital, Zheng Tan took special care to memorize the way. If something happened in the future, he would like to count on himself. Relying on others was both wasting time and looking for trouble.


    The hospital affiliated to Chuhua university was not on campus, but rather two bus stops away. It served as medical, teaching and research facility and was a Level Three First grade hospital [1].


    The medical side of the building was always full of people. Yi Xin parked the scooter, then followed the detailed address given by his boss and carried the cat in, hidden in a bag. After all, hospitals did not wee pets. Zheng Tan couldn''t just swagger in.


    In the elevator, they ran into Papa Jiao, who hade down to buy lunch. His expression was calm, and when he talked to Yi Xin, his voice was no longer hoarse and depressed like it was on the phone. It seemed that Mama Jiao would be ok.


    Papa Jiao bought five bentos, the extra one was for Yi Xin.


    Yi Xin wanted to buy Mama Jiao some fruit. When he looked in his pockets, he didn''t find anything except a school meal card. He left in a hurry and had left his wallet in his jacket


    "So um You reckon they take meal n points at the fruit shop?" Yi Xin was very embarrassed.


    Papa Jiao, Zheng Tan: "... "


    "Maybe some other day. She wouldn''t be able to eat it today anyways. She''s not awake yet." Papa Jiao said.


    Papa Jiao exined the situation.


    Mama Jiao taught at the local junior high, but sometimes she went to the affiliated high school. She intended to transfer there in the future. She had lots of acquaintances at both schools, and she was capable enough to handle high school material.


    Her only concern was that the two children at home were too young. When she didn''t have ss at her junior high, she went over to the high school to help out. It was like interning as a high school teacher.


    The high school affiliated to Chuhua university was one of the best in the province, but was close to the third ring road, far away from downtown. Chuhua University had a daily shuttle that went from the university to the high school, stopping at the junior high in the middle.


    However, today, the shuttle had turned a corner after leaving the junior high, when it was hit by a lorry transporting ss doors. The lorry driver was hungover and severely hurt. He was still in the operations room and in critical condition.


    Many people on the school shuttle were hurt, out of which, six were seriously injured. Two of the passengers were still being rescued.


    Mama Jiao was one of the luckier ones. She was brought to the hospital covered in blood. That was what Papa Jiao saw when he got here. She had been stabbed by broken ss in several ces. Three of the cuts were very deep. The wound on her leg was showing bones. But none of her bones or organs were actually hurt. She just looked like she was in very bad shape. In truth,pared to those six who were seriously injured, Mama Jiao could be considered lucky.


    The broken ss was taken out in surgery. No fractures were found, but she needed to stay for further observation.


    When Papa Jiao received Zheng Tan''s call, Mama Jiao had just left surgery. He had not yet recovered from seeing her covered in blood, which was the reason why he sounded like that. Now, he was back to his usual calm self.


    He had asked Auntie Ling to fetch the children, in case the situation grew worse, to give Mama Jiao a chance to see them onest time.


    Rtively speaking, Mama Jiao''s situation was not serious. After the surgery, she was sent directly to the general ward. The ICU was full.


    In truth, this so-called "general ward" was, strictly speaking, not very "general". The hospital gave school faculty and family additional benefits that included special rooms on a separate floor of the hospital.


    Compared to other wards, the difference here was that the ward was divided by walls, instead of curtains, into four smallpartments. The walls were thin, so talking loudly was still not an option. But it was better than being crowded together. The ward next door wasn''t divided. It was up to the patients, but most of those who just went through surgery like Mama Jiao would choose the divided wards.


    Eachpartment was very small, with less than ten square meters of room. It felt crowded when more than a few people were inside.


    Mama Jiao had not woken up yet, but knowing that she was out of danger now, everyone in the Jiao family felt better.


    Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi were sitting on a bench in the corridor. Gu Youzi''s eyes were red and swollen from crying. Jiao Yuan was not better off by much.


    Yi Xin did not stay for long. He still had work of his own, so Papa Jiao sent him away.


    "Not enough people avable!" Papa Jiao sighed while watching the boy walk away.


    "I should take a few more grad students next year."


    Zheng Tan wondered what Yi Xin would think if he heard that.


    Zheng Tan ate his bento in Mama Jiao''spartment to avoid being seen by others. A nurse came by to check on the patient. He hid from her inside Jiao Yuan''s backpack. The books were all taken out and put into a stic bag.


    Mama Jiao''s ident was kept a secret from the both her and Papa Jiao''s parents. They were not young anymore, and traveling back and forth from their hometowns was too much of a hassle.


    Zheng Tan and the two children stayed here, while Papa Jiao took a trip back home. He went to fetch clothes and supplies and also got the small wooden table with the Chinese chess patterns. It could used as a bedside table, a desk for when the kids needed to write homework and a dining table.


    Papa Jiao was nning to stay here for a couple of days. There was a folding chair in thepartment for any apanying family to rest on. It was a bit small, but Papa Jiao figured it was only for a few days


    That day, the Jiao children did not go back to ss, but stayed here with Papa Jiao. Mama Jiao woke in the afternoon, said a few words, then fell back asleep. Although her face was still pale, her waking up put the minds of three people and a cat at ease.


    Around five in the afternoon, Papa Jiao went to buy dinner. He sent the kids home after the meal so they wouldn''t have to take the bus in the dark.


    Originally, Papa Jiao had nned for the two children to go to Auntie Ling''s or some other family friend''s ce for the night. The children firmly opposed this n, saying that they were old enough to look after themselves and that they couldn''t sleep well in other people''s homes.


    Eventually, Papa Jiao backed down. He looked Zheng Tan, whose head was poking out from Jiao Yuan''s backpack and said: "Charcoal, look out for them. Help out at home a little bit."


    "Aow-" Zheng Tan agreed. He didn''t need to be told to take care of the kids. He already thought of himself as their older brother.


    Footnotes :

 Chapter 19: The Thieves Are On the Move Again

    Chapter 19: The Thieves Are On the Move Again


    The two children waited for the bus in front of the hospital door. The first two buses that passed were too full. Jiao Yuan decided to wait a little longer for one with less people. Buses that went from the hospital to the East gate of the university came so frequently that there was no point in squishing onto a crowded one.


    Themuters were mostly people leaving work. The poption of Chuhua was veryrge, and the city didn''t have a subway system yet, so buses were always crowded during rush hour.


    Today, Jiao Yuan was very quiet. If it was any other time, Jiao Yuan would be kicking a tree or peeling stickers off a pole or talking to people nearby. He wasn''t someone who could wait quietly for the bus.


    Today he just held his sister''s hand and stood still. Besides telling Gu Youzi they should wait for the next bus, he didn''t say another word.


    Zheng Tan stayed in Jiao Yuan''s backpack. The zipper was notpleted zipped. They left a little gap so Zheng Tan could stick his head out and fresh air could get in. It was ufortable staying in there, but to avoid any unnecessary trouble, he kept his head down and remained safely hidden in the backpack.


    Jiao Yuan''s backpack smelled of tea eggs [1]. He probably went to the cafeteria and bought some to snack on before lunch.


    They waited for fifteen minutes before an uncrowded bus came. Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi got on the bus. Someone was getting off and gave them his seat. Jiao Yuan thanked the person. The kids shared the seat and carefully ced the backpack carrying Zheng Tan on their legs.


    It was only two stops to the university east gate, but two more stops to the eastern quarters. It was better to ride the bus than to walk.


    Zheng Tan was feeling stuffy, so he poked his nose close to the gap to get some fresh air. The bus stopped and started again, sometimes because it reached a bus stop, sometimes because of the traffic lights. Zheng Tan was feeling sleepy.


    However, not before long, Zheng Tan felt a sharp pain in his whiskers.


    Looking out of the gap, a mother with a toddler was sitting in front of them. The child was facing backwards sitting on the mother''sp. The child probably saw Zheng Tan''s nose and a few whiskers poking out of the bag and ripped a whisker.


    Zheng Tan retreated back into the bag after feeling the pain. He dragged his whiskers with him.


    "Cat ... hair ..." The child couldn''t yet speak fluently. He saw the cat, whose whisker he still held, disappear back into the backpack, so he pointed at Jiao Yuan''s backpack and cried out loud.


    Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi, both in a trance, were jerked back into reality. They didn''t know what just happened and only saw the child pointing and yelling. They thought people had found out about their cat and were very nervous. Even though there wasn''t a ''no pets'' sign on the bus, most people were against bring animals onto public transportation.


    The good thing was other people did not notice the whiskers poking out. The lighting was dim on the bus, plus people were exhausted from a day of work and paid little attention to others. Even the child''s mother thought her kid was only pointing to the cat decorations on the backpack. She smiled and patted her child.


    When they got to their stop, the two children got off as quickly as they could for fear of being caught. After all, they were young. They hadn''t quite mastered public humiliation like adults.


    Entering the quarters, Zheng Tan jumped out. He felt much better now that he could breathe fresh air.


    The sky was already dark; the streetlights were lit, and they could vaguely hear the song that signaled the end of the school radio broadcast. A gust of wind swept by; leaves rustled around them, apanied by the soft sound of leaves falling to the ground.


    Zheng Tan shivered. He ran a few steps and climbed halfway up a tree. Then he slid back down. The exercise made his body feel warmer.


    Seeing their cat perform his tricks, the kids, who were depressed all day, finally felt a bit better. They were surrounded by people taking strolls and cars driving home from work. They could hear dogs barking in the quarters. The street was full of life.


    At the entrance of their building, Jiao Yuan swiped his ess card. Zheng Tan led the way inside.


    These building were rtively old. They didn''t have sound-controlled lights, but the people living here were used to the slightly out-dated system.


    Lights on the third floor and below were on, but the fourth and fifth floor corridors were pitch ck. The parrot''s owners on fourth floor were not home. They were probably on a business trip again. Even that otaku Qu Xiangyang seemed to be on one of his rare trips downstairs, so no one turned on the lights.


    Zheng Tan wanted to switch on the lights first, so that the children won''t bump into anything on the stairs. For most people, it was impossible to see anything in corridors at night without the lights. It was, however, a piece of cake for Zheng Tan, or cats in general.


    Zheng Tan jumped up and switched on the light on the fourth floor, then went up and did the same on the fifth floor. He went back down to greet the kids and ran into them on the second floor.


    Two more flights of stairster, the two children found out what their own cat was doing running up in advance. When they were outside, they saw that the corridor was dark on the fourth and fifth floor.


    "Charcoal is really smart!" Jiao Yuanughed.


    This was the first time heughed since he found out about Mama Jiao''s ident.


    "Yes!" Gu Youzi didn''t talk much, as usual.


    Zheng Tan was bbergasted. This wasn''t something worthy of praise.


    "My dad said that cats that are too clever will rm some people, so some things are best kept to ourselves. There''s no point of telling other people what just happened." Jiao Yuan remarked.


    "I know." Gu Youzi nodded. She never talked about the cat. She had seen a child in her ss bring her Barbie doll to school every day to show off. Soon, the doll was gone. When the girl found it again, the Barbie was trampled and thrown into the trash. It was apparently because some other girls got jealous.


    The fact that the cat came to pick her up from school every day was eye-catching enough. There was no need pile on other stories.


    Jiao Yuan called Papa Jiao to inform him they had gotten home safely. Before the phone call ended, Tiger''s owner, thedy known as Auntie Ling to the Jiao kids, came by. She brought some cakes and a case of milk in fear the children would get hungry. They could also have it for breakfast the next day.


    She couldn''t stay long because her rtives were visiting. She heated up some bath water for the kids after they insisted on staying home. She stayed with them until they finished their baths and went to bed.


    Zheng Tan stayed by Gu Youzi''s side, waiting for her to fall asleep. Then he went to check on Jiao Yuan in his room. The kid was still awake. Zheng Tan stayed for a while, making sure he fell asleep. When that was done, he went out to the balcony.


    Zheng Tan liked toe out onto the balcony when he couldn''t sleep. The ambiance was particrly suitable for thinking about human existence. No, suitable for thinking about his f*cking cat-existence.


    As the night went on, lights gradually went out one-by-one in the courtyard; The sound of TVs and chatting slowly died out as well.


    Only Qu Xiangyang next door still had his light on. He wouldn''t be going to bed until one or two in the morning.


    Tonight, Zheng Tan was not at all sleepy. He just sat quietly on the balcony, his ears twitching from time to time to listen for movements in the children''s bedrooms. To his relief, they slept well, at least free of nightmares.


    Looking down from the fifth floor, the orange light from streetmps seemed extra bright. Looking into the distance, orange light spots flickered between tree branches. There was a special sense of peace and serenity when the wind stopped blowing and everything the branches, the leaves and the lights stood still.


    Most streetmps on campus used orange lights wherever there was a road for vehicles. He heard that orange lights were the safest, because the color had the longest wavelength. It was visible from far away. At the same time, it wasn''t blinding. Drivers were able to see cars far ahead without tiring their eyes, even after being on the road for a long time. This measure greatly increased road safety.


    Zheng Tan yawned, it was gettingte. In a few hours, morning-joggers would be up. Even Qu had gone to bed.


    Zheng Tan turned back to go into the living room to sleep on the sofa. It was possible to watch over both children there. Just when Zheng Tan lifted his paw, he heard the soft sound of wooden nks nking together. He paused.


    The sound came from the wind chime on the balcony of Fatty''s home on the first floor. At first nce, the wind chime was no different from any ordinary ornament. To outsiders, the only thing special about it was that it had wooden nks instead of metal or shells, yet still managed to make bright crisp sounds.


    Zheng Tan never noticed it before, until one day when Fatty was being inspected by Wei Ling''s old toon leader. He found out the wood wind chime was meant to be a warning.


    It couldn''t chime due to wind alone, unless there was a wind storm. Normally, the wind chime only made sounds when it was struck by human force, and each nk made a different sound.


    Zheng Tan looked down when he heard it ring. That was when he saw the ''rats''.


    Although the two people were hidden in the shadows, Zheng Tan still saw them. Even if he couldn''t see their faces clearly, he caught their silhouette.


    After the robberies in September, the quarters had weed two dogs, which managed to warn off thieves so far.


    From the look of the two, this was not their first offense. They seemed extremely familiar with theyout of the quarters and knew a bit about the residents as well. They could be the ones responsible for the first two thefts.


    ''So, after a month in hideout, these two thieves finally couldn''t stay away anymore?''


    Who knew they were going to pick his building this time? Were they targeting his house? Certainly, they weren''t nning to rob the fourth floor.


    General''s house was special. There were barbed wires around the balcony and the front door was specially made as well. It was extremely well protected due to the family owning an expensive rare parrot. The other family was not here for most of the year. Their ce probably didn''t have anything valuable.


    Which house was these ''rats'' thinking about this time? If it was this house, well ...


    Zheng Tans squinted; he flexed his paw, and sharp ws appeared.


    ''I can''t speak, I can''t heat water, I have to hide in a backpack to take the bus. But you are so wrong if you think I can''t take care of you two.''


    At this moment, the two people, hiding in the shadow at the foot of building B in the east quarter, had no idea there was a cat squatting behind a window on the first floor, watching them intently. Nor did they know that, at the same time, another cat on the fifth floor was also watching their every move.

 Chapter 20: Good Boy, Mighty

    Chapter 20: Good Boy, Mighty


    Someone had once suspected that the robberies were the work of a group.


    Zheng Tan was no Sherlock Holmes, but he knew it was more likely thatmitting a burry in the residential quarters required at least someone on the outside as a lookout.


    However, the police that came to investigate didn''t find anything, so the matter was put to rest. During that time, all the residents who rented their ce out had toe back to exin their situation to the residentmittee. Eventually, they all signed an agreement to promise to ensure the trustworthiness of their tenant.


    Zheng Tan heard a "ng". It came from the security door out front.


    These two thieves had ess cards and were very familiar with the building. Their target should not be the few retired faculty members.


    Most retired faculty lived an austere lifestyle, even if they were actually very rich. Most of them bought bags of white buns from the school cafeteria to have with porridge. None of them lived luxurious lives that could attract thieves.


    Besides, if they wanted to rob the retired faculty, why wait until now?


    So, excluding the retired households, that left the residents on the fifth floor. Why did they choose today? Mama Jiao was in an ident and Papa Jiao was not home, leaving two elementary school children incapable of defending themselves at home. Was it a coincidence?


    Zheng Tan saw one of the thieves enter the building. Calcting the time, he went from the balcony to the front door.


    He checked the clock on the wall, it was ten past two. In general, this was when most people were sound asleep.


    On the other hand, if their target was not the Jiao family, he would stay put. There was no point in waking the children. They''ve had a rough day. As for other people, he really didn''t care about their well-being.


    To be honest, people were always partial. What was it to him that other people got robbed? These people were thieves, not murderers after all. Even if he was to do something, he would wait until they were leaving. Unless absolutely necessary, Zheng Tan didn''t want to cause any trouble at home.


    However, things rarely went ording to n.


    The man paused after reaching the fifth floor. He confirmed that the residents on the fifth floor were asleep, then headed directly to the Jiao house. Soon, he started picking the lock.


    Listening to the footsteps outside the door, Zheng Tan twitched his ears. His ws appeared.


    The person outside had no idea that inside, a ck cat was waiting at the entrance. As the footsteps came closer, the ck cat''s posture changed. His legs were crouched, his body low, The tip of his tail stopped swaying, he was ready to strike.


    Ka the door opened.


    Zheng Tan could sense a stranger.


    The person at the door carefully pushed it open ajar. But before he coulde in, he felt a sudden stab of pain on his face. A few gashes from his left eye to the right corner of his mouth appeared. Each gash oozed out blood.


    Before he could really feel the pain on his face, something hit him right in the chest. He stumbled backwards falling to the ground. The lights in the corridor were off and in his scramble to get up, he dropped his little shlight.


    The man was in a panic and thought he was caught. They must have made a mistake beforehand; clearly, there were more than two kids at home!


    He let out a yelp of pain, then hurried up and ran downstairs. His shlight was not bright enough to show the staircase clearly. To make things worse, the blood from his wounds was trickling into his eyes, blurring his vision. He couldn''t think clearly from all the pain; he stumbled and fell down a flight of stairs. He regained his footing at the corner and hurriedly got up to continue his rush down.


    Zheng Tan closed the door and chased after his target. These people had been checking out this location more than once. He wouldn''t be satisfied until he got them.


    The man was familiar with the stairs of the building, or he wouldn''t be able to run so fast without lights and with a hurt eye.


    When he chased the man to the first floor, he saw a person lying on the ground at the security ess. A woman, to be exact. And next to her, was Fatty''s owner. Thedy nearing her seventies was standing there with an electric bat. Fatty was sitting at her feet.


    Fatty had sounded the wind chime rm not for Zheng Tan, but for the olddy. She was very sensitive to the sound of wooden ques. Despite her age, she was very athletic or else the young woman would not be lying here.


    This woman''s associate had no intention of helping her, He dashed right past her. The olddy had caught one thief, so she didn''t bother stopping the man. After all, she wasn''t young and had no advantage over a stronger man.


    Instead, she shouted out, "Thief! Catch the thief!"


    In an instant, all dogs living in the quarters began barking, mixed with the meows of a few cats.


    Zheng Tan chased after him. Although the man''s face was injured and one of his eyelids were fused together by dried blood, he was not slowing down.


    Behind Zheng Tan, a white figure appeared. Although it was slower, it kept on track chasing after the culprit.


    The man was fast, but Zheng Tan wasn''t slow either. His month of training had been worthwhile. Zheng Tan considered his attack n whilst running. When the man turned a corner near a patch of flower beds, Zheng Tan elerated. He jumped up and gave the man a push from behind.


    The man did not anticipate this. He lost his bnce, falling onto the cement edge of the flower bed.


    He was dizzy for a moment, lying there, unable to get up. Before he could regain consciousness, the white figure was beside him. It bit down on his calf, drawing blood.


    "Ah--"


    He screamed once again. This scream was not like his yelp outside the Jiao house. After experiencing the terror of being found, chased and caught, the pain on his calf made him want to express his fear. His loud screams were slightly frightening at this time of night.


    That man broke free and dealt a few kicks to the side.


    Despite being kicked aside, Mighty got up in an instant and attacked again, even more ferociously. He gave the man another bite, while growling at the same time.


    Zheng Tan saw the whole thing inside the bushes nearby. He couldn''t help but admire the four- month-old terrier. ''Good boy! Mighty!''


    It looked odd, but he had to admit that bull terriers were fighters! Zheng Tan felt pain in his legs even looking at it bite. The man''s calf was a bloody mess after enduring two bites.


    Zheng Tan was hiding in the bushes, because he felt that thedy''s ''roar'' was probably going to wake everybody up. He did not want to expose himself. The scratch marks on the man''s face was enough. He''d leave the credit to Mighty. No one saw his chase after all.


    He looked up. The Jiao family had their lights on. In fact, every upied apartment in building B had their lights on. With all the barking and shouting, it was sure to wake up everyone.


    Zheng Tan left the site of the crime and went home. The two children were probably scared.


    When he reached the fifth floor, the door was still closed the way he left it, but the living room light was on. Zheng Tan could hear Jiao Yuan talking in hushed tones to his cousin.


    Zheng Tan meowed twice then scratched the door gently. The door was immediately opened. Jiao Yuan greeted him, holding a rolling pin, followed by Gu Youzi.


    Zheng Tan: ""


    Who taught these kids to grab a rolling pin whenever there was trouble? Last time, Xiong Xiong had one, this time Jiao Yuan was doing the same.


    Seeing their cat, the kids rxed a bit. At the same time, Qu XiangYang came out, still wearing his SpongeBob Pajamas, lookingpletely lost.


    Many stayed up all night because of the incident. The two thieves were arrested. People who were robbedst time were demanding an on-site interrogation. They wanted to get to the bottom of this and were not easily fooled.


    Obviously, the situation wasn''t simple like people thought. Normal students wouldn''t be able to do this.


    Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi followed Qu Xiangyang downstairs to figure out the situation; after all, there was blood on the fifth floor. Without finding out what happened, they couldn''t rest easily.


    Apparently, the thieves were targeting the Jiao family.


    Auntie Ling, who came out to chase her cat, got the info after pping the thief twice. Because the thief they caught was a young woman, the men in the quarters were hesitant to use force. The woman was crying, looking very pitiable. She was soft spoken and quite pretty in a girl-next-door sort of way. No one could have guessed she was a thief in any other situation.


    Suffering two ps to the face, the woman started crying harder, which could almost melt the heart of anyone. Just not Auntie Ling, who pped her again. If not for the people holding her back, she probably would have started kicking.


    Zheng Tan followed Jiao Yuan downstairs, but avoided the crowd of people. The kids had Qu and Auntie Ling looking after them.


    Zheng Tan went to look at Mighty, who was sitting next to his owner, Mr. Yan. He was immensely proud and very happy. He praised his dog while wiping blood off its face.


    "Mighty, you''re such a good boy. Tomorrow, no, today, I''ll go buy you a big bone as soon as the markets open."


    Mighty barked. It wasn''t clear if he understood anything, but he was furiously wagging his tail.


    Since Mighty came to the quarter, he slept in the corridor in Mr. Yan''s building. The building had been robbed before, so everyone figured it was good to have a dog watching out for them. Someone came out when Fatty''s owner called out, letting him out as well.


    Auntie Ling did not notify Papa Jiao of the events that night. He had to stay with Mama Jiao in the hospital anyways. He didn''t find out until dawn and allowed the kids a day off from school. He called their teachers while the kids were taken to the hospital by Qu, who was taking a rare trip outdoors.


    Qu Xiangyang had a car, Zheng Tan didn''t have to hide inside a backpack to take the bus again. He still had to be smuggled into the hospital though.


    He peeked out from the gap in the parking lot and saw Zhuo who came for a check-up at the hospital.

 Chapter 21: There Are Five Genders

    Chapter 21: There Are Five Genders


    Mama Jiao seemed better today, at least her spirits were up.


    However, after hearingst nights events, she was determined to drag her injured self home if not for Papa Jiao doing all he could to stop her. There was no point in keepingst night a secret. Even if Auntie Ling didnt tell her about it all,st night caused so much of amotion that the faculty and family in the hospital would have heard about it.


    Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi remained silent after answering a few of her questions. Qu Xiangyang did most of the talking. He gave a vivid recount ofst nights story.


    "Since the previous thefts, residents on the first and second floor had been taking precautions. Us living on the higher floors felt safer, but now it seemed that those people used this mentality. They target people living on higher floors specifically because they feel less at risk.


    Apparently, they saw the bulletin board in the bio building and learnt that Brother Jiao just received a million-yuan grant. Coincidentally, they found out something had happened and there were only going to be children at home. So they targeted your family.


    "It was not as if we could have used the money from the grant. Its meant for research." Mama Jiao said emphatically, her tone rising.


    "They didnt think so. Lots of people get rich off pocketing research money." Qu Xiangyang shrugged.


    He suddenly remembered something and his eyes lit up : I heard that several veterans were at the scene of the interrogationst night and were able to get quite some information out of the thieves. The police didnt find any leadsst month after the first burries because someone pulled some strings. This time, they werent getting away with it that easily.


    The behind the scenes culprit who nned the thefts was someone living in building A. His family is quite connected. Apparently, his uncle is the vice president of the school, specifically, the one that oversees admissions.


    Qu Xiangyang loved gossiping about people high up in the school. He was not at all worried they would give him a hard time. His father was just as powerful, and he had graduated anyways.


    "Usually we might have turned a blind eye, given his connections and everything. But this time, he hit a nerve, and we couldnt just pretend we didnt know anything. Several more of the residents had gotten grants. That information is on bulletin boards all around the school. No one would feel safe again if thieves wereing to their doors just because of that.


    One of the more senior guys called that vice presidentst night. Im guessing, after he settles the problem in the quarters, he woulde here and apologize to you folks.


    Zheng Tan sat on Mama Jiaos bed, quietly listening to them speak. Papa Jiao had brought the bedding from home. It was not only morefortable but also more pleasing to the eye. The nurse had just changed Mama Jiaos bandages when they got here, so she wouldnt be back any time soon.


    Listening to Qu Xiangyang talk about the culprit, Zheng Tan nodded silently. If the thieves werent connected to the school somehow, how would they get a hold of the ess card? He wondered what the school would do to prevent simr incidents from happening. If they change the security ess card, he would need Papa Jiao to get him a new one.


    "Hey brother Jiao, I heard that the thief didnt even get inside your house before he was scratched on the face by your cat. The guy thought someone was home and ran like his life depended on it. He didnt even stop for his partner.


    He was probably running too fast and not paying attention to the road. He tripped and hit his head on the cement walls of the flower bed. He then got bitten by that bull terrier Mr. Yan got. Apparently, the dog was able to rip off a piece of flesh. Now its a hero in the quarters, you shouldve seen it


    Papa Jiao watched Zheng Tan as he listened to Qu recount the events. The cat had his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. Not bad. He thought. Its a good thing he didnt feel the need to be in the spotlight.


    As they talked andughed, the atmosphere lightened. It was the happiest they had been since Mama Jiao got into the ident.


    Qu Xiangyang offered to watch over the kids for a few days, but Papa Jiao declined politely.


    After Qu left, Mama Jiao asked him for his reasoning.


    "I am going to ask Wei Ling. This way we know the kids are in good hands. That boy Qu puts too much of his energy into gaming. He might get Jiao Yuan to start ying.


    Zheng Tan agreed it was possible. Besides, the guy disregarded everything when he started to yputer games. They were better off having Zheng Tan watch the kids, than to expect Qu to be a good guardian.


    In contrast, Wei Ling was a much more dependable person. All he needed to do wase watch the kids at night. He would still have all the free time in the world in the morning.


    Zheng Tan wondered how his case was going. He had been on it for a while, yet the case was still unsolved.


    As he was thinking about crime and investigations, a knock came from the door.


    Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi hurriedly put Zheng Tan back into the backpack. They tried to look nonchnt, but came off as way too serious, which made Mama Jiao smile.


    The visitor was Zhuo. She heard about what happened in the residential quarters and came to wish them well.


    Papa Jiao quickly stood up to give her his seat. Because of the rtionship formed between their cat and Zhuo, the Buddha had been treating him better when he went over to borrow equipment. She didnt smile, but she didnt look like she was plotting murder either. So there was improvement.


    Seeing it was Zhuo, Zheng Tan got back out. It was much morefortable sitting on aforter than squatting in a bag.


    "Hey, Charcoal. Did you sneak in?"


    Zhuo wasnt surprised to see Zheng Tan here. She gave him a light pat on the head.


    The cat provided amon topic for Mama Jiao and their visitor.


    Mama Jiao felt relieved. She really wouldnt know what to say to Zhuo if not for her pet.


    Even though they didnt know the specifics, Zhuos current problems were no secret. She felt bad for her.


    The young woman was one of the Buddhas three favorites, with such a bright future ahead. Recently, the physics department had got some big project going on. If she were to participate, it would most certainly be another highlight on her resume. Yet, this kind of thing had to happen at this exact time. She got pregnant after she agreed to conduct the radiation experiment and was dead set on keeping this kid whose health could not be guaranteed. Oh, young people these days


    Zhuo didnt stay here for long. She soon had her loose coat back on and left.


    "This Zhuo ... so unfortunate!" Because the kids were there, Mama Jiao couldnt really exin the whole thing.


    "Is Auntie Zhuo having a little baby?" Jiao Yuan asked.


    "Uh-Huh." Mam Jiao did not want to borate. They had been talking for a while and she was starting to feel tired, yet she wasnt sleepy.


    Papa Jiao thought about it for a second, then said: "Speaking of babies, theres one thing you certainly do not know.


    "What?"


    Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi looked up at him curiously. Zheng Tan did the same. Except, Zheng Tan was prepared for the let me tell you that was about toe.


    "Let me tell you ..." Papa Jiao found a pen and paper. He began drawing figures as he spoke.


    He was right! Zheng Tan twitched his ears.


    Although the words let me tell you provoked nausea for him now, he was still curious in what Papa Jiao had to say.


    Mama Jiao, on the other hand, knew exactly what he was going to say. After all they had been together for so many years. She shook her head whilst smiling. She wanted to see the kids reactions.


    "We humans have more than one stages of growth and development. For example, fetuses go through several steps in their mothers bellies. You boys, Jiao Yuan, are pretty much the same as girls during the initial embryonic stage.


    Zheng Tan, Jiao Yuan: "!!"


    If you had to describe their reaction, the cat and boy looked as if they had been forced to swallow dog shit.


    Papa Jiao ignored the look on their faces and went on: Though you start off simr to girls,ter on you experience a stage with five gender switch points.


    Papa Jiao drew an "Y" on the paper, "Gender chromosomes will send out a signal at the appropriate time, which will trigger a series of hormonal reactions. Hormones will issue a sex conversion signal, so that the embryo gradually turns from female to male. There are five change points. If something wrong happens during anyone of them, the embryo will develop into a female... "


    Pap Jiao went on and on, but the two kids and the cat were dumbstruck.


    What did you expect when you told a boy he was transformed from a girl?


    F*ck, this cant be trueright?


    "I am a man! A guy! With a you know what!" Jiao Yuan was so desperate to get his point across, that he was ready to take off his pants to prove himself.


    "Yes, you are a boy, we are all clear on that. I am just exining a fact. Everyone has to go through those development stages. Its normal. " Papa Jiao said.


    Jiao Yuan still looked sick. In fact, Zheng Tan was not feeling much better. It was just that cat faces were less expressive, and he had ck fur. People might be able to tell that this cat had a funny look on his face, but they wouldnt know he just died a little bit inside.


    "Boys are boys and girls are girls! You are either male or female, how could there be such a thing?" Jiao Yuan was bewildered. Human evolution and development was indeed a mysterious and mess-with-your-head type of topic.


    "Well, many schrs argue there are more genders than just male and female. There are at least five: male, male-like, bi-gender, female-like, female.


    Zheng Tan: "..."


    He didnt know what to think anymore.


    "So, sometimes we discover people with Y chromosomes that look nothing like a man without surgery. Its rare, but it is possible. You cannot deny it. We must treat scientific fact as fact. Papa Jiaosst sentence caused Zheng Tans thoughts toe to a halt.


    He suddenly remembered some things.

 Chapter 22: Motion Sickness Pills Can Be Deadly

    Chapter 22: Motion Sickness Pills Can Be Deadly


    Papa Jiao was quick to act. Since he had already decided to ask Wei Ling to look after the children, he called him straight after lunch. Those were non-working hours, a good time to look for people.


    Because of Zheng Tan, Papa Jiao would stop and chat with Wei Ling when they ran into each other. Their topic of conversation revolved mostly around Zheng Tan, but seemed to have contained other stuff as well. Zheng Tan did not know for sure, but they might have talked about where Wei Ling was going to work in the future.


    Wei Ling had reced his PHS with a cellphone, which meant that Zheng Tan didnt have to listen to him swear anymore.


    Wei Ling agreed immediately toe take care of the children in the evening. He was busy during daytime but had nothing to do at night anyway.


    The two children stayed at the hospital until two o''clock in the afternoon. Auntie Ling came by with soup that Papa Jiao could just microwave. She offered to have the kids over for dinner so that they wouldnt need to eat boxed-lunches anymore. Papa and Mama Jiao dly took her up on the offer.


    Zheng Tan followed them back to school, then parted ways from the group. He did not want to go to Auntie Lings ce. There was a toddler at her ce who was her rtives kid. Zheng Tan had seen the little brat pull Tigers tailst time. Young kids were the enemies of all pets.


    Zheng Tan would rather eat biscuits then have his tail pulled on. He wasnt sure he could control himself enough to not scratch his attacker. He decided to pay Wei Ling a visit since he had nothing to do at the moment. They could head back home togetherter. He thought about how to tell Wei Ling that thing he thought of.


    The house Wei Ling rented was a private-home that had been turned into an apartment unit. It was mostly rented by students and young people who just started work. The buildings were poorly managed and the area was quite a mess. Things got stolen all the time. Reporting it to the police was pointless. It happened so often that even if they investigated, they wouldnt find anything. However, the rent was dirt cheap, so the area nevercked renters.


    Zheng Tan didnte here often. There were too many people. Someone always tried to y with him by teasing him with strings and dolls whenever they saw him. They didnt know he saw them as idiots.


    Zheng Tan got there by three oclock. People living there were mostly at work or in school. Those who were home were napping. Stray cats were quitemon around here. Thendlord had a cat as well. The animal was amon sight here, so no one took notice of a ck cat sneaking into the building.


    Zheng Tan had stepped foot onto Wei Lings floor when he heard a loud "bang". He stopped and peeked out from the staircase


    A young man was knocked to the ground, clutching his stomach and moaning from the pain. Wei Ling walked out after him, holding an apple in one hand and a fruit knife in the other. He patted the mans face with the knife that was still covered in apple juice.


    "I see you already have your eye on my newly-bought phone, eh? You got guts. Coming over to steal my phone when Im nappingDid you think you could bully me, or did you think I was stupid?


    Wei Ling sounded like aplete rogue. The guy tried to get up but froze when Wei Ling pressed the knife against his throat.


    The man wanted to open his mouth,but Wei Ling pressed harder on the knife.


    "I dont want to hear your bullshit," Wei Ling said as he flung the apple core out of the window.


    Zheng Tan sighed: "... ..."


    The management of the building was a mess, but that didnt mean littering was ok. Zheng Tan remembered Jiao Yuan losing one yuan of allowance due to not throwing used tape into the trash.


    O


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. He didnt hear the apple hit the ground. The ground outside was made of cement. The sound of apple hitting cement was not the one he just heard.


    Although puzzled, Zheng Tan didnt rush to check downstairs. He kept his attention on Wei Ling.


    Wei Ling still had the knife on the mans throat, but his other hand was digging into the mans pockets.


    He pulled out a wallet. Inside, there was no ID card, but he found 1000 yuan. Wei Ling took the 1000 bucks with a look of disgust then put the wallet back in the mans pocket.


    In addition to the wallet, he found some tools for picking locks. Wei Lings look of disgust deepened, but heid the tools by his feet.


    Eventually, Wei Ling found a small stic bottle. He twisted open the cap. Inside was some medicine stuffed in by a cotton ball.


    Zheng Tan remembered Papa Jiao telling him that newly bought bottles of medicine always came with a cotton ball that should be thrown away right after the bottle was opened.


    The cotton ball was ced in the vials to prevent the medicine tablets from colliding together while being transported. It also absorbed moisture to prevent the drug from getting damp. But if the cotton ball was kept in the bottle after the bottle was opened, it would continue to absorb moisture, which made it easier for the medicine to go bad.


    Zheng Tan wasnt sure if the guy on the ground knew he had to take out the cotton ball. Intuition told him that he probably kept it inside to prevent the bottle from rattling when he moved. He looked at the cotton ball in Wei Lings hand. It was toorge to havee with the original packaging. Judging from the half torn offbel, the medicine was bought some time ago. Not all medicines needed a cotton ball anyways, so Zheng Tan trusted his intuition.


    Wei Ling looked into the bottle, then pped the guy with the side of the de again. Youve used this quite a few times already. Must have made quite some money.


    "I dont ... dont understand what you are saying ..." The man tried to argue, "That ''s just ... my own ... motion sickness meds.


    "Do I look like Im stupid?" Wei Ling stood up and kicked the man.


    The guy curled up after the blow.


    Wei Ling had noticed Zheng Tans presence a while ago, so he didnt argue on with the man. He took three pills out and stuffed them into the mans mouth. Come by again soon. Just bring more money next time. 1000 yuan cant do shit.


    The guy got up immediately, ignoring the pain in his stomach. He didnt notice Zheng Tan by the stairs. It was dark in the stairwell and he was ck cat. It was normal that the guy didnt see him.


    Wei Ling wasnt someone with upright morals either. Zheng Tan came to that conclusion.


    Wei Ling could have brought the guy to the police, but he acted mostly based on his mood. He didnt want to trouble himself with going to the police so the thief got lucky this time.


    Wei Ling was sitting on the side of his bed, stuffing his newly stolen 1000 yuan inside his own wallet when Zheng Tan stepped into his ce. The white stic vial was ced on the bedside table, next to a ss of orange juice.


    Seeing that Zheng Tan was eyeing the bottle, Wei Ling motioned him over. Zheng Tan jumped onto a chair.


    Wei Ling still felt he was too far away so he dragged the chair by the bedside table.


    Zheng Tan stayed put while he dragged the chair. He was toozy to jump down.


    "Did you see that?" Wei Ling pointed to the white vial and continued, "This thing really is motion sickness medication, but that idiot also used this tomit his crimes."


    Wei Ling pointed to the half tornbel, which said "One pill every time". The name of the drug was mostly torn off. Zheng Tan couldnt tell what it was.


    "Most of the motion sickness drugs make people drowsy. If taken inrge doses, it could cause headaches, severe drowsiness, orientation disorders and other adverse reactions. It could even cause hallucinations and other mental symptoms. People are smart these days. They know purchasing sleeping pills will draw attention. But people buy motion sickness meds all the time, and no one at the pharmacy would take special notice. They could also deny attempting to drug their victims if they were caught. However, sometimes, motion sickness drugs can also be deadly. "


    Wei Ling got up to pour away the cup of orange juice. It wasced with drugs. "You need to pay more attention in the future. Be careful of things given to you by strangers.


    Wei Ling then told Zheng Tan about the types of drugs he needed to be cautious of. He also mentioned some specific ingredient or contents that Zheng Tan should know, such as barbiturates, hyoscyamine and so on.


    Medicine can save people but can also kill people. Arge dosage of some meds can even harm a human being, let alone a cat.


    Wei Ling bought some food from nearby, then left the apartment, with Zheng Tan by his side. Zheng Tan remembered to check as they were walking out. The apple core Wei Ling tossed out was lying inside a trash can.


    Was it a coincidence or was Wei Ling that good?


    Wei Ling had bought a motorcycle. It was parked in the bike shed in the eastern quarters when he wasnt using it. After all, it would probably be stolen if left in front of his building. It was safer leaving it in the quarters. The security guy knew Wei Ling and could help keep an eye on it.


    Shortly after Zheng Tan and Wei Ling got home, Auntie Ling brought Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi back.


    Qu Xiangyang opened his door just when Auntie Ling was greeting Wei Ling. The three started chatting. Auntie Ling had met Wei Ling once before and remembered him, but this was the first time Qu met the guy.


    "We could sleep soundly now that we know you are here!" Qu Xiangyang said.


    "Hey Qu, is that cat w marks on your door?" Auntie Ling asked.


    "Yeah, it is. I dont even know when it got there. Maybe Charcoal was letting out steam? Look how deep the scratch marks are. I didnt know Charcoals ws were so sharp." Qu Xiangyang sighed.


    "Thats for sure. You need to sharpen your tools before you tackle a task. A cat needs to know its a cat. What can it do without sharp ws? Wei Ling looked over at Zheng Tan, who wasying on the couch. Am I right?"


    Zheng Tan ignored them.


    "Are you going to change your door? How about getting a steel one?" Auntie Ling joked.


    "Im not going to change the door. It I have w marks on the door, mice wouldnte by anymore, right?


    That night, Wei Ling heated some bath water and waited until the kids were bathed and in bed. He sat down at Papa Jiaos desk and started reading the material he had brought. He had gotten permission from Papa Jiao to use hisputer for some research. He had closed the door, so Zheng Tan had no way of finding out what the documents were about.


    It seemed that he wouldnt get a chance to tell Wei Ling about the thing. Zheng Tan considered for a moment and decided to go to bed first. He would figure out how to tell Wei Ling, then leave the rest till tomorrow.

 Chapter 23: You Need Five Tries to Wake a Cat

    Chapter 23: You Need Five Tries to Wake a Cat


    At six o''clock in the morning, Wei Ling got up. He boiled some water so the two children could rinse their face with warm water after they woke up.


    Wei Ling did not grow up in Chuhua. He came here after leaving the military because most of his friends lived here. His strongest impression of this city, after being a resident here for a while, was that the weather was terrible.


    In his words, "The weather is sick, it needs a cure."


    Temperature in Chuhua always felt like it was a practical joke of some sort. It was nearly 30 degrees yesterday, but had dropped to barely ten degrees today. Perhaps because the temperature was still fluctuating, some trees on campus were still green. Of course, leaves were falling off at the same time, but out of the patches of browns and greens on the side of the road, people always noticed the green parts first. Maybe green made people feel better.


    Wei Ling had pulled an all-nighterst night. He was up veryte looking up information he needed. Just when he was about to take a nap, Papa Jiao phoned in to remind him that the temperature was dropping and that it would be appreciated if he could make sure the kids stayed warm.


    After the phone call, Wei Ling waspleted awake. So he yed some Solitaire. He went all the way from mid-level difficulty with two sets of poker to highest level difficulty with four sets of cards. Bored of Solitaire, he eventually started ying Minesweeper. The rest of the night was spent renewing the high score of that game over and over again.


    Even without sleep, Wei Ling was quite energetic. The hour was still early; he nned to go for a run before buying the kids some breakfast.


    He remembered to write a note for the children in case they woke up and wondered where he had gone. He left the note on the dining table and was ready to leave when he saw Zheng Tan, still fast asleep on the sofa.


    After scratching the thief that day, Zheng Tan had stopped sleeping on Gu Youzi''s bed. He was worried that the scent of blood on his paws would affect the kids negatively. Apparently, it could make children more prone to nightmares.


    Gu Youzi had brought out her furry nket for Zheng Tan to use has a quilt. The nket had a hat attached to it. On it was a pair of cat ears.


    At the moment, Zheng Tan was curled up in a ball under the nket sleeping soundly. Before, he always wondered why cats curled up in their sleep. Wasn''t the position tiring?


    But when he himself turned into a cat, he realized that this sleeping position was really quitefortable. Most times, he simply balled up unconsciously in his sleep, like now.


    "Charcoal, Get up! Let''s go!" Standing at the door, Wei Ling called out in hushed tones.


    The cat didn''t move.


    "Charcoal! Wake Up! Running time." Wei Ling called out again. He didn''t believe for a minute the cat on the sofa couldn''t hear him.


    The ears poking out from under the nket twitched, thenwell, that was it.


    Wei Ling: "... ..." This little bastard was ying deaf!


    "Charcoal!" Wei Ling called out for the third time. This time with a hint of warning in his voice. Zheng Tan still did not move. However, he did let out a noise from his nostrils, indicating that he had heard him and that Wei Ling could get lost now.


    "Charcoal, now!" Wei Ling tried a fourth time.


    Zheng Tan finally moved. He stretchedzily, poking his head out of the nket. He looked at Wei Ling and yawned. Seeing that the man didn''t move, Zheng Tan went back to sleep.


    "Charcoal! Get up! Go run!" Wei Ling was pausing after every syble as if to emphasize how serious he was.


    This time, Zheng Tan finally began to get up. He got out of the nket, stretched, then shook his fur.


    Wei Ling: "..."


    F*cking hell, he did not expect to need to wake a cat five times to have it get up!


    "Do you have to knead on the sofa for a while, go to the bathroom? What? You done yet?" Wei Ling said through gritted teeth.


    Zhang Tan twitched his ears. He didn''t knead. If he did, it would be on boobs. What was the fun in kneading a sofa? Zheng Tan always felt that this signature move of cats was slightly wrong. Especially since cats all did this when they missed their mothers. It was in their gics.


    Kneading was unnecessary, but taking a morning piss was not.


    Seeing the ck cat run into the bathroom, Wei Ling looked up to the ceiling and sighed helplessly. Why did the Jiao family treat this cat like it was some prize?


    Because of the temperature drop, Zheng Tan felt a cold wave hit him right after he left the building. He shivered.


    The sun was not out yet. It was quiet and peaceful on campus. Except from some noiseing from the cafeteria, the ce was inplete silence.


    Half-way through their run, however, the morning radio started right on time.


    It yed from six thirty to seven thirty every day.


    When he was running pass the dorms, the school radio had finished its opening song and was starting to y the music for broadcast gymnastics.


    "Now, the eighth series broadcast gymnastics. March on the spot! One Two Three Four"


    "F*ck, it''s too early for this cr*p!" Agitatedints wereing from the dorms.


    Before theining ended, a slipper flew out of the window and hit the loudspeaker. This, unfortunately, did not stop the radio from continuing.


    "Jumping movement! One two three four..."


    "Ah! Sooner orter, I will smash it! Just wait, the day I leave school is the day this speaker turns into pieces."


    Listening to themotion, Zheng Tan felt oddly gleeful.


    Not everyone could be ustomed to using earplugs. He felt bad for the poor idiots who thought they could avoid morning self-study sessions after entering university. Self-study sessions were indeed not mandatory anymore, but now they had the school broadcast that yed every weekday to wake up to.


    Zheng Tan felt relieved that he lived in the Eastern Quarters. It was rtively quiet over there. The broadcast couldn''t be heard until he stepped on campus.


    After ap, the school radio was still not ying the news, indicating it was not yet seven.


    Jiao Yuan usually got up at seven.


    Wei Ling went to the cafeteria and bought some breakfast. Zheng Tan waited for him outside and the two went back to the quarters together.


    They ran into Mr. Yan who was walking his dog when they entered the courtyard.


    Mighty, with his big head and small eyes, wagged his tail furiously. This was because he saw Zheng Tan. Even though he was a mean little thing, he was quite nice to the other pets. Tiger often licked his fur for him. Zheng Tan saw that even the fur balls Tiger coughed up recently had bits of white and brown in it. That must have been due to Daisy and Mighty here.


    Wei Ling sometimes did Tai Chi with the elderly folks here in the quarters, so he was familiar with the older crowd. Mr. Yan knew him too, so he stopped and greeted them.


    "Your dog is quite something." Wei Ling looked at Mighty and said to Mr. Yan.


    Hearing this, the old man''s wrinkled face cracked up into a big smile. Recently, he loved telling everyone who would listen the glorious deeds of Mighty.


    But Mighty was not friendly towards Wei Ling. Maybe it was animal instinct. He avoided Wei Ling and if Wei stared at him, he would bare his teeth.


    Mr. Yan looked at the breakfast Wei Ling had bought and shook his head disapprovingly: "You bought eggs and soy milk? I heard a few days ago that when eaten together, eggs and soy milk could not increase the intake of protein, but will affect the body''s ability to absorb protein. I forgot the science behind it. You can ask Jiao, he should know."


    Wei Ling thanked Mr. Yan and they were off again. Mr. Yan and Mighty resumed their walk while Wei Ling and Zheng Tan were in a hurry home. The news broadcast had begun, which meant Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi were probably up already.


    Zheng Tan thought about what Mr. Yan said on their way home. Now that he thought about it, it seemed that he never actually saw eggs and soy milk appear on the Jiao family dining table together before. If it did happen, the eggs would be for Jiao Yuan to take to school to snack on. It wouldn''t be eaten immediately.


    In the end, Wei Ling went with milk powder.


    Lan Tianzhu and Su An came by to go to school together with the kids, so Zheng Tan was relieved of his drop-off duty. It was better this way, Zheng Tan thought. Since Wei Ling was staying here these few days, he might as well just tell the guy that thing he thought up. No matter how things turn out in the end, he''d know if he was right.


    When Wei Ling was in the washroom, Zheng Tan went into the bedroom and jumped on Papa Jiao''s desk. There were some books stacked on the side that Papa Jiao regrly used. Among them was Zheng Tan''s first goal "Gics".


    Papa Jiao was teaching a course on gics this year. Zheng Tan had seen all the PowerPoint slides Papa Jiao had used so far in the course. Papa Jiao would do a mock lecture after hepleted each PowerPoint. It was a habit of his. He believed some problems in the details could only be found during a lecture.


    Zheng Tan took out that book on gics. What he needed to do now was find the information he needed in the stuff Papa Jiao had yet to cover in ss.


    Zheng Tan was not sure if the stuff Papa Jiao talked about in the hospital that day came from this book. He was just giving it a try. If this book proved useless, he would look inside another.


    For a cat, turning pages was no simple task, but Zheng Tan was used to it. It was a skill that improved with practice. As he read, Zheng Tan kept alert for sounds and movement. He would not flip through the book if Wei Ling came out. After all, it was unusual for a cat to read. Even if he didn''t understand a word in the book, it still looked weird.


    Luckily, Zheng Tan soon found the information he was looking for. No wonder Papa Jiao mentioned the subject of pre-birth development. Judging from the look of things, he would be covering the topic soon in ss, so he had been doing some reading on it recently.


    When Wei Ling came into the room to pick up some files, he saw the ck cat squatted next to theputer, ying with a bookmark.


    "Don''t pull that out, Papa Jiao must have put it there."


    But the bookmark was almostpletely pulled out of the book by now. So Wei Ling flipped open that book "Gics" to the page with the bookmark to fix it. Before he closed the book, he took nce of its contents. He froze.


    He hurriedly read on, then flipped a page and read some more.


    He frowned and went back and re-read thest passage a few more times.


    In fact, this was the part on disputes on human gender that Papa Jiao mentioned in the hospital. Papa Jiao had made notes on the sides for ss.


    Zheng Tan did not directly put the bookmark on the page with the content he wanted Wei Ling to read, but rather, he put it on the previous page. This was supposed to be a cover-up of his intent.


    After reading and re-reading several times, Wei Ling closed the book. He took out his phone and started dialing.

 Chapter 24: The Guy On the Motorcycle Has A Cat On His Back

    Chapter 24: The Guy On the Motorcycle Has A Cat On His Back


    The person Wei Ling was calling was the policeman Zheng Tan had metst time. He was Wei Ling''s senior in martial arts.


    Zheng Tan had heard Wei Ling address him as ''Walnut'' in past calls, but did not know the guy''s real name. From the sound of things, this ''Walnut'' would be moving up the ranks if he cracked this case.


    Apparently, he was in line for a promotion alreadyst month, but Walnut was stubborn. He refused to ept the promotion, like he said earlier, if he couldn''t solve this case.


    Zheng Tan''s opinion of the man was that he probably got kicked in the head by a donkey. He had made all the right friends, and the promotion was bound to happen. Yet, he had to be stubborn.


    Wei Ling called Brother Walnut several times, but his phone was turned off. Wei Ling frowned; he was bing worried. He thought about it for a moment, then dialed another number, this time to someone else.


    They talked in code that only they understood. Zheng Tan was lost, but he wasn''t interested anyway. He already did all he could do, the rest was on Wei Ling.


    He yawned and jumped onto the sofa, nning to take a little nap.


    Cats spent most of the day sleeping. Normally, Zheng Tan got up at the same time as Jiao Yuan. He was up an hour early today. He felt he owed it to himself to make up for the hour of lost sleep.


    This was his form of ODD[1].


    Whatever, Zheng Tan told himself. He was cat now, and cats ate when they were hungry, slept when they were tired, ran around outside and caused mayhem at home.


    Apparently, even though Walnut switched off his phone, Wei Ling had ways of pinpointing his location. Possibly through a GPS of some sort. Wei Ling was on the phone, asking someone to find Walnut for him.


    About ten minutester, Wei Ling found out where Walnut was.


    He picked up his coat and headed towards the door. He stopped when he was there and turned to Zheng Tan: "Want to go out to y?"


    Zheng Tan was dozing off, but jumped up immediately when he heard this. He loved the rare opportunity to go elsewhere. Staying on campus everyday was boring. Looking at the same scenery day after day made him feel confined. This was not good, psychologically speaking.


    Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi were not his responsibility today. Papa Jiao had ss in thete morning and would pick up the children afterwards. Mam Jiao was feeling better after two days in the hospital. She was recovering well and could probably leave the hospital in a week.


    Papa Jiao knew a resident in the hospital from a joint study he conducted with a professor in the medical sciences. He asked the resident to look after Mama Jiao when he was in ss.


    Wei Ling called Papa Jiao to inform him he was taking the cat out on a little trip. Naturally, Papa Jiao did not oppose. He told the two to be careful and asked Wei Ling to look after Zheng Tan.


    Wei Ling was in a hurry this time, so he decided to use the motorcycle he parked in the Eastern Quarters bike shed.


    This motorbike seemedpletely normal upon first nce. It was in looking and wouldn''t earn a second nce from anybody. Zheng Tan felt it only looked normal. Wei Ling had modified it, and it worked well. At least it wouldn''t be like Yi Xin''s bike.


    However, when Zheng Tan stood in front of the motorcycle, he was a bit unsure. The thing didn''t have a basket in front, nor did it have a cab in the back. He looked around and jumped on the seat. He pressed down on it. He supposed this would have to do.


    Wei Ling put on a helmet. He looked at the ck cat sitting on the bike seat, then looked at his motorbike. He went into the security guards'' office and emergedter with an old red travel backpack. There were already two holes on it.


    "Luckily the security guard had a backpack I could borrow." Wei Ling patted the shabby bag. "Hop in."


    Zheng Tan was very displeased. He grudgingly jumped in. The bag had not been used in a while and had a moldy smell to it. Stains were everywhere.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know where Wei Ling was headed. They were on a path he had never taken before. The buildings they passed were unfamiliar to him. He poked his head out of the bag and checked out the retreating scenery.


    For any motor vehicle, the downtown area was a nuisance because of the abundance of traffic lights. Even though the motorcycle was fast, it was not spared from having to stop at the lights.


    As they were waiting for a light to turn green, a bus passed by and stopped in thene beside them. Someone was eating an orange near the window on Zheng Tan''s side. He opened the bus window to spit out the seeds. The seed traveled through the air and hit Zheng Tan right on the head.


    Zheng Tan: "" F*ck! These people who spit on the ground should be fined to the point they were broke.


    "Christ! The dude on the motorcycle has a cat on his back! A ck cat." The guy eating oranges eximed loudly.


    "Where?"


    "Wow, it really is a cat. I thought it was a life-like stuffed animal."


    "Mom, I want to look at the cat!"


    "Stop squishing over here. It''s just a cat."


    "Move over, let me see it."


    At this time and age, cellphones weren''t ''smart'' like they would be in ten years. People didn''t have their heads buried down on public transport. Instantly, all the people who were bored on the bus were looking at Zheng Tan whose head was showing from the bag.


    With the red backpack as a backdrop, the ck cat head was very eye-catching.


    Zheng Tan felt on disy, like a monkey at the zoo.


    The bus driver looked outside then looked back to ahead of him. He reminded the passengers that the bus was about to start moving again. But no one listened to him.


    The light finally turned green. The motorcycle shot out, leaving the bus behind it. Zheng Tan caught a final nce at the bus. The bus was overtaken by a small car and the driver mmed on the brakes. The guy who was eating an orange was too busy looking out of his window and banged his head on the seat in front of him.


    Zheng Tan felt better.


    Outside downtown, there were less traffic lights and Wei Ling could pick up some speed.


    The area was mostly upied by factories. They were reaching the third ring road[2]. Zheng Tan could tell from signs around him that this area was to be demolished soon. For reasons concerning the environment, the city government nned to move all the factories away. There was ake in this area and developers were already targeting the soon-to-be free spaces around here.


    Wei Ling parked his motorcycle next to the side door of a factory. He looked around and took out his phone to make a call.


    The factory in front of them was an old food processing nt. The building was all that was left. The factory had relocated recently. Only the pictures on the walls hinted to what used to happen here.


    Wei Ling called Walnut, who still did not pick up. However, Wei Ling was sure he was here. The factory doors were shut, so he had to jump over the wall.


    "Follow behind me. Let me know if someone is approaching. Of course, cover me at the right times if you couldactually never mind, you don''t know what I''m saying."


    After instructing Zheng Tan, Wei Ling jumped right over the wall. He moved with ease, making it seem like a simple task.


    Zheng Tan jumped on to the wall and looked around. He came here out of pure curiosity and he didn''t need to cover his tracks like Wei Ling. He was cat after all; people weren''t wary of cats. There were plenty of strays around here anyway. He saw quite a few on their way here. A ck cat on the wall wasn''t anything new.


    Zheng Tan had taken off his cor before leaving the house. He didn''t look any different from a normal cat. Even if he was spotted, the person who spotted him would likely just think he looked quiterge, instead of suspecting anything.


    The factory was empty except for rubbish on the floor. There were broken ss and bricks on the floor, flyers that were turning yellow and production waste. The smell of additives and chemicals still hung in the air. The deserted factory looked deste.


    Zheng Tan followed Wei Ling. He heard sounds sounds made by humans. There was some moaning, like the sound someone would make after being beaten. Luckily, it didn''t appear to be made by Walnut.


    Fifty yards from here, there were at least three people behind a wall. Zheng Tan heard them speak in hushed voices. They were making a n to wait for the person in the warehouse ahead of them toe out, before attacking him.


    Zheng Tan looked over to the warehouse. It had few windows, and all of them were shut. He would probably make a lot of noise if he went inside. Was Walnut in there? The moaning wasing from there.


    The people behind the wall were oblivious to Wei Ling''s presence. They were too focused on the warehouse door to notice anything else. Or maybe it was because Wei Ling was too well hidden. It was difficult to notice him even when he moved quickly.


    As Wei Ling hid in the shadows, debating whether to take care of the men behind the wall first, Zheng Tan noticed the exhaust fan on warehouse wall.


    It wasn''t blocked by barb wire like the windows and doors, and he could just about squeeze through the gaps.


    Should he do it?


    *NOTES*


    ODD: Oppositional Defiant Disorder: A disorder in a child marked by defiant and disobedient behaviour to authority figures.


    Ring road: A ring road is a road or a series of connected roads encircling a town, city, or country.

 Chapter 25: Owed The Cat a Favor

    Chapter 25: Owed The Cat a Favor


    Zheng Tan eventually decided to head over to the warehouse.


    Wei Ling saw the ck cat run towards that direction, so he quickly focused on the men behind the wall. With the cat over there, Walnut should notice what was going on outside.


    Zheng Tan looked at the exhaust fan. It was a bit high; he couldn''t jump to that height from the ground. He climbed up a wooden board sitting next to the wall and used it to jump to the opening.


    He looked through the gapsThere was nothing in there except broken stuff that was abandoned.


    The room with the exhaust fan was notrge. Zheng Tan surveyed the room after he jumped in. The door was jammed shut by wooden boards and boxes of packaging bottles. Otherwise, someone would havee in here to steal the bottles and sell them for money. He didn''t see any insects, probably due to the scattered preservatives around the room.


    Though the door was shut, there was a hole in the wall that Zheng Tan reckoned he could just about squeeze through. It was a bit difficult, but he made it.


    That was the thing with cats. Their bones and limbs were flexible without needing to practice yoga. Unfortunately, getting covered in dust was unavoidable.


    Outside the small room, Zheng Tan shook the dust off his fur and looked around. This was where they actually stored things in the warehouse, except it was empty at the moment. The light was dim inside, and a few wooden beamsy in a mess on the ground. The beams were not from the warehouse, but taken out from under the fallen building next to here.


    His vision was blocked by all the junkying around and his sense of smell was affected by preservatives. He had only his listening to rely on.


    He traced the sounds he heard and navigated through all the junk. If it were a human here, he would have a much more difficult time. Zheng Tan took advantage of his body to move quickly.


    The warehouse was quiterge; it took him a while before he traced the voices he heard to the source.


    The area was cleared of junk and three people were lying on the ground. ''Walnut'' was looking around for ropes to tie the hands and feet of those people. Their mouths were stuffed with packaging paper, and they were making muffled whimpering noises.


    Walnut was not wearing his police uniform today, probably to not rm his suspects.


    Next to him stood a woman. Judging by her looks, she almost seemed like the girl next door. She was wearing red sses with a jacket that was cinched at the waist and showed off her curves. If this was the woman Wei Ling suspected, Zheng Tan had a hard time linking this average-college-student-like kid with the ruthless murderer.


    However, you can''t judge a book by its cover. Zheng Tan had learned that from the thieves in the Eastern Quarters earlier. Looking harmless did not equal actually harmless.


    Zheng Tan did go out of hiding immediately. He stayed behind a wooden board and watched the woman intently. Walnut clearly had his guard up too. He never turned his back against her.


    Zheng Tan saw Walnut take out his phone after tying the three guys on the floor.


    "No signal?"


    Walnut frowned and looked around. He held his phone up and paced in a circle. He still didn''t get signal, so he decided to go out to take make the phone call. After walking two steps, he turned around and said to the girl who didn''t move:


    "Follow me."


    The girl still did not speak but followed him obediently. However, she made sure to stay a meter or two behind him. This was the ''safety distance'' between humans ording to psychologist.


    Not only did Walnut have his guard up, she had hers up as well.


    Zheng Tan followed them quietly. He maneuvered through the piles of junk. He had to be fast and silent. He had to pause once in awhile to calcte his next move and to survey his surroundings. But when he took off again after every pause, he was fast.


    It was like when cat owners sometimes y with their cats. They would see their cats seven or eight meters away, but in a blink of the eye, the cats would be only five meters away.


    Zheng Tan did not know that he looked awfully like Sheriff when he hunted. He followed his prey in silence, waiting for his chance.


    There was less junk near the door; maybe the three people who came in first had already cleared the path. Walnut did not have a hard time walking out. He only had to push away obstacles in their path. He used these chances to check up on the girl behind him.


    As Walnut was picking up a wooden board, Zheng Tan saw that the girl, who looked like a regr college student, took a tube like thing out of her sleeve and started to walk towards Walnut.


    Zheng Tan instinctively felt that the thing she had was dangerous.


    This was the chance he was waiting for.


    Keeping his eyes on the girl, Zheng Tan shot towards them.


    The girl held onto the syringe in her hand. She had a cold gleam in her eyes that were hidden by her sses. Just as she was about to seed, she felt a strong force hit her in the chest and lost her bnce. The syringe was knocked out of the way.


    Before she could realize what just happened, Walnut, who was walking in front of her, caught her arm and pinned her onto a wood beam nearby.


    Bang!


    The girl hit the beam, and her sses flew off.


    Zheng Tan sat next to a board after his sessful strike. He flexed his paws and thought that she was not that well-endowed in the chest area. It didn''t feel that great.


    Walnut took out some ropes. He had remembered to keep some on hand earlier when he was searching for it. He didn''t think, however, that he would need it so soon.


    "I''ve being watching you. So this is how you strike." Walnut looked at the syringe that got knocked onto the board. It had been modified. When pushed, the syringe would shoot out the needle head through pressure. The needle probably contained some sort of tranquilizer.


    "I see you''re all done here." Wei Ling, who just came in through a window said.


    Zheng Tan traced his voice. Behind Wei Ling was arge window which he remembered was closed earlier, maybe locked even. To make thing worse, the window was at least five meters off the ground. How did Wei Linge inside without making any noise?


    Walnut, however, was not surprised to see Wei Ling. "Thanks to the ck cat here, I escaped being hit by her syringe. Didn''t think she would have something like this." He shrugged.


    Wei Ling looked down at the person who remained calm even after being caught. "I told you this woman was suspicious. Test her DNA, it should match that of the culprit."


    "Shouldn''t the culprit be male? Are you saying she''s a transvestite? It can''t be; I checked."


    "It is her. She''s just a bit special. You need to ask a biologist or someone who studies gics."


    With Wei Ling here, Zheng Tan didn''t need to do anything else. He jumped on to the piles of junk and looked out the window from which Wei Ling came in. There was only an electricity pole beside it.


    Zheng Tan did not think he could jump out using only a pole that was slightly far away to get out like Wei Ling. So he went back to where he came in from and left through the exhaust fan opening.


    Outside were four people. All of them tied up, all knocked out. Clearly this was the work of Wei Ling.


    Zheng Tan looked around. He used a tree to climb into a five story building. The lower two floors were offices. There weren''t a lot of preservatives and additives there. The walls were lined with charts and graphs.


    The upper floors were dormitories for the workers. On one window sill sat a simple vase made from a stic bottle. The soil inside was dry, and in it grew a dead cactus.


    Zheng Tan didn''t linger, but went right to the rooftop.


    He could see most of the factory from up there. Not only that, he could see two of the factories nearby. One of them had relocated like this one. The other was a bit livelier.


    Right after Zheng Tan left, Wei Ling and Walnut opened the warehouse doors and brought out the people inside. They put the people on three sides together. One side was the people doing a drug deal inside the warehouse; one side was the woman; and one side was the people outside who were nning a heist on the drug deal.


    "I heard the IOC did DNA test on allpeting female athletes. Apparently, athletes with Y chromosome had an advantage against normal female athletes. This person here probably fits into that criteria. You have some luck, running into such a rare event in a case."


    Wei Ling and Walnut chatted and smoked while they kept an eye on the criminals. Walnut had already called someone, so backup would be there soon. All they needed to do now was wait.


    He Tao smiled bitterly after hearing Wei Ling''s ridicule. "F*cking hell. Oh! I forgot to ask. Why did you bring that cat with you?"


    "Our master told us cats bring good luck. When you don''t know what to do, a cat might bring unexpected change. So I brought it."


    He Tao shrugged. He still could not ept this theory of his master''s.


    "Now I owe the cat a favor. God, I hate this feeling!"


    "Don''t worry about it. This isn''t the first time you owed a cat a favor. You have experience in how to pay them back."


    "F*ck!"


    They were silent for a moment. He Tao asked: "You mentioned you decided on a job. Where do you n to work? What kind of a job?"


    "I n on being a security guard."


    "Wha" He Tao coughed violently. He was so agitated he choked on smoke.


    When he finally finished coughing, he started yelling. "You refuse to enter the police force, you don''t want to go to apany, instead you be a security guard? What is in that brain of yours?"


    "This is a decision I made after careful consideration."


    "Did you bang your head before your careful consideration?"


    "I waspletely sober and sane, and I already told the master."


    "What did the master say?"


    "He said ''oh'', but I heard the sound of him breaking a table after he said that."


    "He broke a table with his bare hands again?"


    The emphasis was on the word ''again''.


    "From the sound of it, he would be needing a new one. This was the seventh this year, yet he gets angry when we suggest a metal table."


    "Of course he would be angry. He likes to break tables when he is upset."


    "It''s good. Letting off steam is better than holding it in. Er Mao prepared a warehouse of tables for him anyways. It wouldst him a few years."


    "Now that you mention it, have you heard from Er Mao?"


    "No."


    When these two chatted, Zheng Tan was checking out the soda factory next door. This factory was moving at the moment. Trucks were lined up to transport goods away.


    Zheng Tan watched a truck that was being loaded. Workers were carrying containers of ss soda bottles onto the truck. As they were working, police cars drove by. One of the workers watched the cars and spected the reason why the police was here. He didn''t notice a bottle cap by his foot and stepped on it. He twisted his ankle and dropped the container he was carrying.


    The soda bottles that were being moved around made quite amotion after being dropped. ss shards exploded and flew everywhere.


    Zheng Tan heard a bang. Workers close to the ident were hurt by the flying shards of ss. Their clothes were shed and their hands and wrists, which weren''t covered by clothes, were cut.


    The hurt workers were taken inside, so Zheng Tan focused back on the factory he was in. Policemen were getting out of their cars and were talking to Wei Ling and his senior.


    By the looks of it, Wei Ling wouldn''t be leaving anytime soon.


    Zheng Tan yawned and stretched. He decided to take a nap first.

 Chapter 26: Bite My Ear If You Dare

    Chapter 26: Bite My Ear If You Dare


    After giving out instructions, He Tao lit another cigarette and sat down next to Wei Ling. Now that this case was solved, he felt that a weight was lifted off his shoulders. In order to run his operation, he had been controlling his smoking so as not to smell like tobo. Now, it was no longer an issue.


    "Where do you n to work as a security guard? In a residentialplex? Apany or maybe a factory?" He asked.


    "Apany or a factory. It will depend. After all, the factory is not yet built." Wei Ling answered.


    "Whose factory is it?"


    "Charcoal''s dad and his friends. I decided to join inst minute. However, I don''t know much about science, so after investing what was left of my savings, I decided that being a security guard is more suitable for me. I n to invite my retired friends from the army to join inter."


    He Tao was silent for a moment, he pointed to the ck cat sleeping on the rooftop and said: "His dad?"


    "Yeah." Wei Ling flipped the ash off his cigarette. "People at the quarters usenguage like that. They call themselves their pets'' daddy or mommy."


    "Since when did people decide to hold pets in such high esteem?"


    "I suppose people started doing that when they became disappointed in humans. There was a saying that I heard earlier that the more people you know, the more you appreciate how cute pets are."


    "I think this way of thinking is too extreme, and I for one do not think some pets are cute. For instance, that one." Wei Ling pointed to Zheng Tan, "That one has quite the temper and never listens."


    He Tao tsked. He was going to add on some insults but remembered he still owed the cat a favor, so he didn''t say anything.


    "Oh right. Tell that friend of yours to stay out of the spotlight for the moment. I heard that there ismand from up top to clean up the streets."


    "I''d tell him even if you didn''t mention it. It''s a mess out there, so it''s good that the police are nning to take action."


    The police officers had finished their tasks, so He Tao did not press the matter. He patted Wei Ling on the shoulder. "If you ever need help, you know I''m here for you. I''ll go check out your factory once it has been built."


    Wei Ling shook his hands to indicate he understood. "As for you, my brother, don''t just focus on advancing your career. Your moves are not what they use to be. If not for that cat earlier, you''d be in big trouble this time."


    He Tao chuckled. "You boys are a pain in the ass. You cause trouble after trouble, so I need to be in high ces to take care of you guys. Otherwise, you would need to go begging someone else."


    Wei Ling watched as He Tao walked away. He took a long drag of his cigarette, then threw it on the ground and extinguished it. He called out to Zheng Tan: "Charcoal, let''s go."


    Zheng Tan stood up and stretched. He looked around him, then at the real estate advertisement billboard nearby, then shook his fur and went downstairs. It was time to go home.


    On their way back to Chu Hua city, Wei Ling slowed the motorcycle down and took a few detours. It was like he was out just for a drive.


    It was three in the afternoon when they got back to the quarters. Zheng Tan went straight to take a bath. He scratched his basin to hint at Wei Ling to heat up water.


    Wei Ling took a shower as well. Because they were going to the hospital soon, it was not good to carry the dirt they had collected during their morning trip around. It was less about their looks, but rather because they didn''t want to bring too many germs into the hospital room. Even if Mama Jiao wasn''t staying in a sterilized room, it was better to tidy up for the hospital.


    When they arrived at the hospital, they heard Mama Jiaoughing with the resident doctor named Li Xiaoxi who was taking care of her.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. The kids were at school at this hour, what on earth could make Mama Jiao so happy?


    Zheng Tan got his answer when they stepped into the ward.


    At the moment, on Mama Jiao''s bed, a blue figure rolled around next to her good arm. Itid t next to her, asking for belly rubs.


    Zheng Tan: ""


    Why was this idiot back so soon?


    Inside, General''s owner, Professor Tan, was chatting with Papa Jiao.


    Professor Tan, who was about the same age as Papa Jiao, looked extremely pleased. "This time on our trip to that natural reserve, we met another blue macaw just like General. It was owned by an ecology professor. That macaw was smart too, although it couldn''t enunciate quite as well as General here."


    "The two birds had a singing contest. Of course, our General won big time. That macaw had no talent. It couldn''t hit the high notes nor sing the lower notes. It sounded like it was hupping when it was trying to go low and sounded like dying chickens when it tried to go high."


    Everyoneughed at this.


    Hearing his story being told, General, who was lying on Mama Jiao''s bed, flipped up and croaked: "Hurray for General! Hurray for General!"


    "Sing us another song, General." Li Xiaoxi said.


    General tilted his head and thought for a moment. Five secondster, he started:


    Oh sweet love~~your smile is like candy~~ like flowers blossoming in spring ~~ blossoming~ in spring~


    He tilted his head from left to right as he sang. Zheng Tan was disgusted by his antics.


    Ignoring General, Zheng Tan hopped on Mama Jiao''s bed and squeezed the parrot away.


    Seeing Zheng Tan jump on her bed, Mama Jiao rearranged the covers for hisfort.


    With the soft and warm quilt under his belly, Zheng Tan felt better.


    General sang while inching towards Zheng Tan. When he finished thest note, his beak was still open and he flew towards the cat. He was aiming for a nip on Zheng Tan''s ear.


    Zheng Tan flexed his paws and twitched his ears. He nced sideways at the parrot with a threatening gleam in his eyes as if to say, bite me if you dare. I will teach you a lesson.


    General hadn''t seen a cat for a while and couldn''t help himself. He wanted to nip on the cat''s ears. However, he paused when he saw the look in Zheng Tan''s eyes and eventually turned away.


    Everyone in the ward couldn''t stopughing at the bird and the cat.


    Li Xiaoxi checked the time and had to leave toplete her duties. She was due to be backter to change Mama Jiao''s bandages.


    Wei Ling did not stay for long either.


    Zheng Lingid next to Mama Jiao. He made sure to stay away from her hurt arm and other injuries.


    Professor Tan and Papa Jiao were talking about projects at the university. General was bored and decided to practice opening bottles with the stic bottle on the night stand. Whenever he was close to touching one of Mama Jiao''s wounds, Zheng Tan shooed him away.


    It was much warmer indoors, and Zheng Tan was growing sleepy. However, he was snapped out of his drowsiness by a knock at the door. Recently, Li Xiaoxi was in charge of Mama Jiao''s ward. A few doctors came to check up on her regrly as well. Li Xiaoxi, of course, knew about Zheng Tan but the other doctors did not. If it was anyone else beside her, it was best he stayed out of sight.


    General flew to his owner with a bottle cap in his beak. Zheng Tan jumped into a bag next to Papa Jiao.


    The person who came in was in her thirties. Her clothing was orthodox but not serious. She seemed approachable but dignified at the same time. Of course, she was no match for The Buddha when it came to being dignified.


    Seeing her, Papa Jiao stood up immediately.


    "Ms. Yang, I''m surprised to see you here."


    This woman was Jiao Yuan''s homeroom teacher who also taught him Chinese. Zheng Tan had seen her before several times.


    "I heard Ms. Gu was injured, so I decided toe by to visit." Ms. Yang put down the fruit basket she brought with her.


    Ms. Yang did not live in the quarters. She lived off campus. However, she got off work early and happened to hear that Jiao Yuan''s mother was injured, so she came to visit since she was here apanying an older rtive for a physical.


    "Oh yes. The school had a ckout. At this time of the year, students couldn''t possibly see the ckboard clearly without lights after four, so thest period was cancelled. I saw a few kids downstairs in the fruit shop. They hade here to visit Ms. Gu. I told them I''d keep their surprise visit a secret. Don''t tell them I told you." Ms. Yang smiled and said.


    Zheng Tan: ""


    Poor kids. Sold out by their well-respected teacher.


    Ms. Yang had to leave early because she was here with someone. Five minutes after she left, Zheng Tan heard the footsteps of children outside. The door was pushed ajar, and Jiao Yuan poked his head in. He looked around the room and said: "My ssmates heard my mother was in hospital, so they came to visit."


    "Well, what are you waiting for? Ask them in." Papa Jiao pretended he had just learnt the news and got up to wee them.


    The ward was small, so Papa Jiao and Professor Tan went out to let the childrene in.


    Zheng Tan peaked out from the bag. He saw the usual crowd: Lan Tianzhu, Xiong Xiong and Su An. With them was a girl.


    "Well, who do we have here?" Mama Jiao looked at the girl.


    Mama Jiao might not know everyone in Jiao Yuan''s ss, but she at least recognized most of them. This girl, however, she was sure she had never met her before.


    "She''s a transfer student. Her name is Shi Rui." Jiao Yuan emphasized her name.


    "No wonder I don''t recognize her. She''s a new kid."


    "Her name is Shi Rui." Jiao Yuan emphasized the name again.


    "I know her name is Shi Rui."


    Mama Jiao did not understand why her son was saying the girl''s name over and over again. But Papa Jiao and Professor Tan, who were standing at the door, looked at each other and smiled. They understood what Jiao Yuan was hinting at.


    Jiao Yuan pointed at Su An, then at Shi Rui who was staring at him. He didn''t understand why Mama Jiao was still oblivious. Su An''s ears were burning red.


    "Do you understand?"


    "Jiao Yuan!" Shi Rui raised her voice.


    "What are you afraid of? Everyone is bound to find out sooner orter. Didn''t you say your family would be moving to the Eastern Quarters soon?" Jiao Yuan did not care at all that Shi Rui was staring at him.


    Mama Jiao finally understood with his very obvious hint. Now, the only ones who were still kept out of the joke were General, who was standing on Professor Tan''s shoulder, and Zheng Tan, who was in a bag.


    He finally understood after Jiao Yuan exined the events of the week. Litmus [1] was an organic acidmonly used as an acid and alkali indicator in chemistry. It turned red when in contact with acids and turned blue when in contact with a base. It was very often mentioned in middle school chemistry textbooks.


    The day Shi Rui transferred into the ss, Su An was on sick leave. He didn''t go to school until the afternoon. After ss, he was resting on his desk when Lan Tianzhu and Jiao Yuan asked him if he knew Shi Rui.


    He looked up and answered: "Of course I do. It''s the indicator."


    Shi Rui was standing behind him at the moment. She was not pleased. She hated being nicknamed the indicator.


    After that, Su An grew red whenever he came in contact with the girl. His friends teased him on this relentlessly.


    It was quite a coincidence that Su An''s name sounded like acid[2].


    As the kids wereughing and joking around, Papa Jiao''s phone rang. Professor Tan had decided to leave. General flew out the window and waited for his owner outside. It wouldn''t be good to have him wander through the hospital.


    Before Papa Jiao left to take his call, he thought about it and eventually decided to take the bag with Zheng Tan out with him.


    Kids could never keep secrets. Let alone there was the unfamiliar Shi Rui with them today. It was best to avoid any trouble.


    He answered the call at the end of the hallway.


    Zheng Tan listened to the phone call in the bag. The person who was calling was that Yuan Zi who Papa Jiao went to college with. They were talking about issues regarding thepany they were starting.


    After the phone call, Papa Jiao looked down at Zheng Tan who was still sitting in the bag and said, "Charcoal, the thirty thousand you have in your bank ount that you earned through those advertisements you did, I''m going to put it into ourpany. It would be like an investment. We''ll pay you dividends. You''ll be a shareholder."


    Zheng Tan made a lot of money from acting in Xiao Guo''s advertisements. Originally, he went over once a month for new photoshoots. Xiao Guo was receiving positive feedback, and now Zheng Tan went over once every two weeks. Zheng Tan did not know the actual results, but Xiao Guo looked at him as if he was the god of money whenever they met.


    Investing the money in Papa Jiao''spany wouldn''t be a problem, Zheng Tan thought. He wasn''t going to use the money anyways. Xiao Guo mentioned other ads earlier, so he would be making new money soon. It wouldn''t matter even if Papa Jiao''spany failed and they lost all the money.


    What Zheng Tan didn''t know was that one day, in the future, the amount on his bank card would be sorge that it would be shocking.

 Chapter 27: Who Knows What Cats Are Thinking

    Chapter 27: Who Knows What Cats Are Thinking


    Yuan Zi''s real name was Yuan Zhiyi. Besides Papa Jiao, Wei Ling and him, another one of Papa Jiao''s old college friends in Chuhua, Fei Hang, also invested.


    After Professor Yuan passed away, Yuan Zhiyi began his own career. Recently, he had been abroad. Most of the equipment they needed was produced abroad. Besides, he wanted to gain some experience in the field.


    Though his father had passed away, the professor''s connections were still there. This put them a head abovepetitors.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know much about the science stuff, but he did know that the equipment they bought was easily above 10000 a piece. That was in dors, not Yuan. Zheng Tan rarely went to theb. The few glimpses he took of the equipment didn''t tell him much. Thebels were all in English. The few times Chinese showed up, it was the names of owners.


    He heard that the Bio department invested two million in equipment recently. However, during his trip to theb yesterday, he did not notice much of a difference.


    It was no wonder Papa Jiao wasining about not having enough money for thepany. The fund he received could not be used for this purpose. He invested the family''s entire savings, a little less than two million yuan, in thepany. This kind of money wouldn''t be able to purchase too much equipment.


    That day, Papa Jiao told Zheng Tan that he received a call from Mr. Guo saying that there was an urgent job.


    All of the work Mr. Guo threw in his way was rted to modeling for ads. It was a piece of cake for Zheng Tan. It was mostly videos and story posters these few times. If the job was urgent, then the pay was definitely negotiable. Papa Jiao took care of money matters. All Zheng Tan had to do was go over and strike a few poses.


    The afternoon Papa Jiao received the call from Mr. Guo, the man came to the hospital with health foods and vitamin supplements. He paid Mama Jiao a visit before leaving to chat business with Papa Jiao in the hallway.


    "Kitten food?" Papa Jiao asked.


    "Yeah. One of my brother''s client''s cat had a litter of kittens. The mommy cat got injured and was being treated at my brother''s clinic. The kittens are six weeks now and are off milk. The client said that he was keeping only one kitten out of five. The rest he was nning to give away. I took a look. The kittens were gorgeous. So I nned to use this opportunity to shoot a kitten food ad."


    Mr. Guo''s brother was a vet. Before the pet centre was built, his clinic was separate from Mr. Guo''s pet store. Now that they werebined, they shared customers. Originally, Mr. Guo was nning to wait before making kitten food ads. It was hard to achieve the effect he envisioned with kittens. After all, kittens were not trained and would not obey instructions.


    "If it''s a kitten food ad, why do you need Charcoal?" Papa Jiao asked.


    "I wanted to shoot the kittens together with a cat. Kittens are too hard to control on their own. I thought it might be better if a cat was there to control them. It''s still going to be difficult but hopefully easier than before."


    "What do you mean?" Papa Jiao still did not get it. First of all, his cat was a male. In the wild, male cats sometimes killed their kittens. Pet cats did the same in some circumstances. It was unsafe for kittens to be around a male cat. Secondly, Mr. Guo had a few cats in his store. They were all calm and gentle. Some of the cats were expensive breeds. Certainly, they were better than his ill-tempered house cat.


    "I want Charcoal to go do a tryout. We''ll see how things turn out. All the cats in my store tried yesterday. None of them achieved the desired effect. That''s why I came to find Charcoal."


    Papa Jiao epted Mr. Guo''s exnation. They started to talk about the pay.


    As the humans were chatting, Zheng Tan was slightly upset. He disliked most human children beside Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi, let alone kittens. This job was such a pain in the ass.


    Xiao Guo left after agreeing on a price. He would pick up Zheng Tan tomorrow morning. If Zheng Tan couldplete the task, the pay would be the agreed-upon amount. The kitten food in Mr. Guo''s shop was on the pricey side, but the quality was top-notch as well. It would certainly make him a lot of money if he could break into the market. So this time, Zheng Tan''s pay was higher than before.


    After hearing the pay, Zheng Tan decided to swallow his disdain for kitten-sitting. It was just an advertisement. The job would take at most a few hours.


    "Charcoal, I will remember the investment I made with the money in your ount. Maybe one day, you will be a big shareholder in ourpany. Also, there is no need to push yourself for the job. You''re going over there to shoot an ad, not to be upset. The worst that could happen is that we don''t do the ad."


    Zheng Tan meowed to show he understood. Papa Jiao was clearly joking at first, so Zheng Tan didn''t take his words to heart. However, he agreed wholeheartedly with Papa Jiao on the second issue. He did not pressure himself but ate and slept like usual.


    The next morning, Zheng Tan didn''t go running, but waited on the tall Parasol tree in the quarters. He had done the same thing thest few times Mr. Guo came to get him. So the man didn''t even have to enter the building; he just had to look up at the tree branches.


    Most of the leaves had fallen out, so Mr. Guo could see Zheng Tan right away.


    His face cracked into a smile when he saw the cat. He looked like he just saw gold. He patted the ck duffel bag on his shoulder.


    "Come on Charcoal, time to go to work."


    Zheng Tan disliked pet travel cases. So whenever Mr. Guo came to pick him up, he would bring arge duffel bag or backpack.


    The pet center was not far from the quarters. Mr. Guo came on a scooter. He put the bag in the front basket of the scooter. Zheng Tan stayed inside the bag but poked out his head to look at passing scenery.


    Mr. Guo''s pet center was on the rise. He had plenty of old customers, and now, because of the ads, more and more people knew of his store. After cing ads on some online forums, he received a few bulk orders. These eventually turned into some long-time customers.


    They went in through the side door. It was closer to the studio, and there were less people here.


    His employees were familiar with the ck cat that their boss treated like the God of money. Mr. Guo''s exnation was that this cat had special training, so it was extra good at following orders. It was an expensive hire. He emphasized expensive, so the employees would know to treat it better.


    This cat was, in fact, his store''s God of money. It was all because of him that the cat food sold so quickly. The ads yed a big part in their sales. That and the quality of their food. Mr. Guo remembered to praise himself while praising others.


    The employees did not doubt Mr. Guo''s exnation. They saw Zheng Tan as simr to the animals in circuses. If Zheng Tan knew he was beingpared to circus animals, who knew what he would think.


    As usual, Zheng Tan hopped off the scooter and went into the studio. The people were the same, the cats and the golden retriever who all came to watch were the same, but a difference was easy to find.


    In the corner of the studio, where there used to be equipment, was a pen. Inside were five, furry, little kittens. Three of which had the clear markings of a tabby. The other two kittens were ck and white. Mr. Guo mentioned that these kittens were part Siberian cat, so their fur was slightly longer than your average cat.


    Next to the pen was a cat tree, on ity an American shorthair. Its two front legs were crossed together and it was watching the five kittens below.


    The name of this cat was Prince. It belonged to the store and was named by Mr. Guo. The picture on the packaging of the canned cat food was of him.


    The reason why he was used came down to the superiorities of the breed. American shorthairs had chubby faces and were slightlyrger than other cats. The looked well built, unlike house cats which were often skinnier. Just on looks alone, it trumped Zheng Tan. Many cat food brands used American shorthairs on their packaging.


    However, Zheng Tan was much smarter than that cat. This was an unfairpetition. After all, Zheng Tan still thought about himself as a human. He didn''t want topare intelligence with a cat.


    The other reason why Zheng Tan didn''t make it on the packaging was because he was a ck cat. Not everyone liked ck cats. Some were still wary of them due to superstitious reasons.


    So, looks were important. But Zheng Tan had no way of changing his looks, he didn''t n to dye his fur.


    At the moment, Prince was staring at the five kittens. His paw flexed from time to time. He looked eager to jump in, but was not sure if he should.


    "Everything still the same?" Mr. Guo asked the employees present.


    "Yes. Whenever Prince went in, the kittens treated him as their arch enemy. The other cats were treated the same. Both the male and females. Boss, didn''t you say Charcoal was ill-tempered. You sure he wouldn''t bite the kittens?" One employee asked.


    Zheng Tan, who was half-way up a cat tree, heard his words. He looked over at Mr. Guo.


    How dare you bad mouth me! Who said I was ill-tempered? How was I ill-tempered?


    As he thought angrily, Zheng Tan scratched the cat tree so hard that the inner fillings were showing. Prince saw this and inched in the opposite direction.


    Looking at the scratch marks on the cat tree, Mr. Guo had a moment of doubt, but he decided to give it a try. He told all the employees to keep an eye on the pen. If Zheng Tan was going to bite the kittens, they would rush in to save them.


    Zheng Tan squatted on the cat tree and looked down at the five kittens. At six weeks old, they were already showing curiosity. They used everything to sharpen their teeth. Everything was a toy to them. When they weren''t ying with something, they yed with their tails or paws. Zheng Tan saw this behavior as slightly schizophrenic.


    Zheng Tan really wished he didn''t have to go in to y with the little nuts. However, he was already here, so he at least had to pretend to work.


    After some self-encouragement, Zheng Tan took a deep breath and jumped in.


    The five kittens were deeply rmed by the sudden appearance of Zheng Tan. Two of them immediately jumped and the fur on their backs stood up on end. They eyed Zheng Tan suspiciously.


    Outside the pen, Mr. Guo and his employees all looked on nervously for any sign that the ck cat was going to bite. Mr. Guo had promised the owner of the kittens that they would be returned safely when he borrowed them.


    Zheng Tan stayed still after he entered the pen. He knew that everyone was watching him, so he had to keep his ws and teeth hidden. So he decided to do nothing and stood still. He nned to wait until the kittens passed their instinctive stage of rm.


    To everyone''s surprise, thergest kitten of the bunch seemed to calm down. It started toe closer to Zheng Tan. At first, it inched slowly, then it picked up the pace, its tail held high.


    Zheng Tan looked at the little tabbying over. He didn''t know how to react. It was so small. He could p it away easily.


    The tabby came to Zheng Tan''s side and patted Zheng Tan on the front leg. Then patted him again, and again. Then it rolled over and started ying with Zheng Tan''s paw.


    Zheng Tan shook his whiskers. How he wanted to p away the little thing.


    Soon all the other kittens followed suit. Some yed with his paws, others yed with his tail.


    Zheng Tan felt he had to do something. So he pulled away his tail and walked away. The five kittens followed behind him immediately. Thergest one which ran faster even caught up and tried to grab Zheng Tan''s tail.


    Zheng Tan was losing patience and wanted to get away from the kittens. However, when he started to walk faster, the kittens started meowing like he was doing something inhumane.


    So the following scene took ce: A ck cat traced the side of a pen and walked in circles. Behind it followed five kittens, which meowed whenever they couldn''t keep up. The ck cat would stop and wait, and they would quickly catch up.


    "So are they judging cats by appearance?" An employee said. None of the cats in the store got along with the kittens, but the ck cat was apparently different.


    "Appearance?" Mr. Guo pointed at the cat walking in circles. "Who do you think is cuter? Our cats or that one?"


    The employee fell silent.


    Another employee then asked: "Why didn''t the kittens reject Charcoal?"


    "Who knows what cats are thinking." This was all Mr. Guo came up with.

 Chapter 28: Your Li Yuanba is Pregnant

    Chapter 28: Your Li Yuanba is Pregnant


    Seeing that Zheng Tan was getting along ''well'' with the kittens, Prince decided to try his luck again. He jumped into the pen.


    The five kittens reacted in the exact same way as before. They arched their backs and hissed. Except now, because Zheng Tan was by their side, they felt as if they had support and acted even more aggressively. They huddled by Zheng Tan''s side, making it hard for him to move.


    Prince took two steps in their direction, and the kittens hissed harder. At the same time, they squeezed closer to Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan was deeply annoyed. He didn''t understand: why must the kittense so close? He was stiff from maintaining the same position for too long. His annoyance reached peak level. So he took it out on Prince.


    Zheng Tan pinned down his ears and stared at the American Shorthair making its way over with ice cold eyes. He was nning to give it a good beating if it didn''t go away.


    Seeing this, Mr. Guo hurriedly called out to his cat. By the looks of it, Prince was definitely not doing the ad. The kittens were not giving him a chance.


    Seeing that ''the enemy'' was gone, the kittens calmed down and began ying beside Zheng Tan again. They followed him when he moved and surrounded him when he stopped. They rolled around next to him or yed with his paws and tail.


    Unlike the happy kittens, Zheng Tan had his moody face on. Cats did not have a lot of expressions, but anyone with eyes could tell Zheng Tan was an angry cat at the moment.


    Zheng Tan looked down at the kittens ying next to his paw.


    Kitten paws were soft. They were a soft pink under the light, unlike the rough paws of cats. Zheng Tan ran every day and climbed trees, his paws were even more rough.


    Zheng Tan looked at the little paws waving in the air. He raised one of his own paws and touched it topare sizes. Kitten paws were tiny. They were smaller than the center cushion on his paw, but they were so soft.


    Ka Ka ka.


    sh lights apanied the sound of a camera.


    Zheng Tan looked over. Mr. Guo was taking pictures, switching positions frequently like a monkey. Because the studio was filled with props, Mr. Guo''s line of sight was often blocked, so his picture-taking pose was very awkward. It was akin to the posture that gross men used when trying to take underwear pictures of young girls.


    "Boss, shall we use Charcoal for the ad?" The employees were very eager. It seemed that the ck cat was the one for the job. The store''s cats were not even close to being able toplete the job.


    "Charcoal it is. Get everything ready. Let''s start!" Mr. Guo was very excited. "This ad will surely win us lots of orders."


    The ad Mr. Guo had in mind was simple. A cat found a litter of abandoned kittens, so it brought them cat food. Here, two kinds of food were being advertised: canned kitten food and a milk based treat. Both products were produced and sold by Mr. Guo''s store. Both passed quality checks with flying colors, which was why Papa Jiao agreed to let Zheng Tan do the ad.


    Mr. Guo''s biggest worry used to be that the kittens could not get along with the cat. However, he soon realized that it was also a problem when the kittens liked the cat too much. They refused to stay put in the prop nest. Even if they stayed put for a second, they ran out the moment they saw Zheng Tan.


    But this was still easier to deal withpared to if the two parties didn''t get along. Even better, the kittens appeared to genuinely like the food. This increased Mr. Guo''s confidence in his product.


    The photo shoot took four hours. What followed was post production, which had nothing to do with Zheng Tan. He wanted to leave as quickly as possible.


    The weather, however, was not letting him have his way. The sky had darkened, and it started to rain, even though the forecasts predicted a clear day.


    Mr. Guo called Papa Jiao to inform him that he would be taking Zheng Tan home when it stopped raining. It shouldn''t rain for long. He would have the cat back before nightfall.


    So Zheng Tan had to stay in this goddamn studio. The silver lining was that the kittens were tired out by the photo shoot and were asleep at the moment. There was a heating pad under their bed. Their mother was not here; they could catch a cold sleeping alone in this weather.


    Originally Mr. Guo wanted Zheng Tan to go apany them. Afterall, no heating bed could actuallypete with a real cat.


    Zheng Tan ignored Mr. Guo and pretended to take a nap. He was not going to babysit any longer.


    During break time, the employees got delivery. Knowing that Zheng Tan didn''t eat cat food, Mr. Guo got Zheng Tan a serving of chicken rice.


    As everyone ate, the door of the studio was suddenly thrown open.


    "Guo Xiaoming! Help!"


    A woman came in. She appeared to be young, but looked extremely distressed. She had an umbre and her hair was all down. Zheng Tan couldn''t see her face with all that hair and the ck-rimmed sses she had on.


    She had a pet travel bag which she managed to keep dry even though she was dripping wet.


    Mr. Guo almost choked when he saw her. "I told you Yanzi, my name is Guo Mingyi, not Guo Xiaoming. Also what''s up with you?"


    "Help! My Li Yuanba is sick." She put her umbre down and ran over.


    Hearing the name Li Yuanba, Zheng Tan almost spat out the piece of chicken he was chewing.


    What must the cat look like to deserve a name like that? [1]


    Zheng Tan looked over curiously, wanting to see the cat inside the bag.


    "Howe? I thought you said your cat was quite healthy." Mr. Guo went over to an empty table. He didn''t want to check on a cat where everyone was eating.


    "Also, you should bring it to my brother if it''s sick. I sell pet products here." He unzipped the travel bag as he spoke.


    "I know you from high school. I feel better taking him to a ce where I have connections." Yanzi looked very worried.


    After Mr. Guo unzipped the pet bag, Zheng Tan saw Li Yuanba.


    Jeez! The cat''s fur pattern could only be described as the aftermath of a fire. It was indeed unique. The cat was mostly ck with patches of yellow and white.


    From a cat''s perspective, Zheng Tan felt that this cat was a not easy going. It looked like it did well in fights.


    This was Mr. Guo''s first time seeing Li Yuanba. He had seen pictures of the cat online before and had heard about it from Yanzi. After the two got in touch, they chatted online once. Yanzi was very happy to learn Mr. Guo had opened a pet center. She had shown him pictures of the cat and came in to buy vines and cat food before, but this was the first time she showed up with the cat.


    "Your catseems fierce." Mr. Guo did not pet the cat. He had enough experience that he could tell the cats current mood from its eyes. He decided it was best if he didn''t touch it, or else he would probably earn a few scratches or bites.


    The catid there calmly. Besides giving Mr. Guo a warning look when he came close, it didn''t show any unusualness.


    Mr. Guo looked at the cat, then asked: "Why do you think it''s sick?"


    "He justys there and sleeps. He used to at least go out to y. He doesn''t react at all when I y with him at home, not that he ever yed much with me. Hepletely ignores all his toys and this has been going on for weeks. My neighbor says he''s probably sick. Guo Xiaoming, do you think he''s sick, like really really sick?"


    Mr. Guo thought for a second then asked: "What about its appetite? Any changes?"


    "Yes. He''s eating more now."


    Mr. Guo nodded. "It''s fine. Don''t worry. Li Yuanba''s just pregnant."


    Zheng Tan: "" That''s one weird sentence.


    Yanzi had an even more extreme reaction. She looked at her cat as if looking at a monster: "That''s impossible. Li Yuanba can''t be pregnant. He''s a boy."


    Mr. Guo rolled his eyes. "You can tell that''s not true just by its fur color. ck and Yellow cats are basically all female. The pattern is caused by random X chromosome inactivation in cells in different ces of the cat''s body."


    If the inactivation happened to a dominant gene, the patch of fur turns out ck. If it happened to a recessive gene, the patch of fur turns out to be yellow.


    Yanzi was still somewhat confused after listening to Mr. Guo''s exnation. "I''m a CS major, not a gics major."


    The two went to highschool together, but majored in different things in University.


    "Did nobody tell you that your cat was female?" Mr. Guo was perplexed. Yanzi lived in an old apartmentplex, the residents were familiar with one another and had regr interactions. Even if Yanzi couldn''t tell the cat was female, it didn''t make sense that no one realized this.


    "Well I kinda just stay home all the time. My neighbor said he''s a boy, so I named him Li Yuanba." Yanzi seemed embarrassed.


    Yanzi''s actual name was Li Yan. It was an ordinary name, and she was an ordinary girl. She never stood out from the crowd when she was a student. This cat used to be a stray. She had found it and adopted it.


    "Your neighbor? The short guy with the hair parted in the middle and the really shiny shoes?" Mr. Guo asked.


    "Yeah. That''s him." Yanzi nodded.


    Mr. Guo tutted. "That guy brought his cat in to get neuteredst week. His cat was female; it can''t be neutered. The guy probably thought it was easy to tell the gender of a cat like it was easy to tell the gender of a dog."


    Now realizing that her female cat was pregnant, Yanzi asked if she needed to do anything special to take care of it.


    "Well, avoid giving it medicine or any chemicals, especially steroids and Bleomycin. You need to control the quality and quantity of its food intake"


    Yanzi recorded everything Mr. Guo said.


    "I''ll stop here for now. Go home and look it up on the inte. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask me. Leave me a message online or email me. I''m a bit busy recently, but I check my email regrly."


    "Thanks so much. Ah! Are those kittens?" Yanzi finally saw the fur balls in the corner of the studio.


    "Yes. They''re six weeks old. They just did a photoshoot for an ad and fell asleep."


    "An ad? An ad for kittens? Can I see it?"


    Mr. Guo considered it and showed her the unprocessed photos.


    "They''re so cute." Yanzi eximed. She pointed at Zheng Tan who was resting on a cat tree. "Is that ck cat the father?"


    "No. Their mother is a shorthair house cat, and their father is a Siberian cat."


    "Then how is it getting along so well with the kittens."


    "Maybe kittens just find it approachable." Mr. Guo was curious himself.


    "What a special cat. Guo Xiaoming, when my cat has kittens, I''ll bring them in for a photoshoot as well. Can I borrow that cat too?"


    Mr. Guo did not answer but looked over to Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan: ""


    He did not want to babysit kittens anymore.

 Chapter 29: What Are You Looking At

    Chapter 29: What Are You Looking At


    After finishing the kitten food ad, Zheng Tan did not have any time to worry about its reception. He had a bigger thing to focus on; Mama Jiao wasing home.


    Even though she had notpletely recovered, there was no point in staying in the hospital anymore. Faculty benefits covered most of the costs, but she didnt want to upy a bed when others might need it more. She always felt ufortable in the hospital anyways. Also, she didnt want the kids to eat cafeteria food any longer. Not that the cafeteria served poor food; it was just that home cooked meals always seemed better.


    So, on a sunny Saturday morning, the entire Jiao family went to the hospital.


    Jiao Yuan brought his backpack, hiding Zheng Tan within it. When unfamiliar doctors and unrted strangers walked by, Zheng Tan would bury himself inside the bag. Otherwise, he would stick out his head to watch everyone pack.


    Everyone was smiling. It was hard not to feel happy about leaving the hospital.


    During Mama Jiaos stay in the hospital, the family had brought quite a bit of stuff here. Though it didnt seem like a lot normally, the stuff couldnt even fit into arge cardboard box. It included bowls and cups for the kids, cat bowl for Zheng Tan and some nkets and throws.


    Zheng Tan looked on as everyone worked busily, then he took a peek inside the neighboring wards. A man in his fifties came out holding one of those hospital portable toilet basins. He was headed to the washroom to wash the thing.


    After he was done, he ran into Papa Jiao carrying arge box outside the ward. Yo Jiao. Here to take Gu home?


    Papa Jiao sighed, Shes not yet recovered, but sheins that she always feels uneasy here at the hospital. So we figured she might as well go home to rest. Though he sighed, his tone was light and cheerful.


    Papa Jiao and the man chatted for a while. Packing up was tiring, and Papa Jiao could use a rest.


    From their conversation, Zheng Tan found out that the mans wife was injured in the same car crash as Mama Jiao. However, she wasnt quite as lucky. Beside flesh wounds, she had broken several bones. On top of that, she had high blood pressure and chronic heart disease. She had been in critical condition several times after the ident. She only left the ICU a few days ago.


    Her husband never left her bedside during this whole time.


    Mama Jiao had to stay in bed during her first few days here as well. Papa Jiao also stayed by her side catering to her every need. During that time, the most frequent thing Zheng Tan heard him say was dont worry, Im here.


    Sometimes, Zheng Tan envied them. He envied Papa and Mama Jiao, and he envied the man and his wife. He felt that the rtionship they shared was what family was supposed to be like.


    Ok! Lets go home!


    Mama Jiao dragged a small suitcase out of the ward. Papa Jiao grabbed it from her right away. Yi Xin, who had just finished some experiments, arrived to lend a hand.


    They hadnt told Auntie Ling about their ns today, and Papa Jiao had only mentioned it to Yi Xin briefly when they were discussing their schedules. However, Yi Xin remembered and came.


    Papa Jiao had borrowed an SUV from a colleague. They loaded everything and headed back towards the eastern quarters.


    As they were loading the car, both Papa Jiao and Zheng Tan were thinking the exact same thing. It was time to buy a car.


    Papa Jiao was a bit short on cash at the moment. Every penny he had was invested in thepany, including the money made by his cat. He didnt have enough to purchase a car just yet.


    As he drove, he decided to wait a bit longer. He would buy the car before the end of next year and then take the whole family, including Charcoal, back to his parents for New Years.


    This year, the Lunar new year was quite early. Because of Mama Jiaos condition, Papa Jiao had decided to stay in Chuhua for the holidays. He had informed his parents of this decision and offered to have theme over. However, Grandpa Jiao refused. On the phone, he said: Your ce in tiny. Ill stay in our town.


    Mama Jiaos school was very amodating and gave her paid leave so she could rest and recover. All the injured teachers got such treatment, so Mama Jiao was happy to ept it. She would have more time to spend at home taking care of the kids and the cat. She could make up for the time she spent in the hospital.


    With Mama Jiao home, Zheng Tan felt that his life was glorious. He woke up at the same time as the kids; washed up with Gu Youzi and went to the bathroom with Jiao Yuan. Breakfast would be waiting for them on the table when they were finished.


    There was now one more person joining Jiao Yuan on his trip to school. Shi Rui had moved into the quarters. After the theft incident, the vice principles rtives had moved out and their apartment was vacant. So Professor Shis family moved in. The apartment waspletely renovated, so it saved his family quite a lot of work.


    Though the kids had people walking to school with them, they still liked it when Zheng Tan walked with them. After dropping off the kids at the school gate, Zheng Tan went on to do his daily exercise.


    He rarely saw Zhuo anymore when he went to theke these days. Apparently, the weather was too cold so she stayed home. The Buddha had helped get her a dorm room.


    It was time to do another photoshoot for Mr. Guo again. He came to pick up Zheng Tan and brought a magazine. It was the magazine that his friend had started. Most of the pet ads Zheng Tan did were published in that magazine. Apparently, it was selling well.


    Mr. Guo didnt leave right away, but called Mama Jiao over and showed her the page with Zheng Tans ad.


    Like the earlier ads, this was a story told by pictures made up of shots from the video of Zheng Tan and the kittens. Many readers flipped to the page with the ad first, before reading the other content. This weeks ad got especially good reviews.


    Beside the story series was arge picture of therge ck cat touching paws with the kittens. On the corner of the picture was the line that said Justly... So loving you justly, will you take me home?


    Mama Jiao cut the two pages out and added them to her photo album. Then she asked for a printed version of the picture.


    Zheng Tan did not actually like the picture that everyone else seemed to love. He felt like it made him look sappy.


    However, it didnt matter how he viewed the ad, the sales were the only thing that Mr. Guo cared about.


    Apparently, he had received several orders for kitten food after the ad. Though most of the people contacting him only wanted to ask for advice. They wanted to know how to get the same effects and whether the pictures were Photoshopped. More than anything, they wanted to know how he got a cat to act out those moves.


    Mr. Guo beat around the bushes and avoided answering anything real.


    When Zheng Tan arrived at the studio, he immediately noticed something different.


    Li Yan was there and was surrounded by some unrecognizable yet oddly familiar scents. He walked over to her and saw her staring at herputer. On it were pictures. They were poorly taken, but you could still see the subject.


    All the pictures featured two cats onerger, which was Li Yuanba, and the other was tiny. The kitten was white with yellow markings. It was even smaller than the five kittens Zheng Tan had worked with before.


    So this was Li Yuanbas kitten?


    Zheng Tan looked at the name of the folder, Li Yuanba and Nougat.


    Now that he found out the tri-colored cat had kittens, he lost interest. He just wanted to finish his work and go home. Except two of the employees who were supposed to work on the job had other business at the moment. The photoshoot wouldnt start until one to two hourster.


    Zheng Tan waited in his usual spot on top the cat tree. He closed to his eyes to rest.


    Not far from him, Li Yan was discussing things with Mr. Guo while pointing to herptop. Apparently, both Li Yan and her cat had been staying at the pet center these past days.


    The pet center had dorms for employees, and since Li Yan was worried about her cat, she moved into the dorms. She even paid two months rent in advance. Her cat became a resident too, so Mr. Guo would watch over Li Yuanba.


    She never took care of pregnant humans, let alone pregnant cats. As for her, she wasnt picky on living standards as long as it came with inte.


    Li Yuanba went intobor a couple days after they moved in. It only had one kitten, which wasrger than most kittens that were just born.


    Li Yan wanted to take as many pictures as possible to save for the future. However, Li Yuanba acted defensively whenever she saw a camera, and she was not the sweetest looking cat to start off with. Mr. Guo couldnt help either. The cat was on defense mode whenever someone unfamiliar tried to approach.


    Li Yan never turned on the sh light when taking her cat pictures, and she had to hide and do pap shots. This cat had incredible reflexes, so most of her attempts failed. Most of the time, she only got a picture of a tail or a shadow.


    Eventually, she set up a surveince camera and spied on her cat everyday on herptop.


    After going through the picture, she began spying again.


    I heard tri-color cats were obedient and more well-behaved than other cats. They are good at looking after their young. Is that true? I think Li Yuanba fits the profile, Li Yan remarked with contentment.


    Mr. Guo thought about it: My grandma used to say that these cats were either angels or devils. Clearly yours is thetter.


    Guo Xiaoming! Li Yan pped him with a cat toy.


    They joked around for a while before Li Yan began to get worried about her cat again.


    Arent you being a bit paranoid?


    Mr. Guo rubbed his arm where it was pped. Many cats wont even let people see their kittens. Your cat is pretty nice about it. You dont have to be so cautious when raising your cat. All you have to do is make sure it gets enough nutrients. Cat are not like dogs; they prefer to live alone. You see those dirty strays around all the time, resting on fences. They arepletely calm and content. However, stray dogs are way shabbier. They have their tail between their legs, always on edge and scared. Stray dogs die way easier than cats. Cats hunt for food and are kings of their own kingdom. Dogs like being with their owners and need to be taken care of.


    Zheng Tan looked over to Mr. Guos golden retriever. It was a bitch. Most people thought that if the American shorthair was named Prince, the dog would be named Princess.


    However, its name was Master. Apparently, it was an award winning dog. Mr. Guo hung the award in his shop as advertising. Because of its looks, this dog was put on most of the pet centers dog food packaging.


    Golden retrievers were eye-catching because of the color of their fur. They were also yful, smart and sweet. They were a widely epted breed of dogs.


    Because Mr. Guo mentioned strays, Li Yan looked over to the Golden Retriever as well. Mr. Guo followed her gaze. Master was looking over at them and wagging her tail furiously.


    What are you looking at. Were talking about you. Mr. Guo shouted out at her.


    It was hard to tell if Master understood his words. She stopped wagging her tail for a moment, but resumed grinning and wagging immediately.


    All you do is eat! Youre useless. Mr. Guo rolled his eyes.


    Zheng Tan started considering what Mr. Guo had just said.


    How should he define himself now? Was he a social animal or not? Humans formed societies, but cats preferred to be alone. He had the soul of a human male but the blood of a cat.


    If one day he was out in the world on his own, what would happen? Would he be able to enjoy the sunlight or would his tail be between his legs?


    He really didnt know.


    When the two employees got back, Zheng Tan started working.


    This photoshoot was not difficult. It was not for kitten food, so it didnt take long. After it was done, Mr. Guo took Zheng Tan back to the quarters.


    Well-fed and well-rested, Zheng Tanid on the sofa and watched a sappy soap opera with Mama Jiao. He took another nap and then went outside to y. Mama Jiao was home; he didnt have to watch the kids anymore. Sometimes, he stayed outte.


    It was the end of the year, and Papa Jiao was busy most of the time. His experiments were reaching a critical point. He often stayed in theb until eleven or twelve at night. Sometimes, Zheng Tan would stay out until eleven before visiting Papa Jiao at the Bio building, and the two would return on Papa Jiaos scooter together.

 Chapter 30: Every School Had One or Two ‘PhD’ Roads

    Chapter 30: Every School Had One or Two ¡®PhD¡¯ Roads


    The biology department had recently hired a few professors who came back from abroad, and the enrollment was higher than ever. Therefore, the department had to reallocate resources. Papa Jiaos office had been given to three young lecturers. He had been given a new office that was much smaller than his original office.


    The department was originally worried that Professor Jiao would object, but he was very understanding and moved to his new office the very next day. The department head was very pleased and thought even higher of Professor Jiao.


    Of course, the reason that Papa Jiao agreed to the move was not that he understood the departments difficulties and wanted to help. Zheng Tan thought he could guess what Papa Jiao was thinking. Since the department had made such arrangements, as a faculty member, it would be best if he just epted.


    However, Papa Jiao dly agreed to move to his new office because of its location. The new office had a window facing south, which guaranteed lots of light in the winter. More importantly, it was a corner office. Outside the window was a parasol tree, and its. The tree branches extended to the office window. Zheng Tan could now climb up the tree and enter through the window when he came to visit.


    Often, when Zheng Tan was tired or grew bored, he woulde over and jump on Papa Jiaos window sill. Papa Jiao never locked his window when he was in his office. The window was a sliding window; Zheng Tan could easily open it.


    Next to Papa Jiaos desk was a small chair. If Jiao Yuan was not there, Zheng Tan would use the chair to nap. Like yesterday, Zheng Tan walked Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi to school after their nap, then came over to Papa Jiaos office and slept on the chair. In the afternoon, the sun was shining directly on the chair. It was the perfect spot.


    He slept until five in the afternoon. Zheng Tan yawned. Papa Jiao was probably not having dinner at home tonight. He was too busy these days and usually had his students bring him food from the cafeteria.


    He now had three students working with him. One, of course, was Yi Xin. The other two were undergrads doing their dissertation. Papa Jiao normally ate dinner with them. The four often worked until midnight.


    Though Papa Jiao had been nning to get a few more grad students, he was not nning to lower his standards. Quite a few professors now had many grad students working in theirbs. Papa Jiao still only had Yi Xin.


    Most students from Chuhua university entering grad school this year who were worth teaching, were either nning to study abroad or already reserved for the heads of the department. The rest were with professors who had more projects and more money. The others were not up to standards, so Papa Jiao didnt want any of them. He was nning to wait and see if there would be anyone good from other schools.


    Besides working on his projects, he had Yuan Zhiyispany to worry about.


    Thepany was named Tianyuan Biology. Tian was a word in Professor Yuans name, and yuan obviously came from Yuan.


    Zheng Tan had heard Papa Jiao and Yuan Zhiyi say that they were nning to set up a research department. However, thepany did not have enough employees at the moment. Most people with talent did not want toe work at a small start-up, so Papa Jiao and Yuan Zhiyi had their work cut out for them.


    Papa Jiao bought most of the equipment he needed through thispany. He was able to buy the same equipment with less money with the support of Yuan Zhiyi. If his project went well, Papa Jiao would have an easier time bing amaking professor.


    Professor Jiao sometimes rmended thepany to teachers who wanted to save research funds. He never mentioned his part in thepany, but rather only hinted towards it in conversations with his colleagues. Most professors had plenty of projects. They had funds in the millions, and most were not nning to use these funds on just research. Both Professor Jiao and Yuan Zhiyi understood the kinds of shady dealings that went on in academia, so they decided to keep quiet on some things.


    Around six, Zheng Tan jumped onto the tree and closed the window. He went home for dinner. After dinner, he went out for a stroll. Tiger was being kept home. Sheriff and Fatty were still the same, they always stayed out with Zheng Tan untilte at night.


    Because of the weather, other than a few students outside walking to ss, most ces were empty. This was good for cats. No one got in their way.


    Once in a while, they would run into young couples getting it on. Sometimes, Zheng Tan would watch a little and reminisce of the days when he was still human. When he just entered university, he had done simr things. Now that he thought about it, he should have checked his surroundings for cats. He never would have thought anything of them even if he checked though.,


    Zheng Tan and co. came to the little forest where he used to climb trees. They had been ying in this area recently with some other cats from other ces. Some belonged to school employees while others came from off campus. This ce was on the edge of campus, so cats from the outside came inside to y too.


    Fights were unavoidable with this many cats. Sheriff had participated in almost every fight, while Fatty was his usual self. He ignored other cats unless they chose to fight him first.


    Zheng Tan had gotten into a fight once, because of a female cat.


    He swore he did not like that cat. He still thought of himself as human and was not nning to start a rtionship with a cat. He would rather watch the young couples. However, the female cat had approached him and that made some other cat envious.


    So he got into a fight. It wasnt really a fight. He pped the cat, and it was knocked away. He couldnt control his force, so he might have pped the cat harder than he intended.


    Other cats who saw the scene left Zheng Tan alone from then on. The cat who got pped disappeared for quite some time.


    Cats were clear when showing their feelings, though they could be hard to understand sometimes as well. Two cats who were close could be licking each others fur one moment, then start biting and fighting next moment. Then somewhere during the fight, they would start licking again.


    Zheng Tan would sometimes see two cats chasing and fighting in the grass. He would hear them screech then see them soon huddling together again.


    Cats were running around under the trees. Zheng Tan could hear meows everywhere. He ignored all of them.


    Zheng Tan liked nights like this one. He could do whatever he wished. With the night as his cover, no one would see his odd behaviors. He could run around all he liked.


    The cats were running around in the grass, Zheng Tan was running around on the trees, going from branch to branch like a monkey. Under the moonlight, his shadow was barely visible.


    It was a dark night. He was a ck cat.


    Zheng Tan increased his pace. He enjoyed the feeling of standing up high, but he was not ready to stop. He ran along tree branches, jumping onto a new tree when he reached the tip. Against the night wind, he could feel leaves falling onto him. He felt like he was breaking free. This excited him.


    When he stopped, he realized he was quite far from the other cats. Sheriff and Fatty woulde find himter, and the other cats would follow them.


    He stood on a branch and panted a little. The night wind was cool;, it calmed him. He stepped onto a leaf that was falling off the tree. He scratched it into little pieces, then watched the wind blow away the bits. After doing this several times and still seeing no sign of his friends, he couldnt help but wonder why they were being so slow.


    Suddenly, he heard something. He looked ahead.


    He heard the sound of someone being dragged. The persons mouth was covered and could only make muffled noises. The person was fighting back, and the shrubs made rapid rustling noises.


    From the sound of it, the person being dragged was a woman. Zheng Tan heard the lowered voice of a man as well. He couldnt tell what he said, but he heard the voices move deeper into the woods.


    He carefully jumped onto another tree and moved towards them.


    Suddenly he understood what was happening. Even without seeing anything, he could make an urate guess.


    Every university had one or two PhD roads.


    It was not a nice name, but rather a sarcastic one.


    Every university, especially the ones withrge campuses, had one or two ces that were too far from everywhere. Once in a while, bad things happened in these ces. The most typical was rape incidents.


    A ridiculous unspoken tradition was that to keep these incidents quiet, the victim would be automatically epted into the schools graduate programs with tuition covered if he or she chose to attend.


    Therefore, these ces were nicknamed PhD roads by students.


    Zheng Tan came to this part of the school quite often. He would hear talks of simr incidents in conversations between students passing by.


    Such incidents had happened in Chuhua university before. This area was surrounded by deserteddisserted buildings that were built too long ago. The roads were long and winded. Beside construction vehicles that had no choice, no cars came this way.


    The streetmps and speakers weremon victims of vandalism, and the culprits were never caught. The school had given up on the ce and had faculty members tell students to just avoid the area at night.


    These woods were within the caution area. This was why Zheng Tan seldom saw female students around in these woods.


    Maybe this was one reason why the school was nning to build new buildings around here. If people frequented the area, these kind of stuff wouldnt happen quite as often.


    Zheng Tan moved closer to the voices while thinking of the stories her had heard. At the same time, he heard the other catse towards this direction.

 Chapter 31: Charcoal, Did You Do Something Again?

    Chapter 31: Charcoal, Did You Do Something Again?


    Zheng Tan inched towards the source of the sound. He could see tracks in the ground where the girl was dragged and a phone with adylike cross body bag lying on the side.


    There was a strong scent in the air, Zheng Tan sniffed around. He found keys and a small tube in the grass. It seemed like pepper spray.


    The girl was well prepared. However, Zheng Tan didnt hear a scream. Did that mean she didnt manage to spray her attacker? Otherwise, the man must have been a repeated offender and had experience against such things.


    It was much faster moving on trees. He neednt avoid all the bumps on the ground.


    The person stopped under a tress. The ce was a far away from the road. It didnt matter anymore if he made some noise.


    Ka!


    Zheng Tan looked to find what made the sound. He saw a sh of metal.


    F*ck! The pervert brought S&M handcuffs! How much more perverted could he be? Zheng Tan couldnt help but swear inside.


    The guy cuffed the girl, then took out some tape from his bag.


    He let go of the hand on the girls mouth. Before she could yell, he taped her mouth shut. She could only whimper.


    Zheng Tan looked along, the guy wore gloves and a ski mask. Only his eyes and mouth showed, like a bank robber. He was an experienced repeated offender, after all.


    Zheng Tan quietly jumped onto the tree next to them. He climbed to the top, then found an appropriate branch and jumped down.


    Bang!


    The tree branch shook violently, causing leaves to fall from all around. The rustling sound made by the branch stood out in the quiet night.


    The man with the ski mask was holding the girl down with one hand and battling with his belt buckle with the other. He was about to get on with it when the sound from above startled him.


    He looked up. It was too dark. He couldnt see anything unusual. He could only see the branch above his head sway up and down.


    However, there was no wind tonight and all the other branches were still. This branch above his head was like a ghost waving towards him.


    Was it birds? He thought.


    This was winter though. Birds were all hidden in their nests at this hour. Why would there be birds. Maybe there was a bird nest on this tree? Or was it some other animal?


    He held the girl down while listening to the sounds around them.


    There were some sounds, but not that of humans.


    He cast away his doubt and continued to unzip his pants. However, there was another bang. This time louder than thest. He wanted to ignore it, but the soundsing from above was making him go soft. At this moment, a thick branch fell down from the tree and hit him right on the face.


    Ah!


    The man let out a cry of pain. Beside being hit in the face by the tree branch, leaves scratched his eyes.


    The girl took this opportunity to run, but the man caught her on the ankle. She tried to kick him away but was too tired from fight back earlier.


    A woooo!


    The weird noise made both of them pause.


    It was hard to tell what animal made the sound.


    A wolf? But this was a campus, surely there werent any wolves. A stray dog maybe?


    The man took out a pocket knife. The de gleamed in the moonlight.


    Zheng Tan hid behind a tree. He never nned to jump out right away. Maybe if he was still human, but now as a cat, fighting a grown man would put him at a disadvantage. He might not be able to save the girl, but harm himself while trying.


    There were more rustling noises.


    The man was alert. He prayed that it wasnt a pack of stray dogs. He heard that when strays got hungry enough, they would eat even humans. He could fight a dog, but he would be lucky to leave alive if a pack of dogs wereing.


    The rustling noise was approaching. The man held the girl down and held on tight to his knife. He held his breath.


    Suddenly, he was hit hard on the arm. He dropped the knife and was knock back.


    Zheng Tan had been waiting for a chance. He calcted the angle and the spot to hit. He waited for the other cats toe and distract the man and grabbed the chance when it came.


    They were on a hill. The man tumbled down the hill after being hit. Zheng Tan followed behind him and saw him limp away. He probably thought someone had found them and was trying to run away.


    Little did he knew; it was a cat that attacked him. Not a human, not a stray dog.


    The girl was still here, so Zheng Tan didnt pursue the offender. However, if he ever ran into the person, he would definitely be able to recognize him. Cats had an excellent sense of smell. He would be able to pick out the man in a crowd anytime, even if he had a ski mask on.


    Zheng Tan walked back up the hill. He saw a jacket left aside in the grass with the scent of the girls perfume. She was probably attending a party earlier. She had on a long dress. Her coat was ripped off her earlier.


    Zheng Tan shivered in the night wind. He considered it, then dragged the coat back up the hill. The girl was holding onto the mans knife and looking around. When Zheng Tan appeared with her coat, she immediately raised the knife. Under the moonlight, she didnt see anyone. When she looked down, she saw her coat. Next to it was a cat that almost blended inpletely in the night.


    Suddenly, cats starteding out from the shrubs. They saw a human here and did note out earlier. Now that Zheng Tan appeared, they felt safe. The cat that led the pack was Sheriff. He jumped out immediately after seeing Zheng Tan. He meowed and jumped up to swat at a falling leaf.


    No one wanted to see his performance at the moment though.


    The girl oddly felt better after seeing all the cats. She listened and couldnt hear any human approaching.


    She sat down on the grass, with the knife still in her hand. She was shaking.


    Zheng Tan dragged the coat and put it beside her feet.


    What should he say? Here, cry on my shoulder? How could someone cry on a cats shoulder?


    As he was thinking, he was picked up by the girl.


    The girl held him in her arms and put her chin on his back. She was still shacking. The knife was by her side. The warmthing from the cat made her feel better.


    Zheng Tan felt ufortable. The girls knees were poking him, but the girl was holding onto him like he was her hope.


    He couldnt see her eyes, but her hands were ice cold and she was still shaking with fear.


    The girl was squeezing him. He couldnt help but sway his tail to tell her to let go a little.


    The girl didnt react.


    He swayed his tail again.


    She still didnt react.


    He gave up. His tail moved from her wrist to her elbow then up to her shoulder. He refused to admit he was using this chance to earn himself some benefits.


    The girl would not know that the cat in her arms was starting to think impure thoughts.


    She was breathing fast. Her mouth had been shut ever since the tape was ripped off. The breath from her nostrils were making Zheng Tans ears itch. He twitched his ears. He twitched his ears twice every time she breathed.


    He hid his name tag behind on a tree on his way over. The girl couldnt tell whose cat he was.


    The wind howled. Leaves were dancing in the air. Some were still twirling after hitting the ground. The woods were a creepy ce at night. However, the cats all around canceled out some of the creepiness.


    The night wind messed up the girls long curly hair. Zheng Tan thought this was a beautiful sight.


    However, Sheriff appeared the very next moment and started ying with the girls hair. The next moment, he began licking his butt.


    Idiot!


    Way to ruin the mood!


    He was not ying with this idiot again, thought Zheng Tan.


    Nearby, a cat was bothering Fatty, who lost his patience. He jumped up and squashed the cat with his body weight. The cat let out a shriek.


    Another cat who was chasing something looked over after hear the shriek and ran into a tree. It rolled around on the ground and pretended like nothing had happened.


    Zheng Tan wanted to do a face palm. It was embarrassing.


    The girl, however, was loosening up after seeing all the cats. She stopped shaking and her breathing calmed.


    Though it was ufortable being held in that position, Zheng Tan enjoyed the feeling of being trusted and relied upon. He felt slightly sorry after she let go of him.


    Thank you guys, really, thank you.


    The girls voice was still shaking, but judging by her tone, she was feeling better.


    She stood up, knife still in hand, and carefully inched down the hill.


    Zheng Tan led the way and brought the girl her bag.


    She took out her cell and made a phone call.


    He originally thought she would call the police or a roommate or a boyfriend, but by the sounds of it, he was wrong.


    The streetmps flickered. Because of the location, the school was slow to fix the lights on this street.


    The cats were moving about in the woods. Because of the lighting and the angle, she could see eyes glowing in the woods whenever she looked up. Normally she would find the scene strange and the cats wicked, but now, it was a source offort.


    Zheng Tan stayed by her side and waited with her.


    Because he was still here, Sheriff and Fatty stayed around too. The other cats followed suit.


    After ten minutes, a Range Rover pulled to the side of the road. Two men and a woman came out of the car. They were respectful but didnt say much.


    The girl looked out the car window, the ck cat was no longer there and the pack of cats were gone as well.


    Zheng Tan did not think too much of the nights events. He went back and took a bath. He had Papa Jiao dry his fur then squeezed into Gu Youzis bed covers. He ate and slept and took strolls like nothing had happened.


    On afternoon, he was sleeping on the chair in Papa Jiaos office. Papa Jiao was reading student papers. Suddenly, his cell phone rang.


    Hello? Oh, Yuanzi, whats up?


    Zheng Tans ears twitched. His eyes were still shut. He tried to listen to their phone call, but a truck passed by outside. The bio building was to be expanded. Zheng Tan could only guess what happened from Papa Jiaos answers.


    Papa Jiaos expression changed, I dont know anyone from Changwei Company, you know that. Ive been busy at work these days. I dont even have enough time to go home some days, let alone meet contact people like that.


    Yuan Zhiyi said something else. Papa Jiaos mouth twitched, The business card the CEO of Changwei gave you had a cat on it. A ck cat. Are you sure?


    His tone changed by the end of the sentence. He was incredulous.


    Alright. I have a guess. Let me check something.


    After the call. Professor Jiao put down his cell phone and rubbed Zheng Tans head.


    Charcoal, did you do something again?

 Chapter 32: It cant be because of the cat

    Chapter 32: It can''t be because of the cat


    Zheng Tanid expressionlessly on the sofa and looked at the man in front of him.


    The person in squatting in front of the sofa stared at him then extended out a hand.


    Here, shake.


    Zheng Tan:


    He looked at the hand in front of him, then back at the man. Zheng Tan ignored him. Heid there motionless.


    You dont know how to shake? Well, I suppose you can roll over or turn in a circle. The guy continued.


    Zheng Tan had to suppress the urge to scratch the guy on the face. He couldnt help but flex his paws a little though.


    The person gave a few moremands, the kind that most people use to train pets. Zheng Tan didnt react to anything.


    At least Meow or something. My neighbors cat cant even catch mice, let alone shake or turn around, but it at least meowed when you talked to it. What kind of a cat is this, Professor Jiao.


    Yuan Zhiyi stood up straight, then looked at Professor Jiao who was calmly sitting by a table.


    He took a sip of tea. Chinese farm cat, otherwise known as house cats.


    Youre telling me, a cat like this one, that probably costs around 50 bucks at the pet store, could make the president of the famous Changweipany help us. Yuan Zhiyi pointed at the ck cat.


    It was obvious, Yuan Zhiyi did not believe at all that the president of Changwei had any connections with a this seemingly in house cat. As far as he knew, this the president of Changwei just returned from Beijing. How on earth could he have anything to do with this cat.


    They had just opened shop and were doing business selling small equipment. They also sold basic stuff like DNA sequencing and PCR primer synthesis. They were still new to the market and most of their employees were in sales. They go from university to university trying to get the word out there.


    To their surprise, Changwei Company approached them with an order. Though the order was made by a branch office, the order totaled up to 2 million. Using Yuan Zhiyis wife words, this was Changwei trying to give them money. They could also use this opportunity to get on Changweis boat. However, it was impossible that apany like that didnt have any long-term partners in business. There was no reason for them to work with a small start-up like theirs.


    Yuan Zhiyi couldnt sleep at all after his call with Papa Jiao. He drove here first thing in the morning to catch Papa Jiao before he left for work. He had to get to the bottom of this thing, or else he couldnt rest.


    Say something for god sakes. Yuan Zhiyi urged him.


    What can I say? Im not sure myself yet. I only suspect there may be some connection here. I cant make my cat talk can I? I think he might be confused himself as well.


    Hes confused? Yuan Zhiyi looked towards Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan yed dumb again.


    Yuan Zhiyi shook his head. I still dont know what you are saying. He always seems pretty dumb to me.


    They were interrupted by the sound of ws on sofa.


    Yuan Zhiyi looked at the Jiao familys sofa covered with w marks and shuddered. Why the hell did people raise cats? It was like asking for trouble.


    He was far from satisfied with the answer Papa Jiao gave him, but from the looks of it this was as much as he was going to find out today.


    Zheng Tan was confused too. He considered himself quite a good cat these too days. He didnt take long trips, nor get in fights nor catch flees. He didnt even spy on little couples on campus. He might have broken two of Papa Jiaos cups by ident; made a hole in Gu Youzis pillow case; peed on Jiao Yuans shoes and wrinkled the clothes Mama Jiao just ironed.


    However, why did Papa Jiao say again.


    Yuan Zhiyi stood up and stretched his legs, I dont think it has anything to do with this cat. If it really is because of the cat, I would


    He looked around and saw a bowl of porridge on the breakfast table. It was cold and turned very thick.


    I would walk out with this bowl of porridge on my head.


    Just as he was making his promise, Zheng Tan heard footsteps outside.


    Soon, there was a knock at the door.


    Who is it? Sit. Ill go get the door. Yuan Zhiyi said to Papa Jiao. His legs were still numb from squatting. He wanted to walk it off.


    He was mumbling something to himself when he opened the door. However, when he saw the people outside, it was as if someone had clenched his throat. He couldnt even make a peep.


    He had met the same person yesterday. He still had the persons card in his pocket.


    Mr. ZhZhZhao! He was so surprised that he started to stutter.


    Even Papa Jiao was surprise. He didnt think the busy Mr. Zhao would show up at his door before they even figured out why he knew about them in the first ce.


    In front of them was the president of Changwei, behind him was a young girl.


    Yuan Zhiyi block the door so Zheng Tan couldnt see anything from the sofa. He could only hear the voice of a middle age man. Then he smelled the familiar scent of perfume.


    Wasnt this the perfume that girl from that night used?


    Yuan Zhiyi was still blocking the door. Papa Jiao poked him on the back where the visitors couldnt see. The guy was being slow because of the shock.


    Yuan Zhiyi hurriedly moved out of the way. Pleasee in.


    Mama Jiao had gone to the hospital with Auntie Ling for a routine check-up. Auntie Ling had to go because of stomach problems, so she apanied Mama Jiao to the hospital right after breakfast. Papa Jiao and Yuan Zhiyi were on their own now with the guest.


    Papa Jiao brought out two chairs. Yuan Zhiyi wanted to tell him to just shoo away him cat and let the guest sit on the sofa. Seeing that the guest did not show any sign of displeasure and that Papa Jiao had already dragged out the chairs, he kept his mouth shut.


    Mr. Zhao looked like he was in his forties though he had turned fifty recently. He was in good shape and in a good mood too. At least Zheng Tan felt his smile was genuine.


    After putting down the things they brought, Mr. Zhao said: We ran into Professor Lan downstairs earlier. He let us in the building.


    You know Professor Lan?


    Yuan Zhiyi and Papa Jiao knew Professor Lan worked with quite a fewpanies, but they didnt know Changwei was one of them. By the looks of it, the two men were quite familiar.


    We have Professor Lan as our consultant and hees by once in a while to do lecturer. We bother him quite often with problems thate up in projects.


    Mr. Zhao introduced his daughter Zhao Le, who was studying at Chuhua University. He didnt talk more about his daughter, but changed the subject.


    Because they had chatted about Professor Lan, the two sides felt closer and the atmosphere loosened up. Mr. Zhao did not show his usual aloofness and Papa Jiao and Yuan Zhiyi rxed. They had a lively discussion on Yuan Zhiyispany.


    Yuan Zhiyi was very pleased to be able to learn from this sessful business man. Mr. Zhao indeed gave them many valuable advices that would great benefit their start-up. Yuan Zhiyi knew many people in academia, but Mr. Zhao was the only person he knew who was sessful in business.


    Yuan felt Mr. Zhao was much more approachable today, unlike yesterday. He seemed less like a businessman, more like someone eager to help out his juniors.


    Mr. Zhao did not promise them anything, but gave them a lot of advice. From what he said, he thought theirpany was on the right track and was likely to gain sess. He was willing to wait for an appropriate opportunity to work with theirpany again.


    Mr. Zhao was a man of his words. If he said that, he would definitely do as he said.


    This made Yuan Zhiyi very very happy.


    As the three men chatted about business and current markets, the girl walked towards Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan had managed to stay put in his original spot in the middle of the sofa ever since the visitors came. He took up around one fourth of the space, plus two throw pillows and a doll, not much space was left. Though it would be hard to fit a grown man next to him, a skinny girl could still sit.


    Zheng Tan saw that the wounds on Zhao Les hands and face had already healed. They probably waited this long toe visit because the wounds were hard to exin without talking about the events of that night.


    Zhao Les eyes lit up when he saw the ck cat, her smile widened. She picked up the cat and put it on herp and started tob through its fur.


    Zheng Tan was happy to be hugged by a girl again, but herbing was ufortable. He thought about it, then jumped off the sofa and went into Gu Youzis room. He opened the second drawer of her desk and took out ab. He went back into the living room and jumped on Zhao Lesp,yin, so it was easy to cobm.g theb down beside them.


    Zhao Le originally thought the ck cat did not like her, she didnt think this would happen. After pausing for a second, sheughed and started tob the cat.


    Zheng Tans fur was not long and was well kept thanks to Gu Youzi. Short fur didnt tangle, so it was easy tob.


    Zheng Tan squinted his eyes. As Zhao Lebed his back, the tip of his tail shivered out offort. This was much better.


    Yuan Zhiyi saw this scene and felt his smile freeze. He wanted to go pull the cats ear. Did it understand that these people were guests? Important guests too! So important that a room full of cats couldnt evenpare with the girls little finger. How could the cat make herb his fur and look so pleased?


    Mr. Zhao and Zhao Le didnt stay for long. The left after half an hour. Mr. Zhao didnt say much about the reason behind their visit, however, he did point out nkly the Jiao familys cat did his daughter a huge favor. He didnt go into the details though.


    Papa Jiao and Yuan Zhiyi walked the two to their car. People were already waiting there for them. There were two cars in the parking lot, they got into one of them, the other was the Range Rover Zheng Tan saw the other day.


    After the two men went back inside, Yuan Zhiyi closed the door then stared intently at Zheng Tan as if to dissect him with his eyes.


    I remember you mentioning walking out with porridge on your head? Papa Jiao teased.


    Yuan Zhiyi paused, then walked to the dinner table and picked up the bowl of porridge.


    Just when Papa Jiao and Zheng Tan thought he was really going to do as he said, he pulled out a stool and put it in front of Zheng Tan. Heid the bowl of porridge on to the stool and put the three chopsticks into the bowl as if they were incense.


    He bowed.


    Please ept my respect, your honor.


    Zheng Tan and Papa Jiao were speechless.


    The guy was an idiot.

 Chapter 33: A Chesty Foreign Visitor is Coming This Way

    Chapter 33: A Chesty Foreign Visitor is Coming This Way


    What are you doing? Papa Jiao asked as he watched Yuan Zhiyi do whatever it was he was doing.


    Im just paying my respects. We earned a million-yuan contract all thanks to this cat. Who knows what else it will bring us in the future. Yuan adjusted the chopsticks in the porridge while saying, Onest bow!


    Since when did you start believing in these things? I dont remember your father having this habit.


    My father was a scientist through and through , but my mother liked all this stuff.


    Papa Jiao and his ssmates would still mention Mr. Yuan during a conversation as if he were still alive instead of intentionally avoiding his name.


    Yuan returned the bowl to the dining table and turned to sit down. He asked Papa Jiao, You are attending the conference being held in the neighboring province the day after tomorrow, right?


    Yes, theres an annual schr meeting. I have to go because several experts will be presenting this year. Its a rare opportunity.


    Good. Since youre there, you cane with me and take a look at some equipments. . Yesterday I contacted the boss of a biologicalpany. Hispany had some idents so hes closing thepany and selling off some equipments. I told him to let us have a look first. Some of the stuff are still within the warranty period, the owner still has all the necessary. Ive been thinking, if the equipments are in decent condition, we could purchase them for emergency use. After all, new equipment costs too much and at this stage we wont be using any of thoseplex functions.


    Ok. Ill contact you after the conference. When will you be leaving?


    Im leaving tomorrow.Ill bring an engineer with me. But Im nning to just have a look first. After all, those equipments, even second had ones, cost over ten thousand, some cost even more. The owner wont be willing to take that big of a lost when reselling these expensive machines. This money is nothing for a tycoon like Changwei Group , but we are in financial strain and have to think and rethink every penny we spend.


    Papa Jiao was going on a business trip and had many things to arrange.


    Mama Jiaos recent hospital visit showed she was almost recovered. Papa Jiao can therefore leave without worry. As for his on-going work at the university, the hardest part was over and the project was running smoothly. Yi Xin had already submitted an article with a decent impact factor to a foreign periodical ahead of his peers . He already started work on another article. If things go smoothly, the departments Academic Excellence Award and the national schrship with be his for sure .


    Papa Jiao will be gone for three to four days. These days, Zheng Tan seldom went out in the evening. The temperature in the evening was low and all he had was his short fur to keep him warm. He couldnt wear leather jackets or down coats like when he was human.


    Mother Jiao had bought him a pet coat, but he never wore it. It was constraining and really troublesome. He couldnt even climb trees while wearing it. Besides his morning jog and exercise, Zheng Tan only went out during daytime on sunny days. He had no interest in torturing himself with cold weather.


    Today, Zheng Tan yed outside for half a day and was nning on returning home. He wandered to the Bio Building only to find Papa Jiaos office unlocked.


    He jumped from a tree branch onto the windowsill to check if anybody was inside. If other people were there, he wouldnt go in.


    Luckily, only Yi Xin was there. He was napping on the desk.


    Yi Xin didnt count as other people. In the past, he picked kids up from school, taken care of cat and even helped Papa Jiao grade papers. Where do you find such a fine student?


    Zheng Tan opened the window and jumped in.


    Theputer was still turned on, Yi was working on his second essay. It was all in English and the frequent technical terms intin was way beyond Zheng Tans biology level. He had no interest in this paper.


    What he was interested in was a small notebookid aside on the table. Zheng Tan had seen experiment notepads before, they wererger than this. This well worn notebook was obviously used for other purposes.


    Did it contain any secrets?


    This arose Zheng Tans interests. Now that he had free time on hiswell, paws, he needed to hace some fun to kill time.


    He smirked.


    Suddenly a noise startled him, Zheng Tan paused. He thought his was caught. He cautiously looked over to Yi only to find the boy fast asleep, without any hints of waking up.


    WTF, he was grinding his teeth in his sleep. He started to smile. This freaked Zheng Tan out.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears and returned to the notebook.


    It contained lots of things--- the front few pages recorded brief summaries of academic reports. Despite of Yis crooked but tiny writing, the records were quite neat.


    Zheng Tan was disappointed at the notebooks boring contents. As he was about to close the notebook, the edge of the notebook caught his eye. The stack of pages at the back of the notebook showed more stains and appeared to be more frequently used. Zheng Tan flipped to thest few pages.


    Zheng Tan was greeted by Yi Xins apanying records and extracts.


    He was speechless. In front of him was poems of all kinds, all original all obviously amateur.


    There were ones on lost love, such as:


    I miss you like antibodies miss antigen


    Your beauty is like acetyl choline, it makes me impulse


    Springs and autumns represent numerous nights


    Each basic group stands for our permanent oaths


    Looking forward to the day


    When we can reunite


    Interweaving into the most wonderful double helix in the world.


    Therere grieves, such as


    My heart is broken into pieces just like kochore in thest period of cell division.


    We are just like chromosomes


    Moving to the other side.


    Fog covers the pavilion road


    Green grass stretches far into the sky


    Only our shadow bes lighter


    Finally as the chromosome in thest period


    That would never meet


    There are puzzle ones, such as


    Lights in the sunset,


    nts in it are so transparent


    That oxygen arising from chlorost can be seen clearly.


    Hydrogen returns CO2 into sugar,


    Silently gathering energy.


    Everything is in a hurry,


    Are they as well worrying the quietness in the dark night


    Paddle in the silence?


    There were ones professing his love, such as


    You are a cell nucleus,


    In charge of my inheritance and metabolism.


    You are mitochondria,


    Without you I would lose energy.


    You are chlorost,


    Giving me nourishment.


    You are lysosome,


    Which can dissolve everything in me.


    And actually you are ribosome


    Capturing me like amino acid.


    You are Golgi apparatus,


    Parceling me and abandoning me easily.


    Why


    Since I love you so much


    There were ones on life and whatnot, such as:


    The figure of a great man is fading away,


    Just like an individual in the river of time, dissipating as clouds.


    Their thoughts deposit in the idea basement,


    Just like genes in gene pools,


    Passing down from generation to generation,


    Reforming the predecessors thoughts


    Addingplexity,


    Just like gic rbination,


    Complicated butmon.


    Silently


    Im thinking


    Whether my consideration is gic rbination or variation.


    The person who wrote these poems, Zheng Tan thought, must have been upied by deoxy nucleotide, ribonucleotide and amino acids.


    Closing the notebook, Zheng Tan swung his tail, jumped off the desk, opened the window and left. He didnt forget to shut the window on his way out.


    Leaving the Biology Department, Zheng Tan walked towards the Eastern Residential quarters. As he was in the bushes turning a corner, he overheard people chatting about a campus hot topic.


    A graduate studentmitted suicided in his dormitory. It was said that he had a mental break down due to the pressure of failing too many exams. Zheng Tan didnt think too much about it when he first heard the news. It was not a rare urance for a university.


    I heard students from the same dorm say that the police found handcuffs, tape, masks and even anesthesia in his closet. Besides, there was also a tiny DVD yer which contained hardcore porn


    Zheng Tans step paused and recalled the events of the past few days.


    Was this the doings of Mr. Zhao and Zhao Le?


    They were efficient.


    Father Jiao mentioned to Yuan Zhiyi that Zhao Dong had friends in the underground world. They found his cat, finding a human wouldnt be hard at all. At the same time, Mr. Zhao was ruthless. He wont give the person a second chance.


    He listened to the student gossip some more then continued his walk home. However, before he could go nay further, Zheng Tan was stopped in the tracks by the words of a guy riding a bike. The guy was shouting to his friend: Come, quick, a big group of foreign visitors are going to the International Academic Auditorium. We need to go early, or else there wouldnt even be any room to stand!


    Zheng Tan was shocked! A chesty foreign visitor?! [1]


    International Academic Auditorium? The ce was close by.


    Zheng Tan turned and headed towards the auditorium. He was nning to run as fast as he could but was stopped by a figure pouncing out of the bushes. The figure stopped in front of him an waved his paws. The paws were white as if wearing gloves.


    Zheng Tan was not in the mood to y. He was confused---Why was Sheriff here? Shouldnt he be napping somewhere near the Eastern Quarters?


    Indeed, the figure was Sheriff. Soon, Zheng Tan saw Tiger and Fatty appear behind him.


    Zheng Tan turned his head and saw a Chihuahua on a leash with its owener heading towars the school gate. Sheriff must have followed that Chihuahua. Tiger joined because he could and Fatty followed hehind them, his eyes half shut, showing interest in nothing.


    Zheng Tan still had the Chesty foreign visitor on his mind so he headed towards the auditorium. The three cats followed him.


    There were ots of people near the auditorium. However, lucky for Zheng Tan, there were two trees on either side of the front entrance. He climbed up a Chinese parasol tree and squated on a branch to observe the surroundings.


    The chesty foreigner was not here yet.


    Seeing Zheng Tan squat on a branch, the other three followed suit and the four cats formed a line.


    Zheng Tan looked around for foreign visitors.


    People crowded outside the auditorium. After the doors were opened, staff arranged for everyone to enter and the foreign visitors arrived five minutester apanied by the headmaster himself. These foreign visitors must be important people.


    Butwhere was the chesty foreign visitor? These were all middle-aged men.


    Zheng Tan racked his head thinking--- wait a minute. A big group not chesty. Damn!


    Zheng Tan examined the group of foreign visitors and managed to find two good-lookingdies. The two assistants were quite attractive and one look at the their chest area made him thirsty.


    Zheng Tan was fixdated on the beauties as the visitors entered the auditorium. As they passed the tree the cats were on, a middle-aged professor leading the group stopped and asked his assistant to take a photo.


    This professor was a cat lover who also had a pet cat back home. He saw these four cats which resembled his own pet, and suddenly wanted a picture of them.


    The professor stodd under the tree, the assistant took a series of pictures of both man and cats. Due to the distance between the professor and the cats, the assistant had to try several times before she managed to capture man and cats in the same picture.


    The others just stood nearby and smiled, no one bothered them nor took pictures. Some were uninterested in cats and others were too ashamed to do so.


    No one foresaw this photo would be erged and preserved and hung on the wall of the auditorium.


    Below the photo was a brief introduction of the subject of the picture who went on to be a Nobelureate. The picture was taken infront of the ChuHua Universtiy Auditorium. But the first thing to catch peoples eye would be the four cats sitting in a line on the branch. People would stand in front of the picture and discuss what attracted the cats. Some guessed it was because the cats forsaw the physics professor winning the Nobel prize. Some said the school had the scene arranged and the cats were specially trained because it was well known that the professor liked cats


    No one knew the real cause behind the picture was that the ck cat wanted to see a Chesty Foreign Visitor.

 Chapter 34: Nice Work Painting Soybeans and Peas

    Chapter 34: Nice Work Painting Soybeans and Peas


    Zheng Tan lost his patience after a while. People under the tree were looking at them as if they were rare species. Tiger and Sheriff would have left already if not for the other two still being there. Fatty continued to ignore everyone he deemed irrelevant.


    Zheng Tan was swatted once again on the back by Tigers tail. He looked sideways. Tiger meowed pathetically, indicating that he wanted to leave.


    Well, since he had seen the chesty foreigner already, Zheng Tan decided it was time to leave.


    However, right at that moment, he heard a familiar voice.


    He turned to find the "Buddha" apanying a foreigner to the auditorium. They seemed to have met before since the "Buddha" had walked over with the person just because he had some business at the physics department.


    Zheng Tan had no interest in observing them, but the topic of their conversation caught his attention. They mentioned a certain "Mary" quite frequently. Zheng Tan remembered his time with Zhuo by theke; he recalled seeing "To dear Mary" on the title page of a book.


    Besides that book, Zheng Tan had seen the name Mary written on several other books as well. Zhuo had the habit of jotting down notes directly on books, so those were definitely her books. This meant that Zhuo was Mary.


    Zheng Tan sat back down on the branch.


    Tigers eyes shone when he saw Zheng Tan start to leave. He was preparing to run down the tree, only to find Zheng Tan back where he was. His ears drooped, and he meowed again. This time, louder. Unfortunately, Zheng Tan didnt take notice.


    Zheng Tan listened to the ongoing conversation carefully. He didnt understand most of the physics rted matters, but he did manage to find out what was going on with Zhuo.


    The foreigner appeared to have romantic interests in Zhuo, but didnt know what was going on with her life. The "Buddha" seemed weary. She was going to regret what happened to Zhuo for the rest of her life, yet it was not something she could talk about.


    The foreigner was not good at reading between the lines. He went on talking about Zhuo despite the "Buddhas" very forced smile.


    Zheng Tan shook his head. Dear Mary was pregnant at home. The foreigner should give up.


    Something else that caught Zheng Tans attention was the "Buddha" mentioning Zhuos ns to go abroad. She was set to leave next year and wouldnt return until at least three yearster.


    The foreigner asked for details, but the "Buddha" was unwilling to let out more information. She didnt mention where she was going or why. She only said that Zhuo was going abroad for a few years.


    Since Zheng Tan knew Zhuos situation, he was puzzled. The "Buddha" was not someone who would start rumors. She seemed very certain when she talked about Zhuo going abroad, or else the foreigner wouldnt have believed her.


    But in Zhuos current condition, could she go abroad as a schr? Or was she leaving to work on a corporate project? What about her baby?


    Sadly, the two people disappeared into the auditorium before Zheng Tan could learn more about the situation.


    The electric screen outside the Hall showed the days topics. The current report was on Quarks. People were still showing up. They rushed inside.


    As the report began, it quieted down outside the Hall. Zheng Tan stretched and looked over to find Tiger and Sheriff nodding off. He swung his tail at them and jumped off the tree. He walked towards the quarters with the three cats behind him.


    Entering the gates, Zheng Tan saw an old man pulling something towards Building B. Zheng Tan didnt recognize the man but followed behind him slowly. He seldom jumped to open the door when he ran into people downstairs.


    The old man noticed the ck cat behind him as he flicked away his cigarette. He shooed, "Go away, cat. Leave my fish alone!"


    Zheng Tan rolled his eyes. As if he cared about some fish!


    Among the things the man dragged behind him were two buckets. The buckets had holes on top, emitting a fishy scent. The scent did nothing for Zheng Tan. He didnt eat raw fish. But other cats cant eat what he ate as well.


    Zheng Tan ignored the old man and ran to the gate of building B. He stopped and watched the old man walk towards him.


    The old man saw the ck cat in front of the door. He hesitated slightly but still pressed the call button on the downstairs entrance pad. Mama Jiao answered the door.


    "Ronghan, its me." The old man said.


    "Dad?! When did youe over? Wait, Ille downstairs to get you."


    "No, just open the door," the old man ordered.


    The door opened. The old man carried his stuff in and Zheng Tan followed behind him.


    There were so many things that the old man could not carry them upstairs all at once. However, since they were already in the Residential Quarters, the risk of theft was low. The old man firmly believed in the trustworthiness of those in academia.


    After some thought, he stared at the cat running upstairs and moved the box above the two buckets. He then carried one bucket in one hand and started upstairs. Although he was not young and the two buckets were heavy, his steps were steady.


    He noticed the ck cat walking upstairs without any hint of stopping and wondered whose cat it was.


    "Dad, howe you came home with Charcoal?" Mama Jiao watched them while leaning handrail on the fifth floor.


    "What? Charcoal?"


    "Charcoal, our cat, the one before you."


    "This is your cat? I just wondered whose it is. This cat is well raised, neither too thin nor too fat. Does it catch mice?" The old man asked.


    No one else was in the corridor, and it was very quiet. The old man didnt have to speak loudly for Mama Jiao to hear him.


    "Of course. Its good at it."


    "Thats good. I heard that cats in big cities dont catch mice. Then why should we keep them! What a waste of food."


    The old man didnt quite understand the concept of "pets" and Mama Jiao didnt want to start an argument. To the older generation, cats that didnt catch mice were not good cats. Dogs that didnt guard the house were not good dogs. They had gone through some tough times, and it was understandable that they didnt get why people kept a pet that needed feeding yet did nothing.


    Mama Jiao was thankful that Charcoal could catch mice or a scolding by the old man would have been unavoidable.


    "What are you carrying?"


    "Some fish, two soft-shelled turtles and eel. Theres another box of pomelos downstairs. Its a new kind. They were nted experimentally in our city, but I heard that these pomelos were provided only to the government. I managed to get some. Whats the use of bank cards? Nowadays, you need contacts to buy things. Money alone wont do."


    "Yes, yes. You have an enviable socialwork."


    "Of course. How else could I find out that you were in the hospital?" The old man red at Mama Jiao.


    Mama Jiao didnt argue. Grandpa Gu took exining to be a sign of guilt.


    Mama Jiao wanted to go downstairs to help him, but she knew that if she really did so, her father would definitely be angry.


    After the old man put down the buckets, Zheng Tan came to have a look from the holes. The two turtles were really big. He merely nced inside the other bucket with the eel since the old man was staring at him as if he was a thief.


    After taking a break, the old man went downstairs again to bring up the box of pomelos. The trolley was left downstairs. No one would steal it.


    Zheng Tan looked at the pomelos Grandpa Gu brought. They were huge, but the taste was an unknown.


    "Why did you buy so many apples and oranges?" The old man saw four boxes in the living room and asked.


    Zheng Tan was also curious. The boxes were not there this morning. Two boxes of apples and two boxes of oranges, all imported and sold only in high-end supermarkets.


    "They are from a student. We helped her before. Her fatherspany bought fruit for staff, and she sent us some."


    Zheng Tan knew immediately who the student was.


    Unknown to Zheng Tan, Zhao Le visited the Biology Department from time to time to inquire about him. She had heard from Papa Jiao that he didnt eat cat foods, so she sent fruits instead. Mama Jiao and Papa Jiao guessed that Zhao Le was afraid they would mistreat the cat.


    Grandpa Gu and Mama Jiao chatted about Gu Youzi. Zheng Tanid on the sofa and listened. He refused to move even when Grandpa Gu stared at him.


    Zheng Tan didnt care much about Gu Youzis background. He only knew that she was Mama Jiaos younger sisters child and that her parents were divorced. Her mother was abroad. Only now did Zheng finally understood why Gu Youzi always kept silent.


    Gu Youzi had always lived abroad with her mother. Her parents were both sessful but fought often. This year, they finally decided to get a divorce. She still lived with her mother, and after returning to China, she even changed her family name.


    Her mother sent her to live with her aunt and wired money every once in a while.


    In the beginning, Little You had problems with thenguage. After all, she had spent many years abroad and had trouble adapting. Not to mention that she was a quiet child to start with. All these factors made her even more quiet. However, after a few months with the Jiao family, she was way less gloomy.


    Zheng Tan felt for the girl and understood herpletely. They both had irresponsible parents. Their fathers only cared about money, and their mothers were self-centered. All were sessful, but none were decent. Zheng Tan had seen many people like this. He predicted that in the next ten years, as the economy developed, the number of people like this would grow to resemble a J curve.


    Grandpa Gu cherished Gu Youzi very much. Grandpa Gu had two daughters, none of his grandchildren carried on his family name. But now, Youzi had changed herst name.


    By the time the two kids got home, Grandpa Gu had already peeled a pomelo and gave it to them. He put the peel on Zheng Tans head as a joke.


    "WTF!" Zheng Tan swore silently.


    Grandpa Gu picked up Gu Youzi into his arms and said, "Youre growing!"


    Youzi smiled, which was rare, and said "Grandpa" shyly.


    The dinner was not yet ready, so the kids went to do their homework first.


    "Go do your work, and I will cook eels for you." Grandpa Gu said.


    Zheng Tan didnt want to stay with Grandpa Gu, so he followed Youzi into her room.


    She seemed to be in a good mood and was more talkative today due to the arrival of Grandpa Gu.


    She told Zheng Tan about her art ss. She often talked to Zheng Tan when nobody was there. Many people would lose their guard around animals. They believed that there was no difference between talking to animals and talking to themselves. But in fact, having an audience made a huge difference.


    "The teacher asked us to draw familiar scenes in daily life. I drew something, but"


    She opened her drawing book and put it in front of Zheng Tan. Her mood dampened.


    Zheng Tan took a look at her painting. She did quite well, and the teacher gave her a 92, which was quite high to Zheng Tan. He himself usually scored in the 70s when the teacher was merciful.


    Youzi didnt have a problem with the score; she pointed at the teachersments. She could recognize lots of characters already, and the teachers would leave phics on top of the difficult ones. This was supposed to help the kids learn Chinese.


    Thements for the painting were written below the score. It said: "Nice work painting soybeans and peas. Keep up the good work. ^_^"


    To hell with soybeans and peas!


    Zheng Tan was sympathetic. Thesements were hurtful.


    Actually, Youzi had painted a golden staphylocus and paramecia. These two creatures were on the cover of the biology magazine on the living room table.


    Zheng Tans sight rested on the phics; one of them was a. This reminded him of the "Project A" he had heard the "Buddha" mention. The excuses she gave to the foreigners... could it all be because of Zhuos envolvement with Project A?

 Chapter 35: Catzilla – The She-male of the World of Cats

    Chapter 35: Catzi ¨C The She-male of the World of Cats


    After Grandpa Gu went home, he asionally sent over goods. The Jiao family was not going home for the spring festival this year. Both Papa and Mama Jiaos parents thought about them often. Whenever family friends went to their city, their parents would send stuff along. In the country, people start to prepare for the spring festival at a very early time.


    This year, the spring festival came earlier than usual. Back home, many people were meat or fruit producers and had to go to Chuhua often to provide goods for their customers. Ever since the start of December, Papa Jiao had been receiving calls to go pick up stuff.


    Back home, many people were in the aquiculture business. The Gu family had a fishpond for eel. It felt better eating fooding from family.


    All of this was no business of Zheng Tans. Since Wei Ling moved to thepany, the only ce Zheng Tan could visit was Mr. Guos shop. He couldnt wander off campus during the day. After all, it was much safer on campus. Most students that saw him were kind towards cats. The way people off campus looked at Zheng Tan made him feel like he was about to turn into food.


    If he was still human, he wouldnt have felt the difference. However, as a cat, he could clearly sense the different meanings of the looks people gave him. Strays were always sensitive to people; Zheng Tan was starting to be like them after wandering in the streets for so long. Nowadays, he only left the campus during the night, so as to not be rmed so often.


    Most people who worked 9 to 5 were busy on theirmute routes. They paid little attention to cats on the streets. However, many people were after strays or stray-like pets at this time of the year. They would catch these cats and sell them to restaurants. In order to avoid trouble, they would bring the cats out of the province before selling them. These were the people that cats had to be most careful of.


    As a cat, Zheng Tan was under a lot of pressure. He underestimated most male cats determination to guard and expand their territories. These restless cats were always fighting. He tried to go on short trips in the city; however, he always came home annoyed. Though he had no problem fighting those cats and not all cats were idiotic enough to bother him, there were always one or two that couldnt leave him alone.


    One day, as Zheng Tan was walking towards Mr. Guos pet store, he ran into a ck cat like him. That cat was always surrounded by a group of other cats. Zheng Tan felt that they all were the ck cats followers.


    He never lost a fight with this cat. However, this cat was not one to learn from its mistakes. Whenever it lost a fight, it came back even more hostile than thest time. It never gave up on the small hope of winning against Zheng Tan. To him, this cat was a pure idiot.


    For some time, Zheng Tan thought that fighting was inevitable for cats. Until the day he ran into a cat that didnt fight.


    As Christmas drew nearer, international students were busy preparing for the holiday, so Mr. Guo thought it was time to do a Christmas edition ad for his cat food. Zheng Tan would be Santa and Mr. Guos golden retriever, Boss, would be a reindeer.


    When Zheng Tan arrived at the studio, Boss was panting in the corner with antlers on his head. He had been practicing moves for the ad and had just caught a break.


    Zheng Tan had worked before with several cats from the store as well as Boss. They werent building chemistry together, but they all got along. Aside from Prince, most cats in the store were neutered, and Prince was a calm cat due to living indoors. The stores cats were used to sharing space with other cats and therefore were less territorial.


    Everyone in the room had gone through several phot shoots already. They all knew that all they had to do was train every other animal participating in the shoot besides Zheng Tan. He was an expert and didnt need any guidance. Hence, it wasmon to find Boss panting, with Zheng Tan sleeping beside him.


    Usually, Mr. Guo only woke Zheng Tan up when Boss had learned all his moves.


    After putting on the Santa suit, Zheng Tan felt his IQ had been significantly lowered. The suit was very ufortable. It was not restraining, but still felt weird on. What was more, Mr. Guo appeared with a giant beard. Paired with the red hat, Zheng Tan couldnt begin to describe how stupid he looked.


    He felt that people who saw the ad would be surprised that Santa was a ck cat.


    Zheng Tan told himself he was doing this for the ad; it was all for art.


    This setting of this ad was Cat Santa riding his sleigh pulled by his Golden reindeer, delivering products from the store to pets.


    After the photo shoot, Zheng Tan got out of the clothes and the beard, climbed on top a cat tree and waited for Mr. Guo to take him home. The rest was Mr. Guo and Yanzis work. Yanzi was now amon customer here at the pet center. She was good at Photoshop, so Mr. Guo had her help out. Mr. Guo paid her by allowing her and her cat to stay in the shop for free.


    All the staff were huddled together working on the pictures. Zheng Tan was left alone on his cat tree. He had taken a nap beforeing over and was nowpletely awake. He looked around and found Li Yuanba with her kittens.


    Li Yuanba was the same. Most cats in the store avoided her. Most that dared toe close were scared off by one re. She didnt even have to lift a paw. This was what Zheng Tan admired the most about her.


    Next to Li Yuanba was her son Nougat. Zheng Tan hadn''t noticed the first time he saw pictures of the kitten. He had a mole next to his mouth. The fur in that area was all white, except for that small patch of yellow. Right now, the patch of fur was the size of a soybean, who knew howrge it would be in the future. Zheng Tan was curious.


    Nougat had longer fur than most kittens, yet he stilled differed from long-haired cats. His dad was probably a mix. What surprised Zheng Tan even more was how serious Nougat was. Tiger tried to be serious sometimes, but Nougat was actually serious, just like his mama. Its just that he was still young and didnt have his mothers scariness yet.


    Li Yuanba stayed in the room for a while before leaving with Nougat in her mouth. One of the rooms next door was for Yanzi. It had a cat door.


    From this room, Zheng Tan could see Li Yuanba carry the kitten inside before leaving again. She didnte back to the studio but walked toward the other end of the hall. Zheng Tan remembered there was a back door over there used for moving boxes orrge equipment. It was kept shut most of the time.


    Why was Li Yuanba going over there?


    Zheng Tan decided to find out. He jumped off the cat tree and followed her. Li Yuanba saw him but didnt react.


    A few boxes were stacked at the end of the hall. They were a bit far from the door though. Near the corner of the hallway was a row of small windows used to let in fresh air since boxes often had an unpleasant scent.


    The height of the windows was way above the average jumping ability of cats, so Mr. Guo was not worried about losing his cat.


    Li Yuanba charged towards that direction. Just when Zheng Tan was puzzled, she picked up some speed then jumpednot towards the windows, but up towards the opposite wall. She hit the wall and kicked back with her hind legs. With that push, shended safely on the window sill.


    F*ck! That was cool!


    Zheng Tan felt his jaw drop.


    Mr. Guo never would have thought that a fat could leave this way. Outside were some more boxes which formed stairs for Li Yuanba to walk down. Soon, she disappeared.


    Zheng Tan tried to jump onto the window sill but gave up soon. He missed it by just a few inches despite his superior jumping skills.


    He then started to try Li Yuanbas method. The first time, he couldnt control his angle and strength and hit the wall. He managed tond safely but still felt numb from the impact.


    The second try went better. He avoided the door but hit the opened window with a bang.


    He waited for the pain to subside before trying another time. He managed to hang on to the window sill, and after a bit of a struggle, he seeded. He stuck his head out of the window.


    What he didnt foresee was Li Yuanba waiting for him on an empty box nearby.


    Was she waiting for me? Zheng Tan thought.


    Seeing the ck cat at the window, Li Yuanba jumped off the box and headed out. Zheng Tan quickly followed.


    It was harder to trap a cat than a dog, Zheng Tan felt. Who knew how this cat found out this way to leave the pet center without being caught by anyone.


    The scenery was unfamiliar at first. Slowly, Zheng Tan started to recognize his surroundings. He had walked by this area on his way to the pet center. He even ran into


    "Meow!"


    Yes, that. That annoying, idiotic, f*cking cat.


    He looked up; the ck cat looked down at them from a wall. Next to him were two followers.


    However, this encounter was different than usual. Zheng Tan felt that idiot was not behaving like himself. His followers left them alone as well. He found that all of them looked at Li Yuanba as if she was a monster.


    The cats that never gave up only dared to meow quietly when facing Li Yuanba. This waspletely unlike when they ran into Zheng Tan.


    No only these three cats. Deeper in the alley, they ran into a few other cats, two of which were quiterge. The area had their scent, yet Li Yuanba walked through the territory without even looking sideways. These cats also didnt dare to start a fight. When Li Yuanba turn to look at them, they sprinted off as if being chased by a dog.


    Zheng Tan sighed. He still had lots to learn as a cat. Strength was important, but so was aura.


    Li Yuanba was the she-male of cats and a catzi to the weaklings. Her scary look and her aura stopped all the strays from bothering her. They even forgot to be territorial around her. He could see the fear in their eyes when they looked at her.


    Zheng Tan looked at the tricolor cat walking ahead of him. She emitted a sense of power that would not be reproduced. When Mr. Guo first met her, he left her alone after opening the pet travel bag. Besides his understanding of pet cats, this was also due to signal Li Yuanba sent out.


    Cats have a variety ofnguages. They can express themselves by different tones and lengths of their meows. However, Zheng Tan didnt hear Li Yuanba so much as make a peep. All she had was the aura she carried with her. To people who didnt understand, this cat was just like any other. To Zheng Tan, however, he could clearly sense something different from this cat.


    Her looks were due to gics, but her aura was the result of time and experience.


    Zheng Tan didnt know what she had to go through to go from a normal cat to catzi. What he did know was, whatever she went through, it must have not been pleasant.


    At the same time, Zheng Tan wondered what cat could conquer catzi?


    Who was Nougats dad? He really wanted to know.

 Chapter 36: A Cat that Survived On the Streets

    Chapter 36: A Cat that Survived On the Streets


    The trip outside with Li Yuanba enlightened Zheng Tan somehow.


    It was said that she was a stray cat, which made her more experienced than domestic cats. She could distinguish the good from the evil in both humans and animals which allowed her to be imperturbable. She was calm walking on the street yet knew how to deal with hostility.


    Some people would leave when you act threatening while others might be excited. This was the case for humans. For cats, the situation was more dangerous. Strays would run away once they saw humans because they could not tell who had good intentions and who had evil ones. This became an instinct after being hurt several times.


    However, Li Yuanba always knew what to do. For instance, they passed by a milk tea shop. A young couple was sitting on a nearby bench. The man motioned for her toe over. He dangled a string and made soft noises. Normal cats were always sensitive to those kind of sounds, and they loved things that swung. Li Yuanba ignored the man and walked towards the opposite direction.


    Zheng Tan was curious. People had tried to motion Li Yuanba over before. She never went but she also never changed route as well. This time, she walked as far as she could from the couple after twitching her ears. Zheng Tan followed her.


    Befpre they could go far, Zheng Tan heard the man make the sounds again. He looked back and found a domestic-looking cat standing on the parterre.


    Attracted by the sound and the swinging rope, that cat moved a little bit closer. Immediately, the man squished his milk tea and milk tea shot out of the straw spraying the cat.


    The cat managed to move in time and only a part of its fur was stained. The cat hissed angrily. If Guo was here, he would know this was a warning, and it would be better to leave the cat alone at this point.


    On the contrary, the hissing excited the couple, and the man sprayed harder. The cat ran away covered in milk tea, and the coupleughed merrily.


    They were trash.


    Theughter was so harsh that Zheng Tan couldnt help but pull his own ear down a little. He was itching to scratch those two ugly faces.


    Li Yuanba had gone far as if nothing had happened.


    Cats were not superheros. For cats looking to survive, helping others was out of the question. Their lives were too fragile.


    Zheng Tan soon settled his mind and caught up with Li.


    There was another couple around the corner and the man tried to motion Li Yuanba over as well. After he was ignored, he tossed a pebble at her.


    What surprised Zheng Tan was that she actedpletely different from before. She lowered her ears, her fur stood on end and she growled, showing sharp teeth.


    That man seemed scared and didnt dare to pick up another pebble. His girlfriend pulled his arm as if scared of being scratched. So they quickly left.


    Li Yuanba reacted differently towards different people. She was not blindly aggressive, nor did she choose to blindly retreat all the time. This was who she was when she navigated the streets. She was different from other cats.


    Zheng Tan was behind her, so he saw everything clearly. There was indeed a difference in temper between those two couples. Their subtle change of expressions helped her select the best way to react.


    Cats that didnt have her abilities could only avoid humans as much as possible no matter what the humans offered. They would never know if they would be sprayed by drinks or be hit by pebbles. They also wouldnt know if their warning would work.


    Given the fact that they werent Beverly Hills pets, nowmal cats from normal families either had to settle down or learn survivcal skills.


    For a cat that couldnt stay put, survival was not easy for Zheng Tan. He suffered from ack of experience. He was used to thinking like a human, but now he had to change.


    He didnt know how long it would take before he could go back to his human life. If he was stuck like this for life, he needed to learn how to think and survive like a cat.


    Zheng Tan was not yet ready to give up his life.


    When Zheng Tan came back to the pet center after his stroll with Li Yuanba, Guo had just finished his work and was calling out Zheng Tans name. He thought nothing when he saw the cate over from the back door. Unknown to him, the windows out back were now an escape opening.


    Back at Chuhua University and inside the Eastern Residential Quarters, Zheng Tan felt at peace. He saw students rushing here and there, busy with year-end activities or with exams. Most of them had never experienced the cruelty of society, and most had no idea about cruelness of the society. In ten years time, they would be much more mature.


    Experience made a person mature, not age. With no family backgrounds and no connections, if these kids were to go into society right now, they would be no match for their peers who had chosen social experience over college.


    Zheng Tan jumped off Guos car. He saw Tiger lying on thewn, enjoying the afternoon sun. He never left campus. To him, the ce was plenty big.


    Next to him was a tied up Mighty and the Saint Bernard, Daisy.


    Daisy was muchrger than Mighty, but he was the one who was tied. Obviously, it had something to do with their characters. He was ok around animals he grew up with, but Mighty would attempt to bite any animal he had never seen before. The residents all remember the wound on the thief''s leg, and none of them felt secure leaving Might unleashed.


    As for Daisy, children loved ying with her, and people knew she was gentle, though she drooled.


    Seeing Zheng Tan, Tiger stretched and meowed.


    The sound he made was low and gentle which meant he weed whoever wasing or he was in a good mood. If the meows were louder, it meant he wasining or making requests, such as asking for food


    Zheng Tan went upstairs, and Guo followed. It was the same everytime, one walked up eagerly while the other strolled behind.


    Sometimes, when Guo dropped off Zheng Tan, he would bring some pictures taken during the shoot with him. He did so this time.


    At the time, Mama Jiao was cooking dinner. Jiao Yuan, who back from school early, was sitting on a small stool. His father sat on the couch teaching him some stuff his books did not cover. Youzi would be backter since she had joined an painting group. Auntie Ling would pick her up when she went to pick up her own child.


    The conversation stopped when Zheng Tan and Guo came in. They continued after Guo left.


    Zheng Tan sat on his own chair and listened to their conversation.


    Papa Jiao was talking about the broken window theory.


    This topic was generated because Jiao Yuanined about people in his ss copying homework. In todays Chinese ss, the teacher criticized some students who copied other peoples homework. To Jiao Yuan, people copied homework for other subjects as well. Why was this teacher the only one who couldnt let it go?


    Papa Jiao heard himining and decided to give him a lesson on the broken window theory.


    The broken window theory believed that if someone broke a window and this window was not repaired in time, someone else may be influenced by this and believe that the behavior was eptable. This could result in rising crime rates.


    "Behavior and environment can be strongly suggestive. If the first window is not repaired in time, something worse may happen. Same with your ss. If students believe that copying homework is eptable, not only will they do this more and more, worse things could happen."


    Zheng Tan was confused why Papa Jiao was trying to exin something soplicated to an elementary school student. Back in the day when Zheng Tan was a student, he did it all. From giarism, toing to sste. He had fights and even attempted ckmailing. Everything could be solved with money. Besides a light scolding from teachers, what was there to stop him?


    Nevertheless, Zheng Tan still sat there listening to their conversation, but the topic had switched to business management.


    "There are two types of working environments. The first type is hard qualities, including working condition, equipment and such. The other one is soft qualities such as working atmosphere, enterprise culture, interpersonal rtionships and management style. Take uncle Yuan Zi for example, he pays special attention to the so called "broken windows" in hispany. He is fast to take action whenever windows appear in the hard qualities of thepany. As for the soft environment, a broken window could be much more destructive."


    "Every critical issue is the umtion of smaller issues. Uncle Yuan Zi is always alert because if anything happens, action must be taken. These things can have bad influences on hispany. No matter how mighty or how arrogant you are, you have to take good care of the broken windows if you want a better future."


    "The same is true with your ss. You would be ashamed of being a part of this ss if your ss had a bad reputation."


    Jiao Yuan greed with Papa Jiao. One of the sses in his grade had a terrible reputation. At first, it was said that people were stealing pens and erasers, but both the students and teachers of that ss didnt pay much attention to the problem. Soon, money was stolen.


    At this point, everyone avoided people from that ss. Students of that ss were always afraid of being despised.


    "This kind of chain reaction could also be positive. For example, if your mom buys you a pair of socks with your favorite Transformers on it. You would try to choose to wear cleaner shoes with the socks. When you finish dressing up, you will also subconsciously try to avoid getting your clothes dirty. In this process, your personal image will improved a lot."


    "I get it now. Just like Xiong Xiong, His posture is terrible. His mother scolded him many times that his posture could keep him from growing tall. He didnt listen because he is already one of the tallest in his ss. However, one day his mother bought him nice new clothes. His mother told him that if he wore those clothes with his back straightened, he would be mare attractive to girls! It worked."


    Zheng Tan was speechless. Was she encouraging puppy love?


    Having heard what Jiao Yuan said, Papa Jiao thought for a second and said, "So what you are trying to say is"


    "What Im trying to say is: when do I get to buy new clothes for theing New Year? I will not be satisfied with just a pair of socks now!"


    Zheng Tan was speechless again. It was painful listening to them talk. How could they make so much out of a normal ss phenomenon!


    The custom in Chuhua ws that children all get to buy new clothes for the New Year. As for the grown-ups, it depended on their own financial conditions.


    Papa Jiao knew what wasing and replied, "What kind of clothes you get and how many you get will depend on how you behave at school."


    "Ok! But will you let me decide the style of clothes I want if I am top 5 in my ss?"


    "I will."


    "Will you approve even if I want to buy those funky styles with spikes?"


    "Not a problem at all. You can even change your hair to match your clothes."


    "Deal!"


    Jiao Yuan got what he wanted so he went back to his room dragging his schoolbag. The end of the term was near, and he had to fight for his New Years gift.


    Mama Jiao stepped out of kitchen with a dish and said to Papa Jiao, "Did he ask for things again?"


    "Kids of this age are so predictable."


    "Will you really allow him to dress like that if he makes it into the top 5?"


    "Dont worry. You just need to take him to the toy gun section, and he will change his mind. He can only choose clothes or toys. He will definitely go for the toy gun. He wanted one sincest year, but was only 6th in his ss."


    "What if he cant make it this time?"


    "He was the one who set up the rules, and he has to be responsible for what he says. If he really failed, still buy him one but make him choose one of the smaller ones. Dont let him think that he can get what he wants even if he doesnt live by his words," Papa Jiao said calmly.


    Zheng Tan was worried for Jiao Yuan after hearing what Papa Jiao said. An old ox makes a straight furrow. Jiao Yuan was no match for his dad.

 Chapter 37: I’m Answering Questions, Not Leaking the Test

    Chapter 37: I¡¯m Answering Questions, Not Leaking the Test


    Early in the morning, Zheng Tan was sleeping with Youzi when they were awakened by a knock at the door. It was Jiao Yuan.


    Finals had ended; the only thing the kids had to do was wait for the results. Feeling good about the test, Jiao Yuan was excited and was nning out his new year present.


    The two kids usually slept in during the first few days of the holiday. Last night, they didnt go to bed until midnight to watch Space Jam on a movie channel. It was only 7 am now. They were supposed to wake up at 9 oclock, though most days, Jiao Yuan often slept till noon.


    What was wrong with him today!


    Zheng Tan covered his ears with his paws and curled into a ball to resume his sleep. He tried his best to ignore Jiao Yuans knocking and yelling at the door.


    It was so cold that Zheng Tan didnt want to leave the bed. Ever since the two kids started their holidays, he moved activities such as running and climbing trees to the afternoon, so he could sleep longer in the morning.


    "Wake up, hurry! Its snowing outside! All white! Come and y with me!"


    Jiao Yuan was still shouting aloud outside. Xiao Youzi left the bed but remembered to cover Zheng Tan with the quilt.


    Zheng Tan gave a yawn no point staying in bed alone.


    Time to get up!


    He had grown up in a coastal city in the south where there was barely any snow in the winter. Once in middle school, he and a few friends drove illegally to another province just see snow. He had never really experienced snowy days, not even aftering here.


    It was the first snow of the year.


    Crawling out of the quilt, Zheng Tan shook his fur and got out of bed.


    Jiao Yuan was already dressed and was washing up excitedly.


    The phone rang. He left the wet towel on the shelf and hurried to answer the phone. He knew who it would be.


    Jiao Yuansughter could be heard from the bedroom. By the sounds of things, the children were inviting him out to y.


    Zheng Tan took a dump and let Youzi wipe his face andb his fur for him. The two kids then went downstairs after having breakfast. Zheng Tan followed.


    It was freezing cold outside. He hopped at the corner of the stairwell.


    Qu Xiangyang, who was going downstairs to take some pictures of the first snow, saw the crazy ck cat jumping up and down on the spot. He stopped and said a quick greeting before rushing off again. Anyter, the snow would be ruined.


    Jiao Yuan, together with Youzi and other kids, was making a snowman on the basketball court near the quarters. His clothes were covered in snow. They must have just had a snowball fight.


    Daisy, the Saint Bernard, was ying with the children. She had thick fur and wouldnt feel cold even if she rolled in the snow. She ran after the children leaving strings of paw prints on the ground. Mighty, who was taking a walk with his owner was leashed. He licked the snow and barked and looked longingly towards the basketball court on the other side. But he was soon attracted by the two meat buns his master held in front of him and continued home happily.


    Zheng Tan had no intention of joining the children. He watched along on the side. Fatty was sitting on the balcony looking at them y, with no intention ofing out. Tiger hade out and walked for a while, but he quickly moved to a corner.


    It was said animal habits were rted to their birth months. For example, dogs born in summer usually liked ying in water, while those born in winter would avoid even a small puddle. But the theory seemed incorrect.


    The birth months of Tiger and Sheriff were very close, but their personalities were so different. The only thing they had inmon was that they were both silly and stupid. At the moment, Tiger was hiding from the wind in the corner of the building, whereas Sheriff was running merrily in the snow. A child from the neighborhood removed the hood from his coat to tease Sheriff. The cat chased the kid everywhere. The only cat paw prints were all left by him.


    After a while, Tiger came out from his hiding spot, trembling. He ran towards the basketball court to where Daisy was lying and panting. Tiger used the dog as a windshield and a firece.


    Zheng Tan felt warmer after climbing a few trees. He was still a little sleepy, but the house was no ce for a nap at this time. He decided to go to Papa Jiaos office. After all, it had air conditioning with the electricity bill reimbursed by the university. During summer and winter, all the air conditioners in all the offices and thebs were on, some of which worked day and night. The school only forced freshmen to save electricity.


    Zheng Tan started walking towards the Biology Department.


    The snow on the road had been swept and the little that remained had melted.


    The university paid special attention to the campus environment. Even though the leaves of the parasol trees that lines the roads had all fallen off, there were still many evergreen nts, such as camphor trees and pines.


    It was still snowing. Not like a blizzard, but still enough to dampen ones clothes.


    A couple of students wandered around with umbres. They were taking pictures. They probably came from southern provinces like Zheng Tan and had never seen snow growing up.


    One of the girls pushed away the umbre passed over by a boy, "I dont need this. I want to feel the snow."


    "Let her be. Its so embarrassing!" Another girl said whileughing.


    "It''s her first time experiencing real snow. Its understandable."


    "Hey, look! Theres a ck cat over there! Take a photo! Quick!" Someone shouted.


    Zheng Tan scratched his ears and ignored them.


    "I want a photo with that ck cat!" The girl who wanted to feel the snow now ran to Zheng Tan. He couldnt hide so he stopped for the girl and watched her make silly V gestures. The girl was quite good-looking.


    "I want a picture too!" One of the boys walked up.


    He was not stopping for a boy. Zheng Tan walked away immediately.


    The Biology Department could be seen around the corner. Just as he was ready to speed up, he heard someone mention Papa Jiaos name.


    Turning his head, Zheng Tan saw two people also walking towards the building. They smelled like hot pot and were probably just at the small restaurants near campus.


    "I dont mean to break your spirit, but without a high enough score, you probably wont make it. In my department, most professors prefer students from our university or those with really high marks. Priority, however, is given to the former. For example, if you and I both scored barely above the line, I have a bigger chance of being epted. There could be exceptions, but Jiao Mingshengs standards are quite high. A lot of students want him as their postgraduate mentor, but he has refused all rmendations. Hes quite strict. If you are just slightly above the line, youre doomed."


    He went on and on. Zheng Tan suddenly remembered that tomorrow was the National Entrance Examination for Postgraduate students. Papa Jiao spent most of his time in the office grading finals. He also had to attend meetings on admissions and organize research projects. Besides work at the university, he still had hispany to worry about. A few days ago, Zheng Tan heard Papa Jiao say that he wanted another graduate student to share Yi Xins workload.


    "Jiao Mingsheng?" The other student was obviously confused. He was from another university, and knew little about the teachers in the Biology Department at Chuhua University. He had only heard the names of a few very well-known professors.


    "I should have realized that you would know nothing about Jiao Mingsheng. Its true that he is not that famous yet, but this year had been his year. Many students regretted not applying to him. He is an up anding star in the academia world."


    Zheng Tan listened carefully to everything they said. He never knew Papa Jiao was a star in the rising to the students.


    His fame was partly due to the project fund he received earlier in the year and partly due to Yi Xin being way ahead of his peers.


    In the department, the easiest way to assess a student was to assess his SCI essays. Though there were some people who criticized this method of evaluation, it was epted by most. Yi Xin had published two essays in only half a year. Most people attributed his sess to his mentor, Professor Jiao, who had a good project and sufficient funds.


    "Other famous professors either have enough candidates or know exactly who they want already. Dont waste your effort on them. You can consider those professors with less fame. They dont have many project topics on hand, but at least youll have a chance of being admitted. Anyways, I got to go. Remember to read the materials I printed for you."


    With that, the two went separate ways. The one from Chuhua University went in the direction of his dormitory, while the other went towards the Biology Department.


    Zheng Tan followed him. The boy stood for quite some time on the first floor of the Bio building. He stared at the awards hung on the walls and spent some time in front of a board introducing each professor and their projects. There was also a list of the winners of the universitys academic excellence award. Zheng Tan remembered that Yi Xin had won first prize and received a schrship of three thousand yuan.


    When the student left the building, Zheng Tan noticed that he was murmuring the names of Jiao Mingsheng and Yi Xin.


    Zheng Tan was curious. Ever since he had turned into a cat, his curiosity grew. He wouldnt admit it though. To him, he was just trying to kill time.


    The student went towards the bike shed. Most students were done with exams and had left the campus. The bike shed was nearly empty.


    There was a wooden shelf near the shed; next to it a wooden cable roller.


    Zheng Tan saw the student drag the roller to the shelf, sweep the dust off the roller and put his bag on the shelf. He took something out and sat on the roller.


    Zheng Tan hid behind some bushes and watched the student.


    He put the pile of documents, which Zheng Tan assumed to be the material his friend mentioned, on his knees. The documents made a thick stack. How could the student read through it in one night?


    Zheng Tan knew nothing about the Graduate school entrance exam. But it seemed as if you needed more than just knowledge to take the test.


    Oh, who cared!


    He wasnt interested in the so-called test-taking skills, but his curiosity led him here. After all, he didnt have anything else to do. He was just about to leave, when the student took out a bag of beef jerky.


    Beef jerky? The pieces were huge!


    His attention was totally focused on the meat and couldnt help but inch closer. He stepped on a tree branch, and it broke, making a crisp sound.


    Looking up, Zheng Tan saw the student stare at him with a piece of beef jerky still sticking out of his mouth.


    The student gave Zheng Tan a piece of jerky.


    He epted therge piece of untouched jerky. He didnt like eating food off the ground so heid it on his arms and nibbled at it carefully.


    "Wow, you can chew Inner Mongolia jerky. Its hard..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, he saw a familiar figure walking towards the shed. He had seen the mans face just earlier in the Bio building and had read all about his work.


    "Pro...professor Jiao?" The student stood up hurriedly. He was quite tall and firmly-built, but looked a tad nervous.


    Papa Jiao intended to go to the administration hall to run some errands. However, he identally saw his cat gnawing on jerky on his way out. The person sitting beside his cat was unfamiliar. He was a big guy and Papa Jiao would definitely remember him if he had seen the boy before.


    "You are...?"


    "My name is Su Qu. Im going to take my entrance exam here tomorrow."


    The professor realized at once that this student was from another university.


    He didnt leave immediately, neither did he eat the jerky Su Qu offered him. Instead, he stayed and chatted with the kid for a while. They talked about their profession.


    Zheng Tan gnawed at his food and listened to their conversation.


    He could understand the content at the beginning. After all, he had been lived with Papa Jiao for quite some time and listened to many of his sses. Eventually though, Zheng Tan waspletely lost. The conversation became more or less a Q&A session.


    "In the sentence yes I can, if each of the letters stood for one amino acid, what would they each be?"


    " Tyr, Glu, Ser, Ile, Cys,  and Asn."


    "The theory behind changing in vitro B-type blood into O-type blood is...?"


    "The B antigen in the membrane surface of the blood cell..."


    "The reasons why the clone sheep Dolly died young?"


    "First, I think, is because of the length of the telomere of the cell..."


    "Light is a necessary condition in chlorost development and chlorophyll biosynthesis. Etition happen to many nts in theck of sunlight. Why is the lotus plumule still green though it never sees any sunlight?"


    Their exchange was fast. However, Zheng Tan didnt understand a thing. When he finished his jerky, the talk was over.


    Yi Xin got here five minutes ago. He was nning to ride his bike back to his dorm to take a nap, only to find his boss there chatting with a stranger. The more he listened to them talk, the more he was confused. The questions Papa Jiao asked sounded like what one professor taught his students during theirst ss to prepare them for the exam.


    Most of the time, the contents of ast lecture would show up on the exam paper. It was a secret skill possessed by students in this school. This was a public secret among the department but was still very much a real secret to outsiders. But now, Professor Jiao was bringing up some of the contents to that student. Was he leaking the exam questions?


    After Su Qu left, Yi Xin asked the professor, "Sir, did you just leak the test?"


    "I was merely answering questions."


    Zheng Tan was speechless.


    Back in the ce he rented, a nave Su Qu was still bathing in the happiness of getting instructions from Professor Jiao. He was nning to read the material for answers to some questions he couldnt answer tonight. He felt lucky to have had the chance to chat with Papa Jiao for so long. Did it mean that he would be epted as long as he passed the exam?


    Unbeknownst to Su Qu, soon he would be exactly like Yi Xin. A life as a part-time baby plus cat sitter was waiting for him.

 Chapter 38: Private Cat Property, No Entry for Outside Cats

    Chapter 38: Private Cat Property, No Entry for Outside Cats


    The time of the Chinese New Year was a rather leisurely time for the children, spending the entire day pondering over what they should y. For the adults, on the other hand, it was all sorts of bustle.


    The school had officially entered holiday; there was almost no one on the campus. Suddenly, there was a sense of destion. Two days ago, Yi Xin too had left the campus and headed home. Papa Jiao and other teachers had a summary meeting. Afterward, there was basically no need for them to go to the university anymore. Papa Jiao took the test papers home for marking, lugging Jiao Yuan to do the manual work while little Youzi helped by the side.


    Even though there was one major subject and one elective subject, it was still quite a lot, with several few sses within these departments.


    Jiao Yuan lent a hand in marking the multiple-choice questions. He didn''t have any professional knowledge, but he was certainly capable of resolving the multiple choices with its ABCD. After tallying up, he would use a pen to record the marks in the nks on the sides, making it easier for Papa Jiao to calcte the final mark after he had finished correcting other types of questions.


    Papa Jiao asked little Youzi to assist by the sideline, double checking the papers that Jiao Yuan had marked. Despite being only in the second grade, Youzi was extremely familiar with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Papa Jiao had even ced a calctor on the side so that Youzi could use it to check if the numbers added up. As for Jiao Yuan, he was almost in junior high school; would he still need to use a calctor for basic calctions? Jiao Yuan himself couldn''t bear such an embarrassment.


    The affiliating school had released the academic reports. This time, Jiao Yuan was fourth in the ss. Papa Jiao had never explicitly demanded that he must get what cement or what mark, it was always Jiao Yuan himself who set the standard, sometimes he was up to that standard and sometimes hed fail. But obviously this time, he had fulfilled his wish. The progression of things went just as Papa Jiao had predicted. When Mama Jiao took him to the mall and walked past where the toys were sold, Jiao Yuan stared at those toy guns and couldn''t take his eyes off them. In the end, he chose the guns and gave up on the option to choose his own clothes.


    Whereas the main reason for Jiao Yuan to sit here obediently and to help mark the exams was to earn some pocket money. One cent for each paper, it looked like there was around two to three hundred, he could also buy some ''junk food'' when they go out.


    Zheng Tan couched on the small foldable square table drawn that had chess patterns drawn on it, watching them as they marked the exam papers.


    Each paper had traces of childish red numbers. Sometimes, when he encountered people who drew on the reverse side of the paper in boredom during the exam time, Jiao Yuan would add a few strokes and stand there giggling by himself.


    "Hey, I know this teacher. Dad, isn''t this the teacher who always likes to carry a portable speaker with him? Drawn with such likeness!"


    Zheng Tan stretched his neck and took a peek. On the other reverse of that exam paper was a freehand portrait of the supervising teacher and Jiao Yuan had added a few strokes to it. Youzi wanted to see, but her sight was blocked by Jiao Yuan. He was heaving it under the pile of other papers, waiting till they had finished marking to show to Papa Jiao and certainly wouldn''t let her see, because he had doodled a small penis on the teacher''s crotch. He even used a simr colored ball-point pen and not the red pen for marking to avoid any suspicion.


    Anyhow, the semester final-exam wouldn''t be handed out, unless any student had queries with their grades and had requested to see the paper, and only then would it be distributed. Under normal circumstances, these sketches would usually not be seen by anyone else, so Papa Jiao didn''t say anything to Jiao Yuan''s deeds.


    Zheng Tan gently pulled his ears. That rascal had such vulgar tastes.


    Shortly after, Zheng Tan heard another cry of "huh?" from Jiao Yuan.


    "Dad, this person said he has never studied English before, asking you to go easy on him."


    Jiao Yuan said, pointing at the entirely English noun-exining questions right above the multiple choice that was on the paper in his hand.


    Zheng Tan could see that on the nk space beneath the first major question of the exam, below thepletely English noun exining the question, there was an annotation written with a fountain pen. "My dear Mr. Jiao, I am from the XX ethnic group. I have never studied English and did my university entrance exam in thenguage R. Please be lenient if my response was bad"


    ording to the requirements of Chu Hua University, those that failed immediately retook this course. It had been re-examination before, but the school found out that some people had the minds to leave things to chance. If they couldn''t pass, they would do a re-examination since the reexamination was let slip easily, so they became more and moreid back. This resulted in the school implementing a new policy this year those who fail would directly retake the course.


    Initially, a lot of people protested. When Zheng Tan went out for a morning walk, he even saw sheets of paper stuck on the walls and branches of trees. Those were the protests lodged anonymously. Owing to the fact that other schools in Chu Hua City were not as strict, the students condemned the school for being too inhumane, but in the end, they gave up. Some felt ashamed that they had to take the ss with the juniors in lower grade when they failed the course, while other were rather optimistic because they now got to know many pretty girls from the junior year.


    After hearing Jiao Yuan''s words, Papa Jiao looked at the name on the paper and said, "I know this person''s conditions, so do the other teachers. We will loosen the criteria for him when the timees."


    "Ah, who would have thought that there is such a good thing. Next time when I get examined on literature andnguage, I will write at the end of myposition, Sir I have injured my hand, and my handwriting wouldnt be decent with my injuries. Please go easy on me."


    Writing was always a pain for Jiao Yuan, dragging his literature andnguage marks down because of his poor fountain pen handwriting. Sometimes, only a mark or two would make a difference in the rankings. If he had fallen behind in the ranks, then his parents wouldn''t fulfill his wishes. That''s why Jiao Yuan had great resentments against it.


    However, even though Jiao Yao''s fountain pen writings were not exceptional, his Chinese brush calligraphy was the pr opposite.


    When Jiao Yuan entered the primary school Chinese calligraphypetition, his calligraphy shocked his head teacher. How could someone, whose fountain pen calligraphy looked as if it experiences asia, have such brush calligraphy?! Even most middle school students couldntpete with such handwritings. Using the words of his head teacher, his calligraphy was already ''reflecting some strength in character.


    His head teacher alsoter eximed, "Jiao Yuan, when will your fountain pen calligraphy have some style too? Don''t always be ''underdeveloped''."


    Zheng Tan had seen Jiao Yuan''s fountain pen handwritings. There was a framed Chinese calligraphy that hung on the wall of Jiao Yuan''s room. There were also some sticky notes around the room that were written with fountain pens. The contrast was so f*cking intense that if he hadnt known the truth, he would have never believed that it was written by the same person.


    Jiao Yuan looked at the exam paper in his hands. His mind began to race as he spun his pen.


    The semester final exam was cross examined. His own teachers would be marking the papers from the other ss, the teacher that marks his paper wouldnt be able to identify his handwriting Jiao Yuan nodded, yes, this n is workable!


    "Wipe it out of your head, if you do this in the middle school entrance exam, it would definitely have the opposite result. You think that those teachers are stupid? " Papa Jiao didn''t even take a look at him, but he knew as soon as Jiao Yuan started spinning his pen that the boy was nning some trickery.


    "Oh." Jiao Yuan sighed and went back to the rest of the markings.


    Beep beep beep


    The phone in the bedroom rang.


    Papa Jiao looked at the caller ID. His facial expression grew faint.


    "Hello"


    Zheng Tan''s hearing was much better than the two kids. The bedroom was only so big and wasn''t a distant away, so he could hear the conversation on the phone.


    It was a woman''s voice. Most of the time, it was that woman who spoke, her words intermingled with an asional phrase in English. Papa Jiao stood there with the receiver, merely responding once or twice and didn''t say much.


    Papa Jiao was a man of few words, but to Zheng Tan''s knowledge, Papa Jiao wasn''t usually this indifferent when he was on the phone.


    The person on the phone mentioned "she" several times, though Zheng Tan didn''t know who "she" was referring to. The woman said with a great frequency that she would wire the money and hoped that Papa Jiao would take care of "her".


    Sometimeter, Papa Jiao finally stopped saying words that ran in the line of "yeah", "oh" and "okay". Instead, he asked, "Do you want to speak to her?"


    The woman fell silent, then said, "Okay, I have some business I need to attend to. I''m afraid I won''t be able to speak for long."


    Papa Jiao stopped listening to the murmurs that she said on the other side of the telephone and turned to Youzi, who was stilled typing on the calctor. "Youzi, your mum wants to talk to you."


    Zheng Tan''s ears quickly shot up.


    Youzi''s mother? That woman who stayed overseas and didnt want toe back, but had sent her daughter who was only seven back to the country while she lived her merry life out there alone?


    Zheng Tan didnt have any thoughts of associating the woman to Youzi''s mum for a second, mainly because her tone of speech was so distant as if detached, afraid those from Papa Jiao''s side would adhere to her.


    That exined Papa Jiao''s reactions.


    If it was Zheng Tan, he would curse at her straight away. But unfortunately, Zheng Tan couldnt talk, he could only cat howl.


    Jiao Yuan had stopped marking the papers too. He looked to towards Youzi, eyes filled with sympathy.


    Youzi said even less than Papa Jiao did when she answered the call, a single "yeah" and another "oh" and that was it. The woman had hung up on the other end.


    Zheng Tan couldn''t resist scratchingbut to scratch his underfoot with his ws. Youzi''s mum only said two sentences: one asking Youzi, "Everything okay?", and another exhorting her to "be good at Aunty''s house".


    Youzi puckered her lips as she hung up, walked back to continue her calctions, and finished coting the papers she had left a moment ago to ensure no miscalction. Those papers were torn, bearing the w marks that Zheng Tan had just made.


    "Alright, that''s it for today." Papa Jiao pped his hands together, collected the papers that Jiao Yuan and Youzi had in front of them and organized them by categories. "By the way, Youzi, your mum transferred some money for your new year''s gift, what do you have in mind?"


    Youzi pondered then said, "Bicycle."


    "I want one as well!" Jiao Yuan said with excitement. How could he forget the bike? He needed to ride a bike when he goes to middle school. He should practice beforehand, then he could go joyriding with Xiong Xiong and others! Since there werent many motor vehicles on the campus anyway, this made it even more suitable for bike racing.


    Papa Jiao took a look at Jiao Yuan, expression unchanged. "Overruled."


    "Why?"


    "Your mum said that it has to wait until the summer break. This applies to Xiong Xiong, Su An and co., they are all not allowed to buy the bicycle before then."


    Regarding the issue of purchasing a bicycle, the mums had already discussed and came to a unanimous decision to not buy them yet. There was still six months left. If they buy it now, those rascals would go crazy on it. They would buy it during the summer break. By then, they could all go together. They even picked the store already. It was owned by a friend of Mama Xiong, they could all get a discount, and if the bikes had any issue, it could be easily resolved.


    Hearing that the others were receiving the same treatment, Jiao Yuan no longer felt unequal.


    To children at Youzi''s age obviously wouldn''t have the same bike as Jiao Yuan and them. Instead, they would purchase children''s bikes with training wheels. The bike shop was close to the nearby shopping center; the trio strolled there in the afternoon. Zheng Tan didn''t follow them. It was almost the new year, there was a lot of people there which made it inconvenient. He might as well take a nap at home. Or he could huddle in the kitchen, watching Mama Jiao prepare some food for the new year, such as fried meatballs, fried lotus sandwich or some pot stew.


    When Zheng Tan huddled there, Mama Jiao would feed him a warm meatball that she had just fried from time to time. Chewing at the meatball in his mouth, Zheng Tan felt that life was so freaking great. This was the so-called living off thebors of others. Opening the mouth only when being fed, sleep when he was full; a carefree life.


    The three went in a swift manner and came back even faster. When they returned, Papa Jiao carried a pinkish-purple, already assembled children''s bicycle.


    Picking a bike wasnt an easy job. Don''t think that by installing two training wheels at the back, it would be safe and sound. There was also a need to check whether the handbrakes on the handles were suitable for children. If the size was too big, the child wouldn''t be able to clench the handbrakes when they decelerate. They also needed to check if the brakeage was too strong, whether the bicycle chain cover does cover the entire thing and other details. This way, they could minimize the possibility of injury on the child.


    And that was why Papa Jiao asked Youzi to pick and try the bikes herself.


    After they had finished trying it out, Youzi asked for a bigger basket, as the original basket that came with it was too small. Even though the bigger one didnt look as pretty as the original one, Youzi still liked it. Papa Jiao and Jiao Yuan could guess why she wanted such as big basket installed, so they didnt object.


    "Yo, nice bike!" Mama Jiao walked out of the kitchen with the apron around her waist. She smiled at the sight of the basket. "Is this specially made for Charcoal?"


    "Yes!" Youzi nodded and looked at Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan shook his tail, walked over and hopped into the basket. Being a children''s bike, it wasnt as high as Papa Jiao''s electric motor bike. Zheng Tan felt close to the ground. Luckily, the room inside the basket was spacious. Sitting there was not ufortable, but something like a furry mat would be better


    Youzi took a fluffy hat out as Zheng Tan was thinking about it. "Cushioning it with this would be better."


    Wheels began to gather dust. Papa Jiao and Jiao Yuan, one on each side, guarded the amateur rider Youzi home. With training wheels, the bnce was maintained; she had be ustomed to it after a while.


    Jiao Yuan was envious of Youzi, wishing that he could drag a bicycle from the nearby row of bikes and practice with it. However, despite how much he wanted, he never thought of riding Youzi''s little bicycle. A masculine man like him riding such a bike would be aughingstock!


    From that day onwards, Youzi would take a spin downstairs every day with Zheng Tan huddled inside the basket, warm with the furry hat as a cushion. Once, Tiger saw Zheng Tan inside the basket and leaped in. He was driven out by Zheng Tan with a p. Private cat property, no outside cat allowed.


    There werent many kids in the courtyard who owned their own bicycle. Every one of them was green with envy as they watched her ride. They kicked up a fuss and demanded their parents to buy one, and when they were turned down, they would ask to borrow Youzi''s bike for a ride. In the end, they were all scared away by Zheng Tan. Thereupon, in a couple days all the kids in the yard knew that there was a fierce ck cat in Yu Youzi''s rear basket, and apparently, it scratches children. As a result, gradually even if Jiao Yuan didnt step in, there was no one that dared to touch Youzi''s bicycle.


    At the beginning, Youzi only rode in the yard, then she began to ride outside the yard. She didn''t want to ride in there and always be the target of enmity. There were too many people that were jealous.


    Papa Jiao had attended to her. The snow had almost melted with the warm temperatures in the past few days. There was no need to worry about skidding on the frosted road. After a while, Papa Jiao became more assured about her riding outside.


    Despite being young, Youzi was a very sensible child. As such, being overly-sensible caused the adults to be fond of them, and be more forgiving to them on everything. The whole family knew that Youzi wasnt in a good moodtely, probably due to her mother''s phone call, so when Youzi wanted to ride out every day, nobody said a thing.


    On this day, Youzi left the courtyard after lunch to ride as usual. Her little bicycle was locked next to Papa Jiao''s electric motorcycle, saving the tiring need to carry it up and down the stairs every day. There wasnt much room at home anyway, so leaving it there would be inconvenient.


    Papa Jiao didnt ride his motorcycle but chose to stroll behind her. Since Youzi wasn''t riding very fast, Papa Jiao could catch up if he quickened his pace.


    Not long after Papa Jiao''s mobile phone rang, Yuan Zi asked him to go to thepany as there were matters he needed to take care of. Papa Jiao instructed Youzi not to wander far and ride for a while then head home. After getting the promise he was after, Papa Jiao left.


    Without Papa Jiao supervising her, Youzi rode slightly faster, bearing forward along the boulevard.


    Zheng Tan surveyed his surroundings. This was the road that he usually jogged on. If you moved ahead, you would reach the woods on the border of the campus.


    The destination which Youzi had in mind was indeed this sector of the woods. She had gone there once, following Jiao Yuan and his friends. That was why she remembered it.


    The woods was not quiet. All sorts of noises carried far from the nearby construction site. They were working day and night recently, wanting to finish the expected workload because the workers were all in a hurry to head home for the new year.


    Youzi rode towards the forest for a while, and was not prepared to venture further. This area wasnt safe as mentioned many times by the adults. Even though it was broad daylight, Youzi didn''t n to advance so she started to turn back home.


    Just as she was making the turn, children''sughter transmitted from within the forest, along with the barking of a dog.


    Zheng Tan could identify who the dog was. It was the dog owned by the side gate janitor, a ck-backed German shepherd. It was adopted not long ago at the age of four months. It sometimes came to the woods frolicking, and had fought with Zheng Tan. Though afterward when they became familiar, it was less rowdy when it saw Zheng Tan. Sometimes, it would run behind Zheng Tan around the woods, but on the whistle of its master, it would swiftly race back.


    But what was the situation now? Did it scare the kids?


    Youzi hesitated for a second, then parked the bike and locked it on the side. She took a rolling pin from her little backpack; it had retired from Jiao Yuan when he got the toy gun. Jiao Yuan stuffed it in her bag when she came out for a ride.


    Seeing that Youzi had entered the woods wielding a rolling pin in her hands, Zheng Tan hurried ahead and scouted at a distance ahead of her.

 Chapter 39: Just Wont Let You Touch Me

    Chapter 39: Just Won''t Let You Touch Me


    Truth be told, even in daylight Zheng Tan disapproved Youzi to go into the forest. He had seen too many shady things happening in this patch of woods. Perhaps when the construction on surrounding building blocks had finished and the area began to popte, it would give a sense of belonging for the staffs and students.


    The forest was filled with fallen leaves and dead branches, but there were numerous trees of evergreen as well. Nevertheless, secluded areas always gave off a mood of gloom. The views of lush vegetation did not extinguish the sense of rising darkness behind it.


    Youzi clenched the rolling pin tight in her hands. Clearly, she was nervous about the idea of entering the "danger zone". They used toe here with Jiao Yuan and his friends, a number of children, plus Jiao Yuan, Xiong Xiong and the boys who were brave, so they didn''t feel uneasy.


    However, maybe it was because Zheng Tan was leading the way. Despite being alone, she wasn''t as frightened as other children.


    Zheng Tan listened to the sounds from there. It was the cries of two children. The voices of the girls had an intense fear and worry in it, and intermingled in their screams were the barks of the ck-backed. Initially, Zheng Tan felt that it disyed no signs of offense, but gradually, the howls of the ck-backed changed as it became more impatient.


    The girls had no understanding or experience in keeping a dog, so they were not able to determine their mood based on different types of yelp. Compared to cats, a dog''s psychology was much easier decipher. Zheng Tan had no idea before, but now that he was a cat and always with these cats and dogs, he had gained some experience from daily life.


    To reconfirm that there were no other threats, Zheng Tan sniffed around. There wasn''t any scent from any stranger; because of the recent holiday, it had been a long time since any student had trodden steps into here. The workers from the construction site wouldn''te here either. They would find a ce to smoke after they were tired, definitely not in the forest area which had signs hung around stating that smoking was prohibited. They would be in grave trouble if the school officials were to catch them, their New Year''s pay would probably shrink by a sizable amount.


    Zheng Tan was much more assured after he had confirmed there were only two kids and a dog, a familiar dog. There was nothing to be afraid of.


    When he finally saw the two little figures, Zheng Tanpletely set his mind at ease. There were no visible injuries on the two children, at most a sprained ankle or something. They were able to move in the meantime. Otherwise, the first reaction made by children when they hear dogs barking at them like this would be to turn and run away.


    They didnt look older than Youzi. One of the girls sat on the ground. She had a blunt bang and was dressed like a cotton ball. When she saw Youzi, it was as if she had seen her mother. With tears in her eyes, she extended her hands and asked forfort.


    The other girl wearing a pink quilted jacket clung close to the "cotton ball". She didn''t appear to be hurt, waving a stick at the ck-backed that was nearby, trying to drive it away.


    When the girl in pink saw Youzi, she said, "Are the adults from your family around? Hurry up and call for the adults to get this dog away!"


    Youzi shook her head. There weren''t any adults close by.


    Seeing Youzi shaking her head, the two girls quickly became discouraged. There wasn''t any adult, how were they going to expel this dog?


    The "cotton ball" girl clutched her injured fingers, trembling as she looked towards that dog a few steps away. Although this dog was definitely not matured yet, not really arge dog, it was bigger than the Chihuahua and Corgi in their courtyard. Judging by the looks of the fangs in its mouth, a bite must be really painful!


    The ck-backed sensed Youzi and Zheng Tan approaching, only throwing them a look and then continued to bark at the two kids. The barks became more and more urgent, yet none of the children understood what it was trying to express.


    Zheng Tan looked at his surroundings, then at the ck-backed. He detected that it was ncing at the "cotton ball" girl now and then, not cing much of its concentration on the girl in pink who was waving the stick. However, this kind of threatening action did make it rather pissed, so as it became more and more impatient, it too became more irritable. If it was Mighty, would you dare try to wave a stick at him? It would have immediately run up and wrapped its mouth around you.


    Zheng Tan slowly walked over and came by the "cotton ball" girl''s side. Youzi had wanted to block him. In her perception, most cats and dogs didn''t go along well. Those in the courtyard was an exception; because they had grown up together, there wasn''t much hostility between the cats and the dogs, but those outside were a different story. Observing that the actions of her own ck cat did not cause the dog to charge at him, Youzi became assured. At the same time, she inched towards her, armed with the rolling pin.


    Zheng Tan walked in a circle around the "cotton ball" girl while still paying attention to the vantage point of the ck-backed. Finally, Zheng Tan leaned on his side and pushed the "cotton ball" kid.


    "What is your cat doing? Get it away from me! My uncle bought these new clothes for me! They''re very expensive!" Cotton ball girl looked towards Youzi


    "It''s asking you to move a bit."


    "Easy for you to say! Don''t you know I twisted my ankle? It hurts a lot!"


    Youzi was about to say something when Zheng Tan found the source of all the troubles. Pushing aside a corner of the wooly coat, Zheng Tan saw a yellow stic Frisbee. It had the tooth markings and the scent of that ck-backed.


    This is it!


    Zheng Tan dragged the Frisbee outwards. The ck-backed saw Zheng Tan''s movements and wanted to run over, but it was held back by the sticks wielded by the pink coat, so its barking became more intense.


    "You''re sitting on something," Youzi reminded.


    The cotton ball girl looked around her in doubt, then tried to shift a little. Right on time, Zheng Tan had freed the Frisbee. With a lift and a pull of the ws, the Frisbee flew out.


    With the Frisbee in sight, the ck-backed no longer cared about the three here. Its tails shook frantically before Zheng Tan even threw the Frisbee. It rushed off in a scamper happily when the Frisbee was in the air and jumped up, catching it before it hadnded, then running back to the direction of the construction site with the Frisbee dangling in its mouth.


    The owner of the ck-backed was probably talking a stroll around the construction site. Other areas by the site were quite chaotic, which exined why its owner didn''t hear the barking from here. Otherwise, he would have whistled.


    The three children let out a long breath simultaneously seeing that the dog had run away. The pink coat didn''t even care about the dead leaves and the mud on the ground, and had sat straight down.


    All clear, the origins of misfortune had been found. The two children became more talkative. The "cotton ball" girl even apologized to Youzi rather sincerely. A fault confessed is half redressed, this kid has a pretty good temperament.


    Zheng Tan climbed up a nearby tree and didnt stay with the three kids. This was because the pink coat kept trying to stroke him. Zheng Tan turned and ran away. Just won''t let you touch me! Missy, your hands still have mud on it!


    Cotton ball girl was recounting what they had gone through. The adults went shopping today to prepare the New Year''s produces. The two of them were bored at home, so they came out to y. Being in the same ss and living in the same staff courtyard, their rtionship was naturally close.


    They heard that there was a patch of plum-blossom forest around here, so they came here themselves. They didn''t expect to be tripped by the exposed tree roots and couldn''t stand up with a twisted ankle. She had worn manyyers and was distracted by the pain from her body. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have not noticed the thing under her butt.


    The pink coat took a packet of tissue from her pocket, cleaning her hands as well as letting the "cotton ball" girl clean her wounds.


    The "cotton ball" girl had intended to look for some snow around her to clean up the wound, but she realized the snow had just about all melted with a thin spot of white contaminated with ck dust and other pollutants. She was uncertain on using that to clean her wounds. Therefore, after wiping her fingers with the tissue, "cotton ball" girl looked at the bleeding fingers and licked it.


    Zheng Tan and Youzi: ""


    Realizing that Youzi was looking at her with astonishment, "cotton ball" girl said with a grave earnest, "I have heard from my uncle and other adults that there is a protidiot called nerve growth factor receptor in the saliva of rats. By wiping these protidiots on wounds, it would heal twice as fast as normal wounds!"


    She gave Youzi a perky look as she finished, hinting: Look at how impressive I am, I know so much!


    Zheng Tan, Youzi: "" IIdiot?


    Standing close by, the pink coat looked away, as if the surrounding sceneries was considerably attractive


    "Human saliva have that too?" Youzi asked.


    "Cotton ball" girl stuttered, then said righteously, "Even if it doesn''t, it would still have the same effect. Trust me, I''m right!"


    The pink coat continued to take in the nearby views more attentively now.


    Youzi sighed, taking a small box from the backpack, and handed it to the "cotton ball" girl.


    Zheng Tan took a peek. It was the emergency medical kit. After Mama Jiao had left the hospital, she prepared one for everyone in the house, Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi''s backpack always carried a small medical kit. The content inside the kits was from the affiliating hospital. They could use it with their mind at rest.


    "What''s this?" The girl took the kit into her hands, then gave out a knowing "oh", "I have a medical kit in my room, though I never used it before." Her medical kit was part of the decoration left in her room, never thought of ever using it.


    Drawing out an antiseptic wipe, the girl cried "ah" and "woo" as her injured finger was cleaned. It was so noisy that Zheng Tan started considering plugging his ears.


    The girl felt that if anyone else applying the bandage, it would be extremely painful, so she stuck the bandage on with her spare hand. The result was even more unsightly.


    Since it wasn''t a big wound anyways, many people were not bothered to treat this kind of minor cuts. They would be home soon either way; someone from her family will treat it again, so the two didntment.


    "So, you''re the girl in year two who spoke English better than Chinese?" the "cotton ball" girl finally remembered, and said. She thought that the girl before her looked familiar before. Once, a ssmate told her that there was a new student in year two who spoke better in English than Chinese. They even checked it out purpose, thinking that it was a foreign kid. They were disappointed and paid no more attention afterward. At first nce, she didnt recognize Youzi, but now she was able to recall.


    "Yeah, yeah. I remember your name is called something like Youzi*." The pink coat finally stopped sightseeing.


    Youzi pressed her lips and said, "My name is Gu Youzi."


    "I''m Yue Lisha, ss three of the third grade. Her name is Xie Xin, she''s in the same ss as me. We are a year older than you. Next time if somebody from your ss bullies you, youe look for us and we''ll stand up for you!" The cotton ball girl waved her fist, and said.


    "Yes, don''t hold back. You helped us this time. Next time if you''re in trouble, just go to ss three-three to find us. Ask by the name and the others would know," Xie Xin said with a nod.


    Youzi fell silent. Actually, she really wanted to tell them that she would skip a grade next year, so technically she would be in the same year as they are. Anyhow, Aunty said to keep a low profile, so after a moment of thinking, Youzi didnt say a word.


    After a momentary rest, Youzi and Xie Xin supported Yue Lisha out. Stepping outside the forest, Youzi propped Yue Lisha in the backseat as they pushed the bike forward.


    Zheng Tan followed aside. This time, he didnt jump into the basket, saving them more from a heavier load.


    Arriving at a supermarket on campus, Xie Xin went inside and called home. There was someone she knew, so they could borrow the phone without having money on them. After making the call, Yue Lisha and Xie Xin sat inside the store and waited for their family members to pick them up. Youzi rode home with Zheng Tan.


    The next day, Yue Lisha''s parents visited to pay their gratitude, along with many gifts. Mama Jiao had no feelings about these gifts; what she cared about the most was that Youzi finally made some friends. The children from the eastern courtyard, unless led by Jiao Yuan, wouldn''te and y with Youzi. Although Yue Lisha and Xie Xin was from the western courtyard, the two residential areas weren''t that far apart. At least they would stop by and have a chat, ying with a cat alone wasn''t a healthy option; people should learn to socialize.


    Two days before the New Years Eve, Jiao Yuan would "close the door against visitors" and hide out in his rooms practicing brush calligraphy. This year they were staying home for the new year, Jiao Yuan nned to write a pair of distich. He felt a little out of practice, so he had decided to nest in his room writing.


    Zheng Tan took the opportunity when Jiao Yuan napped in the afternoon to go through the window and take a look. This little brat is quite serious, that posture and attitude isn''t one to be taken lightly as a child''s y.


    Jiao Yuan woke up to find Zheng Tan in his room. A sudden inspiration came to him as he dragged Zheng Tan to the finished distiches. Stamping three paw-prints, one on each distich and the title. For this, Zheng Tan ignored him for three days. Ink on fur wasn''t easy to clean; even though he was ck and couldn''t see the difference, Zheng Tan smelled a strong odor of ink every time he lifted his paws. Youzi''s fruit hand-wash liquid was no help either.


    The day before the new year, Zheng Tan wandered outside. Many shops around the school had closed. Compared to the central department stores andmercial streets, the campus to the alleyways around Mr. Guo''s pet shop was a lot more vacant. Even the cats reduced in numbers, Zheng Tan heard from some people that there were more illegal cat catchers out there during new year''s time. A lot of cats from the neighborhood had gone missing, definitely kidnapped by someone and sold.


    Zheng Tan saw General parading the streets as he strutted around, with him was Peanut. Maybe it was because there was only one offspring with this carriage, Peanut was bigger than other kittens when it was born; it grew fast, surpassing in size the cats of the same age, and was ferocious when fighting.


    Though, Zheng Tan felt strange; Peanut''s cries were abnormal, different to other cats including Zheng Tan himself. Once Zheng Tan saw Peanut bow his back, his hair spiked up as he gave off warning howls at an alleyway cat. Zheng Tan had never felt so creeped out. The other cat also lowered his ears and ran.


    *A Chinese homophone for Pomelo

 Chapter 40: How About a Meow?

    Chapter 40: How About a Meow?


    The day of the New Years Eve.


    Papa Jiao sat in the bedroom in front of theputer, preparing some files and thesis, at the same time chatting with domestic and international friends through email.


    Yuan Zi went home interstate for the new year. His mother was alone in the home state. This year, he must keep the olddypany and pay tributes to his old man. Fei Hang and Wei Ling were helping to look after thepany. Sometimes, Papa Jiao would also give a hand.


    However,tely, when Zheng Tan took his walk downstairs, he overheard the old man downstairs, Lan, talking with others about Papa Jiao. This group of almost retired but still influential elderly professors had ess to information that was much more liable than others, so on that rare day, Zheng Tan hid by the side and eavesdropped.


    Papa Jiao was gradually rising to the limelight, mainly because of a brilliant research student that he had instructed. On the annual academic convention before the new year, Yi Xin''s performance was outstanding, publishing an impact factor thesis on an international magazine that had made him undoubtedly first on the convention. There weren''t many in the school who couldpete, this made the two other equals top student from the department fade in color.


    Now when everyone mentioned Yi Xin, they would certainly bring up assistant professor Jiao. Without him, there wouldn''t be the current prospect of Yi Xin; this was amon knowledge. So, assistant professor Jiao now had apeting momentum to the two returnee professors that the department had hired this year.


    Then spections began to start as people in the yard tried to figure out when the word "assistant" from the title would be removed. If assistant professor Jiao continued his current glories, then the school might break the rules and make an exception to promote him. To be qualified as a professor in Chu Hua University, other than the bare minimum requirement of articles, there was also another important condition which is to have overseas experience.


    Papa Jiao came to Chu Hua University right after he had graduated with Mama Jiao, and has been teaching since, so he had no experience researching overseas. Recently, Papa Jiao had spent a lot of time sitting in front of theputer probably because of this, to prepare for this "overseas experience". After all, a professor''s benefits were, in every aspect, better than an associate professors, and they had more freedom to do as they wish.


    Zheng Tan snuggled beside the couch, rolled over and continued to lie down in another position.


    Due to the incidents of lost cats in the neighborhood, Zheng Tan didn''t go out anymore at nighttime. When the sun set, Zheng Tan would curl up on the couch with Jiao Yuan and Youzi, watching the "Beast Wars: Transformers" together. Although it was rather boring for Zheng Tan, it wasn''t that difficult to sit through. Lie on the couch thinking some random thoughts, sleep when he became tired of thinking, and get ready to eat when he woke up.


    Jiao Yuan changed the DVD after a few episodes finished ying. Zheng Tan wasn''t interested in the content in the cartoon. He had watched it before, and didn''t want to watch it a second time. It was bound to be immature from an adult''s perspective after ten years. What Zheng Tan was contemting about was, if Papa Jiao left the country for a year or two, what would happen at home? There would be a greater burden on Mama Jiao No, there was still Yi Xin and the new research students that woulde after the new year who could help


    The yellow cheetah in the television suddenly leaped up, transforming into a robot, while shouting, "Cheetor, transform!"


    Zheng Tan was thinking in his mind when he was caught by surprise by Jiao Yao, who lifted him up.


    "ck cat warrior, transform!" Jiao Yuan yelled.


    Zheng Tan: "" Transform a pile of poop on your face! You little wretch!


    Waving away Jiao Yuan''s hands, Zheng Tan stepped on his pants as he crossed over, lying next to Youzi, and paid no heed to Jiao Yuan, who was currently hyperactive. Youzi could also help Zheng Yuan scratch his chin and smooth out his furs while she watched the television.


    Due to the city ban on fireworks, there was hardly any firecrackers that could be heard. There is no sense in the new year without firecrackers; just like cooking without salt, dull. Although in thest few years, the policy had ckened a little. Sometimes, there were organized firework locations. Some shopping zas and stores were able to apply to light fireworks, just like the central department store had nned somemercially organized firework lighting on the sixth. Papa Jiao said that when it was time, he would take the two kids there. As to the days before the sixth, Jiao Yuan would have to live through the craving of watching and lighting the firecrackers.


    Next door, Qu went to his parents'' house for the new year, and probably wouldn''t return before the celebration ended. When he left, he carried a few suitcases of things, all of themputers or relevant.


    "General" left a while back with its owner to the South. Here, the winters were cold and humid; it didnt like it, so they would probably return at the beginning of spring.


    Zheng Tan didnt have much memories of celebrating the new year, or how he had spent it in the past years now that he recalled. Perhaps lounging out in an inte caf or going crazy with a gang of bad associates. Now that he attempted to recollect his memories, everything felt hazy and unrealistic.


    Who would have imagined that he would wake up as a cat instead of a human?


    Not long after the New Years Eve dinner, Wei Lin, who stayed in thepany, called to greet "Happy new year". Papa Jiao had picked up the phone, and after they finished their conversation, Papa Jiao asked Zheng Tan toe and listen to the phone.


    In confusion, Zheng Tan hopped onto the desk as Papa Jiao ced the receiver next to his feet. Zheng Tan move in and listened, Wei Lin''s voice transmitted out, "Charcoal, ''Walnut'' asked me to greet you, happy new year!"


    Zheng Tan tugged his ears and let out a deep breath from the nostril, signifying that he knows.


    "Why dont you give a cry? Dont brush me off like this, its the new year." Wei Lin said from the other end, "All my mates are listening in, otherwise, I will lose my face."


    Zheng Tan paused for a while, then gave a respecting call, "Roar!"


    "Ha ha ha ha, Wei Lin, turns out you are talking to a dog. I thought it was Mr. Jiao''s child! But this dog does remind me of the wolf hound from the troop that only knew how to pick up a phone."


    The voice of Wei Lin''srade red through the other end of the receiver.


    "It''s not a dog, I am talking to a cat." Wei Lin exined, then turned to the speaker and said, "Charcoal, they don''t believe me. How about a meow?"


    "Rahhh!" Screw you!


    Zheng Tan pped his paws on the button and hung up, then walked back to the couch and waited for the Spring Festival G with Mama Jiao and the two kids.


    Back at thepany, Wei Lin heard the disconnecting tone from the phone and scolded, "Sh*t, its temper is as vile as always!"


    Therade that stood beside Wei Lin pondered, then asked, "Was that voice, really a cats?"


    "Seriously, if you don''t believe me, then ask Walnut." Wei Lin passed the phone along to thoserades who hadn''t made a call yet.


    They had andline, but there were too many people who wanted to make a call and were waiting in the line. Wei Lin didn''t care about the phone bill, so he lent his phone out for those who didn''t have one.


    Zheng Tan kept thempany and watched the g for a while. When Youzi went back to her room to sleep, naturally, he followed. To a cat, it was normal to spend most of the time in one day twenty-four hours for sleep, so it had no psychological guilt on Zheng Tan.


    Visiting rtives in the lunar month was nothing that Zheng Tan needed to worry about, but as a cat, what he hated the most were those silly rascals that pulled at his tail. To prevent any trouble, Zheng Tan went out when there were guests in the house.


    This day was no different. Zheng Tan wandered on the campus for a while then headed to Mr. Guo''s store. Mr. Guo and co. stayed here for the new year. They ate the New Years Eve meal with many other workers who didn''t go home. On the New Years Day, they continued to look after the pets in foster care. The pet industry was quite popr this year, perhaps the expansion gave people a sense of trustworthiness and more ss.


    With the effects of good marketing, even people from other states knew about the shop "Clearly So" in Chu Hua City. They knew that this store''s cat food was exceptional and these advertisements was too eye-catching. Up to now, no one knew who the cat in the advertisement called "ckC" really was. The owner of the store Mr. Guo said that the cat hired was trained; some believed him, while others remained skeptical.


    Zheng Tan didn''t go inside the store straightaway but ambled around the roads between the school and the pet store. While he was sauntering, Zheng Tan overheard someone''s conversation, the overview of the talks was that: There were some more cats that went missing over thest two days, including the ck cat that had always fought with Zheng Tan.


    No cats plus the closed stores during the new year period made the street appear more deste, more lifeless.


    Zheng Tan met Li Yuanba again when he was walking about, parading the streets with Peanut. Yanzi obviously didn''t stay at the pet store for the new year, but "Li Yuanba" stayed since Yanzi would be back in a few days; there was no need to move the cat nest back and forth.


    Catching the sight of Zheng Tan, Peanut, who was following "Li Yuanba", gave a rare "meow", greeting Zheng Tan.


    Mr. Guo had joked that Zheng Tan was like Peanut''s godfather, why else would Peanut remain so blunt and harsh towards other cats, but "meow" every time he saw Zheng Tan and asionally roll on the floor in front of him.


    Even these didn''t happen to Yanzi, so Yanzi often became envious of Zheng Tan. After all, who was really providing for them!


    Zheng Tan didn''t even lick his own furs let alone lick Peanut''s fur, and certainly didn''t "meow". Zheng Tan didn''t like calling out. Every time he cries out, it would hurt his brain nerves, reminding him that he had changed from a talking human being to a domestic cat. Nevertheless, to show his closeness to the young, Zheng Tan would raise his paw and pat Peanut on the head.


    Peanut had be used to the way that Zheng Tan greeted, so every time Zheng Tan approached, it would lower its ears and move its head for Zheng Tan to pat.


    A promising young man, worthy of being taught! Such an obedient kitten, much more likable than those scoundrels who only knew how to pull his tail.


    After they finished greeting, "Li Yuanba" carried on leading Peanut through the streets, Zheng Tan took the other direction. Zheng Tan wasn''t worried about "Li Yuanba" being taken by those illegal cat traders, besides, Peanut would be saved with it around.


    When he arrived at in an alleyway from an old street block, Zheng Tan roared ahead of him. Many people huddled together were discussing something. Originally, Zheng Tan prepared to reroute, but his ears had caught the phrases like "cat abuse", "little kitten", "how pitiful".


    There were many people around the scene, Zheng Tan wasn''t able to get any closer. He surveyed the surrounding and climbed the woodendder next to the wall, which had been chopped in half. From there, he jumped onto the surrounding fence and approached the site from a resident''s balcony. It was not easily detected there and was convenient for Zheng Tan to observe the situation there.


    The door of the balcony was tightly locked; ayer of dust gathered on the floor. The owner probably had gone out interstate for the new year, as the house looked like it had been empty for a few days. That was the main reason why Zheng Tan picked this house.


    Zheng Tan stood on a pot which had only soil and no nts and peeked towards there through the gap between the two hanging rags.


    It was surrounded by people, almost blocking the center of the incident. From Zheng Tan''s angle, he couldn''t catch many scenes, but as the quarrels became a push and shove, Zheng Tan was able to peep through and see what was happening on the ground.


    Three multicolored kittensy on the ground. They looked no older than a month and were covered in blood. They lied unmoved on the cold surface. Beside them stood a big white cat with long furs. It moved towards the three kittens on the ground now and then, touching them gently with the tips of her nose then screams at the sloppy young man two steps away who was leaning against the wall smoking. The noises sounded like weeping to Zheng Tan, each note dragged on as if it was mourning.


    The smoking youngster cast his coat aside, revealing his upper torso that was covered in dragon tattoos. The people nearby didnt dare to say anything mainly because the inks on his skin frightened them.


    Someone had made some harshments before and was brutally punched by the dragon tattooed youngster. A few elderly onlookers were also kicked by him and had to be supported away from there.


    From the chaotic scene below, Zheng Tan got an idea what had happened. This cat lived in the neighborhood. The owner moved away before the new year and didn''t bring her along because it was too much trouble, especially with a litter of dependent kittens. As a neighbor, the man with dragon tattoos offered to keep those kittens. The family was in a hurry to leave, so despite knowing that the malicious-looking neighbor was not friendly, and the cats with him were bound to mistreated, they kept quiet and left with their luggage.


    The tattooed man had intended to keep these cats, so he could sell them in the future. As to the normal times, cat food was scanty. If he remembered, he would give them some of his food; if he forgot, then never mind.


    Not every cat had the tough stomach that Zheng Tan had. Unable to eat the food, the mother cat was forced to scavenge for food. She came back just in time to see the tattooed man throwing the kittens onto the floor.


    The tattooed man was enraged when he went out, so he took the anger out on the kittens. The nearby residents condemned him after seeing his actions, but they were all bashed away. Calling the police was no help either.

 Chapter 41: Charcoal, What Happened to You?

    Chapter 41: Charcoal, What Happened to You?


    With no relevant animal protectionws, relying on only moral criticism would by no means quell the public wrath. This decade was nothing like ten yearster, this kind of little things could be immediately ** or recorded and posted online.


    Nevertheless, even if they could get more people''s attention and to chastise, it was still not enough to punish the abuser.


    What could condemnation do? And what was the use of moral bondage?


    Could it resurrect the three kittens, or give the mother cat an equitable treatment?


    It couldn''t; the tattooed man didnt even need to pay fines. Moral criticism to him was like gas excretion, dispersed when the wind blew at it.


    "Why does it matter if I throw my cats! Mind your own business. Are you all tired of living and want to die?!" The tattooed man pointed at the murmuring crowd around him and bellowed.


    It was evident that his actions of hitting people made the nearby crowd hesitant. It wasn''t as noisy as before, and those that dare toe out and condemn him were all knocked down.


    A body of muscle and tattoo, plus such manners. He clearly wasn''t a phnthropist. There might even be human life endangered.


    "Piss off. What are you all doing, blocking the front of my house? Are you looking for a beating?"


    The tattooed man pushed through the crowd as the mob began to disperse.


    A few elderly women groaned words like "sinful", "such an unfortunate cat" under their breaths as they left.


    To be urate, this kind of thing was not unusual. It happened daily within this city.


    For cats, there was no chance of obtaining fairness. There were no absolute protection schemes orws. The only thing they could rely on was perhaps a good owner, or to be valiant like "Li Yuanba".


    Yet, living in a big city constructed of steel and concrete. Even "Li Yuanba" chose a hideout, chose a "Yanzi" who would care for her and help her.


    What life would a lonely cat live? Zheng Tan only heard things from the word of mouth. Some said that the stray cats could live a great life. But after Zheng Tan had seen such a sight today, he became doubtful. Some would live a good life, but there would also be others that barely lived.


    In the end, the three kittens on the ground was gathered away by an old man, covered in towel and taken away while the cat cried as she followed him away. The tattooed man stood by smoking, sneering as he watched and flicking the cigarette butt towards him.


    "They''re just some shitty cats, no need to make such a fuss! Bah!" The tattooed man spat onto the bloodied ground, humming a tune as he walked off jerkily.


    Zheng Tan followed the old man. He watched him entering the Chu Hua University through a side door and buried the towel that wrapped the kittens inside.


    After he had finished, the old man sat on a nearby patch of grass to catch his breath. He reached out and caressed the big white cat''s head. She had encircled the area many times. "I know it''s really far here, but that region of old residence block will probably be demolished in a few years. They would be dug out if buried there but not here, this is a good university with good environment and people You have to keep on living your life. How about youe home with me, I don''t live on that block, I live around here. Although the conditions are not that good, but at least you will be able to have a decent meal every day."


    Zheng Tan didn''t know if the white cat knew what the man was saying. She just kept nestled on the surface where the kittens were buried. Shey there unmoving. The old man wanted to pick her up, but she struggled against him and remained motionless.


    The old man waited for a while, then tried to pull her up again. This time she gave up fighting.


    Zheng Tan squatted not far from them. He watched as they left but still stayed there. He didn''t know what to think; his mind was a mess, as if not thinking anything at all. When he finally recovered from the shock, it was already dark.


    He stretched. Maybe because he had crouched for too long, his body was rigid and felt a little cold.


    Zheng Tan took a few deep breaths, his body began to warm up after slow exercise, then he ran back towards the eastern staff family courtyard.


    When Zheng Tan arrived home, Papa Jiao was sweeping the floor, Jiao Yuan and Youzi were both helping with the cleaning, and Mama Jiao was doing the dishes in the kitchen. The scent of strangers and alcohol lingered in the room. Nevertheless, seeing familiar persons and smelling the recognized scent had made Zheng Tan feel at ease.


    Tunneled under Youzi''s bedsheets at night, Zheng Tan had no signs of sleeping. Youzi had fallen asleep next to him, Zheng Yan kept his eyes open and stared at the ceiling, only falling asleep at three. But the sleep was restless, he kept dreaming the scenes he saw today. He dreamed of the three kittens thaty in the earth.


    Zheng Tan dreamed that he stood by the bloodied floor and looked towards the tattooed man who leaned against the wall smoking. Next to himy the three kittens, surrounded by a group of faceless people.


    Due to some graphical images while he was dreaming, Zheng Tan extended his ws during his sleep and gashed arge cut on Youzi''s bedsheet.


    The next day, Mama Jiao looked at the torn bedsheet and said, "Maybe Charcoal was dreaming about catching rats."


    "But Charcoal looked unwell today, he doesn''t look like he is in good spirits," Youzi pointed towards the sluggish Zheng Tan on the couch, and said.


    Jiao Yuan stared at Zheng Tan, then lifted him up into the air. "ck cat warrior, transform!"


    Zheng Tan was still lifeless. He didn''t p away Jiao Yuan''s hands likest time and didn''t struggle, allowing Jiao Yuan to horse around.


    "ck cat warrior, transform!"


    Jiao Yuan tried it again. The ck cat in his hands remained the same. He called with a great urgency to Mama Jiao, "Mom, there is really something wrong with Charcoal!"


    Mama Jiao no longer attended to stitching the bedsheet. She hastily lifted up Zheng Tan to take a look. "Charcoal, are you okay?"


    Zheng Tan responded with a weary hum.


    "Hurry, make a call to Mr. Guo, and take Charcoal to the vets. It better not be a cold," Mama Jiao said to Papa Jiao who stood beside her.


    After they made the call, Papa Jiao rode with Zheng Tan on the electric motorcycle heading towards Mr. Guo''s ce. The other three in the family couldn''t sit still either; they headed out the eastern gate and hailed a cab to the pet center.


    Mr. Guo''s brother thoroughly checked Zheng Tan''s vitals and said, "It doesn''t appear to be an illness, just a bad mood."


    Bad mood?


    Zheng Tan was indeed really upset. It was not easy to exin the feeling. Stuffy, a little anxiousin short, agitated in every single way.


    "He was fine when he left the house yesterday. When he came back, he felt a bit spiritless. I thought that it was because he had be tired due to ying," Papa Jiao said.


    "What did he see yesterday?" Mr. Guo said curiously.


    Mr. Guo''s brother recollected, then answered, "I heard from somebody yesterday, somebody killed three still dependent kittens by throwing them onto the ground at the alleyway in the old street block."


    "Eh? What exactly happened?" Mr. Guo asked. He spent the entire day yesterday in the studio editing photos, and wasn''t aware of what had happened outside.


    Mr. Guo''s brother recited what he knew. It made Zheng Tan wanted to cover his ears. The images from the dream shed before his eyes. It made him extremely unsettled, perhaps even depressed.


    Zheng Tan secretly eximed. He never thought that he was so f*cking psychologically vulnerable. He had no fear in heaven or on earth before? Is it because he hadn''t slept wellst night? Yes, it was definitely sleep deficiency.


    As he contemted while the discussion carried on with the three people around him, Zheng Tan closed his eyes and fell asleep.


    When the trio finished debating and looked at the sleeping ck cat. Suddenly, they were a bit wordless.


    "Perhaps it didn''t get enough sleep? No one would be in a good mood when they didn''t sleep well," Mr. Guo said helplessly.


    Confirming that their cat had no other cause of illness or injuries, the Jiao family was relieved.


    When Zheng Tan woke up, they were already back home and the sky had be dark.


    "He woke up! He woke up!" Jiao Yuan yelled with excitement.


    Sitting next to him was Youzi. Mama Jiao and Papa Jiao rushed over at the news.


    After taking a nap, Zheng Tan was much more energetic. He ate a whole bowl of food Mama Jiao had prepared.


    He had a big stretch after eating his food. The spiritless ck cat from this morning had been resurrected!


    "Okay,e on. Hurry up and pack the things. Change your clothes, it might get cold tonight," Mama Jiao instructed the two children.


    Huh? Are they going out?


    Zheng Tan looked at the four who were changing.


    "Mom, let''s take Charcoal along," Jiao Yuan said.


    Mama Jiao didnt immediately respond. She looked towards Papa Jiao.


    Papa Jiao thought for a while, "Take him along using your backpack, but there will be many people at the fireworks show. You must be careful."


    "Okay!"


    Fireworks?


    Zheng Tan looked at the calendar and realized the date today was sixth. On the night of the sixth, there would be firework at the central department stores by the business. Many people would go there to take a look.


    After a substantial packing, the four Jiao family member and a cat went out the door.


    On the way, they met many people who were also from the courtyards as well as some staffs who were taking their family along from the western staff courtyard. They smiled and greeted each other.


    Papa Jiao carried Jiao Yuan''s backpack, Zheng Tan peeked outside through the opening zipper. There were many people heading towards the central department store, almost everyone around them in headed to there.


    When they arrived, the za before the department stores was already filled with people. Jiao Yuan tried to push forward into the crowd but was pulled back by Papa Jiao. They found a ce to stand.


    "Don''t have to be too close. There will be a lot of dust falling over there, and it''s easy to get hurt. It''s not too far from here," Papa Jiao exined.


    It was only seven, still half an hour till the lighting. They came early on purpose to get a good view. The ce that Papa Jiao picked was in the inner circle. When more people came, soon it would probably be blocked from the outside.


    Around the za were many high tforms. esses to these tforms were closed off and a distance away from the audience. Those were the spots to light the fireworks.


    When it was almost the time of lighting, Papa Jiao gave out mouth masks and sses to the two children. The sses had no degrees to it, preventing particles in the air from falling into the eyes. And the masks were a precaution forter when there would be too much dust. The smell was suffocating, not good to the body if breathed.


    Papa Jiao wore the backpack on his chest, protecting the two children between him and Mama Jiao.


    Zheng Tan looked around through the zipper in amusement. Filled with people, a much denser crowd than the previous.


    Suddenly, the lights in the za were all turned off.


    The voices in the za hushed in time of the extinguishing light, then quietly discussed again. It was the prelude to the start of lighting.


    After the light went out, Zheng Tan''s entire head emerged from the bag.


    There were no lights and no one would have thought that someone would bring a cat along to watch the firework.


    Boom!


    A spectacr firework bloomed in mid-air, opening the scene for the event.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The thundering of bursting fireworks unceasingly sounded.


    Zheng Tan looked towards the sky. Due to close range, the firework looked as if it blossomed right above the heads of crowd. Those that stood beneath looked as if they would be burnt by the falling sparks. These sparks gradually snuffed out as it approached the mob beneath, finally falling as dust particles.


    Each sttering glimmer looked fragile and dull, yet when they gathered together, there was an irresistible beauty.


    It was unlike what was seen on the television, and apletely different sensationpared to watching from afar.


    The blooming firework dominated all the sources of light in the sky, bright and vivid, luminous and dazzling. For the people that stood beneath, this brilliance seemed touchable.


    Zheng Tan felt all the unrest in his heart seemed to explode and shatter with each bang, fading away in the wind of the night.


    An unexpected feeling of enlightenment. Of course, better if the falling dust and the sharp odors around him was ignored.


    Not far from where they were standing, a parent in fear of his own child running away, had hugged him tightly in his arms. The child seemed to have had some dust that fell into his eyes, lowering his head and rubbed his eyes. When he opened his eyes again and looked around, he saw that the bag in front of Papa Jiao''s chest had a cat head peeping out, the cat ears even moved due to the constant falling particles.


    "Dad, there''s a cat"


    But the child''s voice was drowned by the roars of the firework lighting. His father heard only a sound.


    "What? Your eyes still hurt, daddy will blow at it for you."


    The child pushed his father away. "There''s a cat"


    "Yes, yes. There is firework, there is firework! Look, it''s so magnificent!"


    The child: ""


    When the sound of fireworks finally stopped, the crowd began to disperse.


    Papa Jiao and others waited for the nearby groups to scatter before starting to walk out.


    The joy lingered on Jiao Yuan and Youzi''s face. On their way home, they were still arguing about which type of firework looked better.


    "The firefighters must be quite busy today," Mama Jiao eximed.


    When they got home, everyone had a strong stench on them. They thoroughly scrubbed it off. Zheng Tan too had a long bath.


    After a bath with furs blown dry, he crawled into Youzi''s warm nket.


    Youzi wrote a journal entry before she went to sleep. Just like the previous entries, she would press Zheng Tan''s paws at the end, outlining his paws, and add a few more lines. So, at the end of many entries, there would always be a cat paw drawing at the end.


    When Youzi had turned the light off, Zheng Tan''s head surfaced from the sheets. He extended a paw and revealed the hidden ws.


    Looking at his ws in the darkness, Zheng Tan believed that he could actually do something.

 Chapter 42: That Sahara Guy Is Asking for a Beating!

    Chapter 42: That Sahara Guy Is Asking for a Beating!


    Zheng Tany prone on the couch in the living room. The tip of his tails gently shaking.


    Zheng Tan liked to think in this environment; as to the shaking tail, that was a habit which Zheng Tan developed after bing a cat. It started as an unconscious action, just like how some people liked to click their fingers against the table top when they think, Zheng Tan liked to rattle his tail tip when thinking on the couch.


    Technically, most cats liked that, but not every cat would delve into theplicated questions like Zheng Tan did. This action might only be a sign to express that they were feeling rxed, showing that they were in a good mood and was having a cozy life. Or maybe, they were all contemting about something that was not even close to theplexity of Zheng Tan''s questions, but nevertheless unimaginable by the humans. After all, cat''s minds are hard to guess at.


    Zheng Tan still dreamed of those graphics for the past few nights, but they were nowhere near as severe as the first night. Zheng Tan had already adjusted his mental state. To be correct, if Zheng Tan was still human, he would definitely not remember these scenes so distinctively, his mind would forget it immediately or pay no heed to it. But after bing a cat, his different status and surroundings made him treat matters and deal with problems from another angle.


    If he was still human, pulling a sack over and bashing someone with a brick would all be easy. He could also go and find someone to give the tattooed man a lesson, chopping hands or legs or even a penis off was nothing new, since Zheng Tan didn''t need to do it himself. However, now without all these aspects, he needed to depend on himself.


    Jiao Yuan and Youzi was in the living room watching a scientific documentary on wild animals, Mama Jiao was in the bedroom knitting a jumper and Papa Jiao went out because he had something on. Outside at this moment, it was snowing heavily. The sky cleared then the snowing began again. It started in the middle of the night yesterday. This morning when they woke up, it waspletely white outside. Jiao Yuan had opened the window just then to check. It was still snowing incessantly; a flurry of snow.


    On the television, the awoken cheetah huddled on the grass, it was about to hunt. There were many preys on the safari like antelopes and wildebeest, but as time ticked by, it didn''t seem to be worried.


    Zheng Tan couldn''t differentiate cheetahs or other species of panther; the spots on their skin looked the same to Zheng Tan. The host of the TV program had previously exined the difference in appearance between cheetah and its feline rtives, but Zheng Tan couldn''t really see it. He had only seen a panther in real life in the zoo. He couldnt even remember what specie he had seen, so in Zheng Tan''s perception, cheetah and other panthers looked the same.


    On the side, Jiao Yuan and Youzi were discussing the traits of cheetah. Zheng Tan was distracted with his thoughts on problems before and didn''t quite pay attention to the words of the TV host. He only caught a few broken words.


    From Jiao Yuan and Youzi''s discussion, Zheng Tan knew that cheetahs had a ck stripe extending from the corner of the eyes to the tip of the mouth, like two ck tear stains. This was one of the most distinctive feature which differentiates cheetahs with other panthers. The two ck stripes were beneficial in absorbing sunlight, widening its vision.


    Zheng Tan felt that he had a better advantage, ''My body ispletely ck!''


    "Cheetahs are so patient, if it was me I wouldn''t be able to resist. So many antelopes and they didnt even go after them." Jiao Yuan unwrapped a candy, then passed the wrapper under Zheng Tan''s nose. "Do you like the mango vor?"


    Zheng Tan turned away and tugged at his ears, paying no attention to the rascal who had way too much time on his hands.


    "They want to increase the sess rate, preserve energy," Youzi said with seriousness.


    "Yes, the rule of survival in the wilderness." Jiao Yuan summarized.


    Zheng Tan rolled over and changed to a new position to lie down.


    What he thought was one thing, to take action was another. It was not an easy thing for Zheng Tan to teach the tattooed man a lesson. Most importantly, Zheng Tan didn''t want to expose himself. Otherwise, there was bound to be trouble.


    This meant it was probably best to act under the cover of night.


    That tattooed man could be categorized as robust, probably fights often, but what severity of fight and with whatbat capability? Zheng Tan was a little uncertain.


    The talks made by the neighboring people at the old residence block was exaggerated, only noticing the muscles and the hideous tattoos on his torso. Zheng Tan had seen people who lived on the edge of des. Some had tattoos, but most were covered with scars on their body. The limbs that was shown had all kinds of scars that remained after the healing of injuries. Even without scars, their grandeur, an unintentional nce couldnt be rivaled by that cocky tattooed man.


    The type of people like the tattooed man, was at most a thug, or maybe, things weren''t asplicated as Zheng Tan thought. Nevertheless, it was a must to have understanding on the target. Zheng Tan also needed to stake out, trail and observe.


    Patience, wait for the opportunity, then kill with one strike.


    That was the way of survival for the safari cheetahs, and that kind of behavior was what Zheng Tan needed to learn.


    Patience


    Zheng Tan looked outside the window. There was a sheen of water droplets on the window, unable to see the sceneries outside clearly, but the haziness has its benefits. If you want to know whether it was snowing, how heavy it was snowing, you had to either wipe the droplets off or push open the window to see. If you don''t, there would always be ayer of mist, the truth would be blurred.


    Zheng Tan moved to the living room window, standing on the ledge and stared at the water drops attached to the ss. He leaned closer and exhaled.


    One of the water beads adhered on the window began to slide down, then met other beads. The drop of water became bigger, sliding faster. When it finally reached the edge of the window, it had gathered countless water drops that attached to the ss pane.


    If you treated every drop as the preparation before the action, then in the end, when the time was ripe, was it as easy as exhaling a single breath?


    Shaking his tail, Zheng Tan was ready to go out for a walk, to clear his mind. The room was way too warm, too cozy, it made Zheng Tan want to fall asleep.


    "Eh? Charcoal, are you going out?" Youzi said while unwrapping a sweet when she saw Zheng Tan walking towards the door.


    "Come back when it is time to eat, otherwise you will starve. Anyhow if you don''t return at meal time, your serve of chicken drum is mine!" Jiao Yuan emphasized on the word "chicken drum".


    Mama Jiao had prepared three chicken drums. The two children and Zheng Tan would each get one for dinner time.


    Hearing Jiao Yuan''s words, Zheng Tan snuffed through his nostril, indicating that he knew.


    After leaving the building, Zheng Tan looked at theyer of snow covering the ground. When Zheng Tan walked in it, his four limbs were almost submerged. Walking outwards had some resistance. However, this, to Zheng Tan, was nothing at all.


    One step after another he walked outwards. On the spotlessly white snow, a figure of ck moved out from the residence building, standing out if viewed from a birds eye view. But it was unlikely that anyone would have to be in such a leisurely and carefree mood toe outside and watch the snow in cold air.


    Zheng Tan could touch the snow on the ground when he lowered his head. A whiff of freshness greeted him.


    There wasn''t much wind right now, onlyrge snowkes falling.


    Zheng Tan looked up at the drifting snow in air, shuddering his ears, shaking off the snow that hadnded on his ears then continued to move forward.


    The coolness around him made Zheng Tan''s mind much clearer. The sleepiness he had piled at home was nowhere to be seen.


    Just as Zheng Tan headed towards the gate of the residence area, a dog''s barking rang from a close range and right after the barking, someone was calling, "Sahara, get back here!"


    What responded was Sahara''s silhouette, running further and further away, stopping at every little distance to look back at the building his home was at, howling "woof woof". If it saw someone running after him, no matter how far the person had run, if they were to only move their feet, Sahara would run away like there was no tomorrow.


    The brute normally acted just as gritty the days of the new year his house received many visitors, entering and leaving. The dog gate was often open when there were guests, since there were many people that came to visit one after another, it was difficult to regte.


    Initially, Sahara''s owner had chained him, but a kid had released the cord on the dog''s neck when he was ying. This chap took the opportunity while the guests were entering and exiting, and was able to squeeze out.


    Its owner was still treating the guests, and couldn''t leave the guest behind to chase after the dog. Besides, this kind of situation had happened many times during the winter break. It was not too big of a concern, Sahara would be back in less than an hour. Nevertheless, when it returned, it would either be rolled in mud or covered by something else. Overall, it needed a thorough cleaning.


    The neighbors had already gotten used to this kind of things. Every time they see this, they would have the same thought in unison: exhrating to see and hear.


    "Woof woof!!"


    Woof your ass!


    Zheng Tan paid no heed to it, continuing to walk towards the gate.


    Sahara stood there for a second, realizing that Zheng Tan really wasn''t going to pay attention to it. It flung its tail and headed to Zheng Tan. Zheng Tan could hear the sound of its toenails grinding against the concrete floor as it moved.


    When it approached Zheng Tan, Sahara suddenly rushed over and lifted his front leg and pushed Zheng Tan with his paw ntways, shoving Zheng Tan into the snow. The force wasn''t strong; it wouldn''t cause Zheng Tan to be injured.


    Zheng Tan didn''t think that this jackass would make an unanticipated move. He plunged into the snow unguarded; the entire face sank in.


    Blow seeded, Sahara ran off to the distance as if frolicking.


    Zheng Tan rattled off the snow on his body, swinging his head to shake off the snow on his face.


    Motherf*cker! Sahara, you are freaking going to be spanked!


    Zheng Tan rushed over like lightning, no longer using the same slow-moving pace that nudged through the snow. His speed was not slower than Sahara who was running ahead, also relying on his advantage of jumping to leap over the circr flowerbed that was blocking the middle of the road, cutting the straight path.


    When the old gatekeeper opened the window, what came into his sight was the ck cat from assistant professor Jiao''s house chasing after the mix-breed dog owned by academician Ruan''s grandson. Giving no thought to the grimace on Sahara''s face, the ck cat pursed andshed out series of ps with his cat ws.


    The old gatekeeperughed at such a sight, recalling that the look that his son made while yed the whipping top when he was young. Even at the fastest speed, he was no equal to the cat''s momentum.


    "Nice p, that Sahara guy is asking for a beating!"


    The old gatekeeper drew in the windows, took a sip at the Erguotou (Chinese wine), chewed a peanut or two, clicked his tongue, and then lied down, dangling his leg and watching some show relevant to the spring festival on the little television.


    Zheng Tan stood there heavily breathing after bing tired from all of the blows he threw.


    While Sahara saw that Zheng Tan stopped pping, he drooped his tongue to breathe. Perhaps it felt a little thirsty. Sahara lowered his head, licking the snow on the ground while making sounds like "dabadaba". It seemed that licking snow wasn''t enough, Sahara had rolled right onto the snow, rolled and rolled to a slope, then followed the gradient down.


    Beneath the slope was the tennis court that belonged to the residence area, fenced off by iron wire, but the slope was about ten meters tall.


    Zheng Tan saw Sahara disappear while rolling. It went over to the edge of the slope and took a look. Sahara had rolled to the bottom of the slope, shook his fur, looked at its surroundings then ran back up the slope.


    Zheng Tan had originally thought that Sahara prepared to have fun somewhere else when he came up. Turned out the next minute this fellow rolled back down and seemed to think that the sliding speed was not fast enough, it wiggled as it slid down.


    Zheng Tan looked at the dog who was enjoying itself, shook his head then headed for the gate.


    There were not many people walking around or cars driving on campus, but there was always an odd few. The people from the security department shoveled snow wearing thick outercoats, clearing the roads that were more likely ident-prone.


    Zheng Tan came to the ce where the three kittens were buried. He watched from a distance away. No one hade. There was no trace of foot traffic on the snow.


    Zheng Tan didnt know how the big white cat was. Thest time he saw it was when the old man had carried it away. He didn''t know where the old man lived either. However, the old man did say that he lived around here, since it was not far, they were bound to meet again in the future.


    Zheng Tan strolled around some other locations on campus. He didnt go to the forest where he climbed the trees, too far.


    After sauntering through a few ces, Zheng Tan looked at the time of the day and decided to take a walk to Lan''s parterre.


    Zheng Tan discovered that there were many treasures in Lan''s parterre. If you look closely, you were bound to find something you want.


    The new year celebration wasn''t over yet, Lan''s house constantly had visitors sparing him little time to tend to the parterre. The part that needed major care was already finished by Lan before the new year. Sometimes, he woulde by to check the things like temperature and humidity in the greenhouse.


    Zheng Tan kept to the old custom of going over the fence when entering.


    The transparent shed was piled with a heavyyer of snow, slippery if unmindful.


    This side of the shed was still heaped with wooden crates as usual. Zheng Tan didn''t jump off the transparent shed immediately, but stood on the side and looked out at thendscapes of the parterre.


    Eyes closed, Zheng Tan gently lifted his head. A ke of snow fell onto the bridge of his nose, slowly melting.


    The air carried the aroma of plum blossoms.


    The falling snowkes made a fine rustling sound against the tree leaves.


    Zheng Tan couldn''t reach the spiritual realm like Zhou Zhuang dreams of being a butterfly, the man and the heaven bing one. He just wanted to sit here in silence for a while, just a little while.


    A sneeze broke the serenity in the parterre.


    Other cats would lick their nose after sneezing, but Zheng Tan wouldn''t, still maintaining the habits from when he was human, snuffling.


    Sh*t, hurry up and finish looking so you could go home. So f*cking cold! He was already wet!


    Jumping off from the wooden crates, Zheng Tan found a few flower sheds, finally stopping before one which wasbeled with "admittance to staff only" and a warning sign forcing people to go no further.


    The shed was locked, even the windows were closed. Zheng Tan couldnt get in from the vents, but it was fine, the purpose of this trip was only to see something.


    Unfortunately, the clear shed was temperature regted. The inneryer had a sheet of vapor and traces of water dripping, Zheng Tan couldn''t see the situation inside with rity.


    Shaking his tail, Zheng Tan sat for a while then left, waiting for the next time to visit again.


    No hurry. Have some patience. There are still many things to prepare.

 Chapter 43: A Missing Bottle of Liquor

    Chapter 43: A Missing Bottle of Liquor


    By the time Zheng Tan had gotten home, the otheryer of his fur was already wet. Since he stayed too long in the snow, plus it had been snowing heavily when he went out, it would be a miracle if he didn''t get wet.


    Luckily, the fur on him was quite dense; it could still keep him warm. Nevertheless, every time the cold wind blew while outside, Zheng Tan couldnt help but tremble.


    Realizing that Zheng Tan came home wet, Youzi quickly grabbed the blow drier and dried Zheng Tan''s fur.


    "With that thickyer of snow, there is no other cat to be seen in the courtyard. Only our Charcoal went out," Jiao Yuan said.


    "And Sahara."


    Speak of the devil, a round of barks rang from downstairs. Zheng Tan could clearly identify that it was Sahara''s howls, but this time, the barks were not so confident, nothing near the soaring spirit it had from before.


    Jiao Tan giggled, immediately opening the living room window and looking towards the building diagonally opposite. Youzi carried a stool over, took her slippers off and stood on the stool to get a view outside the windows.


    Zheng Tan was also curious, hopping onto the windowsill and looking toward the direction of the barking.


    The dog that was howling downstairs in the building diagonally opposite was indeed Sahara. Meanwhile, academician Ruan''s grandson Ruan Ying stood on the second floors balcony, leaning against the balcony railing and drinking from a bowl of kombu pork rib soup in his hands. He licked his lips and smacked his tongue as he drank the soup, yelling at the drooling dog downstairs, "You ran. Try to run again. There is no serving of bone soup for you tonight!"


    "Woof woof Woof woof woof" The yelps were interweaved with whines. Clearly, it had weakened, craving a bite of the bones upstairs but couldn''t enter the door.


    Sahara knocked the great iron door at the gate with his paw, but he withdrew his paw after a single knock. He remembered that this iron door could not be messed with; one knock and he would be spanked when he gets home.


    In the end, Sahara crouched before the gate. The final "woof" was reced with level and oblique tones of whimpers from the nasal cavity. After a few whines, he yawned and scratched his mouth.


    It wasn''t until ten minutester did its owner opened up the door and let him in. Afraid that letting it stay outside any longer would cause it to catch a cold.


    Upon entry, the sluggish Sahara suddenly regained its spirit. Its bushy tails swung with great enthusiasm, proceeding to climb the stairs hastily and even leaping.


    There were many other people who watched the scene of bustle like Jiao Yuan and them. Due to different directions that each household faced, some watched on from their own balcony, while some peeped from the side bedrooms or living room windows. Sometimes, people even jeered, like just then somebody had called Sahara over to their house to chew on bones. Turns out, Sahara did have some backbone. Shifting its butt, Sahara became firmly unswerving.


    Just as Jiao Yuan was about toment on the episode about the difference between having a cat and having a dog, he heard the sound of sneezinging from beside him.


    Zheng Tan snuffed his nose. A momentter, he couldn''t help but to "achoo" again.


    Jiao Yuan and Youzi stared at Zheng Tan. After two consecutive sneezes, Jiao Yuan screamed at Mama Jiao, who was inside the bedroom, "Mom, Charcoal might have caught a cold!!"


    "What? Cold?!" Mama Jiao quickly put down her job at hand, dashing over with her slippers.


    Zheng Tan also had a not-so-great feeling. Could he really have caught a cold?


    "Do you need to measure the body temperature?" Youzi asked.


    Taking the temperature?


    Zheng Tan''s thought wandered back to the sights he had seen in the pet center with pets having a thermometer stuck inserted inside them. His body trembled. Sh*t, the temperature better not be measured with a thermometer thrust up his anus.


    Mama Jiao didn''t have much understanding about this kind of situations. After thinking, she rang Mr. Guo up.


    "Caught a cold? Did its conjunctiva bloodshot? Did the eyes tear up often or have a lot of eye discharge?" Mr. Guo asked from the other end of the receiver.


    "Not really."


    "How about dietary intake?"


    "Don''t know, it''s not dinner time yet."


    "You can measure the temperature, but if you measure it at home yourself, you can use the method of measuring temperature from the base of the thigh. That way is more convenient"


    Zheng Tan jumped onto the desktop, his ears straight as he listened in to the conversation between Mama Jiao and Mr. Guo on the phone. He was relieved when he heard that he didn''t have to take the temperature from the rectum.


    When Mama Jiao hung up, she found the thermometer and gave it a shake. When she turned around, she found Zheng Tan already there lying on his side, tails tucked in tightly and a back leg lifted up.


    Mama Jiao can''t help butugh. Other people needed to conduct some "forey" before taking the temperature on their cat to appease them. Now that it was their cat''s turn, words were spared; it had already posed for it.


    Zheng Tan''s thoughts on this were that anything would work if it was not the anal method of measuring temperature.


    However, this seemed to be indecent exposure Who cares, it was not like he had never shed it before. Who could me him now that he was a cat? There was no need to be unreasonable. There were plenty of cats on the streets, wandering around with their parts exposed.


    Mama Jiao ced the thermometer that she prepared on the connecting point between Zheng Tan''s back leg and abdomen. She waited as Zheng Tan maintained the same position for 5 minutes to take the temperature, only then did she take the thermometer out.


    "Thirty-nine degrees." Mama Jiao''s brows stitched together. This was a little high ording to the exnation that Mr. Jiao had given.


    This method of measuring body temperature would often cause the results to be lower than the actual temperature, so Mr. Guo gave many different standard ranges for this method of measuring. Since cats'' normal temperature was naturally higher than humans, the standards were also different.


    Mama Jiao called Mr. Guo again and told him the results to the body temperature measurements.


    "Then there isn''t much problem, you can give it some children''s granules. We will see what we can do tomorrow." Mr. Guo let out a breath from the other end. He had some new year''s advertisement that needed this cat''s appearance in the future. If otherwise, to only depend on those cats in the store would probably waste a lot of food.


    After getting Mr. Guo''s exnation, they were much more at ease. Mama Jiao diffused some children''s granule. Zheng Tan could drink it himself without requiring an injecting syringe to feed him.


    Cats were no rival to humans; Zheng Tan didn''t want his current self to be half-dead.


    Dinner time was spent with the members of Jiao family paying close attention to Zheng Tan eating. Seeing that his appetite was as big as usual, the four around the table became much more content.


    His sickness was probably not very severe with that big of an appetite.


    During night time, Mama Jiao advised Zheng Tan to sleep on the couch. Even though there were no known cases of cats infecting humans with cold, but it was better to be safe than sorry. The severe acute respiratory syndrome in 03'' had made many people cautious.


    It was not that she disliked Zheng Tan or anything. Mama Jiao was quite sympathetic of Zheng Tan. She had made a makeshift bed on every patch of the surface on the couch that could be slept on. Other than a furry poncho owned by Youzi, there was also a wooly jumper from Mama Jiao. There was no way on earth that Zheng Tan would feel cold.


    Zheng Tan himself didn''t want to infect anyone else, so he would have to make the best out of the couch. If the cold did be serious and contaminating, then it wouldn''t be good to infect others.


    Not long after lights went out and everyone went to rest, Youzi opened her room''s door, gently calling Zheng Tan to go inside the room to sleep.


    Zheng Tan didnt move, only rolling around and making some noises in response. There was a possibility for everything. If he really passed the cold onto Youzi, Zheng Tan would feel grievously sinful.


    Youzi called out a few times, only to see Zheng Tan turning but not prepared to leave the couch. Youzi quietly walked over, cing a hand on Zheng Tan. Ensuring that the cat under her hands was breathing strong and steadily, she went back to her room to sleep.


    Not long after Youzi left, Jiao Yuan did the same thing.


    On the other side of the bedroom, Mama Jiao pressed her ear against the door to listen to the noises in the living room.


    "The two children went back to their room?" Papa Jiao asked softly.


    "Yeah. They all went back I am going to check on him again," Mama Jiao said as she walked out the room, carefully fumbling to the other end of the couch.


    This time, Zheng Tan didn''t even bother to lift his eyelids. It was just sleeping; no need for three people toe by within half an hour.


    Early morning while Zheng Tan was still asleep, Mama Jiao hade over to measure his temperatures. Zheng Tan was in a round shape, curled up when he was sleeping. This posture made taking temperature not easy.


    Noticing that Zheng Tan had opened his eyes, Mama Jiao ced the thermometer while caressing Zheng Tan''s head, "Good boy, keep on sleeping, just taking some temperature."


    Zheng Tan: "" I am not a kid!


    A few minutester, Mama Jiao looked at the degrees indicated on the thermometer. A smile finally cracked on her face.


    "It looks like you will be fine."


    Technically, Zheng Tan himself was aware whether his cold had be better or not. He slept after taking some medicine and was now much morefortable. His nose wasn''t as stuffy as yesterday.


    After a stretch, Zheng Tan hopped off the couch to take a morning pee in the bathroom.


    Looking at Zheng Tan''s silhouette as he entered the toilet, Mama Jiao said to Papa Jiao, "Why does Charcoal''s tail never rise up?"


    When other cats were in a good mood, they would always stick their tails up, but Zheng Tan never did.


    Zheng Tan would usually let the tail tilt downwards. When it almost touches the ground, the tip of the tail would inch higher.


    There were many ck cats in this world, but the Jiaos had felt that there was a great difference between their ck cat and other ck cats. Even when ced together, they could spot him very easily, because their ck cat had some special little gestures and could be easily separated by those who were familiar with him.


    "Who cares? There are no regtions saying that cat''s tail must point upwards. Besides, our Charcoal is really sensible Just a little bad tempered once in a while," Papa Jiao said.


    Zheng Tan no longer felt like sleeping after taking a pee. He jumped onto the living room''s windowsill and looked outside.


    The sun hade out. Yesterday while watching the television, the weather forecast stated that there would be no snow for the next number of days, as the New Years celebration had almost ended. It was unlikely that it would be snowing that heavily in the future, or maybe there would be no snow at all.


    The residence courtyard was a stretch of white yesterday, but today, Zheng Tan saw that there were already pathways cleared out. It was not definite whether this was the work of the old gatekeeper or the cleaners, as there were a lot of people in the courtyard who get too bored and hade out to sweep the snow.


    For the next two days, the Jiao household didnt receive many guests. Just in case of any emergency, Zheng Tan stayed in the house for that two days and didn''t go out. It was not until the third day when there were visitors going did Zheng Tan amble out the door.


    Two days after not leaving the house, Zheng Tan was stifled. After walking out, Zheng Tan felt that his entire body was soothed.


    He went to the woods and climbed a tree. After his joints had loosened, Zheng Tan walked out. He didn''t see Tiger, Sheriff and the others, so he headed straight out the campus gate.


    Zheng Tan still headed towards the ce where the kittens were buried. When he went there to check, there were human footprints and a cat''s, it was likely to be the old man and the white female cat.


    That female cat was still alive and with the old man. Even if his conditions were not as privileged as the family that had moved away, at least someone cared about it, that was sufficient.


    The weather lightened. Gradually, there were more pedestrian and vehicles on the roads; it gave off an atmosphere of liveliness.


    Zheng Tan trekked along the familiar path to the alleyway of the old residential block. He arrived just in time to see the tattooed man wearing a bulky puffer jacket roaming casually out the alleyway. He cursed at any person that bumped into him despite the reason was due to himself was walking in an "S" curve.


    Zheng Tan hid around the corner and watched him leave.


    The tattooed man did have an upation, helping people trash up ces and being a hooligan. Every week, there were a few changes of posts. Today was his only time this week. He probably went over there, found a corner to lie down and continued to sleep as before. By the sight of it, he had stayed upte to watch some "romantic action movie" for sure, draining his energy too much.


    Zheng Tan waited for the tattooed man to walk off into the distance, then jumped over the fence into the old backyard of the old residential area when there was no one around.


    The tattooed man lived on the first floor. The first floor had arge perimeter. The tattooed man had even circled an area out using a fence. That area was originally intended for public use to hang nkets but had now been forcibly upied by him too. The people around himmented on this, yet it had no effect. Instead, they were harassed by him.


    The small window above the room''s door was firmly closed, but it was not the same for the kitchen. There was a broken window by the kitchen. It appeared to be broken for quite a while but never fixed.


    Zheng Tan entered from the broken window, cautious to not be scraped by the shattered ss.


    When Zheng Tan set foot into this small kitchen, he observed that the kitchen was not big in the first ce but still filled with trash, giving off an even smaller impression. There were a lot of disposable bowls and chopsticks, and some ramen box that was not thrown away.


    There was ayer of grease on the stove. The floor was covered with a ckish substance. Solidified, it definitely couldn''t be cleaned if no force was applied into it.


    No gas cylinders to be found. The iron pots tingled with rust. Zheng Tan looked around. The microwave was the appliance used most often in the entire kitchen.


    No wonder the window of the kitchen remained unfixed for so long. The kitchen was not in use, so it didnt matter whether to fix it or not.


    The kitchen door was closed. Zheng Tan ttened against the door and listened for any noises outside. He confirmed again that there was no one in the room, then jumped up to pull the door knob.


    Every household in this old residential area didn''t have a big dwelling, approximately sixty to seventy square meters. The living room was piled with random objects and a motorbike. The brightest thing inside this room was probably this motorcycle. It was evident that the owner wiped it very often. Other than that, the rest of the space was filled with all sorts of odds and ends and garbage.


    The unfinished takeout on the table was not cleaned up. The grains of rice on the floor had dried, stuck onto the floor.


    As for the bedroom, magazines were scattered across the floor. The covers each had a scantily d girl with big breasts. The calendars that hung on the wall above the bed also had the same style.


    There was a lot of stuff on the bedside table. The ashtray was filled to the brim, and the floor had cigarette butts strewn across. Contrasting to this environment, there was a gift box of tea leaves and a Yixing y teapot on the table.


    A cardy on the luxurious gift box scrawled with words of wishful greeting, but it was not addressed to the tattooed man''s name. Judging by the looks of it, it was gifted to an elderly person. As to why it had ended up here with the tattooed man, that was unknown but most likely through some shady means.


    Taking a look about, Zheng Tan didn''t touch anything in here. He backtracked through the same path, closed the kitchen door and walked out from the broken window. He waited for the coast to clear, then jumped over the walls and left.


    Not far outside the alleyway of the old residential area was a small restaurant. Knowing that the surrounding was possibly going to be demolished, the boss nned to move the storefront to somewhere else. There were not many things left inside. Nevertheless, the business had flourished during the new year period. People would now call to order from the restaurant when they had guests over, or book a private room. The owner had earned quite a lot on the day of the New Years Eve.


    The kitchen was beside the main building of the restaurant, filled with people who were either cooking or washing vegetables.


    "One box of beer for the sixteenth room!"


    "Okay, right away!"


    The waiter wearing the uniform of the restaurant walked into the liquor storeroom, but while he was carrying the liquor, he realized that one of the boxes of beer was missing a bottle. Originally it had twelve bottles, but now it only had eleven bottles.


    Could it be that someone had been sneakily drinking it? Forget it, who cares? Even if someone had been drinking, he wouldn''t be the one to get involved and offend somebody.


    Hence, this waiter picked anotherplete box with twelve packs of beer and carried it out.


    After they knew that they will move stores, the management here was not as strict as before. Besides, the new year celebration was not over yet. The business was quite good. asionally, everyone would turn a blind eye when someone reaped some profit from the confusion.


    So from thereon, those who entered the storeroom and saw the box with a missing bottle of beer had the same thoughts as the previous person. No one would spill this matter out.

 Chapter 44: This Black Cat Is Special

    Chapter 44: This ck Cat Is Special


    Regardless of being a student of the associate primary school or Chu Hua University itself, the school term had started consecutively after thentern festival.


    The beginning of the school term caused some to be cheerful and others to have pr opposite feelings.


    In Zheng Tan''s perception, the university students had more smiles on their faces when they returned to the campus than the children from the associate primary school.


    The children from year one and two were still desperately trying to find excuses to not go to school. The eyes of some children at the primary school gate were red, snuffing their noses now and then, as they shuffled towards the school gate under their parents'' coercion.


    In contrast, the youngsters that rode past on their bike like a gust of wind were in a much better mood, rushing to find the girls that they missed dearly after a long time of not meeting.


    The psychologies of the year six children were unique, carrying theplex emotions of "I am finally growing up" and "Sh*t, there is still so many homework and tests", spending their final moments in primary school.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know if every year six brat had that conflicting psychology, at least Jiao Yuan did. Little rascals always had mysterious excitements and worries. Just like what Papa Jiao had said, they were about to hit puberty.


    Ah, children in puberty


    If that was true, then after entering middle school, Jiao Yuan could no longer be considered as a kid. He would belong to the category of "young man". Yes, he could probably find some "adult" book in Jiao Yuan''s room in the future.


    Zheng Tan huddled on the couch. The tip of his tail gently swayed as he watched Jiao Yuan and Youzi leave the house. Mama Jiao walked them to school, then went to do grocery shopping after dropping off the kids.


    Zheng Tan didnt go out for the past few days in daylight. The campus was filled with people; it was extremely lively. After the new students had reported to the university, the school that had remained silent for the winter break became rowdy again.


    Zheng Tan didn''t want to saunter outside at a time like this, as it was inconvenient. Therefore, Zheng Tan had adjusted his lifestyle for the first week of school. He slept at home during the daytime and staked out in the night after eating supper.


    The past few nights of staking out allowed Zheng Tan to gain an understanding of the tattooed man''s daily routine, but that was far from enough. He must make sure that the n seeded the first time by tailing him for several times more. Besides, the resources at hand were stillcking, there were still some things not found.


    Zheng Tan napped on the couch for a while. When he woke up, he realized that it was only nine thirty in the morning. Mama Jiao hadn''te back yet, probably chatting with someone again.


    Stretching out, Zheng Tan looked out the window. The sun shined bright, but the temperature remained low as before. Those who walked past were still wearing dense puffer jackets.


    Bored and unable to sleep, Zheng Tan decided that he might as well go for a walkabout.


    Tiger had be a lotzier after the new year, fatter too. Zheng Tan had often seen Tiger lying asleep on his balcony. His head peeped slightly through the railings of the balcony and his tail swung outside, asionally swaying as if he was afraid that others didn''t know he was sleeping there. Luckily, the gaps between the railings were not wide, Tiger wouldn''t fall through from the opening.


    As for Sheriff, its family had chained it at home because there were many cat dealers during the new year period that were catching cats illegally. After several cats from the surroundings had gone missing, Sheriff, who had always roamed outside, waspelled to not leave the house, even if it made the earth tremble with its calls.


    Without them, Zheng Tan felt having more freedom and at ease alone.


    After an exercise of climbing the tree, Zheng Tan trekked through the unpopted forest. There weren''t many people walking along the campus boulevards. The two rows of Chinese parasol tree along the side of thenes no longer appeared bleak, perhaps because the campus had gained some poprity.


    Zheng Tan wandered aimlessly towards the ces with sunlight. No wind, the sun gleamed on the furs on his body. It made it warm and fluffy, and veryfortable.


    Zheng Tan''s eyes squinted as he enjoyed the pleasant sunlight. Suddenly, he heard someone calling his name.


    Looking towards the source of the voice, Zheng Tan saw a figure wearing a long and loose fur parka standing on the other side of the flower bed and waving at him.


    Zhuo?


    Zheng Tan changed his direction and headed towards Zhuo.


    Compared to thest time Zheng Tan had seen her, Zhuo''s stomach was now evidently protruding. Even wearing loose winter clothes couldn''t cover up the bulging curve.


    Zhuo had a bag in her hands, and inside the bag was a book. It looked new, most likely freshly bought from the bookstore near the front gate of the university.


    "What are you doing here?" Zhuo looked at Zheng Tan and said. She bent her back and extended her hand to gently touch Zheng Tan''s forehead.


    Despite knowing that in front of her was a cat which can''t talk, Zhuo still asked as an involuntary habit.


    Those people who spent a lot of time with animals would also be like that, talking when they see other animals instead of mimicking their cries.


    Zheng Tan was somewhat afraid of approaching Zhuo. With the sight of that belly, what would you do if something happened? She bent her back with a little difficulty just by the looks of it. Besides, wasn''t it said that pregnant women avoided cats at any cost because of the problem of toxosmosis?


    Taking a look at his surroundings, Zheng Tan realized that he had unconsciously approached the roundabouts of the western resident courtyard. So Zhuo had spent this period of time living in the western courtyard?


    "Come on, let''s go to my ce?" Zhuo took two steps then stepped a foot and turned to look at Zheng Tan, a little anticipated.


    Zheng Tan stood unmoved and thought, it had been a while since his cold was healed, as for the problem of toxosmosis He probably didn''t have it? He appeared to be quite healthy and bathed often. He had slept daily in the same bed as Youzi. Judging from the sight of Youzi looking fine, there was probably nothing that could contaminate Zhuo.


    After a slight hesitation, Zheng Tan looked at the hopeful eyes of Zhuo and strode.


    Noticing that Zheng Tan had followed her, Zhuo''s face immediately showed signs of happiness. She walked ahead while talking to Zheng Tan about the things that urred in the previous months.


    Zhuo didn''t usually talk to people. There was only a handful whom she could speak with. However, Zhuo wouldn''t tell them that thing at heart straight away. She was still reserved towards people, but to cats, it was different.


    People could talk to some animals, or objects with psychological sentiments, about their innermost thoughts more easily. This was a way of catharsis. Many people owned pets for this reason.


    It became inconvenient for Zhuo to move around afterward because her belly became bigger and bigger. She needed to recuperate. "Buddha" was worried about Zhuo running around every day. Just as it happened that the allocation of ownership for the new building in the western courtyard had begun, "Buddha" gave Zhuo the household that belonged to her.


    People like "Buddha" were already famous and wealthy. They didn''t care about a single house. If it was usual, "Buddha" wouldn''t even fight with other teachers over it, but for Zhuo, "Buddha" did.


    Just a single sentence from "Buddha", and others would have to move aside.


    This time around, there were not many people moving around outdoors in the western courtyard. During working hours, there were only some scattered few in the courtyard that could be seen.


    The houses on this side of the western courtyard were very new. Some buildings had a simryout to the buildings in the eastern area, but looked much more luxurious in the exterior and looked fashionable in appearance. The greenery was alright, but definitely not as good as the eastern side. Although the architectural design was very brilliant, Zheng Tan was still not quite used to it.


    Perhaps he had gotten used to the old houses in the eastern courtyard. Facing these spectacr new buildings, Zheng Tan felt something was missing.


    Zheng Tan recalled the time when he first came to this ce. Many residential buildings by the eastern yard had Japanese creepers that climbed all over. The nearby trees had flourished, and somebody even built a grape trellis at the corner of the courtyard. At dusk, some elderly people would sit there, fluttering the brown spotted bamboo-shell fan in their hands, speaking freely.


    Some said that old was a sentiment, that was true. Time had corroded them for over ten years, experiencing many generations ofpiling emotions that sedimented. This was probably the reason why those old professors would still live happily in that old house that was not big.


    After living in the eastern yard for a while, Zheng Tan had finally felt the serenity in such simplicity.


    Zhuo didn''t live in those houses that Zheng Tan saw when entering the residential quarters; it was deeper in.


    The western resident courtyard was much bigger than the eastern courtyard, so other than the front door, there were also some side doors.


    The front area opposite the central gate in the courtyard wasposed of six level buildings. Walking further inside, there were a few newly-built buildings with elevators. It was very close to one of the side doors, Zhuo would sometimes enter and leave through this side door, as it was easier to go outside the campus from here. Today, she had just finished buying the book when she suddenly decided to take a stroll on campus. She hadn''t expected to meet Zheng Tan.


    Getting the quota of these elevator houses wasn''t an easy thing.


    Zheng Tan followed Zhuo into the lift. There was no one else in the elevator and if there were, they would definitely be surprised as to why there was a cat in this elevator. The cats take the lift too?


    Zhuo pressed the button for level six, the central area of the building.


    "Here is where I live now."


    Zhuo pointed towards the house with the door number of "606" after exiting the elevator. It still had spring festival couplets stuck on the door.


    Zheng Tan waited for Zhuo to open the door then entered. He discovered that there were scents of strangers inside there, so he stayed at the doorway and sniffed.


    Observing Zheng Tan''s reaction, Zhuo smiled and said, "Mrs. Ye hired someone to take care of me, but she is not here today. She left on some business."


    How considerate of "Buddha". Anyhow, no one could ease up with her carrying that big of a belly around, Zheng Tan thought.


    Zheng Tan took a look at the decoration in this room. Approximately a hundred square meters in size, with excellent lighting, the decorations were filled with a sense of modernization and the tones of color were warm as well.


    There were some fruit baskets on the table, each filled with all sorts of fruits while the other basket had other snacks in it.


    Zheng Tan hopped onto the table and moved towards the side of the baskets to get a better look. Inside, it had some things like candied fruits and sour plums.


    "Those were given by the family members of Mrs. Ye. I can''t finish them. Do you want some?" Zhuo took a handful of skinned peanuts and walnuts from a bag. She hesitated after she took it out. She didn''t know if cats could eat these or not.


    Who cares if other cats could or could not? Zheng Tan ate it anyway.


    "Stay here for lunch at noon." Zhuo stroked Zheng Tan''s head and said.


    Zheng Tan scratched his ears.


    Lonely pregnant woman


    Never mind, I will bite the bullet and stay with you for a little longer.


    Zheng Tan looked at the peeled nuts inside the bag. Eating some snacks and taking it a nap, and it will be afternoon soon. It''s not that unbearable.


    Zhuo didn''t know if the cat before her understood what she had said, so she rang Papa Jiao during break time and exined the things just in case the Jiao family became anxious waiting at home.


    Zhuo knew that this cat sitting opposite her meant a lot to the Jiao family. During the time when Mama Jiao was hospitalized, Zhuo heard some things about this ck cat when she visited. They really valued this cat. Besides, Zhuo didn''t know what to treat this ck cat like other cats in the courtyard.


    This ck cat is special.


    At noon, the housemaid which "Buddha" hired came back to cook lunch.


    When that housemaid saw Zheng Tan, her facial expression could be described as horrified. She believed that it was best for pregnant women to not be too close to cats. This kind of animal liked to run around, liked to eat insects and rats. The organisms that it provoked were a list long. Who knew if it carried any diseases!


    The housemaid said some words about cats possibly carrying germs or parasites, and how these germs and parasites would affect the fetus. But Zhuo only answered with a few "yeah" to show that she was still hearing her, then continued letting Zheng Tan lie beside her quite close together.


    Seeing that her warnings were useless, the housemaid called "Buddha" in the kitchen while cooking and reported the situation.


    "Cat?!" Buddha''s voice on the other end of the phone increased in volume, sounding dissatisfied.


    "Yes, yes." the housemaid detected the unsatisfactory mood of "Buddha" and continued to say, "It''s even ck!"


    Some people from where the housemaid came from believed that ck cats were ominous, so she never had any good impressions on this kind of cat with pure ck fur.


    "ck?" The tone of "Buddha" lowered, bing more moderate.


    "Yes."


    "Charcoal?"


    "Ummm Probably, that was what Zhuo called it."


    "Then let it be."


    "What?"


    "That cat is different." Since "Buddha" knew that Zhuo was quite familiar to this cat, she intentionally investigated into the daily regimen, other living conditions as well as habits and temper of this cat. The result made "Buddha" quite satisfied. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have given a different attitude to only a minor assistant professor.


    "Oh." After hanging up, the housemaid was still filled with confusion. What difference did this ck cat have?


    The housemaid extended her head and looked at the ck cat that was crouching on the other side of the bedroom on a moon chair. She shook her head. She couldn''t see anything special. It looked just like other ck cats that she had seen, not an ear more or an eye less.


    In the end, the housemaid summarized the attitudes of "Buddha" and Zhuo as "the rationality of scientific researcher".


    Zheng Tan squatted on a softly padded moon chair in Zhuo''s room and held his arms up.


    This pose was learned by Zheng Tan from Fatty and others. The first time he saw Fatty with this pose, Zheng Tan was puzzled. What was with the egg hatching pose? Afterward, Zheng Tan stuffed a quail-egg-sized round pebble between the two ws held by Fatty.


    Yes, now it looked even more like egg hatching.


    Zheng Tan remembered the speechless eyes of Fatty. Fatty then moved its front ws and pushed the pebble out.


    Later, Zheng Tan also saw Tiger squatting with the same pose, and did the same thing to him. In the end, Tiger only winked his eyes, meowed, then remained unmoved. From then on, every time Zheng Tan saw Tiger crouched like that, he would have the thought of stuffing a pebbled inside. Or when it was time, an egg maybe?


    Zheng Tan found outter on that many cats liked that. It would seem that the cats were more content when they made that pose and temporarily wouldn''t use their ws.


    From thereon, Zheng Tan learned to crouch like that and held two hands up. He heard that this was called the peasant tuck ("meatloaf"). After getting used to the tuck, Zheng Tan felt that the feeling wasn''t too bad.


    The perfume of food and dishes wafted from the kitchen. Lying on the lounge, Zhuo moved the book away and rubbed her eyes. She looked towards the ck cat on the moon chair, squint-eyed and crouched with ws tucked in, and silentlyughed. Maybe she should have a cat in the household in the future. Not an exotic species, a domestic breed would be enough. It didnt have to be too hard working. A bitzy was fine. Having a preference to eat snacks sneakily was okay as well


    At the same time, in that little restaurant not far from the old residential area alleyway, the waiter who came to carry the liquor looked at the half-empty beer box and jabbered. He felt the person who was drinking without permission had be more and more uneptable, was he going to finish the entire box?

 Chapter 45: Thief?

    Chapter 45: Thief?


    Zheng Tan stayed at Zhuo''s ce until they finished dinner and then he left. Zhuo walked Zheng Tan out the western courtyard and watched him walk off into the distance.


    Zheng Tan didn''t go home straight away after he left the western courtyard. Instead, he headed for the woods by the side gate.


    This was because he knew that the region around the perimeter of the campus was in the process of construction. There weren''t many students that went into that direction. There were even less during nighttime.


    Zheng Tan leaped as he traveled through the forest, arriving at the top of arge tree where he squatted.


    Deep breath.


    "Aaooowoooo--"


    Doesn''t sound right.


    "Awoooooo--"


    Doesn''t sound right either.


    Zheng Tan carefully recalled the cries of the big white cat at that time, and howled again.


    "Wooowoo--"


    Still not right!


    After several attempts, Zheng Tan analyzed the causes. Maybe because he had always previously avoided calling like a cat, and had gotten used to howling randomly instead. Now that he needed to learn how to vocalize like other cats, for a moment, he couldnt make that transition. Zheng Tan didn''t want to make an unreasonable demand to cry like the big white cat. He just needed to be close to it, but the sound he made right now was virtually wails of a ghost.


    Huh?


    Ghost wail?


    Zheng Tan squinted his eyes.


    Since bing a cat, Zheng Tan especially liked to squint his eyes, but he hadn''t realized this issue himself. With the tip of his tails swaying, he pondered upon some thoughts.


    Just as he was thinking, a wave of urgent footsteps sounded. Zheng Tan knew for sure without looking that it was the ck-backed owned by the side gate janitor. The sound of its paws kicking against dead leaves while running was extremely obvious in such a serene environment.


    The ck-backed ran over in a hurry, sniffed around then encircled a tree twice before lifting a back leg and urinated against the trunks. After it finished peeing, it dug the paws into the ground in excitement, sniffing about in the surrounding. It waited for the whistles from the direction of the side gate. Only then did it bark in response and hurried back.


    Zheng Tan looked at the tree that had dog urine on it. He had realized a few days ago that the tree had an offensive urine odor. The ck-backed came here every day during the lookout time to pee; fixed location, attached to this tree only. At the same time, Zheng Tan remembered the tattooed man. That person liked peeing at the same spot. Zheng Tan found this out while staking out around the tattooed man''s house. It was because of this habit that gave Zheng Tan an idea.


    Initially, Zheng Tan only wanted to use violence to teach this person a lesson, butter he thought, pure physical damage was too good for him. Probably, this guy still wouldn''t associate this punishment with the three dead kittens. Maybe this guy would still do simr things to other cats. Therefore, Zheng Tan decided to try another way.


    Since he decided to change the original strategy, this meant that things couldn''t be acted out in one day. If one day wasn''t enough, then we shall do it day by day.


    So thus came the preparation work that Zheng Tan had been gradually doing over this period of time. Plus, things were not going smoothly for the tattooed man, there seemed to be a taboo for red sticky things.


    Zheng Tan practiced voicing for a while again, and looked at the time; the sky hadpletely darkened.


    Exiting the woods, Zheng Tan came to the remote corner near the old resident area alleyway side of the school gate. In the corner, there was a number of leafy old pine trees. Zheng Tan had hidden the things that he umtively collected up there, wrapped in those ck stic bags. In that corner, there was a small probability for the things to be found, and if they were found, Zheng Tan wasn''t worried. Who would think that those things in the bag were the work of a cat?


    He carefully opened the bags.


    At the beginning, because he wasn''t ustomed to using ws, the ws always hooked onto the stic bags. After some tries, things got a lot smoother, since inside this cat body was the spirit of an adult. Although, it was not to the extent that he could deal with such a minor problem of tying and opening bags.


    There were four dolls inside the bag. One was slightly bigger, a cat doll with floral patterns. The other three were smaller in size, with the dimensions of an adult palms height, all white, and furry. It was the kind that girls liked.


    These four dolls were "obtained" by Zheng Tan from the second level of a gift store outside the campus at night.


    Other than these four toy cat dolls, there was a pack of cotton swabs, three small packs of tissue, some bags that varied in size used for holding food, a few packets of voring pack sized tomato sauce used in fast food stores, and some stic bands that girls used to tie their hair up with. These stic bands were much wider than the normal stic bands that Papa Jiao used in theirb. At the same time, it also ensured that when Zheng Tan wrapped it around his neck it wouldnt be too loose or too tight.


    These were all "obtained" by Zheng Tan over the past period of time. Zheng Tan spent a lot of energy into not letting anyone notice or find out.


    There were advantages and disadvantages in taking action as a cat. Sneaking into other people''s stores and warehouses were easy, but "taking" things away were not so easily achieved.


    Zheng Tan took a ck stic bag out, cing the bigger furry toy cat into the bag. Then he added a packet of tomato sauce, two cotton swabs and a pack of tissue. Zheng Tan tidied up other things that were temporarily not used, tying the bag and ced it in the old spot up on the trees. There were dense branches around, making it difficult to see from the outside. Even if it was seen, nobody would have the time or spirit to climb up the trees and go through the bags.


    He wrapped the things he needed to use today inside the bags, secured with an stic band.


    Taking a look, Zheng Tan made sure that all things here were fixed up and wouldn''t fall off, then he bit the bag between his teeth where the stic band were and jumped off the trees with this bag of things. He re-emerged from the courtyard fences at the campus border near the mouth of the alleyway in the old resident area. Like a sh, he headed straight to the greening flower bed. Using the nts in the flowerbed and the night as a disguise, he quickly disappeared. The surrounding traffic sped past to and fro. No one would take notice at the dark silhouette that shed by here.


    This time of the day, the alleyway of the old residential area was much more dested aspared to the central department stores area. It was apletely different sight. asionally, there were waning streetmps. Many of the roads were pitch ck. You could only see the approximateyout of the alley through some of the light that peeked through from the surrounding households. As for others, nothing was visible.


    Those on the night shift, oring home from work, whether they were riding electric motorbikes, walking or riding bicycles, would all light the way using torches.


    Under this environment, there was definitely no one who would notice that by the trash bin at the corner, there squatted a ck cat.


    Zheng Tan estimated the time inside his mind. ording to the information he had obtained from the previous period, the tattooed man would often depart from home at nine in the night to the location where he worked.


    As expected, not longter, the voice of the tattooed man was borne. Alone with the tattooed man was another person; the two discussed.


    "What I meant is that you should probably show some restraint. The message going around is that Boss Ye''s gang probably had beef with our boss. You should all be careful. Otherwise, you might lose a leg or miss an arm," the guy beside the tattooed man said.


    "Haha, Boss Ye wouldn''t even treat little hooligans like us seriously." The tattooed man''s voice sounded like he said it withughter, but theughter was extremely unnatural.


    "Anyhow, when everyone starts to fight, we will y dead and not make any trouble. Don''t let your weaknesses be caught by other people."


    "I know that. Oh, wait, I need to take a piss, hehe!"


    As he spoke, the tattooed man walked and took a turn into a dead-end, this was where the tattooed man would urinate when he went out or came back. The dead-end which he peed at was very close to the corner that Zheng Tan squatted. Diagonally across, Zheng Tan could see the situation there from the trash bin.


    After waiting for the two to walk off, Zheng Tan gripped the bag of stuff in his mouth and headed for the tattooed man''s house.


    This time, he entered from the broken window of the kitchen again. There wasn''t much difference in this room aspared to the first time that Zheng Tan came here, messy and dirty as always.


    There was no need to turn on the light. Zheng Tan could use the light that shone through the window from other people''s house to see the arrangement in the room.


    Taking the stic band off and untying the bag, he ripped open the ketchup and wiped it onto the body of the cat doll, and a smear on the corner of its lips. With the stic bag underneath, the ketchup wouldn''t drip outside.


    Then, Zheng Tan ced the toy cat that was covered in tomato sauce beside the tattooed man''s bed.


    This was only one of the things. Taking the cotton swab from the bag, he pinched it in the paws. Compared to human fingers, the current cat paw was very inconvenient. Because of this, Zheng Tan would practice holding things in his paws when he became bored at home. He had gotten used to it after some time practicing.


    Soaking the cotton swab in the remainder ketchup, Zheng Tan held the cotton swab and drew a red cat paw print on the wooden closet near the bed. Zheng Tan''s illustration skills were limited, but it was only a few circles. As long as you could identify approximately that it was a cat or dog paw print, it was enough.


    The location where Zheng Tan intended to draw on was on the wooden closet that was a little high for his reach, so he dragged a chair over, stepped on it and used his two back legs as support to reach. Standing up made the height of the drawing closer to the predicted requirements.


    When he finished drawing, Zheng Tan threw the cotton swabs inside the stic bag. He jumped up and scratched a few w marks with great force on the drawn paw marks. Zheng Tan had great strength. The w marks that he made were also deep.


    After he finished scratching, Zheng Tan pushed the chair back to its original position, then took a tissue from the pack and wiped off the smudges on his own paws and on the surrounding ground. He chucked the finished ketchup packet, the cotton swabs, and tissue into the stic bag.


    He thought for a second. Zheng Tan''s steps that were prepared to leave turned. He lifted the sheets beneath the pillow and took a look.


    It was just Zheng Tan''s action in the spur of the moment. Because when he was in the Jiao household, he had once seen Jiao Yuan hiding his pocket money under the bed liner at the end of the front of the bed. That''s why he had done such action.


    The result was rather surprising for Zheng Tan. The tattooed man had the same habit. Did he want to fall asleep counting money?


    Zheng Tan had counted: eight hundred dors. Zheng Tan took one sheet of a hundred, rolling it up and wrapping it with tissue. As for the rest, which was seven hundred dors, he returned it to the original position.


    He looked around and felt that there was no longer anything that was needed to be taken care of. Zheng Tan tied the stic bag with garbage by wrapping the stic band around. The tissue that had money inside was also secured inside the stic bag. With the bag inside his mouth, he left the tattooed man''s house.


    Walking out of the alleyway, Zheng Tan found a rubbish bin, took the money out from the bundle and threw the stic bag inside the bin then headed for the gift store with the money. Using the assistance from external objects, he went inside the second level store room. Pulling the tissue aside, he threw the hundred dors inside onto the floor. As for the tissue, he chucked it randomly out the window.


    After he had finished all that, Zheng Tan returned to the eastern courtyard with ease, put on the security card and entered the building.


    To be honest, Zheng Tan wanted to know the tattooed man''s reaction as well. Unfortunately, recently, the Jiao family rested very early at night, all falling asleep at ten. Jiao Yuan and Youzi would go to bed at nine thirty. Zheng Tan couldn''t return toote either.


    Knowing that Zheng Tan went out every night, Mama Jiao didnt close the door, leaving it unlocked. When Zheng Tan returned, all he needed to do was to push the door open, He didn''t need to unlock the door himself, saving a lot of trouble.


    When he returned home, Zheng Tan took a bath using the warm water that Mama Jiao had prepared, crouching on the bench as Mama Jiao helped to blow dry his furs, then he went to the bed and slept.


    Around ten in the night, the gift store outside the campus prepared to close. The gift store owner, as per usual, surveyed the storeroom upstairs before closing the door to see if any valuable items were missing.


    When he went to his own storeroom on the second floor, his sharp eyes caught the sight of the hundred-dor note on the floor. He looked around and didnt hear that any of the workers said that they had lost money. After a second of thought, he lowered his body, quickly picking up the money, and stuffed it in his pocket, not bothering to ask the people moving the stocks and the workers if anyone had lost money. He scanned through the shelves in the storeroom quickly to see if there wererge items or valuable items missing, other little gadgets he didn''t pay special attention to.


    Seeing that nothing valuable was missing, the gift store owner hummed as he left. He was extremely cheerful today as he had gotten one hundred dors today for free.


    What this owner didnt know was that his own storeroom was already visited many times by a ck cat, and had swiped away a number of dolls in separate batches. He might even take something else in the future. That hundred-dor bill was only thepensation made by the cat.


    At four in the morning on the next day, the tattooed man came home with the smell of alcohol.


    He was not a sensitive person. He wouldnt find out some small details in the house and certainly couldn''t see what was different in the house that was out of the usual.


    Yawning, the tattooed man kicked off his shoes and lied on the bed, subconsciously taking the eight hundred dors under the pillow out to count. This was what he had saved up fromst time after collecting "protection money" from the students who set up stalls on the streets. He kept the eight hundred dors in there that looked fairly new under the sheets, counting them every day.


    Eight-eight as a sign of making a fortune. He was looking for luck, as it was one of his little hobbies.


    Just as predicted by Zheng Tan, the tattooed man liked to fall asleep counting money.


    Eight hundred dors, it was not as if it was eight thousand. He would finish counting in a second.


    A hundred missing?


    The tattooed man knitted his brows together.


    Licking his fingers, he counted again. Slowly, carefully, note-by-note, he counted again.


    Still seven hundred dors.


    That was not right!


    The tattooed man spat onto the ground in frustration.


    He didnt take any money from here when he went out tonight.


    Thief?


    Who dares toe here and steal stuff? Do they want to die? The tattooed man considered himself as the overlord of this generation. And to be honest, if there had been a thief, he wouldn''t only take one hundred dors.


    Something doesn''t add up, the tattooed man thought. Recalling from the beginning what he had done today before walking out the door, and yet he still didn''t have any memory of taking money.


    Scratching his head, the tattooed man turned his body to continue remembering. What resulted from him turning was seeing a toy cat doll covered in "blood".


    "Holy sh*t!"


    The tattooed man jumped up from the scare. It wasn''t that he was edgy, it was because of the restlessness at his workce. A few days ago at the club, he saw someone who was looking for trouble got his hands chopped off, and some other people shed with knives; it was quite serious. That bloodiness of that horrifying scene had triggered him. It was not a cat, it was a human, an actual human! So when he saw this kind of things with a redness like blood, he couldn''t stop the goosebumps. Recently, he stopped ordering sweet and sour pork at the club.


    After a few rapid breaths, the tattooed man looked around. His line of sight then fell onto the wooden closet.


    That red mark What was that drawing supposed to be?

 Chapter 46: A Cat Is Watching You

    Chapter 46: A Cat Is Watching You


    The tattooed man felt that he must have offended someone.


    Since that day when he came home, finding a toy cat covered in ketchup on the bed, the suspicious patterns on the wooden closet that resembled some sort of animal footprint, and the deep scratches on the closet, the tattooed man had begun to ponder about whom he had offended.


    There were too many suspicious subjects. After all, people like him that crush other people''s ces were bound to be in Dutch with someone. Especially with the recent conflicts between the few forces, all of them were possible suspects. Nevertheless, who would do such a thing was not something that could be made sure of in a jiffy. When all was said and done, those people''s means were much bloodier and certainly would not only use tomato sauce.


    People around here?


    The tattooed man shook his head. He had been living around here for many years. Most of the people around here were soft-tempered. Those who were temperamental had already been beaten by the men he had gathered. After being harassed, no one dared to challenge him again.


    But, that was notpletely impossible.


    So who was it really?


    The tattooed man couldn''tprehend. He stabbed that ketchup-covered toy cat into shreds with a knife and chucked it inside the trash pile. As for the marks on the wooden closet, after wiping it off, he covered the spots with scratches firmly with multipleyers of newspaper.


    Other than that, the tattooed man also changed the lock of his house. He thought that somebody had gotten his keys for sure, or had some ways to open the lock.


    The next day, the tattooed man returned home at the same time as previous. When he prepared to unlock the door, another hand clenched an iron bar. He was afraid that there would be someone inside the house. However, before he had the time to insert the key into the lock, he felt that he had stepped on something under his foot.


    There was no light outside the door. At this time of the day, other residents were already in their slumber. It was pitch dark around him. Only the light on the lock from the torch he held in his armpit was bright. He was only paying attention to the lock just then and didnt even notice that there would be something on the ground before the door.


    The tattooed man had a bad feeling.


    Tucking the keys inside his pocket, he pointed down with the torchlight.


    On the ground in front of the doorway, there was a furry toy cat doll, smaller than the one yesterday. The color of the fur was probably white, but there were some red stains on it, especially around the corner of the mouth.


    The tattooed man''s hands trembled, but after being in the gang business for so long, he was not somebody you would call timid.


    Hence, he opened the door and walked into the house.


    The house was in the state it was when he left the house. There were no scratches on the wooden closet and no suspicious marks on the nearby floor.


    The tattooed man felt much more at ease. It looked like changing the lock had worked.


    In fact, Zheng Tan did enter the house this time, but he saw that the lock on the door had changed so he didn''t put the stuff inside or do any tricks to the room. Otherwise, what would happen if the tattooed man in desperation sealed up the broken window?


    For this reason, Zheng Tan now processed the cat doll before bringing it over, cing it in front of the tattooed man''s house door.


    The tattooed man patrolled the house. His courage was once again plucked up. He walked over to the door and picked up the toy cat. He looked, sniffed and then extended his tongue to lick at it, tomato-vored.


    "Ufff!" The tattooed man twitched his lips. He felt for sure that someone was ying a prank on him.


    On the third day when the tattooed man returned home, he checked the doorway first with the shlight. There was indeed a toy cat doll just like yesterday, covered in much more redness.


    With yesterday''s experience, the tattooed man was less frightened and didnt open up the door. He walked over to pick up the toy cat on the floor, but this time, when he touched the toy cat, the tattooed man got goosebumps all over him.


    That''s not right!


    This sticky texture


    The tattooed man''s actions were stiff, bringing the toy cat doll in his hand closer as he sniffed.


    Smell of blood!


    The tattooed man immediately reacted like his hand was burnt, hurling the toy cat in his hand away.


    There was still an unwavering smell of blood between his nose so sharp that it made the tattooed man remember the cruel and gruesome scenes he saw at the club.


    After a few deep breaths, the tattooed man pointed the torch onto the lock on his house door again. His hand that was searching for the keys stopped.


    There was a long red sh across the door lock as well as w marks, like the movement tracks of a cat scratching downwards from the lock. But the traces left behind was red as blood.


    This time, Zheng Tan didn''t use ketchup. While he was wandering around at the biology department, he saw some students collecting some rabbit blood samples from the elementaryb. They were each stored inside a stic tube. The collected samples had heparin sodium solution added to it, preventing the blood from solidifying. Zheng Tan had often strolled around here, that was why he had heard these facts.


    Thereafter, Zheng Tan "obtained" three tubes when the students had left. They were taken on three separate trips. Zheng Tan could only take one tube at a time and had to be cautious not to be caught. There were security cameras in the corridor outside theb, so Zheng Tan had to go through the windows. A few tubes in a single trip would make Zheng Tan''s movement rather inconvenient.


    Using the blood inside the stic tube, he smeared it over the toy cat. Zheng Tan''s paws were stained with blood from this, so he might as well get some more blood and wipe it over the tattooed man''s lock. After he had finished, Zheng Tan went over the sink in the restaurant kitchen and used detergent to wash his paws. Since there weren''t many vegetables that the kitchen needed to wash at the time, there wasn''t anyone near the sink.


    The fourth day was the same situation, plus the climate had begun to warm up recently. Those cats that had cuddled at home and was not kidnapped pranced out again, howling in the middle of the night. There weren''t many cats; most of it didnt belong to the alleyway residents. They just ambled here for fun and probably didnt know that after the new year celebration, there was no cat around here anymore.


    Lately, the tattooed man had already be quite sensitive to the word "cat". When he saw cats running around whileing home at night, he would pick up things and throw at them to drive them out. Sleeping at home was not peaceful either. He began to continually have nightmares.


    When the tattooed man went out during the day, his eyes were bloodshot.


    The residents around the old building area had also realized that the tattooed man was acting strange recently. This person used to walk around arrogantly with his nostrils pointing towards the sky. But now, when he looked at people, he was baffled as if suspecting something, weird and iprehensible. If you opened your mouth and asked, the tattooed man would yell back at you with an unfriendlyplexion. Like at the next second, he would run up and punch you.


    Therefore, the people in the old building area alleyway would turn away whenever they saw the tattooed man, never encountering him face to face. There must be something wrong with that person''s mind. There was no assurance that he might do something.


    On the fifth day, Zheng Tan didn''t bring the toy cats, only a little bag wrapped in manyyers.


    This time, Zheng Tan didn''t hold the bag in his mouth but had worn a wide stic band around his neck. The little bag was attached to the band. Zheng Tan tried to test run with it. It didn''t fall off.


    Although it was ufortable to be constricted, Zheng Tan seriously didn''t want to touch that thing with his mouth. Zheng Tan was scared of that thing as well, so even with the bag wrapped around it, he still felt uneasy. It was better to not let it touch his mouth. Zheng Tan''s hands-on skills weren''t really strong. This was the only way he could think of to carry it around.


    Inside the bag were some small mushroom-like things, gotten by Zheng Tan from Lan''s greenhouse. nting this kind of things required the shed to be strictly controlled by factors such as temperature and humidity, so normally the door of the shed would be tightly shut. However, because Zheng Tan had gone there quite often, he knew that there was a day in the week when Lan would test the pH and change in the mineralposition of the soil sample in the shed. He would lock all the doors systematically after he had taken samples from all the sheds.


    And Zheng Tan had entered while Lan had gone to another shed to take samples.


    Zheng Tan found out about this stuff while he was ying over here and had unintentionally overheard Lan teaching his students. Only then did he know about the things nted inside some special shed.


    Zheng Tan had obtained this kind of mushroom-like things. The ce of origin was not in China but imported. Lan had gotten some from his friend. Due to the symbiotic nature of this nt, Lan had intentionally nted some other tree species inside the shed. The trees couldn''t berge in size due to the dimension of the shed. Afterward, Lan had realized that despite how he regted the temperature and growth environment, this exotic species had not grown well, always tiny, and unable to grow, though still toxic nevertheless.


    It contained neural hallucinogen toxin. Those who identally consume it would hallucinate and feel that the surrounding objects had been magnified. This was the "macroptic hallucination" that Lan had exined to his students. There weren''t many cases that caused death. A small amount of consumption wouldn''t be lethal.


    The effect would show within thirty minutes to two hours after consumption. The patient would disy signs like dizziness, nausea, hallucination and etc.


    At that time, Zheng Tan lied on top of the shed. He felt that this stuff was truly amazing while listening to Lan''s exnations. So when he decided to teach this tattooed man a lesson, Zheng Tan remembered the different species of toxic flora including Bedonna in the numerous greenhouses with warning signs that Lan had owned. These nts had many medical uses, but if used inappropriately, it could still kill.


    In the end, Zheng Tan finally picked this type. Lan called it something umbre. Who cares? As long as he knew its effects, everything would be fine.


    Seven in the night, Zheng Tan brought the bag over to the tattooed man''s house.


    The tattooed man would leave and head to his workce at around seven thirty to nine. But before that, he would take a shower, eat a bowl of instant noodles, drink a cup of tea, and then leave. Every day the same.


    Zheng Tan waited outside for a while when he arrived, then he heard the sound of the tattooed man taking out a bowl of rameon in the kitchen.


    The tattooed man poured the boiled water in from the electric kettle next to him. He took out the half-empty bag of braised pork he ate at the club yesterday, picked a few pieces of meat into the bowl and stirred.


    After he had poured the water into the noodles, the tattooed man went to the bathroom to take a shower.


    Zheng Tan entered from the broken window, carefully tipped some of the tiny "mushrooms" inside the little bag inside, he even grabbed the fork and stirred.


    The rameon was spicy vored. The red oil coated the braised pork and "mushrooms". After brewing for a while, it became difficult to detect the difference of the "mushroom".


    Zheng Tan ced the fork back into its original position, rolled up the bag that contained the "mushrooms" and secured it with the stic bands. Hearing the noises from the bathroom, Zheng Tan leaped out from the broken window, crouched on the outside fence and looked towards the direction of the tattooed man''s bathroom.


    In the dark of the night, you couldn''t see the view outside from inside the room, so when the tattooed man carried the bowl back to his bedroom to eat, he didn''t detect that there was a cat outside the window watching him.


    The tattooed man was absent-minded when he ate. He didnt know if he would return tomorrow in the early morning to find the same situation as the previous days. And therefore, he didn''t notice that there was something other than braised pork inside the noodles.


    Zheng Tan only left after watching the tattooed man finish eating, he came to the location that the tattooed man must pass throughthe peeing spot.


    Behind the blocking wall were the litters piled up by the residents. Hidden within these litters were a few bottles of beer which Zheng Tan had "gotten" from that little restaurant. Luckily, the restaurant wasn''t far from here. Otherwise, Zheng Tan wouldn''t try to break these ss-bottled beers.


    Zheng Tan relied on the two hands to hug the beer bottle, and "walked" over here step by step on his two hind legs. Fortunately, it was nighttime when he took action. No one saw him. Otherwise, he would be treated like a monster. Why on earth would there be a cat that hugged a liquor bottle and walked down the street like a human on two feet?


    No one would think that a cat had stolen the beer since ordinary cats didn''t have the strength to move an unopened bottle of beer.


    cing each hidden bottle of beer on top of the wall that blocked this street, Zheng Tan then squatted behind the wall and stood on those litter, exposing only his head as he nced towards the crossroad. The stic string and bag that was around his neck had already been thrown away. Now, he awaited the final round.


    After a while, Zheng Tan saw the familiar silhouette. The tattooed man looked as if he was drunk; his pace was unsteady.


    It looked like it had already taken effect.


    The tattooed man hobbled along here, mumbling something in his mouth. Zheng Tan couldn''t hear it clearly, and neither did he care. He just stared at the wobbly figure that headed his way.


    The tattooed man came to the familiar wall. There was even a familiar urine smell. The tattooed man thought of something and giggled, then he unzipped his pants and began to pee. He peed then suddenly leaned against the wall, making the sound of "wah" as he vomited.


    He hadn''t finished peeing yet. Things were really going out from both ends.


    Zheng Tan pulled his ears. This smell was really unpleasant.


    The consciousness of the tattooed man became hazy. The surrounding was dark and nothing was visible. He leaned against the wall and rested for a while, then prepared to leave with his pants pulled down, probably already forgotten.


    After a few steps, a "boom" suddenly sounded beside his feet. It was rather ear-piercing in the silence of the night. The boom frightened the tattooed man whose feet had given in and fell to the ground.


    At the same time, the broken shrapnel from the beer bottle flew around. Despite the fact that the tattooed man had worn thick clothing, his hands were exposed outside and were now gashed with a few bloody marks by the splinters. The pants were not pulled up. There were some fragments that punctured the base of his thigh, almost cutting his thing off.


    The reaction of the tattooed man was extremely dyed. He felt everything in his surroundings had be unfamiliar, as if he had entered some strange and depressing ce. Around him were tall iron fortresses.


    Where was the exit?!


    Where could he escape?!


    "Awoooo"


    The abrupt cries in such environment were extremely eerie. The tattooed man looked around with his face filled with horror. He felt that the surrounding "iron fortresses" hid a monster outside, now looking at him while he felt insignificant and not worth mentioning.


    There was another resident that rode home on his electric motorcycle at the intersection. The not-so-bright headlight had lit the corner for a moment, whichsted for a second or two.


    In that two second interval, the tattooed man surveyed his surroundings with his blurry eyesight, and had seen a pair of glimmering eyes on the "iron fortress". It gleamed in green light and was especially conspicuous in the ck background of the surrounding. The hallucination made him felt that the eyes which he saw were as big as the searchlight.


    "Awoooo--"


    Hearing this howl again, the tattooed man shivered. His forehead was covered in sweat and some blood that had bled through from the cuts.


    Bang!


    Another exploding sound. The beer bottle shattered beside the tattooed man''s foot.


    The tattooed man felt that there was something that burned on his hands, his face, and his feet. Painful, a scorching pain, but his limbs were irresponsive, unable to react.


    The tattooed man dropped onto the ground, hugged his head and curled up into a bundle; his body shivered.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    ...


    The sound of an explosion followed one after another, striking his eardrums and attacking his nerves.


    In the initially chaotic mind, some emotions suddenly became heightened.


    It must be that monster!


    Yes! Definitely that monster that had a pair of eyes like tworge searchlights.


    With each explosion, the tattooed man felt like it was the footsteps of the monster approaching. That was why he was injured. Like at the next moment, he would be torn to shreds and crushed to pulps.


    "Meow Meow Meow"


    Zheng Tan had finished throwing the beer bottles and looked at the person on the ground that huddled up and was trembling, but he had suddenly heard the cries of a cat. This voice


    The tattooed man on the floor heard the cat cries, and instantly remembered the toy cats that were ced in front of his door recently. Then he recalled the kittens that he had killed not long ago.


    Was it because of those cats, that made this giant monstere to him?


    Cats, blood, cries and some other things that were either relevant or irrelevant but made him afraid began to emerge one by one in his mind. There were some ces on his body that burned more and more intensely, so painful that it made him want to call out, but in reality, he only made groaning noises. That feeling was like a pair ofrge feet had stepped on his body, so oppressive that he needed some way to release.


    The human mind was a marvellous thing. The things you thought you had forgotten, came back again because of some idental moments, remembering this piece of forgotten memory. Or perhaps, under some environmental stimulus, these fading fragments began to piece together, slowly and clearly ying in the mind.


    But the things that you recalled this time, would not be easily forgotten like the first time. It required months, or years, or even worse, the remaining time of this life would all form a conditioned reflex. Once something appeared in the surrounding that resembled the environment and some familiar element, the brain would uncontrobly find these images from the depths of the memory that you had always tried to bury away. These things that you never want to recollect, fished out from the bottomless sea of memory. These graphics that you tried to avoid would rage like a storm until it left an even moresting impression again.


    Or maybe, when the toxins in the tattooed man''s body had metabolically ended, and the hallucinations had disappeared, he would still shiver with fear every time he heard the cries of a cat, the sound of broken bottles, and recall his feelings during this moment?


    Zheng Tan look a look at the person that was still curled up and having seizures, then he jumped off the wall and left.


    His body smelled like alcohol. Better blow on it before he goes home.


    As his mind wandered, Zheng Tan walked along the fences towards the outside of the alleyway. In a few steps, he saw a white cat crouching on the top of the intersection wall straight away.


    It was that big white cat.


    Zheng Tan didnt know why it hade here at this time. Was it a coincidence or some other reasons?


    "Meow"


    The big white cat called towards Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan paused, lifted his lower jaw, then leisurely swayed his tails and walked past.

 Chapter 47: No sense of shame!

    Chapter 47: No sense of shame!


    "Eh, have you heard, that guy from the old alley was screwed over!"


    "I heard that he was messed up pretty badly, when they found him he was already crazy."


    "Wasn''t it said that he was wasted when he got pranked? Probably hasn''t recovered from that yet!"


    "I even heard that when his friends asked him who did it, he kept on saying "cat" and "monster" and some other stuff. He was most likely scared to death."


    "Didnt he kill kittens recently? I said a few words on that matter and he even kicked me, it still hurts. If you asked me, I''d say that this is karma Hey boss, another Chinese donut over here!"


    ...


    Early in the morning, in some shops near the old building area that sold breakfast, people ate their breakfast while gossiping about the incident with the tattooed man.


    The tattooed man was found at midnight. His mates working at the club saw that he wasn''t there, so they had two people that didn''t have much work at hand to find him. It turned out that there was no one in his house, and they only found him in a dead-end alleyway.


    When they found him, he was frozen in a single posture: rolled up on the floor, his entire body trembling, mouth murmuring something that nobody could understand clearly. The tattooed man''s surroundings were covered in ss fragments, and there were many cuts made by exploding splinters on his body and clothing. His face, hands, and the exposed part of his calf had cuts all over them, and so did the new pants which had a strong odor of urine.


    Someone that had gotten off their night-shift at midnight passed by at the time. They pointed over there with their torchlight and took a look . Afterward, rumors began to spread.


    No one reported it to the police, and even if they had called the police, the police wouldnt have wanted to have a hand in it. All of these people had criminal records so the police couldn''t be bothered to pay any heed to their personal affairs. Besides, that man was only a little hooligan, there was no need to waste time and energy to investigate his case.


    Despite the tattooed man''s condition, and the discussions of the residents around the old building''s area alley, over at the eastern courtyard, Zheng Tan got out of bed rxed and at ease. He squatted on the chair that was exclusively for him and ate breakfast.


    When he returnedst time, even with washed paws and having been in the wind, the smell of alcohol on him hadn''t dispersed. He was caught by Papa Jiao as soon as he went home.


    Papa Jiao suspected that Zheng Tan had went to that restaurant to sneakily eat or drink alcohol, but he saw that Zheng Tan was quite sober, his pace was steady, he was in good spirits, and his fur was clean, so he didnt delve any further. However, he still instructed Zheng Tan not to go near ces like restaurants or diners, to be careful not to end up as a stewed dish.


    Zheng Tan scratched his ears. The matter was taken care of so there won''t any need for him to wander there for a long time at nights anymore.


    Having lifted the weight off his mind, Zheng Tan had some quality sleepst night. He ate arge bowl of three delicacy rice vermicelli made by Mama Jiao, then went out with the four members of the Jiao family.


    When they went downstairs, Papa Jiao rode to the biology building on his little electric motorcycle while Mama Jiao carried the shopping basket and walked the two kids to school with Zheng Tan. Afterwards, Zheng Tan went for his stroll and Mama Jiao went grocery shopping.


    The weather began to warm up, and the sun now feltfortable on the skin.


    Birds on the campus began to mor, and tree leaves began to sprout. It wouldn''t be long before "Road of Shitlestrial Beings" began to rain bird poop again. Anyhow, Zheng Tan stopped walking on those roads now. The environmental greening on campus being good was one thing, but with more birds came more crap. Walking through there, Zheng Tan could smell bird droppings from miles away.


    He walked through the green belts of the campus. They didnt permit trampling on grass, but obviously that was targeted at humans. It didnt apply to cats, so it didnt matter, and Zheng Tan often trampled on it anyways.


    There were some blooming flowers over there. Zheng Tan had seen them when it was snowing, but he hadn''t taken a closer look. He approached and took a nce. The leaves looked like Camille''s that Lan talked about, but he didnt know what specific specie it was, though it was quite pretty.


    Zheng Tan inched in and sniffedthey didn''t have much of a smell.


    While he was watching the flowers, Zheng Tan heard a girl''s voice not too far away, probably talking to her boyfriend on the phone.


    "You''ve been on the Mingzhu city assistant program for over three months. You said that you''ll be back in three months Dy? How much longer Alright, I hope I get to see you next month. By the way, what do you think about the specimen I sent you?"


    The girl spoke on the phone and the high heel on her foot kicked a little pebble on the road.


    "Excuse me?!" The girl''s voice suddenly elevated in volume. "That was the specimen I made myself from the leaves of the Japanese maple in front of the dorm! How could it be a rip off sold on the streets Of course you can''t differentiate! Do you know the difference between oriental poppies and opium poppies? Do you know the difference between cherry blossoms and peach blossoms? You dont know, you can''t even see the difference between a Siberian Husky and an skan mmute!"


    Zheng Tan listened in by the side. "" ''The pal at Mingzhu city, thank you for all the trouble you''ve taken!''


    Soon, the girl hung up, stamped with her heels, and trotted away.


    Zheng Tan recalled again the times when he was in the university chasing after girls, resorting to everything during that time to please those ice beauties and cold belles. He looked down and stared at his furry paws, then threw back his head and eximed - ''life is full of uncertainties!''


    Zheng Tan made a face of contemtion at the sky when a voice suddenly drifted over from behind him.


    "Charcoal, are you bird-watching?"


    Zheng Tan wiggled his ears upon the sound, then turned and looked over. The next moment, a pile of bird dropping rained down from above,nding right on Zheng Tan''s ear.


    ""


    ''F*ck, that''s why I said I hate this bunch of birds that sh*t everywhere! They have no sense of shame!''


    The culprit had already flown away, chirping before flying off to dere it''s presence.


    There were some temperature to the poo when itnded on the ear, but it quickly became cold, and the smell of it made Zheng Tan want to grab that b*tch of a bird and cut it to pieces!


    "Don''t shake your ears, it will fall on your body," Zhuo said, her words carrying a trace of a smile.


    Listening to Zhuo''s words, Zheng Tan immediately stopped moving and rigidly stood there.


    Zhuo took a pack of tissues from her bag and slowly lowered her body.


    Zheng Tan''s heart stopped a beat when he saw her actions. Was it okay to squat with that big of a tummy?


    Zhuo wiped off the bird poo from Zheng Tan''s ear, then gently poked his head before slowly rising up again. "This luck of yours!"


    Zheng Tan tugged at his ear. ''This luck sucks!''


    Zhuo walked over to the trash bin and threw away the tissue, then said to Zheng Tan, "Come, let''s go to my ce, I will wash your ears."


    Zheng Tan kept feeling like there was something wrong with that ear. He still had a subconscious feeling that there was a pile of bird poo in his ear; he could smell it. His heart would only rest assured after washing his ear clean, otherwise he''ll continue feeling repulsed by it.


    As they headed for the western yard, the smile on Zhuo''s face never ceased. She even told Zheng Tan, " I heard that most bird species don''t have a dder. Their rectums are extremely short, so they relieve their dder and bowels at the same time. Humans and felines can hold it in when they want to do that, excreting when they get to the bathroom. Birds can''t, they excrete wherever and whenever they want, even during flight. "


    So this bunch of dder-less birds were the real shameless kind that defecate indiscriminately!


    Zheng Tan silently cursed those despicable birds in his heart as he walked., "General", who hadn''t appeared for a while, was not spared in his scolding.


    Arriving for the second time at the western courtyard that Zhuo lived in, Zheng Tan saw cats walking about, and some that sunbathed on their balconies as they swayed their tail.


    The number of cats in the western yard had gradually increased. Zheng Tan had visited this courtyard when he first came to this time period, and there were not many cats back then while some were just kittens that still had their fetal hair. In the blink of an eye, the kittens had all grown up to maturity.


    Will there be a battle between the western and eastern courtyard cats in the near future? Sheriff would definitely be overjoyed.


    Gang fight, even the thought of such a scene sounded epic to Zheng Tan. He had never seen cats engage in gang brawls before.


    By the time Zheng Tan came out from his thoughts, they were already at Zhuo''s ce. The housemaid was watching television. Her face filled with loving care at the sight of Zhuo returning, but that smile soon shattered when she saw Zheng Tan beside Zhuo''s feet.


    Zheng Tan didn''t care about what the housemaid was thinking, all he wanted to do now was to quickly clean his ear. The smell of bird poo made him want to puke.


    Zhuo dabbed some warm water and chose a gentle shower gel to rub gently on Zheng Tan''s ear as she didn''t have anything that was intended for pets.


    Zheng Tan hopped onto a tall stool to make it convenient for Zhuo. This way she didn''t need to squat ufortably and could sit on a chair as she cleaned him.


    It was a fast process since only the ear had bird poo. After being wiped dry with a towel, Zheng Tan still had the perfume of shower gel on him.


    He felt his mood lighten and his tail began to unconsciously move from side to side.


    Just likest time, Zhuo lied down on the lounge and Zheng Tan huddled in the moon chair beside her. What was different was that Zhuo wasn''t reading a book this time, but flipping through a photo album.


    There was a nt specimen stuck in between the pages of the album.


    Zheng Tan extended his neck and took a look. It was a four-leaf clover that was extremely difficult to find. He had wanted to find one in the school when he had tried to please a girl he was chasing, but in the end he spent money and bought it off someone.


    Zhuo saw Zheng Tan staring and said, "This is a four-leaf clover, a mutated species from the three-leaf clover, apparently it symbolizes luck. This specimen was gifted to me by a junior in the physics school. There, that''s her."


    Zheng Tan looked towards the girl that Zhuo was pointing to in the group photo. Wasn''t that the intrepid girl he''d seen earlier today talking on the phone?


    "But now she''s not in the physics school anymore, she is doing her master''s degree as a transdisciplinary in Botany. She was always quite interested in nts," Zhuo said. "This four-leaf clover is from her, and ording to her, this is a four-leaved clover of a Trifolieae. It''smon for Trifolieae to experience four-leaf mutations, so there is a higher chance of finding one. She had initially intended to find a four-leaf clover of creeping wood sorrel, only the leaves of a three-leaf clover from the wood sorrel ss is heart shaped and unfortunately she never found it."


    Four-leaf clover was already a mutation by itself,paratively speaking, the chances of a wood sorrel undergoing mutation was even more unlikely. It was extremely difficult to find a heart-shaped four-leaf clover, only a handful of nts would grow a fourth leaf under the condition of gic mutation.


    There was a difference?


    Zheng Tan carefully examined it. He didn''t know how this specimen had been made, still able to retain it''s green colour. In the center of each leaf was a "V" shaped white halo. Was this the four-leaf Trifolieae that Zhuo was talking about?


    Zheng Tan tried to recall the clovers he had found when he was trying to impress the girls. The ones that he found were the kind with heart-shaped leaves, no white "V", but the ones that he bought had it, just like the specimen tucked in Zhuo''s album.


    Wood sorrel four-leaf clover?


    Pretty high difficulty rating.


    "Ah!" Zhuo gave a little exmation.


    Zheng Tan''s nerves immediately tightened and he looked over. Was she about to give birth?!


    Zhuo casually ced the album down andughed. "It moved."


    What moved? Zheng Tan was puzzled.


    Then, Zheng Tan followed Zhuo''s line of sight to her bulging stomach.


    Zhuo took her coat off when they came home and the woollen jumper exposed the protruding curve.


    Zheng Tan stilled as he looked at Zhuo''s big belly with confusion. Just as he was about to turn away, he realised that it had suddenly moved.


    "Charcoal, the little brother is saying hi to you," Zhuo said to Zheng Tan. "Hurry over here."


    To do what?


    Zheng Tan jumped hesitantly over to the lounge from the moon chair, intentionally leaving a distance between Zhuo''s belly and himself; it felt quite horrifying.


    However, Zhuo didn''t n to let Zheng Tan get away. Grasping one of his arms, she pulled him over. The next second Zheng Tan was about touch the big belly.


    He pulled his paws away. These paws of his had thrown beer bottles, drugged, and messed with someone just yesterday, so he felt that it wasn''t right to touch her.


    Zhuo was about to open her mouth and say something when she saw Zheng Tan pull away, but the stomach moved again.


    Zheng Tan saw it move.


    It''s really greeting me?


    Zheng Tan slowly moved over after thinking about it. He didn''t raise his paws, instead he pressed his forehead against the ce that had just moved. A momentter, something gently touched his forehead.


    Perhaps...


    This was what new life feels like?


    "This little guy will call you brother Charcoal, yes, brother coal," Zhuo said.


    Zheng Tan moved back to the moon chair, an image emerging in his mind of a little human child following behind the ass of a ck cat, calling "brother Coal" after him. He shivered. Zheng Tan didn''t want to consider such a thing happening.


    Sh*t, would it pull my tail then? If he does, I''ll whip him with no exception.


    Zheng Tan didn''t stay for lunch at Zhuo''s ce. The housemaid was looking at him as if she was looking at the god of gues, always maintaining a two meter distance from him.


    After he finished lunch back at the Jiaos, Zheng Tan rolled around on the couch. Unable to sleep, he ran out again and wobbled to Lan''s parterre. He remembered at once that he had seen the wood sorrels that Zhuo was talking about in Lan''s greenhouse.


    Wasn''t there always "treasure" in Lan''s parterre?


    Zheng Tan nned to try his luck.


    Other than the few sheds with special signs hanging on the door, the rest of the sheds were not locked up. Lan was busily working in one of the sheds when Zheng Tan entered the parterre.


    Hearing the rattle in the shed, Lan only threw a side nce at Zheng Tan before getting back to his work.


    Some of the doors to the sheds were open, so Zheng Tan took a look in each one of them before finally catching sight of wood sorrels in a shed near the end.


    This shed had nothing specific nted in it. Everything that was nted before got relocated and nothing was nted afterwards.


    When Zheng Tan visited this shed before, it still had the warning signs and the door was constantly locked. It was open today, so Lan was probably taking samples again. This was where Lan conducted mutagenesis experiments, but Zheng Tan had no idea what new species he had created since he couldn''t recognize any either way, though Lan and other old men treasured it.


    Zheng Tan walked in and stopped beside a wood sorrel bush, scanning over it. He found that the leaves were indeed heart-shaped.


    This type of nt was reallymon, somon that Zheng Tan didn''t bother to pay any attention to it when he was taking his daily stroll. Nevertheless, he now held a just-try-it mentality to see if there was any special mutated species in here.


    Three-leaf Three-leaf... Four-leaf!


    Seeing that there was a four-leaved one, Zheng Tan was thrilledhe''d heard that it represented luck!


    But he wasn''t happy for long for he realized that there were many four-leaved ones beside his one. Three-leaf clover had, on the other hand, be a rare urrence here.


    What the f*ck is happening?!


    Didn''t they say that four-leaf mutations are rare?


    Back then I had sore backs just trying to find a single four-leaf clover to get the girls, and now there is a bush with over seventy percent of the four-leaved ones right in front of me!

 Chapter 48: Senior, your kidney

    Chapter 48: Senior, your kidney


    There were many nts with four leaves, but one from the mutation of a three-leaf wood sorrel was not that easily found. Most clovers found in the market were not four-leaf wood sorrels.


    Just like Zhuo said, the chance of encountering these type of four-leaf wood sorrel was indeed very low, otherwise they wouldn''t have to sell other nts to substitute for it.


    But..


    Looking at the bush in front of him that wasprised mostly of four-leaf wood sorrels, Zheng Tan had an uneasy feeling.


    Zheng Tan felt that if the students outside knew about this, they would definitely pluck the entire bush away. That exined why the door remained tightly shut even though there weren''t many things nted in the shed, other than the reason of the shed itself, Lan must have known about these wood sorrel.


    Zheng Tan lifted his paws and went through the bunch while silently criticising, an unique individual nt suddenly caught his eyes.


    It was slightly smaller than the surrounding leaves, but the reason that Zheng Tan noticed it was it''s unusual leaves.


    OneTwoThree.. FourFive Six Seven Eight Nine !!


    Zheng Tan counted again, it really did have nine leaves. Could it be three nts that had grown together?


    He examined the nt again. While other branches had ordinary stems, this specific one with nine-leaves had a stem that was wider in diameter. However, even though the stem was wide, the nine leaves were very small. The biggest leaf was only two-third in size aspared to the other branches, and the smaller leaves were so small that you could barely see them growing on it.


    But even if it had small leaves, it was still nine leaves grown together!


    Nine leaves!


    How could this have happened? Was it the by-product from the induced mutation on other nts?


    Zheng Tan cannot make heads or tails of it.


    Never mind, Zheng Tan couldn''t be bothered to figure it out, so he might as well leave it unsolved.


    He took a look at the leaves on the other branches in this nt, but they were all three-leaved, with only this branch having nine.


    Zheng Tan was prepared to pull the entire root up, taking the whole nt with the leaves on other branches with him. But he couldn''t control his strength and snapped it, making Zheng Tan grouchy. Cat paws were certainly not as effective as human fingers.


    Paying no attention to the other branches, Zheng Tan picked the branch with nine leaves up in his mouth and walked outside.


    "Hey, Charcoal, what do you have in your mouth?" Lan finished his work in the shed, when he walked out he saw Zheng Tan who had picked up something in his mouth and asked.


    Zheng Tan threw a side nce at Lan, then at the shed.


    "Oh, you found it! I kept that specially for" Lan showed off his work as a habit, but when he focused on the nt in Zheng Tan''s mouth, his voice was suddenly cut off.


    Zheng Tan paid no heed to him and headed straight for the crates, jumping onto the roof of the shed and disappearing in a blink of an eye.


    Lan stood still and recalled the scene that he had just witnessed. The branch that Charcoal had..seemed to have more than four leaves! At least six leaves or even seven!


    Anyhow, Lan only hesitated for a second. He wasn''t concerned about those wood sorrels, they were only a pastime. What he valued the most in the entire greenhouse were his orchids, so he quickly cast the matter aside.


    Exiting Lan''s little parterre, Zheng Tan headed straight for the western staff courtyard.


    Every time Zheng Tan came out it was always during ss time and working hours, so there were not as many people around as usual. There were some that remained on campus, but few that belonged to the courtyards.


    When he went inside the western courtyard, a cat rushed over with threatening snarls. Zheng Tan didn''t bother with it, running towards the small building that Zhuo lived in without dy.


    There was a security system downstairs that needed an ess card, so Zheng Tan waited, nning to run in through the opening when somebody came out.


    Coincidentally, the person that came out was Zhuo''s housemaid who came downstairs to take out the garbage. The housemaid was frightened out of her wits when Zheng Tan past her feet that she almost flung the trash bag in her hands up into the air. She loathed ck cats! And just now a ck cat had ran past her. Although it didn''t touch her, her skin still prickled with apprehension.


    After a long consideration, the housemaid decided to take a stroll downstairs before going back up again, she clearly didn''t want to face that ck cat upstairs. She had always felt some supernatural evil with ck cats, she would have smacked the pan across at that cat if it weren''t for Zhuo and Professor Ye.


    Throwing the garbage at hand into the bin, the middle-aged housemaid shook her head. She had no clue what goes on in Zhuo and Professor Ye''s head, were they not afraid that the child would be born with some sort of issues?


    Despite not being here for long, the housemaid would chat with the family members of staff living in the yard when she was bored, and she heard things.


    She heard that the child in Zhuo''s womb had no guarantee of being healthy. Even though they hadn''t found any conditions of deformity, who knows, many people said that even if it was not deformed, the child that she gave birth to may still have an IQ much different than normal children. There were cases like this before where the child''s IQ couldn''tpete with those in kindergarten, even in it''s teenage years.


    Wind doesn''te from a hollow cave without reason. There was basis to those people''s spections - after all, deducing by the time frame, Zhuo was working on a program with "Buddha" when she was idently impregnated. That program involved contact with some radioactive elements , but even with safety precautions


    Even the doctors from the associating hospital weren''t optimistic about it.


    To avoid getting in trouble if he was confronted by someone while taking the lift, Zheng Tan chose to climb the stairs. It was only six stories, an effortless height for Zheng Tan who had to climb five flights of stairs daily.


    Arriving at room 606, Zheng Tan hopped up and pressed the doorbell.


    The housemaid probably hadn''t returned from downstairs and it would be inconvenient for Zhuo to move around the house alone, so after pressing twice, Zheng Tan waited in front of the door.


    After a while, the door opened.


    Initially Zhuo thought it was the housemaid who had forgotten her keys, but when she opened the door and didn''t see anyone, her line of sight lowered to Zheng Tan who squatted before her.


    Zheng Tan rushed inside before Zhuo could take a proper look at what he had in his mouth, jumping into the moon chair in Zhuo''s room and puffing as he tried to catch his breath.


    Zhuo poured some water from the water cooler into the small cup that Zheng Tan drank from when he visited before. She tried the temperature before cing it on the desk.


    Zheng Tan leaped onto the desk and drank some water, he wasn''t really thirsty so he stoppedpping after a few drinks. Zheng Tan wasn''t used to this way of drinking, but gradually he became ustomed to this animalistic method ofpping water.


    Zhuo was genuinely d to see Zheng Tan. She didn''t think that the ck cat would return again in the afternoon after his trip here in the morning. Zhuo understood what the meaningful nces from the people nearby meant, so most of the times Zhuo wasn''t willing to face those people out there. Even when she asionally went for a stroll she would chose a time when there weren''t many people.


    There were always some people who looked caring on the surface, but everything they said was like knives that aim to stab your heart. However, every time she was with this cat , Zhuo felt extremely at ease.


    Hence, Zhuo made up her mind that if she coulde back afterwards, she would also keep a cat at home.


    Zheng Tan finished drinking water and noticed that Zhuo was still looking at him, paying no notice to the grass on the moon chair, so he tilted his chin and nodded towards the chair.


    Seeing this, Zhuo gazed in the direction of the moon chair.


    "Huh?"


    Zhuo picked the strand of grass up from the chair, when she finally got a in view her face was filled with disbelief. She looked at Zheng Tan, then at the grass in her palm again.


    Nine leaves, like the petals of a flower,yered together. The smallest leaves in the center were only so big, but there were actually nine leaves.


    Zhuo heard from the transferred junior that gave her the four-leaf clover, every additional leaf of the clover represents good fortune. The fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth leaf all had their meanings.


    What does the ninth leaf represent?


    It represents the luck of survival after many hazards and nirvana of the phoenix.


    Survival, rebirth...


    Even though it was only legend, something made for self-assurance , when people are at the lowest point of their lives and almost in despair, there will always be things that keep them together, be it hope, someone, something, or some obsession.


    After finding out she was pregnant, Zhuo had not stopped worrying for many days, although she didn''t disy it on the surface. She hoped that her child would be healthy - no need to be too smart, just healthy - but the word "healthy" to people like Zhuo was a wild dream.


    The peeping eyes of those around her, the words that were said behind her back, they weighed so heavily on Zhuo that it made her breathless.


    The nine-leaf clover in her palm at that moment suddenly gave Zhuo an impulse to cry aloud.


    The small nine-leaf clover in her hands, something that people always believed was a legend, shone like a shining star in the hopeless darkness for Zhuo, guiding to the direction where hope lies.


    Standing on the desk, Zheng Tan couldn''t see the facial expressions of Zhuo who sat on the lounge looking at the nt in her hands. As the droplet of water began to fall, Zheng Tan was at a loss of what to do.


    Crying? No way?


    It''s just a strand of useless grass, it''s not a big deal?!


    Women in maternity were so emotional and moody!


    Shaking his whiskers, Zheng Tan had no clue how to react to the situation at hand.


    Not long afterwards, Zhuo snuff her nose and said: " A four-leaf wood sorrel was already hard to find, many people spent a long time trying to find one but had no luck. I didn''t think that you could find this"


    Zheng Tan had an urge to tell her that those four-leaf clovers were not actually hard to find, seriously, there''s a whole bush of it in Lan''s shed!


    "My child, even if mama can''te back in the future and be with you, brother Coal will always be there for you" Zhuo mumbled under her breath.


    Zheng Tan scratched his ears as his mind began to rey the scene when a rascal from Tiger''s household dragged Tiger''s tail and stuffed it into his own mouth.


    Then, Zheng Tan was in pure horror once again.


    Sh*t, I don''t want to take care of children!!!! Even if you call me brother Coal or dad, it still won''t cut it !!


    ''I am only a cat right now, they would pull at my tail, pinch my ears, or even scream at their top of their lungs and cry at me for no reason!''


    Zheng Tan became bewildered at Zhuo''s reactions, Zhuo said that she would forever grateful for what Zheng Tan did, but judging by the condition that Zhuo was in, Zheng Tan was afraid that she would be in mishap. With that big of a belly and being so sentimental, was she really alright?


    Fortunately, the housemaid came back just in time for Zheng Tan to sneak out.


    Some timeter, Zheng Tan met Zhuo again, being apanied by the housemaid for a stroll and bask under the sunshine. Zhuo showed Zheng Tan the pendant she had on her neck.


    The pendant was slightly bigger than a longan, and inside it was the nine-leaf clover that Zheng Tan found. The nt was covered by some unknown material which didn''t appear to be stic or ss.


    The material was transparent, and had a lively green colour because of the nt inside the pendant.


    Then housemaid sat on a bench ten meters away from them, quite a distance from Zheng Tan and Zhuo. She couldn''t see the object around Zhuo''s neck and neither was she interested in it. Her concentration was all on Zheng Tan now, afraid that Zheng Tan woulde towards her. If it was not for Zhuo, the maid would have kept a great distance away at that second when she saw Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan felt something different about Zhuo today. Compared to her old self, she had more vivid vitality, in contrast to the woeful self that remained gloomy even when she smiled.


    He yawned and shook his fur as he watched Zhuo and the maid walk away. Zheng Tan continued to walk forward too, he nned to go to Papa Jiao''s office for a nap. Recently, a few co-workers of Mama Jiao frequented the house, Zheng Tan didn''t want to stay home and face those unfamiliar faces.


    When he arrived at biology building, Zheng Tan didn''t immediately head for Papa Jiao''s office. He saw a group of people on the first floor publicb dissectingb rats. Yi Xin wasn''t in the crowd, but Zheng Tan saw someone he knew.


    Wasn''t that the beef jerky!


    Zheng Tan can''t remember Su Qu''s name, all he could recall was his Mongolian beef jerky.


    Su Qu''s figure stood out in the crowd, he worn a woollen jumper inside and a whiteb coat outside. He had bloated up after the winter break and looked like a pr bear.


    This sparked Zheng Tan''s interest, so he crouched on the camphor tree outside the publicb window on the first floor and watched. Theb windows weren''t all closed so Zheng Tan could hear clearly the conversations that was carried on inside.


    During early March, the marks of the first round postgraduate entrance examination were published. As for the second-round admission cut off, Chuhua University belonged to those schools with autonomous admission lines, their cut-off was announced before the national admission line. Therefore when it was mid-March, each of the faculties had all released their admission lines.


    Zheng Tan overheard from Papa Jiao while he was at home that this bulky boy didn''t pass the faculty admission line by much, but he still passed.


    In ordinary circumstances, there were still two weeks time before the second-round examination, it was a 1:1.2 ratio cement difference exam, a bunch of people that had passed the line would be eliminated. However, when the first round examination marks got released, those who had quite high marks had already began to contact the teachers in department. As for those withparably lower marks, they started to pull some strings, hoping to find an ideal teacher and settle the matter.


    After all, what decides if you could stay were those teachers with postgraduate cement opportunities. If his hand struck the hammer and decided it was you, then you could pass no matter how high or low your marks were. Many people''s cements were already made final before the second-round, so when the time came, the exam was just a mere formality.


    This was a semi-open internal rule, most colleges were like that. Zheng Tan only knew from the discussion between Papa Jiao and Mama Jiao.


    As for this beef jerky boy, Papa Jiao seems to have already came to an agreement, otherwise he wouldn''t have let hime over and get familiar around thebs.


    At the moment, that hunk was talking cheerfully with other but the movements of his hands were unequivocal, an extremely incisive knife skill. After the dissection, the tweezer would urately find the body part required for the sample in one go.


    Su Qu''s first-round marks were not high, under usual circumstances, these kind of people would often be very close to being cut-off in the re-examination and had a high chance of being eliminated. However, under instructions of assistant professor Jiao, Su Qu can now stand inside theb and study. This meant that his cement was already cut and dried, he would officially be a member of the department in September. Other higher grade postgrad students in the department also understood it''s meaning, so they were very weing to this new junior-to-be.


    Over the course of two days, the hunk junior had frequently helped to carry things for the female senior students in the department and take samples for the male senior students, so naturally he became quite popr.


    As for grades.


    Haha.


    Who cares if you get first in the second round?


    Those who had been through it all knew that after you had finally entered, only the published articles and the impact factor of these articles matter, everything else was bullsh*t.


    There were so many sses in the first year of the master course, as long as you use the time to perform experiments in theb you could ditch ss for all you want. Your tutor would be overjoyed, some easy-going tutors would even cover for you, and ept your application to leave.


    When Yi Xi entered the course his grades were not even ranked in the top ten, but look where he''s at now? These days when somebody mentions the famous person of this year group, who would dare to ignore such a presence?


    Yi Xin''s name was still up on the yearly roll of honour in the department, as for those who were ranked the top ten in the exam results, who could remember them now?


    When others asked Su Qu who he was they got the response of Yi Xin''s junior, the person working for assistant professor Jiao. Their attitudes improved drastically, or at least that was what it appeared to be on the surface.


    "Senior, your kidney is ready." Su Qu called.


    The person that Su Qu was calling senior was not Yi Xin, everyone else in the grade above was his senior. What was different was that Yi Xin was Su Qu''s immediate senior, as they belonged to the same advisor. Whereas during normal times, the same way of addressing does not distinguish direct or coteral rtionships.


    The senior that was waiting for the sample was chatting with someone, the person beside him heard andughed: "Hey, your kidney is ready!"


    Others that were collecting samples began to jeer with Su Qu: "Senior, your kidney!"


    That senior pointed his tweezer towards the biggest figure in the group, Su Qu, and said: "If you continue this uproar I will make a cut on your body and have yours as well!"


    Su Qu had clearly gotten used to hanging out with them, and said bashfully : "Come.. Come, senior,e and get me, you can have me!"


    At the same moment, Yi Xin was prepared to walk through the doorway with some research in his hands, along with him was a few undergrad junior girls. They heard the cheesyment that Su Qu made before they even walked in theb door, the juniors'' expressions were rather... intricate.


    Yi Xin wanted to face-palm. ''Boss Jiao, is it still toote to return the item?''


    Zheng Tan couldn''t stop himself fromughing on the tree outside, this Su Qu was indeed a buffoon.


    While he was enjoying himself, Zheng Tan abruptly sensed unfriendly eyes on him. He turned and saw a person in beige-coloured coat standing not too far away and staring at him.

 Chapter 49: Careful about that cat

    Chapter 49: Careful about that cat


    Zheng Tan had some memories of this person.


    He had seen him around while hanging out here. Zheng Tan heard people address him as "Professor Ren".


    This professor Ren was one of the young overseas returnees that the department had hiredst year, he was quite popr amongst the students, especially with the girls. Professor Ren was only a little over thirty, but his files were filled with glorious achievements and the golden title of being a returnee, otherwise the department wouldn''t have been so eager to hire him in the first ce.


    Speaking of which, this professor Ren''s research field was in the same direction as Papa Jiao. On some terms, their rtionship was ratherpetitive. However, professor Ren was already a professor while Papa Jiao still carried the word "assistant", this difference was rtively significant.


    Professor Ren was one of the topics for conversation amongst the students with his London ent when he speaks English, his pretty handsome appearance, and his pretentious manner.


    Zheng Tan, on the other hand, thought that this person was exceedingly phony. Just a single look at him made him feel ufortable.


    After several encounters, Zheng Tan knew that this person treated students, teachers and higher officials with kindness and politeness. He appeared to be very gentleman-like, with many female students secretly praising professor Ren as being very chivalrous. Nevertheless, Zheng Tan felt that this person had some inexplicable hostility in his eyes when he looked at him. He initially thought that this person didn''t like cats and treated all cats like this, but this theory waster brushed aside by Zheng Tan. Even if this person didn''t like cats, he didn''t treat them with such malice.


    This person shed his normal disguise when he was with cats, there was a coldness in the smile of his eyes. This made Zheng Tan feel extremely uneasy, constantly sensing that he had some evil calctions going on in his mind.


    "Hi professor Ren!"


    A few students walked past and greeted him.


    Professor Ren responded with a smile.


    Zheng Tan twitched his mouth in despise as he watched from the top of the tree. Just as he thought, this person had different emotions when he dealt with other people.


    So f*cking fake!


    Zheng Tan tried hard to recollect, making sure that he had no connections with this person before. Professor Ren had a house outside the campus so he didn''t live in the courtyards. Zheng Tan usually onlye to the biology building to observe from the outside or to climb into Papa Jiao''s office for a nap, he had no other businesses here.


    There were many teachers in the department that knew professor Jiao had a ck cat, they often saw him riding home with his cat on the electric motorcycle. Besides, Zheng Tan didn''t cause any trouble when he was here, he was extremely well-behaved. Some students would asionally even call him "Charcoal", and definitely wouldn''t throw stones at him to scare him away. Only that professor Ren looked like he wanted to ughter him.


    ''This is so ridiculous, it''s not like I have taken your woman, do you really need to look at me like that?''


    Deep in his thoughts, Zheng Tan suddenly heard someone calling his name, he turned and looked over.


    "Charcoal, I didn''t think that you would be here!"


    The oing person was Zhao Le, the daughter of Mr. Zhao Chang who was the CEO of Changwei Corporation. During the period of New Year''s celebration, although Mr. Zhao and Zhao Le didn''t visit in person, they sent people over to greet and gift them. After all, Mr. Zhao was way too upied, and Zhao Le as a heiress of Changwei Corporation must have some necessary social events she needed to attend, they were both busy people.


    The Jiaos were more than sufficient in their stock of snacks and fruits, Mama Jiao no longer needed to buy her own cosmetics. Every now and then, Zhao Le would send people over with gifts. Today was no exclusion, since Zhao Le had free time and didn''t have any ss in the afternoon, she bought some things and headed to Jiao''s family home. Turns out, there were only Mama Jiao and her co-workers at home. She didn''t see Zheng Tan and it had became awkward for her to stay there, so she nned to pay a visit to Papa Jiao and ask how things were going for Zheng Tan as well as Papa Jiao and Yuan Zi''spany.


    Papa Jiao and Mama Jiao didn''t reveal Zhao Le''s identity to the public, they only said that she was a child of a friend. However, Mama Jiao''s co-workers were still suspicious when they saw Zhao Le with so many snacks and imported cosmetics for Mama Jiao, but since the hostess didn''t want to tell they were in no position to ask.


    Zhao Le didn''t think thought that she would meet Zhang Tan outside the biology buildings, but every time she saw Zheng Tan her mood lightened. She saw the person that stood not far from her, knowing that he was a teacher from assistant professor Jiao''s department. She casually him greeted despite not being on familiar terms with him.


    Professor Ren''s smile was quite kind and amiable, "You''re not from our department, right?"


    "Yeah, I am here to find someone."


    "Who''re you looking for? Do you need help?"


    "No, it''s all right, thank you." Zhao Le maintained the perfect smile, her expression was strange.


    The smile on her face faded away as professor Ren entered the building and disappeared. She frowned and looked at Zheng Tan who was squatting up on the tree: "What did you do to piss him off?"


    How the f*ck do I know! Zheng Tan tugged his ears, jumped off the tree and took a stretch.


    "Let''s go and find Mr. Jiao together." Zhao Le took a tote bag out from her bag, the bag had the logo of some brand of snacks. Zhao Le had always kept this tote folded inside the bag for unexpected needs, she didn''t think that it would now be in use.


    Zheng Tan took a look at the bag that Zhao Le had opened, he shook his whiskers then stepped inside.


    Zhao Le felt her hands suddenly sank down, almost dropping the bag.


    "Have you gained some weight?" Zhao Leughed.


    Zheng Tan looked at himself, it couldn''t be? Although he had cked off on exercising , but he''s definitely not someone you would call fat, it''s robust! Two days ago when he went over to Mr. Guo''s ce to shoot the advertisement, Mr. Guo even praised him. He said that all the other cats had a thickyer of fat, only Zheng Tan could be considered as fit. Mr. Guo also made the cats at his shop exercise more, it''s already summer, they must lose some weight.


    In spite of what Zheng Tan thought, Zhao Le continued carrying the bag inside the biology building and headed towards Papa Jiao''s office.


    Papa Jiao was research academic literature and references on theputer in front of him, when he heard the door knock he answered: "Pleasee in."


    Seeing that Zhao Le had entered, Papa Jiao quickly rose up from his seat and greeted her. He pulled a clean chair out for Zhao Le, the other chairs had stuff ced on it before and hasn''t been wiped up. Miss Zhao was not like Su Qu, Yi Xin and other blokes, Papa Jiao habitually felt that he needed to be more respectful.


    After inviting Zhao Le to seat, Papa Jiao immediately saw Zheng Taning out from the bag . He didn''t quite mind since his own family cat was a regr guest anyways, there was no need toment.


    Zhao Le and assistant professor Jiao discussed somethings, including the recent development of theirpany. Changwei Corporation and professor Jiao''spany didn''t have many connections and was not considered aspetitors, so Zhao Le was quite willing to lend a hand.


    While they chatted, Zheng Tan lied on a little stool and closed his eyes, his ears raised to eavesdrop on their conversation.


    Papa Jiao and Yuanzi''spany had already got a foothold now and the prospect of development looked assuring. The graduation season wasing, with many of the graduates from this year already beginning to delve into job seeking. Recently Yuanzi and others had been poaching around every school of higher education, looking for talented people that they werecking.


    "Oh Mr. Jiao, how much do you know about that professor Ren Chong ?" Zhao Le asked abruptly.


    When Zhao Le entered the building, she saw the resumes of each teacher on the first floor of the biology building and knew that he was the returnee professor that the department had hired.


    To express their valued recognition of these newly-hired young returnee professors, the faculty had made a noticeboard specially to introduce them which was now hanging in the foyer of the first floor.


    "Professor Ren?" Papa Jiao was surprised that Zhao Le would bring up this person, "I don''t know much about him..."


    After Papa Jiao stated some of the details that he knew about professor Ren, Zhao Le and Zheng Tan became puzzled. It didn''t sound like there was any beef between them.


    "Why did you ask, Miss Zhao, are you interested in professor Ren? He is quite popr amongst the girls in the department." Papa Jiao jested.


    Zhao Le didn''t break a smile. She was, after all, the daughter of Mr. Zhao from Changwei Corporation, her instincts were rather sharp on some things.


    Shaking her head, Zhao Le answered: "I just saw professor Ren downstairs, Charcoal was up on the tree and professor Ren''s attitude to Zheng Tan.seemed not so positive."


    Papa Jiao looked at Zheng Tan in the eye when he heard this, "Did you provoke him?"


    Zheng Tan casted a nce sideways at Papa Jiao, I really have no idea how I got on his nerves!


    Papa Jiao couldn''t wrap his head around it, but thanked Zhao Le for her warnings anyhow.


    Papa Jiao waited after Zhao Le had left then he poked Zheng Tan, "Next time you see professor Ren, get away from him. That person is not as friendly as he appears to be. If you don''t exercise caution, you might get dragged onto ab bench and dissected by him. "


    Zheng Tan felt a chill running through his back, after listening to Papa Jiao''s words he recalled again the eyes of professor Ren, perhaps that Ren guy really had that intention.


    For this petty little life, Zheng Tan decided to stick to Papa Jiao''s instructions, avoiding that pretentious Ren guy by all costs.


    Six in the afternoon, Papa Jiao finished processing the matters at hand and took Zheng Tan home. As per usual, Zheng Tan crouched in the basket of Papa Jiao''s little electric motorcycle.


    There were many teachers heading home at this time of the day, so there was a lot of traffic at the intersection. Arriving at the crossroad, Papa Jiao stopped and waited for the cars in front of him to turn.


    While he was waiting, a titanium gray car stopped aside Papa Jiao''s motorcycle, it appeared to be waiting for the cars at the intersection to turn as well.


    The window of the gray car lowered, revealing the person on the driver''s seat.


    "Professor Ren." Papa Jiao couldn''t pretend to not have seen him, so he nodded to him politely.


    Professor Ren on the driver''s seat smiled and nodded his head too, his line of sight brushed over Zheng Tan who was inside the basket.


    The cars at the intersection had all drove away and the titanium car beside them close the window and slowly drove into the distance.


    Papa Jiao rode his motorcycle with confusion at heart, he had noticed it. It appears that Zhao Le was right, there was something...odd about professor Ren.


    Assistant professor Jiao knew that professor Ren was hostile to himself. There was a title in the department to reward and support young teachers, after tossing back and forth, they finally narrowed it down to professor Ren and Papa Jiao. Judging by qualification, it''s obvious that professor Ren had a much greater advantage, since he was after all an "actual" professor. However, in the end after vigorous discussions between the officials in the faculty, it was eventually finalized with Papa Jiao getting it.


    For this reason, every time Papa Jiao saw professor Ren in the faculty, he always felt that there''s a fakeness and malevolence to this person''s smile. In that sh of a second with that nce, Papa Jiao felt that Ren Chong''s hostility had strengthened and intermingled with something else. Papa Jiao couldn''t understand why, but anyhow it''s better not to let their family cat visit the department anymore. Who knows if that Ren Chong was a psychopath?


    On the other end of the town, Ren Chong had arrived at the mansion he bought. After going inside, he picked up the telephone and rang a number. A short timeter the receiver end picked up.


    "How is your investigation going?" Ren Chong asked.


    The person on the other end of the phone responded to Ren Chong with a briefing of five minutes. During that five minutes, Ren Chong didn''t make a single sound but his facial expression slowly grew gloomy. If the students from the biology department saw professor Ren now, their jaws would drop in shock. Who would have thought that the beaming and gentleman-like professor Ren would have such a dark and harsh expression.


    Despite hisplexion growing pale, his tone remained the same, waiting for the other side to finish before answering, "I understand, continue with your investigation."


    He hung up and sank into the sofa, contemting about the things that had happened after returning to this country.


    It was smooth and sessful overall, until he met Jiao Ming Shen.


    What good can Jiao Ming Shen do, he was just a native-bred minor assistant professor. He hadn''t even tested the depth of the water outside this country, how dare he think of himself as invincible with the support of some ignorant students ?


    Huff!


    If determining by values of qualification, how could a primitive like Jiao Ming Shen be better than him?! Those old fools in the department and those school officials who finalized it must be blind!


    From the second that he lost the chance of getting that title, Ren Chong knew that his obstacle has appeared.


    Before he had returned to the country, Ren Chong had encountered some people at a party. One of them studied some practices of prophecy and divination, although Ren Chong never believed in those stuff so he wasn''t paying attention to the words that this person said.


    Since he had arrived at Chuhua University and lost his opportunity of getting that title, he had coincidentally seen assistant professor Jiao riding home with his ck cat. From that moment, Ren Chong remembered what that person had said on the party, "If you decide to develop back in your home country, be careful about cats. They might be the biggest obstacles that stand in front of you."


    If you had told him that his biggest obstacle was a human, Ren Chong might slightly believe it, but it you say it was a cat, no way on earth would Ren Chong believe such a thing. Not only Ren Chong, those around him at the time was also disbelieved. Even the person himself was doubtful about the results he got and had apologized that it was a inability of his behalf, he hadn''t learnt it for long. Nobody took it seriously and treated it as joke.


    However, now Ren Chong was forced to treat this matter seriously.


    Ren Chong couldn''t believe the information that he had just heard.


    Guess that''s why some many people said ck cats were mysterious.


    The head of the physics department, the wife of the dean, Ye He, who everyone intimately referred to as "Buddha"; the old professor Lan Su Tie who despite being retired still had great influences; the famous CEO of Changwei Corporation and his daughter Zhao Le...Those people all secretly and publicly lent a hand to Jiao Ming Shen, even if they didn''t on the surface who knows what goes on in the backstage. Sometimes a single sentence from some people was equivalent to years or even decades of someone else''s diligent work.


    The important figure that yed the role of bridge and ties in these rtionships was, surprisingly, just a cat, an ordinary looking cat.


    Although he hadn''t discovered how the cat and these people became associated, the fact was as it is, undeniable. And this was only what he had investigated up to this moment, as to those that were not yet uncovered, how many more people had connections with this cat? How many more people will support Jiao Ming Shen?


    Ren Chong never thought that he would lose to a simpleton like Jiao Ming Shen. He heard that the department had already organized the agendas for Jiao Ming Shen to go abroad, after he leaves he would return without the word "assistant" in his title in at most a year.


    Ren Chong , with all his heart, didn''t want Jiao Ming Shen to be so sessful!


    Now that cat was like a fish bone lodged across Ren Chong''s throat, Ren Chong desperately wants to remove it.


    Somethings should be gotten rid of as soon as possible, the sooner the better.


    Initially Ren Chong was prepared to take care of things with his own hands, but he had underestimated the influence of this cat. Who would have thought that a single cat could involve the interests of so many people.


    Therefore, to be safe Ren Chong decided not to have a hand in this but to hire someone to do the work for him. Dealing with cats, there will always be professionals.


    After some consideration, Ren Chong picked up the phone and dialed a number.

 Chapter 50: Cat trap, the courtyard has livened up again

    Chapter 50: Cat trap, the courtyard has livened up again


    Zheng Tan felt that he had been stalked for the past two days.


    He wasn''t sure by who, but that feeling was strong.


    Zheng Tan followed Papa Jiao''s instructions and tried to avoid that Ren guy. Lately he had stopped visiting the biology building, on top of that he stopped leaving the courtyard after dark, only going out in daylight when he couldn''t resist the urge.


    Usually he would go out at five in the afternoon and wait for the two kids at the primary school gate, then they would go home together. Even if he was to go out in the night, it would only be a stroll in the courtyards. He wouldn''t leave the courtyard, let alone go to the alleyway of the old residential block.


    The campus was full of people during daytime since this was not a campus sealed off from the public, so the security checks on those who entered and left the gates were not strict. However, Zheng Tan couldn''t stop worrying without finding out the reason behind this feeling of being watched.


    That day, Zheng Tan found a big Chinese parasol tree not far from the eastern courtyard. He climbed up and snoozed upon the branches. Being on the high ground was soothing just as he expected, his field of vision was much wider.


    Zheng Tan let out a tired yawn. He didn''t sleep wellst night with all the contemtion so he had to catch-up on sleep during the day.


    Mama Jiao and her co-workers were coborating on a project in the field of teaching. Jiao Yuan was going to enter junior high school in a few months time, Mama Jiao wanted to make sure she left a good impression on these high school teachers so that Jiao Yuan could benefit more at school in the future.


    Other families all had elderlies or children that had not yet attended kindergarten making going to their homes inconvenient, so they decided to hold the meetings at the Jiaos'' home. As a result, Zheng Tan spent his time ambling around in daylight and when he became tired he would climb a tree and rest there. If it rained, he would seek shelter at Fatty''s house. Either way he would never stay home and face those high school teachers.


    Zheng Tan was slowly drifting into sleep when that feeling of being watched suddenly returns. Zheng Tan moved his ears, not hearing any unusual noises. Around him were students that walked past, a short distance away a cleaner was sweeping the ground, an asional car that drove through. Not far from here was a sports arena, from which cheers and acmations could sometimes be heard.


    Those were themon sounds that Zheng Tan had already gotten used to, but that feeling of being monitored still made Zheng Tan uneasy. Zheng Tan opened his eyes and surveyed his surrounding.


    He still couldn''t find any suspects, but this time Zheng Tan kept an eye out for those around him who were sauntering or sitting on the benches and on the grass as well as those who were not moving hurriedly, remembering each of their faces. The opponent must be constantly monitoring him, so they were definitely not moving fast.


    Getting down from the tree, Zheng Tan hid behind the canteen of a nearby ssroom building. He looked around then chose a tree on the north corner of the canteen. With his back turned to the road, he continued his nap on the tree.


    Soon, Zheng Tan narrowed his eye and looked towards the canteen opposite. The feeling of being watched had returned again.


    The reason that he chose this canteen and this specific tree on the north corner was because he had set his sight upon the reflective ss on the canteen''s north side of the second floor. That corner on the second floor was an office and the decoration used at the time was a single side ss. Only those on the inside can see outside, if you looked from the exterior of the canteen it can work as a mirror.


    Zheng Tan examined the image reflected on the ss, observing the people inside andparing them with the faces that he had just remembered. Finally, Zheng Tan''s line of sight fell on an ordinary looking student.


    The student carried a backpack and held a book in his hands, he slowly approached the canteen. During this entire process, with every two steps he took he looked towards the spot where Zheng Tan was . In the end, he came forth to the patch of grass in front of the canteen and opened his book.


    When Zheng Tan had just arrived, that person was sitting and reading on the meadow not far from the Chinese parasol tree. There were many students reading on thewn like him, he had his head down when Zheng Tan scanned his eyes through, that''s why Zheng Tan didn''t spot him.


    He thought for a second before standing up and stretching, then he pretended to survey his surroundings unintentionally. As expected, that person quickly lowered his head again.


    Zheng Tan crouched down again and continued to sleep while facing the ssrooms. However, he never took his eyes off from the reflective ss on the canteen. Just as Zheng Tan predicted, that person looked up again at Zheng Tan, this time with a frequency of a few second intervals.


    Zheng Tan was confused. Who was that person? Why was he stalking him?


    Moreover, if he was stalking and the target was a cat, why was he so cautious?


    Zheng Tan couldn''t understand.


    Maybe now that he had gotten too famous from all the ads, somebody had set their eyes on him and wanted to kidnap him? That''s how it''s suppose to progress in the television shows. Otherwise why would somebody monitor a valueless cat this carefully?


    Since he had found the suspect, Zheng Tan was prepared to go against him.


    Zheng Tan had a daily routine, going out with the children, taking a walk about, and then sleeping on this tree to the north of the canteen while at the same time keeping up his counter-surveince. He would go home and eat lunch in the afternoon, have a nap,e out with the two kids again in the afternoon, and repeat the same morning routine again.


    Sometimes when he feared his intentions would be discovered, Zheng Tan would change locations, some supermarkets and food stores had the same single-sided ss. It was not Zheng Tan being too overcautious, it was because of that person''s careful surveince even on a mere cat that made Zheng Tan''s heart sank to the bottom.


    Anyhow, it''s better to be careful than sorry.


    A weekter, Zheng Tan discovered that this person had disappeared along with the feeling of being watched.


    He''s no longer stalking?


    Or was it because he had moved on to the next step in the n?


    Zheng Tan''s queries onlysted for a day.


    On the evening of the next night, Zheng Tan had went out with Mama Jiao after supper. Mama Jiao went to exercise and dance with her friends while Zheng Tan took a spin inside the courtyards, teasing the dogs in the yard when he became bored.


    Tiger and Sheriff were both still locked inside their house. Tiger had grown quieter after being castrated but Sheriff was not one that could stay still. At the beginning he would continue to call out when he was locked inside, but now that there was someone at home ying with him, his cries had gradually muted. He woulde out sometimes during daylight, but was never allowed to go out at night.


    Thus, whenever Zheng Tan wanted to find some cat to roam around with he could only find Fatty, but that wealthy-looking stout Fatty would only hang around his own balcony every time, rarelying out for a walk.


    After teasing Mighty the bulldog, Zheng wandered around the courtyard in boredom.


    The time was around eight-thirty, Mama Jiao would only return from her dancing meeting at nine. Papa Jiao was at home today and Jiao Yuan''s homework had some dictation questions that required Papa Jiao''s signature after finished, so Papa Jiao didn''t go out tonight either. Hence, Zheng Tan nned to wait until Mama Jiao came back and then follow her upstairs.


    As he ambled about aimlessly, Zheng Tan suddenly hear the sound of fluttering wings.


    Zheng Tan moved his ears and headed towards the source of the sound. That side was already close to enclosing walls, quite a remote ce in the courtyard. There were some sweet osmanthus and winter sweets trees nted at that corner, used as decorations to embellish the courtyard environment.


    However, Zheng Tan and others didn''t go there often since there were too few trees over there. The branches of the existing trees were thin, not satisfying enough for sharpening ws or climbing trees. It was much more boring over here aspared to the forests around the perimeter of the courtyard. That''s why Zheng Tan, Tiger and others would rather walk a few more steps to y in the forest outside the courtyard.


    But...


    Zheng Tan looked at the direction where the noises of fluttering wings came from, and became confused. Was that a bird?


    If it had been other cats in his position, they would have definitely ran over there. Cats don''t hunt for food, hunting was part of their nature and they would run over at any sign of birds.


    Zheng Tan, on the other hand, was different. He had no interest in catching birds.


    He turned and prepared to leave, but just as he took two steps, Zheng Tan heard another noise. It sounded like the sigh that a person lets out when they''re frustrated. Even though they lowered their voice on purpose, Zheng Tan could still hear it.


    Zheng Tan walked around, pretending to toy with the branches while sneakily peeking at the courtyard walls with the corner of his eyes.


    The streetmp was ten meters away from here, lighting only the road. It was still very dark by the trees, but Zheng Tan manipted the advantage of being a cat and noticed a head emerging over the top of the walls.


    Something''se to y!


    Zheng Tan scraped at the sticks as part of the act, then heard a series of thumps from the cage over there again. Zheng Tan used this chance to go over there and find out what it really was.


    Despite being curious, Zheng Tan still paid a lot of attention to his surroundings. By all means, he didn''t want to get a beating for nothing.


    The trees over here were all three or four meters tall. Although there weren''t many, when seen from the outside, you couldn''t see anything beneath the trees clearly, and those sounds hade from beneath the sweet osmanthus trees.


    When he approached those osmanthus trees, Zheng Tan sniffed the smell of birds and something else in the air.


    Fluttering sounds mingled with the gentle rattling of metals, just like the cat traps that Zheng Tan had seen at Qu''s house across the corridor. It was simr to the sound of Qu knocking against the rat cages.


    Cage?


    Cat catching?


    Cat catching specifically intended to catch him?


    Zheng Tan''s heart was filled with questions.


    By all means, there weren''t many cases of cat catching during this time, not to mention this ce was the family courtyard for the university''s internal staff. These people had nerves this thick?


    Zheng Tan had already arrived under the osmanthus trees and he saw the cage as he slowly closed in. There were some leaves and other stuff to disguise the cages, one side was open, that was the opening of the cage.


    The cage was about sixty centimeters long and twenty centimeters wide, a sparrow was trapped inside. It asionally pped it''s wings, maybe it had sensed Zheng Tan approaching , the sparrow began to thrash even more forcefully but being trapped inside all it''s efforts were worthless. It couldn''te out and was only able to beat it''s wings inside the cage. Sometimes the struggling became so violent, it''s wings would hit the top of the cage while it was jolting, thumping against the metal bars. Aware of the "predator" getting closer and closer, it even let out a few shrieks in horror.


    As Zheng Tan drew near the cage, Fatty who was napping on the balcony on the second floor of the residential building B moved his ears, his eyes snapping open. Fatty looked at the elderlydy in the room who was wearing reading sses and stitching on buttons and bellowed "meow" at her. It sounded like the warnings that other cat gave out when encountering threats, but was also somewhat different.


    The olddy heard him, pausing her actions as she set down the things in her hands.


    "What''s wrong?" The olddy looked at Fatty.


    "Meow--"


    She frowned, then picked up the phone and called the gatekeeper. When she raised her eyes again, Fatty was nowhere to be seen.


    "What is really happening?" The olddy mumbled under hear breath and immediately put on her coat. She carried a torch with her and nned to find out what exactly had happened. If it was like thest time when the thief had sneaked in, Fatty would not run out by himself, but this time...


    Zheng Tan stood a meter away from then cage and didn''t move any closer, he stood there and stared at the cage and watched the person on the wall in the same time. Due to the dense branching of the trees and the overgrowth of leaves as well as the row of rhododendron on the side of the road, the views from the side and top were all blocked.


    Nevertheless, if Zheng Tan can''t see that person, that person won''t be able to see Zheng Tan either. For that reason, Zheng Tan nned to wait it out and see when that person would lose his patience and climb over the wall.


    Just when he was thinking, Zheng Tan heard a cry of "meow", it had belonged to Fatty and sounded like he was running towards here.


    Whiz!


    Fatty had already jumped over the row of rhododendron and came under the osmanthus trees. Seeing that Zheng Tan was standing before the cage, he rushed over and swung ps at Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan''s reactions weren''t slow either, he backtracked and sessfully avoided Fatty''s ws.


    Fatty arched his back, the fur on his back all standing on its end. His ears lowered as he snarled at Zheng Tan then at the cage.


    Zheng Tan knew Fatty was trying to warn him to get away from the cage.


    Swinging his tail from side to side, Zheng Tan walked overpletely ignoring the look on Fatty''s face that cried cmity was near. He lifted his paw and gently pat him in the head, then walked around the cage to the back and didn''t face the opening.


    Fatty "meowed" and nned to follow Zheng Tan over, but Zheng Tan shook his tails, took out his ws to held the cage. He then lifted the cage and smashed it against the ground.


    Fatty scratched his ears, clearly he didn''t predict that Zheng Tan would have such a reaction. After all, Fatty was no human. Despite being fairly intelligent his mental capacity was no match for a humans. If he was human, he would have definitely been stunned by Zheng Tan''s reaction. Lifting a cage and throwing it was not an action that a cat could do on it''s own.


    After a few throws, Zheng Tan examined the cage. The cage door still remained unclosed, it looks like the contraption inside was not activated, quite a thorough design.


    Zheng Tan looked around and grabbed a small stick with his paw. He then inserted the stick inside and activated some spot inside that cage.


    Thud!


    The cage closed, giving no time for a cat to react. If there was a cat that was ying with the sparrow inside it, it would definitely not be able to respond before the opening closes.


    Fatty scratched his ears again, his hooked tail swinging in the air. He looked quite puzzled but no longer distressed like before.


    After the cage had shut, Zheng Tan''s concentration was diverted to the person over by the wall, but that person was extremely cautious and didn''t flip over the wall immediately.


    Zheng Tan understood, connecting the dots with the events that had urred over the past two days. Those people stalked him for so long and even set a trap for him over here, they probably have an insight into his behavioral patterns. Their target was most likely himself!


    "Awooo---" Zheng Tan cried at the top of his lungs. ''I don''t believe you can stay this still if I called out all the residents of the yard !'' Hearing that Zheng Tan had howled aloud, Fatty began to "meow" loudly as well.


    Over by the residence building many of the humans couldn''t quite make out the sound, but the pets could hear it loud and clear.


    Tiger and Sheriff hearing the calls of their friends also began to roar along with them.


    While the other dogs were even more cheerful as they barked "woof woof woof", especially Might who scratched against the steel gate as it barked.


    Suddenly, the entire courtyard was filled with cries of cats and dogs.


    Thest time that this had happened was the time that they caught the thief. Evidently, with that previous experience, the first thought that popped into the residents'' head was: someone hade to steal things again!


    Yan casted the newspaper in his hands aside and hurried downstairs to open the gate for Might. "Go, get the thief!"


    Mighty squeezed through in excitement before the door was opened, he let loose his feet and ran towards Zheng Tan.


    Li didn''t chain his dog, seeing that Yan had let his Might loose, Li released the chains around Daisy''s neck and watched his own dog run off with Mighty. With that bulky size of a St. Bernard, it can''t just grow and do nothing with it, it must perform well in important moments like this.


    Other than that two, Sahara was also release by his owner. That fellow was on fire, taking no heed of what his owner said behind him, he dashed with all his strength towards the direction that Zheng Tan and Fatty was calling at.


    As for the small-sized terriers like Chihuahuas, Pekingese and Corgi owned by others, they were not released. Putting aside whether they could catch the thief or not, even if they could, with the tworge breeds and a "ferocious" Mighty spearheading the attack, the small dogs that joined might even be identally injured.


    Over by the other side, the person over the wall ,who had been concentrate on the movements of the cat trap, almost coughed out a mouthful of blood after hearing the two cats roaring at the top of their lungs.


    Sh*t, why''s that cat suddenly so rowdy!


    This never happened before in his career of cat catching!

 Chapter 51: The cat thief

    Chapter 51: The cat thief


    "What''s happening?"


    Jiao Yuan stopped doing his homework, his dictation only half way done, when the loud mor sounded from outside. Jiao Yuan, like the others, immediately recalled the incident with the thiefst time. He set down his pen, looked around and realized his family cat had not returned home yet.


    Papa Jiao put down the year sixnguage and literature textbook down, going over by the window and peeping out. The young men from the surrounding buildings gradually streamed out, some curious children leaning against the window or the balcony and looking outside but being pulled back inside the room by their parents.


    "Sit down!" Papa Jiao yelled at Jiao Yuan who was about to move to the window. He took his phone out and asked others, he also made a call to the olddy living on the first floor since those that live on the first floor get the news faster.


    After hanging up, Papa Jiao thought for a while before walking out of Jiao Yuan''s room and opening the front door. Coincidentally, Qu Xiangyang who lived across the hallway also opened his door after hearing the noises and looked this way.


    "Hey, Brother Jiao did you hear that..."


    "Qu, just in time, I was going to look for you!"


    A minuteter.


    Qu Xiangyang sat on the couch in Jiaos'' living room, assistant professor Jiao had asked him to stay here and look after the kid while he himself hurried downstairs.


    The sound of a stir in the eastern staff courtyard had be too loud, the transition from silence to disturbance was so momentary, even the cat catcher didn''t predict the event to progress this way. They didn''t encounter such a situation when they were cat catching in other residential areas.


    After hearing the loud cat cries from the osmanthus trees, the cat catcher quickly climbed over the wall and ran towards the spot where the cage was. He didn''t dare to dy because he had already heard dog barks heading this way.


    A perfect leap as he flew over the row of rhododendrons, that person didn''t slow down, he lowered his body and rushed towards the bottom of the osmanthus tree. Before he could get a clear look of the location of the cage, four cat ws gashed at him.


    Fatty doesn''t sh his ws, but when he does it would astound you. Even if he wasn''t as strong as Zheng Tan, his moves were ruthless and well-executed. Plus the ces that he aimed for were all near the eyes, if he had been a little stronger or his ws were any longer, the eyes of the cat catcher would have been blinded.


    Even if he hadn''t been blinded, the deep bloodstains that ran from the tip of the brows to the eyes and to the nose looked as if the blood would spill from those w marks.


    Fatty did not consider whether the person would be blinded or whether he would need to carry the burden of other consequences. The training that he received was to strike back with all his might. As to the problems that would rise from his actions, someone will settle them for him.


    Likewise for Zheng Tan, he scratched around the same spot as Fatty did. Since he had controlled the strength exerted, it would only temporarily damage the person''s sight, but he didn''t let him off easy. Zheng Tan''s scratches were much longer than Fatty''s, extending to the neck. He also kicked him when he ran up, using strength that had slightly more force than the strength of ordinary cats, he didn''t use all his strength that might expose himself.


    "Ah--"


    A screech sounded, not too loud, but it was clear that it had came from an inability to hold back the pain.


    The person covered his face. The speed that he had when he rushed over was too fast, and his footsteps didn''t stop, resulting in him colliding into the osmanthus tree.


    After the first strike had went smoothly, Fatty quickly retreated into the distance, watching from ten meters away and didn''t approach any closer.


    Zheng Tan, on the other hand, didn''t attempt to avoid him. The cat catcher stood up in a haste and didn''t even try to retrieve the cage anymore, prepared to head towards the courtyard wall. Zheng Tan would never allow for this person to escape. Even if they couldn''t knock him out, there were still other means.


    That person''s eyes were probably wounded, coupled with a dark environment, he couldn''t see his surroundings clearly. He bumped into a few trees and wasn''t able to escape yet.


    Seeing that the person had turned his back to him, Zheng Tan dashed over, leapt towards him, and caught the person by the pants.


    Strip!


    Unfortunately, the person was wearing pair of jeans with a belt tied around his waist, Zheng Tan was unable to pull it off him.


    The person felt his thigh being scratched. Without a careful look, he turned and kicked with all his force. However, he didn''t get the cat with that kick but tripped on a branch beneath his feet and fell on his back.


    The cat catcher couldn''tprehend how this time the cat catching turned out this way. The cat didn''t go inside the cage and had, on the contrary, dared to scratch him. Didn''t they say that house cats were mild tempered? Those cats that he had previously caught in other districts were not this cranky. The cat that he faces now wouldn''t give up after the first strike, it continuously struck again and again. If he had been wearing sweatpants, then his pants would have been stripped off.


    Nevertheless, the current situation offered the cat catcher no chance to think. He needed to escape, fast.


    However, before he even had the opportunity to crawl back up, he felt a burst of anguishing pain from his butt.


    Zheng Tan and Fatty who were squatting on the sideline scratched their ears.


    ''Mighty, you are so f*cking awesome!''


    This fellow, Mighty, had bitten someone before, and had the guts to do it again. This was what happened, he didn''t even take into consideration whether or not there would be any danger, delivering a bite as he rushed up.


    This time Mighty didn''t aim for the calves, perhaps he had felt his mouth widened or some other reason, but this time he made a change for the butt.


    Now that Mighty has arrived, Daisy and Sahara will arrive in no time.


    Daisy doesn''t bite people, but she sure can bite other things. Seeing that her friends had all had a bite, she found something to bite as well.


    The cat catcher was wearing a hooded top, so Daisy clenched the hat on his top and dragged back while shaking her head. Tearing the top while making a deep growling sound.


    Initially Daisy didn''t treat it seriously, like what she did when she was ying with her toys, but the cat catcher lifted his hands and pped towards the dog to try release his hat from Daisy''s mouth. However, this p incited Daisy''s anger, just because she''s mild tempered doesn''t mean she won''t get angry. Besides, with the twopanions foiling the atmosphere, Daisy began to solemn up. Her strength increased and the tearing motion became much more violent than before.


    The cat catcher was moved from side to side along with Daisy''s tearing swings, making his already dizzy head even more light-headed.


    Zheng Tan remembered a movie that had some years to it, "Cujo". A movie that had once made the St. Bernard an embodiment of terror.


    When his mind retraced back, Zheng Tan looked at the situation there again. Funnily enough, Daisy was pulling at the person''s hat while Sahara gripped the trunk of his pants between his teeth. The two dogs were dragging in the opposite direction of each other, in addition to that Might was biting him in between. Needless to say, the cat catcher was suffering some rotten luck.


    The cat catcher at that moment felt terrible, his face had a scorching pain, his ass was in the mouth of a dog, both ends had a dog pulling him, and his head was bing dizzier and dizzier by the second. He took a deep breath, no longer trying to waste his energy on trying tobat the dog, his hand dug into the pocked and searched.


    One dig, nothing.


    Second dig, still nothing.


    Try another pocket, still freaking nothing!


    Where''s the knife?!


    Zheng Tan knew what he was looking for just by watched his movement. However, in the sh of a moment when that person fell and Mighty rushed up to get a bite, Zheng Tan was able to take that opportunity and fish the knife out of his pocket. To prevent that person injuring the three dogs with this knife, he threw it aside.


    The people from the courtyard weren''t slow either, they soon arrived. The first person that came over was the old gatekeeper, the security guards from the security post followed his footsteps.


    The gatekeeper acted straightaway after receiving the olddy''s phone call. He was a retired soldier,ing here to do some light work. Although his rtives helped him in getting this job, it was mainly the olddy''s credit since his son had helped arrange his work , so most of the time he would help the olddy out.


    A call from the olddy outlined the situation, he immediately went over to the security post to notify them. He himself also carried a torchlight and a handy weapon, he couldn''t let the staff in the courtyard take the risk themselves.


    However, even the gatekeeper couldn''t do anything, the three dogs were so into it that their temper had been incited, if he suddenly walks up he would be implicated too.


    Scratching his head, the gatekeeper looked towards the two cats that squatted on the side, "What should I do?"


    Zheng Tan threw him a nce and then walked over to the cat trap.


    The gatekeeper shone the torch at the direction that Zheng Tan was heading, he quickly recognized this cage''s purpose. He walked over and lifted the cage up, examining the sparrow that had ceased moving and the marks on the cage. Clearly this cage had trapped a number of cats.


    "Yo, you got a lot of guts to dare venture into the staff courtyard and try to kidnap cats!" The gatekeeper said, his lips curled up as he looked at the Fatty who longer had any interest in the matter, then at the cat catcher who was being bullied by the three dogs.


    Was he trying to court death,ing here to kidnap cats?


    Even if thews of our country were notprehensive in this area, if you got caught you would definitely not be allowed off the hook easily, especially when that fat Dragon Li was involved.


    Others from the courtyard had also came, using the dim torchlight to see what the circumstance was over here. They heard the use of this cage, so none of them went up to aid the cat catcher, they stood along the side and chatted with the gatekeeper. It was the first time that they had seen these cat traps and they were rather curious.


    "Cat thieves like this one usually sleep during the day ande out in the night around twelve O''clock to steal cats. They work from midnight to five or six in the early morning, and usually steal ten to twenty cats. Didn''t a lot of people lost their catsst time? That was the work of these people. But it''s quite odd, this guy looked like an experienced cat thief, yet he dared toe here to steal and it''s only eight to nine in the night." The gatekeeper shook his head as he talked.


    Zheng Tan was crouching somewhere not too far from them, listening in to their conversation, wanting to know some things about this subject. After all, he didn''t care of the world when he wasn''t a cat before, but he was now forced to since it had be a matter of life and death.


    "All those cats he stole were pets? Even if they eat them, weren''t there producers that could breed them? Like chickens and pigs and other livestock for food, weren''t there special farms that breed them? Why would he steal family cats?" A young fellow asked.


    The gatekeeper smiled, "Breed? How is that possible? It''s not as cheap or fast as stealing cats. Cats are not like dogs, they are easy to catch. Plus, these cat thieves have their techniques, they only aim for the big cats and let the smaller ones go. They would wait for another year, then kidnap them again. Anyhow, they don''t need to use their own money to feed those cats."


    "No way! So those people that go through all the trouble to feed their cats and wait for them to grow, is like feeding them for these people? Beside, isn''t it stillmon to see stray cats? Just catch those stray cats, why would they dare to catch the pets!" The young man eximed.


    "There are only so many strays, there''s a high volume of demand from the market. These people had set their eyes on family-bred pets, these cats are much well kept, no illness and could sell for much higher prices. But, it would be unfortunate for those that lost their cats."


    A middle-age teacher from the side also chipped in: "Indeed, keeping a cat for so long, there are even some bonds. Those people that lost their cat would be upset for a long while, isn''t this the case with that person, he lost all his appetite for food and drinks after his cat went missing."


    Zheng Tan knew the person who the middle-age teacher was referring to, he had also lived in the eastern courtyard but his cat didn''t y with Zheng Tan and others. Once that cat climbed into the first floor balcony of building B and ate Fatty''s ration, it was given a serious lesson by Fatty. However, during the period of the new year''s celebration, he heard that the cat had gone missing. Zheng Tan didn''t think too much of it at the time, but now that he recalled, Zheng Tan couldn''t help butment.


    "How much would a cat sell for?" The young man eagerly asked.


    "Not much at all, couple score of dors, same price for native and exotic cats, they sell it for cheap. After they caught the cats, some strip their skin off then transport to some fur market in some other ces. As for the cat meat, they either sell it to restaurants or barbeque stalls, those barbequed meat and kebabs from the street side vendors might contain some cat meat in it, some other food products may also be mingled with these. Many people didn''t know when they ate it.


    Some cats were thrown into a boiling pot and burnt to death. I heard that if you cut the head and the feet off then process it, you could pass it off as rabbit meat or some other meat, that''s for those in fur and cat meat businesses. There are also some organisations that do live-cat businesses, they catch the cats then send it to the south , full cars were transported out one by one... In the big cities, if you get this whole entire car full of cats, it''s probably going to steal cats."


    "So that''s why Sister Ling keeps her cat locked at home, it''s been a while since I have seen Tiger. Oh, are there many cat theft organisations?" The young man enquired.


    "Lots and lots."


    "Why won''t they catch them?"


    The gatekeeper paused for a second, then answered: "The number of cat stealing organisations are beyond what you canprehend for, its everywhere across the country. There are someplex thing in this, too many matters that it involves. Some people with their cars full when they head south get stopped half-way, but they got licenses and certificates. There will always be some valid reasons for them to get away, you can''t catch them."


    Zheng Tan suddenly felt a chill came creeping over his body while listening to their conversation. Now that he''s a cat, that feeling of immediate connection had strengthened.


    Connecting the dots with the conversation that he just heard between the gatekeeper and others, Zheng Tan realized that cat who ate Fatty''s ration was lost, and was never going toe back.


    The people from the courtyard began to gather over here, the workers from the security post had also rushed over.


    The three dogs were hailed back by their owners. As to the cat catcher, he was in a state of disarray, his face was covered with cat w marks, the trunk of his pant had been ripped, his buttock was still bleeding and his clothes were torn to pieces.


    But nobody pitied him.


    The mistress of the family that had lost their cat as just mentioned was in an extremely upset mood. She raised her palm and was about to run over, but was stopped by her husband.


    Under the osmanthus tree, the cat thief lied there covering his face, there was blood that streamed from between his fingers. The man was quickly taken away by the people from the security post, however, the discussions between the residents of the courtyard didn''t cease.


    Zheng Tan rushed over when he saw Papa Jiao, there was indeed a stronger sense of security being with your own family.


    The reactions that Fatty had when he saw his own olddy was very excited, he hurried over and leaped onto the olddy''s torso.


    The olddy made use of the momentum and hugged him, it was evident that she had done these things a couple hundred times.


    Zheng Tan watched from the side in awe.


    Hell, that thing was okay a minute ago, and now he acts all in shock?! Sh*t little Fatty, look at your weight, why don''t you take considerations of thedy''s old age?!


    Sensing Zheng Tan''s sight, Fatty lifted his head, winked his eyes and quivered his ears, then buried his head into the olddy''s arms, continuing to seekfort. Every time he pulls a pitiful face, the olddy would give him more portions during mealtime as well as more snacks when they go back.


    Papa Jiao headed to their building with Zheng Tan and the olddy, on the way the olddy started telling him that Fatty could identify the cat traps.


    "Fatty has been trained. My son said that a cat''s biggest enemy is that thing, so every time we went to his ce, he would train Fatty to avoid all sorts of cat cages and other types of cat traps. Eh, the cat thieves nowadays, virtueless..."


    As the cat thief was taken away, the crowd in the yard began to disperse, a person at the courtyard gate also headed away and left.

 Chapter 52: Charcoal has really been kidnapped

    Chapter 52: Charcoal has really been kidnapped


    The news that there was a cat thief in the eastern courtyard spread like wildfire.


    No one would have thought that there would be someone stealing cats on campus, especially at eight to nine o''clock during the night and not midnight.


    They had to admit that the cat thief who set down the cat traps had guts.


    At once, everyone on the Chuhua University campus, including the residents that owned cats in the western courtyard, locked their cats inside when it was night time, even if they bawled their hearts out. If they really annoyed, they would sent their cats over to Guo''s ce to be neutered, it was told that the cats that were castrated wouldn''t be as rowdy. Anyhow, it was better this way than to be kidnapped, if they got kidnapped they would be the dish on the menu for some stranger.


    This was why for the past few days, business at Guo''s pet center was exceptionally great. Those who didn''t n for their cats to undergo the operation would still go and enquire to see if there was a way to keep their cat quietly at home.


    As for the cat thief that got caught, the staff at the security post found a motorcycle on the other end of the wall in the eastern courtyard. On the motorcycle were somerge knitted sacks, one containing some live sparrows. Aside from that there were also things like cat lures. Just by the sight of it, this person had done this many times.


    ording to what the person exined, he said he heard there were cats over here and came to steal those cats out of sudden interest. Initially he nned to go to a nearby micro-district that was his main target.


    Those words were what Zheng Tan overheard in Papa Jiao and Mama Jiao''s conversation. However, Zheng Tan didn''t trust a single word from the statements from the cat thief, feeling that the person hade just for him.


    Too coincidental. Someoneing here to steal right after the careful surveince of a cat had ended? Moreover in the eastern staff courtyard? Inparison, there weren''t many cats in the eastern yard, much less than those residential areas where cats were kept. Why would this person bear the risk toe and steal cats at around eight to nine? A period when Zheng Tan happened to usually go out ?


    In the bedroom, Papa Jiao held a textbook in his hands, but his attention was not on the book. He felt something fishy, an unexinable restlessness. No matter what, it was best not to let the cat out.


    Zheng Tan and Papa Jiao shared the same thought, since many things were unsure and doubtful, he may as well be content and stay home. Besides, these days even Fatty was locked at home and not allowed to lie on the balcony. The olddy cared greatly for Fatty, scared that the cat that took a her a lot of effort to raise and feed would be stolen.


    And just like this, after a week at home Zheng Tan became restrained again, so one morning when Mama Jiao went out with Jiao Yuan and Youzi, Zheng Tan followed them out.


    To be safe, Mama Jiao asked Zheng Tan to follow her until she sent the two kids to school. Mama Jiao needed to go to the market, Zheng Tan obviously won''t go with her but she was also anxious about him running around, so she instructed him to stay on thewn in front of the primary school and wait for her there.


    The morning sun had just rose above the horizon. Recently the weather had warmed up, many flowers in the school was blooming, chirping birds were everywhere, moring and pooping.


    The bell rang signifying the beginning of the ss, those who had sses all attended regardless of whether they were primary school students or university students. The road quietened up again.


    Zheng Tany on andscape stone and yawned. Just as he expected it''s better to asionally breathe in fresh air.


    Before he could finish a yawn, Zheng Tan suddenly had a feeling of foreboding. It was simr to what he felt when he was stalkedst time, but this time with a strong sense of crisis. This was the first time that Zheng Tan had felt this as a cat.


    He cautiously surveyed the surrounding, his sight finally falling onto a young man wearing a gray gym suit. The young man wore a backpack and a sanitary mask, his hands tucked inside his pockets just like an ordinary student.


    Due tost year''s SARS incident, many people would leave their houses wearing sanitary masks, there weren''t many people that wear the mask now but some still do. Even those that rode their electric motorcycle for work at the city center would sometimes wear it . The air condition in Chuhua city center wasn''t good as many ces were under construction causing there to be a lot of dust and debris, so no one would pay special attention to you if you wore a mask.


    Despite the mask, Zheng Tan recognized him.


    It was the guy that had stalked himst time!


    Now that he identified him, Zheng Tan had to remain cautious. Seeing that the person was walking towards him, Zheng Tan didn''t prepare to directly sh with him. There were not many people around him, a disadvantage to himself.


    However, just as Zheng Tan prepared to flee the scene, he felt a sharp pain on his back.


    "Aw---"


    His cry was cut short as he lost all his energy.


    A numbing sensation quickly traveled through his body, blurring his sight and causing his consciousness to begin to fade.


    Zheng Tan rolled off the rock to the opposite side of where the man was standing, pulling the pet tag off his neck with great difficulty. At this moment he was tremendously grateful that the string of his cat tag was stic.


    Even if he got caught, Zheng Tan needed to inform Papa Jiao and others that this was where it happened.


    Pulling off the cat tag and threw it in the bottom corner of the rock, Zheng Tan did his most to dive into the bush on the other side but there was nothing he could do. The sedative was too strong, his limbs were giving away. He fell to the ground in less than two steps, and a needle was stuck on his back.


    Sh*t! Catching a cat with tranquilizer gun!


    In a daze, Zheng Tan felt someone closing in, lifting him up by a leg and stuffing him inside a backpack. Then, his surrounding became pitch ck...


    The young man was a little hurried and tensed up, seeing that a cycler was riding past. He quickly ran over, stuffed the cat into his backpack, and then left, causing him to miss the cat tag left beneath the rock.


    Mama Jiao had returned from her grocery shopping with a fewrge bags in her hands. She bought pork ribs and nned to make a feast tonight for everyone as nourishment. However, when she returned her cat was nowhere to be seen on thewn. When she left her cat was still lying on the rock, did he go to y?


    "Charcoal--"


    Mama Jiao yelled, she looked around thewn and when she came behind thendscape rock she found the cat tag that fell there.


    Mama Jiao asked those around the scene but no one had noticed what happened over here. Although there was a teacher from the primary school that said when he came out from his office he saw a masked guy walking over to thewn, but the angle from where he was standing he couldn''t see the situation on thewn clearly.


    No longer caring about the groceries in her hands, Mama Jiao took her phone out and dialed Papa Jiao''s number in a hurry. From what she knew about her cat, he wouldn''t leave without any reason if you asked him to wait there, not to mention throwing the cat tag over there. Her cat was that intelligent...


    Recalling the cat theft a few days ago, Mama Jiao became extremely worried. Could it be that he was really being kidnapped?


    Over by the ssroom building, Papa Jiao was teaching a ss when he felt the phone vibrate in his pocket. He looked at the iing caller ID on the phone screen and walked out of the ssroom with his brows knit together.


    Usually teachers were not allowed to answer phone calls during ss except for an emergency. When Papa Jiao saw that it was Mama Jiao''s phone number he knew immediately that it was a matter of urgency, otherwise she wouldn''t call him knowing that he had two sses in the morning.


    The students sitting in the ssroom saw assistant professor Jiao walk out to answer a call. Not longter, he returned with great seriousness on his face, turned the projector off, and asked everyone to have a free-study period before hurrying off again.


    The young fellow that kidnapped Zheng Tan dashed out of the campus perimeter of the Chuhua University. Originally he had intended to find a ce to get rid of the cat but at that moment the phone in his pocket rang.


    "Uncle, what''s up?"


    "I am leaving in one hours time, if you want toe with me then hurry over here!" The voice on the receiver end seemed uneasy.


    "Why the hurry? Didn''t you say that we''ll leave at night?"


    "Can''t do, it''s urgent, just get over here!" The other end hung up as soon as he stopped speaking.


    The young man hesitated for a while and gritted his teeth. Leave first and then see from there, a cat can be disposed of at anytime! But trying to get the money would be a little troublesome.


    An hourter, the young man appeared in a warehouse at the outskirts of the city. Inside the warehouse was a small truck and leaning next to the truck was a man around forty or fifty years of age who was smoking.


    When he caught the sight of the young man, he said impatiently: "What took you so long!"


    "Did another haul." The youngster didn''t say too much, passing the backpack to the person.


    The person inhaled a mouthful of cigarette smoke deeply, then threw the cigarette butt away . He took the bag and unzipped it. Seeing that there was a ck cat inside, he lifted it up by the hind leg and examined it. "Not bad, could sell for a great price. The fur''s not too shabby either, by the time we processed it someone would definitely buy it."


    "What do I do with the cat? The person that hired me said to kill it, I nned to throw it straight into the river when you called, uncle."


    "Why throw it away!" The person gave the young man a ferocious stare, "this cat is well-fed. If we are lucky, this meat and lustrous fur would get us a couple hundred dors. This pure ck kind of fur is hard toe by."


    "Alright," the young man agreed. Who would say no to money?


    The person lifted the cat inside the truck and threw it into a cage.


    Thepartment of this medium-sized truck contained cages and cages of cats, locked in different cages categorized ording to their appearance and the price that they could sell for. Near the exterior of thepartments were somerge cardboard boxes, each containing misceneous goods. They took these for other people, another way to earn some cash.


    Throwing the cat inside the cage on the topyer, the person closed thepartment door, climbed onto the driver''s seat and drove away.


    The young man sat in the passenger seat, he had some questions he wanted to ask before, but there wasn''t much time before so he held it in and waited till now.


    " Uncle, why are we leaving in such a hurry?"


    "I don''t know what has happened for the past few days, someone had been inspecting and the fake licenses of some cat vendors have been found out. Their entire truck has been detained, I''m scared that they would dig deeper, so let''s just get away first." They didn''t catch many cats this time, the cages in thepartment weren''t even full. If it was not for the urgency of this situation he would have stayed for a number of days. Even if there weren''t cats to steal, he could drug some dogs, he saw a few robustrge breeds yesterday.


    "Dig deeper? No way? This never happened before." The young man eximed.


    "Anyhow we are not going to return to Chuhua city in the next few months, things are tense here. So f*cking unlucky, there''s never been a situation like this before. Didn''t these people always turn a blind eye to this, why are they suddenly taking this so serious..." The personined as he drove.


    The young man in gym suit took no heed of his rtive''sints. He took his phone out and started calling the employer that he never met before. As long as there''s a job and he gets paid , who cares if he sees his face.


    "I''ve got rid of the cat, when are you going to wire me the money?" The young man asked.


    "Is the cat dead?" The other end asked.


    "It''s been tranquilized. If he can''t take it then he would be dead as a doornail, even if he survives it''s no use. My uncle is heading south with it, it''s going to be sold in the markets over there, and when he is he would be dead meat. You don''t need to worry."


    The man on the other end of the phone fell silent and stopped talking.


    The youngster though that he didn''t want to pay up, and became anxious," Things are tense in Chuhua city recently, but you were in a rush, that''s why I took the risk of being caught to work for you. The tranquilizer that I bought costs thousands of dors, your deposit has been used on this, you can''t be this cold."


    "...Ease up, thirty thousand dors like we agreed upon. I will send it to you in a second, and another thing , don''t contact me anymore."


    The receiver end hung up as soon as he finished talking.


    The young man heard the hang up tone on the phone and swore.


    "What? Is that person not going to pay?" The person who was driving asked.


    "Who knows!" The young man sniffed with contempt.


    "You bought a tranquilizer to steal a cat?" The drive''s tone was filled with disdain.


    "I heard that the cat had been trained, even the hirer said that the cat was smart. I was very careful when I monitored it."" The young man said, gradually shifting the conversation, he didn''t tell him how much the hirer actually paid him. To be honest, he bought the tranquilizer second-hand off a friend, it was only a few hundred dors, even if the hirer didn''t pay up he still earned some money.


    The person that went to the eastern courtyard to steal cats was contacted by him, he was trying to probe around. If he had caught the cat then it would have been great, a few ten dor notes would sent him on his way. But as it turned out, that cat was indeed difficult to catch. As luck would have it, a friend had a tranquilizer in his hands and the young man bought it off him. For the next number of days that cat didn''te out, so he wasn''t able to find the opportunity. The time dragged on and he had no choice but to be more radical. He didn''t know if there were security cameras around that ce, if there was then he needed to hide in the south for some time.


    Using a tranquilizer to catch a cat, the young man would have never thought that things would go this way.


    In thepartment of this mid-sized truck, Zheng Tan was crowded with other cats in the top cage.


    There were many cats in the cage that had been drugged, too sleepy to call out. Those cats that were awake gave an asional cry, they probably didn''t have the energy to cry out.


    The unconscious Zheng Tan didn''t know that because of his disappearance, a "hurricane" had blown across Chuhua city. Many cat thieves were caught, that night some trucks that transported live dogs and cats were detained.


    Papa Jiao used his connections to get a look at the footage of the security camera at the primary school, although the resolutions weren''t clear he could vaguely make out that their family cat had been kidnapped on thewn.


    Papa Jiao asked for favors from some friends as well as Wei Ling and He Tao, pleading that they could help and look for the cat. The detained trucks and some cat selling markets were all searched, any ck cat that they saw would be sent to one ce to Papa Jiao and them to confirm.


    Unfortunately, none of them were Zheng Tan.


    That night, many people didn''t sleep.


    There were many conflicting interests that rose out of this incident, the struggle continued both overtly and covertly. Zheng Tan knew none of these.


    The tranquilizer dose used by the young man was quite heavy. If he had been a ordinary cat, then he most likely wouldn''t make it, even if he did he would be knocked out for a couple of days, but Zheng Tan was special.


    After a few hours of unconsciousness, Zheng Tan woke up, but even if he woke up his body had no energy.


    There were strange smells, unfamiliar cats all around him, Zheng Tan could sense their fear and confusion. Hungry and thirsty, but they had no choice other than suffer through it. A few cats quietly cried as if they were sobbing.


    Zheng Tan looked around the pitch darkpartment. The cage that he was in was quite close to thepartment door, a thin opening between the doors allowed some wind to pass through, clearing Zheng Tan''s mind.


    Outside of the opening was full of darkness.


    ''How much longer is the night?''


    Zheng Tany in the cage, pondering over the ns to deal with what''s toe. As he pondered and pondered, Zheng Tan fell asleep again.


    In his dream, Zheng Tan saw the city that he lived for twenty years and saw the person that he was....

 Chapter 53: Escaping "the den of monsters"

    Chapter 53: Escaping "the den of monsters"


    Zheng Tan woke up to the disturbance of an intense turbulence, trampling, and cries of cats.


    The effects of the drug had notpletely worn off. When Zheng Tan opened his eyes he was still in a state of trance, not knowing where he was.


    Beneath him was not the soft couch at the Jiaos'', instead he was surrounded by unfamiliar smells, panic and anxiety drifting in the air. Sounds of scolding mingled with cat cries caused a stir that made Zheng Tan''s head ache.


    Bang!


    Cages and cages full of cats were ced on the shelves.


    Zheng Tan was tread on by other cats in the same cage a few times.


    This time he was really awake.


    He opened his eyes and looked around. This was a small room filled with the odor of urine and blood. Zheng Tan could see some steel cages and some makeshift bamboo and wooden cages on the shelf opposite him.


    Zheng Tan moved his ears and was able to hear the dogs bark from next door. The dogs were barking louder than the cats.


    He sighed, his body was still weak but it was alright to stand and move around.


    The other cats in the cage was all robust, some even belonged to exotic cat breeds. Their furs were quite clean and had some luster to it, many had cors and pet tags around their neck. They all had good appearances.


    With regards to Zheng Tan waking up, the cats in the cage didn''t pay any attention to him. Domesticated cats, especially those cats that had been kept for many years and had gained some intellectual spirituality, knew what awaited them.


    Outside this room was a restaurant, the entire street was filled with this kind of restaurant and cuisine.


    Nevertheless, even if they were intelligent they were no match for the humans, unable to find ways to save themselves in times of danger and could only cry. Perhaps they were stretching their luck, hoping that their owners could hear them.


    Zheng Tan scanned through the number of cats in the cage. Most were not stray cats, despite their dirty fur and cors around their neck, Zheng Tan could spot the difference in the eyes of strays and domestic cats.


    He looked at the cage again, on the good side, the lock was notplex, it was not the type of copper locks that needed a key. After all, arge iron lock or a small copper lock for each cage among the vast number of cages would be far too troublesome. Those cages made out of bamboo or wood hadtched up locks.


    Some cats extended their paws to pull at the locks of the cages, but since they were not too bright and not every cat had undergone the type of training Fatty did, no matter how they pulled at it, they still weren''t able to unlock the cage. This was nowhere near the window locks at home, to open these locks required some strength, thetches were tightly bolted so that ordinary cats wouldn''t be able to utch it.


    This was effortless to Zheng Tan, however he was unsure when those traffickers woulde in. ording to reason, they had juste in to count the numbers and wouldn''t return again in a short time, but it''s always no loss to be careful since this was a matter of life and death.


    There were no cameras installed in here, which was reasonable. Who would waste their money to install a camera in this kind of slum?


    Zheng Tan stretched his ears out and listened attentively. There were footsteps walking to and fro and the sound of human talking outside the door. Zheng Tan found the voices familiar, he had heard them when he was in a daze and unconscious.


    As the footsteps walked off into the distance, Zheng Tan pushed aside the cat at the cage opening and gave it a p. That cat was bad tempered, snarling it''s teeth at Zheng Tan, but after suffering from that p it moved away unwillingly.


    Zheng Tan came to the opening and looked at thetch. It was the size of an adult''s pinky and needed to be turned an angle to unbolt.


    He stuck his hands outside the cage, his paws turned when he touched the irontch, with ws hooked onto the irontch''s handle, he turned it up ny degrees and pulled it to the left.


    Due to the p that Zheng Tan struck on the cat that was blocking the opening, the other cats in the cage all kept a distance from Zheng Tan. For that reason when Zheng Tan utched the cage and slipped out of the cage, he was able to lock it again before other cats pushed over.


    It was not because Zheng Tan didn''t want to save them, he needed some time to observed the surrounding. He didn''t want to beat the grass and frighten the snakes away if he let those chaps out, it would damage his chance of escaping.


    Seeing that Zheng Tan was out, the cats in the cages began a new round of cries. Some cats extended their ws to attempt to hook on thetch, but all was in vain.


    Taking a deep breath, Zheng Tan examined about, then jumped up to the door and pulled at the door lock. It was locked, it was impossible to escape through the doors.


    Other than the door, there was also a casement window in the small room. Wooden frames that had some cracks and the paint was king off so severely that he couldn''t able to identify it''s original color. The window was tightly shut, the bolt was in ce. With the dust in the cracks, the iron rust on the blot and the stain smeared on the ss, it looked like it hadn''t been opened for a long time, only the center of the ss could still see the situation outside.


    Zheng Tan walked over on the shelves, leaned against the window and took a look.


    Outside the window was a narrow concrete road, the houses on this row had its'' back against the houses on the other side of the road. Only the back of the houses open up to this road. There were somerge stic bins on the side of the roads, piled with garbage that spilled over. In spite of being wrapped by stic bags, you could still see some severed limbs, discarded carcasses and internal organs exposed, there were many flies that lingered above it.


    Even when he had mentally prepared himself for this, when he really saw it, Zheng Tan could not help but shiver.


    If he wasn''t able to wake up, in a few hours or at most a few days time, would he also be like that? His corpse disassembled or his skin stripped off and his bones removed?


    However, now was not the time to be emotional, even if he had many doubts about his captivity, he needed to hold them down and concentrate on escaping.


    Zheng Tan pulled at the window bolt. After being left unopened for a long time, the resistance from the iron rusts on the bolt and the fact that Zheng Tan had not fully recovered his strength, made it so it took some effort to open up the window.


    It was around two or three in the afternoon, the sky was overcast and looked like it was about to rain. There was no one on the road.


    Zheng Tan flipped out of the window, he was about to shut the window to prevent anyone from noticing the oddity, but after some thought, he left it open since he will returnter and it would be inconvenient.


    The room beside the room where the cats were locked was for the dogs, luckily that room''s window was open to let some air flow. Since dogs were unable to jump like cats, even if they were out of the cages they couldn''t slip out of the window.


    There was no one inside, only the sound of cages and cages of dogs barking and biting at each other.


    Just when Zheng Tan opened the window and looked in, arge terrier looked up at the window and saw Zheng Tan.


    "Woof woof woof woof woof!"


    Shut the f*ck up! Zheng Tan scratched his ears.


    Dogs and cats were treated quite differently, some cages had a number of dogs crowded in there, some big in size and some fierce ones get their own cage.


    The dog breeds ranged from small terriers like Pomeranian and Pekinese torger ones like mutts, ck backed, all sorts were avable.


    He wanted to open the cages, but it was hard to achieve.


    It was not the issue with the locks, the cages in here were also mainlytched and bay locked, not too difficult to unlock.


    The mutts crowed in some low cages, the narrow body of the cage made them unable to stand. They didn''t call out either, it seemed that they were not in a good psychological state, but Zheng Tan didn''t dare to open the cages unprepared. Who knew if those dogs would take a bite at him when they came out?


    As for those that were barking in exultation, their eyes looked like they wanted to sink their teeth into him.


    What should I do?


    Zheng Tan looked around until finally his line of sight fell onto a thin iron bar left on one of the shelves. The front tip of the iron bar was sharpened and still had blood stains on it, there were also some ropes and iron wires next to it.


    Zheng Tan entered the room, the dogs around him made him nervous. Many dogs had ferocious spirits, bellows came from their throat as they calcted how to tear Zheng Tan up.


    Zheng Tan dragged the iron bar over and wrapped the wires around the bar, forming a loop of wire. Then he held the stick in his two hands and moved around while standing on his hind legs. Although it was quite difficult, it was not unmanageable if he walked slowly.


    On the top of the shelf were ced some clubs and other pounding instruments, all covered in blood. Zheng Tan carefully walked on the top, the intense smell of blood making him almost vomit. Standing on top of the shelves, even if he opened the cages the dogs couldn''t do anything to Zheng Tan as they were unable to jump that high.


    Zheng Tan lowered the stick next to thetch on the cage, the circr wire attached hooked onto thetch. He lifted the stick, turning thetch and then pulled it to the side.


    With a ng, the gate of the cage was opened, the small dogs inside ran out and searched around for an exit.


    Zheng Tan didn''t care to much about them, he continued to unlock the cages, The bay locked ones were easier to unlock, a few pokes and pulls would unlock it. Other than the lifting of sticks being tiresome, after few cages Zheng Tan had became an expert, opening them faster and faster.


    However, if someone enters through the room at that moment, Zheng Tan would throw away the gadgets and flee, escape before all things.


    Opening up all the cages, Zheng Tan didnt linger any longer. The barking of dogs were too loud, some ferocious dogs had signs of going crazy, and the noises in there would easily attract the attention of those outside.


    Jumping out the window, Zheng Tan returned to the room where the cats were locked. The window was left open, the cats all fled through the window.


    After unlocking thest cage, Zheng Tan heard loud yelling from people outside. Clearly, the escaping cats from here had been discovered.


    Zheng Tan rushed out the window, there was no shortcut nearby that he could immediately escape to. The residents around this ce, even if they didn''t own a restaurant, they would still not let the cats slip away easily. Zheng Tan didn''t dare to hide here, he ran away as far as possible. There was only one thought his mind: escape this alleyway, escape from this ce that had signs "xx hotpot" "xx cat meat/ dog meat/ rabbit meat cuisine ".


    As Zheng Tan upied himself with escaping, the young man that caught Zheng Tan was talking to a fifty-years old man.


    "Uncle Gan, you had a great harvest this time." The youngster passed him a cigarette and said.


    The person that was referred to as "Uncle Gan" took the cigarette and lit it, he sucked a mouthful and answered: "Nothing much, not worth talking about."


    Uncle Gan was quite well-known in this area, he belonged to the earlier batch of people who caught dogs and stole cats, and had made a fortune from this. The younger generations learnt their skills off Uncle Gan, although not without a cost attached of course, they had to pay him tributes.


    The youngster also learned from Uncle Gan, including the use of tranquilizers. He followed Uncle Gun on a number of dog hunting trips, his techniques were quite mature. Since he was a fast learner, he had done quite some jobs and earned a lot. Due to the SARSst year, he had also fallen into a low time for some period, but now he began to recover and busily started fishing for money.


    "You could earn at least a hundred thousand a year, right?" Uncle Gan asked. Although it was a question, it was affirmative. He knew these things in this area inly.


    The young man smiled and didn''t answer immediately, he took an object out and showed it to Uncle Gan.


    "Tranquilizer?" Uncle Gan gave a careless look, "looks alright, a little small, not too interesting and does have that texture in hand. These type of syringes are not easy to obtain eitherJudging by the dose of this syringe, did you use it on a dog or a person?"


    The young manughed: "On a cat."


    Uncle Gan raised his brows, "Quite an aplishment, used this to get a cat!"


    His tone was filled with dismay. Uncle Gan always felt that cats were a stupid type of animal, their curious hunting nature could kill themselves, that''s what made them so easy to catch.


    The youngster didn''t pay any heed to the sarcasm in Uncle Gan''s voice, "That cat was not a easy catch, it just won''t bite the bait. If I wasn''t in a hurry back, I wouldn''t have needed to use this. This trip with my uncle to the central cities, I got this tranquilizer as well as a BMQ to y around with."


    The young man said things that were false and true, as to how much money he had obtained from thest job he did, he didn''t mention a single word, if he said it he was bound to be forced to give him some.


    Uncle Gan hummed, not treating the words of the youngster as truth. He paused for a second then said: " I am heading out tomorrow for a big one, you interested?"


    "Where to?" The young man asked.


    Uncle Gan pointed west.


    The young fellow fell silent. Although he did catch dogs and steal cats, and sometimes took jobs from a middle person and had beat some people up, but.he had never done illegal hunting before.


    After he finished a cigarette, the young man threw the cigarette butt onto the floor and trampled on it with the tip of his shoe.


    "Fine! This time let me broaden my horizon with Uncle Gan!"


    Just as he finished speaking, he heard a fellow hurrying out from the shop, his arm dripping with blood.


    "The dogs ran away! The cats as well, we''re done!!!"


    Their shop was a restaurant and did wholesale business as well. Someone came and wanted to buy dogs, so the staff led him to see the dogs. Before he had reached the storeroom he heard that a business''s cats had fled, and was secretly giggling inside, but when he walked to the door and heard strange barking, he became perturbed. When he opened up the door, a big dog ran straight at him, if he didn''t react fast his arm would be gone.


    When the young man heard what the staff said, his heart sank and he immediately ran over to check the situation out. He took two steps and turned to look at Uncle Gan. He hadn''t said a thing, and watched Uncle Gan dragging the dog catching tools from his truck.


    "Let''s go, my hands are itching for a ying, I can lend a hand to you guys. Those bastards are so restless." Uncle Gan''s words were careless, but had a sense of crazy and cruel intention to kill.


    Zheng Tan had no idea what was happening over at the restaurant, he only concentrated on running. However, he had used too much energy while opening the cages and the effects of the drugs hadn''tpletely worn off yet, and soon he felt a wave of tiredness suddenly hit him head on.


    Misfortunes nevere singly.


    The people behind him rode motorcycles and drove cars, catching the dogs and cats that had escaped on the way. It was not only that restaurant, other people on the street had joined the action.


    The desperate cries of dogs, the sound of clubs hitting, they tortured Zheng Tan''s eardrums.


    All Zheng Tan wanted to do right now was to leave this street, this "den of monsters" like ce, but his feet stopped working, his heart no longer in pace. Before he fell down, Zheng Tan almost crawled into a corner.


    This counts as out of the street, but listening the sound of footsteps that ran towards him, Zheng Tan scorned at the uselessness of god in such a situation. After a few deep breaths, he nned to dig into the rubbish pile on the corner to hideout when he recovers, although he was extremely unwilling, nothing was more important than saving his life.


    Just when he crawled up and prepared to dive into the rubbish pile, a white figure appeared at the corner.


    A few young men hads, sacks and iron clubs in their hands, catching the escaped pets along the road. There were no family on the street that kept pets, so any cats and dogs they saw they caught, or they would give it a beating, it didn''t matter if they were dead or alive.


    As they passed the corner, the young men saw a great Pyrenees squatting near the rubbish dump. Despite them catching every dog they set their eyes on, this one they didn''t dare to catch. It was a familiar face, owned by the child of a rich boss, they lived around here and not on this street.


    They took another look at the great Pyrenees that squatted there snaring at them, and left. This big buddy always had poor attitudes to the people on this street.


    After they left, a seventeen or eighteen years old girl rode past on her foldable bicycle, she waved her hands towards here, "Yujian, let''s go!"


    "Woof!"


    The great Pyrenees answered, it looked at Zheng Tan who was shielded inside then followed her in a light jog.


    The numbing sensation was only temporary, after resting for a while, Zheng Tan''s legs regained consciousness. Perhaps it was the effect of the drug, or the aftereffect of it''s usage, but now he felt much better.


    Zheng Tan pondered, he looked at the great Pyrenees that was running into the distance and followed it. He''s currently extremely tired and need a ce to rest his feet. A dog owner''s household probably don''t eat dog meat? And most likely won''t eat cat meat, right? Anyhow it would be much safer than the people around here, as long as he didn''t get caught by the head of the family it would be fine.

 Chapter 54: Heading to the Southern City

    Chapter 54: Heading to the Southern City


    Night.


    Eastern staff residence quarter of Chuhua University.


    Papa Jiao stood at the front door of his own home, he lifted his hands and rubbed his face. Disguising the weariness on his face, he then pulled the keys out and opened the house door.


    The couch in the living room was still empty, there was no longer a ck cat that stretched across, lying there watching the television, happy and content.


    Hearing the sound of opening door, the two children''s doors flung open at almost the same time, but when they saw Papa Jiao''s facial expressions, their eyes dimmed down again.


    It had been a week, but there was still no news.


    The criminal dens for illegal cat and dog trading that got banned in Chuhua city didn''t have the news that they were looking for.


    Bang!


    The two children''s door closed again, they went to finish their homework.


    After knowing that their cat had gone missing, the two children''s eyes became bloated from crying. Even after a week, their eyes were still red and their mood always low.


    "Still no news?" Mama Jiao asked in a hushed tone, she was not in a good emotional state as well.


    Papa Jiao shook his head and didn''t say a word. After a while, he responded: "Wei Ling and Director He are all helping to find him, Mr. Zhao and others also asked their friends to look out for news in this area, it wille soon."


    After finishing his sentence, the bedroom phone rang.


    Papa Jiao stood up to pick up the phone, while the two children in their rooms pressed their ears to the door, hoping to hear some good news.


    However, Papa Jiao didn''t say too much when he answered the phone, the only two sentences were in a quiet voice and didn''t seem to be in a good mood.


    Hanging up, Papa Jiao took a cigarette out and smoked on the balcony.


    Normally Papa Jiao didn''t smoke unless he was in a bad state.


    The person that just called was Wei Ling, he reported the investigations result to Papa Jiao, no sign of his Charcoal, but they found the person that sold the tranquilizer. They traced this thread further, but the purchaser was not a local and was quite sneaky, they couldn''t find out much.


    Although it didn''t have too much useful news, Papa Jiao always had a suspect at heart, he recalled the recent encounter with Professor Ren in the faculty. Professor Ren recently looked somewhat pleased..


    While the people of Chuhua city upied themselves with trying to find any news of Zheng Tan, Zheng Tan nowy on the attic of a vi sleeping.


    That day he followed the great Pyrenees and that girl to a nearby district. The district was high-ended, it had elevators and vis, the house of the great Pyrenees was one of the vis.


    The speed of that girl riding wasn''t really fast, it looked more like taking a spin, often stopping and getting off the bike to buy things. That''s why Zheng Tan could follow hiddenly, but it was quite tiring because of his weariness. He was in an extremely poor state on that day.


    The girl and the great Pyrenees entered from the front gate of the district, but Zheng Tan crawled through from a nearby fence. He made his way towards a vi following the footsteps of a dog and a person, and had found quite a good location ---the attic.


    It was not difficult for a cat to crawl up this type of Americanized vi attic.


    The attic of this house had some knick-knacks piled in there, there were normally not many people that came here. Many ces were covered with cobwebs and dust, initially there were some rats, but after Zheng Tan arrived, they probably rolled up their belongings and left since Zheng Tan had never seen them.


    After all these trouble of finding a temporary ce to stay, Zheng Tan''s tensed nerves began to ease up. He rampaged through the stuff in the attic and found a cushion inside one of the cardboard boxes. Regardless of the moldy smell on cushion, Zheng Tany on it and began to rest.


    Zheng Tan was awoken by the sound of sttering rain.


    The rain hit on the window of the attic, making a ttering sound which resonated clearly in this serene environment.


    Outside, the sky darkened, another day has passed.


    From here, Zheng Tan could see themp posts of this district, the light bouncing from nearby residences and the shadows of people moving about through the window of the attic.


    It''s probably supper time. Zheng Tan sniffed his nose and could only smell the moldy scent that the attic had.


    Zheng Tan knew where this area was, and knew how far Chuhua city was from here.


    One being the central city, the other being a southern coastal city.


    It was because of this knowledge that made his mind nk.


    Xiahe city was not too far from the Southern City, a city where he had lived for twenty years.


    Zheng Tan looked at the raindrops on the window, not sure what he himself was thinking, to be urate, he was in a trance.


    However, the trance didn''tst for too long.


    Ah, his stomach was starving.


    Zheng Tan figured that some timeter when the family were all asleep, he could go down there and look for some food.


    Zheng Tan didn''t want to expose himself. This household kept a dog so they probably don''t eat dog meat, but who knows if they would eat cat meat? And what about the family''s moral character?


    He didn''t want to take risks.


    Zheng Tan took a stretch and flexed out his limbs, pondering about what he should do in the future.


    If he had been a human it would be much better, but unfortunately he was now just a cat.


    Doing nothing was boring, Zheng Tan fumbled through the stuff in the attic and found a small ball, the children''s toy type. It looked like it had been there unmoved for a long time.


    Lying on his back on the cushion, Zheng Tan yed with the ball with his four paws. His front paw gently pushed the ball back then his legs pushing it back again.


    Looking at the moving ball in the air, Zheng Tan felt that he resembled those animals in circuses.


    Speaking of which, how was the Jiao family during his absence, and what about Mr. Guo''s advertisements


    Just like that, Zheng Tan yed with the ball while immersed in his thoughts.


    Theughter of the family travelled to the attic, as well as the sound of ads on the television and a familiar dialect that he hadn''t heard for a long time.


    It was finally midnight, the rain outside might have stopped.


    A window on the nt side of the attic could be pushed open, the family probably didn''t know that there was a broken window in their attic. Nevertheless, even if they knew they probably wouldn''t take it to heart since this window was extremely small, it would be difficult for a seven or eight years old child to climb through, let alone a thief.


    Walking out through that window, Zheng Tan surveyed his surrounding. Due to the recent raining, the environment was damp and moist.


    Zheng Tan took a look at the water stain on his paws and found a ce to climb down from the roof, arriving at where the kitchen was.


    Initially Zheng Tan saw a door opening on the door that allowed pets ess, and was prepared to enter from there, but after a try, he realized that it was locked. Most likely because that great Pyrenees had grown too big, it could still be used when it was younger, but now there was no need, that''s why the family locked the pet door.


    Unable to get through from the door, Zheng Tan could only climb through the window. Luckily, there was a window on the top that was left unclosed, Zheng Tan climbed through that window. Before he climbed through, he intentionally wiped the water stain of his feet off on the door mat at the back door, it''s better not to leave cat paw prints in the kitchen when he''s there.


    There was arge refrigerator in the kitchen, Zheng Tan opened it up to take a look. There weren''t much groceries in there, judging by the family condition of this household, even if they didn''t finish their dinner they would throw it away. Fortunately, there were some pre-made meat balls from the supermarket, Zheng Tan ate a few, half cooked, guess he had to make the best of it.


    The rest were all children''s snacks, some biscuits and pastries etc. Zheng Tan ate some of each, and took some snacks that had individual packaging that he would take to the attic.


    After eating something, Zheng Tan felt much better, although they were cold it was better than suffering the hunger.


    Zheng Tan gently closed the kitchen door, holding some snacks to his chest and quietly left. He had be more proficient in walking on two legs.


    It was a little troublesome when he had to climb out the window, two legs were that useful, so Zheng Tan had to take the snacks out one pack at a time between his teeth.


    Before leaving the kitchen, Zheng Tan looked at the gap under the closed kitchen door, through the crevices he could see some white dog fur -- on the other side of the doory the great Pyrenees. Zheng Tan believed that it had discovered him but didn''t speak out.


    What a great dog.


    The type of dog that grimaces at the dog thieves and would cover for him. Quite smart.


    After foraging, Zheng Tan took the few packs of snacks to the attic and crouched on that cushion that gave off moldy smells. He would have never thought that he would sneakily eat at night like the rats.


    Such a state he was reduced to


    He had a good sleep at night. Zheng Tan didn''t know if it was the effects of the drug that made him sleepytely. Sometimes when he was deep in sleep, he wouldn''t hear anything even if someone was having sex next to him.


    The next day, Zheng Tan heard some news.


    To Zheng Tan, that news was not bad.


    First, he heard that there was a death on that street that sold cat and dog meat.


    The deceased person was Uncle Gan, a famous person to the entire street. The cause of death was the outbreak of rabies.


    It was very strange how an experienced figure like him didn''t have a vine, or, didn''t have a vine in time. ording to reason, he should be more knowledgeable than others on how to protect himself, but in the end he didn''t escape this fate.


    Zheng Tan heard the person around him discussing many possibilities, it could be the problem of the vine, maybe this expert became careless, maybe that he had already contracted it earlier on but didn''t have the vine, or maybe that it was because he ate dog meat. Since the sanitary condition of the street wasn''t too good, they always did shoddy work and used inferior material, they weren''t able topletely kill off the rabies virus. All these were possible.


    Anyhow everyone had a view on the matter, but the truth was that this notorious Uncle Gan died of rabies.


    Other than this famous Uncle Gan, there was another person who had a bad luck, that person was the young man that had kidnapped Zheng Tan.


    It was said that the young man went to look for Uncle Gun when he was morbid, which resulted in him being struck with a beer bottle across his head by the unfit Uncle Gan. He was now lying inside a hospital.


    Hearing that news, Zheng Tan felt an easiness in his heart. Although he didn''t know this Uncle Gan, but judging by the discussions from people around him, there were countless dog lives that were lost by this old man''s hand and he had taught a bunch of dog-stealing, cat-kidnapping people, he even hunted illegally, it was a deserving death.


    Furthermore, due to the matter of Uncle Gan, everyone on the street was worrying about their own life. Even those whose restaurant didn''t kill dogs all went to the hospital and had the vine, after all any animal could carry rabies bacteria.


    As to that young man, Zheng Tan thought: even if youe out of the hospital alive, don''t let me see you again, otherwise I will kill you with a painful death.


    Zheng Tan will remember this vengeance forever.


    Other than that news, Zheng Tan also overheard that this family was going on a road trip this weekend. By then there would be no one in the house, making it convenient for Zheng Tan to act.


    Zheng Tan wanted to pass a message to Papa Jiao using this family''s phone, despite being unable to express what he wanted, at least he would let them know that he was still alive.


    Zheng Tan had it all nned out, call the Jiaos to notify them, then Papa Jiao would contact this family ande and get him in the end. Since the family returns on Sunday night, he didn''t need to wait for too long, it was better than him being homeless.


    Two dayster, on a Friday afternoon, just as he anticipated the family packed their stuff and waited until the kids return home from school, then they drove away with their family members and the dog.


    Zheng Tan couldn''t wait any longer, climbing into the window immediately after they left and started looking for the phone.


    There was andline next to the sofa in the living room, Zheng Tan jumped up. His arm bent as he fished the receiver up , then he lifted his cat paw and dialed the numbers one by one. Zheng Tan could remember the number of the Jiao''s, the three numbers were stuck on the walls in both Jiao Yuan and Youzi''s room, thendline at home, Papa Jiao''s and Mama Jiao''s. That''s why Zheng Tan could remember the numbers off by heart, but up until now, Zheng Tan only called once to Papa Jiao when Mama Jiao was ill.


    Zheng Tan became stressed as he entered the numbers, but when he finish pressing the numbers, that never-changing voice in the receiver continue to repeat with the same tone "The number you dialed does not exist", Zheng Tan was dumbstruck.


    Redial, same result.


    Did the Jiao family''sndline change number?


    Zheng Tan dialed Papa Jiao''s phone number again, didn''t go through, tried Mama Jiao''s, didn''t go through either.


    Sh*t!


    Does thisndline have a problem?!


    Can''t dial interstate?


    That''s not right, he heard the owner of the house calling someone overseas yesterday, how could it lock interstate calls?!


    Zheng Tan was unwilling to give up, he tried again but it was the same result.


    It made Zheng Tan so angry that he wanted to throw the phone.


    He regretted not memorizing other people''s numbers from Chuhua city, Zheng Tan squatted on the sofa, lifting his paws and scratched his head. If he had known he would have remembered more numbers, and tried them all out.


    Wei Ling''s, Yixin''s dorm''s, Zhao Le''s, Zhuo''s, Tiger''s, Fatty''s, Lan''s, Qu Xiangyang''s Zheng Tan didn''t know any of those people''s numbers.


    Last time Wei Ling even told him his new mobile number, unfortunately Zheng Tan forgot it as soon as he heard it.


    F*ck!


    He regretted not doing so!!


    The sound of ripping fabric sounds, Zheng Tan retraced himself and looked at the sofa beneath him. He has identally torn this fabric sofa.


    Hopefully the family wouldn''t link this to a cat.


    Zheng Tan tugged his ears, jumped off the sofa and looked for something in the kitchen to fill his stomach, he even drank a bottle of milk which he found.


    In spite of being full, there was still a chill in Zheng Tan''s heart.


    The night fell, a giant vi all silent.


    Zheng Tan didn''t like this deste silence, his tail swung with great force beating the floor with each swing.


    The nearby residence''s vehicle drove by, change in light sources, the shadow cast by the window frame moved along the living room wall.


    Beep beep--


    That family even pressed their horns twice when they arrived home, he could slightly hear theirughter outside of the house.


    Shut up!


    Zheng Tan sat up in agitation and climbed out the window. Under the disguise of the night, Zheng Tan could also prevent himself from being caught.


    Uncle Gan''s incident made the people on this street much more well behaved, besides it''s outside the perimeter of that street and there was no one out here catching cats.


    Zheng Tan wandered aimlessly,ing to the border of the district and crawled through the gap in the fence.


    He didn''t walk for too far, when he was walking past a fast-food restaurant, Zheng Tan''s attention was attracted by the two people''s conversation over there.


    "All right, I need to go and deal with something, wait till I return from the Southern City then I will visit you again." The guy in the vest said to the other person.


    "Be careful when you''re driving at night, call me when you get to the Southern City."


    "Got it."


    The guy in the vest waved and said farewell to that person, then flung his keys and headed to the parking lot. He entered an ute.


    The Southern City?


    Zheng Tan hurried over and jumped into the cargo of the ute.


    Other than the suitcases and a few bags that the man in the vest threw in, there was nothing else in the cargo, it was still spacious.


    Zheng Tan raised his body, leaned against the cargo box of the ute and looked out, then he found a ce that could block the window to rest his eyes.


    Just as he was about to fall asleep, Zheng Tan suddenly recalled something, judging by the time, if that self who was still studying at the Southern City did exist, he would be around the same age as Jiao Yuan that rascal?!

 Chapter 55: Buddy, hand me the cat tag!

    Chapter 55: Buddy, hand me the cat tag!


    Speaking of the Southern City, people would usually recall it''s almost legendary development speed.


    This international metropolis had always attracted many people who had hopes and dreams.


    This year, the opening of the subway, the medium and small enterprises entering the market, and the rise of strength amongst the people and other things all pushed the development of the Southern City further.


    People wearing suits and carrying briefcases rushed by on the street, youngsters wearing fashionable clothing began to advocate their personality through their appearances.


    Sitting inside the trunk of the ute, Zheng Tan looked up at the high rising skyscrapers.


    The architecture of these backwardndmarks opened up many doors in Zheng Tan''s memories. Suddenly seeing these, Zheng Tan became a little delirious not knowing which year this was.


    The sunlight was a little ring, but the weather was warm. If he was in a quite safe environment, then Zheng Tan wouldn''t taking a nap. Unfortunately, this wasn''t one.


    Zheng Tan was extremely familiar with this city, other than the entertainment that he frequented, he also drove to other ces. Back then he liked to wander around with a girl in his arms when he didn''t have things to do, that''s why he remembered these ces.


    However, since there were some time differences, this city changes by the year butpared to it''s appearance many yearster, it seemed young but nheless lively.


    The bus stops and road signs constantly informed Zheng Tan of the direction that the car was traveling to and the routes it was taking.


    The ute traveled to the city center which Zheng Tan was d to see, however the happiness didn''tst for long before the ute drove into a district.


    The district was not the grandest in the Southern City, and it''s size was notparably big.


    After the ute was parked, Zheng Tan immediately jumped off and didn''t let the driver discover him.


    After jumping off the car, Zheng Tan first found a ce to hide. He didn''t know what the attitude of the Southern City was on treating stray cats at this time, if they saw a stray on the streets would they catch it straightaway? If he was really captured as a stray, Zheng Tan was not so sure that he could escape so smoothly every time.


    It was almost near mid-day, the temperature was around twenty something degrees, a little warmer than Chuhua city.


    Zheng Tan hid in a corner, moving his nose he sniffed an odor on himself, his body was also itchy, he didn''t know if it was a nits infestation. Being locked with other cats in the same cage, that many cats in the same room, the likeliness of contracting nits were high.


    That''s a really troublesome issue!


    He hadn''t taken a bath since he had been caught, his body was covered with dust and he probably had some blood clotted in his fur. There was a lot of half-dried or died blood stains on the shelf when he opened the dog cages, Zheng Tan unavoidably got some on himself, the smell lingered even till now. Nevertheless, on the positive side, the stain on his fur color was not too visible, so he didn''t look like he was in a really bad state. If it was white fur then things would be moreplicated, it would be difficult to clean without shower gels, so Zheng Tan was quite thankful that his fur waspletely ck.


    Zheng Tan never licked his own fur, now that no one could help him boil hot water and brush his fur he needed to find a way to solve it himself. To make himself look not like a stray he needed to keep himself clean and his fur straight.


    Zheng Tan searched around the district and in the end settled with a man-made pond, that had some small fishes like Koi. The pond probably had people who cleaned it frequently, the water was considerably clean and the garden rockeries were well organised.


    Taking the opportunity that there were not many people wandering outside at noon, Zheng Tan dived into the pool and swam ap. Leaning against the rockeries he rubbed off the dirty blocks on his fur and smoothed out the knots. After rubbing, Zheng Tan yed with the fish for a while, chasing them everywhere in the pond. However, Zheng Tan was not interested in raw fish and wouldn''t eat them.


    Feeling that he was clean, Zheng Tan came out of the pond and shook his fur to dry the water on himself. Sometimes Zheng Tan wondered, why do cats lick their own fur when they''re wet but dogs would shake their fur with all their might or rub themselves against the ground, especially the dogs with long fur. Sahara from the eastern courtyard used to this, rubbing himself everywhere when he finish bathing, so it''s owner had to chain him every time he washes him.


    Zheng Tan''s fur wasn''t long, so even if he shook he couldn''t get too much water out, when the wind blew at him it felt a little cold. He can''t get sick now, it he was sick then he would probably be treated like a gue and thrown away or disposed of using other methods. Looking around, Zheng Tan saw a household on the first floor had hung their towels on their balcony, he ran over and fished one with his ws then wiped his fur using the towel. Zheng Tan was already skilled in doing these things.


    Without shower gel and the poor water quality of the pond, he wasn''t able to wash himself clean but he had to make do, it was better than not washing at all. Besides, Zheng Tan felt more refreshed after the bath.


    To make his fur dry faster, Zheng Tan hopped onto a tree and found a sunny ce to bask his fur.


    The district was fairly tranquil with an asional bark that could be heard, the greening wasn''t bad either, though it was not asfortable as the eastern courtyard in Chuhua University.


    Zheng Tan had developed a habit,paring everywhere with the eastern courtyard.


    Yawning, Zheng Tan changed his posture, his fur was almost dry, but the fur on his stomach wasn''t yet, so hey on his side and continued sunbathing on a different angle.


    He missed the children''s blow-dryer at the Jiaos'' home dearly.


    Zheng Tan closed his eyes and rested, his ears protruding into the air. He must constantly remain alert, otherwise he would be set up again. With the previous experience of being caught, Zheng Tan didn''t dare to be careless at anytime, let alone in apletely unfamiliar environment.


    Once in a while somebody walked past near him, as long as they didn''t walk towards here, Zheng Tan wouldn''t run away. He tried to conserve his energy, since these were not the days where he could just go home and open up the fridge when he was hungry.


    Quiet footsteps sounded, or to say, it was only the sound of feet rubbing against the grass when moving. Zheng Tan''s ears moved, this wasn''t human, it wasn''t a dog either, Zheng Tan knew the sound of dog paws walking on the ground, so it was of the same kind.


    Zheng Tan opened his eyes and looked over, a white Persian cat strode over in elegant steps towards him.


    Many peoples said that Persian cats was born with a pampered look, giving people a magnificent and noble feeling, like an aristocrat, nothing that native cats canpete with.


    Zheng Tan didn''t care if it was aristocratic or not, in that moment he stared at the cat tag on the Persian cat''s neck. The tip of his tail swung in the air, it sounds like a good n


    Even if his fur was clean, it still offered him no security, that was not the fastest way that people in the metropolis differentiated between domesticated cats and strays. Cat tags were like people''s ID cards, in cities like this they yed arge role and could sometimes change the attitude of passer-by towards you.


    With a cat tag, it proves that the owner attached great importance to the cat and also tells people that this cat has someone backing it.


    To breakaway from the stray cat impression, Zheng Tan must start from a cat tag, since he didn''t have an exotic cat appearance, it would only take two rolls and some dust on him, to make people think that he was a stray.


    That Persian cat didn''t know Zheng Tan''s thoughts, didn''t feel Zheng Tan''s existence and definitely didn''t know that someone was having ideas about it''s cat tag. It continued to stride it''s elegant steps towards therge trees, walked over and rubbed against the trees, sharpened it''s ws, took a piss, and circled out it''s territory. No matter how elegant a cat was, it still cannot escape some natural instincts.


    Zheng Tan was no longerying down, he quietly shifted over from the branches and waited there.


    That elegant Persian cat was still immersed in it''s own little world, after it had finished circling ground it probably nned to go to the pond over there and look at the fishes. Just as it curved it''s tail and walked past the tree that Zheng Tan was sheltering on, Zheng Tan caught that opportunity and jumped over.


    When he was at the eastern courtyard, Zheng Tan watched Tiger, Sheriff and others y around and fighting. He knew that cats used those techniques most frequently, either scratch, using the force of whipping a spinning top to swing ps, or hug the opponent tight and bite at it, thennding a series of kicks with their legs.


    Therefore, to prevent these situations from happening, after Zheng Tan jumped over, he rode on it''s back and didn''t give this Persian cat an opportunity to get up.


    The Persian cat struggled with all it''s might, making angry sounds of "meow" but it was nopetitor for Zheng Tan''s strength.


    Zheng Tan pressed it against the ground while freeing a w to untie the cat cor around it''s neck.


    The cat cor was made of leather, the type that buckled up like a belt. It wasn''t the stic one that Zheng Tan had worn before, even the cat tag was the colour of rose gold, metallically engraved.


    To hold a cat down and in the same time not causing any internal injuries or broken bones, was indeed difficult to control his forces applied, especially with the long and thick fur of this cat. The arm that he pressed easily slips, Zheng Tan wasted quite a lot of energy. Just as he had expected, human hands were much easier to press a cat, cat ws were no where as agile as hands. He was almost flipped over and scratched by this cat several times when loosening the cor.


    This cat looked quite mild tempered, but when it was restrained it was extremely irritable.


    "Meow---" The Persian cat pressed against the ground bellowed, as if it was about to immediately scratch at Zheng Tan, it''s voice was filled with anger.


    ''To hell with your meow! I am just borrowing your cat tag for some use! y nice and hand me the tag and you will be fine.''


    With that grand appearance, no one would consider it a stray even without a cat tag, besides it''s owner will definitely get it a new one after this one was lost.


    To ensure his safety, Zheng Tan could only rob this buddy.


    "Huh, what''re those two cats doing? Fighting?" A little girl''s voice traveled from not far from here.


    Zheng Tan nced over there, there were two little children, not as big as Jiao Yuan. The girl that just spoke was around the same age as Youzi. There was a pond between them and where Zheng Tan was at, so Zheng Tan wasn''t worried about them running over straightaway.


    Beside the little girl stood a boy around ten years old, he saw the situation over by Zheng Tan''s side and immediately covered the girl''s eyes, "Oh my god, under broad daylight, shameful!"


    Zheng Tan: ""


    Shame your ass!


    What was that brat thinking?!


    After watching the two kids run into the distance, Zheng Tan continued to battle with the cor.


    After finally untying the cor on this Persian''s neck with some difficulty, Zheng Tan gripped the cat cor and retreated. However, the Persian cat didn''t attack Zheng Tan when it got up, arching it''s back and it looked at Zheng Tan cautiously then ran off, probably seeking somefort back home.


    Taking the cor in his mouth, Zheng Tan climbed onto the tree. He adjusted the tightness and made sure that he could take it off at any time, this way it looked a little looser. The shiny cat tag against ck fur was too obtrusive, but it was better than nothing.


    Bending his ws, Zheng Tan hooked up the cat tag and took a look, on it engraved that Persian cat''s name.


    "Katy?"


    This name is so freaking high-end fancy, but the problem was isn''t it odd to name their male cat with that name? Zheng Tan felt that "Caesar" was much more domineering.


    Who cares, guess he had to make do.


    After adjusting the cor, Zheng Tan didn''t put it on straightaway, instead he hid it somewhere then walked around the district. He found a household and climbed in to "obtain" some food to eat.


    There was only one person living in that house and was taking a nap, Zheng Tan didn''t disturb that person. He came out after he was full, wearing the cat cor around his neck he walked out of the district.

 Chapter 56: Zheng Tan, you are such an idiot!

    Chapter 56: Zheng Tan, you are such an idiot!


    Exiting the district, Zheng Tan prepared to hitch a ride.


    When he decided toe to this city, Zheng Tan had thought it over.


    Zheng Tan rarely rode on the bus, when he was too young to drive he would hail a taxi every time he went out and not squash in the bus with other people. It was because of this Zheng Tan left the impression of a rich dandy, of course, the title of "rich dandy" also had a "pig in a poke" following it.


    Following the footpath, Zheng Tan arrived at a bus stop.


    Some young girls who were waiting for the bus saw Zheng Tan, they even squatted down and yed with him. People around them just smiled and didn''tment too much.


    That was the advantage of wearing a cat tag. To many people, wearing a cat tag and having clean fur meant that the cat before them had been vinated and was a well raised domesticated cat instead of a stray that possibly carried some virus. That''s why even if they didn''t like cats they wouldn''t give it the cold shoulder. If it had been an ordinary cat and didn''t wear a cat tag, no matter how friendly it appears to be, people will reject it.


    Zheng Tan didn''t immediately pull a long face at these young girls and leave, he cooperatively walked up and rubbed against them. He was happy to be touched by girls, if they took out some dangles on their keychain, Zheng Tan would even pretend to be interested and y with them a few times to earn a favorable impression.


    While he was pretending, Zheng Tan also took note of the bus routes and stops at the bus stop. He wasn''t familiar with many of the stops but some iconic monuments and locations he knew very well.


    It wasn''t convenient for him to act during the day, so he could only wait until night time to hitch a ride.


    After getting an approximate idea of the routes, Zheng Tan found a ce to hang out, waiting for nightfall.


    It''s not possible to hitch a ride on that kind of ute every time, and not every ute and truck traveled the same route that Zheng Tan nned out, that''s why Zheng Tan decided to hitch a ride on the bus.


    Double-deckers and trams are out of the question, to prevent any idents, Zheng Tan chose the mostmon single deck bus.


    The sky finally darkened, Zheng Tan''s chest felt stuffy just from looking at those crowded buses, luckily he didn''t need to push into them.


    He waited until the bus that heads to the route he wanted drove into the stop, before the door opened, Zheng Tan elerated and sprinted over there, then jumped onto the top of the bus. It was quite noisy inside the bus, no one heard that noise from the roof.


    "What happened just then?!" A passenger near the window saw a ck shadow sh across the corner of his eyes.


    "What do you mean what happened?"


    "Nothing, I am probably seeing things. I''m going to take a snooze, wake me up when we arrive at the stop." That person leaned against the window when he finished and began to doze off.


    Zheng Tan who had jumped onto the roof was quite surprised, initially he thought he would step on a window or something else as a jumping tform when he leaped. He didn''t anticipate that when he dashed towards the train he would suddenly get a strong sense of confidence to be able to leap on without any help, and then he was already on the top of the bus.


    He moved his feet and didn''t feel any difort.


    Hiss--


    The passengers finished boarding and getting off, the bus door closed and began to drive.


    Zheng Tan quickly ran over and hooked onto the bulge on the sunroof of the bus. The top of the bus was quite smooth, when the bus picked up in speed, any sudden turns or stops Zheng Tan would probably be swung out, that''s why he needed to tightly hook onto fixed object to secure himself.


    Probably no one would have guessed that on top of this ordinary busy a cat.


    Zheng Tan couldn''t identify where the bus was at, he had to pay attention to the announcements on the bus every time they arrived at a stop.


    Zheng Tan only wanted to ride a section of this bus''s route, so when he reached a certain station, Zheng Tan needed to get off and hitch rides on buses traveling different routes.


    Some buses ceased work after sometime around nine in the night while some operated throughout the night. Every time he changed buses, Zheng Tan needed to see when the bus that he was about to ride stop operating. Preferably he would chose those that operate the entire night, that way he didn''t need to worry about the bus noting.


    Riding on buses was extremely troublesome, but to reach the destination, Zheng Tan had to endure this trouble again and again. After these changes, Zheng Tan was getting closer and closer to the destination at heart.


    While he was waiting at one of the stops in the middle of his route, Zheng Tan suddenly heard someone calling him.


    "Hey, Zheng Tan, wait up!"


    It was a child''s voice, Zheng Tan couldn''t recall who it was.


    Zheng Tan looked towards the direction where the voice came from, but he only saw the backs of a few children boarding a taxi. The light beams cross in the darkness of the night, he couldn''t get a clear view.


    There were video arcades around this stop, Zheng Tan remembereding here when he was younger. When his interests arose, he would skip sses ande here, sometimes he would spend an entire day ying. Although some ces forbade people who were under eighteen from enter, but that was only on the surface, as long as you were willing to spend some money there will naturally be ces for you to y around.


    The taxi drove off into the distance, traveling in the same direction as Zheng Tan''s n. However, Zheng Tan wasn''t able to see the passengers'' face in the car, he could barely make out that they were a few children.


    Zheng Tan suddenly became a little anxious, when the bus suddenly started up Zheng Tan almost lost his grip and fell off.


    When he got off at the stop, Zheng Tan squatted not too far from the tform and looked to the route guides on the stop sign. This was thest change he needed to make, when this route''s bus arrives after seven or eight stops he would be close to the destination. The name of thest stop on that route was the name of the district that Zheng Tan had lived in, very easy to identify.


    Just as he was deep in his thoughts, Zheng Tan suddenly became rmed and leapt to the side. On the ce where he was just squatting, a rubber bullet hit, then bounced off and disappeared.


    After experiencing the kidnap, Zheng Tan had became much more aware of his surrounding, his senses on nearby danger also sharpened, that''s why he could rapidly avoid the oing rubber bullet.


    Zheng Tan had yed with this type of rubber bullet before, all kids liked this toy, even Jiao Yuan had one.


    He turned his head and looked over. Zheng Tan saw some young men sitting on the railing, they look drunk, probably saw a cat on the street side and shot at it with the toy gun on a whim.


    They liked to y shooter games, they had yed games like rubber bullets, outdoor paintball and others. They had just won the toy gun in their hands when they were ying shooting games in the club. Although they turned their nose up at these children''s toys, they asionally killed time with it. Even after drinking alcohol, they were still quite confident in their shooting skills. Originally they expected to hear the cries of the cat, they didn''t think that the cat would able to dodge it.


    So they got their spirits up , stood up and headed towards Zheng Tan.


    Sh*t!


    Zheng Tan silently cursed in his heart, so freaking unlucky!


    The young men held their toy gun, chased after Zheng Tan while yelling at him like maniacs. One after another, the soft rubber bullets shot out.


    Zheng Tan didn''t want to ran too far, he wanted to wait for thest bus, but the maniacs behind him were following him closely. Zheng Tan looked for good ces to hide around him as he ran.


    Around the corner a van was parked with the door of the trunk left open. Zheng Tan immediately ran over and found a ce to hide.


    The driver of the van rested his arm against the car window, a cigarette between his fingers. He spoke to the person standing outside the car and didn''t have a clue that there was a cat in his car.


    There was no one in the van other than the driver, even the seats had some products on them, small household appliances like colored television, there were some piled in the baggage areas as well. The rest were daily necessities like toothpastes, shower gels, shampoos etc. Zheng Tan hid behind this merchandise, through the gap he peeped outside and watched the crazy youngsters run over.


    "Where did that cat go?" On of the young man said while tampering with his hair.


    Nearby were mostly shopping malls, after turning into the corner, there were only trees on each side of the road, no bushes or flower beds.


    "Did it climb up a tree?" Another youngster said while looking at the trees around him.


    The person that first shot at Zheng Tan examined around and walked over to the van.


    Zheng Tan ducked behind, lowered his body and tried to conceal himself.


    However, just as the young man walked closer and closer, anther person came to the back of the van. This person was the one that was just talking to the driver, he lifted his hand and dragged the trunk lid down.


    Bang!


    The trunk of the van closed.


    Zheng Tan: ""


    He turned around, the driver had already finished smoking. He closed his car window, destroying Zheng Tan''s hope of running out from the window.


    Sh*t!


    Destiny is full of wrong timing and bad luck, one may suffer many setbacks and misfortunes during their life.


    No number of beautiful girls was enough to pacify the galloping alpacas in Zheng Tan''s heart.


    Zheng Tan really wanted to howl: F*ck, let me out!


    However, what responded to Zheng Tan was the rumbling sounds of the engine.


    It was as if there was a pair of invisible hands, separating you every time you reach your objective.


    Unable to revolt.


    Twice he had been that close, but he had got the same result.


    Fate?


    Zheng Tan didn''t know.


    The driver yed some reminiscing ssics inside the car, Zheng Tan had heard that bitchy bird "General" sang many of these songs. This in addition to theplex feeling that Zheng Tan was feeling made him want to hit his head against the wall.


    There was no wall, so Zheng Tan hit the backseat instead.


    The music was too loud inside the car, the driver was drowned in self-enchantment and hummed along, couldn''t hear the strange noises from the back of the car.


    After a while, the driver''s phone rang, he turned the music down and picked up the phone.


    Zheng Tan really want toment that talking over the phone while driving was dangerous, although he used to frequently do these things as well, sometimes driving under the influence of alcohol was a normal thing. Zheng Tan truly felt that he was lucky to have grown up and lived through all these years safely.


    "OkayI will call him when it''s timeYes, I know, call thendline Oh, by the way what''s the area code at that end of the capital 010OkayI got it"


    The driver cheerfully answered the call, but Zheng Tan suddenly had the feeling of sinking into mud then struck by lightning.


    Area code?


    Hell, he didn''t add the area code when he dialedst time.


    As to mobile phone, calling interstate probably needed to add a 0 before the number?


    Zheng Tan, you are such an idiot!


    After not touching a phone for a long time, he couldn''t even remember this basic knowledge!


    Zheng Tan wanted to p himself hard, his mind short-wiring at such an important moment! He really didn''t think that his brain would short-circuit that badly during that moment. An opportunity within his reach had slipped away just like that, he had suffered all this for nothing, his current situation was even more unpredictable.


    If Papa Jiao knew, then he would seriously condemn himself for not teaching his own cat the technique of calling interstate.


    Zheng Tany on a cardboard box, recalling his self that was dialing on the phone. His head wasn''t too clear back then, and wasn''t too rational, it must have been the side-effect of the drug, yes, and the telmunication operator''s fault as well! Even if they can''t recognize interstate numbers they needed to at least give some hints!


    No matter what, he had lost that opportunity and there was no way of rectifying the issue.


    ''What should I do now?"


    Zheng Tan was vexed.


    How about knock the driver out and jump off the car?


    Zheng Tan peeked outside the window at the shing streetlight. He estimated the speed that the car was traveling, then at the vehicles that were driving to and fro outside. The danger was not minor, a little incautious action can cause a car ident.


    Never mind, he will find an opportunity to call when they arrive at the driver''s house. Since he had found where the problem was, he wasn''t afraid that it couldn''t be solved anymore.


    Zheng Tan continued to have an optimistic mindset, nning out future actions.


    However, when the car finally stopped, Zheng Tan took the chance while the driver was lifting cargo to run out of the van. He was shocked by the forests and farnds that filled his sight.


    ''Where the f*ck is this!"

 Chapter 57: How many legs does a cat walk with?

    Chapter 57: How many legs does a cat walk with?


    The sun had already begun to brighten when Zheng Tan got off from the car.


    Due to pondering too deep into things, Zheng tan didn''t take notice of how far this van had actually traveled, he never even anticipated that he would be this unfortunate.


    He just so happened to ride on a car that drove out of the city. He didn''t even know if this ce was still inside the Southern City, but judging by the time psed, he''s probably far beyond the perimeters of the Southern City.


    Lengthy forests extending towards the farnds where the sky and the horizon met entered his sight.


    It was a country state but cannot be considered to be in poverty, the buildings of the residents were all quite modernistic,only a few kept the traditional tiled roof.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know where this ce was on the map, but judging by the fact that most residences were either two or three floored, Zheng Tan was d to know that these people''s state was not to bad . This way it would make it easier for him to look for a phone, if he had been in a ce of extreme poverty, it would be impossible to find a telephone.


    Zheng Tan noted down the address of the van driver''s house, if the driver drove out again he could have the chance of hitching a ride again. Afterwards, Zheng Tan nned to walk about first, familiarizing himself with thendscape and this foreign environment. To wait for an opportunity, he needed to safely spend the oing waiting time.


    He need to find out which households were easier to get his hands on, more convenient to find fooding, and which viger''s house has a telephone and whether it will be easy to find an opportunity to make a call. Most important of all was to find himself a safe location to stay.


    As to safety, Zheng Tan was much more inclined to taller branches. Perhaps because the climate in this ce during this season was much warmer than the central regions, there were many flourishing arbours, giving Zheng Tan an advantage to hide himself.


    Zheng Tan encountered some mutts and cats that were ying with insects outside during his walk around the vige, they were all allowed to wander outside. Seeing that they were casually sauntering about, Zheng Tan became at ease. Being able to see these animals wandering outside meant that there were no one out here kidnapping cats and dogs.


    Zheng Tan picked a tall Pagoda tree that had green branches and a full shade as his hideout during sunny days, Zheng Tan hopped up and tried it out. Overall he was quite pleased, he chose a branch andy down, surveying his surrounding.


    From here he was able to see the situation over by the vige but at the same time wasn''t too close to it, that way he wouldnt'' be harassed by some vigers.


    Near the Pagoda tree was a tangerine orchard with two native dogs chained inside. Zheng Tan watched a cat enter the orchard in front of the two dogs, the two dogs only gave it a look and didn''t react, probably because they knew each other, and didn''t even bother to call out.


    A ck butterfly flew past the pagoda tree and into the orchard, dancing between tangerine trees.


    Zheng Tan remembered that this was a type of swallowtail butterfly, Zheng Tan saw a simr type in Lan''s flower nursery. Thest swallowtail that flew into the parterre was made into a specimen by Lan. At the time there were also a few students present, Zheng Tan heard them discussing, saying that in some ces these swallowtails were the butterfly lovers from the legends.


    These butterflies were unique, as the Liang Zhu butterfly, these kind of butterflies were sexually dimorphic. The so-called sexual dimorphism meant that there was a disparaging difference between the female and male individuals, allowing people to identify their sex through these differences.


    Liang Shan Bo and Zhu Ying Tai, a man and a women plus their connection with a mythical story, people believed that even when they turned into butterflies there will still be differences. On the contrary, some like the lime swallowtail in the butterfly species, due to the simr colours of female and male swallowtails, were difficult to distinguish and therefore not promoted as the Liang Zhu butterflies.


    Zheng Tan looked at the patterns on this particr swallowtail''s wing, it appeared to be a female butterfly, so it was "Zhu Ying Tai"?


    Zheng Tan was admiring "Zhu Ying Tai" when suddenly the cat that had entered the orchard jumped over from one of the tangerine trees. With a sh of a w, it pped the butterfly down and continued to p for a few more times. It yed with it between it''s paws, then ate it.


    Zheng Tan: ""


    Not sure how those people who narrated this story with great voice and emotion would feel after seeing this scene.


    After Liang Shan Bo turned into butterflies with Zhu Ying Tai and flew away together, they were eaten by a cat? Those people who heard this cruel version of the story will probably have the same facial expression as when they were constipating.


    Yawning, Zheng Tan narrowed his eyes and began to snooze. He had no choice, if he was to take action, he must wait till night time.


    Zheng Tan dreamt in his sleep, he dreamt of the time during the new year''s celebration at Jiaos'' home. He recalled on that day Zheng Tan and the two children sat on the couch and watched television; "Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco" was on the screen. That time Jiao Yuan even said, "Charcoal, you must remember the way home. If you got lost and we couldn''t find you, can youe home by yourself?"


    Stay at the Southern City or find a way back to Chuhua city, Zheng Tan''s heart was in conflict due to this question, but in the end he decided to return to Chuhua city. After all cat life was different to human life, being able to find a nice family was extremely difficult, besides Zheng Tan had already began to miss the eastern courtyard.


    He continued to wait until nightfall, Zheng Tan leapt down from the Pagoda tree and headed to the house of the vigers.


    This family ate their supper early and slept early as well, saving Zheng Tan from waiting too long.


    He found a few households, raked up some food to eat. It wasn''t too delicious but he had to make do. After he finished eating he went around looking for phones, finding a telephone was a matter of some difficulty.


    People over here liked to put their telephone in the bedroom as well, they even ced it next to the bed. This meant that the phone will be guarded throughout the night. Zheng Tan tried many households and they were the same situation. Granted these vigers were asleep at night, but Zheng Tan still wouldn''t dare to immediately make a call. The telephone was on their bedside, it would easily awake them.


    Zheng Tan definitely don''t want to be treated like a monster by the people, so he had no choice but to continue his search to see if there were any residences that were easier to put his hands.


    Zheng Tan wouldn''t pick those houses with dogs, those dogs didn''t know Zheng Tan, they barked at him at first sight. There was nothing that Zheng Tan could do about this, but it just so happens that most vigers kept dogs at their house, narrowing the range that Zheng Tan could choose from.


    On the positive side, Zheng Tan did find a pretty good residence in the end, and coincidentally it was the household of the van driver.


    While he was hiding in the dark he heard some vigers discussing somethings, only then did Zheng Tan know that the younger brother of the van driver nned to marry. For the past few days he had some matter to take care of over by the Southern City, so he bought some rted items on the way as well as helping to bring some appliances back.


    The wedding was on the day after tomorrow. That household had a big yard for them to hold the wedding feast in open air, but the kitchen wasn''t big enough so they had to cook in the yard. By now most people in their house were busily working in the yard, when it became dark at night they turned on the light and continued their work.


    This way, there were no one in the rooms, what''s even better was that they didn''t have a dog, it made Zheng Tan rather satisfied.


    The elderlies lived on the first floor, the phone wasn''t in there and there was nothing in the hall, Zheng Tan didn''t spare another look.


    Next to the two story house was another makeshift shed for parking the car, Zheng Tan used this car shed to climb into the second floor.


    There was indeed a phone in the second floor bedroom, like other households, thendline telephone was ced on the bedside table. Zheng Tan observed around, there was in fact no adults on the second floor, they all went to the yard to lend a hand. In the room next door was a small little girl, appeared to be around the age of kindergarten, shey on the foam board covered floor reading a book.


    As long as there were no adults it was fine, even if he was seen by these kind of young children who don''t even know how to count Zheng Tan couldn''t care less, adults never take children''s words seriously.


    Zheng Tan jumped in from the window, dashed excitedly for the phone, he hopped onto the bedside table, scooped up the receiver and dialed the number that he could remember by heart. Of course, this time he didn''t forgot to add a 0 in front of the mobile phone number, as to thendline number, Zheng Tan couldn''t quite recall what the area code for Chuhua city was, so the number that he was calling was Papa Jiao''s mobile phone.


    The Jiaos were probably home at that time, right? Papa Jiao should be at home as well.


    Zheng Tan waited joyfully after he finished dialing the number, however, his mood suddenly darkened when he heard the tone from the speaker.


    Sh*t! Thisndline didn''t even unlock interstate calls!


    He needed to find a key to unlock!


    Where could he find such a key?!


    Zheng Tan searched the drawer, but the keys that were used to unlock interstate calls onndline phones were nowhere to be found. He became puzzled, was it necessary to lock the interstate calls on thisndline phone? Weren''t these ces suppose to frequently make interstate calls?


    Discouraged, Zheng Tan ced the receiver back and squatted there pondering. Not every phone in these vigers'' houses were locked, should he tried them all out? However, the best solution was to steal that driver''s phone or anyone else''s phone, at least mobile phones won''t be asplex asndlines.


    He looked around the bedroom, because of the joyous event that their family was having, there was a lot of stuff such as candies and other snacks on the table, probably to treat the guests.


    Zheng Tan fumbled a pack of beef jerky and dried shredded squid out of a big bag, after he took them out he zipped the bag again, then jumped onto the windowsill and nned to leave with two packs of snacks in his arms.


    While he was standing by the window, Zheng Tan used the posture of holding the snacks in his arms and stood on two legs on the windowsill, prepared to jump down. Before he did, Zheng Tan felt someone looked towards this side, he turned and nced over.


    The girl that was reading a picture book next door was hiding outside the door of this bedroom and looking at him. She didn''t call out, her eyes were filled with curiosity.


    Zheng Tan paused, then taking no heed of her, he jumped of the windowsill straightaway. It wasn''t that convenient to jump with two legs, but during the time of looking for telephone it worked fine when he tried. Zheng Tan was willing for that to working, since he could free up his hands and hold something else. Anyhow, no one else saw him other than that little girl, why would he be afraid, besides he''s not going to stay in this ce forever, if he was found out then he can just flee.


    Zheng Tan left in a hurry, but he had created a quite serious impact on the child.


    At night, when the mother came with picture books to teach her how to count from one to ten. To incorporate with her memory, she even used some real life objects to instruct her.


    "How many legs does birdy use to walk?" Her mum asked.


    "Two." The little girl held out two fingers.


    "How many legs does the big yellow dog use to walk?"


    "Four!" The little girl counted the number of legs of the big yellow dog in the illustration of the picture book and said.


    "That''s right, you''re so smart. How many legs does kitty use to walk?" Her mum asked with a smile on her face.


    The little girl recalled the cat that she saw today, bending he fingers she counted, then held out two fingers, "Two legs!"


    Her mother:""


    Zheng Tan had no idea of the impression he had caused, at that moment he was walking towards the big Pagoda tree with two packs of snacks in his arms. There was no one in the fields, over by the orchard was a few dogs guarding, no one could see that there was a cat walking rather naturally on two legs.


    While Zheng Tan was walking, he also worked on the ideas to "borrow" the phone. Suddenly, he heard a wave of faint humph, he perked up his ears and listened. Zheng Tan could identify from the sound that it was probably noises made by dogs.


    Setting down the snacks in his hands, Zheng Tan headed to the source of the noise. If there was to be any danger, four legs would run much faster than this state he was in.


    Over by that side was an indented pit, someone had probably filled it with water and bred something there. Now the pit was covered in weeds, in the center of the pit was an iron cage. Inside the cage were three puppies, twoy there motionless, only onerger one was crawling, constantly making humming noises.

 Chapter 58: This definitely aint true love

    Chapter 58: This definitely ain''t true love


    Puppies?


    What''s more was that these were locked in a cage.


    These type of cages weren''t like the ones that Zheng Tan had seen in those cat and dog meat restaurants, the cage in front of him was much more high-end, it looked like the type that was used for pet dogs.


    Zheng Tan remembered that when he ran to the vige today from the great Pagoda tree he didn''t hear any noises yet, it probably happened during the time that he went to look for phones. However, he purposely avoided residences with dogs and therefore had no clue who cage and the dogs belonged to.


    Moving his ears, there was no sound from other people in the surrounding and no scent of any strangers.


    Zheng Tan moved towards the front of the cage and took a look, because the puppies were too small, Zheng Tan couldn''t find out anything and had no idea what breed it was, he didn''t have any knowledge on these things.


    The door of the cage wasn''t locked, but there was small notch lodged in there. The puppies didn''t know how to open it, god knows how long they had been trapped there.


    The temperatures at night in these mountains were quite low, it wasn''t as cold as the deep winter but still it was nothing that puppies that size can withstand. Dogs like cats have a slightly higher body temperature than humans, in ten degrees temperature in the surrounding environment, who knows if the puppies can make it through this temperature difference.


    Noticing Zheng Tan who was standing outside the cage, the puppy that was making the noise moved over to Zheng Tan side and watched him through the cage. Noticing that Zheng Tan hadn''t moved, it continued to hum and gnawed at the cage with it''s new little teeth that had just grown out.


    Zheng Tan pulled open the door of the cage with his w, the puppy hesitated, took a tentative step forward then ran out.


    Despite being only a puppy, this kind of dog was probably big in size. Compared to Zheng Tan, these three dogs was not much smaller than he was judging by size.


    Taking no heed of the puppy that just ran out, Zheng Tan lifted his paws and pushed the other two puppies that was motionless in the cage. They were still soft. Initially he thought that the two puppies were already dead, he didn''t expect the two to kicked their legs and open their mouth. Too sound asleep?


    Zheng Tan looked around. The pit was way too big, it can''t even block out the wind. The wind was quite strong at night time, if the two or three puppies were kept here any longer they probably wouldn''t survive for too long.


    Nevertheless, Zheng Tan didn''t want to be involved in this trouble. He''s already in a difficult circumstance, how could he have any more energy to take care of these three puppies? It''s probably more realistic to hurry up and think of a way to steal a phone to return to the eastern courtyard.


    However, as Zheng Tan turned around and prepared to leave, the puppy that was wandering around after escaping the cage quickly attached itself to him, rubbing itself against Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan pushed it aside, but it cheerfully ran back again, probably thinking that Zheng Tan was ying with it.


    Zheng Tan simply threw it back into the cage straightaway, he closed the door and didn''t care if it was calling out again. He turned again and left.


    He only walked about ten meters before his pace slowed again. Zheng Tan looked over his shoulder at the dog that staring at him while squatting on the edge of the cage. The night sky was filled with stars, with the gentle starlight, Zheng Tan could see that the puppy was overall white, there was arge spot of ck around one eye as if it was wearing an eye-patch. It reminded Zheng Tan of Might from the yard, but the appearances of the two was different. Mighty''s big head was too unique, this puppy''s body proportion was no where as extreme, but it wasn''t the typical native dog that wasmonly seen in the vige. It was probably a mix, otherwise the owner wouldn''t have abandoned it


    Zheng Tan had frequently overheard the conversations between those dog-owners before while strolling in the courtyard, he knew that it was the attitude of most dog keepers, if their dog''s puppy doesn''t please them then they would throw it out.


    Sahara''s owner said this before, "Wolves travel a thousand miles eating meat while dogs travel a thousand miles eating poo. Knowing that it eats poo but still keeping it, taking care of it everyday regardless of it''s breed or species. Tolerating it''s "revolts" of digging holes in the yard to bury bones, biting chair legs, swinging it''s spit and "demolishing" the house. This must be true love."


    Even mutts have people who loved them, it''s a species that endured thousands, even ten thousand years of nature and human selection. In this species, there was nock of individuals that understood humanity, were good inprehension skills, loyal and obeying, and capable in hunting skills.


    As to the mixed dogs, most exotic species were made out of inter-breed reproduction.


    Therefore, the family that threw away these dogs, definitely ain''t true love.


    Before Zheng Tan could return to the reality, he had already walked to the side of the cage. The whines of puppy inside became louder and louder, it even made some sobbing sounds.


    Tsk, so annoying!


    Since there was nothing to do right now, he may as well lift the cage to somewhere and leave it there, Zheng Tan thought.


    He remembered that there were some bushes near the Pagoda tree, it can probably shield against wind and there weren''t many people who goes there often.


    Lifting the cage, Zheng Tan headed over to the Pagoda tree. As to the two packs of snacks, he woulde back and retrieve themter since no one would take it at this hour of the day .


    There was not much foot traffic from the vigers over by the bushes, the nts were quite dense, just enough to block out the wind.


    After setting down the cage and adjusted it''s position, Zheng Tan broke off some branches to ce on the top of the cage as camouge, then pulled some vines over to wrap it around, this way it won''t be too easily discovered?


    When he finished arranging, Zheng Tan went back to pick up the two packs of snacks, but when he collected the snacks he suddenly had a thought. Will the puppies die of hunger if they were starved a night? Proabably not? It''s only one night


    Despite thinking like that, Zheng Tan felt that if that puppy actually died of starvation then all his work was for nothing, so he dropped the two packs of snacks and ran back to the vige. The family of the van driver were already asleep, there were somerge pans and food steamers in the yard. Zheng Tan scavenged around and found some congee in one of the steamers, it was still warm and not left here for too long, the family most likely didn''t finish it so they left it here.


    Examining his surrounding, Zheng Tan found a disposable bowl that the owner used to serve the guest, and filled it with some congee. In another pan was some boiled eggs, Zheng Tan took a grocery bag and ced a few inside.


    When he carried the congee over to the pagoda tree, it was already cold. Zheng Tan couldn''t find anything to heat it, it was all the same since he only carried the congee over to give it a try. He ced an egg inside, Zheng Tan ate the egg white himself, then crushed the egg yolk into pieces and mixed it together with congee.


    If it had been the old Zheng Tan, he definitely won''t do this, his behavior now can be temporarily categorized as the derived sentiment of a vagabond.


    Looking at the paste like congee in the bowl, Zheng Tan really didn''t have any appetite. He didn''t know if the puppies could eat these, if they can''t it''s not his issue anymore.


    He opened the cage and left the bowl in a corner, then locked it again. He retrieved the two packs of snacks, climbed up the tree and rested.


    Midnight, Zheng Tan heard the noise of smacking lips from the cages, it was probably the puppies eating, and there wasn''t only one that was eating.


    Around dawn, Zheng Tan hopped down the tree and took a look, there wasn''t any congee left in the bowl anymore. The two that Zheng Tan thought won''t survive, now had round tummies, their breath was much stronger, most likely because they woke up at midnight and ate.


    It''s so good to have strong vitality.


    The next day Zheng Tan continued to go out, learning what activities the vigers would do at a certain time. If the vigers went to the fields or the orchards to work, even if it was during the day, Zheng Tan would still try to steal a phone. However, that day was fruitless, in the end he went foraging at the driver''s house again. He jumped to the second floor and took a look, taking another packet of the type of finger biscuits that children eat.


    Before he left, Zheng Tan saw the little girl again, like previously, the little girl hid behind the doors and watched Zheng Tan attentively, she even took out her fingers counting as if determining something.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know what she was doing, that moment he heard approaching footsteps, the busy driver and his wife finally went upstairs. Zheng Tan quickly hugged the biscuits in his arms and jumped off the windowsill, escaping.


    Retiring after shower, the girl''s mum took out the picture book to teach her again.


    The girl answered the first few question greatly, the driver couple was very pleased, but in the end when her mother on a second thought asked "how many legs does kitty use to walk", the little girl''s response wasn''t that clear anymore.


    "TwoFour" The little girl nned to say "two" then saw her mother''s facial expression suddenly change. She quickly changed, but felt very upset and wronged, so with a "wah" she cried.


    This question was seriously too hard! Was it two legs or four legs?


    Zheng tan didn''t have a single clue the trouble that he brought, he searched for two days straight but couldn''t find any suitable opportunity. That bunch of vigers, even if they had a phone they would keep it close to them and hidden, afraid that somebody would steal it.


    It was actually reasonable, in that era, phone was still a valuable object, not as widely used aspared to few yearster. Nevertheless, Zheng Tan went through a lot of suffering because of this.


    The three puppies were not in much better spirits, Zheng Tan would let them out during the day to y. The three puppies didn''t run aimlessly, they yed around there while Zheng Tan supervised from up the tree not far from the cage.


    To be honest, it was much easier if they were kept in the cage, but the three puppies needed to urinate or excrete. If they did it in the cage it would be too troublesome, Zheng Tan cleaned it once and definitely didn''t want to do it for the second time. That''s why he let the three pups out, let them relieve themselves, then threw them back inside the cage again.


    Watching the three dogs during the day, finding an opportunity to steal a phone as well as hunting for food in the night, this lifested for a week.


    That day, the three pups were ying outside, the cat that ate the butterfly ran over. The three pups bounced and chased over, Zheng Tan didn''t stop them, ording to the condition over the past week, the three puppies would obedientlye back if they weren''t able to follow up, they won''t run too far.


    However, it was beyong Zheng Tan''s expectation that the cat didn''t run off, but stopped once for a while to y with the puppies.


    It was most likely because that cat had been ying with dogs for sometime and was not repelled. They were ying quite happily, one in a while it would jog over and tease them, allowing the three puppies to chase and bite it. Weeny little puppies, even if they had teeth, their bites were not with a lot of force.


    Zheng Tan didn''t pay too much attention to them, getting along was a good thing, plus there was a cat as a ymate, there was no need for Zheng Tan to worry.


    Just as he was about to snooze for a while, Zheng Tan heard voices sounding.


    Peeping out from between the leaves, Zheng Tan saw a man around the age of thirty, carrying arge bag walking towards him. While he was walking he was also holding a phone and talking to someone over the phone.


    That man''s ent while talking on the phone didn''t sound like a local, the apparel that he was wearing was a little abject.


    Abject or not, Zheng Tan didn''t spend to much energy on that. His eyes were currently eyeing the phone in that person''s hand.

 Chapter 59: Want to play with the phone? Here it is, go ahead

    Chapter 59: Want to y with the phone? Here it is, go ahead


    Zheng Tan was too concentrated on staring at the phone that he didn''t notice the three puppies and the cat all ran towards that direction.


    The person finished his call, squat down and scratched the chin of the cat that was rubbing against him, then looked in surprise at the three puppies.


    Seeing a stranger, the puppies didn''t immediately move close. They inched forward, then quickly backed up a few steps, the biggest one even barked twice with a dignified "woof woof". However, due to being too small, their paces were unsteady when running, causing them to trip on their own feet and roll across the ground.


    "Hey, whose puppies are these, running off to here?" The person pulled a strand of grass and nned to y around with the puppies but was intercepted by the cat next to him.


    Patting his trouser, the person tucked the phone into his pocket, stood up and walked towards the three puppies.


    Aware of the stranger approaching, the three puppies cried "woof woof", turned and quickly ran back. They didn''t go straight inside the cage but ran next to the Pagoda tree and barked at Zheng Tan who was hiding on the tree.


    Zheng Tan wanted to smash his head against the trunk.


    ''What''s the freaking use of you guys barking at me! My ns are all ruined!''


    Initially Zheng Tan had two ns in mind, one was to follow this guy and find a chance tomit the act. The other was in this exact location, waiting when he''s distracted then find a stick, knock him out and rob the phone, since Zheng Tan had alreadymitted robbery under broad daylight, he didn''t mind doing it a few more times.


    However, these two ns were now all destroyed by the three puppies!


    Zheng Tan felt that after exposing himself, the chance of seeding would diminish by a lot, so now he felt extremely displeased. Watching the three puppies that were barking beneath the Pagoda tree, Zheng Tan wanted to give them each a p.


    So f*cking unlucky!


    Fang Shao Kang only came out to make a phone call, he never thought he could see three puppies. Anyhow, it''s quite a distance from the vige, who would let their puppies run off this far? Guarding the orchard? Such small puppies can guard the orchard?


    Besides, from what Fang Shao Kang heard from the past few days, the two dogs that were guarding the orchard was male, where would the puppiese from? Did someone catch these recently?


    Fang Shao Kang followed in curiosity, this orchard belonged to the family that hosted him, he never heard the owner mentioning that they caught new puppies.


    Seeing three puppies calling up the tree, Fang Shao Kang became even more confused, he tilted his head and look up at the Pagoda tree.


    Although it was not that evident from a distance, but now that he got close and had a better look, he could see the ck furs between the leaves.


    Cat?


    A dog definitely can''t climb that high, and it can''t possibly be a ck panther otherwise how could the three puppies still be alive? So it could only be a cat.


    However, the problem was why were the three puppies calling at the cat on the tree?


    Interesting!


    Zheng Tan knew he was detected and didn''t intend to jump off like that. One must be vignt so as not to be harmed, it was much safer to hide up the tree.


    The three puppies cried out for a long time but seeing that Zheng Tan didn''t make a move, they began to whine again.


    Fang Shao Kang looked around and found the disguised dog cage, he became more puzzled at heart.


    Despite being puzzled, Fang Shao Kang still left, the cat following him into the distance.


    Zheng Tan waited for the person to walk away before jumping off the tree, the puppies stopped whining and immediately moved closer. The oue was that each of them received a p from Zheng Tan. Zheng Tan didn''t use too much strength, that small of a puppy, any harder Zheng Tan suspected the p would make them dumb.


    The three puppies, on the other hand, thought Zheng Tan was ying with them, they grinned from ear to ear and came closer again.


    Zheng Tan felt that they were too annoying, so he climbed up the tree again. Thoughts ran in his mind, if he ever saw a viger with a phone alone, he would use blunt force to solve the problem .


    Less than half an hourter, Zheng Tan saw the person walking over again. This time he had a bowl of congee in his hand, there wasn''t egg yolk inside the congee but meat.


    Fang Shao Kang carried the bowl over and ced it before the three puppies.


    The puppies had already smelled the scent from a mile away, they swiftly ran over and began to eat sloppily.


    Zheng Tan twitched his mouth, despite being a little displeased that the puppies easily trusted this person and even began to eat, it also saved him from running out at night and stealing food for them.


    The three puppies ate in a fury, soon the bottom of the bowl was showing, they even licked the bowl clean.


    "Wow, there really are dogs here!" A young man of around twenty years of age walked over with a shovel. Seeing that the puppies had backed away, he pondered then ced the shovel aside with a smile, and walked back empty-handed.


    "Finished nting trees?" Fang Shao Kang asked.


    "Finished, I wonder how the so-called new species of tangerine would turn out." The young man wiped his sweat, leaned against the trunk, and said.


    "These dogs don''t look like native dogs." Fang Shao Kang pointed at the three puppies who were ying with each other.


    "Yeah, they''re mixed breed, mongrels. The Dogo owned by the vige chief''s son probably gave birth to these. I heard yesterday that they threw the puppies away, I never thought that I would see them here." The young man lightened his mood while talking about this, the tiredness that he had from nting the trees was swept away.


    "Dogo? I remembered someone saying that the chief''s son owned two Dogos, one female and one male."


    "Yeah, haha, everyone from our vige knows that the female Dogo in his household didn''t set her eyes on the male Dogo. Fortunately for a mutt, who knows whose mutt it was, so bloody capable. When the puppies were born they could use the excuse of the puppies being too young, unable to see the features to fool people around. But when they grew even bigger and bigger, they resembled a mutt even more, they would even run around. They can''t hide it anymore, and nobody was an idiot. Although everyone didn''t say it on the surfaced, but underneath they were all treating it as a joke. That family most likely felt embarrassed so they threw them away. Originally they were so proud of having Dogos, they even bought them back at a high price. Either way, now they are reduced toughing stocks." The young manughed cheerfully.


    "What should we do with them?" Fang Shao Kang asked.


    The young man walked over and scooped up the biggest puppy.


    "Yo, feisty!" If he didn''t have his guard up on, he would have been bitten by the puppy.


    The puppy that was being lifted up saw that it hadn''t bitten him, low howling began to sound from his throat.


    "This puppy isn''t too bad, but it''s probably not good to keep them in the vige. The chief will definitely have something to say about this. I will call one of my friendster and ask them. They own a farm and said a few days ago that they want to buy dogs. I think these three are just right."


    "Your friend like this kind of dogs?"


    "Not so much that he like this kind. He likes mutts the most, he often goes into the mountains to find those pure mutts to take back for training. Those pure mutts are quite robust, they understand humans and are smart enough, if kept long they would also be loyal. Plus, they are brave, hunting was not a problem, they could also be used as work dogs in normal circumstances. The dog that he kept was like this, although it didn''t look like much, but it''s skills were sure strong. Frequently caught rabbits to add to the meal, it definitely didn''t lose to those so-called exotic hounds of the world. Sadly, it was injured by someone during the new year''s celebration. That dog struggled back with a sedative needle on it''s back, it died as soon as it came home, it couldn''t make it. He was upset for a long time about that, so many months . He didn''t get another dog for this long, I only heard a few days ago that he wanted to buy a dog."


    The young man said while squeezing the bone structure of the puppy in his hands, examining it''s paws.


    Zheng Tan felt that the person was perhaps quite satisfied with these puppies? Judging by their conversation, Zheng Tan felt that it was a rare chance that he had survived under the tranquilizer.


    The young man continued to talk: "Real hounds are not identified through the eyes, it''s reflected through constant training. Of course, they must fit innate criteria as well. These are not so bad, if he wants them I will take it to him straightaway when the timees, since if they''re left here it would hinder the chief''s eyes."


    The puppy that was set down shook it''s furs then rushed under the Pagoda tree, raised it''s head, and began to call at Zheng Tan, probably expressing that it was upset.


    "What''s wrong with that puppy? Why is it calling up the tree?" The young man said.


    "There''s a ck cat up there." Fang Shao Kang extended his finger and pointed up.


    The young man shook his head, "There''s no one in the vige that owned ck cats. Some said that ck cats bring misfortune, and didn''t keep them, even if they did have ck cats they would send it away or discard it."


    "The three puppies are probably retrieved by that ck cat on the tree." Fang Shao Kang exined.


    "ck cats are so abnormal, they even retrieve puppies." The young man didn''t pay too much attention on whether thement on ck cats were genuine, he felt more and more pleased with the three puppies by the second, "Brother Fang, I am going back to make a call."


    "Just use my phone." Fang Shao Kang said as he prepared to dig into his pocket for the phone.


    "No need, I gotta go. Brother Fang can you help to look after the puppies, don''t let anyone take them!" When he finished speaking, the young man turned, lifting his shovel he hurried home.


    After the young man left, Fang Shao Kang ced his backpack down and took out a camera from the inside. He felt that it was too hot so he took off his jacket and set it on the bush nearby. The phone that was initially in the jacket''s pocket was also taken out and ced on top, he stood up and began to take photos of the surrounding scenery with his camera.


    Zheng Tan took a nce at the camera in the hands of that person who was standing under the tree. It was a DSLR, back then DSLR probably belonged to the high end product category. He ys with photography?


    Zheng Tan heard that those who did photography like to run around, making themselves look like a down-and-out refugee.


    Who cares if that person does photography, Zheng Tan''s concentration was mainly on that phone.


    Great opportunity.


    How about grab the phone and run?


    Zheng Tan looked at person that was taking photos,and began to slide down from the tree. Unfortunately, the person quickly turned around and came back, he walked over to the backpack and took a bottle from the side to drink, he even poured some into the puppies'' bowl.


    Zheng Tan estimated the distance between him and the phone, he nned to fish the phone away when that person became distracted, but the person kept noticing him. It was hard for him to make any moves.


    Fang Shao Kang finished drinking, tightened the bottle and ced it into his back. He took the phone and looked at the time.


    During the process of Fang Shao Kang taking the phone to look at the time, Zheng Tan''s line of sight also moved with the phone.


    "Want to y with the phone. Here, take it, go ahead." Fang Shao Kang said then ced the phone on the ground in front of him.


    Clearly Zheng Tan''s little movement back then didn''t escape his observation.


    Zheng Tan looked at the person in front of him, then at the phone on the ground.


    Could it be some sort of trickery?


    He would give his phone to a cat to y with? Nevertheless, if he can y with a DSLR, money probably didn''t mean anything to him.


    Who cares, the priority is to get in contact!


    Zheng Tan swung his hand and scooped the phone over, at the same time he was paying attention to the activities of the person in front of him. Seeing that he was only sitting there and didn''t look like he was about to move, Zheng Tan ced the phone down on the ground again.


    The mobile phone screen wasn''t in color, if it was in a few years time, this phone would belong to the "thief wouldn''t give a sh*t" phone series. However, logically if a person can afford a DSLR, he probably can afford to buy the new colored screen phone that just came out. Why was he still using this phone that was already worn around the edges?


    Zheng Tan didnt spend too much time wondering about this. It was this shabby phone that made Zheng Tan extremely excited. He had went through such trouble for all that time, he climbed windows, looked for a phone and even prepared to rob one with violence, now the phone was finally before his eyes!


    How could he not be excited?!


    But, this phone can make interstate calls, right?


    It''s probably not out of credits either?


    Zheng Tan looked at the person that sat there in curiosity, he lifted his paws and began to dial.


    Fang Shao Kang passed the phone over out of the mentality of looking for fun after seeing that ck cat staring at his phone. Who know that the cat would really began to dial, plus the number that it dialed was an interstate phone number. It probably didn''t press it randomly, the cat meant it!


    Zheng Tan excitedly finish dialing the phone number, heart palpitating, he lifted his ears and waited. His tail struck the floor with a beat to reduce his stress.


    Finally, the call connected after a few tones, the other end picked up.


    "Hello?"


    It was the sound of Papa Jiao.


    After being captured for this long, he finally heard a familiar voice!


    He suddenly had the touching sensation of seeing his real family.


    Zheng Tanbined all hisplicated emotions in his heart into one cry: "Meow--"


    Fang Shao Kang: ""

 Chapter 60: His head must have been kicked by a donkey

    Chapter 60: His head must have been kicked by a donkey


    Chuhua University, biology building.


    The assistant professor finished teaching the ss, he returned to the biology department and was about to take out his keys to open the office door, when suddenly his phone rang.


    No longer attending to his keys, assistant professor Jiao quickly took his phone out and looked at the caller ID.


    It was an unfamiliar number.


    "Hello?"


    "Meow--"


    Hearing the ghost-howl like cat cry from the other end of the phone, assistant professor Jiao hesitated for a second, then the face that had held a in expression for the past few weeks quickly became brilliant with a smile.


    Some young female teachers that walked past saw assistant professor Jiao''s dazzling smile that could blind the eyes, and thought assistant professor Jiao''s appearance wouldn''t fall short of professor Ren''s, to be honest.


    Assistant professor Jiao looked around. The teachers'' offices were all around here, there were always people moving to and fro in the corridors, making it inconvenient to talk. Losing no time, he quickly took the keys out to open the office door, but due to his overexcitement, he had to try the keys a few times to get it into the key hole.


    He closed the office door after entering, carelessly throwing the important meeting summary across the table.


    "Charcoal?" Papa Jiao probed around and asked.


    Assistant professor Jiao only fantasized for a second before about his cat calling him. Perhaps it was because he had came a science background, assistant professor Jiao saw things with an overly logical perspective, he analysed the possibility under every circumstance, the result that came out made him lose hope.


    There were so many people helping in the city, so many ways as well as human resources that were searching, but they didn''t have any news. Director He and other all said that he was definitely transported interstate. It would be extremely difficult to search for him after he left the state, even when they asked people to help search for him in the south and posted notices, there was still no news. Besides, if he had left the state, even if his cat was alright and had the opportunity to make a call, he probably doesn''t know he needed to add the area code before the phone number.


    However, now that he had really received his cat''s call, assistant professor Jiao felt that this feeling was stronger than sessfully applying for a program.


    Insensibly, they have already considered Charcoal as a member of their family. After Charcoal went missing, it was like a piece was missing from their life. Every time they went home and saw the missing piece their heart ached. The two children were the same, they were constantly in a bad mood. The neighbors suggested that they could help and find another ck cat to cheer them up, but the two children all turned them down. Their family knew Charcoal was irreceable.


    Zheng Tan on the other end was also excited, he howled again, louder and clearer than the cry before. Taking no heed at all of the expression on Fang Shao Kang''s face that looked as if he had saw an ET, as well as the three puppies that were stunned by the howling.


    In spite of the howls being horrifying, assistant professor Jiao felt them very intimate and heart-warming.


    The people who were currently discussing about assistant professor Jiao outside would never thought that the person who was the topic of their conversation was talking to his cat over the phone right now.


    "Charcoal, is there any human next to you?" Assistant professor Jiao asked.


    Zheng Tan''s stirred emotions began to calm, he looked around then ced his sight on Fang Shao Kang. He responded to the phone and pushed the phone over to Fang Shao Kang.


    As Zheng Tan pushed the phone over, on the other end of the receiver, someone was knocking professor Jiao''s office door.


    "Come in." Assistant professor didn''t move the phone away from his ear and said right away.


    The person that entered was Zhao Le. After she knew that the cat that had saved her was captured by someone, she kept searching and asked a lot of friends to help, but the cat kidnapper was too sneaky. He didn''t leave any usable evidence, although professor Jiao and her both believed that Ren Chong was up to something, they just don''t have the evidence to prove it. In the end, it was Wei Ling who lurked around in Ren Chong''s house for some time to find some clues. Today she came to discuss with professor Jiao a way to deal with Ren Chong and get more evidence from his mouth.


    Zhao Le didn''t think that she would see the smile that was hanging on assistant professor''s face when she entered the door. Her heart skipped a beat, was he found?!


    Over on Zheng Tan''s side, Fang Shao Kang was confused about the actions of the cat in front of him. He looked at the phone''s interface, the call was still engaged, so he picked up the phone.


    "Hello?"


    Assistant professor Jiao after hearing a human voice didn''t have time to talk with Zhao Le, he introduced himself and exined the identity of the ck cat next to him, then asked a series of questions.


    Fang Shao Kang knew the brief details of the situation during the process of answering the questions, he was wholeheartedly surprised that he would encounter such a thing, there''s actually a cat who called home.


    In the office, while Papa Jiao listened to Fang Shao Kang''s self-introduction, he wrote his name down with a pen on a sheet of paper, "Fang like the neighboring area (Fang Yuan), Shao spelled with the Chinese characterponent of ear and Zhao, Kang like the word health (Jian Kang)"


    "Fang Shao Kang?! It is uncle Fang?!" Zhao Le asked.


    Although Zhao Le''s voice wasn''t loud, due to the quietness in this area next to the tangerine orchard, they could hear the talking from the other side of the phone. Fang Shao Kang had obviously heard Zhao Le''s words.


    Fang Shao Kang was the third eldest in his family, he has two older brothers above him. Someone who can call him uncle Fang was definitely a close acquaintance.


    "Who''s on the other end?" Fang Shao Kang asked.


    Professor Jiao looked at Zhao Le then handed the phone to her.


    "Is it really uncle Fang? I am Le Le, Zhao Le!"


    Zhao Le exined the situation with Zheng Tan, then rified that the cat had a favor to her and said that she wanted Fang Shao Kang to help.


    Fang Shao Kang looked at the cat that was squatting next to him with it''s tail curled up, it was even in the mood to y with the dogs. He was astonished, he would have never thought that a cat that he encountered in a remote vige knew his old friends. This cat raises a few brows! Just like the elderly from the vige said, ck cats are always a little abnormal.


    Zheng Tan was in a good mood, he hadn''t felt that for a long long time. After being kidnapped, he had always feared for his life, he would be suspicious at any person he sees and calcte every step he makes to ensure it was workable. He endured the hardships of an arduous journey as well as foraging under the risk of being captured again since he can''t stand raw food. Overall, it was a pretty miserable experience.


    However! This misery was about to end!


    He was about to return to thend he was familiar with, see those familiar faces. He would have a warm bed at night, and someone to brush and blow dry his furs after bath, every morning there would be breakfast prepared for him. Now that he thinks of it, it was so nostalgic.


    While Zhao Le discussed the details on how to bring this cat back to Chuhua city with Fang Shao Kang, Papa Jiao made a hand gesture to her, then whispered: "Ren Chong!"


    Zhao Le immediately got her head around it. Even if she brought the cat back, if Ren Chong wasn''t disposed of, incidents like cat kidnapping will probably ur again.


    "You mean"


    "I can set my heart at rest knowing that it''s safe and sound. Besides Mr Fang is a close acquaintance with Miss Zhao, he can be trusted so there''s no hurry to let Charcoale back yet. Please request Mr Fang to take care of Charcoal for this period of time until we finished the matter at hand here."


    Zhao Le nodded and exined the circumstances to Fang Shao Kang, Fang Shao Kang also expressed his understanding.


    "Okay, I will take the cat and head there slowly, it would take ten days to half a month at fastest to reach there"


    Take the cat? Ten days to half a month?


    Does that mean the earliest that he will arrive at Chuhua city would be ten days to half a monthter?! Zheng Tan''s emotions that boiled with excitement was suddenly extinguished by a tub of ice sludge.


    Why!


    Even if they can''t take the train, it wouldn''t take too long to go back on a car, why would it take ten days to half a month?


    Papa Jiao instructed Zheng Tan to follow Fang Shao Kang obediently, uncle Fang will take him to Chuhua city. Currently he can''t ask anyone toe and get him from Chuhua city, there was still something to take care of.


    Although Papa Jiao didn''t exin too much in detail, Zheng Tan was able to analyse the reason through these brief words. To this, Zheng Tan expressed his understanding, it was for his own good, he doesn''t want to face some people who had evil intentions again when he goes back.


    Fang Shao Kang looked at the cat in front of him that was listening attentively to the phone, despite uncle Fang iming that he had seen the glimpses of the world and had seen a lot of strange people, he couldn''t help but to express his surprise. This cat papa was also quite special, he even bothered to exin this much to a cat. If it had been someone from this vige, under this circumstance they would probably thinking about how to perform an exorcism to ward off evil spirits.


    Hanging up the call, Zheng Tan felt less cautious to Fang Shao Kang since he was somebody that Zhao Le and others knew, he even got Zhao Le''s guarantee. Zheng Tan didn''t need to spend so much energy on defending himself again.


    At that moment, the young man that went home to make a call came running back, he said he will drive out tomorrow and take the three puppies to that friend on the way.


    Knowing that the three puppies had somewhere to go , Zheng Tan waspletely at ease. From what he gathered from Fang Shao Kang and that young man''s conversation, the person that nned to adopt the three puppies was not too bad.


    That night, Zheng Tan followed Fang Shao Kang back to that young man''s house, of course, Zheng Tan hid inside the backpack. The people in this vige didn''t like ck cats, they were afraid that the owner would have something to say when he knew. As to the three puppies, the young man ce them inside the cage and carried them back.


    Zheng Tan ate and drank to his satisfaction, had afortable sleep. He woke up in the early morning and followed Fang Shao Kang to board the pedicab owned by that young man.


    The puppies were in the cage, they had a decent mealst night and this morning and continued to sleep now.


    The mountainous roads were hard to travel on, a long distance of the road was uneven, this bumpy road condition made Zheng Tan feel dizzy.


    Three hours drive, to be urate, if the road was even, it would take less than one hour.


    The young man''s friend wanted to breed sheep and cows and other animals, he even established a special ce to nurture poultry. The scale of the farm was quite big, guess that''s why they wanted to keep dogs.


    That friend was quite pleased with the three puppies. He had already cleaned out the kennels yesterday, after seeing the three puppies he carried them over.


    Zheng Tan ate lunch with Fang Shao Kang here, the young man would take them to the nearby town in the afternoon.


    The path to the town was much better, not that bumpy. Although it was twice the distance, the time needed was around the same.


    Zheng Tan didn''t take Katy''s cat tag with him. To make his actions swifter in the vige he took the cat tag off and hid it. When he left with Fang Shao Kang he didn''t take it along, now he''s really an undocumented and unlicensed stray cat. Nevertheless, with Fang Shao Kang next to him taking care of these things, Zheng Tan no longer felt that every bush and tree looked like an enemy.


    However, the good mood didn''tst for too long. After Fang Shao Kang bought a bicycle, Zheng Tan wasn''t so calm anymore.


    He felt that this Fang Shao Kang person must have been kicked by a donkey in the head!

 Chapter 61: This dumbass street performance

    Chapter 61: This dumbass street performance


    Zheng Tan felt that Fang Shao Kang guy was quite ky.


    That guy entered the town and when by some coincidence he walked past a bicycle shop, he suddenly came up with the idea of buying a bicycle. In fact, this rascal hadn''t rode a bicycle for a long time, even on road trips he would drive on four wheels.


    The shop owner had been promoting for almost half a day, but Fang Shao Kang didn''t buy the brand new so-called most advanced design mountain bike, in the end he only bought a second-hand one.


    Although it was only second-hand, it was a mountain bike anyhow. The owner was not too happy on the surface because Fang Shao Kang didn''t buy a new bike, but since he still made a sale, he checked the bike again.


    Fang Shao Kang took a look at the ck cat that was squatting not far from him, then at the bike that was being examined, and said to the owner: "Hey boss, add a front basket for me. "


    The bicycle store owner looked at Fang Shao Kang strangely, he probably didn''t think that anyone would propose such a demand. Usually the people who bought this kind of bike used them for sport, who would add a bicycle basket to it, to buy groceries? Either way, since the customer asked, he wouldn''t reject them, he could earn some dimes from a bicycle basket.


    Maintaining work ethics, the owner asked anyways: "Do you want to install a basket to put cargo in there?"


    Fang Shao Kang pondered for a second and then nodded his head, " Yes."


    "How heavy?"


    "Probably not too heavy."


    Then the owner stopped talking. If it was only for cargo and it''s not something heavy, there was no need to remodel much, a random basket installed will do.


    After finishing checking and installing the basket, one took the money, the other got the goods.


    Mounting the bike, Fang Shao Kang felt great about himself, it was as if he had returned to his days of youth, suddenly he started to look forward to the journey ahead.


    Zheng Tan squatted on the side and watched this Fang named uncle who was being narcissistic, he couldn''t understand why this Fang guy would choose this lifestyle. From the phone call with Papa Jiao, Zheng Tan heard some hints of respect from Zhao Le''s tone, it wasn''t the false sense of affection to express politeness but real respect. This means that this Fang guy probably had some background, at least he was not short of money, but what was the cause of this thirty almost forty year old guy to choose this life experience? Making himself look like a castaway.


    As Zheng Tan wandered, Fang Shao Kang already rode the bike over. He stopped before Zheng Tan, patting the basket he said with a sense of pride: "Cargo, aboard!"


    Zheng Tan: "" Cargo your ass!


    They would move from this small town to another city, the next stop was arge metropolis, the road conditions would probably be much better.


    Hopping inside the basket of the bicycle, Zheng Tan felt a little ufortable but he couldn''t tell why, either way it was nowhere near asfortable as squatting inside the basket of the children''s bike.


    Fang Shao Kang carried the luggage on his back and rode towards the direction out of the city. The road inside the city was smooth, but when you got out, it waspletely different.


    There was indeed a road made between this small town and the metropolis at the next stop, but it was an expressway. You can drive on that in a car, but when you''re riding a bike it was a different story.


    If they couldn''t take the expressway, they would have to take the national highway, but this length of the journey wasn''tpletely on the national highway. To experience the feeling of a mountain bike journey, Fang Shao Kang chose a countryne after getting out of the city, after finishing this area of country road then they would go on the national highway.


    It was that section of country road upon which Zheng Tan''s experience of suffering began.


    The front of the mountain bike had shock absorption design unlike normal bicycles. The owner of the bicycle shop didn''t make too many adjustments when installing the basket, therefore the stress was all on Zheng Tan.


    The bicycle traveled along the country road, which was full of potholes made up of pebbles and mud. When it became turbulent, Zheng Tan felt the basket move up and down in intense movements more ufortable than when he rode Wei Lin''s bicycle, his head became dizzy from the shaking.


    Fang Shao Kang on the other hand didn''t feel too ufortable, he was still in the newfangled stage and his mood was high. He was humming tunes until he felt the movements in the basket.


    Zheng Tan had to jump with all his might inside the basket to catch Fang Shao Kang''s attention. When Fang Shao Kang got off the bike, he jumped off the basket straightaway. When hended he was still slightly faint-headed and almost lost his bnce.


    "What''s wrong?" Fang Shao Kang looked at Zheng Tan who was scratching his ears while crouching on the side of the road, his face filled with displeasure. He looked at the basket, his lifted his hands and pulled at the basket then took a look at the front fork. It was then did he recall the words of the bicycle store owner, so that''s where the problem was.


    "The basket was ufortable?" Fang Shao Kang thought for a moment, "how about squatting in my bag?"


    In the end, Zheng Tan didn''t get inside therge backpack, instead he stood on the backpack. He had ws which could hook onto the backpack, so he couldn''t go as far as falling off and he wasn''t shook around like he was in the basket, he could even step on Fang Shao Kang''s head.


    Having his head stepped on twice, Fang Shao Kang felt that the cat must have done it on purpose, no wonder people say that cats were vengeful. He better buy a hat next time in town otherwise the cat would really revolt against him, he as the young master Fang had never been stepped on the head like this.


    Off this country road and onto the national highway felt much better, it wasn''t jolting anymore, Zheng Tan could even nap on the bag for a while.


    Zheng Tan had befortable but Fang Shao Kang began to feel the strain, the freshness had passed and he start to tire. The backpack had some weight to it plus a cat which made it even heavier.


    After continuously riding for many hours, he found a spot to rest midway. When they embarked on the journey again, under Fang Shao Kang''sint, Zheng Tan went back to squatting in the basket to lighten the load for uncle Fang.


    The national highway''s road conditionpared to the country road was by all means much better, so Zheng Tan didn''t object.


    So just like that, they constantly rode and stopped, only at sunset did they arrive at the city.


    They found a small motel to settle in. Due to not knowing if the motel owner allowed cats, Zheng Tan was hidden in the backpack and taken in. The room wasn''t too big, a single-bed room, but other facilities wereplete.


    Fang Shao Kang rode the bike for half the day, and was now all worn out and about to lie down. However, before he did, he took out the DSLR and looked at the photos he took today and took some notes in a small booklet.


    As Fang Shao Kang organized the photos and the records, Zheng Tan ran to the bathroom, filled the bathtub with water and adjusted it''s temperature. Then he began to immerse himself in the bath.


    It had been a while since hest bathed, plus the ride in the basket today was too tiring, Zheng Tan decided to rx himself and have a good bath. The main purpose, however, was to drown the nits on his body. Towards nits, Zheng Tan was helpless. They couldn''t be eradicatedpletely, even if he didn''t contact any other animal he could still contract some from the grass.


    He squeezed some shower gel and carelessly rubbed it on himself, then he began to swim. ording to his current size, the bathtub could actually be said to be a small swimming pool for Zheng Tan.


    ''After all, being human is the best, there''s not that high a chance of catching fleas.'' Zheng Tan thought in his mind.


    When Fang Shao Kang finished arranging his things and entered the bathroom, he immediately saw that ck cat swimming in the bathtub and looking like it was in greatfort. Hell, it even squeezed some shower gel!


    Fang Shao Kang had friends that kept cats, so he heard that most cats don''t like to take a bath. Just like Zhao Le had said, this cat was very special.


    ''ck cats are so abnormal.'' Fang Shao Kang secretly thought.


    After Zheng Tan finish bathing, he found the blow-dryer to dry his furs. The blow-dryer was left t on the table, he pushed the button to turn it on and adjusted to warm wind mode. Then Zheng Tan moved around, changed angles himself to dry himself. It was a little cumbersome, but at least it did the job.


    Fang Shao Kang came out from the bathroom. He looked at the only bed and the ck cat that was lying in the middle, and was left dumbstruck. A cat forcibly upying his territory was freaking annoying.


    The next day, the cat and the person slept till almost mid-noon.


    Zheng Tan was alright, he took a bath, removed nits and had a pleasant sleep. He was filled with energy.


    Fang Shao Kang was feeling very differently. He felt a sharp throbbing pain on his back and neck, his lumbar vertebrae were also aching -- the aftereffects of cycling. Riding mountain bikes and traveling long distances had some special details to pay attention to, from the bike to the posture of humans, Fang Shao Kang knew nothing, so naturally this would be the result.


    After eating lunch, Fang Shao Kang and Zheng Tan went out the door.


    Fang Shao Kang wanted to look around and get to know this city. Zheng Tan didn''t have anything that he was particrly interested in, so he treated this as a free holiday.


    The camera was hanging around Fang Shao Kang''s neck so Zheng Tan stayed inside the bag, peeping out through the zipper of the bag as usual.


    At this time, many of the major ind cities hadn''t constructed their subways yet, their city development was nowhere near what it would be in a few years time.


    Zheng Tan turned his nose up to many of these things right now, he only came along in boredom to look around and find some way to kill time. He had no idea what Fang Shao Kang was looking at, but he was being attentive.


    Around nightfall, Fang Shao Kang came to a square. There were quite a lot of people there, in the distance was the shopping district. There were some people dancing in the square, some were groups made up of young people, there were also some middle ageddies.


    The environment was quite rowdy, Fang Shao Kang probably didn''t want to stay here any longer, he nned to leave.


    Just before he left, Zheng Tan''s attention was caught by a strum of guitar cords. Fang Shao Kang evidently noticed too, and began to walk towards that direction.


    In one corner of the square, there were some young people singing and being watching nearby. Although there weren''t many, there were still some people who was throwing money before them.


    Fang Shao Kang watched for a while and walked over when they were taking a rest to have a chat.


    These five youngsters were not from this city and weren''t from the same ce either, they met here. They got along well and prepared to form a band. They were in the age of secondary high school students, still underage. Yet, they didn''t go to school because they said they liked music too much and wanted to strike out on their own and see the world through their own eyes.


    Many people in their youth had dreams of roving around and a heart of wanderlust. This sort of drifting was a yearning for freedom, a pursuit of their fantasies, there''s nothing that can stop a young, restless heart that knew nothing of the immensity of heaven and earth.


    Zheng Tan vaguely remembered a drifting singer that he had seen before, twenty something years of age with a guitar on his back. He sang in every corner of the city and was sometimes invited by small bars to sing. When people think of drifting singers, it was usually "a bird of passage, lead a wondrous life" that kind of impression. As to drifting singers, Zheng Tan''s sight only fell on that dire figure and didn''t have too many memories.


    That time, Zheng Tan frequented ces like Clubhouses and KTV, he didn''t have the heart to listen to the howling of street performers and held a contemptuous attitude to drifting singers. Sometimes he would act as a phnthropist in front of pretty girls and scatter some money, but it wasn''t a spiritual enjoyment, to be urate it was just a pastime.


    "I need people''s appreciation, not their pity. We''re not as unkempt as people imagine, street art is not swinging some fleas out of the hair" The youngster that was chatting with Fang Shao Kang said, sharing his thoughts.


    "How much would people like you earn everyday?" Fang Shao Kang asked.


    The youngster scratched his head and was a little embarrassed, "It''s unfixed. I used to earn little when I was alone, I could only get the money for a train ticket after a few days of work. But it''s better now, we only sing here for a while, we contacted a small pub the day before yesterday. We''re going to go thereter and sing, it''s a little early right now we''re just practicing here."


    Fang Shao Kang looked at the coins thrown on the ground, thoughts began to ran in his mind. Before he left, he rented a guitar from a shop. It wasn''t a really good guitar, it couldn''t evenpete with the ones in those kids'' hands.


    At night time, they returned to the motel. Fang Shao Kang tried the guitar out, initially he was a little awkward, but slowly he began to get the hang of it, clearly he had yed it before.


    Zheng Tan was about to sleep when he was called over by Fang Shao Kang.


    "Charcoal, let''s sell our talents tomorrow!"


    Zheng Tan:"" Why on earth would he suddenly have such an idea?


    "I heard that lots of people bring their pets along to perform, they earns a lot of money. Here, I have something specially prepared for you!"


    As he finished talking, Fang Shao Kang took out an empty ss container, and in his other hand a steel spoon that god knows where he had found. He struck the container with the spoon, making a "ting" jingling sound.


    ncing at the container and the spoon, Zheng Tan knew what Fang Shao Kang wanted but he pretended that he couldn''t understand.


    Seeing that the cat didn''t have any reactions, Fang Shao Kang thought, ''that''s not right, Zhao Le said this cat can understand humans. It''s really capable, anything you want to express you can just tell it, there''s no need to use food as a decoy."


    After a moment of silence, Fang Shao Kang said, "didn''t they say you were quite smart? You can''t even do this? You are not as miraculous as Zhao Le imed."


    Prodding him into action didn''t work. Zheng Tan lowered his head and pretended he didn''t know.


    "How about his, see, I don''t have a lot of spare money at hand. Just look at this motel that we''re living in, such a poor condition. Tomorrow we go and perform on the streets, if we earn a lot, we will move to a better hotel, the one with two beds in a room. One for each of us, lots of room, there''s no need to crowd or fight over pillows and sheets, much morefortable, how''s that?"


    This time Zheng Tan really started to consider. Fang Shao Kang said he doesn''t have spare money doesn''t mean he doesn''t have money, so that sentence Zheng Tan considers him to be bullsh*ting. However, Zheng Tan waspletely willing to change to a better hotel, this ce has flies and mosquitoes, so annoying and noisy.


    "Plus, if we did earn money, we go by car to the next city and stop riding."


    Zheng Tan threw a look at Fang Shao Kang, he believed that he would stop cycling. Fang Shao Kang had a rough time cycling and didn''t want to do it again, but now he uses this as a condition. Nevertheless, even if this was the case Zheng Tan wanted to try. He''s afraid that with a twitch in Fang Shao Kang''s brain, he would n to walk by foot, that would be a tragedy. He saw Fang Shao Kang looking through a shop that sells tent today, he probably had that idea in his mind.


    Fang Shao Kang beat the ss container with the spoon twice, then ced the spoon before Zheng Tan, waiting for him to make the decision.


    Zheng Tan poked the spoon, indicating that even if he was willing to try the spoon was too hard to hold.


    "Oh, and there''s this!" Fang Shao Kang took out paper roll core, taped it onto the spoon with sticky tape. The paper roll was just big enough for Zheng Tan to fit an arm through.


    Zheng Tan stared at Fang Shao Kang, this guy came prepared. He threaded his arm through the paper roll, when he lifted his arm the spoon was lifted at the same time, then he struck the ss container.


    "Ting!"


    A crisp and clear sound.


    "Yes yes, just like that, now, I sing one line, you strike once." Fang Shao Kang strummed the metal strings of the guitar and began to sing, "Twinkle twinkle little star~"


    Zheng Tan:"" So imbecilic.


    Seeing Fang Shao Kang was looking at him, Zheng Tan took a deep breath, then beat the spoon at it.


    "Ting!"


    "Good! Continue! How I wonder what you are~"


    "Ting!"


    "Up against the sky so high~"


    "Ting!


    They practiced cooperating until around eleven in the night. The person next door couldn''t take it anymore and went over knocking at the doors and cursing at them, only then did the cat and the person stop.


    The next day, Zheng Tan was dragged by Fang Shao Kang to continue practicing. After eating lunch at noon, they took a nap and rested, then went out the door around four with all the stuff.


    The sky wasn''t dark yet, the crowd began to gather around the square.


    In that corner, the five youngsters that they saw yesterday were there again. After tuning, they began to sing. The songs that they sang included music that were currently in trend as well as some ssics, they were all songs that young people liked, filled with liveliness.


    Fang Shao Kang looked over there, then finding a spot with no people, ced the cardboard box that he prepared at the front .


    There was an opening on the cardboard box, Zheng Tan felt that it was like a donation box and he was the poor cat that needed people show mercy to.


    People nearby saw the situation over here and all walked over.


    This fellow, Fang Shao Kang, wore a hat, his beard hadn''t been shaved for a few days, there was no way of seeing his actual appearance. Zheng Tan felt that he must have done it on purpose.


    Arranging the box, Fang Shao Kang also set a ss container on the side, then he took out a guitar. Leaning against a light post he began to fiddle with the guitar.


    People''s curious eyes around here made Zheng Tan''s face heat up, whether it was being a human before or as a cat now, he had never performed in the full ze of publicity. This made him feel awkward, it was okay when they were at the motel since there was no one watching, but now under the watchful eyes of so many people, Zheng Tan felt like the spoon weighed tons


    He really didn''t want to touch that stuff!


    Not far in the distance, the five youngsters finish singing "Glorious Years", and noticed things over here.


    "Hey! We''re about to start!" Fang Shao Kang notified Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan tugged his ears, it felt wrong to back out now, it felt like shirking. After some psychological development, Zheng Tan extended his arm inside the paper roll with the spoon.


    The number of curious people began to gather in greater numbers, Fang Shao Kang began to strum the guitar as well, his skills were nothingpared to the youngsters''.


    After the prelude, Fang Shao Kang''s bold voice sounded.


    "Travel around -- the lengthy road and the never-ending water~"


    Zheng Tan bit the bullet, holding up the spoon and beat it against the container.


    "Ting!"


    "Wandering aimlessly from one vige to another~"


    "Ting!"


    "Watching the nted sun set and rise again~"


    "Ting~"


    "Long live thend and the sky as days stretched long and long"


    When Fang Shao Kang began to sing the first line, one of the young people over there that was drinking snorted the water out straightaway. No one had thought that this man would sing this song under the condition of guitar apaniment.


    The performance was terrible and the singing sucked, but the crowd grew nevertheless. Moreover, many people began to throw their money inside that box.


    Zheng Tan felt that he was like an idiot, no, Fang Shao Kang and him were both idiots!


    A moronic human, an idiotic cat, and this dumbass street performing experience.

 Chapter 62: Young man, want to collaborate?

    Chapter 62: Young man, want to coborate?


    In a metropolis, the night city square was always bustling with noise and excitement.


    The music from the shops, all types of transit ads, the lively beats of hip-hop and the ethnic trend music from the olddies.


    However, tonight , more and more people began to gather towards a corner that nobody really paid attention to before.


    "Hey, look over there, there''s a cat knocking a bottle!"


    "Knocking a bottle?"


    "Yeah, I heard that it''s owned by one of the wandering singers, they''re selling their talents right now!"


    "Sounds interesting,e on, let''s take a look!"


    "Mum, I want to see the bottle-knocking cat too~"


    "Alright, let''s go and see that bottle-knocking cat."


    People from the city weren''t that scrupulous towards ck cats, they came for that feeling of freshness, seeking a way to have a good time. People''s standard of living had improved, they no longer had to worry about having adequate food and clothing, and started to try finding fun ways to pass time. After all that time, it was the first time that they saw someone selling their talents with their cats in the square, besides this coboration was awesome!


    Zheng Tan saw the onlooking crowd gather in greater numbers, his head hung even lower, concentrating on the ss bottle in front of him and not looking at the audience.


    Even though his conduct wasn''t good as a human, Zheng Tan was the same person as what he was right now, concerned about face-saving. He would never have imagined that one day he would be reduced to the state of performing on the street with people watching.


    Zheng Tan could only rejoice that this wasn''t themunication advanced era that it will be in a few years time, otherwise, the second that he beats the bottle the next it would be uploaded online. It might even be shared some many times, which makes it even more unbearably embarrassing.


    As he knocked the bottle cooperating with the rhythm that Fang Shao Kang''s ugly voice sang, Zheng Tan silently eximed. ''Why is time going so slow!'' It felt like a few hours had passed, but in reality it was only two songs, not even ten minutes.


    Zheng Tan suddenly recalled that words that Papa Jiao said to Jiao Yuan, "People must learn to adapt, when you''re facing a situation that you don''t want to face but must face, try changing your mindset to offer some selffort. This way you could have a better mentality to face the challenges ahead."


    Change mindset, adjust mentality?


    Zheng Tan tilted his head and looked at the cardboard box that god knows how much money had been stuffed in. If he changed his perspective, that money was earned by him beating the bottle, not from climbing windows, getting under doors and stealing.


    By the way, why would he not feel any guilt when he was stealing things, climbing windows and crawling through doorways, but feel embarrassed when he''s earning his own money by performing on the street?


    To put it inly, it was nothing but an issue with his dignity. It''s a very ridiculous and shameless attitude, although many people still have it.


    Nevertheless, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, it was indeed unnatural. He threw a nce at Fang Shao Kang who was enjoying himself, he had gone out of tune and forgotten the lyrics many times, but wasn''t he still singing happily? It looks like his nerves still need to be honed, he needed a thick skin to make a life in the underworld and travelling to all corners of thend.


    It was the first time that Zheng Tan experienced what it meant to earn money from "sweat and blood".


    Beating against the bottle made his arm sore, so when Fang Shao Kang was considering to change a song, Zheng Tan switched paws. The onlookers gave out a wave of amazement.


    "Oh my, that cat knows how to switch paws!"


    "My cat knows how to do that trick too."


    "Poor thing, it''s probably tired." An olddy dug inside her purse, then walked over to the cardboard box and stuffed the money in.


    With someone in the lead, people followed, the second person, third person


    Fang Shao Kangmented in his mind, ''A person''s face is nowhere near as useful as a cat''s, I have been singing my heart out, my voice is hoarse and nobody showed any concern. On the other hand, the cat next to me switched arms and received sympathy. That sister there gave a hundred dor in one go! Looks like the living standards in this city aren''t bad at all.''


    After belting out another two old songs, Fang Shao Kang took a half-time break.


    People came up to Fang Shao Kang during that time to exchange a few words, asking questions like where did hee from, how did hee by this cat, why did he think of singing here.


    Zheng Tan wasn''t bothered to listen to Fang Shao Kang talking nonsense, there wasn''t a word of truth that came out of that guy''s mouth, he kept bluffing to get people''spassion. As to those passionate olddies who were surrounding him, Zheng Tan couldn''t stand another second of it. He climbed on to a tree nearby and wouldn''t get down no matter how people yelled at him.


    Sometimes Zheng Tan became extremely confused, why do people like to call every cat they see "kitty", no matter if that cat was a male or a female, or whether that cat actually had a name or not. Whoever first called a cat by that name was a f*cking genius.


    Previously, in Zheng Tan''s dictionary that word can only be connected to girls with big chest, but ever since he had became a cat, he couldn''t recall how many times he had been called by that name. Every time that he hears that word, no matter who you were or how important you were, he would turn about and walk away straightaway.


    Therefore, when the olddies watching beneath him began yelled at Zheng Tan with the syble "ki--" Zheng Tan scratched his ear and decisively climbed up the tree.


    While Zheng Tan squatted up the tree to avoid the enthusiastic olddies, and Fang Shao Kang was thering with people, the five youngsters in that corner singing began to discuss too.


    "That''s the guy yesterday, right?"


    "That man asked us some questions yesterday, who knows he woulde with a guitar today."


    "That manI remember seeing a camera around his neck yesterday?"


    "It''s was a DSLR!"


    "Yeah, DLSR digital camera, that thing''s quite expensive. I remembered him because of that camera."


    The five men fell silent, then one of them said,"Sh*t, that means that man came here to steal our business because he had nothing to do?!"


    When young people asionally does this, it''s called rebellion or curiosity, but when you, an almost forty years old man does this, people will think you''re out of your mind.


    "TechnicallyThe one that yed the biggest role was that ck cat?"


    "I suddenly felt a blow." One said.


    The oldest of the group was called Kim. He was the leader of this newly established band and the oldest of the band. He hailed everyone over and prepared to start singing. Just then a woman in heavy makeup walked over and greeted them.


    They knew this woman, she was the rtive of that pub owner who invited them over to sing. She was only walking past during her shopping trip and had received a phone call from the pub owner, so she passed a message along to them as she passed by. After she finished talking, she flicked her hair and stormed away in her stilettos. She despised this kind of street performance.


    The message that the woman passed on was basically telling them that they don''t have to go tonight, it''s the birthday of someone in the band that was preforming before them, they prepared to book the ce and will probably sing till midnight.


    The color on the five young men''s faces wasn''t too pretty, however they had encountered a lot of this after leaving their hometown. This type of thing they had experienced many times, right now they have neither fame or money, to put it in in words they are nothing. You can''t me others for looking down on them.


    As the bass hand of this new band, the young man stood at the side, silent. He didn''t like to talk anyways. Strumming the bass in his hands, the music was mingled with slight tiredness and struggle.


    "Hey, you kids!"


    Just as the five youngsters pondered about how to schedule tonight''s time, Fang Shao Kang found them and told them a n.


    "Coboration?" Kim as the singer and the leader of this band was shocked.


    "Yes, coboration. Of course, my skills are limited, but I still have some appreciation for music, so, the person that you are coborating with isn''t me." Fang Shao Kang said as he pointed to Zheng Tan who was crouching up the tree and looking at the stars, "It performs with you guys, how does that sound?"


    On second thought, Kim saw that the situation over there just then and knew that the cat can attract some poprity, if ites over and everyone coborates that''s fine. Besides, they were just discussing that it was time to leave this city and move on to the next, they were in no hurry.


    After deciding, Kim nodded his head, "I''m fine with it, how about you guys?"


    The other four didn''t object, everyone was happy to have a special experience before they left. They had never coborated with a cat before.


    Zheng Tan was squatting up the tree and counting the stars in boredom when he was suddenly notified that he would have to coborate with those people.


    "Charcoal, look, your uncle me can''t sing anymore. My voice is broke and there isn''t enough money yet. Working together with those little fellows can fish us some more money. You just have to sit there and show some gestures, there''s no need to work too hard." Fang Shao Kang raised his head and said to Zheng Tan, "Beside those little things are pretty pitiable, this is probably thest time that they will sing in this city. They''re leaving tomorrow, I want to help them but my reputation is nowhere as influential as yours."


    Zheng Tan looked at the crowd that hasn''t dispersed yet then at the five young men who appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen. He considered the options, he had some built some resistance to this type of thick-skinned performance. Helping to get some small cash was fine, just a matter of lifting a paw, since all he had to do was to pretentiously knock the bottle a few times.


    After consultation, Zheng Tan came forth to the five youngsters.


    Facing the ck cat, the five young men didn''t know how to get along with him.


    Fang Shao Kang carried the bottle and the spoon over from the back. After discussing with Kim, he borrowed a stool to ce on the side and set the spoon and bottle down.


    Zheng Tan hopped onto the stool, this time it felt much better than the previous, his skin had been worn thicker and his mentality had been adjusted. It''s just knocking with the spoon a few times, what''s the big deal?!


    Seeing that it was about to start again over here, the crowd began to gather again. It was only eight in the night, the night life was extremely rich in the city, besides this was the shopping district square,pared to before, there were much more people.


    Whether they could cooperate with a cat, the five were unsure. In the end it was Fang Shao Kang who came over and said a few words tofort them.


    Zheng Tan had something to say on the sideline, ''These little rascals are giving me the cold shoulder?''


    Throwing a nce at Zheng Tan, Fang Shao Kang knew that the cat must have be angry again with his ears tugged like that.


    "Alright, let''s hurry up and start!" Fang Shao Kang waved his hand and ced the cardboard box in a visible spot, then he retired to one side and watched on.


    Looking at that cardboard box, the facial expression of those five youngsters became unnatural. That was too blunt, their moral attainments were not as high as Fang Shao Kang''s.


    "Hey, are those kids being shy?" Fang Shao Kang said to the person that was sitting next to him.


    There sat another middle-aged man, he was the shop owner of that instrument store that Fang Shao Kang rented his guitar from. Other than their guitar and bass, Kim and his friends rented their drums and keyboard from that guy''s shop. Most times he woulde and listen to these young people perform.


    Hearing Fang Shao Kang, that person smile, "They''re still young."

 Chapter 63: Robbery

    Chapter 63: Robbery


    The five had been working together for some time, after a few notes they understood each other''s ideas. Kim strummed the guitar in his hands, notifying everyone to get ready, he paused then looked at the cat on the stool.


    Zheng Tan was already swinging his tail impatiently. Isn''t it just singing a song? Do you need some forey? What''s with the hesitation?


    To be safe, their first song wasn''t too fast, the rhythm was simr to the songs that Fang Shao Kang sang. Of course, it was definitely not the style that Fang Shao Kang chose.


    Zheng Tan struck the ss bottle time by time, grasping the beat was nothing hard for him. Besides the crowd nearby was much more lenient to the cat than the humans, even if he made some mistakes people will still understand.


    Since it''s just a cat.


    After a song, Kim and the others felt quite happy. Originally they thought the sound of striking ss would appear as unfitting, but after it had been on beat, the effect was unexpectedly good. They could add some simr elements in the future.


    Giving a thumbs up to Zheng Tan, Kim prepared to change to a faster song.


    Zheng Tan was secretly pleased with himself, the tip of his tail had unconsciously curled up. ''Clearly I am more influential, look at that crowd and that little girl with big eyes, her hands are red due to pping.''


    Compared to cooperating with Fang Shao Kang, Zheng Tan felt much better now, it wasn''t about the onlooking crowd but the eptance to music. He couldn''t understand the emotions that Fang Shao Kang showed to old songs like "Travelling the World (Zou Si Fang)", but he could easily immerse himself in this kind of rock styled pop music.


    After all, inside this body Zheng Tan was still a young soul, he still had a young mindset.


    In one corner of the square, in the dreamy beams of light, rhythmic beats of music began to sound.


    When the music rang, even the dull bass hand that still looked calm andposed, strummed music that was filled with energy and tune.


    As they drowned in the enjoyment of performing, Kim and others had forgotten that there was a cat that was squatting beside them. They forgot that they were coborating with a cat, and had began to y those catchy songs ording to their usual habits.


    After a stream of fast music, they entered the chorus. It was like a new green life that broke through from the bondage of the soil, it danced freely, brushing away all the shyness and restraints.


    What influenced people was not only the rhythm and the tune, but the sense of freedom and passion that was bonded into it, hot-blooded youth.


    It wasn''t only the song that made people boil with excitement, it was also the atmosphere. It provided people a way and a process to release themselves, it was for the willful catharsis in that moment, and that moment only.


    They were still young, perhaps they couldn''t express the mature emotions as the original singer did. However, they already made a huge step forwards, who dared to say that they will not be a brilliant star that dazzles?


    If they had started with the ying attitude, then Zheng Tan hadpletely sunk into it now. His beating of the bottle had be something that surged with passion, a pr opposite to the cking attitude that he had when he was cooperating with Fang Shao Kang. Young people were always easily influenced by the environment and didn''t know what they did, even when he was now a cat, it was still the same.


    The instrument store owner that was sitting not far off watching the performance smacked his lips and praised, "Your cat beats the bottle quite well! It''s the first time that I''ve seen a cat who can knock the bottle like that, it''s like beating an egg."


    Fang Shao Kang: "Haha." ''I''ve seen this for the first time myself."


    People began to gather in greater numbers. Initially many came to see the cat beating the bottle, like parents that brought their children and olddies that finished dancing, but slowly there gathered a group of young people. People liked to see lively scenes and be part of them. They saw that there were a lot of people over here, so people all rushed over here, then they were influenced by the atmosphere. Some sang along, some pped with the beat and cheered. To the young people, these were all well known songs and could be easily recited.


    Fang Shao Kang took the camera out from his backpack and started to take photos.


    "Hey, isn''t that a DSLR, you have the money to buy a DSLR and youe here to sell your talent?! Since when did the street performers get that rich?" Someone who saw Fang Shao Kang sang said.


    "No way," Fang Shao Kang calmly raised his hand and pointed to a direction, "I borrowed it off a student from the photography society over there, I have to return itter."


    The person looked towards the direction that Fang Shao Kang was pointing, it was filled with people, he couldn''t tell from one to another. However, there was something like a photography society over here, from time to time there would even be a student photography exhibition on disy. Shaking his head, the person no longer spoke another word.


    When Zheng Tan''s right hand got tired he changed to the left hand, after beating for some time he would change it back. He was having fun, especially when he saw that people were constantly stuffing money into the box when he asionally peeked at it, he became happier.


    This continued until ten in the night, they left when the number of people in the square began to decrease.


    Zheng Tan threw the spoon to one side and rushed over to take a look inside the box. The lighting wasn''t too good, he couldn''t see too clearly how much money there was, but it was most likely enough to pay for the car fares and hotel costs.


    While Kim was packing up after the crowd had scatted, his emotions had not yet recovered itself, "There was a moment back then, I felt like a star, so many people supporting me, so many people cheering for me. It was like the dreams that I have."


    "Yes yes, that was a great feeling!"


    Others agreed.


    The owner of the instrument store walked over and had a chat with them, these boys were about to head north tomorrow. He must take this opportunity to encourage and warn these young men, saving them from having difficulties walking out of a low time in the future, the path ahead was still long, there will still more challenges.


    Fang Shao Kang didn''t immediately count the money inside the box, after the crowd dispersed he sealed the box and helped the boys to pack up the equipment and carry them to the instrument store, then he counted the money in the store.


    "Three thousand six hundred?!"


    The five including Kim was shocked. Usually when they were singing in the square, they would earn around a handful of dors in an hour. It was much less when they were performing along, so they only treated performing in the square as an experience, a sharpening of their skills, they never thought that they can earn any money from this. However, the number calcted now was unbelievable to them.


    They didn''t receive any actual professional education, they don''t have any fame, everyone was just a newbie that was born yesterday. After experiencing street performances, this money was a lot to them.


    Fang Shao Kang took one thousand eight hundred dors and passed the rest to Kim, "Here, the other half that I promised."


    "AhMr Fang, the money that you had initially is in there as well, you should take more." Kim said.


    Despite earning quite a number this time, the youngsters knew, if it weren''t for the ck cat, they wouldn''t have attracted so many people''s attention that smoothly.


    "That''s all, I''m leaving!" Not giving any exnation, Fang Shao Kang stuffed the money inside his bag, carrying the bag on his back he walked out.


    Zheng Tan hurried out and followed him, he had no objections to Fang Shao Kang''s arrangements. Anyhow, Fang Shao Kang wasn''t a poor person, the one thousand eight hundred was far more than enough to travel on cat and live in hotels, it didn''t need to be a five-star hotel, anything was better than that little motel.


    "Thanks, cat bro!" Kim waved his hand and shouted.


    Zheng Tan swung his tail and didn''t even move his head.


    They still had some things left in the motel. Originally they intended to checkout, but thendlord said that checkout must be made before twelve in the noon, if you passed that time it counted as another day.


    To leave this motel earlier, Zheng Tan poked Fang Shao Kang through the backpack. He wanted this guy to check out tonight since they already earned some money from singing.


    In the end, Fang Shao Kang didn''t pay a single cent, but he used that second-hand mountain bike to encumber the cost. They were not going to ride it anyways, let''s just spend all it''s value.


    Exiting the motel, the cat and the human headed to the nearest four star hotel. It was too tiring today to get there faster, Fang Shao Kang nned to take the short-cut, there was an alleyway that didn''t require them to walk around.


    On the side of the road were streetmps but the sky was too dark, there wasn''t anyone around. While they were walking, Zheng Tan''s ears moved, he peeped out from the zip in the backpack, there were two suspicious figures behind them.


    ''Are they robbers?''


    No matter if they were or not, just by judging that their behavior they don''t look like good people. Zheng Tan poked Fang Shao Kang.


    "I know." Fang Shao Kang whispered.


    Since Fang Shao Kang said he knew, there was no need for Zheng Tan to give him further warning but his concentration was mainly on the two person behind them .


    Zheng Tan let out a breath of easiness when he made sure it was only two person. Two was easy to be dealt with, any more he really can''t cope.


    The two walked closer and closer, there was a length of iron pipe in their hands.


    One look told him that they were no good!


    When one of them closed in, Zheng Tan hopped out from the backpack and shed across that person''s face. Using the flexibility of his body, Zheng Tan was able to avoid the oing pipe swung by that person, then he jumped up and kicked with all his force on that person''s body. This time he used his true strength, and both kicks were aimed at his lowered parts.


    ''F*ck, you want to rob the money that I earned from selling my talent with a thick skin?!''


    Do you want to die or do you not want to live!


    Another kick!


    Zheng Tan thought since he was not going to stay here for long there was no need to hide himself. They were leaving in the morning, even if these people wanted to avenge themselves they couldn''t find him.


    Fang Shao Kang knocked the other person out with a stick, when he turned he saw that cat kicking that person''s crotch and the person that got kicked was screaming as if he was being castrated, the pipe in his hand had fallen to the ground.


    After being kicked, the persony on the ground howling. Zheng Tan paid no heed to him, he nced at Fang Shao Kang, this fellow had a baton in his hand, looks like he was prepared.


    "Come on, leave them, they''re just some thugs." Fang Shao Kang tucked the baton away and said.


    Zheng Tan pulled his ear and jumped into Fang Shao Kang''s backpack. They had almost arrived at the hotel, they probably didn''t allow cats in there, it was better if he was hidden.


    Before they even left the alleyway, Fang Shao Kang''s phone rang.


    "Yo, brother, why''re you calling me at this time of the dayI haven''t fallen asleep yet, still looking for the hotelI encountered an issue, someone was trying to rob meAh, I didn''t use too much for this time, I only gave him one baton. Besides, you don''t know, when that person came out he was so arrogant, saying "scramble, leave the cat and the money box on the side." No sh*t, don''t you think that person was looking for a beating? The public security in this ce sucks, tell your little brother inw to be careful when hees here, even kids don''t dare to walk here"


    Zheng Tan: "" No f*cking bulls*t.


    Hanging up the call, Fang Shao Kang patted his backpack, "Charcoal, we''ve just saved our car fare tomorrow."

 Chapter 64: I didnt kick the balls

    Chapter 64: I didn''t kick the balls


    The next day, Zheng Tan hid inside Fang Shao Kang''s bag and prepared to leave the hotel.


    The reception desk clerk took a few looks at Fang Shao Kang''s huge backpack, she probably didn''t think that this type of low-life would live in such a hotel, she was also curious about what was in the big backpack.


    "Sir, you backpack zip is un" The clerk warned with good intentions, thest syble "done" was not pronounced because she had seen the cat whiskers from the opened zip.


    Her mouth open, the clerk stared at Fang Shao Kang. The guy returned her look with a brilliant smile then sauntered away.


    Exiting the hotel door, Zheng Tan shook away the restraints. He hopped out and walked along side Fang Shao Kang, being inside the backpack was too ufortable.


    "Yo, the car''s here!" Fang Shao Kang said.


    Zheng Tan stretched his neck and looked around, but he couldn''t identify which car Fang Shao Kang was actually referring to, there were way too many cars in the hotel parking lot.


    Fang Shao Kang walked towards an ordinary looking private car, he waved to greet the person in the driver''s seat.


    ''So this is what Fang Shao Kang meant when he said "saved car fare".''


    When Fang Shao Kang opened the car door, Zheng Tan saw another person seated in the backseat. He was around the same age as Fang Shao Kang but he looked more solemn and had some majesty to him.


    Solemn or not, Zheng Tan only wished that this person would be more reliable and not be the same as Fang Shao Kang.


    "Mayor Yuan, congrattions on assuming office!" Fang Shao Kang lifted his leg and boarded the car, he leisurely sat down and took no heed of what the person next to him would think. He pulled the backpack with mud stains right in and ced it on the empty seat next to him, then patted the left over space in the backseat and said to Zheng Tan who was still sightseeing outside the car: "Come on!"


    Zheng Tan looked at the other person in the backseat then at the little spot left in the backseat, and at the empty passenger seat at the front. He jumped into the car and burrowed to the front.


    "Hey, this cat!" Fang Shao Kangughed, leaving Zheng Tan alone and chatting with the person next to him.


    Zheng Tan squatted on the passenger seat, he felt that this kind of spacious spot was much morefortable, way better than the space squeezed out by Fang Shao Kang''s backpack.


    Although the car looked like nothing from the exterior, the interior wasn''t too shabby, it was probably modified. He looked at the driver next to him again, there was a sudden sense of familiarity.


    It wasn''t that Zheng Tan had seen this person before, but this person gave the same impression to Zheng Tan like Wei Lin did. This person was probably the bodyguard with a side job of a driver, Zheng Tan recalled that Fang Shao Kang said "Mayor Yuan", so this can be understood.


    The driverrade beside him noticed Zheng Tan''s eyes on him, he turned and took a look at him. It wasn''t appropriate for the cat to squat on the passenger seat but since boss didn''t even have anything to say on this, it was not for him toment. As long as the cat didn''t interfere with his driving it would be fine, but now seeing that the cat kept staring at him and that the emotion in it''s eyes wasn''t something that a cat should have, it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.


    ''This cat is so abnormal!''


    The driverrade felt that the goosebumps on his skin had all popped up to an extent that his reactions were dyed when the boss asked him to drive.


    Shifting his line of sight away from the driver to the window, Zheng Tany t on the seat and looked through the window at the high-rise buildings outside. Although his eyes were looking out, his ears were raised listening into the conversation behind him between Fang Shao Kang and the other person because he noticed that the two''s conversation involved thest night robbery incident.


    Fang Shao Kang held the paperwork that Mayor Yuan passed over, he cursed then said, "These two people are shameless enough to sue me?! Plus, they clearly colluded, I only used the baton to beat one of them and it was only once. The other one wasn''t my fault, I would have beat them until they couldn''t spit another word if I knew this earlier. They''re just two thugs, how dare they unt this!"


    So that''s what it was,st night the two people that Zheng Tan and Fang Shao Kang disciplined sued Fang Shao Kang for malicious wounding, they even mentioned an attempt of intentional homicide.


    "Then you exin why those injuries appear on that person?"


    "The cat did it."


    ""


    Mayor Yuan massaged the bridge between his brows, he never anticipated to deal with this kind of thing as soon as he assumed the role.


    "Anyhow, it''s not my business." Fang Shao Kang threw the document in his hand aside, he shrugged, "even if that person really did be an eunuch, then I guess he got unlucky since he deserved it. Why couldn''t he do something elsest night instead of following other people andmitting robbery, they even brought a pipe along! Besides, that person had a criminal record, even if he knew some people and had some connections, that doesn''t mean he''s not a jerk, his aim is to wangle money."


    A stream of words spluttered out from Fang Shao Kang''s mouth, they all summed up to one sentence, "Anyhow, I didn''t kick the balls ."


    Seeing Mayor Yuan had fell silent, Fang Shao Kang chuckled, "Don''t hang that look of dread on your face, this incident gives you a reason to put people on the chopping block. A new broom sweeps clean, there''s a ce for you then you shall shine?"


    When he finished talking Fang Shao Kang kicked the back of the passenger seat. It meant: ''Why do I have to be med for the mischief you caused?''


    Zheng Tan scratched his ears, pretending that he knew nothing. Anyhow, he''s now a cat, who would believe that a cat beat a person into an eunuch? Even the robber that got beaten didn''t dare to speak the truth, if he did who would believe him?! Or maybe it was that they felt embarrassed to say this thing out aloud, they didn''t want people to know that he had almost be an eunuch because of a cat?


    Either way, Zheng Tan believed the person in the back could solve this situation, it was nothing for him to be concerned about.


    The two behind him didn''t discuss further on those two beaten up robbers, and started to talk about their daily life. Zheng Tan had no interest in listening in, he looked outside the window wondering when he can leave this city.


    An hourter, the car stopped.


    Zheng Tan jumped out of the car, ording to what Fang Shao Kang said, they will change to another car here, that car will take them straight to Chuhua city.


    That''s why Zheng Tan was extremely excited, he didn''t need to travel on foot, didn''t need to squat in a bicycle basket, didn''t need to ride a pedicab and didn''t need to sell his talents on the streets anymore! Most important of all, it meant that he would soon return to Chuhua city, back to the serene staff courtyard!


    Just thinking about that made Zheng Tan unable to sleep with excitement.


    Counting the days, it had been a month since he was captured. That month felt like a year to Zheng Tan, "torment" didn''t do justice to express what Zheng Tan felt during this experience.


    The car that was taking Zheng Tan and Fang Shao Kang to Chuhua city was an SUV, it was quite luxurious. Inside the car were some clean clothes, they were for Fang Shao Kang, due to Mayor Yuan''s words, "You must pay attention to your image, don''t let peopleugh at you when you''re there."


    Zheng Tan wasn''t too sure who the "people" that will ugh at you" were that were referred to by Mayor Yuan, neither did he have the interest in guessing, as long as he knew that he would return to Chuhua city everything was fine.


    The SUV driver knew Fang Shao Kang, he was sent by Fang Shao Kang''s brother.


    Watching the SUV travel into the distance, Mayor Yuan sighed: "He''s almost forty but he''s no better than a cat, people still need to worry about him."


    If Papa Jiao heard Mayor Yuan''s exmations right now, he would definitely say: "This cat does actually make people worry more."


    After the SUV had drove onto the expressway, Zheng Tan would pay attention to the road signs on the side of the road once in a while. Fang Shao Kang held a map, Zheng Tan would close in and take a look as well, thenbining it with the signs to calcte how far they were from Chuhua city.


    Initally, Zheng Tan thought they will soon arrive at Chuhua city, but Fang Shao Kang instructed the driver to make a detour. Originally they could take the straight road, however, now they made a turn in the middle of the journey to some cultured and historical city, spending days on sightseeing, taking photos and eating some folk style savory food.


    The first two days Zheng Tan wasn''t too happy, but he was quite interested in having fun, but when these things were repeatedter, Zheng Tan became upset. He clearly wasn''t in the mood for sightseeing, so what if these cities have a rich history, so what if this food was delicious. Being with Fang Shao Kang made Zheng Tan lose all his interest in traveling around.


    However, the driver only listened to Fang Shao Kang''s words, Zheng Tan had no choice. Couldn''t he ask the driver to just take him?


    Since he couldn''t change Fang Shao Kang''s mind, Zheng Tan found another way. While he was wandering in some city with Fang Shao Kang, Zheng Tan would find ways to make Fang Shao Kang buy some small souvenirs, any thing that he set his eyes on he would ran over and hug it, then wait for Fang Shao Kang to pay.


    Having the favour color and style of each member of the Jiao family in mind, Zheng Tan picked some from each type.


    The driver along side Fang Shao Kang changed from the initial surprise to calmness and eventually to indifference. He became used to Zheng Tan picking souvenirs, so if Fang Shao Kang was busy taking photos, he would help to pay. This was the first time that the driver felt that cats were so freaking annoying.


    This stopping and traveling, detouring halfway, took a week before they reached Jinghan state, that was the state that Chuhua city was located in. Just when Zheng Tan saw the light at the end of the tunnel, this pest Fang Shao Kang made the driver stop the car again. They yed around for a few days in a city not too far from Chuhua city, he said that they were going to go fishing there.


    Zheng Tan wanted to nt a p right across his cheek. Next time don''t be in the same car as these kinds of people, they were way too troublesome.


    "I said ten days to half a month, why the hurry to get back?" Fang Shao Kang said, sitting on the edge of theke and rxing as he held the fishing rod.


    Zheng Tan squatted on a tree to the side, scratched his ear and payed no attention to him. It had been ten days since he got in contact with Papa Jiao, were they really going to wait for a full half a month? Besides, yesterday he used Fang Shao Kang''s phone to contact Papa Jiao, Papa Jiao said that the matters over there were almost taken care of, Zheng Tan could return anytime.


    "Woof woof! Woof woof woof!"


    A ck fur mutt jumped up and down with happiness on the side, this dog was owned by a farmer''s family nearby. It liked to watch other people fish, every time there was some movement it would bark excitedly.


    "Bit the bait?!" Fang Shao Kang quickly pulled on the rod, "There''s fish tonight for dinner!"


    Zheng Tan yawned, taking no heed of them. He was bored as hell, so he ran over to Fang Shao Kang''s backpack again, unzipped the zip and scooped out the phone from inside the bag.


    The driver next to him that was helping to lift the fish bucket had no reaction when he saw this scene, it wasn''t the first time that he had seen this. He would see this cat taking the phone out of the backpack everyday, dialing a number, and then listening to the phone. When it finished the call, that cat''s mood would be extremely good. Every time he saw this scene, the driver would confirm again in his mind that ck cats were abnormal.

 Chapter 65: It was that jerk!

    Chapter 65: It was that jerk!


    The decision of making a call everyday was decided upon after Zheng Tan felt that he wasn''t going to return to Chuhua city any time soon.


    Moreover, every time that he made the phone call, Zheng Tan would look at the clock. That time the children had probablye home from school, then he would listen to Youzi and Jiao Yuanin about their day at school.


    Although there wasn''t any solid content, when he ended the call Zheng Tan would somehow be in a good mood. He couldn''t say anything when he was listening to the calls, but just listening to the voices on the other end made his heart warm, the tip of his tail slowly curled and swayed.


    After hanging up the phone, Zheng Tan threw the phone that was almost out of battery back into the backpack. Just then Fang Shao Kang also removed his rod and asked the driver to help take the fish to the farmers to process.


    Where he was bored to the core, Zheng Tan saw a small nt nearby, he lifted his paws and pulled at it. Zheng Tan had seen these type of nts frequently, they were everywhere, almost having no territory restraints.


    "So you''re ying with cart-front grass (ntains)?" Fang Shao Kang took a bite into the steamed bun while walking over to here. He had gotten hungry from all the fishing, the dinner wouldn''t be ready anytime soon so he asked the host family for a few buns to fill his stomach.


    Passing the bitten bun in his hand in front of Zheng Tan, Fang Shao Kang asked: "Want a bite?"


    Zheng Tan looked at the missing chunk of the bun and turned away, extremely disgusted.


    "Oh, I remember assistant professor Jiao said you don''t eat stuff that other people had already bitten. Here, I will bite off the areas that I ate," then Fang Shao Kang ate another mouthful from that gap and passed it forward to Zheng Tan, "Want to eat?"


    Zheng Tan: "" Are you f*cking insulting my intellectual quotient ?!


    "Too bad for you then, the bun is actually quite delicious. They used good quality pork, I can taste it." Fang Shao Kang finished the bun in his hand in a few bites, then he squatted and looked at the nt in front of Zheng Tan.


    "Do you know why this grass is called cart-front grass?" Fang Shao Kang asked.


    Zheng Tan paused his movement of pulling at the nt''s leaves. He really had no idea, maybe it was because it was too ordinary, somon that he stopped paying attention to it.


    "In the old days, no matter what cart traveled on this road, be it government cart, private cart, ox cart, horse cart, human cart, marriage cart, criminal cart or battle cart, on the side of the road that the cart traveled on there was bound to be this type of nt. However, why must it be called ''cart-front grass'' and not ''cart-back grass'' or ''cart-side grass''? Well, that''s another story.


    In the Han dynasty, there was a famous general called Ma Wu. He lost the battle, coincidentally a drought urred, all the crops had died. The army had been routed, retreating into the wilderness where there were no human inhabitants. There were a lot of human and horses that died of thirst, those that didn''t die were all sick, they were urinating blood. One day, a horseman found a few horses no longer urinating blood and were in good spirit, not sickly anymore. After observing that these horses were all eating some sort of weed, he tried it himself, and the symptoms were immediately relieved.


    Ma Wu asked him, where did he find this grass? The horseman said, right in front of the cart. Ma Wuughed, ''What a great cart-front grass''"


    Zheng Tan listened to Fang Shao Kang telling the story of the cart-front grass, then raised his paws and pulled at this nt with its wrinkly leaves. He never thought that this grass would have such a story to it and a medical value. However, judging from Fang Shao Kang''s narration, this person had some sentimental attachment to cart-front grass.


    After finish telling the story of Ma Wu and the cart-front grass, Fang Shao Kang looked into the distance. On the other end of the pond, wisps of smoke wafted from behind the y-brick courtyard walls covered with ivy and flourishing with weeds, overflowing the air with an unique aroma of oil that belonged only to the farmhouses.


    "My grandfather said he was like this kind of grass, so lowly that he could be found anywhere, at ease with every environment he was in, but during suitable times he was also able to y his part and shine, making himself unforgettable to others. Hey, by the way, this nt healed my mumps when I was young, before that I never thought that the grass I tread on everyday would be my healing medicine.


    Walking out of the farmhouse, the driver watched as young master Fang squatted next to that cat and talked to himself. He suddenly understood why everyone else in the Fang family had a helpless look on their face every time they mentioned master Fang.


    Sometimes young master Fang looked like a lunatic that could''t be trusted, but at appropriate times he was incisive enough, otherwise how could he bear the role as the CEO of Shao Guang corporation?


    People from the Fang family knew that whenever Fang Shao Kang met a low in his career or some decision regarding an important expansion n for the corporation , he would disappear for a period of time. He would im to the public that he was out on business trips, but in reality he was out on holiday alone or wandering about, and every time Fang Shao Kang returned, the Shao Guang enterprise would experience a major advancement.


    The driver shook his head, this was a way of thinking that ordinary people couldn''tprehend.


    When he finished speaking, Fang Shao Kang stood up and flexed his limbs, then walked towards the farmhouse while humming a tune in his mouth, "Walking on the countryne~ The ox that returns at dusk is mypanion~~"


    Zheng Tan stretched his back, looked at the darkening sky and began to retrace his steps walking back.


    Two dayster, Fang Shao Kang finally decided to leave. Before they left they bought some local specialties, especially that farmhouse''s steamed bun, Fang Shao Kang liked them very much and ate them along the way.


    They were finally embarking on the returning journey, Zheng Tan couldn''t sleep much the night before and neither could he sleep during the day, mainly because he was way too excited.


    From here to Chuhua city would take around three hours on car in they go by the expressway. If they left in the morning, they would arrive at Chuahua city at exactly noon, he could even eat lunch there.


    Chuhua city was arge metropolis after all, even if they arrived in the city at noon, they would still need to spend forty minutes to get to Chuhua university. That was under the condition that there was no traffic jam, if there was traffic it would take even longer, so after they arrive at noon, they would need to find a ce to have lunch.


    During lunch, Fang Shao Kang left for a while, when he reappeared he was in business attire, leather shoes, and his hair was brushed perfectly in ce. The impression that the person gave out suddenly changed, there was some elite temperament like a boss, a great attempt to impress people.


    Therge backpack was nowhere to be found, the phone in Fang Shao Kang changed, a new one with a colored screen, the old one had been hidden somewhere, but the driver knew. To prepare for the next time when a simr event urred and with the jerk of a nerve young master Fang prepared to leave again, that pack of packed away "kits" would be reemployed.


    On the way to Chuhua university, Zheng Tan listened to Fang Shao Kang b on the phone with other bosses in Chuhua city, then thought of the person that sang the guitar apanied version of "Traveling around" in the square. No wonder they say clothes make the man, this is extraordinary!


    They encountered a red light while passing through a crossroad, the car stopped before the pedestrian crossing. Zheng Tan stood up and looked around, a silvery grey private car slowly drove past.


    Zheng Tan stared at it, why did it look so familiar?


    When that silvery grey car stopped beside the SUV that Zheng Tan and others were on, waiting at the red light, Zheng Tan saw the person in the driver''s seat. At the same time, the person in the passenger seat, as if sensing something, turned and looked over.


    The human eyes meets the cat eyes.


    Sh*t! That''s why it looked that familiar, because it was that jerk!


    Zheng Tan''s ws tightened, he burrowed from the backseat to the passenger seat.


    On the passenger seat was a box of local specialties, Zheng Tan stood on top, peering his eyes to see the person behind twoyers of car windows.


    Inside the silvery grey car was indeed Ren Chong, however, this Professor Ren was no longer the person that pretended to be a gentleman like before. His face was evidently weary with signs of dejection and unwillingness, anyone who was forcefully dismissed would be like this, not to mention the kind of people like Ren Chong who boasted to be superior than everyone else as well as being an overseas returnee elite?


    Let''s not debate on whether he had any dignity, just by Ren Chong''s personality of being a sore loser and his use of unscrupulous means to reach his goals, how could his heart remain calm after being suppressed into this situation ? How could he not hate? He ground his teeth, the overwhelming hatred contorting his facial features, he was just thinking of how to pounce again when he turned and saw the ck cat outside his car window.


    That moment, Ren Chong felt that he had been thrown into a nitrogen tank, one knock and he would shatter into pieces.


    The hatred was reced by fear.


    The cat in the car beside him, Ren Chong was hundred percent positive that it was the one owned by assistant professor Jiao. Although there were many ck cats that looked like that, but looking at the expression and squinting eyes, this was that cat with no doubt!


    However, hadn''t this cat been kidnapped and disposed of by that cat vendor? Why is it here? Why did it appear again?


    Ren Chong didn''t understand and didn''t want to believe in it.


    Zheng Tan red at Ren Chong, he already knew that him being kidnapped was all this guy''s doing, he was the culprit responsible for him almost being turned into a hotpot! Even if Papa Jiao and the others didn''t say it outright, Zheng Tan figured into out by himself.


    If it wasn''t for him being locked inside the car and the car window by Ren Chong''s side being closed with twoyers of car window between them, Zheng Tan would definitely jump out and beat the sh*t out of this pretentious bastard!


    ''How the f*ck did I, a cat, piss you off, you even went through all the trouble of hiring a professional cat-kidnapper to capture me. You even used a tranquilizer, if I didn''t have a special physique, I would probably be sedated to death! And that street with cat meat restaurants in the south, it was in torture to my body and mind! ''


    Zheng Tan stared murderously at Ren Chong opposite him, he raised his ws and scratched in the air at his neck.


    Ren Chong''s face immediately turned pale like a sheet of paper.


    Where on earth can have you seen a cat that can murderously make a threatening action at you?


    Ren Chong had never seen one, even when he found people to take care of the cat it was all just spection, but now, he really noticed the oddness of this cat. Then his mind was filled with the action that ck cat just made, each detail of the movement was erged in his brain. The killing eyes, the sharp ws, and that sh in the air it was like a sh across his own neck, he suddenly felt cold.


    Ren Chong shivered.


    Just then, the green light shone, the SUV started up.


    Ren Chong''s car on the other hand stayed in the same spot, the cars behind him all began to honk at him to hurry him, but Ren Chong wasn''t aware of all that, his back was wet with cold sweat. The things that had urred over the past few days had worn him out, he would have nightmares at night, all about that ck cat, every time he woke up, he wouldfort himself saying that cat had been disposed of, there was no need to worry.


    But, he would have never thought to meet that cat here


    Bang bang bang!


    The sound of beating car windows called Ren Chong''s mind back.


    "F*cking drive, what are you daydreaming about? Did you not bring your brain?! Sh*t red light again!" One car owner walked out of his car during the interval of a red light, hitting the car door and shouted.


    When the green light show up again, Ren Chong was still not in a right state. He was supposed to turn left, but he kept driving forward. When he finally reacted, he made a sharp turn in a hurry, lost control and crashed right into themp post on the side of the road.


    Bang!

 Chapter 66: So You Simply Used Mr. Fang

    Chapter 66: So You Simply Used Mr. Fang


    Not far from the crossroad was an inconspicuous car. The person inside was making a phone call.


    "We didn''t do anything. He got himself into that state before we could stop him. It was God''s will. Tell Brother Bao that Ren Chong is being brought to the hospital and see what he says. We''ll head back now."


    On the other side of Chuhua at Tian Yuan Biology, Wei Ling was with someone who was currently on the phone. He betrayed no emotions, but that was what Wei Ling hade to expect from him. They had grown up together and knew each other well.


    "What happened?" Wei Ling asked.


    The man sitting across from him put his phone back in his pocket and said: "Bao Zi said the guy got into the ident while driving. His men didn''t do anything."


    "Is that so?" Wei Ling was curious. Even if Ren Chong was being targeted and running into all kinds of problems, he wouldn''t be unstable to the point that he couldn''t even drive properly.


    "Are you sure your men didn''t do anything? No threats?"


    "No." The man said, "He''s in the hospital now and will probably have to stay there for a while. What do you n to do?"


    Wei Ling thought about it then said: "Don''t worry about it. Tell your men to back off, I''ll deal with the rest."


    The man nodded and made another short phone call before sitting down again.


    "Hao Zi, about the thing I told youst time. How is it going?"


    "The thing with transportation? I have already begun picking out men for the job."


    "Good. Yuan Zhiyi has been on my backtely. Apparently he had arge shipment going out soon. The samples are somewhat sensitive, so he is nning to start a transport department. It would be best we could have a list of names ready by the end of the week. He wants to start the training soon."


    The two chatted a bit more about the subject before Ye Hao checked the time. He stood up to leave.


    Before he left, Ye Hao asked: "Did you guys really do all that for a cat?"


    Ye Hao meant everything that had happened earlier, searching for cat traffickers and teaching professor Ren a lesson. Ye Hao couldn''t understand why all these people went to so much trouble for a cat. After all, a cat was just a cat.


    What had happened was truly "the bloodbath caused by a cat".


    Wei Lingughed. "My brother still owed that cat a favor. It is a special cat indeed. You will know when you meet it. By the way, the cat is returning to Chuhua soon."


    Ye Hao was still incredulous but left without saying anything else.


    At the same time, Zheng Tan who was sitting in an SUV still had no clue as to what had happened during his time away.


    When Ren Chong''s car ran into thatmp post, the car carrying him was already far from the scene. As the two cars passed each other, Zheng Tan was still thinking he didn''t know when he could get his revenge.


    Fang Shaokang, on the other hand, saw what had happened. He had gotten some information on Ren Chong earlier and recognized him. He nned to do a little something to make Ren Chong''s life just a bit more difficult.


    As the SUV pulled into Chuhua University, Zheng Tan forgot everything else besides the scenery in front of his eyes. He gazed transfixed at the familiar roads and building. He stood up on the chair to look outside of the window.


    After over a month, the trees were fully green. He wondered what it would look like in the Eastern Quarters.


    The car entered the front gate of the University. Both Fang Shaokang and the driver had no idea where the living quarters were and had to ask along the way. Zheng Tan was getting impatient. He scratched the window and Fang Shaokang lowered it. He jumped out.


    The familiar environment lifted a weight off Zheng Tan. He breathed in deeply. The familiar scents in the air sent a jolt through his body. He abandoned Fang Shaokang and the car and started running.


    Though he was only gone for just over a month, so much had happened that it felt like a life time. However, when he stepped foot onto the familiar roads, he knew the way immediately.


    The parasol trees on either sides of the road shaded the sky. The noisy birds around the campus didn''t seem so annoying anymore.


    Running past bushes, he felt light though his body was tired from the exercise.


    What it feel like to long for home, Zheng Tan now knew.


    In the car, the driver looked towards Fang Shaokang, who shrugged. "We''ll follow him I suppose."


    However, the cat was out of their sight already.


    "Why is that cat running so fast? What''s the hurry. Let''s ask around where the Eastern Quarters is."


    The reason that they lost sight of the cat was not just because he was fast, but also because he knew a shortcut.


    During his time at Chuhua University, all he did was wander outside. He knew every path like the back of his hand. In order to get home as fast as he could, he took a shortcut.


    The guard was sitting in the guard house reading the newspaper. He couldn''t see Zheng Taning in since he was so small, so Zheng Tan jumped up and pped him on the head.


    The guard was startled after suffering a p on the head.


    He looked up just in time to see a ck shadow pass by. He looked out of his window and saw the familiar figure.


    "Hey! Charcoal''s back." He chuckled and said knowing the cat couldn''t respond. There were lots of ck cats like that but he could tell them apart easily. Otherwise how could he be a guard?


    As the cat walked away, he sat back down and went back to reading his newspaper. He suddenly remembered there was no one home at the Jiao residence. How was the cat going to get in?


    Zheng Tan ran home excitedly. He instinctively jumped up to swipe his security card. Nothing happened.


    Zheng Tan then remembered he didn''t have his card with him.


    F*ck! How could he get into the building without his card?


    And since no one was home, how was he going to get home?


    It was already 2pm and no one wasing in or out of the building. He might have to wait until dinner before people starteding home.


    He wagged his tail annoyed at this new realization. He looked sideways towards Fatty''s house.


    Fatty was sitting on the balcony staring at Zheng Tan curious as to why he had finally showed up after disappearing for a month.


    Zheng Tan jumped onto the balcony after deciding to ask Fatty''s owner for help.


    Fatty jumped up and sniffed Zheng Tan as if to make sure he was him and then he patted Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan didn''t flinch at Fatty''s unusual greeting. He noticed during his time away, Fatty seemed to have grownrger since theyst met. His bottom was huge, probably a result from squatting on instant noodles. Now his legs seemed as if they couldn''t close when he walked.


    He remembered meeting Fatty for the first timest year. How things had changed.


    The room smelled of food. Not the olddy''s lunch but Fatty''s cat food. Thedy cooked all of Fatty''s meals. It was evident from his size that she treated him well.


    When Zheng Tan entered, she had just gone into her room for a nap. The bowl on the table was still warm.


    Zheng Tan didn''t enter thedy''s room immediately. Fatty looked as if he wanted to stop Zheng Tan but hesitated to do so.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. Look at him, so scared to wake the olddy.


    She was at that age where it was not that easy to fall back asleep after being woken up. He didn''t want to bother her when he had other means.


    He left Fatty''s house and headed towards the Bio Building.


    As for Fatty, he went back to keeping watch on the balcony like a guard dog. He was even more responsible than a dog.


    The guard who was keeping an eye out all this time saw Zheng Tan walking out. He beckoned the cat over, "Come here Charcoal, I have dried fish."


    Before he could finish his sentence, Zheng Tan had left.


    He took another shortcut to the Bio building, thus missing Fang Shaokang again.


    After arriving at the building, Zheng Tan was suddenly slightly nervous. He hoped that Papa Jiao was in his office.


    He peered inside the publicb and didn''t see Yi Xin nor Su Qu. Zheng Tan went over to the tree outside Papa Jiao''s office.


    There were two people inside the office, neither of them were Papa Jiao.


    Yi Xin was teaching Su Qu how to analyze data. They were huddled over theputer typing furiously while making notes on a notebook. They heard a noise at the window and both turned to look. They saw a ck cat open the screen window.


    "Charcoal?!" Yi Xin eximed.


    "The boss''s cat? I thought it was lost." Su Qu asked.


    "The boss mentioned someone had found the cat and was bringing him home. I didn''t think it would be back already."


    Zheng Tan ignored their conversation. He stared at Su Qu making thetter nervous.


    "Why is it staring at me?" Su Qu scratched his arm feeling goosebumps. The cat''s eyes were chilling.


    "Why don''t you change a chair." Yi Xin said.


    "Oh." Su Qu got up and pulled over a chair from the other side of the room.


    After Su Qu got up, Zheng Tan jumped onto the little chair and checked the time on theputer. Papa Jiao had a ss in the afternoon. He didn''t know when he woulde back.


    At that moment, Professor Jiao pushed open the door. He saw his cat and grinned. He just got a call from Fang Shaokang.


    He rushed back after his first ss though he still had two left in the afternoon.


    Professor Jiao handed the books he was holding in his arms to Yi Xin. "I have two sses left. Have a go at teaching. I told them to expect you. They are waiting."


    Yi Xin was speechless. This was the second time this month.


    Then Papa Jiao turned to Zheng Tan. " Come, let''s go home. You used Mr. Fang and forgot about him didn''t you?"

 Chapter 67: Check the Blinds Before Doing Things

    Chapter 67: Check the Blinds Before ''Doing'' Things


    Fang Shaokang told the driver to park the car below building B and wait.


    They found their way by asking people for directions. The guard wouldn''t let them in, hence the phone call to Professor Jiao. He managed to slip in a word ofint regarding the ck cat during the call. "Your cat used me, then wouldn''t even lead the way."


    After getting Professor Jiao''s approval, the guard relented. He asked how Fang Shaokang came to know Professor Jiao''s cat. Fang Shaokang gave some far-fetched reasons, after all, he was never going to admit to anyone that he did shows with the cat.


    Fang Shaokang went on all his ''clear the head'' trips on his own.


    He did too many bizarre things that he didn''t want people knowing. He himself didn''t care about his reputation, but the Fang family did. His family would call him frequently to remind him to watch himself and not make a fool of the family.


    He stood downstairs and scanned his surroundings. The old residence quarter in the university was a peaceful ce. It calmed and soothed him. No wonder the ck cat was so set on returning.


    As he was looking around, he felt he was being watched. He looked to his side then lowered his gaze. A fat house cat was sitting on the balcony watching him and the driver.


    Before, Fang Shaokang had never been keen on cats. They were just pets, at most a nuisance. Then he met Zheng Tan. He started to realize that there existed special cats. So he pulled a de of grass from the flower bed nearby and started to tease the fat cat.


    The chubby head tilted and avoided the grass, but Fang Shaokang was not relenting. So Fatty got up unwillingly and backed up to a distance where he couldn''t be reached.


    Fang Shaokang tried to stretch his arm out but he still couldn''t reach the cat. He was nning to try a stick but the olddy came out at that moment having just woken up from her nap.


    "What are you doing to my Fatty?" The olddy said crossly.


    "Hi. I just thought this cat was really cute. I wanted to y with it. This is my first time here actually. I''m bring Professor Jiao his cat."


    "His cat? What cat?" the olddy asked. She had heard that the Jiao family didn''t want to get a new cat.


    "A ck cat called Charcoal. Do you know him?"


    "Charcoal''s back?"


    The olddy was visibly pleased when she heard Charcoal was back. Her favorite cats in the quarters were her own Fatty and Professor Jiao''s Charcoal. She was deeply upset when she heard that Charcoal had been taken. She even asked her son to help find him. Now Charcoal was back!


    As they were chatting, Papa Jiao was back on his scooter with Zheng Tan in the front basket.


    "Wow! It really is Charcoal. So good that he was found."


    Papa Jiao parked the scooter and chatted a few words with the olddy. Then he open the front door and led the way upstairs.


    As for Zheng Tan, he sprinted up the stairs as soon as the door was opened.


    When he reached the third floor, he paused and saw Professor Lan''s door open. He heard activity inside.


    He nudged the door open and went inside.


    The floor had just been mopped. The room smelled like fresh soil. Professor Lan probably brought in a few pots of flowers. He was working on nting some new nts, leaving mud prints all around the apartment in the meantime, which was the reason he had mopped the floor.


    Zheng Tan went inside. He had been running outdoors earlier so he left a trail of little paw prints on the clean floor.


    Lan came over from the balcony carrying a flower pot. He seemed shocked to see Zheng Tan in his living room.


    "Charcoal?" Professor Lan called out, unsure of himself.


    Zheng Tan ignored him. He looked inside the apartment and didn''t see Mrs. Di. When she wasn''t here, no one could protect him from an angry Professor Lan. He looked at his paw prints and briskly turned to leave.


    "Hey, you little bastard. You are Charcoal! Look what you did!" Professor Lan was sure of the cat''s identity when he saw the cat peer inside the house. It was the idiot cat from the fifth floor.


    Though he seemed angry, he had a smile in his eyes that Zheng Tan missed.


    Fang Shaokang, who had just reached the third floor and heard Professor Lan yell, said to Papa Jiao:" Seems like your cat is quite well known, and popr too."


    "Yes. Everyone in the quarters knows him." Papa Jiaoughed.


    When Papa Jiao opened the door, Zheng Tan shot inside. He rolled around on the sofa then inspected the ce. Most of the furnishing remained the same and there was no smell of another cat.


    Zheng Tan was pleased. That meant that he mattered a lot to the Jiao family.


    Fang Shaokang sat down after going inside. He watch Zheng Tan roll around, inspect his territory and go to the bathroom, before running to the balcony and howling. In response, the cats and dogs all around the quarters started howling and barking.


    Zheng Tan ignored Fang Shaokang. He was still immersed in the excitement of finally being home again. He only calmed down after howling a few times.


    Everyone, attention please, I, Zheng Tan, am back!


    Zhao Le had came over in the afternoon with bags of snacks. Some of them was for the Jiao children, but most were for Zheng Tan. She brought them to make Zheng Tan feel better after the ordeal he went through and to celebrate him finally returning.


    For this, Fang Shaokang hadughed at her.


    Mama Jiao was back early today as well. She was now teaching at the middle school and took an early leave after getting a phone call from Papa Jiao.


    Both Papa and Mama Jiao were grateful towards Fang Shaokang and insisted he stay for dinner. However, he had refused their offer. He had been idle for too long and had quite a bit of business to attend to. He had to get right back into his busy schedule and couldn''t stay long.


    He just nned to drop the cat back and see where it lived. He might need to call on the cat once more if he was going on one of his trips again.


    Before he left, he gave the family the souvenirs Zheng Tan picked out on their way back to Chuhua and left a card as well as a tinum membership card of his hotel.


    Though they had heard a bit about about him from Zhao Le, Papa Jiao was still surprised when he saw the card. This was a powerful person. He couldn''t help but marvel at his cat''s luck.


    The Jiao family was having a cheerful night. As for Zheng Tan, he finally had people to pamper him after over a month of living on the streets. He had his fur blow dried andbed, then he got into bed with Youzi.


    The next day, it took him a moment to realize where he was after waking up. He really was home.


    He got up with the children and had breakfast with the family. It was a very enjoyable experience. He loved this life. It was so good not to have to steal food and worry about being chased after he was caught.


    Because of what happened, the Jiao family was at first nervous when Zheng Tan went on walks. However, after seeing that nothing had happened after a few days, they rxed.


    The school had new surveince cameras put in and security tightened. The residence quarters had new cameras installed as well. Of course these cameras were installed in public areas so as not to invade the privacy of the faculty.


    Since he returned, he stayed confined in the quarters. He took walks sometimes with Fatty, Tiger and Sheriff.


    Besides Fatty putting on some extra weight, Tiger and Sheriff both seemed just as they were one month ago. They seemed excited when they saw Zheng Tan again.


    After walking the kids and Mama Jiao to the gate of the quarters, Zheng Tan left for a walk with his gang. At this hour, most of the people were off to work or school. No one was outside.


    Zheng Tan was bored. Life here was peaceful, yes, but slightly too peaceful. Zheng Tan was only dragging himself around for the sake of it. However, he heard a sound and twitched his ears, turning to a nearby building.


    This was already in the corner of the Eastern Quarters. The building he was looking at was at the innermost corner of the quarters. No one came over here even during normal hours.


    Zheng Tan headed towards the source of the sound. He checked the sound source again, then jumped onto the balcony of a first floor apartment. He walked on the balcony railing towards the window, then jumped onto the window sill.


    The patio doors of the bedroom were shut. So was the window, but the curtain was only half drawn. Zheng Tan could see clearly what was going on inside.


    A young man and woman were passionately kissing. They seemed like they had juste inside and had all their clothes on. However, the clothes were quickly disappearing.


    Zheng Tan didn''t expect to see such a saucy scene so early in the morning and was very excited. His head was almost on the window and was watching intently.


    Fatty, who was sunbathing on thewn, saw Zheng Tan lingering near the window and became curious. Though he had gained some weight, he was still agile. He jumped on to the railing and walked to where Zheng Tan was. He tilted his head to see what Zheng Tan was looking at.


    Zheng Tan sensed movement and eyed Fatty. He probably had no idea what was going on.


    Soon, Tiger and Sheriff, who were catching bugs, came over as well. The four cats huddled on the window sill.


    The couple inside had finished the undressing part and were mostly done with the forey. The man was peeling open a condom when the woman, who was lying on the bed, unintentionally looked over to the window and screamed.


    She kicked the man right on the chest, sending him off the bed.


    "Ah!!!! Someone is peeping!"

 Chapter 68: Hurray For The Men Who Catsit For Their Ladies

    Chapter 68: Hurray For The Men Who Catsit For Their Ladies


    "Go away!"


    Apanying this scream was the pen holder from the desk next to the window. It was aimed at the cats.


    However, the cats were too quick. The pen holder and all the pens inside fell with a thud.


    The window was drawn shut and the steamy scene Zheng Tan wanted to watch was now hidden from his prying eyes.


    Shaking his head, Zheng Tan turned to leave.


    Tiger headed towards the window again and looked intently at a marker that fell from the pen holder. He fiddled with it with his paw then jumped around it like a kangaroo. Eventually heyed down and started ying with it like it was his new found toy.


    Sheriff watched for a while, then decided to join Tiger.


    Zheng Tan sighed. To these cats, the ''action'' they saw inside earlier meant nothing. It wasn''t evenparable to a marker in terms of raising interest.


    Hey down on thewn basking in the morning sunlight, then jumped on to a tree and waited for Mama Jiao toe back. Though he had his security entrance card, he didn''t want to stay home when no one was there.


    Spending a month outside had its effects. He couldn''t justy idle at home anymore.


    He was due at Mr.Guo''s pet shop this afternoon. Mr. Guo had learnt about his return yesterday and wasing to pick Zheng Tan upter today.


    Zheng Tan''s absence had been grievously felt during the past month. The photo shoots were not going well at all. Mr. Guo was used to Zheng Tan''s efficiency. When the cats from the store stepped in, not only was he driven mad with frustration, his staff was losing their patience as well.


    They finally understood how difficult it was to make films with animals.


    It wasn''t enough to just bribe with food to get the animals to follow instruction. Any insignificant factor could ruin all their hard work. Mr. Guo had raised the standard for his ads and the cats in his store were just not up to par.


    They had started on a high, which meant with Zheng Tan gone, Mr. Guo needed to spend much more time, energy and money to create an ad that was even presentable.


    The good things was most of the ads were in the form of picture. The videos were abysmal and there was simply no point in wasting money trying to salvage them. Mr. Guo had told people that his ''star'' had been taken home by its owners and he didn''t know when it would return.


    Hearing that Zheng Tan was back, Mr. Guo wanted to get him to start working again right away but got held up.


    Mama Jiao didn''t have sses that afternoon and decided take a half day off to bring Zheng Tan there herself. Mr. Guo said to bring Zheng Tan in early so he could get used to the ce again and to give him a thorough checkup.


    When the cat just got back, Mama Jiao felt that it looked and seemed normal. It was eating a bit more and very excited. Other than that, it seemed unchanged. It wasn''t wounded and its temperature was normal.


    The cat had spent a very long time with Fang Shaokang, who never mentioned it getting ill. Mama Jiao didn''t feel it was necessary to take the cat to Mr. Guo''s. After all, a trip there meant work for the cat.


    She heard of the difficulties Mr.Guo was facing. She wanted to help, but also wanted her cat to get some rest first. So she was trying to dy. She didn''t expect Mr. Guo to catch wind so soon.


    It had been a while since Zheng Tanst been to the pet center. He didn''t see Li Yuanba nor Nougat. They had just gone off for a walk.


    The checkup proved Zheng Tan to be healthy. Mama Jiao could now put her heart back in her stomach. She went with them to the studio to watch the photoshoot.


    The staff weed Zheng Tan with such enthusiasm it was as if he was their savior. The past month had been torture. They used to think this ck cat was simply a tad smarter than the rest. Now, they had learnt through bitter experience how wrong they were.


    Mama Jiao beamed with pride as the staff around her praised her cat.


    Today, they only did some simple stuff to get Zheng Tan ustomed to the process again. In the future he woulde once every two weeks like usual. Mr. Guo would notify them if adjustments were needed.


    Normally, ads didn''t need to be shot this frequently. However, Mr. Guo had his own ns. It didn''t matter to Zheng Tan. He didn''t have anything to do anyways and this gave him the opportunity to earn a few extra bucks.


    Leaving the pet center, Mama Jiao took him to the University hospital.


    The University Hospital was located near a residential quarter, which was home to some teachers and most of the hospital staff. Some students rented here too. The rent was high so the few students who lived there either came from wealthy families or were doing post graduate degrees.


    At that moment, in room 302 of the residential building was Bai Yang, third year grad student in the school of management. He was furiously typing up a paper. After interning at a rigorous market researchpany, he had lots of data to process.


    He wished toplete a few reports by the end of the term. After he graduated, these reports, if published, would form a portfolio for himself. It would show the world what he was capable of. He and his peers all tried their best.


    As he was busy typing away, a cat jumped on his desk.


    The cat had a yellow tail and yellow fur on its back. It had stripes but its belly was white. It seemed about 8 month pregnant.


    The cat meowed. Bai Yang ignored it.


    The cat moved to the edge of the table seeing that Bai Yang was not responding. It looked at the stuff on the table.


    A pencil.


    It raised its paw and with a flicker--


    Bam!


    The pencil fell off the table, its tip breaking.


    The cat looked at the fallen pencil then back onto the desk top.


    An eraser.


    Off it went to join the pencil.


    The eraser bounced on the ground. The cat focused again on the table.


    There was half a cup of warm coffee still lying on the table.


    The cat went to sniff it, then turned its attention to theputer after deciding it was not interested in coffee. It saw the clicker move around the screen and started its attempt to catch the moving ''bug''.


    Bai Yang shoved it away. "Go y by yourself." He went back to his paper.


    The cat wasn''t giving up that easily. It started walking on the keyboard and blocking the screen. Bai Yang carried if off the table. " Go sleep in your bed."


    "Meow."


    The cat saw that Bai Yang was ignoring it again so it went to the other side of the table. It jumped back up. There was piggy bank on that side, next to it was a wooden pen holder. The two items had only a tiny distance in between. Instead of walking around the items, the cat decided to squeeze through, knocking the pen holder over in the process. It elegantly made its way towards Bai Yang.


    There was a pen in the open notebook. The cat looked at it.


    Sure enough, the pen was on the ground the next second.


    Bai Yang finished with the excel spreadsheet he was working on. Just when he was nning to write down a few conclusions, he noticed his pen missing. Then he looked at the ground. There was his pen, pencil, eraser and some furry toys that got there somehow.


    With a sigh, Bai Yang bent down to retrieve his pen.


    The cat took its chance to start bing'' the back of Bai Yang''s head.


    "Are you done?!" Bai Yang was losing his temper.


    "Meow."


    "Don''t you meow me!" Bai Yang rubbed his temples. He was regretting agreeing to catsit for Li Xiaoxi already.


    This cat was Diudiu, Li Xiaoxi named it.


    Diudiu was one of that cats that were adopted by students then abandoned again. When Li Xiaoxi found it, it was covered in soy milk and dust. It was extremely skinny and curled into a ball on thewn. It was shivering in the wind. It ran off whenever it saw people.


    It warmed up to Li Xiaoxi after she fed it a few times. Eventually, she brought it home.


    Li Xiaoxi had helped a lot when Mama Jiao was in the hospital. Later, she helped as well when Mama Jiao went back for checkups.


    Papa Jiao knew her mentor well and Mama Jiao liked her. They chatted a few times and Mama Jiao found out she adopted a stray cat. She had been over to see the cat a few times as well.


    The cat was timid at first, but somehow, it had changed.


    It broke cups, shed bedsheets and caused general mayhem.


    The cat was neutered and didn''t meow a lot. Even if the door was open, it stayed indoors, probably because it was scared of the outside world.


    Diudiu was immensely curious at everything after getting used to the room. When Bai Yang was making coffee, it went to sniff the liquid. Though it didn''t lick it but its whiskers touched the coffee and it left fur floating in the cup.


    Bai Yang couldn''t bring himself to drink the coffee anymore. What was worse was that the cat pushed the cup. If not for Bai Yang''s quick reflexes, the cup would surely have shattered.


    Li Xiaoxi would chastise Bai Yang if he so much as broke a cup lid. The cat had ruined three cups in its short two weeks here. Li Xiaoxi didn''t say a word when the two chatted online. When the two got the chance to Skype, the cat had demanded ''screen time''.


    As for the cat''s scratching habits, it ignored the scratching post, but liked everything else. The curtains, the bedsheets, the sofa, the clothes and the jeans Bai Yang was wearing all had holes and scratch marks.


    When he went to bed at night, he would wake up suddenly after feeling something heavy on his chest. It was easy to have nightmares when there was a weight on his chest. When Bai Yang woke up, he saw the fur ball snuggled on his chest.


    Sometimes the cat got under the sheets. Not only did it do that, but if would run from the head of the bed to the end. It would jump around and around before it finally calmed down for bed.


    What frustrated him the most was whenever he watched anything ''X'' rated in the hopes of, well, ''relieving'' himself, the cat would sit on hisp. How was he supposed to do anything with a cat on isp.


    Even if he could, he didn''t dare. The little idiot would scratch him for sure.


    Apparently when cats got lonely, they woulde over for some snuggle time. It sounded all sweet and cute, but in reality, Bai Yang was too busy to snuggle when the cat was lonely. Watching the cat cause all sorts of trouble in the hope of getting attention, Bai Yang had to suppress the urge to p the cat. He had promised his girlfriend to look after it well.


    She had said that Professor Jiao''s cat was sweet and understanding. It came to visit Mrs. Gu when she was in the hospital and dropped off and picked up the kids from school.


    However, she didn''t know there was a thing called ''other people''s cats''.

 Chapter 69: Ill Take You Out For Some Fun

    Chapter 69: I''ll Take You Out For Some Fun


    There was a knock on the door while Bai Yang was in his stare off with Diudiu.


    "Who is it?" Bai Yang asked through clenched teeth. He was still angry at the cat.


    Opening the door, he was instantly ashamed when he saw Mama Jiao at the door.


    "Oh, Mrs. Gu, it''s you. Come on in." Bai Yang wiped a chair down . All the chairs had been frequented by the cat and he didn''t quite clean them since he seldom had visitors.


    Zheng Tan came out of the bag Mama Jiao was carrying. He surveyed his surroundings, eventually setting his eyes on the cat sitting on a chair.


    "Is this your cat Mrs. Gu?" Bai Yang asked, handing her a cup of tea.


    "Yes, this is Charcoal. He got lost earlier but was recently found again." Feeling lucky to have found her cat, Mama Jiao was unusually cheerful these days.


    "So this is the famous Charcoal." Bai Yang looked at the ck cat who had jumped onto a chair. This was the ck cat that Li Xiaoxi was always praising.


    Zheng Tan felt Bai Yang''s gaze and turned to face him.


    Bai Yang had an odd feeling when his eyes met Zheng Tan''s. The cat was weird. Maybe it was because he was used to Diudiu''s ADHD, but the calm in Zheng Tan''s eyes sent a chill down his spine. It was as if there was a stranger sitting here in front of him instead of another cat.


    He preferred Diudiu to be honest. Though Diudiu was at times annoying, he could yell at it or even punish it a little. This cat made Bai Yang wary. He couldn''t even get angry.


    Zheng Tang turned away and looked back to the cat who had now moved to the desk. The cat was hostile towards strangers and especially other male cats. Zheng Tan could see he had his guard up. He seemed like he had been bullied before.


    So Zheng Tan stayed on his chair and didn''t bother to go over for a greeting.


    After some time as a stray cat, Zheng Tan had grown better at sensing the mood of the people and animals around him. This saved him a lot of trouble. It was like when Li Yuanba correctly observed who needed to be avoided and who needed to be warned off.


    Mama Jiao brought over some canned cat food that she picked up at Mr. Guo''s store earlier. Mama Jiao had promised Li Xiaoxi she woulde over from time to time to help with the cat. She had some time today so she decided to bring over some things. She also had to talk to Bai Yang.


    Bai Yang was graduating soon. He still wasn''t sure where he was going to work afterwards. He had some options but he hadn''t signed with anypany yet. Papa Jiao wanted him for hispany. Tian Yuan Biology needed people skilled at management, so Mama Jiao was here to make the offer. Obviously the choice was entirely up to Bai Yang.


    Mama Jiao gave Bai Yang a proposal and a contract drawn up by Yuan Zhiyi. She exined it briefly before leaving with Zheng Tan.


    Bai Yang read through the documents, then ced them carefully inside a drawer. He looked at Diudiu, "You behave in front of other people, why can''t you do it now."


    "Meow."


    "What? You have a problem with what I said?"


    Bai Yang picked Diudiu up from the table and dropped him on the floor. He went back to work on his paper, pretending to not notice when Diudiu climbed onto hisp.


    Wei Ling was waiting for them downstairs when they got back to the residential quarters.


    Wei Ling hadn''t seen Zheng Tan for some time. Ever since he moved to live near thepany, they seldom saw each other. He sometimes asked about Zheng Tan when he called Papa Jiao.


    "Wei, you came to visit! Why didn''t you call me? Have you waited for long?" Mama Jiao asked.


    Wei Ling smiled. "I asked the guard at the gate, he said you were out with Charcoal. I figured it was near the end of school and you guys would be back soon, so I didn''t call."


    He then looked at the ck cat, "Long time no see, Charcoal."


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears and grunted.


    "Well, I see you haven''t changed. Still ignoring people are you? Too bad, I was nning to take you out for some fun." Wei Ling sighed.


    Both Mama Jiao and Zheng Tan turned their heads when they heard his words.


    "Let''s talk more inside." Wei Ling scratched his head. He could tell Mama Jiao was against the idea. The incident had made her nervous.


    Zheng Tan, on the other hand, was very interested. He was growing bored of doing nothing on campus. After a month on the streets, he was hungry for adventure.


    "Wei, you know what happened to Charcoal. He just got back and we are all nervous about him going out. I took him for a check up myself today instead of asking Mr. Guo to pick him up."


    "I know, of course. I already talked it over with Professor Jiao." Wei Ling said.


    "What did he say?" Mama Jiao had a sense of foreboding.


    "Professor Jiao said it depended on Charcoal."


    Wei Ling didn''t expect that answer at all. After all, who let their cat decide things like this. Even if this cat was different, it was still just a cat.


    Mama Jiao considered it and asked, "Where do you want to take him?"


    "Don''t worry. I''m taking him to a friend''s ce in the city. I want them to get to know Charcoal, so if anything happens in the future, they could help look for him. They run most of the ck market transportation routes in this city. Charcoal is a good boy, he won''t run off. I took him out once."


    Wei Ling coughed sheepishly seeing that Mama Jiao was ring at him. It was his fault that he took the cat outside without the approval of its owner. It was good that nothing happened, but still, a mistake was a mistake.


    "Charcoal, what do you say?" Mama Jiao knew their cat was special and understood humannguage. However, what Wei Ling proposed seriously worried her. The cat had just gotten back and was running out with these people already. What if the cat bes unsatisfied with being a domestic pet?


    Zheng Tan, who was sitting on the coffee table, looked left towards Mama Jiao, then right towards Wei Ling. He inched right, then inched right again. And again.


    Zheng Tan knew Mama Jiao was probably upset now, but he really didn''t want to be holed up in this ce. He had a human soul after all and a young soul too. It was nice to be idle like a pet cat once a while, but he didn''t want to be trapped here.


    His little adventure in the outside world had made him hungry for more. Even when he was human, he liked driving around aimlessly. It was the same as a cat.


    Mama Jiao was silent for a while. " Well, if Charcoal decides to go, there''s nothing I can say. Take care of him alright? Will you be back before bedtime?"


    "Of course I''ll look after him. I''ll be with him at all times and bring him back myself. We won''t stay out at night and it''s not everyday." Wei Ling promised.


    Mama Jiao nodded. "It''s dinner time already. Why don''t you stay for dinner."


    Wei Ling declined and said he had some business to get to, and that he would pick up the cat tomorrow.


    After Wei Ling left, Mama Jiao called Papa Jiao. She cut straight to the chase and asked about Zheng Tan going off campus with Wei Ling.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know what Papa Jiao told her but she didn''t say any more, although she was still opposed to the idea.


    Professor Jiao rubbed his forehead and sighed. He was in his office at the moment. He knew that Wei Ling must need his cat''s help on something. He wanted to refuse but remembered a phone call with Fang Shaokang two days ago. Fang had helped out with a deal when he learnt that Yuan Zhiyi and him had a smallpany. With Fang as a middle man, the buyer side was very cooperative.


    Yuan Zhiyi had been very excited when the deal happened. Thepany was developing faster then he had expected and it was all thanks to the cat. He wanted to go honor the cat once again but was stopped by Papa Jiao. It wasn''t something he wanted people to know.


    Before Fang Shaokang let Chuhua, he had called Professor Jiao. The two chatted about Zheng Tan. At the end of the call, Fang had said that it was best not to confine the cat. Charcoal wasn''t a normal pet and if Papa Jiao gave the cat some freedom he might run into more unexpected surprises.


    He didn''t care about the surprises, Professor Jiao just wanted his cat to be safe and healthy.


    The next day, Zheng Tan napped on a tree while waiting for Wei Ling. He had wandered around the residential quarters, then, bored, went for a walk on campus. He didn''t have anything to do in the afternoon so he got some rest to prepare for tonight.


    Wei Ling arrived after dinner time.


    It was still light out when Zheng Tan followed Wei Ling downstairs.


    Wei Ling drove a old little car this time instead of riding his motorcycle. Though the car didn''t look like much, it had four wheels and it was morefortable than the bag he had to sit in on the motorcycle.


    "I borrowed the car from someone so don''t shit in it." Wei Ling turned around and said to Zheng Tan who was in the back seat.


    Zheng Tan ignored him. Shitting on a car was what birds did. Who did Wei Ling think he was?

 Chapter 70: No Need to Kneel

    Chapter 70: No Need to Kneel


    Sitting in the backseat, Zheng Tan tried to guess the route they were on by the scenery outside the window.


    Zheng Tan knew he was not particrly smart, but he had a good memory. He remembered the route Fang Shaokang''s car tookst time,bined with his memory of the map of the city he once saw, he could roughly guess where they were.


    Though not at the center of town, this area was still one of the busiest parts of the city. Unlike the university environment, even the air smelled ofmercialization around here.


    Most of the shops and stores near the school were targeted towards students. The rich and sessful, on the other hand, frequented this district.


    As the car stopped at a red lights, Zheng Tan took the chance to look for road signs. The name of the street was familiar. Then a giant neon sign saying "Shaoguang Hotel" caught his eyes.


    Darn! Wasn''t that the name of the hotel for which Fang gave Papa Jiao a membership card?


    Zheng Tan inched closer to the window. He didn''t know much about architecture and would have trouble saying anything meaningful about the style of building. However, looking at the building he felt that the city, with all its metal and concrete, suddenly seemed less cold and intimidating. The building''s style was fresh but stillmanding.


    It was obvious Fang Shaokang had spent quite a bit of effort on the design.


    Seeing that Zheng Tan was admiring the building, Wei Ling said, "That''s Shaoguang Hotel. I heard you were close with it owner Fang San Ye [1]?


    San Ye? Was that what people called Fang Shaokang? Zheng Tan didn''t think they were close. They did stunts together. That was it.


    Wei Ling didn''t expect to get an answer out of a cat. He had heard a lot about Fang Shaokang. He was a character shrouded in mystery. He felt that the man was akin to a cat. You could never guess what he was thinking or what he would do next. Maybe geniuses didn''t think like normal people?


    The light turned green, he started driving again.


    It was dark when they finally reached their destination. All sorts of lights lit up the city and weed those out at night.


    Wei Ling parked the car in front of arge club and took Zheng Tan out.


    Technically, pets were not allowed. No one would stop Wei Ling, but he felt bad taking the front entrance. The pair made their way to a side door reserved for staff. The guards there were better and more strict.


    Zheng Tan looked at the club in front of him. Even before stepping foot inside, he could feel the heat inside. He once thought that this kind of life was forever gone. He thought he could never step foot in a ce like this again. Whenever he saw a club, even a small one, it reminded him of the life he once had.


    It felt like just yesterday.


    Not everyone who came to clubs lived how Zheng Tan use to. Clubs were not linked with deprivation and decadence. As the economy grew, stress levels increased as well. Society was changing and clubs were bing the most popr form of entertainment for the young.


    Everyone encountered problems, both rted to work or personal life. After a while, the problems and added stress numbed a person. Clubbing with a few friends and letting lose for a while allowed the short escape most needed.


    Zheng Tan didn''t see the front of the club. However, there was a sign on the side as well.


    Night Tower -- Yeah club.


    Zheng Tan liked the name ''Building of the Night'' better then the English name ''Yeah''. The night in Chinese sounded like Yeah, but the meaning couldn''t be more different. The owner of the club must have his reasons for choosing these two very different names.


    The club was in a morous area that was home to many businesses in the morning. It was easily essible, so it was natural that the ce got a lot of traffic.


    It was the club''s good management, however, that kept the customers. Zheng Tan could tell from the packed parking lot that it was truly a popr ce.


    People were arriving in groups. Zheng Tan watched them longingly. Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure.


    Zheng Tan''s senses were very sharp now. He trusted what he saw. Even if the figure was now half hidden by a few pedestrians, he knew just by that one nce it belonged to someone he knew. Who though? He wasn''t quite sure.


    To find out, he ignored Wei Ling and headed towards the other side of the road.


    Wei Ling swore, but followed the cat.


    At this hour, people were so blinded by the bright buildings around them and so fixated on their destinations that they would be oblivious to a ck cat moving about stealthily.


    Zheng Tan waited for gaps in traffic to cross the street.


    Right across from the Night Tower, on the other side of the road was a person squatting under a streetmp. By the looks of him, he was in his twenties. The man had a cigarette in his hand but was not smoking. He stared, entranced, at the club, appearing lost. He looked like someone who was disappointed by life.


    He was just one of many in the city. The business world nevercked those who had fallen or those who never made it at all. People were used to the sight. Even if someone wasying drunk on the ground, no one would bat an eyelid let alone offer any help. In the morning the sanitation workers would sweep the ground around him as if he wasn''t there.


    The city was a cold and brutal jungle.


    The young man used the hand not holding the cigarette to ruffle his hair. He knew what he looked like at the moment. He hadn''t had a shower for days and smelled. His clothes were rumpled and his hair a mess.


    He remembered the stray dog he saw that morning when he went to buy breakfast. The dirty stray had yellowish fur. Not the kind with a golden shine. It was more like the color of dead leaves. It''s fur was in strands and covered its eyes. The dog avoided people. It limped when it moved with its tail between its legs. Sometimes though, the dog would stop to watch the people on the street as if it was looking for something, wishing for something.


    He remembered when he lifted the fur from the dogs eyes and saw the expectant, pleading expression. The look hit him like a punch out of nowhere. It was all he could do to throw the dog the bun he had just bought and run away. He was scared. He was scared he would turn into that stray. It at least had him giving it a bun. What would he have?


    Maybe that''s what wandering really is like.


    Had he been wrong? Had he overestimated himself?


    Should he give up? Turn back? He was reluctant to ept it.


    He was lost in thought when he felt a push on the cigarette in his hand.


    He saw a pair of ck paws. Looking up, he was greeted by a pair of curious cat eyes.


    He blinked. He was still half in thought. When he finally realized what was happening, he was incredulous.


    He had passed through severalrge cities and seen many ck cats. They all looked like this one, but the simrities stopped there. This cat, however, really did seem like that idiot that banged bottles.


    Was he hallucinating. Had starvation caused his brain to y tricks?


    "Charcoal! What were you doing running off like that. What would I tell your mom and dad if something happens to you." Wei Ling was furious. He was still covered in cold sweat after watching the cat cross the busy street.


    "F*ck! It really is you, Charcoal!" The young man looked pleasantly surprised.


    "What? You guys know each other?" Wei Ling looked at the disheveled young man squatting on the ground then back at Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan ignored Wei Ling. He was curious as to why A Jin was in this state. Where were the other four people. Where had they gone? Weren''t they starting a band together?


    "We met some twenty days ago and Charcoal did us a big favor. Where''s Mr. Fang?" A Jin looked around looking for Mr. Fang with his camera around his neck.


    Twenty days ago, Wei Ling raised an eyebrow. That was when the cat was still living on the streets. With Fang San Ye it seemed.


    "Well, let''s not stand on the street. Let''s find somewhere to talk." Wei Ling gestured to Zheng Tan then motioned for A Jin to follow along.


    "Where?" A Jin tossed his cigarette into a nearby trashcan.


    Wei Ling pointed at the Night Tower.


    "There."


    A Jin''s legs gave away. He hit the ground, kneeling almost directly in front of Zheng Tan and Wei Ling.


    Zheng Tan wanted to hand him some incense to make the sceneplete.


    "Young man, there''s really no need to kneel. A handshake would suffice."


    "...My legs were numb, I was squatting for too long."


    Footnote:


    1. Ye is used in China after a person''sst same to show respect. San is 3 in Chinese, meaning Fang Shaokang was third child in the Fang family.

 Chapter 71: Bringing a Cat To The Club

    Chapter 71: Bringing a Cat To The Club


    Though he knelt because his legs had gone numb, A Jin was surprised as well.


    He wasn''t surprised because Wei Ling said he wanted to go to the Night Tower, many people went there. He was surprised because it seemed like he wanted to take a cat inside.


    Can a cat go to a club, let alone the famous Night Tower?


    A Jin came here almost every night. He would watch the club from across the street. He would watch people go in, watch the performing bands arrive, then he would wait. He would wait for people toe outside talking about a band or a singer.


    This filled him with longing.


    He couldn''t help but imagine himself as the one being talked about.


    The reality, sadly, was they couldn''t even book performances in small bars. The Night Tower was out of the question.


    It was just across the street, but it seemed worlds away.


    He was entering that world now.


    No matter what the man with the cat wanted, it was worth it to get a chance to experience the Night Tower.


    A Jin followed Wei Ling and Zheng Tan. They entered through the side door. A Jin wasn''t expecting this.


    The guard at the door saw Wei Ling and nodded. He called him brother Ling, then looked towards A Jin with curiosity. The young man was unfamiliar, and looked so disheveled that the guard wondered why Wei Ling brought him.


    He would never ask Wei Ling however. He kept to his ce and did only what was asked of him.


    As for Zheng Tan, the guard assumed he was just Wei Ling''s pet. Wei Ling was close to the boss, he could bring whatever he wanted.


    "Brother Ling."


    They ran into someone in the corridor. The person looked like your garden variety gold-cor worker. He had gold rimmed sses and looked quite intellectual. He had a name card pinned to his chest. Zheng Tan didn''t understand the patterns on the name card, but could guess that the man was some sort of manager.


    Zheng Tan was curious, however, as to why these people called Wei Ling ''brother Ling'' instead of ''brother Wei''.


    What he didn''t know was Wei Ling did used to be called ''brother Wei'' by people around him. Once someone with an ent called him that and the word sounded too much like viagra for Wei Ling''s liking. After that, he told people not to call him that anymore.


    "Long Qi? You are watching over the club tonight?" Wei Ling asked.


    "Yes, brother Hao had some business he needed to take care of and left with Bao Zi. He told me to look after you if you came."


    The man named Long Qi eyed A Jin with suspicion but didn''t say anything. He led the little group upstairs.


    The third floor was for VIPs. Only a handful of people were allowed in.


    It was clear this wasn''t Wei Ling''s first time here. One of the private rooms was reserved for Wei Ling. Long Qi didn''t ask any questions and led the group there.


    A Jin seemed reserved. He knew enough about the world now to know that no matter who these two people were, he couldn''t afford to upset them. The weirdest part was besides the two men, there was still the mystery cat. It was such an odd sight.


    "Sit. Rx." Wei Ling patted the seat next to him and said to A Jin. He didn''t seem to mind how dirty A Jin''s clothes were.


    Long Qi didn''t say anything as well. He was only there to y host. He still didn''t know why Wei Ling brought someone like that. The young man wasn''t someone in their world, nor did he share Wei Ling''s past.


    Wei Ling had exined earlier that they ran into each other earlier and he brought him here on a whim. Long Qi knew him too well, Wei Ling was nning to trick information out of the young man. What could this boy know that would spark Wei Ling''s interest.


    Zheng Tan walked around the room as Wei Ling chattered with A Jin. He liked the suite.


    After inspecting the ce, Zheng Tan jumped on to the coffee table in front of the sofa. There was a te with some cakes and cookies but Zheng Tan had already eaten and didn''t have an appetite. He continued to examine the room out of boredom.


    He found out that the room had a karaoke machine. It was a shame, Zheng Tan would sing something for sure if he was his old self. Sadly, he was now a cat.


    Long Qi had his eye on A Jin, but didn''t forget about the cat either.


    Why did Wei Ling bring a ck cat?


    He watched the cat as it walked around the room and jumped up on the the table. Then Wei Ling asked him to bring the alcohol.


    "A Jin''s young, bring something with a lower proof."


    Wei Ling''s finger moved as he said that. Long Qi looked at him, then nodded and left.


    Zheng Tan caught the little exchange between the two men. He knew Wei Ling didn''t bring A Jin here out of kindness and he doubted he meant what he said by ''something with a lower proof''.


    A Jin was young but he had some experience on the streets already. He was guarded. Wei Ling didn''t get much out of him, so he was changing tactics.


    "Will you have your usual, brother Ling?" Long Qi turned to ask when he reached the door.


    "Yes. I''ll have my usual." Wei Ling answered without looking up.


    Long Qi left without another word.


    Zheng Tan watched the door close. He was annoyed. The man had left before he got to choose his drink.


    A Jin was still quiet and tense. He stood out like a sore thumb.


    Wei Ling didn''t say any more. He walked to a wall and pressed a button. The wall shifted revealing a window. At the same time, loud music came from below.


    A Jin''s eyes lit up at the sound. He came to the window.


    Zheng Tan jumped onto the window sill. From what he could see, downstairs was a certain part of the first floor. It was for the public. There were tables on the side.


    In the middle was a round stage. A band was performing on it.


    "Is this the legendary Eastern pce?" A Jin seemed excited.


    A Jin had heard people say the Night Tower was divided into four parts, named after the four directions. The northern district had the lowest entrance fee. The performers were not as good there. The western and southern districts were better, but the eastern district was called the pce for a reason. It was the crown jewel of the Night Tower. Well-known bands and singers performed here all the time. Except, the entrance fee matched the prestige.


    Wei Ling smiled at A Jin''s expression.


    "Yes it is. What do you think?"


    "It''s magnificent!" A Jin watched the band on the central stage with admiration. He didn''t feel even an ounce of envy. They were too much goodpared to his band. He could only watch them like fans watching a star.


    Wei Ling opened the window to let A Jin hear the band better.


    A live performance was stimting and moving. Especially to people like A Jin.


    Zheng Tan could see with one nce that A Jin''s guard was already down.


    He shook his head. He didn''t know much about this ce and did not enjoy the band''s music. He went to clubs only to let out steam. He never cared who was singing, which band was on stage, or if the DJ was famous. He didn''t bother observing any longer.


    Judging from A Jin''s words, the ce downstairs was quite high end.


    Long Qi came back with a small cart.


    Zheng Tan rolled his eyes. No need to bring a cart, just bring a bottle of alcohol.


    When he saw what Long Qi took out from the cart, he felt like he had a fish bone stuck in his throat.


    Hong Xing Erguotou?!


    F*cking hell! Wei Ling was going to drink erguotou at a ce like this!


    The in packaged kind you can get everywhere too!


    Long Qi handed the erguotou to Wei Ling and gave A Jin a Cocktail. He then took out two bottles of red wine and ced them onto the table. The rest he put into a cab.


    A cocktailter, A Jin opened up.


    Zheng Tan found out why A Jin was by his own now. The other four people in their band were all in the hospital. Three were sick in bed and the other was taking care of them. All their money had been spent on the hospital bill.


    They had no friends, no family, no support in this city. As outsiders, they were definitely the ones getting beaten. They didn''t start the fight, but couldn''t avoid it either.


    A Jin was there helping at the hospital in the morning. He came out at night to clear his brain and think of a way for them to get through this rough patch. Life had to go on, and he was the leader of the band.


    At the same time, Wei Ling found out what he wanted to know. It was about Fang San Ye. Wei Ling felt like he had discovered a huge secret.


    The president of Shaoguang Co. was singing on the streets for money with a cat!


    If he let this news out, the Fang family would probably have him murdered.


    Wei Ling listened while opening a bottle of red wine. He filled a cup for A Jin, then poured some of his Chinese liquor into a shot ss and started drinking.


    Wei Ling was the one performing his subtle interrogation which left Long Qi with nothing to do. He opened a bottle of wine for himself and drank alone in his corner. He was considering something the boss had asked of him recently when a ss was pushed in front of him.


    Long Qi Looked up, the cat was in front of him.


    Zheng Tan couldn''t take it anymore. If he didn''t do something, they would continue ignoring him. So he shoved a empty ss towards Long Qi.


    Man and cat stared at each other for a minute. Long Qi shifted his gaze towards Wei Ling, who nced over. He didn''t say anything indicating he wasn''t going to intervene. Long Qi looked back at the cat, whose paw tapped impatiently on the wine ss.


    Long Qi was amused and poured a little bit of wine into the ss.


    Zheng Tan was dissatisfied at how little he had poured, but at least he now had something. He would make the guy pour moreter!

 Chapter 72: It Was Their Own Doing

    Chapter 72: It Was Their Own Doing


    Zheng Tan tried to stick his head into the cup, but realized the opening was too small. He tucked in his ears so that they didn''t get stuck.


    It was painful having to tuck his ears in to drink.


    It was much better being human, Zhang Tan thought while he drank. His tail waved from side to side.


    Long Qi watched curiously. This was the first time he saw a cat drink.


    He had heard a buddy tell a story about trying to feed his cat alcohol. The cat was absolutely defiant and wouldn''t open its mouth. So he spread a bit of liquor on the cat''s fur. The cat would lick its fur then stick out its tongue and roll around. Then it would lick its fur again.


    Eventually the catpletely passed out. His buddy got a good scolding at the vet''s office. Apparently, most cats were allergic to alcohol. Drinking it could be lethal, so it wasn''t very funny to make a cat do such a thing.


    However, Long Qi looked towards Wei Ling. Thetter was immersed in the stories of Fang San Ye performing on the streets and was having a splendid time, despite the fact that the Fang family might have him targetedter. He would nce over in this direction once in a while, but did not seem to want to intervene when the cat started drinking.


    Wei Ling wasn''t worried, but that didn''t mean Long Qi wasn''t worried. If something happened, the me wouldy with him. He didn''t think this cat was a regr cat, else Wei Ling wouldn''t have brought it here. So although Wei Ling didn''t intervene, Long Qi decided to keep an eye on it.


    What a pain!


    Would this cat get stomach problems from the alcohol?


    Would it throw up?


    Did he need to have a vet on call just in case?


    Long Qi was deep in thought when the cat tapped the ss again. He looked up and saw the ck cat staring at him. The ss was empty.


    Long Qi hesitated.


    The taste of wine brought back memories. Zheng Tan praised the quality of the stuff he just drank, but this person here wasn''t pouring him more. That was not ok.


    He tapped the ss again, this time harder and more rapidly. It was clear he was hurrying Long Qi.


    Long Qi stared at the cat. He didn''t think this cat would be this different. An alcoholic cat? That was unlikely. So was this craving for alcohol just an on the whim sort of thing?


    Zheng Tan shoved his ss towards Long Qi. If he pushed it anymore, it would have fallen off.


    Long Qi sighed inside. He pushed the ss away from the edge of the table and poured out just a little bit more than he didst time.


    Putting down the bottle, Long Qi watched the cat in front of him thinking this was probably the limit for a small thing like this.


    Zheng Tan didn''t bother trying to figure out what Long Qi was thinking. Seeing that there was wine in his ss again, he stuck his head in to drink. Afterwards, he stared at Long Qi until the man gave him a refill.


    After finishing his cup of wine for the third time, Zheng Tan felt full and needed to pee. He jumped off the coffee table and ran towards the washroom.


    The room had a private bathroom. Zheng Tan stood in front of the door, then jumped up and wed at the handle. He remembered to close the door behind him after he entered the bathroom.


    Long Qi was amazed. Wei Ling looked this way so he said, "Brother Ling, this cat..."


    "Don''t worry about it. It knows what to do," Wei Ling said, totally unfazed.


    Long Qi was speechless. How was this cat trained? This was borderline sorcery!


    Long Qi went to check the bathroom after Zheng Tan came out. The toilet was flushed with no trace of cat pee around it. The water tap and toilet paper had traces of use and there was a ball of paper in the trash bin with ck fur on it. Remembering the cat''s wet front paw, Long Qi told himself he was overthinking it. It wasn''t possible for a cat to wash its paws then wipe them on toilet paper.


    Long Qi didn''t know that Zheng Tan had nned to use the hand dryer but it was too inconvenient for him, so he had to use toilet paper to dry his paws. The room had carpets so the wet paw prints weren''t as noticeable.


    Long Qi was still frowning in puzzlement as he came out of the washroom.


    A Jin had had a bit too much to drink already. Wei Ling had gotten all he wanted out of the young man.


    Wei Ling shut the wall with the window and the room was now quiet again. He looked towards A Jin who was just staring into space and handed him a mic.


    "Want to sing something?"


    A Jin was not thinking clearly, but singing had became a natural instinct for him. He took the microphone that was handed to him and immediately started singing when the music began. He sang everything Wei Ling picked. If he didn''t know a song he would say so and ask for it to be skipped.


    Wei Ling wanted to help A Jin. He had heard plenty of interesting gossip from the young man and even if it was just for Charcoal''s sake he would want to help him. The boy was so young and Wei Ling wanted to bring him out of despair. He was making the boy sing just to see how good he was.


    He didn''t know much about music, but he had been here too many times. After hearing so many songs, he could sort of tell between good and bad. A Jin was good but not enough. After some training, he could start out in the north district of this club. What he would turn into after that would depend solely on how he, or rather, his band did.


    In the Night Tower, which stage you got to perform on depended solely on your abilities.


    In a club, a singer had to know how to work the atmosphere. He had to be smart to know when to sing what. He had to know how to socialize and had to be quick on his feet. Wei Ling knew from talking from the boy that though he was not quite up to the task yet, he would be fine after some practice.


    Anyhow, the boy wouldn''t be going on stage just yet. The performance schedule was already set at the moment and Wei Ling didn''t want to interfere with it. He would talk to Ye Hao and see what his men could do.


    Just as A Jin was getting his groove on and Wei Ling was thinking about A Jin''s future, Zheng Tan stole the other mic from Wei Ling and started shrieking.


    Zheng Tan felt he hadn''t had much to drink, but he was too small. A little bit of alcohol was enough to make him dizzy. He felt fine earlier but the wine was starting to hit him. He was walking in wobbly curves now.


    Hearing A Jin sing, Zheng Tan suddenly wanted to sing himself.


    Drunk, Zheng Tan staggered. He saw the back of the van with all the cat cages. Then he saw himself in the dusty attic hiding from the cat-traffickers. He saw a ck cat jump into a cold pond to avoid looking like a stray, fighting a pussy cat for its pet tag and getting chased and beaten while waiting for a car.


    Then the scenes changed again. Zheng Tan felt he was back on the bus with the driver honking like mad. The tires scraped the ground making screeching noises. Drivers around were yelling words with an ent he didn''t understand. All the cars on the road flowed like blood and everything around him seemed daunting.


    Every day Zheng Tan felt he was trying tomunicate with a type of signnguage unknown to anyone.


    So he wanted to sing. Just sing.


    When he saw the other mic Wei Ling was holding, he grabbed it and held on.


    It was ten at night. Inside the Jiao family, both Mama and Papa Jiao were awake. This was the first time the cat was leaving the campus after it returned. Even though they knew Wei Ling was with Charcoal, they were still worried. A phone call would be nice.


    At the moment, the bedroom phone rang.


    Papa Jiao, who was closer to the phone, picked it up immediately.


    The signature howls came from the other end of the phone, making the Jiaos unable to say anything for a moment.


    When it was quiet again, Papa Jiao asked, "What''s going on over there?"


    "Charcoal is drunk. I''m in the washroom, it''s quieter." Wei Ling answered.


    "You gave him alcohol!" Mama Jiao shrieked.


    Mama Jiao was going to grab the phone when Papa Jiao stopped her and asked patiently what was going on.


    Wei Ling exined the situation then went outside again. He told Long Qi to turn off the sound system and shoved the phone next to the "singing" cat.


    Hearing the howls without background music made Papa Jiao sure it was his cat. From the sound of it, the cat was quite well and energetic. It was just louder and unstoppable.


    "Charcoal?" Mama Jiao took the phone and called out.


    Zheng Tan was in the middle of a song when he realized the music was gone and it was quieter. He then heard his name and lowered his voice.


    "Is Charcoal noting home?" It was Youzi.


    "Mom, where is Charcoal and what is he doing?" That was Jiao Yuan.


    Both kids were still awake. The snuck over to their parent''s door when they heard the phone ring. After they made sure it was a call about the cat, they knocked and went inside.


    Zheng Tan faintly heard their voices through the telephone.


    "Go to bed, sweethearts. Charcoal is singing karaoke." Papa Jiao replied.


    Zheng Tan tilted his head and tried his best to think.


    That was right. He was not a stray cat anymore. He had a home to go back to when he was tired. It had a small yard and old buildings and crowded rooms.


    He felt better.


    Wei Ling and Long Qi saw that the cat stopped yelling for a moment. Before they could be relieved, it started again, louder this time. That voice that could master two octaves yet missed every note made them want to kill themselves. They envied A Jin who was passed out. At least he didn''t have to endure this torture.


    Even without music or a working mic, how was this cat still so loud!


    Both men decided at that moment that they would never give this cat alcohol again. This was their own doing!


    Wei Ling wanted to leave the room but was worried Charcoal would get into more trouble. He had promised the Jiaos to look after their cat.


    Long Qi wanted to take the mic from the cat thinking it might stop if it didn''t have it. Before he could touch the microphone, he was scratched. The nails missed his hand but left two deep marks on his sleeve. He had just bought this suit the day before yesterday. He wanted to leave but was stopped by Wei Ling who reminded him they were friends through thick and thin. F*ck that!


    Ye Hao decided to return at that very moment. The sight and sound of a screeching cat greeted him and he paused, in shock, at the door. The soundproofing was excellent and he hadn''t heard a thing in the hallway. He certainly wasn''t prepared for what weed him.

 Chapter 73: This Cat...

    Chapter 73: This Cat...


    The person behind Ye Hao quickly moved to shield him but Ye Hao stopped him.


    The people who could follow Ye Hao to this floor were among his most trusted inner circle.


    For instance, the person shielding him was Baozi. Baozi knew the room was Wei Ling''s to use, and today Long Qi was watching the club. Neither of them were loud. The guard at the door mentioned that Wei Ling had brought a young man with him. Baozi didn''t know him so he couldn''t say, but the noise was one of despair.


    It was not Baozi''s fault he didn''t consider Zheng Tan. The guard had said Wei Ling brought a cat, but he had never heard a cat make sounds like that. He didn''t think a cat was capable of something like that.


    Ye Hao held up his hand to stop him, so Baozi moved to the side. He kept his eyes on the room, careful of what could jump out.


    As the doorpletely opened, the noise was heard on the entire third floor. The guards on either side of the hall felt the hair on the back of their necks stand on end. The nced towards the source of the noise but quickly diverted their eyes. It was the boss''s business and it was best for them to stay out of it.


    Ye Hao and Baozi quickly entered and closed the door. It was quiet on the third floor again, as if the shrieking never happened, but everyone on the floor couldn''t help but wonder what was going on in that room.


    Ye Hao saw the cause of the noise the moment he entered the room.


    On the sofa, sitting like a human, was a ck cat. It had a mic in its arms. Thank God Long Qi had turned off the sound system, or else the sound would have been worse. It would have been amplified along with background music.


    Someone else was lying on the sofa, probably passed out due to excessive consumption of alcohol. This probably was the young man Wei Ling brought.


    As for Wei Ling, he was sitting on a chair next to the sofa with headphones on, looking like he was constipated.


    Long Qi was sitting in the corner of the room. He had his elbows on his knees and was rubbing his temples. His other arm was holding his sses. His sleeves showed holes and scratch marks.


    Baozi knew Long Qi had just bought this suit recently. Apparently it cost thousands, and obviously it was not seeing tomorrow.


    Long Qi rubbed his forehead. He felt the door open and looked up. Seeing Ye Hao and Baozi, Long Qi felt like a little kid seeing Santa. He jumped up from the chair and ran over to Ye Hao, saying, "Brother Hao, now that you''re here, I''m going to go check on the club!"


    Ye Hao dragged him back into the room by his cor. Ye Hao still didn''t know what was going on, but by the look of despair on Wei Ling and Long Qi''s faces, it was not a pleasant situation. No one was going to get to run away.


    After Long Qi exined what happened, Baozi asked incredulously, "It really drank that much? I have never seen a cat drink."


    "Now you have." Long Qi nodded towards Zheng Tan.


    Ye Hao didn''t say anything, but looked at Wei Ling. Wei Ling shrugged. He didn''t know what to do.


    Ye Hao walked to the sofa and examined the cat. When he heard Wei Ling brought a cat, he knew it had to be the one that had caused the tsunami in the underground world of Chuhua. It was the ck cat everyone was looking for.


    No matter what Wei Ling had said, Ye Hao was positive he had been exaggerating. Now actually seeing the cat, Ye Hao was starting to think Wei Ling was understating instead.


    This was probably the only cat ever who could drink and then immerse itself in another world singing its heart out.


    Though Zheng Tan was drunk, he was still somewhat vignt. It was a result of his days on the streets. He sensed strangers when the door opened, he had been singing absentmindedly ever since. Now that a stranger was standing in front of him, he had to take action.


    Zheng Tan stopped singing and looked back at the person in front of him.


    Man and cat stared at each other.


    Ye Hao was examining the cat. Zheng Tan, who was not thinking clearly, was alert but at the same time lost.


    The noise had stopped. Everyone in the room sighed out of relief. The shrieking was giving everyone goosebumps. Now that it was quiet again, they felt as if a weight was lifted off their shoulders.


    After staring at the man in front of him for about half a minute. Zheng Tan managed to make sure he didn''t know the person. He threw his mic towards the man and walked away.


    Ye Hao caught the mic, He was amazed, the strength with which the cat threw the mic was abnormal for a cat. If his reflexes were any slower, he would have been hit.


    After getting all the upset feelings off his chest through singing, Zheng Tan was starting to feel tired. He wanted to sleep. In his haziness, he noticed Wei Ling beside him. Wei Ling had promised Mama Jiao to look after him, so he knew he would be fine even if he fell asleep right now.


    The other thing that bothered Zheng Tan was that someone else was lying on the sofa where he was nning to sleep. He didn''t remember A Jin being there anymore. He sniffed the person. The scent was unfamiliar. The person was definitely not someone from the Jiao family.


    Zheng Tan walked over, raised a paw, and knocked A Jin right off the sofa. Then he walked around. Feeling that there was enough room now, he curled up into afortable position in the middle of the sofa.


    The room was dead silent. A Jin, who was kicked off the sofa, was still asleep. The room was carpeted, so he wasn''t hurt. Even if he was, he wouldn''t wake up because of how drunk he was.


    Everyone in the room, including Wei Ling was astounded. .


    Wei Ling knew this cat was stronger than most cats, but this was beyond his imagination. He doubted even his Master''s cat could do this.


    As for Ye Hao, Long Qi and Baozi, they were formting all sorts of theories.


    A cat God?


    An alien cat?


    Satan?


    A mutated cat?


    Or was it a special weapon developed by some secret agency?


    "This cat..." Ye Hao started, but trailed off mid-sentence. He looked at Wei Ling.


    Wei Ling shook his head, "It''s a bit special, don''t tell anyone else."


    How the f*ck was this was ''a bit'' special?!


    Long Qi looked at A Jin then at his sleeve. If he knew this cat was so special, he wouldn''t have tried to take the mic. Now he was a suit down.


    Ye Hao dragged over a chair and lit a cigarette. He smoked in silence, then asked, "So you think this cat could help with the thing."


    "Yeah. It''s just a thought." Wei Ling nodded.


    He had been watching the ck cat and Long Qi ever since they entered the room. Wei Ling had his incentives to bring the cat. He wanted the to help the cat, but also for these people to familiarize with the cat. He trusted these people. He had basically grown up with Ye Hao. Baozi and Long Qi were among Ye Hao''s inner circle.


    If the two sides knew each other, when he and He Tao were busy or out of town, someone would be able to help out if the cat got into any trouble. After all, they lived in the city. It was most likely people who were causing the trouble. If Ye Hao owed the cat a favor, the cat would have a strong ally in the future.


    "Well, we would have to have the cat agree before anything can happen. That would have to wait until it wakes up. I already called its owners. Let him sleep tonight and we can ask tomorrow."


    Before tonight, neither Long Qi nor Baozi would believe the cat could help them. Now, they kept silent but were both looking forward to tomorrow.


    "Another thing," Wei Ling looked up with a serious face. "I hope everything rting to the cat never leaves this room."


    "Of course." Ye Hao nodded and looked sideways to his people.


    Baozi and Long Qi quickly said, "We understand, brother Ling, we won''t tell a soul."


    "Ok." Wei Ling turned his attention to A Jin on the floor. He shook his head. "This kid is a friend of the cat''s. He has a band. All underage kids. Let them get some experience here if you can. Let them familiarize themselves with the industry and maybe learn a thing or two."


    He didn''t need to get into detail, Ye Hao knew what he meant.


    "OK. Long Qi take care of that would you?"


    "Alright." Long Qi replied.


    With all that settled. Wei Ling changed the subject to to Fang Sanye performing on the streets.


    "So it could be beneficial for you to know this cat. Think about what Shaoguang group is doing now." Wei Ling said.


    Indeed, Shaoguang group was making big moves. This was what Fang Sanye did whenever he made aeback.


    Long Qi took A Jin out of the room. Baozi stood guard at the door. The only people left were Wei Ling and Ye Hao. Of course, the cat was there as well, sleeping on the couch.


    The next day, Zheng Tan woke up. He shook his head. He was feeling sluggish. Memories ofst night were flooding in. He berated himself for behaving like a crazy catst night. He was an idiot. Thank God the Jiaos were not there to witness the fiasco. They would have thought their cat had gone crazy.


    Ye Hao prepared a big breakfast for them to deal with their hangovers. Wei Ling and A Jin sat at the table. A Jin had wanted to go to the hospital first, but Long Qi said someone already went over to help out. He told A Jin to have breakfast first.


    Zheng Tan stood on the table, he had Wei Ling bring him whatever he wanted to eat.


    Wei Ling felt the cat had became a "ye". He had to be served, even at breakfast.


    After the meal, A Jin left to check on his friends. After all, they all performed together.

 Chapter 74: It Would Scare People

    Chapter 74: It Would Scare People


    Ye Hao didn''t have his talk with Zheng Tan right away. He didn''t show up at the Night Tower the next day. He had some business to attend to.


    A Jin''s friends had been transferred to a nearby hospital. It was much better than the small hospital they were previously staying at. It wasn''t that they were severely hurt, but that Ye Hao''s people wanted to make sure they didn''t suffer any furtherplications due to their injuries.


    Wei Ling was driving with A Jin in the passenger seat and Zheng Tan in the back.


    A Jin had wanted to sit in the back, but he realized he didn''t know how to face the ck cat anymore. He knew his band got their chance because of the cat, Wei Ling had said as much.


    A Jin didn''t understand. Even if this was a special cat, it was just a cat.


    A Jin recalled the attitude that Wei Ling and everyone else at the Night Tower''s held toward the cat. He had mentioned Zheng Tan to Long Qi that morning. Thetter''s expression turned dark at the mere mention of the cat.


    A Jin had been living on the streets for a while and was good at sensing the mood. Though Long Qi quickly hid his reaction, A Jin still caught it.


    He was mindful of Wei Ling too. Although he was very drunkst night, he still remembered bits and pieces of what had happened. Wei Ling had managed to get him talking, he had said too much. By the end of night, he had told him everything including the hospital and ward where his band members were staying.


    Wei Ling didn''t seem to mean them any harm, but he still berated himself for not being vignt enough. His guard went down immediately after Wei Ling showed him the East Pce. He still had a long way to go.


    As for Mr. Fang, well, that was another problem.


    Wei Ling told him never to tell anyone about Mr. Fang, or else it could bring him trouble.


    Apparently, no one around him was simple. Even the cat.


    After parking the car, Wei Ling took out a backpack and looked at Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan sighed but still jumped into the bag.


    Long Qi had already told him the ward number. Wei Ling and A Jin went directly to the room. It wasn''t a single ward, but had four beds inside. There was only the band in the room at the moment. Three of them were actually hurt, the other was taking care of them. He sometimes took naps on the free bed.


    The four had so many questions when they saw A Jin, but didn''t want to talk with Wei Ling in the room. They were still confused. Last night a stranger came over to them, but only told them they were to be transferred to another hospital this morning. Everything had been taken care of, they didn''t have to do a thing.


    They had been on their own long enough to know there was no such thing as a free lunch, so they were worried. They wished A Jin woulde back soon to exin what was happening.


    They were still incredulous after A Jin exined the events ofst night, staring, in awe, as Zheng Tan climbed out of the backpack. Who knew this cat was so well connected?


    Anyhow, they were now staying in a better hospital and got a chance to learn at the Night Tower. It was great news. They had prepared for the worst and were already packing their bags, ready to go home in defeat. Now who knew, they might make it after all.


    Zheng Tan examined the kids. One had bandages on his head, one had a cast on his foot and thest didn''t show any signs of flesh wounds. All three had high spirits and didn''t appear to be too badly hurt.


    It was really bad luck that they managed to get hurt singing at a bar. It was not unusual, however. Fights happened often between performers in bars. A Jin and his band''s members were neers, so it was normal that they were ostracized and bullied.


    Zheng Tan hade to check on the boys. Now that he had done that, he hopped back into the backpack and signaled to Wei Ling that it was time to leave.


    Wei Ling patted A Jin on the back, "You have a lot to learn young man. Don''t be tricked into talking that easily in the future."


    A Jin was surprised. Apparently Wei Ling knew that what he did wasn''t right. It was a lesson for A Jin.


    Wei Ling headed back to the eastern quarters directly after leaving the hospital. If he didn''t bring the cat back, the Jiao family would probably never allow him ess to the cat again.


    On their way home, he did notice the ck cat was deep in thought.


    Zheng Tan was trying to recall the details ofst night. He had acted impulsively. Even he didn''t know he had so much pent up emotion. It was good he managed to get it all off his chestst night. Thank God it was at the Night Tower, where the sound proofing was well done. His shame was only witnessed by a small audience.


    On another note, Zheng Tan guessed that the thing Wei Ling wanted his help on must involve Ye Hao.


    He could sort of guess what line of business Ye Hao, Long Qi and Baozi were in. They must be powerful to be able to run a club like the Night Tower in an area like that.


    As for what they needed him for, he still didn''t know.


    Wei Ling''s voice broke him out of his trance.


    "Look Charcoal, pigeons." Wei Ling said.


    Zheng Tan straightened up to look outside. There was a square with a few pigeons. There weren''t really enough to make a flock like the kind people saw on TV. It wasn''t interesting at all. He didn''t know why Wei Ling brought them up.


    "Apparentlyst century, foreigners used pigeons as spies. They would train these pigeons and tag small wiretapping devices to their legs. The pigeons would fly to a designated location guided bysers. After they hadnded somewhere like a window sill, they would peck the listening devices as they were trained and the device would turn on. The device would automatically detach from the pigeon. When the wiretapping began, the pigeon would be long gone."


    After he finished, Wei Lingughed at himself for being silly. He was talking to a cat. Worse he was trying to hint something to a cat. No matter how smart the cat was, it could never understand something when it was told in such a subtle manner.


    The car stopped at a red light. Wei Ling looked at the cat through the rear view mirror. He had expected the cat to half ignore him like it always did, but instead saw the cat staring at him through squinted eyes.


    The look in those feline eyes sent shivers down his spine.


    The cat had understood what he wanted to say. It was chilling.


    His master had said that cats were smart, but bordered on smart enough to scare people. It scared him.


    "Charcoal, Ye Hao ran into some small problems. It''s not unsolvable, but it would take some time to fix them. Ye Hao wished the matter to be settled as quickly as possible, so he wanted to nt a listening device in someone''s house. It''s a ce that''s not readily essible to people and that''s where youe in. Do you understand what I''m saying?" Wei Ling looked into Zheng Tan''s eyes through the mirror.


    Zheng Tan yawned and rested on his belly.


    Wei Ling said:"How about this: if you understand what I mean, then pat the car seat."


    Zheng Tan patted the car seat with his tail.


    The corner of Wei Ling''s eye twitched. The cat really understood. Did this mean they didn''t even need to train it?


    "It''s not a very difficult task. Just don''t rm them. If you take on the task, I''ll be your reinforcement. If anything happens, I promise I will make sure you get out safely. Alright?"


    Zheng Tan patted the cat seat with his tail again.


    "So how about it? Are you interested?"


    This time Zheng Tan thought for half a minute before patting the car seat again.


    This time Wei Ling was truly surprised. So the cat really understood what the task was? Or was it just swaying its tail out of boredom?


    He had estimated that to prepare Zheng Tan, a week of training would be necessary. They would need to teach the cat what to do and how to do it. Now, however, it looked like the cat didn''t need it at all.


    "Anyhow, sleep on it. I''lle pick you up the day after tomorrow. Wei Ling said. He didn''t sound like he was talking to a cat, but rather like he was discussing a matter with a fellow human. The exchange was so smooth that he was worried. Did the cat really understand?


    Wei Ling''s car entered the Eastern Quarters.


    Zheng Tan jumped off the car and then back in again.


    "What?" Wei Ling asked?


    Zheng Tan scratched his neck.


    "Oh. Yes." Wei Ling took out Zheng Tan''s security entrance card and hung it back on his neck.


    After getting his card, Zheng Tan left, but he didn''t go home directly. No one would be home at this hour.


    Tiger and Sheriff were basking in the sun on thewn. Next to them was Daisy the St. Bernard. Tiger was kneading Daisy.


    Zheng Tan didn''t have time for them. He had things on his mind.


    This time next year, Papa Jiao would have to go abroad. He would be overseas for at least a year. During that time, without a man in the family, what were they going to do if Jiao Yuan and Youzi got bullied at school? Could they depend on people in the quarters to help? No, they couldn''t, Zheng Tan decided.


    Papa Jiao''s friends would definitely do what they could, but Zheng Tan wanted to help as well. He nned to stay here, so he would need to show his worth. If a bully showed up and the usual methods didn''t work, who better to help than Ye Hao? Sometimes, brute force was the answer if reason didn''t apply.


    So Zheng Tan needed to do this for Ye Hao.


    It was a simple task, and ording to what Wei Ling said, it was safe. There was no harm in trying, right?

 Chapter 75: Was The Buddha A Cat Person?

    Chapter 75: Was The Buddha A Cat Person?


    Wei Ling didn''te the next day.


    Zheng Tan was disappointed. He had imagined himself in all kinds of 007 scenes, performing dangerous tasks with style. But Wei Ling didn''t show up. He suspected Wei Ling had called Papa or Mama Jiao for permission and was rejected.


    Unlike Zheng Tan, the Jiao family were very happy to not see Wei Ling for the next two days. Mama Jiao had taken Zheng Tan to Mr. Guo''s pet center for a check up right after Wei Ling brought him back.


    Much to the surprise of Mama Jiao and Mr. Guo''s brother, Zheng Tan had passed his health test with flying colors. They thought that if the cat was really drunk the night before, it shouldn''t be absolutely fine. It should at least seem tired or grumpy.


    What they didn''t know was that Zheng Tan had managed to unload all of his pent up frustration during his drunkenness. It would be difficult for them to imagine a cat with so much stress, but it was the truth.


    For humans, too much stress could lead to mental health issues. Being unfocused could lead to ADD. Too much stress from studying could cause depression or anxiety. Hitting obstacles during a task could cause OCD. From kids to elders, mental health issues could happen to anyone.


    Zheng Tan was still human inside. Though he hade to terms with his situation, he wasn''t happy about it. Getting drunk was damaging to his image, but was a great way to release his stress. He didn''t know how long he was going to be a cat, nor did he know when he would truly ept this fate, but at least for now, he had a good stress relief. It was free too.


    If he ever felt depressed again, he could always go to the Night Tower again. The Jiao family wouldn''t see him like that nor would the people around him. As for what Ye Hao''s people thought of him or how they felt, he couldn''t care less.


    He came up with this decision yesterday afternoon. Ye Hao and Long Qi who were busy with work didn''t know their nightclub was now targeted by a cat.


    He didn''t have a photoshoot that week, nor did Wei Ling call. The house was empty. People were at work or at school. Zheng Tan was resting on a tree in the quarters. The bushes near thewn he always wandered about turned out to be banana shrubs.


    The air had a sweet scent.


    Zheng Tan yawned, high up in his favorite parasol tree. Mighty was digging a hole in thewn below him. The dog had his eyes set on thewn ever since he saw Sahara dig there once. The only ces on campus where he could dig were thewn or the flower beds. Whenever Mighty was let out, he had a go on thewn. Sometimes he hid things in his hole, sometimes he dug for the sake of digging.


    Maybe that was his stress relief.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know. He wasn''t a dog. He barely knew what cats thought, though they wereplex animals to start with.


    He was bored and nned to make trip to the Western Quarters. He hadn''t seen Zhuo for a while. She should be well past her due date and probably had delivered her baby already. He hadn''t heard Papa Jiao or Mama Jiao mention anything.


    He had to look for the answer himself.


    It was like with Ren Chong. He had to find out for himself what happened to Professor Ren by eavesdropping on students during a trip to the bio building.


    Apparently, Ren Chong was sleeping with a economics student as well as a girl in thenguage department. He was married actually, but his wife was abroad. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and had a temper to match. She flew back after the scandal and pped Ren Chong in the face right in public. It was absolutely humiliating. It was said that Professor Ren was found with ties to the mafia too.


    All sorts of things were being said. The rumors spread across campus like wild fire. The school had wanted him to take a leave of absence until the rumors quieted out. After all, Ren Chong still had talent. However, something happened and he was fired instead. Many guessed he had made some powerful enemies in the school, or else he wouldn''t have been let go like that.


    Zheng Tan recalled Ren Chong''s face which always had a gentlemanly smile that seemed just a little bit fake. He thought about the rumors and decided Wei Ling and Zhao Le must have had a hand in it. Zhao Le would know all the gossip among students. As for him being fired, the Buddha and Professor Lan must have helped. Papa Jiao wasn''t high up enough to make it happen.


    Ren Chong was not the only teacher sleeping with students. It was moremon than one would expect. People just didn''t know or they kept quiet. Such things were even moremon abroad. The issue could berge or small, depending on who was calling the shots.


    Zheng Tan was moved when he realized how many people cared about him. Even the stern Buddha had helped. Though he guessed the reason behind her kindness was Zhuo.


    Zheng Tan thought about Zhuo as he walked toward the Western Quarters.


    He immediately felt he was being watched after entering the gate. The gaze was that of a cat''s.


    He looked up and saw a tabby on a tree. It looked like arger Tiger. The cat was watching Zheng Tan from a tree branch. He could feel the hostility.


    Zheng Tan waved his tail and ignored the cat.


    He ran into several cats on his way to Zhuo''s ce. Some of them were just kittens when hest visited. Now they had grown up. There were quite a few cats in this part of campus as well. He wondered if any of them ever had a fight with Sheriff.


    He waited downstairs when he reached Zhuo''s building and snuck in when someone opened the door.


    As usual, he took the stairs. People always stared when he took the elevator. He didn''t liked being gawked at so he always took the stairs.


    He ran up to the sixth floor. Outside 606, he perked up his ears to listen. He didn''t hear anything, so he jumped up and rang the doorbell.


    When he was waiting for someone to open the door, he wondered if the nanny was still working here. If so, he would probably be despised again.


    He waited for a few minutes, nothing happened.


    He jumped up and rang the doorbell again. Still, no one came to the door.


    Was Zhuo still in the hospital?


    Zheng tan knew next to nothing about childbirth. He had no idea where Zhuo would be. He waited for another ten minutes, still no one opened the door. He pressed his ear to the door. There was no sound inside.


    So he decided to leave.


    There was no point in waiting any longer, by the looks of it, there was no one home.


    He turned to leave. The elevator door opened at that very moment. He peered inside and saw the Buddha.


    "Charcoal?" the person in the elevator asked.


    The Buddha had a folder in her arms and looked tired.


    Zheng Tan didn''t think he would run into the physics department''s irondy. He was nervous around her. She would never give him treats and probably not let him sleep on the chair. He heard that people like her most likely had OCD or were neat freaks.


    Those were things he had heard, though he was unsure about the validity of the rumors. After all, it was foolish to attempt to guess the thoughts of a person like her.


    "Are you here to see Zhuo?" She asked.


    The tip of Zheng Tan''s tail twitched. He didn''t know how to answer.


    The Buddha didn''t wait for a reply. She checked her watch. She waved Zheng Tan to her. "Come. Let''s go downstairs together."


    Zheng Tan considered the offer and entered the elevator.


    The atmosphere was overly serious and very ufortable in the elevator. Closed spaces caused anxiety and the Buddha was not the sweetest of people.


    Zheng Tan decided to always take the stairs in the future. He preferred therger space.


    Zheng Tan thought the Buddha was only seeing him out. However, she showed no signs of turning back into the building.


    "Zhuo said you understand humans, walk with me." The Buddha headed out.


    Zheng Tan was motionless for a second. He didn''t know what she was up to, but followed nevertheless.


    The guard had been on the phone. He had missed his nap and was tired. Midway through the yawn, he saw the Buddhaing this way.


    He quickly sat up straight, trying to feign professionalism.


    All the guards had secret lists of those who could be fooled and those who couldn''t. The Buddha would without a doubt be on the second list. Everyone knew who she was and everyone knew she had her own rules. Ass kissing didn''t work with her at all.


    He was curious though. The Buddha only came back for naps or short rests these days. She didn''t appear to have napped today and somehow there was a cat following her.


    Was the Buddha a cat person?


    No one had ever mentioned this, but it was not impossible.


    The guard wondered if he should start selling this information to those who wished to butter up the Buddha.

 Chapter 76: Kitty Zhuo

    Chapter 76: Kitty Zhuo


    Zhen Tan followed the Buddha out. The Western Quarters was near the west campus gate, where people often came and went. Thankfully, the Buddha didn''t leave campus but turned the other direction onto a small trail heading to the heart of campus.


    The Buddha was famous on campus and attracted a lot of attention. Zheng Tan heard students asking each other if he was the Buddha''s cat and why she was walking with him.


    If they took another road on the other side of the western quarters, they could avoid the unwanted attention. It was a much less used road.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know what the Buddha was thinking.


    Was she trying to tell everyone that this cat had her support?


    Zheng Tan tried to figure out her thoughts while following her.


    Zheng Tan was also curious as to why he hadn''t found Zhuo earlier. Had she moved? The house belonged to the Buddha, but she had lent it to Zhuo. It didn''t make sense for her to take it back right after Zhuo had a baby. She was one of the Buddha''s favorite students.


    Zheng Tan couldn''t help but notice the Buddha had gravitas. It made him tense just walking next to her. He felt bad for the students of her department that had to deal with her every day.


    She stopped at a bench on a quiet shaded road, sitting down and patting the space beside her, motioning for Zheng Tan to sit there.


    Zheng Tan jumped on the bench. He felt nervous sitting beside her. Her co-workers must suffer more stress than their average academia colleagues.


    The Buddha stared ahead at the trees after they sat down. Neither of them said anything.


    Zheng Tan examined the patch of wood in front of them. There was nothing special about it. The Buddha obviously had something on her mind.


    He suddenly felt that though Professor Lan was quick-tempered, he at least spoke his mind. People knew what he thought and could act ordingly. He was much easier to deal with in that respect.


    Zheng Tan was also somewhat grateful he was a cat. He could pretend he didn''t understand anything. It wasn''t his responsibility to break the ice.


    A few physics graduate students were headed towards the bank. They had taken this shortcut and ran right into the Buddha.


    Everyone said the Buddha had gone home to rest. Why the hell was she here?!


    This was not an hour during which wandering around was eptable. The Buddha had an amazing memory and knew most of the students in her department. She definitely knew them since they worked on her project.


    They had already turned a corner when they saw the Buddha. It was impossible to leave now. They wanted to pretend they hadn''t seen her and walk right past her, but she happened to look up at that moment.


    "Professor Ye!"


    "Good afternoon professor."


    Their smiles were glues on. They prepared themselves for the scolding they knew wasing.


    "Where are you guys headed to?" the Buddha asked.


    "We just got our student grants and are going to the bank to take out some money. Maybe open an online ount too," one kid answered.


    The Buddha nodded and said, "Go then."


    The kids exchanged looks. Why did the Buddha go easy on them?


    They hurriedly left as if scared she would change her mind.


    The kids made Zheng Tanugh inside. What bad luck, running into the boss while ying hooky.


    "They act like I''m a monster," the Buddha said in a quiet voice.


    Zheng Tan looked at her. She seemed sad.


    She looked at the cat and said, "I heard you brought Zhuo the herb that saved her life. You''re a good boy." She rubbed his head.


    Zheng Tan didn''t like being patted on the head but decided to let the Buddha do it just this once. After all, she had helped him.


    "The baby is very healthy. It''s a boy. Zhuo nicknamed him kitty. Kitty Zhuo," the Buddha went on.


    Nicknames in China were a funny thing. They could be anything, from animals to nts. The logic in nicknames was poetic almost, in that there was no logic. Nicknames also expressed a parent''s love for their child.


    Zheng Tan never had a nickname growing up. Or maybe he did, but neither of his parents ever mentioned it.


    He envied those people with nicknames. Though the names may not sound nice, they enlivened a person. They made people feel more approachable.


    Kitty Zhuo was it?


    Zheng Tan couldn''t wait to meet him.


    A newborn wouldn''t pull his tail like kids did he supposed.


    Zheng Tan remember feeling the baby in Zhuo''s stomach. He had nuzzled him with his head.


    The Buddha''s face seemed softer when talking about Kitty, it was as if he was her own grandson.


    "I''ll bring him to see you sometime so that he''ll know where his name came from. He can meet the ''ckie'' his mother so often talked about."


    The Buddha told him some more stuff about Kitty. For instance how everyone was nervous when he was born. Many had believed the kid wouldn''t be healthy. People close to Zhuo were all sorry for her. After a series of check-ups, however, the child turned out to be fine.


    The Buddha told him that the ne now belonged to Kitty. Zhuo said that her child would always wear it. It would never be reced.


    Zheng Tan noticed the Buddha only talked about Kitty but didn''t mention Zhuo.


    What happened? Was Zhuo noting back.


    Why was the Buddha bringing Kitty to see him and not Zhuo herself? Where were Zhuo and her baby?


    The Buddha seemed less scary now. Zheng Tan listened to her talk. He was interested in what she had to say. The two seemed to get along quite well at the moment.


    The Buddha watched the cat intently as she talked. The cat didn''t meow or respond in any way, but somehow she knew it was listening.


    No wonder Professor Lan had gotten so angry at Ren Chong because of this cat.


    Unlike Zhuo''s nanny, the Buddha had no prejudice against this cat. Though she knew this cat was special, she didn''t freak out. She had seen so much that she could keep calm in the face of anything.


    If the Buddha knew there was a human soul in this cat''s body, Zheng Tan wondered what she would say.


    "Take care not to get caught again," the Buddha said.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. He wasn''t that stupid.


    They sat together in silence. The Buddha sighed, "There are two types of people in this world, the kind that take things to heart and the kind that don''t. I feel better now that we had this talk. People want to do what they want to do. I should not try to stop them."


    Zheng Tan didn''t think he did anything to help the Buddha feel better, nor did he know what she felt better about. The Buddha got up, so he got up as well.


    "Don''t bother going there looking for them." The Buddha told him before she left.


    She didn''t really know if the cat understood her, she just said what she felt needed to be said. The apartment at the Western quarters was empty for the most part. She asionally went over for a nap, but certainly not every day. If the cat went over, no one would be able to open the door for it.


    The cat and human split up at a fork in the road. The Buddha headed towards the western quarters while Zheng Tan went towards the east.


    Back at the quarters, Zheng Tan saw Daisy the St. Bernard walking on thewn with a child on her back. The kid lived in her building and was in kindergarten. The kid loved riding on Daisy''s back. Other kids envied him. Though Daisy was sweet-tempered, she didn''t let everyone ride her.


    Zheng Tan thought about Kitty while he watched the kid riding Daisy.


    If Kitty ever wanted to ride the dog, he would make sure it happened. Daisy was huge after all, she would be fine.


    Zheng Tan heard a car honk behind him. He turned around, it was Wei Ling''s car.


    Wei Ling waved to him and signaled for him to get on.


    Did this mean the spying task was about to start?


    Zheng Tan ran over and jumped in through the window. He looked towards Wei Ling.


    "Let''s go over to the Night Tower, I told your owners already. We can leave right now."


    Zheng Tan had thought his task was to nt a wiretapping device, but from what Wei Ling told him on their way to the nightclub, it seemed like that wasn''t it. So was Wei Ling toying with him when he told the story of the pigeons and the wiretaps? Or was he just testing the water, seeing what he was capable of? Wei Ling was nothing if not cautious.


    It made sense now. The KGB''s world-renowned wiretaps in the sixties were now avable in toy stores. Ye Hao''s bunch probably knew those tricks inside out. They didn''t need a cat to help out with something basic like that.


    Then what was this other business Wei Ling was talking about?

 Chapter 77: Time For Hair and Makeup

    Chapter 77: Time For Hair and Makeup


    Wei Ling brought Zheng Tan to the Night Tower inside a bag. He only let him out after they reached a room on the third floor.


    It wasn''t the same room asst time. This one was slightlyrger with all kinds of special equipment.


    In the room were Ye Hao, Long Qi, Baozi and a young man in his mid-twenties. The young man looked quite average, not like Long Qi who looked every bit the elite, or strong like Baozi.


    However, Zheng Tan knew there must be something special about him for him to be able to enter here.


    Ye Hao saw Wei Ling and the cate in and motioned for them to give him a moment. He entered a neighboring room with Baozi. The room was his temporary office.


    Long Qi was listening to the young man exin something. Zheng Tan saw he had coils and transistors in his hands. Zheng Tan knew little about those things and had no idea what he was going to do with them. Naturally, he didn''t understand what the two men were conversing about.


    The young man was mentioning something about the Vietnam war, then something about the eighties.


    Out of curiosity, Zheng Tan jumped out of the bag.


    The two men felt Zheng Tan approaching and eyed him. Long Qi backed up a step. The Young man looked at Zheng Tan then Wei Ling, who was eating peanuts and resumed his talk.


    Zheng Tan saw a circuit map on the table in front of the men. There were numbers and letters such as R1,R2, Q1,Q2, nF,pF on the map. Zheng Tan was clueless as to what it was for.


    Sitting there with his ears perked up, Zheng Tan finally grasped the general meaning of their conversation. The young man was teaching Long Qi how to make simple wiretaps. From the looks of things, the young man was an expert in the area. After his guide on DIY wiretaps, he told Long Qi about his past experience doing anti-wiretapping.


    Zheng Tan was extremely interested. The stories he told were gossip like and easy to understand. Who knew so many officials in the city had hired this man to debug their offices and homes? Politicians used all kinds of spying devices to try to gather evidence against their opponents. Those with approval rights to any project were often the target.


    Wiretaps could be imnted everywhere, from air-conditioners to power outlets.


    What a crazy world!


    "Some say these things are as bad as bedbugs. No wonder they are called ''bugs'' in English. People sometimes ask me directly if they have bedbugs in their homes."


    The young man told stories of what he had encountered in his past. However, he never mentioned the name nor position of his past clients. He was professional.


    Zheng Tan now knew for sure he was not here to nt a bug. Here was an expert, they didn''t need him.


    Zheng Tan admired people like him. Those who could really focus on one thing usually managed to make money while enjoying themselves. This young man was really the kind of person who would make an excellent spy. After all, geniuses and crazy people changed the world.


    "After Watergate, spies everywhere had to innovate so as not to be caught like that again. Hence, we now haveser wiretaps. The inventor of these things were real geniuses. Do you know howser wiretaps work? You don''t need to be in the room to nt them, so you can''t be caught."


    The young man and Long Qi started talking about technical stuff that Zheng Tan didn''t understand, so he went back to Wei Ling''s side. He pushed a few peanuts in front of Wei Ling to have him peel the shells.


    "You eat nuts?" Wei Ling didn''t know if cats can eat peanuts, but since the cat asked he started peeling them for it.


    At first, they split thebor, but by the end, he was doing all of it.


    Wei Ling rolled his eyes. He was feeling more and more like a servant, catering to the cat''s every wish.


    After about half an hour, Ye Hao and Baozi finished with what they were doing and came out of the office.


    The young man looked up. Seeing that everyone was here, he stood up and patted off some dust from his sleeve.


    "All done? Let''s start then. Come, let''s get you people disinfected."


    "Thanks, Ba Ge," said Ye Hao.


    "Don''t worry about it. It''s the least I could do," Ba Ge said before leaving with Baozi.


    Zheng Tan mused at the man''s name. So peculiar yet so fitting for a spy. He wondered if it was his real name or just a code name.


    Ye Hao sat beside Wei Ling on the sofa. "Did you get a tongueshing over there?"


    "Whenever I go over there, the kids look at me like I''m a threat. Even though I helped them in the past, they treat me like the enemy now. How are you ever going to thank me for the trouble I go through to help you?"


    Ye Hao rolled his eyes and ignored thisint.


    "Did you inform the cat?" Ye Hao pointed at Zheng Tan.


    "I told it a bit. All the materials are here, there''s not much I could tell." Wei Ling shrugged.


    Ye Hao looked at the cat eating peanuts on the table. He was still doubtful, but if they failed, at least a cat won''t raise any suspicions.


    Zheng Tan finished his peanuts and listened as Wei Ling exined the task. It was quite simple. In short, he had to help them get ahold of a list of names.


    He didn''t know what the list was for, nor did he want to know. Even for a cat, knowing too much wasn''t good.


    The person he needed to find was undercover and his surroundings were likely bugged. He was under watch all day long so there was very little Ye Hao''s men could do without blowing his cover.


    Ye Hao showed Zheng Tan a picture of the man. He was more toned then Baozi with a scar across his face, the kind of person parents told their kids to stay away from. He looked menacing without having to do anything.


    Yet this person, who could twist off a man''s arm without so much as flinching, loved cats.


    Zheng Tan almost choked when Ye Hao told him this. It was hard to imagine a man like that petting a cat.


    Even during his time undercover, he fed strays whenever he saw them. He ran into a cat trafficker once and almost killed the bastard.


    Zheng Tan was starting to like the fellow after learning this. He abhorred cat traffickers.


    At the same time, he understood why they need his help. No one would suspect a thing if he came into contact with the man.


    Zheng Tan was a normal house cat. He had the ck fur most people disliked and he had been a stray before. He had confidence he couldplete the task and was willing to help.


    He saw it as an adventure. Wei Ling had promised to be close by, in case something happened, so he didn''t have to worry about his safety.


    Since he decided to help, he had to do the preparation work.


    Zheng Tan practiced with Wei Ling. There was some acting involved in his task. He had been in ads so this was not hard.


    Wei Ling and Ye Hao seemed pleased with his performance.


    Long Qi kept his distance from them. He looked at Zheng Tan as if the cat was the devil. He wore an amulet which Zheng Tan suspected was used to ward off demons.


    He might look like the elite yet even Zhuo was braver than him.


    Long Qi felt the cat eye him from across the room. A chill ran down his spine.


    Had he just been looked down upon by a cat? There was definitely contempt in those eyes.


    Long Qi couldn''t take it anymore. He got up and excused himself.


    "This Long Qi!" Wei Ling shook his head. Everyone knew what he meant. After all, not everyone could ept something so out of the ordinary. Especially for someone who dealt with the darker side of society on a daily basis, it was easy to overthink the situation.


    "Oh right. If Charcoal is to retrieve the list, he needs to be properly disguised." Wei Ling said.


    Zheng Tan didn''t understand what he meant until he opened a box. Zheng Tan felt his face ashen behind his fur.


    There were all kinds of "makeup" inside the box, such as dust and some sticky liquid.


    "Come, time for hair and makeup. A stray cat needs to look like one." Wei Ling said as he threw dust on Zheng Tan.


    He had done all he could to avoid looking like a stray when he lived on the streets. Now that he had a home, he was being made to look like a stray. This was torture he brought on himself.

 Chapter 78: What a Dumb Cat

    Chapter 78: What a Dumb Cat


    Bian Tou woke up and opened the French doors leading to the balcony. He stretched, breathing in the fresh air.


    He looked up at the sun with worry in his eyes.


    He held a memory card in his hand. Ever since he saved the list on this card, he had been waiting for a chance to pass the card to his contact. Suspicions were rising and he was among those suspected.


    He was now being closely watched. He knew he was bugged and watched at all hours, so he tried his best to hide his anxiousness.


    A soft body nestled against his.


    "What are you thinking about?" the woman hugging him from behind asked. She was pretty in a sweet, obedient way.


    "I''m thinking about when I''ll get a job again now that my wounds have healed ."


    "You need to rest more. " The women said in a concerned tone.


    "I know. I''m just getting restless with too much time on my hands." Bian Tou answered. He had been stabbed in the stomach. The stab was not unavoidable. He had ducked so it wasn''t fatal, but still decided to suffer the blow in order to gain the trust of the boss. Judging by his current situation, it had worked.


    Ever since the police started a war against the ck market, many were turning their business to something into more legal, at least on that was what it looked like on the outside. Yet no matter the format, the game was still the same. Thepetition was as fierce as ever and everyone yed dirty.


    The two said sweet words in soft, loving tones, yet their eyes betrayed their words.


    "What is that?" Bian Tou looked at the fence.


    They lived in a small two-story house with a small backyard that was typical of the area it was in.


    The ce was rented, but he had dug the pool himself. There were fish in the pool, which was reserved for cats, as those close to Bian Tou would know.


    The pool was shallow so the cats couldn''t drown.


    Strays came to fish every once in a while. People were used to the sight.


    Bian Tou stood on the balcony on the second floor. He saw everything.


    A ck cat jumped over the fence and eyed them cautiously. It hesitated, then seeing they weren''t about to move, went over to the pool.


    "Another stray," the woman behind Bian Tou said with a frown.


    She disliked stray cats. She saw them has a walking fur ball of parasites, skin diseases, and other germs. If she wasn''t ordered to watch Bian Tou, she definitely wouldn''t choose to live here. The strays alone were enough to drive her crazy.


    Zheng Tan stood on the fence and re-checked his target Bian Tou to make sure he got the right man.


    He was very pleased with his performance. He felt it was worthy of an Oscar. Compared to house cats, strays were more vignt, more aggressive and less trusting. He had deliberately shown hesitation when he saw the people on the balcony.


    For a stray cat, the number one priority was food. Zheng Tan needed to act the part. Wei Ling had told him there was a fish pond in the yard for cats.


    He didn''t really want to fish. He didn''t like sashimi and never had to eat raw fish as a cat. The other problem was that he didn''t actually know how to fish.


    He had owners since the first day he woke up as a cat. He never had to worry about food. Even during his time on the streets, he had resorted to stealing instead of fishing. Now his luck had run out and he had to teach himself to fish.


    Zheng Tan looked a mess too. If anyone in the Jiao family saw him now, they would be really upset. Poor little Charcoal.


    Wei Ling had said makeup was absolutely necessary. Though he had ck fur and didn''t show stains as easily as cats with lighter furs, his fur was dull and matted. Strands of fur were glued together like clots.


    He had to apud Wei Ling''s makeup skills. The ''clots'' only existed in ces he couldn''t lick. They were done with excruciating attention to detail, so as not to raise any suspicion.


    After he was finished, Wei Ling had said, "You''re too strong to look like a stray without makeup."


    Who said strays couldn''t be strong?


    Zheng Tan remembered the cats he ran into during his time on the streets.


    How were cats supposed to survive and fight for food and shelter if they weren''t strong?


    Not all strays were boney.


    Zheng Tan felt like a hobo in rags.


    He looked at his reflection in the water and sighed a little cat sigh.


    He then saw the small fish swimming around merrily in the water. They weren''t the colorful, pretty kind. There were rocks surrounding the pool that allowed cats to stand on and fish.


    Zheng Tan knew the people on the second floor were watching him, so he had to act like a normal cat.


    He circled around the pond, then stuck a paw in the water. When a fish came near, he sprang.


    Nothing.


    The fish quickly swam away and blended into a school of fish.


    Zheng Tan shook his paw and decided to change locations.


    Maybe because the fish here had adapted to constant danger, they were very hard to catch.


    Unable to score anything after two tries, Zheng Tan was bing even more determined. How was he going to call himself a cat if he couldn''t catch fish?


    A small carp swam close. He caught the chance and struck.


    His w fished his target out of the water and threw it onto thewn.


    The carp pped its tail helplessly. Zheng Tan shook his paws and headed over.


    Standing beside the fish, Zheng Tan was facing a new problem. Now that he caught the fish, what was he to do with it?


    Did he have to eat it?


    He couldn''t. No.


    It was a raw fish with organs, fins, and everything, not to mention it was covered in grass and dirt. Who knew what was in the water in the pond. Zheng Tan couldn''t eat that even if his life depended on it.


    He was picky even by human standards.


    Wei Ling rubbed his temples as he observed through binocrs from a nearby building. He remembered the Jiaos telling him Charcoal didn''t eat raw fish.


    What was the cat going to do now?


    He decided to trust the cat, so he went back to observing.


    Zheng Tan looked at the fish still pping on thewn. He remembered how Tiger and Sheriff would toy with their prey when they weren''t hungry. They would wait until the prey was tortured to death and then eat it. Sometimes, they just left the corpse lying around.


    That could work, Zheng Tan thought.


    He recalled how Tiger yed with crickets and threw the fish in the air and caught it in his paws while standing on his hind legs.


    The next step was to bite into it but that was too much for Zheng Tan. He decided to rub it instead. However, the fish was slimy and slid right out of his grip.


    The carp flew through the air andnded next to the pond. It pped its tail fin and managed to fall into the water, swimming away before Zheng Tan reached the pool.


    Both Bian Tou and Wei Ling were at a loss for words.


    Zheng Tan really didn''t mean to set the fish free. He had nned to leave it after ying with it for a while. It was a pure ident.


    The woman saw this and giggled. "What a dumb cat."


    "Maybe it''s not hungry and just fished for sport." Bian Tou said. He had seen cats eat their fish after ying with it, while others ran off with it right away. This ck cat didn''t look like it was hungry, so maybe it fished purely for fun.


    The woman looked unconvinced. She never liked stray cats. There were dirty, ugly, hostile, and on top of all of that, this cat was dumb.


    She wrinkled her nose impatiently. She turned to go inside when out of the corner of her eye she saw the ck cat head towards the house after circling the pond.


    Zheng Tan looked at the closed doors and swayed his tail. He jumped onto the window sill to enter through the window.


    Windows were doors for cats and this was what happened when people left their doors open.


    This had happened before, except that time they forgot to close the actual door. The house was poorly designed and the first floor was always humid, so they had to leave the windows open to air it out.


    "Damn! I left some beef out in the kitchen," the woman yelled, darting down the stairs.


    Bian Tou followed her. Chaos would definitely follow if he didn''t.

 Chapter 79: The Contact Was A Cat?

    Chapter 79: The Contact Was A Cat?


    Zheng Tan surveyed the room after entering through the window.


    The decor was in, with only the bare necessities. The furniture and appliances showed years of wear. As Wei Ling said, everything in the room was left behind by thendlord. This meant that Zheng Tan could freely wreak havoc without feeling guilty.


    The design was poor, so the first floor was dimly lit and humid.


    Zheng Tan figured out the floor n before anyone came so he would have an escape nter.


    Wei Ling said the house was bugged as well as under video surveince. He tried to act natural and simr to a stray cat.


    It was weird pretending that the cameras and wires didn''t exist when he clearly knew they did. It must be difficult for Bian Tou to live like this day in and day out.


    He wondered what Bian Tou thought when he had private moments with his girlfriend.


    With great responsibility came great suffering, the life of a spy was definitely trying.


    Zheng Tan followed the smell in the air. If a cat didn''t steal food in homes, what else would it do? It wasn''t going to search the house for money.


    He made his way to the kitchen while memorizing the electronics and furniture between the two rooms.


    His ears twitched. He heard the womaning down the stairs, so he quickened his pace.


    When the woman reached the kitchen, the dirty, ugly, stupid cat was sniffing her te of beef. She felt her anger rise.


    "Go away, you stupid cat!" the woman yelled, picking up a spat.


    Zheng Tan pretended to be startled. He "identally" stepped across the te of beef then brushed past the spice jars. A jar full of ground pepper fell to the ground, spilling the contents everywhere.


    The salt jar was next, then the chicken stock jar. He managed to break a few pretty bowls as well.


    The woman was absolutely fuming now. She wanted the cat out!


    Zheng Tan jumped around while avoiding her spat.


    Wei Ling had told him he was allowed to mess the ce up when he entered, so he decided to do just that.


    He looked at the mess on the kitchen floor and decided that was about enough. He saw Bian Tou outside, so he ducked under the woman''s arm and jumped onto the cupboard.


    The cupboards ran almost two meters long. Thendlord used to own a small restaurant. He kept all the tes and bowls on it after the restaurant closed. Next to the cupboard was a rack with all kinds of pots and pans. They were dusty since the current upants didn''t cook much.


    The woman couldn''t reach Zheng Tan. She knocked the cupboard with the spat hoping it would scare the cat, but it just ignored her.


    She turned around angrily to face Bian Tou. "What are you waiting for, get this cat out of here!"


    She realized Bian Tou might not be pleased after she tried to beat the cat, she pointed to the te of beef and said, "You can give it the beef."


    Afterwards, she left. The room was a mess after her war on the cat and she needed a bath. She hoped the cat would be long gone after her shower.


    Zheng Tan sighed in relief after the woman left. She wouldn''t being back for a while, but he couldn''t let his guard down. They could still be under surveince.


    He looked around the kitchen. Where would be a good ce to approach Bian Tou?


    Wei Ling had told him that surveince cameras would be hidden somewhere up high. People often overlooked ces above the eye level. A camera up high could capture everything. Of course, there was still the distinct possibility that the camera was close to the ground. Zheng Tan ruled that out. This was the kitchen after all.


    No matter how difficult their current position, the opposite side was not the KGB. He could manage.


    He had made a decision.


    Bian Tou looked up at the cat. He left and soon came back with a can of cat food.


    He opened the can and emptied the contents onto a stic te.


    "Come kitty kitty kitty. I have food." Bian Tou cautiously approached him.


    Zheng Tan wanted to roll his eyes. He hated being called kitty. It was dumb.


    His opinion of Bian Tou had dropped greatly.


    However, he still had toplete the task no matter how displeased he was.


    Zheng Tan jumped down and hid below the lower cupboards when Bian Tou came close. He crawled around looking for bugs, but all he found were actual bugs and more dust.


    He was already filthy, he didn''t mind getting dirtier.


    "How are things?"


    The woman appeared at the door in a bathrobe, her hair still wet. She questioned Bian Tou as she dried her hair with a towel.


    F*ck she was fast. Zheng Tan swore.


    The woman was worried Bian Tou would do something behind her back, so she finished her shower as quickly as possible.


    Wei Ling wasn''t lying when he said the surveince was tight and they couldn''t contact Bian Tou.


    It was up to Bian Tou now. Zheng Tan waited under the cupboard.


    "Should we try getting it out with a broom?" the woman asked.


    "The more you try to force it, the more reluctant it will be toe out." Bian Tou shook his head. He crouched down and pushed the dish under the cupboard.


    The woman had a look of contempt in her eyes. She stayed at the door. The room smelled of white pepper. She could see dust floating in the air. She frowned and backed up a step. She only had to watch Bian Tou, there was no need to put herself through unnecessary misery.


    Three minutes.


    Nothing.


    Zheng Tan wanted to quickly finish his task, but Wei Ling had warned him to be patient and careful.


    "As a stray cat, you must show caution and hesitation whening into contact with people. Bian Tou won''t let you stay there for long. Those people killed a stray cat that got trapped in the house previously when he wasn''t there."


    Zheng Tan decided he needed to retreat and just wait.


    The woman was quickly losing patience.


    "When is iting out? Don''t me me, but I really want to beat it with the feather duster now. Look at the kitchen. I worked so hard to organize it, now it''s a mess again." The womanined.


    Zheng Tan felt likeughing after hearing the woman''s words. Come get me if you can, he thought gleefully.


    If the woman knew what he was thinking, she would probably be murderous.


    The cat moved. Bian Tou moved the te closer while watching the cat.


    Zheng Tan eyed the feet at the door then looked at Bian Tou.


    Bian Tou moved closer to the cat. From his angle, the cat eyes were gleaming even in the dark. He had an odd feeling.


    Bian Tou didn''t know how to exin the feeling. The cat seemed different than all the cats he had encountered before. The eyes sent chills down his spine. He told himself it was just a trick of the light.


    Just as Bian Tou was giving up using food to lure the cat out, he saw the cat start inching towards him. It was near his hand.


    Bian Tou was pleased. He decided to let the cat eat first, then quickly catch it and take it outside. Leaving it in here might be dangerous since there was rat poison lying around. He told himself it would be ok if the cat scratched him. He had been stabbed before, a few cat scratches were nothing.


    However, his good mood was shortsting. The next moment, something happened that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.


    When the cat was next to his hand, it raised a paw to its mouth then put the paw in his hand. He felt a stic membrane.


    It was the stic membrane he used to contact Ye Hao''s people.


    Zheng Tan did not particrly like this method ofmunication. He had to carry the thing in his mouth. It was slipped over one of his teeth. He couldn''t open his mouth this whole time and it was highly ufortable. Now that the thing was out, he felt much better.


    Bian Tou was going through an emotional rollercoaster. He had not expected this at all.


    This was his contact?


    A cat?


    His contact was a cat?!


    How did they manage to do such a thing?


    People train pigeons, rats, dogs, but rarely cats. At least, to the best of his knowledge.


    The people watching him definitely weren''t expecting this. If someone had told him this yesterday, he would haveughed in their face.

 Chapter 80: Success

    Chapter 80: Sess


    Bian Tou flipped his hand and caught the stic membrane before it fell to the floor. He rubbed it between his middle and ring fingers. After wiping off the cat saliva, he could feel the membrane even better. It was exactly what he thought it was. He looked at the cat who was ignoring the cat food. If he still didn''t understand what was going on, he could kiss his spying life goodbye.


    Though he waspletely shellshocked, he managed to keep a straight face. He knew what he had to do the moment he got the membrane. The cat was trained, it would probably be fine if he left it alone for a while.


    When he stood up, the stic membrane had already disappeared. Bian Tou turned to face the woman and said, "Give me a second. I need to find some gloves and a torchlight. I''ll pull the cat outter. We can''t let it stay down there forever."


    The woman nodded. After Bian Tou left, she gathered up her bathrobe and bent down, looking under the cupboards.


    Zheng Tan was not well hidden at the moment. The woman could see his figure even though he was still masked in darkness.


    It was then that she happened to see the cat show all its sharp teeth. When it closed its mouth, it looked her directly in the eye, its eyes gleaming.


    She backed up hurriedly and stood up. She almost fell from getting up too quickly.


    She suddenly remembered the stray she had gotten rid of when Bian Tou wasn''t home was just like this one.


    This was why she hated stray cats. They were ugly and stupid and mean.


    If Zheng Tan knew what she thought of him, he would argue it wasn''t his intention to scare her. He was only yawning. After holding something in his mouth the whole timeing here, he could finally move his mouth now that it was out.


    The woman didn''t want to stay here anymore. She went into the storage room. Bian Tou was looking for something but there were indeed gloves in his hands. She felt relieved.


    When Bian Tou came out with a torchlight, the woman stood away from the kitchen. Bian Tou was capable, but she was still scared the cat might slip out of his grip and hurt her.


    Bian Touid the torchlight aside. He reached a gloved hand under the cupboard. Zheng Tan saw the stic membrane on his finger, now with the addition of a small rectangr block inside. This was what Wei Ling and Ye Hao wanted.


    It was just...


    He seriously didn''t want to put something like that in his mouth.


    However, he wanted this over with, so he forced himself to put the membrane in his mouth and lodged it between his teeth to avoid swallowing it.


    Though he had tried to prepare himself, Bian Tou was hit by shock again after seeing the cat perform its task. He had read the message on the membrane and performed his part. He hadn''t expected the cat to be able to ''store the memory chip by itself'' like the membrane said.


    Was this really a cat?


    Bian Tou really wanted to test if this was some super lifelike robot or cat-bot.


    With everything done, Bian Tou took hold of one of Zheng Tan''s legs and pulled him out. He thought about it, then reached out his other hand and carried the cat out so it didn''t suffer.


    Zheng Tan followed Bian Tou''s guide. Just as he was about to be freed from under the cupboard, he remembered what Wei Ling had said. He started to struggle and scratched Bian Tou on the arm. Without the protection of gloves, he was able to draw blood.


    Zheng Tan took no pleasure in doing this. Wei Ling had reminded him that strays attacked people, period. To avoid suspicion, Zheng Tan went all the way.


    Bian Tou didn''t care. This was nothing to him.


    The woman was less forgiving. She saw the scratches and immediately retreated again. She quickly ran to the front door and opened it, motioning to Bian Tou to throw the cat out before it struck him again.


    Bian Tou dropped Zheng Tan after they were in the open. Zheng Tan ran as fast as he could and soon disappeared from sight.


    Bian Tou looked at the empty yard and sighed a sigh of relief. Atst, he had managed to get the memory card out. He recalled his encounter with the cat. There was definitely something off about that cat. He had to give it to those guys, where on earth did they find a cat like that?


    "Quick, clean your wounds. Who knows what germs that cat carried!" The woman said.


    Bian Tou nodded nonchntly and followed her into the house.


    Zheng Tan, on the other hand, kept running until he reached a hidden location where he was supposed to meet Wei Ling. He waited for a while before Wei Ling showed up.


    He jumped into a backpack and was carried out by Wei Ling. They got on a taxi but quickly got off when they reached arge supermarket five minutes away.


    Wei Ling''s car was parked in the parking lot.


    It was only then that Zheng Tan was allowed out of the bag.


    Sometimes Zheng Tan felt Wei Ling was over cautious and overthinking things.


    Wei Ling steered the car onto a busy road, then looked at the backseat through the rearview mirror. He saw the cat get out of the bag impatiently as if it couldn''t wait any longer. He joked, "You know, a lot of things are like you know what. You could get right at it, but some forey makes things more fun and paves the road for what is toe. To get a better result, there are some things you just can''t skip. What am I saying, you wouldn''t understand."


    Zheng Tan rolled his eyes. He understood alright, but it was a lousy analogy and didn''t fit their situation at all.


    "How did it go? Did everything go ording to n?" Wei Ling was in a good mood and was uncharacteristically chatty. He didn''t expect an answer from a cat, so he started to answer his own questions.


    "Bian Tou loved cats but he never raised any of his own. He doesn''t actually know that much about cats. Oh, I lied. He did have a cat once, but something happened to it and no one ever heard of him having a pet again. He often buys food for strays though. It''s hard having a pet when you live the life he lives."


    After praising Bian Tou''s kindness, Wei Ling called Ye Hao.


    Zheng Tan shook his head. He hoped Wei Ling wouldn''t drive the car onto the pavement. He eyed his surroundings and dragged a bottle of water out of Wei Ling''s bag. He managed to open the cap and took arge sip. He wasn''t thirsty but rather needed to rinse his mouth.


    He got wet from trying to drink from a bottle. Dirty water was dripping on the backseat.


    All of a sudden, he began to feel itchy. He hoped he didn''t have fleas again.


    His head pounding at the thought of having fleas, he started pouring water on himself. It wasn''t cold, a shower wouldn''t harm him.


    When Wei Ling called, Ye Hao was discussing options with Long Qi and Baozi. They still needed a contact for Bian Tou. He needed to carry out the next step of the n. Before that could happen, however, they needed that list.


    If he was honest, Ye Hao would admit he greatly doubted the cat would seed. However, as long as the stic membrane in the cat''s mouth was not found, they would be fine. In the worst-case scenario, the other side would get a hold of the membrane, but they wouldn''t know what it said.


    The call from Wei Ling informing him of their sess was surely an unexpected surprise.


    He ended the call and looked up at Long Qi and Baozi. "We got it. Now we can move onto the next phase."


    "We got it?!"


    Long Qi felt goosebumps. The fact that a cat could execute such aplex task scared him.


    In the car, Wei Ling had finished the call. He heard sounds in the back and looked through the rearview mirror. He saw the cat showering with a bottle of water and almost drove the car off the road.


    "You''re taking a shower in the car?!"


    He would need to clean the car inside out after this.


    Wei Ling didn''t take Zheng Tan to the Night Tower this time. Instead, they arrived at a quiet vi, where Ye Hao and his men were. They saw Wei Linge in and stared at his backpack when they didn''t see a ck cat behind him.


    Wei Ling put down the bag and Zheng Tan jumped out. He ignored the expressions of the people awaiting their arrival. He needed to find the bathroom. The thought of fleas made him want to pull his fur off. He must have caught fleas in the bushes at Bian Tou''s ce. What bad luck!


    Wei Ling guessed what Zheng Tan wanted. He handed the memory chip to Ye Hao, then led the way to the bathroom. He drew a bath then waited for the cat to finish, before drying its fur with a hairdryer.


    Zheng Tan finally felt like himself again after he was cleaned and dried. Wei Ling didn''t stay for long. He politely refused Ye Hao''s offer of dinner. He drove Zheng Tan back to Chuhua University in a different car. If he didn''t get the cat back before curfew, the Jiao family would me him again.


    That night Zheng Tan took another bath and used the anti-flea spray he got from Professor Lan. He got in bed with Youzi.


    It didn''t matter if history was being made outside, Zheng Tan just wanted to enjoy the peace he had here. The rest was none of his business.

 Chapter 81: Come Say Hello

    Chapter 81: Come Say Hello


    The campus was a forest in July.


    People were hired to tend to thewns and flowerbeds, but the trees were left free to grow. They seemed to change every few days.


    For the citizens of Chuhua city, July and August were difficult months. It was ridiculously hot every day, to the extent that people avoided going outdoors during the daytime.


    Zheng Tany on the balcony next to a pot of flowers, courtesy of Professor Lan. Zheng Tan liked sleeping here. At this hour, the balcony was shady. It might still be too hot for people, but it was manageable for cats. Their body temperature was naturally higher than that of humans.


    Zheng Tan much preferred the balcony to air-conditioned rooms.


    He had been in this world for over a year. He hadn''t noticed it until Jiao Yuan and Youzi began their summer vacation. That was when he realized it was summer again.


    At this timest year, he had just gotten here and was resorting to escapism. He was insecure, lost and helpless. He couldn''t quite remember how he felt anymore, but he still remembered everything that had happened.


    He felt an itch on his chin. He rubbed it on the edge of the flower pot, then yawned. He squinted, looking at the peopleing and going downstairs.


    It was such a hot day, yet Jiao Yuan was still going nuts outside. He went out every day with his friends. They would go to the pool or go y basketball. Somehow they were never home except during meal hours. They were all kids from the quarters and there was bound to be a parent around, so the other parents never worried.


    Vacation mode Jiao Yuan was unnaturally excited. He always had a somewhat goofy grin on his face no matter how hot it was and managed to score a tan just a few days after school ended.


    Zheng Tan thought about Youzi, who was doing homework in her room and decided he preferred girls. They were just quieter.


    Zheng Tan was awakened from his nap by noises from below.


    "Meow. Meow."


    A cat was meowing downstairs, but it wasn''t Tiger, nor Sheriff, nor Fatty.


    He knew from the sound that it was Nougat.


    Little Nougat roamed the streets with Li Yuanba and now knew the campus and its surroundings by heart.


    Unlike dogs, cats roamed farther then people would expect when they went on walks. Of course, there were exceptions. Tiger, for example, never left campus even with thepany of other cats. On his own, he rarely stepped foot out of the quarters.


    Zheng Tan had once thought this was because Tiger was afraid of strangers or dogs. However, after apanying this guy out a few times, he realized that Tiger was terrible with directions. After he was neutered, he stopped peeing everywhere and lost his personal street signs.


    The reason why Nougat was roaming alone was Li Yuanba was sick with a tummy bug. Yanzi and Mr. Guo were both extremely worried. Li Yuanba always seemed the embodiment of health, but when she got sick, it was serious. She was kept indoors for the moment.


    Nougat went out whenever he had time. During hisst photo shoot, Mr.Guo mentioned Nougat brought mice back for his mother everytime he went out. The rats were huge and Nougat always seemed so eager to be praised. Maybe it was his way of telling his mother he had grown up and was not the kitten that needed to be apanied everywhere.


    No matter what his mentality was, he kept bringing back mice.


    Sometime Nougat would go out with the cats from the quarters. A group of cats seemed less likely to be picked on.


    Nougat was already seven or eight months old but he seemedrger than most kittens his age. With his long fur, he seemed the same size as Zheng Tan.


    The mole next to Nougat''s mouth had grown as he grown. It was now aical size.


    Zheng Tan had followed Nougat out a few times. During these experiences, Zheng Tan found that Nougat was an experienced mouse hunter. This was the result of Li Yuanba''s training. Also, Nougat never caught mice in the same location twice. He would pick the neighboring street one day, then the warehouse the next, and another ce the day after.


    In other words, every day the mice came from a different ce. This puzzled Zheng Tan.


    Did location have an effect on how mice smelled?


    Maybe this was Nougat''s way of showing Li Yuanba he knew the area well.


    Zheng Tan didn''t quite understand but praised Nougat nheless.


    Once Nougat started meowing, Sheriff, who was sleeping in some bush, appeared instantaneously. He seemed very excited. Whenever Nougat gathered the cats, it was likely he was looking to pick a fight with a group of cats somewhere.


    Zheng Tan yawned and ran downstairs.


    Tiger was grounded and Fatty never went too far away from where the olddy was, so only Zheng Tan and Sheriff apanied Nougat out.


    There was a narrow trail a few hundred meters away from the campus gate. Students sometimes rented housing there, but most of them that did so were male. The area was adjacent to an abandoned construction site. Fights often broke out over them. Some of the fights got really violent and after a while, many deserted the area. Those who still lived there were attracted by the cheap rent.


    That was where Zheng Tan and Nougat were headed. Unfortunately, many families were celebrating. Apparently, it was because their children made it into university. There weren''t any great restaurants around, so people had these feasts at home.


    Somehow, all the families decided to celebrate on the same day. Cars were parked everywhere and hordes of people came and went.


    Zheng Tan saw a cat sitting on the fence. It was arge cat with a simr coloring to Sheriff. He spotted another cat nearby. This one had long fur and was resting under a car.


    Nougat surveyed the area and halted. He hadn''t expected so many people. He swung his tail and turned to leave.


    Sheriff was ready to pounce and pick a fight with the local cats but was pped back by Zheng Tan. If was fine fighting other cats, but there were too many people around.


    For cats, nighttime was the ideal time to have group fights. People were mostly at home and couldn''t intervene. However, Yanzi was the one who determined if Nougat coulde out at night. Judging by Nougat''s decision toe here in the afternoon, he probably had to stay at home tonight.


    Zheng Tan heard people chatting before he even reached the door.


    The Buddha was there.


    He wondered why she was visiting at this time of the day.


    When he entered, he saw her talking to Mama Jiao with a baby in her arms.


    Mama Jiao saw Zheng Tan and quickly said, "Herees Charcoal. We didn''t have to wait until supper time after all."


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears, this made him sound like a foodie.


    The Buddha sat on the sofa and said to Zheng Tan, "Come Charcoal,e meet Kitty."


    Kitty? As in Kitty Zhuo?


    No wonder the Buddha had such a tender look on her stern face.


    Zheng Tan jumped on the sofa and peered down at the baby in her arms.


    The baby should be around three months old. He wouldn''t know how to talk, wouldn''t even know how to crawl. He didn''t have much hair at the moment. His eyes were small but so very bright.


    Apparently, all babies had bright eyes.


    Kitty Zhuo was wearing a pendant on his neck. It was the talisman Zhuo created with the herb Zheng Tan brought her. From now on, it would be Kitty''s.


    The Buddha adjusted the way she held the baby so that Kitty was facing Zheng Tan.


    The cat and child stared at each other.


    Then, just like that, Kitty started giggling and waving his tiny arms.


    What was there tough about?! Zheng Tan looked at the infant. He was making iprehensible noises but had a serious look in his eyes.


    "He''s saying hello," the Buddha said.


    Was he?


    Zheng Tan continued examining the baby. He was drooling from giggling too much. It was so silly.


    "Charcoal, say hello to your younger brother."


    Say hello?


    How?


    Zheng Tan was at a loss. The baby was so tiny, would he hurt him if he poked him?


    Zheng Tan inched closer and rubbed his paws on the sofa to clean off the dirt. He shook his paws and checked that his ws were not sticking out, then he slowly reached out and touched Kitty''s chubby cheeks.


    The Buddha smiled.


    Kitty started giggling uncontrobly again.


    Zheng Tan rolled his eyes. Why did this kid like tough so much?


    The Buddha didn''t stay for long.


    At the dinner table that night, Mama Jiao mentioned this afternoon''s events. Papa Jiao acknowledged them with a nod but didn''t say much. Zheng Tan had the feeling he knew more than he was letting them believe.

 Chapter 82: Mr. Tree-Hole

    Chapter 82: Mr. Tree-Hole


    After dinner, Mama Jiao went dancing with some teachers from her school. Jiao Yuan went to y basketball with Xiong Xiong and woulde home with Mama Jiao. Youzi went along with her cousin. Mama Jiao felt it best that she interact more with other kids from the quarters. Some of her ssmates were going as well.


    Only Papa Jiao and Zheng Tan were home. Papa Jiao looked like he had something on his mind and was in a bad mood. As for Zheng Tan, he was thinking about Kitty Zhuo and didn''t want to go out.


    Zheng Tan was sprawled on the sofa when he glimpsed Papa Jiao in the bedroom. Hisputer was on but he wasn''t doing anything on it. He was reading Lu Xun again.


    Zheng Tan jumped on the desk. Papa Jiao was reading Hot Wind today.


    Papa Jiao looked up and smiled.


    "What? You interested?"


    Zheng Tan quickly retreated. He didn''t understand most of the articles in the book.


    Papa Jiao put down the book. "Charcoal, it''s just you and me now. Let''s talk."


    Zheng Tan wanted to roll his eyes. If he could talk, why did he have to wait until now?


    However, by ''let''s talk'' Papa Jiao meant Zheng Tan listening to him talk.


    Sometimes, people felt the need to share a secret they had held on to for too long. Telling another human being could risk spreading the secret. A cat that couldn''t talk made an ideal listener in this case.


    "Do you know about Project A?" Papa Jiao asked.


    Zheng Tan paused just as he was about to jump off the table. His ears perked up and he sat back down on the desk.


    Papa Jiao rubbed his forehead and said, "If the Buddha everes here with Kitty again, try to spend more time with them. We don''t know if Zhuo cane back safely after all."


    Zheng Tan didn''t understand what he meant but kept listening.


    "Many think Zhuo is abroad on some project. That''s what the school is letting people believe. The truth is she''s participating in project A. It''s a secret project, those involved go through countless background checks and sign confidentiality agreements. I don''t know exactly what the project is about but I heard Professor Yuan mention a physics professor he knew that participated in the project. He was drunk at the time and very emotional, so he let out more than he probably wanted to. After he was sober, he made us promise never to tell this to another soul, but you''re not human so telling you doesn''t count."


    That hurt. Not human? Well, Zheng Tan had to agree he wasn''t human anymore.


    "He used to say people in this project were the special forces of academia. Their tasks were highly dangerous. That''s why the Buddha has been moody recently. She doesn''t know if Zhuo can return safely."


    Zheng Tan felt his heart sink. He wanted Zhuo to be safe and didn''t want her participating in something like that.


    "When we first heard of a project like that, we were against it, but if you think about it, these projects exist for a reason. They can''t be announced to the public, at least not in recent years. Doing so would cause huge moral debates, but the projects have to be carried out. Many countries in the world have secret research projects. They might say they oppose some type of research, but secretly condone it. We now know about the nuclear weapons and biochemical weapons research.


    "In the world of biology, there is ongoing research on cloning humans and cross-species reproduction. These projects exist, or else technology wouldn''t be able to advance at the current speed."


    Papa Jiao''s words sent chills down Zheng Tan''s spine. He thought those were things that only existed in science fiction.


    "Do you know what earth weapons are? Someone once said that controlling the weather is more important than producing nuclear weapons. For instance, the KGB invented man-made storm technology. They are able to change the climate to their advantage if war breaks out in a region. The aim was to be able to create hurricanes one day. Maybe the technology already exists, we just don''t know.


    "The importance and danger of the project are rted to the general academic environment. National security and tech development all depend on projects like this. There are so many research facilities and universities across the country, and millions of professors. However, those in the field know that very often, research data is made up. Science can''t make progress like this.


    "These projects are not that secret, to be honest, they are just masked, so to speak. Space projects are not just about rockets like people believe, for instance."


    Papa Jiao took a sip of water. Zheng Tan looked lost. Papa Jiao patted his head, "This stuff is too far from our lives. The reason Zhuo decided to participate in the project might have something to do with Kitty. There are going to be benefits to participants if they are expected to endanger their lives. Fame won''t be one of them, it''s a secret project after all. They will, however, be allowed other conveniences, like ess to files."


    For instance, what would Kitty''s personal files say? Father unknown, mother single. There is a social stigma attached to this sort of a thing. Though society is more epting than before, people still hold prejudices. Now, because of Zhuo, Kitty''s files would show his father was a real person who died for science or something like that. Anyway, his files would show something that appears true and is recognized by thew."


    Zheng Tan was feeling depressed. These were heavy subjects. It must have been hard for Papa Jiao to keep all this stuff to himself for so long.


    Being ordinary was such a blessed thing. Knowing these secrets changed how he saw the world, which would still be a great ce if only he was an ordinary person or cat.


    "Oh yes..." Papa Jiao remembered something else.


    Zheng Tan wanted to cover his ears. Papa Jiao was going to ruin his beautiful world some more. Yet he was curious.


    "I think my department used to have participants as well. None simr to Zhuo''s case though. Those who are abroad are actually abroad. I think it''s because of something that happened before, so the department lost the privilege."


    Something that happened before?


    Zheng Tan was curious.


    Papa Jiao seemed more serious after mentioning the topic. Zheng Tan was growing impatient when he finally started talking again.


    "Someone in the department was conducting an experiment behind everyone''s back. Two professors involved died and another was severely injured because of the product they created. The name of their test materials all had CFH as prefixes, causing people to now call it the CFH incident. I heard of it through Professor Yuan. The school covered up the incident. Many in the school didn''t even know about it. They just knew there was an ident."


    Zheng Tan wanted to know what CFH was, but unfortunately, Mama Jiao and the kids had just arrived.


    Papa Jiao felt much better after sharing his secrets, even if the cat couldn''t talk and most likely didn''t understand what he said. He just wanted to find a tree hole and say everything he couldn''t tell anyone else, even his wife.


    At the moment, Mr. Tree-hole seemed depressed. Zheng Tan was sprawled on the desk. He pushed a book off the table. It didn''t help his mood, so he sent another book flying to the floor to join the first.


    Just when he was about to break a teacup, Jiao Yuan came to him to tell him all about basketball.


    Zheng Tan wasn''t interested, so he pretended to fall asleep.


    Zheng Tan was in a bad mood for the next few days. Wei Ling, who had been absent for a while, showed up before dinner one day. He wanted to take Zheng Tan to the Night Tower on the weekends.


    Zheng Tan agreed since he didn''t have anything to do anyway.


    He thought the trip would make him feel better and wanted to check up on A Jin.


    A Jin''s band had been waiting at the northern district of the Night Tower ever since they were discharged from the hospital. They were enjoying themselves and had rented a ce nearby. They also got a dog that A Jin had found wandering on the streets. It had a bad leg, but the band treated it well.


    Ye Hao wasn''t there. They didn''t know the manager working that night.


    Ye Hao''s crew had been busy. Zheng Tan didn''t see them on his past few visits. Ye Hao had kept them out of the loop and Wei Ling didn''t ask. He went there to have a drink when he had free time. Zheng Tan munched on peanuts and other foods. Wei Ling dropped him off at home afterward.


    He heard Nougat meowing in the yard when he got home. Nougat finally got toe out at night and was set on having a fight.

 Chapter 83: The Cat From Hell (1)

    Chapter 83: The Cat From Hell (1)


    It was only eight and there were still people outdoors.


    The night was young, so Zheng Tan could afford to stay out a bit longer.


    People went to bedter in the summer, especially during summer vacation.


    Sheriff seemed to be locked up, so Zheng Tan was the only one avable to apany Nougat. He was free anyway, so he followed Nougat.


    Students wereing and going through the side gate, but none of them noticed the two cats. There were plenty of cats around campus. The area around campus was home to many businesses that targeted students. Many vendors had food stands on the street. Light bulbs hung above the stands lighting up the surroundings.


    The smell of deep-fried food wafted through the air. The street was full of shop owners bargaining with students.


    Zheng Tan looked at Nougat. He lifted his head to sniff the smells in the air once in a while, but the scent of food didn''t seem to affect him at all.


    They continued forward, passing the night market. The crowd thinned and eventually disappeared. They had entered a residential district where there were no streetmps. The only light came from the windows of people''s homes, so people seldom remained outdoors around here after ten.


    It was only eight right now and the street was bright enough, at least for Zheng Tan and Nougat. They ran into several pet dogs. They would walk straight past the leashed dogs and would jump on a wall to avoid the ones that chased them. People normally came out to check on their dogs if they started barking.


    They never ran around pointlessly no matter what happened. Zheng Tan had to admit, Nougat was smarter than most cats. He didn''t know if this was because of Li Yuanba''s teachings or if he was born like this.


    Nougat brought Zheng Tan to the site of their visit two days ago. Before they could make a deration of war, Zheng Tan heard a loud hiss.


    He followed the sound and saw a cat sitting on a short stone pir. It was the one that looked simr to Sheriff. It''s back was arched up and it was hissing a warning. Soon, Zheng Tan saw the long-haired cate out from its hiding ce, its fur standing on end.


    There were more cats around. They had heard themotion but were not showing hostility like these two.


    Nougat had probably fought these two cats before, or else they wouldn''t appear this rmed just from spotting him. They looked like they wanted to pounce but held some reservations. However, they weren''t backing down.


    These two cats seemed to be the leaders of the area judging by the way the other cats avoided them. Though Nougat was simr in size to Zheng Tan, he was still a kitten. Compared to these strays, he was still far too inexperienced.


    Zheng Tan could be sure that no matter how strong Nougat''s fighting abilities were, he didn''t win when he fought these two, although he probably didn''t sustain any serious injuries either.


    Nougat pounced while Zheng Tan was still thinking. He headed straight toward the pir and jumped up high, scratching at the cat sitting there.


    Nougat didn''t expect to hit his target, he just wanted that cat on the ground.


    After exchanging scratches, the two cats were in a Mexican standoff. Both of them hissed with their backs arched. Their tails swayed from side to side, then suddenly they were at it again. There was scratching and biting and kicking, then some chasing.


    This was how cats fought. They needed a lot of space.


    Zheng Tan didn''t really want to fight them. He felt like he was bullying children. However, he was here to support Nougat, so he had to do something. He nned to just scare these cats, not harm them. Their lives were difficult enough as it was.


    So Zheng Tan stepped in front of the long-haired cat, stopping it from interfering with the on-going battle. He didn''t do anything else. The scene reminded him of the Persian cat he had robbed when he was first caught.


    He held down the long-haired cat and ignored its meowing. Zheng Tan watched from the sidelines as Nougat fought therge ck cat. From the way things were going, Nougat was sure to win. He had a rough time fighting two cats simultaneouslyst time and was taking out all his anger on his opponent.


    A few cats were looking on while hidden in the shadows. None came forward. A few showed signs of wanting toe close, but all stopped after a few steps. They had decided to observe the situation for a little longer.


    People passed by asionally. They didn''t see Zheng Tan who blended well into the night, but they heard the meows of the cat under Zheng Tan''s paw. Most swore under their breath and hurried away. When cats weren''t meowing to show affection, their meows sounded more like screeching. It was unpleasant and a little bit scary, especially at night.


    This area was not the safest ce at night, so passersby all walked as fast as they could.


    Zheng Tan looked at the cat he was holding down. Its situation wasn''t that bad, so why bother screeching? Though it was pinned to the floor, it didn''t have to suffer any scratches.


    When Zheng Tan saw Nougat and therge ck cat moving further and further away from him, he let the long-haired cat go. It hurriedly left the scene, probably going home to somefort.


    It was rtively quiet, so Zheng Tan could hear the two cats fighting. He could tell from the asional shrieks that Nougat was doing well. The other cat was the only one making noises. Zheng Tan wasn''t worried. He proudly walked his way over.


    He didn''t n to join the fight. He had done his part tonight and the long-haired cat was already home. Nougat had the ck cat all to himself. Every male cat had to have a few fights. Now that he thought about it, Nougat was fighting a street fight.


    Zheng Tan took note of the architecture of the buildings around him. He had never been here before. It was said this was a bad area of town and he had avoided entering the heart of this maze of narrow streets He followed the two cats who were still fighting to a building enclosed by a tall fence. Inside the fence was probably the construction project that was neverpleted. He had heard about it in passing. The project was supposed to be huge, thend it upied was certainlyrge enough.


    Zheng Tan doubted this area was going to stay deserted for long. It was close to the university and was in the city.


    A loud shriek drew him back from his thoughts. The sound appeared suddenly and stopped just as abruptly.


    This was not a sound that cats made during a fight. It sounded like it was the other cat making the sound, but if this cat ran into fatal danger, Nougat was not safe from it.


    He hoped things weren''t that bad.


    Zheng Tan ran toward the sound as fast as he could. He kept his footsteps light though he was running and kept an eye on his surroundings. He hadn''t seen anything to worry about when they came here, but it seemed he had been too careless. The dogs and cats around here were nothing to worry about, but humans always posed a threat. Though most people were civilized, Zheng Tan knew from his past experience that there still existed people who could kill a dog or a cat without batting an eyelid.


    Zheng Tan didn''t jump over the fence immediately. He had no idea what the other side was like. He didn''t know if there would be a ce for him to hide. The gate was nearby. Huge metal doors were bolted on the outside. The paint was falling off and the rust on the lock showed how long this site had been deserted.


    Zheng Tan perked up his ears but didn''t hear anything moving, so he bent his head low and peeked inside through a small gap under the door.


    Without a torchlight, the moon was the only light source he could rely on.


    He was a cat, so he could still see rtively clearly.


    About a hundred meters away was an upleted building. The courtyard was in a bad state. Weeds flourished and metal scraps were piled all over the ce, making for an eerie sight.


    The building seemed like a monster, waiting in the night for any intruders.


    A gust of wind blew by.


    Zheng Tan smelled blood.


    The blood of a cat.


    He had smelled cat blood when he had been captured. It was different from human blood.


    He was starting to worry and cautiously proceeded toward the smell.


    He navigated his way around the piles of trash. Then he saw it.


    By the building was the body of a cat. Ten minutes ago, it was fighting with Nougat. Now ity on the floor motionless. Blood was gushing from a wound on its head and its face was no longer visible. It had died a violent death. The person who had done this had smashed the cat''s head repeatedly.


    The instrument of destruction was lying nearby. It was a rake that still had the smell of a human on it. It was just as Zheng Tan had predicted.


    Zheng Tan didn''t have time to mourn, he needed to find out where Nougat was.


    He walked around the courtyard but didn''t see Nougat. This was possibly good news.


    Was the kitten inside the building or had he left already?


    The dead cat was lying close the building, so it was likely that Nougat had run inside to hide. If he had left the site, Nougat would have meowed to let Zheng Tan know.


    The more Zheng Tan thought about it, the more he was sure Nougat was inside the building, hiding in a corner somewhere.


    Zheng Tan decided to check. He had watched Nougat grow up and he was the one who had apanied him on this adventure. He was determined to bring him home.

 Chapter 84: The Cat From Hell (2)

    Chapter 84: The Cat From Hell (2)


    The building was neverpleted and didn''t yet have any doors or windows, so it was easy to get in.


    Zheng Tan moved cautiously, avoiding making any noise. He kept his senses sharp, detecting every smell and sound.


    A cat had a sense of smell 20 times more sensitive than that of a human, and they could hear at least two more octaves. They had good eyesight in the dark and were smaller, making them harder to detect. These factors all worked to Zheng Tan''s advantage.


    No matter what was going on here, be it some secret transaction or a revenge story, Zheng Tan didn''t care. He just wanted to find Nougat and leave safely.


    Bang!


    There was a huge noise upstairs.


    Zheng Tan jumped, startled. It was easy to be rmed by sudden sounds since it was so silent earlier.


    Except for the window near the front door, all the other windows were bolted with wooden boards. Nougat couldn''t have left through here.


    Zheng Tan decided to go upstairs.


    The construction was neverpleted so the staircase didn''t have railings. There were rusted nails scattered on the stairs. Zheng Tan silently reached the second floor. He listened intently. stic rustled in the wind, then it was quiet again.


    This didn''t mean anything.


    Zheng Tan found someone lying on the ground where the sound had urred. He wasn''t moving.


    Zheng Tan took a deep breath. He had to stay calm at times like this.


    He mustered up some courage and went over to the person on the floor. He searched around him and found a drop of blood near a corner. Someone had lingered here. The blood was not yet dry so it couldn''t have been very long ago.


    It was just...


    Zheng Tan sniffed the blood, then the wall. The smell was somehow familiar.


    He thought about the people he knew, then quickly eliminated the University people. He thought about the people he didn''t see that frequently.


    Mr. Guo? No. Wei Ling? No. A Jin? Not him either. Ye Hao?


    Wait a minute. It was Ye Hao!


    What the hell!


    How did Ye Hao get into this trouble? Had he been tricked?


    First Nougat, then Ye Hao. Zheng Tan decided luck was not on his side tonight.


    Zheng Tan had smelled Ye Hao and had no idea where Nougat was, so he decided to follow the smell.


    Ye Hao was hurt, but Zheng Tan didn''t know how serious his wound was. He saw blood on the floor every few steps. The trail of blood and the scent quickly led him to Ye Hao.


    However, Zheng Tan sensed someone unfamiliar when he found Ye Hao. He twitched his ears, capturing the light sound of footsteps. There was also the smell of sweat.


    That was a good thing about summer, scents were hard to cover up.


    The stranger was closing in on Ye Hao. Zheng Tan hid behind a wall watching the person as he approached.


    The person was moving quickly yet silently. He had found Ye Hao but remained alert.


    He wielded a rake in his hand, the same kind Zheng Tan had discovered near the dead cat.


    All the windows were covered with stic hung on strings. One corner was folded down because the string holding it up had broken. Moonlight poured in.


    Zheng Tan saw the person heading toward a small room. Ye Hao was probably inside.


    He should help.


    Zheng Tan hoped Ye Hao would remember this was the second time he had helped him.


    The person closed in with a rake in hand. Ye Hao was focused as well. Neither knew they were both being watched.


    "Aow~"


    Suddenly a strange sound made the hair on the back of their necks stand up.


    There was no wind at the moment, the sound was caused by stic. It was the dead of night and neither of the men expected any living being other than each other to be present. Under the tense atmosphere, the sound was chilling.


    The men had different reactions to the sound.


    The stranger was annoyed. He regretted not killing off all the cats around here. He got one of them and left the rest.


    Ye Hao, who was starting to feel tired due to the loss of blood from the wound on his stomach, had been preparing for the worst. He was rmed by the sound, yet immediately afterward, he was pleasantly surprised and a little suspicious. He had been there for the KTV fiasco at the Night Tower. ording to Wei Ling, that cat was the only one that could create such noises.


    This had to be that cat?


    Zheng Tan moved to a different hiding ce after crying out. He picked up a nail from the floor. The man was moving towards Ye Hao again. Zheng Tan threw the nail the moment he had reached Ye Hao.


    The nail hit the man on the back.


    Zheng Tan hurriedly retreated to a corner. He had made the noise when he sensed there was no one here except Ye Hao and the stranger. Now he put some distance between him and the attacker. Even if the man was an expert at fighting, he couldn''t kill him while being ten meters away.


    The next moment, Zheng Tan heard bangs and the sound of metal falling to the floor.


    That was fast.


    Zheng Tan inched out of the dark. He saw the stranger on the ground and Ye Hao leaning on the wall. He had a knife in his hand, blood dripping from its de.


    He probably struck when the man turned around.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. He had nned to make a hero''s entrance when the two men were tangled in a fight. Reality couldn''t have been more different. It made sense though. These people probably struck and killed the moment they got a chance. Dragging it on meant danger.


    Ye Hao pressed down on his wound and slid to the floor. He was panting.


    "Aow~" Zheng Tan cried out again.


    Where was Nougat?


    "Meow, meow."


    He heard meows along with the sound of banging on wood in the room adjacent to Ye Hao''s hiding ce.


    Zheng Tan ran over quickly. He found that that the ground was lower in this room and had wooden floorsid in. The wooden boards had gaps in between and Nougat''s leg was caught in one of them. He didn''t dare to break loose until now for fear of making a noise.


    That was smart.


    Before Zheng Tan could help him, Nougat had managed to break free. His leg looked hurt, although it was unclear if he broke a bone or just twisted his ankle. He was limping.


    "Meow."


    Nougat walked toward Zheng Tan, he sounded upset.


    Zheng Tan patted Nougat''s head and told him to stay. He then went to check on Ye Hao.


    Ye Hao had exceeded Zheng Tan''s expectations and had managed to move himself to a safer location. He had his phone out and said to Zheng Tan, "Can you keep a lookout, I need to make a call."


    Ye Hao had switched his phone off when he sensed the two men inside the building. In this environment, any buzz of noise could expose him.


    Zheng Tan looked at Nougat who was being a good boy and licking his wounds where Zheng Tan had left him. He jumped onto the windowsill that allowed him to see the stairs and the front of the building.


    Ye Hao had called Long Qi. Someone was sure toe pick him up soon.


    He didn''t n on staying put though. Those two men probably contacted people too, if their people arrived first, he was dead meat.


    He regained some strength and stood up. He said to Zheng Tan, "That cat''s hurt, isn''t it? I can carry it down."


    He had seen the cat nearby while he was making his call. The cat had unknowingly helped him. If it wasn''t for it, he wouldn''t have noticed the two men creeping up on him.


    The two fighting cats had exposed the two men and gave Ye Hao a chance to prepare himself. It was a shame what happened to the other one.


    Nougat seemed to sense this human meant him no harm. He looked at Zheng Tan and allowed Ye Hao to pick him up.


    Ye Hao ripped some clothes from the clothes of his attacker and tended to his wounds. Then, with a cat in one hand and a knife in the other, he followed Zheng Tan down the stairs.


    Zheng Tan listened for movement before he led the way out the building. The wind in the courtyard soothed him, but he knew it wasn''t time to rx yet.


    Outside the building, Zheng Tan followed Ye Hao''s instructions to a different ''door''. The brick fence had tumbled over on the side. That was how Ye Hao entered the ce.


    Near the opening, Zheng Tan immediately caught the whiff of a stranger. He pressed his paw on Ye Hao''s foot to stop the man from advancing.


    The next moment came fast. Ye Hao dropped to the ground and rolled behind a pile of rubbish just as a shot was fired.


    A bullet grazed the top of his shoulder. It was thanks to Zheng Tan and his quick reflexes that the bullet didn''t do more damage.


    There was another man here. A man with a gun.


    Zheng Tan cursed every deity he could think of. How bad was his luck going to get tonight and who did Ye Hao piss off? It was bad enough that the men had knives, but a gun?


    Zheng Tan dragged Nougat, who Ye Hao had dropped, behind a pile of bricks. The pile wasn''t high so this was only a temporary measure.


    Just as he was trying to find a way out, Zheng Tan felt a chill run down his spine. It was a chill that he didn''t experience before, not even when he saw Ye Hao kill a man.


    The man with the gun suddenly started shooting aimlessly. Bullets were hitting the fence and the ground. Nonended even close to Zheng Tan. Ye Hao didn''t seem to be the target as well.


    At the same time, Zheng Tan heard a rumble. It was like a suppressed roar. Then, the man with the gun shrieked.


    Zheng Tan carefully poked his head out from behind the bricks just in time to see the gunman fall to the ground. A figure pounced on him.


    The sound of flesh being ripped apart made him shiver, although the night was not cold.


    The man on the ground spasmed. He had dropped his gun and there were deep scratch marks on his wrist.


    The figure...


    Was it a dog, a cat? Or something else?


    No matter what it was, it raised a paw and scratched the man on the neck.


    His body spasmed again, but he was soon dead.


    The scene in front of them shocked Zheng Tan and Ye Hao. They were chilled down to the bone.


    Nougat who was hiding behind the bricks, on the other hand, was suddenly excited. He limped toward the figure.

 Chapter 85: The Cat From Hell (3)

    Chapter 85: The Cat From Hell (3)


    It was hard to see the color of the animal standing over the body, but the pattern on its fur was somewhat visible.


    The animal had colorings simr to Fatty. Zheng Tan could only see its backside but the stripes were apparent. Unlike Fatty, this animal had spots as well.


    Was this a cat?


    It walked and moved like a cat, but was muchrger. It seemed closer to a dog in size, with thick fur. The proportion of its body was cat-like though.


    The cat stepped on the man''s chest. Itsrge ears twitched while it watched silently. Its tail swayed slowly from side to side as it waited. The cold moonlight added a sense of wickedness to the cat. It was taking its time.


    Suddenly--


    The cat raised its paw, then attacked again.


    Blood sprayed out forming a line on the ground. The man on the ground was motionless.


    Zheng Tan and Ye Hao shuddered.


    The man was already dead, yet the cat scratched him again regardless.


    After this attack, the cat turned to Zheng Tan, who could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He now knew why people jumped when they looked into his eyes at nights. It was scary, really scary. Not to mention this cat just killed someone. Not a rat, not a grasshopper, it killed a real human being.


    Zheng Tan had seen people killing cats and dogs, but a cat killing humans was a first.


    Yes. This was a cat. Zheng Tan was sure when it turned to look at him.


    Before he could do anything, Nougat was already limping quickly toward the cat. He seemed excited.


    Li Yuanba had taught Nougat about recognizing threats. It was clear from earlier he had taken her lessons to heart, which was why his actions now puzzled Zheng Tan. He watched the kitten nervously.


    Ye Hao pressed the wound on his stomach and leaned on the pile of garbage. The hand behind his back held his knife. The cat that appeared suddenly shocked him. No matter what, Ye Hao decided to be cautious. He always felt cats were capricious. They were loving one moment and hostile the next. The man-killing cat in front of him was not to be taken lightly.


    Zheng Tan had missed how the cat attacked because he had been trying to drag Nougat behind the pile of bricks. Ye Hao, however, saw everything. It had amazing athleticism and reflexes, and was smart too.


    When he had just positioned himself behind the pile of garbage, the cat took the chance to scratch the gunman on the wrist while he was aiming at Ye Hao. Though he didn''t drop the gun immediately, he couldn''t aim quite as well anymore.


    Before the man could switch hands, the cat attacked again, this time at the neck. It had attacked from behind. When the man reached behind his neck, the cat jumped up and scratched at his eyes. Then it was the throat. It scratched again, then again, then again, until the man wasn''t breathing.


    The grass still showed traces of the cat''s earlier movements. It was difficult to believe a cat could do all this. What breed was this cat? Ye Hao had thought the cat Wei Ling brought was already weird enough, but this cat was far worse.


    Zheng Tan and Ye Hao watched with differing thoughts as Nougat limped toward therge cat. It turned around to face him, its paws still drenched in blood. Seeing Nougat, the look in its eyes softened and it greeted him.


    Nougat happily rubbed his head on the cat''s side while purring incessantly. The cat lowered its head and started licking Nougat''s fur.


    Zheng Tan watched the two, then suddenly remembered Li Yuanba. He had wondered before who had managed to impregnate the catzi. Could this cat be the one?


    Nougat seemed much smaller standing next to this cat, but he wasn''t done growing. It was unlikely he would ever be quite thisrge, but he would probably grow to berger than most cats.


    If Zheng Tan was right, it exined a lot. Nougat had beenrge even at birth. He was also stronger, smarter, and had thicker fur than most house cats.


    Judging by Nougat''s behavior, this was not the first time he met this cat. They had met before, most likely more than once. Could this be the reason Li Yuanba took Nougat out all the time? Were they wandering the streets so Nougat could meet his dad?


    Zheng Tan wondered where this cat lived or hid.


    The cat had a trace of the stray cat look in its eyes, but not exactly the same.


    Zheng Tan examined therge cat, noticing it had long fur that didn''t show any signs of brushing. The fur should be sleeker if someone was taking care of it. Even if cats licked and cleaned their own furs, it was still different than being cleaned by a human. Then there was the problem of its temper. Zheng Tan doubted many wanted a pet like this.


    Actually, if they hadn''t just witnessed the cat killing a person, it would have left them with an alright first impression. It didn''t look quite as intimidating as Li Yuanba, it was just serious. Without the killer look in its eyes, it could almost pass off as an extraordinarilyrge forest cat.


    The cat was vignt even as it licked Nougat''s fur. When Ye Hao''s phone buzzed, it looked up but didn''t do anything.


    "Hello."


    It was Baozi, they were close by and called to get an update on Ye Hao''s location as well as the situation.


    Zheng Tan noticed the cat peering at Ye Hao as he talked on the phone. There was a look that Zheng Tan couldn''t quite decipher in its eyes. Zheng Tan was sure, however, that this cat wasn''t like him. This was a real cat in both body and soul. It was special, but not human, unlike him.


    Zheng Tan wondered what the cat was thinking.


    Soon after Ye hao hung up, Baozi arrived.


    He came with three cars which were parked a distance away. The men came through the copsed wall.


    Baozi saw the man on the ground and immediately noticed there was something off with the wounds. He looked towards Ye Hao who offered no exnation. "There are two more inside. Take care of the bodies."


    "Right away." Baozi wasn''t one to ask questions. He quickly conveyed the boss''s orders.


    With the arrival of people, the cat stayed by Nougat''s side. Neither left. It was clear its guard was up.


    Zheng Tan jumped on the pile of brick and watched Ye Haomand his men.


    A doctor-like man quickly bandaged Ye Hao''s wounds, then helped him into the car. It was hard to properly tend to the wound here.


    Ye Hao nodded but didn''t leave immediately. Rather he looked at Nougat, who was being carried over by his father.


    Therge cat picked Nougat up in his mouth by the neck. Zheng Tan had heard that this was alright for kittens but would be ufortable forrge cats and would cause strong opposition. However, Nougat was being an obedient boy. They really were father and son, Zheng Tan thought to himself.


    The cat carried Nougat to Ye Hao. It looked at Ye Hao, then at the doctor.


    Ye Hao and the cat stared each other down. Eventually, he relented. "Have a look at the kitten''s woundster, will you?"


    The doctor wanted to object as he wasn''t a vet. However, he didn''t want to upset Ye Hao and acquiesced.


    Before Ye Hao could say anything else, the cat saw him leaving and followed with Nougat still in his mouth.


    Ye Hao got into a modified MPV. The cat quickly got on and took a seat. Ye Hao rolled his eyes.


    He thought for a second, then said to Zheng Tan, "Charcoal, why don''t youe along with us?"


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. He could tell Ye Hao somewhat feared therge cat and felt it better if he was there.


    Zheng Tan shared a bond with therge cat called Nougat. Ye Hao knew Zheng Tan was with Nougat, so he wanted Zheng Tan in the car. He gave Wei Ling a call. He hadn''t wanted to involve Wei Ling before, but now that the cat was involved, he needed Wei Ling''s help.


    Zheng Tan was curious. He could tell therge cat was still vignt, but it had lost the murderous look in its eyes. He wanted toe along to see what it was up to. He needed Wei Ling to notify the Jiaos.


    Ye Hao''s entourage left. The abandoned construction site had been cleaned and showed no signs of the fights that had happened.


    Inside the car, Nougat leaned against therge cat. The air-conditioning was making him ufortable so he snuggled closer to his dad. Therge car licked his fur while keeping an eye on Ye Hao.


    Ye Hao, who was being tended to by the doctor, was starting to feel ufortable. The cat wasn''t looking at him with malice, but it still made him feel odd.


    Zheng Tan thought the cat was nning something. Li Yuanba was smart and so was Nougat. This one definitely wasn''t a dummy.

 Chapter 86: The Large Cat Wanted To Stay

    Chapter 86: The Large Cat Wanted To Stay


    Instead of going to the Night Tower, Ye Hao headed to the quiet vi where Zheng Tan wentst time after the task.


    Wei Ling was already waiting inside. He wasn''t worried. He had heard already that Ye Hao''s wounds were not fatal. The only thing on his mind was what to tell the Jiaos.


    When Ye Hao came in, Wei Ling saw that behind him was arge cat.


    Ye Hao had mentioned a cat on the phone, but Wei Ling hadn''t taken it to heart. He thought that in a city, a big cat is just a big cat. It wasn''t like lynxes and bobcats that existed outside of the zoo.


    So, without any warning, the sight of this cat made Wei Ling''s face turn ashen.


    Large cats like this brought back terrible memories.


    Ye Hao knew about Wei Ling''s past, so he purposely left out a description of the cat, just to see the look on Wei Ling''s face.


    "Stopughing!"


    Wei Ling kicked him, but Ye Hao dodged on time.


    "What''s going on?" Wei Ling asked after deciding to sit down on the couch instead ofunching another kick. The ck cat was already rummaging for food in a fruit bowl.


    Zheng Tan ignored them all. He was only here to observe, not to participate. He just wanted to know what therge cat was up to.


    Ye Hao''s wounds were tended to by the doctor and were predicted to heal soon. Then it was Nougat''s turn. The doctor was nervous at first since he wasn''t a vet after all. He calmed down after he identified the cause of the problem.


    Nougat''s leg had been lodged between wooden boards. He had splinters on his hind legs that were causing him pain though he was not bleeding. No matter how much he licked the wound, the splinters were still there.


    The doctor nned to hold the kitten in ce with something, but Nougat seemed willing to cooperate. So he started the task of pulling out the splinters. Whenever he pulled one out, Nougat meowed loudly. It seemed to hurt a great deal. Nougat almost turned around and bit the doctor once.


    The doctor was hesitating. They were only halfway through, was the cat going to bite or scratch himter?


    At that time, Nougat''s dad walked over. He pressed Nougat down and looked at the doctor as if telling him to continue.


    Zheng Tan felt bad for Nougat. He already had a serious mom and now his father was like this.


    Nougat kept moaning as the doctor worked. However, though he tried, he couldn''t escape from under his father''s paw. Wei Ling and Ye Hao exchanged a look.


    The doctor was sweating profusely after finally covering Nougat''s leg with some ointment. He wasn''t hot but rather nervous. Therge cat was too weird. He just wanted to get away.


    Wei Ling called the Jiao household, telling them their cat was not going home tonight. Mama Jiao insisted on hearing Zheng Tan''s voice to make sure he was safe, so Zheng Tan shrieked into the phone.


    Therge cat licking the kitten jumped. It eyed Zheng Tan cautiously, only sitting down after seeing thetter back off.


    With the Jiao family off their backs, Wei Ling and Ye Hao now had to think about Nougat. It was unclear who his owners were and it was toote to find out.


    "Did you ask the Jiaos?"


    "I was so focused on avoiding a tongueshing that I hung up as quickly as I could," Wei Ling answered.


    Wei Ling thought for a moment then ced the phone in front of Zheng Tan. He pointed at Nougat, "That''s your problem."


    Zheng Tan understood what Wei Ling meant. Ever since Wei Ling found out he could dial a phone, he had been helping Wei Ling make calls when he was driving. However, Zheng Tan looked around the room before dialing.


    The doctor had left. Baozi was on a mission as well. Long Qi was apparently hospitalized because of some injury. It was just them in the room. There were people in the living room outside, but they wouldn''te in without Ye Hao''s permission.


    So he pulled over the phone and dialed.


    Ye Hao was seriously considering wearing a talisman like Long Qi. The animals he had been encountering were not normal.


    Therge cat had seen Zheng Tan dial the phone as well. It tilted its head as if thinking.


    Zheng Tan had dialed Mr. Guo''s workshop. He was there most of the time.


    The call went through. Wei Ling managed to get Nougat''s name out of Mr. Guo. He mentioned Nougat sustaining a small injury and that he would be dropped off home tomorrow.


    Learning that Zheng Tan was there, Mr. Guo felt assured and thanked Wei Ling.


    One more problem solved, the two men now turned to therge cat. The cat looked at them then yawned. It curled up next to Nougat and closed its eyes.


    So it was going to bed? The two men looked on in disbelief.


    Mr. Guo hadn''t mentioned any other cat on the phone earlier. Wei Ling turned to Zheng Tan, who was gleefully munching on pork jerky. "Do you know that one?"


    Zheng Tan thought about his answer, but eventually decided to shake his head. He knew Nougat and Li Yuanba and had guessed this was the father, but he didn''t really know the cat. He had never even heard of the cat. If such a cat was roaming the area, Papa Jiao would have warned him. Even the olddies in the quarters who loved to gossip had never heard of this cat.


    Thisrge cat probably visited the area to see his girl and kid once in a while and hid somewhere suitable most of the time. Where would that be? Zheng Tan suddenly remembered a botanical garden and a park with a hill not far from the university.


    There was a shortcut from the pet center to campus. It passed by the abandoned construction site. Zheng Tan never took that road. Maybe this cat was heading to the pet center to visit Li Yuanba and Nougat when he ran into someone trying to kill Ye Hao, who had Nougat in his arms. That caused him to interfere.


    No matter what brought the cat here, it was here now and it wasn''t hiding from anyone.


    Suddenly Zheng Tan squinted his eyes, looking first at the pair of cats sleeping peacefully, then towards Ye Hao who was discussing something with Wei Ling.


    Was thisrge cat trying to stay?


    He thought of the cat killing a man, then thought about Ye Hao''s background. Well...


    Wei Ling caught a glimpse of Zheng Tan when he turned to drink water. The ck cat had a piece of jerky in its mouth but was not chewing. It seemed to be thinking.


    "What are you thinking, Charcoal?" Wei Ling asked. He knew the cat couldn''t talk and just wanted to catch its attention. The thinking cat was too weird even for him. He would be talisman shopping like Long Qi if he hadn''t known the cat for so long.


    Zheng Tan looked at Wei Ling, then at Ye Hao. He went back to his jerky.


    It wasn''t his problem. If the cat was determined to stay, Ye Hao probably wouldn''t refuse. Ye Hao was a good man and wouldn''t mistreat the cat. He owed the cat his life after all.


    Zheng Tan thought about that. It would be funny.


    "Why do I feel the ck cat isughing at me?" Ye Hao frowned.


    "You''re overthinking things." Wei Ling patted him on the shoulder.


    The next morning, Zheng Tan sat next to Ye Hao''s at the breakfast table. He was eating liver soup on the chair. It was made with pork liver, kidney, and lean meat and was a favorite of Zheng Tan''s. Mama Jiao often made it. He didn''t think it would be avable here.


    Both Nougat and his father had bowls of soup in front of them, except that the bowl in front of therge cat was more like a basin. They were having soup and rice like everyone else. Ye Hao never owned a cat and didn''t know what to feed them. He decided they were going to eat like Zheng Tan. Thankfully, they weren''t picky.


    Both cats were eating on the floor but therge cat saw Zheng Tan getting on a chair. He jumped on a chair immediately and stared at Ye Hao, who was pretending not to notice anything. So therge cat started meowing. It wasn''t pleasant, but Ye Hao was someone who had karaoked with Zheng Tan. Therge cat at least sounded like a cat.


    It was still not the most appetizing sound though.


    Ye Hao told the maid that brought them breakfast to move the bowl onto the chair.


    The cat wasrger than Zheng Tan and had arger bowl as well. The chair was too small so the maid brought another. She put Nougat on a chair too, since she might as well.


    Ye Hao swore inside. He wanted all of them out!


    The front door opened.


    Wei Ling choked when he heard people talking at the door. He whispered to Ye Hao, "Your wife and kid are here."


    Ye Hao wanted to ask what was so wrong about that, then he remembered there were three cats here.


    What did he tell his wife when she wanted to get a cat?


    Oh, yes, that he didn''t like them. Now, he had three right here.


    The next moment, a tall beauty with a boy about the same age as Jiao Yuan walked into the dining room.


    Tang Xue heard Ye Hao had been attackedst night and hurried over with their son early in the morning. Ye Hao had guaranteed her on the phone that his wounds weren''t anything to worry about, but she still wanted to see for herself.


    Before she could say anything, the three cats on chairs by the table stunned her into silence.


    Unlike her, the kid who had looked at his father with contempt lit up at the sight of the cats.


    Wei Ling focused on drinking soup, pretending not to see Ye Hao''s plea for help.

 Chapter 87: Super cat

    Chapter 87: Super cat


    Well, this was awkward. Zheng Tan looked up from his soup. He saw that Wei Ling was trying to stay out of this, so he buried his head back into his bowl. He kept his ears perked though.


    After a moment of silence, Tang Xue finally found her voice. "So, what is going on here?"


    Ye Hao put down his bowl. He pointed at Zheng Tan, "Wei Ling brought this one." He then pointed at Nougat, "This one is from the pet store. It came with the one Wei Ling brought and is being sent home after breakfast."


    Finally, Ye Hao pointed at therge cat, "Found this one on the streets. No idea where it came from."


    Tang Xue nodded halfheartedly. She stared at therge cat, "This isn''t a normal cat. It''s huge. Could it be a super cat?"


    "A super cat?"


    Ye Hao and Wei Ling both looked up at her.


    "Shijiu Uncle had arge cat, don''t you remember?" Tang Xue asked Ye Hao.


    "I haven''t seen him recently, but I did hear Qi Ye mention thisst time I went to visit."


    The Qi Ye that Ye Hao was talking about was Tang Xue''s father. When Ye Hao first came to Chuhua, he was in Tang Qi Ye''s gang. Tang Qi Ye was part of the reason he was where he was today, though most of it still was his own hard work. Tang Xue wouldn''t have married him otherwise. Though they were family now, Ye Hao still called his father inw Qi Ye.


    As for the Shijiu Uncle they were talking about, he belonged to Tang Qi Ye''s generation and was half retired, though still influential. He and Qi Ye were neither friends nor enemies. However, they were the few of their generation still around, so the men caught up from time to time.


    Ye Hao had heard Qi Ye mention Shijiu Uncle''s new pet on his recent weekend visit. He hadn''t thought much about it at the time. He had thought that arge cat was just a rtivelyrge pet cat. No one living in the city would raise a realrge feline. It seemed now that he was being naive.


    "Shijiu Uncle had one of his friends get him a super cat from abroad. Super cats are part bobcat part normal cat. Real ones are hard toe by nowadays."


    "Shijiu Uncle had his friend find him the descendant of a first generation super cat. Apparently, second generation super cats are not quite asrge. They are stillrger than normal pet cats. Shijiu Uncle''s cat is now 15kgs and very strong. It showed signs of continued growth. That one is smaller than the one you have here, but that one has short fur."


    Zheng Tan listened to Tang Xue intently. When she finished, he looked at Nougat''s father. A super cat?


    Ye Hao frowned. He didn''t care about fur length or size, "Do you know if Shijiu Uncle''s cat..uh...kills small animals?" Ye Hao had wanted to say murder people but decided against it.


    "Of course it does. Apparently, it already killed a few pet cats and a small dog. Every time it went with Shijiu Uncle to visit dad, it stared at his grey parrots. Dad said his parrots started pulling out their own feathers again out of stress."


    Zheng Tan couldn''t help but think birds had a hard time too. Unlike General, most birds seemed unable to amuse themselves.


    As they talked, therge cat had finished its food and was licking a paw.


    Zheng Tan always felt cats were more focused when licking their paws than when they ate. They probably put more heart into licking their balls than eating.


    "Back away Ye Heng!" Ye Hao suddenly yelled.


    Tang Xue hadn''t realized that their son had moved when she was talking. Only when Ye Hao yelled did she see their son had left her side.


    Cats were always reserved towards strangers, hostile even. Tang Xue knew that, but she always let her son do what he wanted and had forgotten about therge cat.


    Ye Heng was very close to the cat when his father warned him. He not only refused to back away, he instead quickened his pace.


    Even Wei Ling''s face turned to ash. They were too careless. They should have locked the cat up or leashed it at least.


    Ye Hao didn''t dare move, he had a knife in his hand and eyed Wei Ling telling him to attack as soon as the cat showed hostility.


    Ye Hao and Wei Ling had a table between them and the cat. It was already toote to stop Ye Heng.


    Tang Xue could tell something was wrong now.


    Ye Heng ignored his parents and stood by therge cat, looking at it.


    Therge cat felt someonee close. It looked up at Ye Heng, then squinted his eyes and rubbed his head on the kid.


    Even without the earlier presentation on super cats, afterst night Ye Hao did not want an animal like this near his son. It was too dangerous. He couldn''t say with certainty that he would win a fight with this cat. It hadrge paws and was strong. Its reflexes and IQ made him nervous. A scratch was no joke.


    Zheng Tan was close to therge cat and could tell it held no ill will. The cat wasn''t murderous like it wasst night. It was closer to a well-fed,zy pet cat purring to its young owner.


    Wei Ling hadn''t reacted immediately because he saw Zheng Tan wasn''t worried. They didn''t know therge cat well enough and doing anything hastily could anger it. He wanted to y it safe, wait and see.


    For anyone who didn''t dislike cats, a purring cuddly cat was irresistible. Ye Hao''s boy did not hate cats. Not at all.


    He rubbed the cat''s head and scratched its chin. He had heard from Shijiu Uncle that cats liked that.


    The cat raised its head. The boy had hit the right the ce.


    Before long, Ye Heng was dragged away by his father.


    Ye Heng who had been smiling earlier immediately looked upset again. It was then Zheng Tan saw how alike the father and son now staring at each other looked.


    "Now, Now." Wei Ling grabbed Ye Hao''s arm. They needed to deal with the cat first.


    At that moment, Baozi was back. Ye Hao had sent him to find information on therge cat and with some luck, he had made good progress. He remembered an incident a few years ago. Cats had been dying mysteriously around campus. At the time, he was young and curious. He had friends in the university and knew a bit about what had really happened. He decided to look into it again.


    Ye Hao motioned for Tang Xue to take Ye Heng upstairs before taking the documents in Baozi''s hand.


    "The CFH incident?" Ye Hao frowned. He muttered, "The cat from hell."


    Zheng Tan thought CFH sounded familiar. He thought about it for a moment then recalled Papa Jiao mentioning it. Ye Hao sat down on the couch to read. Zheng Tan followed him. He jumped onto the back of the sofa to read the document with Ye Hao.


    Ye Hao nced at him but didn''t shoo him away. He didn''t think a cat could understand the document and was just curious why it followed him.


    The document wasn''t exhaustive. Baozi didn''t have enough time to find out more. Also, the incident had been covered up and all rting information had been destroyed. He only managed to find out that cats known as CFH were ferocious. There were mixed breeds and differed from one to the other. Some had long fur, some short, some had tails and others didn''t. However, they were good in cold climates and could survive hunger. The only thing was they were capricious and many had congenital diseases. The researchers had wished to see how second-generation CFHs would turn out. Unfortunately, the incident had happened and the project was canceled. All of the ''products'' of the experiment had been dealt with, though a few cats escaped.


    People had been looking for the escaped cats worried that they might reproduce. Eventually, all they found were the dead bodies of a few cats that died from disease, so the search ceased.


    Thisrge cat was a second-generation CFH that was the offspring of an escaped cat and a normal cat. Of course, it could also be a super cat, but both Ye Hao and Zheng Tan leaned towards the first exnation. After all, it was true to the name CFH when it managed to murder an adult man.


    "Why do you think people were studying this stuff." Wei Ling didn''t understand.


    "Who knows." Ye Hao threw the documents onto the coffee table.


    "I heard scientist had made pigs with human blood and mice with human brain cells, so..." Baozi shrugged. If these things existed, why couldn''t CFHs?


    Zheng Tan shivered. He was suddenly thankful Papa Jiao wasn''t that kind of a scientist.


    "This was ten years ago." Ye Hao eximed.


    "So you can take it out and call it a super cat." Wei Ling joked, "It was so long ago, probably no one remembers. As long as no one sees it murdering humans, who would know otherwise."


    Ye Hao shook his head, " I don''t care about that. It has been ten years, but this cat still moved like a young cat. It doesn''t seem to have any diseases and it''s hard to tell how long it''s going to live."


    Zheng Tsn looked at the yawningrge cat, then at Nougat who was licking his fur. So Nougat would be a third-generation CFH.


    The "mole" next to his mouth really didn''t make him seem ''hell'' like.


    As time goes on, who knew how many cats simr to Nougat would exist. They looked no different than normal cats and could live in peace with humans. Now mixed breed cats and dogs were everywhere, who would think of the CFH incident?


    Even if they run into an especially hostile cat, they wouldn''t think too much about it.


    These cats from hell would now live on earth.

 Chapter 88: Lets Go Swimming

    Chapter 88: Let''s Go Swimming


    After breakfast, Wei Ling took Zheng Tan and Nougat home. As for therge cat, it showed no intention of moving off the sofa. Ye Hao tried threatening it, but it ignored him with a yawn. So far it was fairly obedient except when it refused to be leashed.


    Ye Hao was set on getting rid of this cat, but his son had begged him to keep it. It was the first time the boy made a request. Though they didn''t seem to get along, Ye Hao pampered his son whenever he could. He begrudgingly agreed to keep the cat for now, keeping it under observation for the time being.


    During this period of observation, Ye Hao stipted that his son would not be alone with the cat. If he was to approach the cat, at least three people had to be in the room. If he...


    After a series of ''he must not'' Ye Heng was losing patience and looked to his mother for help. She was on Ye Hao''s side this time. Ever since she learned that the cat had human blood on its paws, she opposed the idea of keeping the cat. She had relented after realizing her son was relentless and decided there were to be people guarding the cat at all times.


    Were all cats shameless?


    Ye Hao decided that cats were capricious, neurotic, inconsiderate and shameless.


    Anyway, the cat stayed. Ye Hao, who lived with his grandfather, started visiting more often. Even Qi Ye came to visit after hearing about the cat.


    Qi Ye thought quite highly of therge cat. After learning that it was capable of killing humans, Qi Ye pped the table and eximed, "Great!"


    This made Ye Hao speechless.


    Qi Ye nned to show off the cat to Shijiu after it got used to its surroundings. He wanted to have it fight Shijiu''s super cat and hopefully win. This would show them. That stupid cat had sent his parrots into depression mode.


    When Long Qi was discharged, he got a scare seeing therge cat on Ye Hao''s sofa. He had thought it was a dog at first, before realizing it was just a special cat.


    All of this had no effect on Zheng Tan. He stayed home these days.


    The continuous hot days were unbearable. Papa and Mama Jiao stayed at home these days too. It was like a sauna outside. One could probably fry an egg on the asphalt road outside. Even Jiao Yuan was showing signs of fatigue. He watched television at home every day.


    Youzi was doing every day''s portion of homework while Jiao Yuan and Mama Jiao were watching TV. Zheng Tan was rolling around on the sofa. He wasn''t interested in soap operas. He kicked the newspaper when he was turning and tossing, so he decided to read it since he had nothing better to do.


    It was the Chuhua Daily, amon subscription among Chuhua citizens. Many kept old newspapers to use as coasters, then eventually to sell.


    Jiao Yuan and Mama Jiao were fixated on the TV and didn''t notice what Zheng Tan was doing. Zheng Tan flipped a page after finishing the entertainment news. There was a whole page on the vice mayor of the city being caught for corruption. The timing coincided with Zheng Tan''s return from Ye Hao''s vi.


    Could this have something to do with Ye Hao?


    None of his business.


    He rolled over and kicked the papers off the sofa. The smell of ink was making him nauseous. Half asleep, he heard a knock on the door. He didn''t open his eyes and stayed on the couch. Soon, however, he was thrown into the air by Jiao Yuan.


    Fuck!


    Zheng Tan was wide awake now. He ignored Jiao Yuan''s outstretched arms and kicked him. He jumped onto the floor and ran into Youzi''s room. Kids were unreliable.


    He eavesdropped in her room and figured out the reason behind Jiao Yuan''s excitement.


    The visitor was Sahara''s owner Ruan Ying. He had managed to score tickets to the new city pool. The pool was newly built and had a beach. Chuhua was an ind city and the beach was bound to attract a lot of people. The pool was not opened to the public yet, tickets were only distributed through selected means. The pool would officially open five dayster.


    The pool would be packed when it opened to the public, but even so, people were looking forward to it.


    Papa Jiao had nned to take the kids there when it opened, who knew Ruan Ying would have tickets already?


    He gave tickets to families in the quarters with kids. Beside the Jiaos, Lan Tianzhu, Su An, and Shi Rui all got tickets. As for Xiong Xiong, he was not living in the quarters but with his mom.


    Jiao Yuan received a call from Xiong Xiong before he could call him. Xiong Xiong had learned of their ns and reasoned with his mother. She had agreed reluctantly and was able to obtain tickets for him herself. The kids nned to meet at the pool tomorrow.


    Ruan Ying wanted to leave before sunrise. There was a restaurant at the pool and they could have lunch there. The would then go out for dinner together. However, Papa Jiao received a call from Xiong Xiong''s mother.


    She was a good person, but very pushy. Maybe all sessful women were like that. She worked at the ministry of education and was probably high up since she was often busy. Xiong Xiong''s father was busy as well, which was why he mostly lived with his grandparents in the quarters.


    Xiong Xiong''s mother wanted to take everyone out for dinner to thank them for watching out for Xiong Xiong.


    Papa Jiao couldn''t refuse. She had already made reservations and had told the other families.


    If they overlooked her attitude, tomorrow''s ns were perfect and Papa Jiao didn''t want to disappoint the children. He went that night to borrow Yuan Zhiyi''s car.


    Jiao Yuan couldn''t fall asleep because he was too excited.


    Youxi was the same. After all, they were kids, and kids loved to y.


    Zheng Tan didn''t mind. He wasn''t scared of water and didn''t mind a swim, as long as Jiao Yuan and his friends didn''t pee in the water.


    The next morning, the kids woke up before their rms. They finished breakfast and were downstairs at seven.


    Every family was driving. Ruan Ying was in his family''s car alone with Sahara, who had his chin on the window and was looking out, barking asionally.


    "You guys are bringing the cat? Doesn''t it need to be leashed." Ruan Ying asked.


    "It''s ok. Our cat is a good boy." Mama Jiaoughed.


    Ruan Ying looked at the Jiao kids and the ck cat, then back at his dog. He shook his head.


    They didn''t need to bring swim rings, they were provided at the pool. They only needed to bring themselves. If they had to bring something, they could bring snacks, but it was summer and all people wanted to eat were watermelon and drink cold drinks. Zheng Tan looked around, no one packed a lot of stuff.


    It was time to set off. Sahara who was barking at Zheng Tan was dragged inside the door by Ruan Ying. Air conditioning was essential in this weather, or else they would all probably need to be hospitalized.


    The pool was quite a long drive away, so the kids took a nap. Zheng Tan looked at the receding scenery and sighed.


    The streets were full of action in the morning. They waited at an intersection. While waiting, Zheng Tan saw a motorcycle behind them with a watermelon hanging on each side. The rider had no shirt on and was wiping sweat with a wet towel tied around his head. He threw the towel on behind his shoulder when the light turned yellow.


    Being outdoors during the summer was hard.


    The pool they were headed to was arge water park built beside the river. Large amounts of sand from upstream was deposited there forming a natural pool with water from the river. The pool was divided into deep and shallow sections with kids corners and little sightseeing pavilions. It was equipped with a parking lot, food stands and a changing room. Nearby was arge square designated as a leisure ground.


    Someone was waiting in the parking lot when they got there. There were quite a few cars there already, it seemed many hade even earlier than them.


    The person waiting knew Ruan Ying well. He introduced theyout of the grounds and highlighted some attractions. If not for their parents restraining them, the kids would be off by now. Though there were lifeguards around, parents preferred watching over their kids themselves. They couldn''t swim in the pool untilte in the afternoon without risking severe sunburns anyway. The pool wasn''t opened to the public yet and they weren''t in a rush to find seats.


    They nned to get to know the grounds first, so they knew where the changing rooms and washrooms were.


    Xiong Xiong and his parents were waiting at the tea service area. His mother had some tea leaves out ready to make a brew. She didn''t seem pleased to see Mama Jiao take Zheng Tan out of her bag. She probably thought this was no ce for a cat like him.


    Mama Jiao noticed her expression and took her gang to a faraway table. A table only sat four anyways and they were surrounded by people from the quarters. She wasn''t risking getting lost.

 Chapter 89: Backbone Sahara, Backbone

    Chapter 89: Backbone Sahara, Backbone


    There was air conditioning in the tea service area. People came in groups and sat in huddles separate from other groups. When the pool officially opened, people would probably need to wait for seats.


    Jiao Yuan and the boys headed over to the entertainment areas with Ruan Ying leading them.


    Ruan Ying decided to go with the kids because they didn''t want to listen to the parents talk and because Sahara was not staying put. He took the kids over to the pool table.


    Youzi and Shirui were getting bored of sitting around. The parents were turning the subject to them since the boys left. Therefore, they took Zheng Tan and left.


    Zheng Tan jumped out of the bag when they left the tea service area. He was too heavy for Youzi to carry now. People had brought their dogs, yet not all were leashed. Seeing Zheng Tan, the dogs barked merrily.


    Zheng Tan ignored them and followed the girls to the entertainment area. He kept an eye out, memorizing theyout of the ce. Some people saw him and were amazed. They didn''t think anyone would bring a cat. Cats were harder to train after all, and this one wasn''t even on a leash.


    Ruan Ying was teaching the kids how to y pool when they got there. Sahara had been tied on the side and was biting his own paw at that moment. He immediately stood up and barked when he saw Zheng Tan. No one knew why he was barking, so they just let him be.


    Ruan Ying was annoyed though, the boys couldn''t hear him over the barking.


    He found a rubber duck and tossed it to Sahara, who gave it a sniff, then decided he didn''t like it.


    "You ate, you peed, it''s not the time to poop yet. What do you want? If you bark again, you are going back in the car! You''re behaving worse than a cat!"


    Zheng Tan rolled his eyes.


    Sahara stopped barking. Instead, he sat there and whimpered.


    Zheng Tan thought he was probably bored and not interested in the rubber duck. He looked around. There were water balls near the door, so he kicked one over to Sahara.


    Sahara immediately looked excited and wagged his bushy tail with vigor.


    He was bored.


    He spent the morning ying ball with Sahara. They ate a quick lunch and then took naps. Around four in the afternoon, the parents were no longer able to keep the kids away from the pool.


    The kids had to agree to stay in the shallow pool. The parents would have preferred if they stayed in the kids'' area, but the boys thought that wasme. The two sides had to settle in the middle.


    Youzi and Shi Rui stayed in the kids'' area, however. The boys were too rowdy in the shallow pool, so the girls and the younger children yed in the kids'' pool.


    Mama Jiao was overseeing the girls, while Papa Jiao had to keep an eye on the boys. They didn''t know when to stop and strict supervision was necessary.


    Zheng Tan stayed with the girls. The kids'' pool was deep enough for his size.


    "Look! A cat!"


    A few kids saw him and all huddle around to watch him swim. They had never seen cats swim before. Zheng Tan found this extremely annoying.


    Youzi, ever the sweet darling, noticed this and brought him out of the water. She found them a shady ce to sit. Mama Jiao followed them.


    "The water''s a bit too warm at this hour. Better wait a while." She brought over some juice.


    Zheng Tan felt the sand. It was different than sand on real beaches, but the ce was well-constructed enough and people were having a good time.


    Ruan Ying was walking his dog and brought them half a watermelon.


    "Aren''t you swimming?" Asked Mama Jiao.


    "I was, but this guy here keeps barking. I thought he ate too much and wanted to poop, however, he''s only sniffing around. He wanted to get into the water, but I stopped him. I''ll wait a little longer and see."


    As he was speaking, Zheng Tan saw Sahara sniff the ground then turned on the spot. He squatted and pooped.


    Everyone was speechless.


    Youzi put down the piece of watermelon in her hand. She wasn''t hungry anymore.


    Ruan Ying wanted to kick the dog, but he needed to clean up the mess first. He immediately covered up the evidence with sand after Sahara was done. He found a shovel and scooped the poop and the sand around it into a stic bag.


    Sahara was in an extraordinarily good mood. He was feeling much better. He dug a hole and barked to show his excitement.


    Ruan Ying didn''t want to stay any longer. With the dog leash in one hand and dog poop in the other, he headed towards the resting area on the other side of the pool.


    He ran into people who knew him on the way. "Ruan Ying, what do you have in your hand? Something to eat? Share it."


    Ruan Ying had a mysterious look on his face. "Oh, this is good stuff."


    "Let me see." The person was reaching for the bag.


    Ruan Ying hurriedly told the person what was in the bag. He jumped away and wiped the hand that touched the bag on his body. After realizing what he had just done, the man rushed to the sink to wash his hands.


    Sahara was panting in the heat, but he was still really happy and wagged his tail furiously.


    Ruan Ying looked down at his dog. "Bad boy! Don''t you dare do that again!"


    Sahara wagged his tail. Ruan Ying had no idea if he understood or not.


    "Look mom! A wolf!"


    A little girl around kindergarten age pointed at Sahara.


    Sahara had just recently gotten a shave. His head was still poufy but the fur on his body was short and grey. He looked funny.


    Mama Jiao watched Ruan Ying leave with the dog. She and Youzi decided to move to a different spot. She didn''t want to stay somewhere a dog just pooped.


    "Charcoal, you won''t poop on the beach will you?" Mama Jiao asked.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. That was something Sahara and Tiger did, not him.


    Lying on a cushion, Zheng Tan looked around. People had taken their old spot and a kid was ying in the sand where Sahara had just pooped. Though Ruan Ying had cleaned the mess, it was still gross so he looked away.


    Xiong Xiong''s mother was still wearing a suit. She had sunsses on and was standing in a pavilion talking to someone. It was clear she wasn''t here to swim.


    Why couldn''t she just fit in? It was a rare asion when so many people came together for a day out. Zheng Tan didn''t think of Xiong Xiong''s mother as a bad person, but he didn''t think too highly of her either. It must be hard being her son.


    Around seven, Mama Jiao and Youzi re-entered the pool. The water was cool andfortable. Zheng Tan swam around. A little kid was pping the water with his swim ring. He chased Zheng Tan around the pool before Youzi stopped him. Then the kid started pping Youzi.


    To the grown-ups, this was just children ying together, but Zheng Tan wasn''t going to allow this behavior. When the adults weren''t looking, he scratched and broke the child''s swim ring. The kid immediately was scared into crying.


    No one saw what happened except Youzi. She suddenly felt better.


    It was gettingte. Jiao Yuan and the boys were reluctant to leave, but they had been here long enough and everyone was hungry, so they quickly showered and dressed before leaving with their parents.


    Xiong Xiong''s parents were already waiting in the parking lot. They led the way in their car.


    The car window was down. The night wind was cool. They didn''t need to turn on the air-conditioning.


    His fur dried fast in the summer. Zheng Tan had taken a shower earlier and his fur was mostly dry already. He looked outside, the bridge was gorgeous with lights on. However, a howling Sahara ruined the scene.


    To prevent Sahara from sticking his head out the window, Ruan Ying didn''t open his car windows fully. Sahara peered out from the crack. He tried scratching the window with his paws, but that didn''t do anything, so he resorted to howling. He stopped after Ruan Ying yelled at him.


    "Cats are better," Mama Jiao eximed.


    Youzi remembered Zheng Tan sticking up for her in the pool and giggled. Jiao Yuan made her tell the story.


    "Good job Charcoal!" Jiao Yuan patted Zheng Tan.


    Mama Jiao red at Jiao Yuan but didn''t say anything.


    They reached an intersection. Zheng Tan felt the building around looked familiar.


    As their group of cars streamed into a parking, Zheng Tan looked up then realized it was Fang Shaokang''s hotel.


    Papa Jiao had a strange look on his face. "We still haven''t ever used the VIP card."


    Mama Jiao knew the one he was talking about and nodded. "You''re not the one buying dinner. What are you worrying about."


    "We might someday."


    Ruan Ying didn''t bring Sahara inside the hotel since it offered pet service.


    Sahara was deeply upset and whimpered excessively. He was quieted by the bowl of dog food Ruan Yingid in front of him.


    Zheng Tan looked at Sahara with disdain.


    Where is your backbone, Sahara?

 Chapter 90: The Womens Room? Got To Do What You Got To Do

    Chapter 90: The Women''s Room? Got To Do What You Got To Do


    The Jiaos were debating whether to leave their cat at the pet service like Sahara. Ruan Ying suggested sneaking him in as long as he was obedient.


    Most people were fine with the cat eating with them. They knew the Jiaos'' cat well as it often picked up the kids from school. They heard that the Buddha was fond of this cat too. She took walks with it. If she didn''t mind the cat, neither did they.


    Xiong Xiong''s mother saw the Jiaos enter with the bag holding the cat and frowned again. She was about to say something when Xiong Xiong''s father stopped her.


    Everyone here was from the quarters. No one said anything when the Jiaos brought the cat. He had realized at the pool that the Jiaos were quite popr in the Quarters.


    Papa Jiao was only an assistant professor and Mama Jiao was a middle school teacher. Most of the people here were higher up than them, but everyone liked them nheless. People didn''t mind their cat, so they had best pretend like they didn''t either.


    Causing a scene now would be unwise.


    It was hard to make a reservation at the hotel restaurant. It was an expensive ce too. Xiong Xiong''s mother had put quite some effort in arranging this dinner.


    For the kids, however, the things grown-ups chatted about were tooplicated. They were hungry so they ate. Conversations were just nuisances to them.


    Zheng Tan sat between Youzi and Mama Jiao. Papa Jiao had put a small chair there. Zheng Tan''s bowl was on the chair as well. After all, he wasn''t going to eat on the table. Zheng Tan couldn''t see when they ordered, but he nevercked food in his bowl. Mama Jiao got him food as well as picking out stuff for Youzi. She even cut out a paper cup to hold some soup for him.


    The Jiaos were sitting away from the door so people passing by couldn''t see the cat, as long as they didn''te in.


    Xiong Xiong''s mother disliked seeing the cat at the table. She wanted to say something but controlled herself. Her phone rang and she left the room.


    "Sorry. Need to take this call."


    Jiao Yuan had downed several cups of juice since the time they got here. He had been to the washroom once already, but he soon got up to go again. This made Zheng Tan want to pee as well.


    Zheng Tan scratched Jiao Yuan''s pants when he got up. His nails hooked onto the pants.


    Jiao Yuan almost had his pants pulled down by the cat.


    "Charcoal! What are you doing? You''re sexually harassing me!"


    Zheng Tan rolled his eyes.


    "I need to go to the bathroom. Let go!"


    Zheng Tan didn''t let go. He wanted to use the washroom too.


    "Charcoal probably wants to go too," Youzi said.


    Zheng Tan was moved by her. She was a sweetheart.


    "Your cat''s a good boy," someone said.


    "Much better than Sahara."


    Ruan Ying joined in the topic. He was young and didn''t think before he spoke. He only realized after a reminder from Lan Tianzhu''s father that the dinner table wasn''t the ce to talk about pets going to the washroom.


    Ruan Ying cursed himself, then med it all on his dog.


    Sahara, who was outside, felt he was wronged.


    Papa Jiao heard the conversation and smiled. He put down his chopsticks and said, "You go. I''ll take Charcoal to the washroomter."


    Zheng Tan let go of Jiao Yuan''s pants.


    "This boy can''t be counted on. I''ll take Charcoal to the washroom," Papa Jiao said quietly to Mama Jiao.


    "I''ll go. You''ll look too weird with arge bag going to the washroom." Mama Jiao grabbed the bag and motioned for Zheng Tan to jump inside.


    It was a hotel after all. Not knowing the pet policies, they decided to be safe. Mama Jiao carried the cat to the washroom.


    They were in front of the washroom when Zheng Tan realized they had a problem.


    Mama Jiao had brought him to the women''s room.


    The f*cking women''s room.


    He was not a good man but he never went into the women''s room before.


    He was dumbstruck but Mama Jiao was too busy trying to avoid people to notice her cat was behaving weirdly.


    No one was inside, so Mama Jiao hurriedly entered a stall and opened the bag.


    "Come on out."


    "..." He really didn''t want to.


    This was too embarrassing.


    He hesitated before finallying out of the bag.


    The toilet was the same inside the stall in both the men''s and the women''s room.


    He sat on the ring of the toilet. It was too weird. Mama Jiao was watching. He couldn''t pee like this.


    He squirmed on the toilet and looked at Mama Jiao who shrugged nonchntly. "It''s fine. You can do a number 2 with you want."


    Zheng Tan didn''t want to.


    He made an attempt. Nothing happened.


    Mama Jiao was perplexed, "Are you not used to this?"


    Their washroom at home wasn''t like this, but Mama Jiao had heard that the cat knew how to use toilets. Could it be because this was a new ce? Mama Jiao wondered.


    Zheng Tan was embarrassed but tried to psych himself into doing it.


    He was a cat, not a human right now. Little boys went to the washroom with their mothers all the time. It waspletely normal. He still felt weird though. He wondered if Mama Jiao could see his thing.


    F*ck, he was being a wimp.


    Even if she saw it, so what! Mama Jiao had seen Jiao Yuan''s before when he was younger.


    Zheng Tan swayed his tail, then adjusted his position. He looked down at the floor, then finally managed to pee.


    Someone went into the next stall. Thank God he was already done, or he would be more nervous.


    Mama Jiao took out some wipes and cleaned his paws. She opened the bag and he jumped in. Someone came into the washroom as Mama Jiao was washing her hand at the sink. She wasn''t looking, neither was Zheng Tan. This was his first time in the women''s room. He was too nervous to notice people entering.


    "Ms. Gu?!"


    Mama Jiao looked at the mirror and saw it was Zhao Le who just walked in.


    "Ah, it''s you, Miss Zhao."


    "Call me Lele, please. Did you bring Charcoal here to pee?" Zhao Le poked Zheng Tan''s head.


    Zheng Tan wanted to bury himself in a hole.


    Apanying twodies in a ce like this was an experience he did not want to repeat.


    "Yes. I had to bring him here in a bag so people didn''t see him."


    "Oh, Ms. Gu, are Professor Jiao and the kids here too?"


    "Of course. A few families from the quarters went to the pool together. One of the parents wanted to buy everyone dinner. It''s my first time here." Mama Jiao smiled.


    "I heard Fang Shaokang gave you guys a VIP card. You guys shoulde more often. You get a discount. Oh, Fang said he would be in town sometime soon. There''s some new project or something. He wanted to visit you guys when he gets here. He had a cat tree made for Charcoal. It''s great and doesn''t take up much space."


    They chatted a bit more before Mama Jiao left with Zheng Tan. Zhao Le was having dinner with some friends and needed to go upstairster. Her father was having a business dinner here today.


    After both Mama Jiao and Zhao Le left, the door to the stall next to the one Zheng Tan had previously upied opened and out came Xiong Xiong''s mother. Her expression was a mixture of many emotions.


    She knew the name Zhao Le. The person who had just called her was having dinner here tonight with Mr. Zhao from Changwei Group. It would be easy to find out if this Zhao Le was the Zhao Le. As for Fang...could it be?


    No one drank since they had to drive home. The dinner ended shortly after.


    Sahara was having the time of his life ying frisbee with the young waitress looking after the pets. He showed no sign of being sad because he was left outside. Ruan Ying had to drag him away. He barked longingly at the waitress as he left.


    The cars left one by one and headed towards Chuhua University.


    Inside the car, the kids were falling asleep. Mama Jiao was thinking about something.


    She opened her mouth several times before finally saying, "I think Xiong Xiong''s mother was acting weird today?"


    "Oh." Papa Jiao replied to show his acknowledgment.


    "She went outside to take the call and was acting all funny when she came back inside. She even smiled at Charcoal when we left."


    "Oh."


    "What do you think she meant?"


    "Don''t over think it. No matter what she thinks of the cat, she''s not a bad person. She helped when you wanted to transfer to the middle school."


    "I''m not saying she''s a bad person. I''m just saying her attitude was weird. Oh well, I can''t guess what she was thinking."


    Mama Jiao pulled out a coat to cover the kids. She looked at Zheng Tan who was sleeping soundly on the car seat. "I still think Charcoal is the best. Look at Ruan Ying''s dog, it forgot all about its owner after a frisbee session."


    Papa Jiaoughed, "Our cat is a lucky cat."


    "Since when were lucky cats ck?"


    "Who said they can''t be ck?"


    Back at home, the phone rang just as they entered the door.


    Papa Jiao hurried inside to answer.


    "Hello. Dad? Why are you calling at this hour? Huh? No. No, I didn''t turn off my phone and I have service."


    Papa Jiao took out his cell and rechecked.


    "Are you sure you remembered the number correctly?"


    He listened to his father recite his number.


    "You left out a 0. No, you don''t have Alzheimer''s. No one can remember cell phone numbers. They''re too long. Everyone has Alzheimer''s if that''s the symptom. Anyways, why are you calling?"


    Mama Jiao had just finished drawing a bath for the kids when Papa Jiao got off the phone.


    "What is it?"


    "A family friend ising to town. his child got into Chuhua University."


    "Not bad. To get into Chuhua University, he had to be top of his ss. Top of his year even."


    Papa Jiao shook his head. "He went to a really average middle school."


    This surprised Mama Jiao. "The vige is probably so excited. This would be the talk of the vige for so long. To do so well in a school like that, he must be a good kid."

 Chapter 91: Duke

    Chapter 91: Duke


    It rained in the middle of August. The temperature dropped shortly afterward. However, this was just a phase. As soon as the skies cleared up, the temperature rose right up. People utilized the few cool days to do outdoor activities.


    After dinner, Wei Ling came to pick up Zheng Tan to go to the Night Tower. He always took Zheng Tan with him when he wasn''t heading over for business so he wouldn''t be bored. The Night Tower, after all, was not a ce he could take his buddies from the army.


    Wei Ling brought news with him this time.


    Ye Hao''s son had named therge cat Duke. Ye Hao opposed, but it was him against his son and his father-inw, so he relented. The cat seemed to have epted the name as well.


    Zheng Tan was jealous.


    Pets around him were named General, Prince, Li Yuanba and now Duke. Why did his name have to be Charcoal?


    How messed up was that?!


    On the way to the Night Tower, Wei Ling told him about therge cat. Duke stayed at the vi, but Tang Qi Ye had borrowed him for a fight with Shijiu Uncle''s super cat.


    That was the fight that earned him the name ''Duke''. Wei Ling didn''t know the details, but apparently, Duke had andslide victory. He overwhelmed the super cat.


    Tang Qi Ye was very pleased. His parrots were in better shape too. They got along well with Duke, who didn''t bite even when they fluttered around him.


    Tang Qi Ye had called Ye Hao and demanded that the cat would stay.


    There was nothing Ye Hao could do.


    Tang Qi Ye had people make up certifications that showed the cat being an imported super cat with a birth date and everything.


    No matter what, therge cat now had a home. He could live under the sun, without the fear of being caught. Maybe this had been his n all along when he saved Ye Hao.


    Li Yuanba had found a home, now he had one too. Ye Hao''s son even took him to visit hisdy friend. They didn''t have to sneak around anymore.


    Zheng Tan paid A Jin a visit when they arrived at the Night Tower. A Jin''s band did not have a shift tonight, so Wei Ling took him to their apartment. Zheng Tan saw the dog with the bad leg there. It looked healthier thanst time. Its fur had a shine now. The dog barked when it heard people approaching, but returned to A Jin when it saw Wei Ling and Zheng Tan.


    A Jin and the band members had learned a lot at the Night Tower. They were quickly learning how to survive in the world of music. Every industry had its rules. Only by knowing the rules could one truly seed.


    After months of waiting, the band was finally getting a chance to go on stage in September. They would be performing in the North district for a very short stage time, but it was a good start. The members valued the opportunity and were practicing whenever they had time.


    A Jin had named the band "New Boy". Zheng Tan thought it was a cool name.


    Not only did the band now have a name, they had a badge the shape of a ck cat. A Jin felt they had made it this far all thanks to the cat and his members all agreed.


    After visiting A Jin, Wei Ling and Zheng Tan went up to Wei Ling''s reserved room. Wei Ling had invited the boys. This time Zheng Tan kept his musical talents to himself and watched the performance downstairs quietly.


    A famous foreign band was performing tonight. Sometimes the best music could be found in ces like this. Zheng Tan didn''t know much about music, but the performance shocked him nheless.


    A Jin and his band only had a chance to watch the performance in the East district when Wei Ling brought Zheng Tan over. However, whenever Zheng Tan came here, Long Qi was nowhere to be found. The man now had an aversion to cats. After meeting Zheng Tan and Duke, he was now set on the belief that all cats were abnormal. Baozi mocked him relentlessly for this.


    The performance in the East quarterssted until midnight. Zheng Tan didn''t go home that night. He slept on the sofa which he refused to share with anyone. Wei Ling had tried to sleep on it but was kicked off by the cat.


    The next morning, Wei Ling took him home after breakfast. Like before, Wei Ling dropped him off downstairs in order to avoid facing the Jiao family''s contempt. He drove into the quarters, then opened the window to let the cat out.


    Back at home, Zheng Tan saw they had visitors.


    Two strangers were sitting on the sofa, one middle-aged and the other young. Both were dressed in in clothing. The middle-aged man was talking to Papa Jiao while the young man remained quiet, only opening his mouth when Papa Jiao asked him a question. Papa Jiao was talking to them in dialect to make them feel more at ease.


    Mama Jiao served some grapes in a bowl, then told Jiao Yuan to go back to his room to do his English homework. Many kids in his year were taking English lessons in the summer, but Jiao Yuan had Mama Jiao and Youzi to help him. He had spent the first half of the summer ying, now he was being confined at home studying English and practicing his conversational skills with Youzi.


    Jiao Wei, who had been staring at his nails thinking, picked up a grape. Before he could pop it into his mouth, he caught sight of a ck cat staring at him.


    Papa Jiao followed his gaze and said, "Oh, Charcoal. You''re back."


    Zheng Tan strolled into Youzi''s room. If there were grapes here, there must be some in Youzi''s room as well.


    "This is our cat Charcoal. Someone took him outst night and he just got back."


    Zheng Tan eavesdropped on the conversation outside while eating grapes in Youzi''s room. Because of their dialect, he had a hard time understanding everything but was able to grasp the general idea.


    The two visitors were from Papa Jiao''s hometown. They had thest name "Jiao" as well. Most of the people living in that vige had the samest name. The middle age man was a childhood friend of Papa Jiao''s and only a couple of years older than him. He dropped out after middle school and got married fairly early. Naturally, his son, the young man, was five or six years older than Jiao Yuan.


    Zheng Tan would never have believed the man was only a few years Papa Jiao''s senior. He looked almost fifty with his hair all grey. Who knew he was only forty?


    The young man, Jiao Wei, was the kid Papa and Mama Jiao talked about that got into Chuhua University. The town awarded the kid twenty thousand yuan so he wouldn''t need to take out a loan.


    Judging by the conversation outside, the kid wasn''t why they were here.


    The middle age man nned to open a small family restaurant near Chuhua University. He and his wife had been running a small restaurant back home ever since their child got into high school. They wanted to be close to take care of their only child, which was why they wanted to move their restaurant to Chuhua now that the boy was in university. The man felt that most businesses near the school were doing quite well and it would be hard to lease a space. He hade to ask for Papa Jiao''s advice since he knew the area well.


    Papa Jiao agreed to ask around for them.


    The father and son left after lunch. They rented a ce near the side gate near the ce Zheng Tan had gone with Nougat. It wasn''t a safe ce but it would do as long as they stayed home at night. After all, the rent was cheap.


    They were lucky. If they had waited a week, hordes of people dropping off their kids at university would fill up all the hotels and apartments. The rent would skyrocket.


    After they left, Papa Jiao eximed how time had aged them all.


    "Jiao Wei has grey hair already. I know 12th grade is tough but is it that tough?" Mama Jiao asked.


    "He said it''s gics. Who knows? The kid was a little rascal up until 11th grade. Then something happened, no one knows what, and he changed. He became quiet and started studying hard. He helped out in his family restaurant as well. His mom wouldn''t let him. She still believed the kitchen was no ce for a man. Unlike his father, who didn''t have a choice, he shouldn''t be cooking. The kid was stubborn though. He helped out whenever he could, working at the noodle stand or buying supplies for his dad during the summer," Papa Jiao said.


    "Well, that''s children alright. When they don''t behave they can anger you so much, but when they suddenly grow up it''s heartbreaking. However, it''s good for young people to endure some hardship."


    Jiao Yuan, who was learning vocabry in his room, felt a chill run down his spine.


    "You''re willing to do that to your son?" Papa Jiaoughed.


    "Why wouldn''t I be?"


    So they said, but both knew they wouldn''t be able to watch their kid suffer. Neither could Jiao Wei''s parents, but Jiao Wei was so stubborn there was nothing they could do.


    "Let''s help if we can."

 Chapter 92: How F*cking Embarassing

    Chapter 92: How F*cking Embarassing


    Papa Jiao spent the next few days asking around about businesses around the school. He hadn''t thought much about them over the years and had a lot to find out.


    Jiao Wei''s dad was a childhood friend and his family was close with Papa Jiao''s family. Otherwise, his father wouldn''t have called him.


    He had his own reasons for helping them too. He was going abroad next year and having Jiao Wei''s family around could be beneficial.


    Jiao Yuan would start middle school at Mama Jiao''s school before he left. The school was not far from the university but construction was being done all around campus. Papa Jiao didn''t want them to have to ride their bikes back for lunch. The family would have dinner together, while everyone would have lunch separately. Jiao Yuan''s middle school let students choose whether to attend after-school self-study sessions in seventh and eighth grade. The parents in the quarters all decided that their kids woulde home after school.


    Papa Jiao and Youzi would have lunch in the cafeteria. It wouldn''t be the first time. Papa Jiao had a folding bed in his office on which Youzi could take her nap. As for Zheng Tan, cafeteria lunch would have to be the way to go.


    After a few days of investigating, Papa Jiao managed to find a shop. The store wasn''t a restaurant originally, but the owner was selling off the store. As soon as he hung up the for sale sign, Papa Jiao showed up at the door.


    Jiao Wei and his father then went to see the ce. It wasn''t very close to the school gate, but every business in that area was doing so well that it was impossible to find an avable spot.


    The father and son were rtively satisfied with the ce, so they drafted up a contract right after the two parties set on a price. Papa Jiao had found a youngw professor in the quarters to help out with the contract. Qu Xiangyang had heard a friend of the Jiaos'' were opening a restaurant and came to show his support. He asked if the restaurant would be doing delivery.


    The owner looked at the professor, assistant professor, and wordy young man in front of him and felt his face twitch. He had thought the person buying his store was just a country cook, who knew so many professionals would show up.


    With these academics at their aid, Jiao Wei and his father put their hearts back in their stomachs. They had been worried they would be tricked and that the shop would use up most of their savings, and they couldn''t afford for anything to go wrong. They offered to buy everyone lunch but the young professor and Qu both refused politely. They said they woulde after the restaurant opened.


    Qu Xiangyang even volunteered to draw up a blueprint for the renovations of the restaurant. The Jiaos were very appreciative but Qu had waved his hand nonchntly and said, "If the food here is good, I''ll be relying on you guys to live."


    God knew what his parents would think if they heard him say that.


    The restaurant was in need of supplies, especially tables and chairs. Before they could buy any, Wei Ling had learned of the problem and called Ye Hao, who arranged for a truckload of furniture his nightclub didn''t use anymore to be sent to the restaurant. The stuff wasn''t really fitting for a small family restaurant but it was usable with some small alterations. They wouldn''t be able to get such good quality stuff at their budget anywhere.


    Neither Ye Hao nor Wei Ling wanted money for the things, but Jiao Wei and his father insisted on stuffing 1000 yuan into Wei Ling''s hand. Eventually, Wei Ling took two hundred yuan bills from the stack and left the rest on a table.


    Wei Ling had helped mostly because he didn''t want to trouble the Jiao by staying for dinner when he came over. Eating outside by himself, however, was lonely and boring. Now that he knew the Jiaos'' friends had opened a ce, he would have somewhere to eat and someone to talk to while he ate. He would also bring food to thepany when his buddies were workingte. His friends from the army weren''t used to fancy food. The things Jiao Wei''s father made probably suited their tastes better.


    After Jiao Wei''s mother arrived, they refused to let their son help anymore. All that was left was overseeing the renovation. The got everything they needed. Even if they didn''t, everything was readily avable in the supermarkets and stores nearby.


    The couple told Jiao Wei to familiarize himself with the campus. Papa Jiao wanted Jiao Yuan to show him around but Jiao Wei refused. It was too hot outside for a kid to be running around. He had a map of campus and didn''t risk getting lost.


    Papa Jiao thought about it then called out to Zheng Tan who was eating grapes in Youzi''s room. "Charcoal, help show Jiao Wei around campus will you?"


    "..." Jiao Wei was speechless.


    Many families had cats back in his vige. Country folk used cats strictly to catch mice. They didn''t keep cats as pets. He had heard that well-to-do families in the city raised cats and dogs as pets and thought of it as a pure waste of money. He never understood those people.


    After he got here, he saw that the Mingsheng uncle his parents mentioned with so much respect had a cat that the family spoiled. He didn''t say anything, but deep down he held much disdain for pets. Not only Mingsheng uncle''s family, Qu Xiangyang who helped then with renovations and Wei Ling who helped them get furniture all treated the cat really well. He always thought they acted that way because it was Mingsheng uncle''s cat, but something wasn''t right.


    Would people really treat a cat differently because its owner was a professor?


    Professors were men of greatness in his vige, but here people talked about these academics like the vigers talked about university graduates. Sure people admired them, but they didn''t look up to them like they were unapproachable beings.


    Jiao Wei remembered what his high school teacher had said to him before he left for uni. In a city like Chuhua, university grads were nothing. Even masters or PhDs were bing more and moremon. Those who couldn''t adjust to the brutality of this urban jungle would be worth less than a cat.


    Before Jiao Wei''s thoughts roamed any further, Zheng Tan strolled out. He looked at the boy staring into space with a campus map in his hand and jumped up to pat his head.


    Jiao Wei was brought back to reality. He thought Mingsheng uncle had pped him on the head, but saw a ck figure dash by.


    It was a ck cat. Professor Jiao Mingsheng was in Jiao Yuan''s room and Youzi was still in hers. It was obvious who had patted him on the head.


    Papa Jiao came out of Jiao Yuan''s room and said, "Our cat loves going outside. He knows the campus fairly well. If you can''t find a building, just ask him. He understands humannguage, but probably not our dialect."


    "Um...Okay."


    Jiao Wei didn''t really believe Papa Jiao but agreed out of politeness.


    After the boy and cat left, Papa Jiao sat down and opened today''s paper. Young people are more receptive and can ept things that are out of the norm with more ease. Since they were going to be around for the near future, it was best for Jiao Wei to get to know the cat, so that the shock didn''t be too overwhelming.


    Jiao Wei followed the cat downstairs then realized they didn''t have a security ess card. He was about to go upstairs and ask for it when the ck cat jumped up against the sensor and the door opened.


    Jiao Wei was speechless.


    Zheng Tan headed outside ignoring Jiao Wei''s surprise.


    It was three in the afternoon and the sun was zing. They tried to stay in the tree shade. Huge parasol trees protected pedestrians from the sun, letting only spots of light through their thick leaves. The wind shook the branches and the light spots on the ground swayed.


    Jiao Yuan looked at the road in front leading to somewhere he didn''t know and took a deep breath. Just this road alone was God knows how much longer than the roads in his high school.


    How far would he go? He had to see.


    Zheng Tan had no time for whatever the person behind him was thinking. He was busy figuring out which road to take to avoid the sunlight. He had heard that ck absorbed heat!


    The cat led the way and boy followed. They walked with no apparent destination.


    Zheng Tan followed the trees and when the shade ran out, he realized they had reached the dorms.


    There were several different dorms on campus. The undergrads and grads lived in different areas. The construction near the patch of woods on the edge of campus was a new dorm for freshmen. It was set to be put into use in September.


    Right now, they were at the graduate student dormitory. Zheng Tan twitched his ears when he heard a familiar voice. He jumped onto arge parasol trees and headed to the source of the sound.


    When he reached the third floor, he had found the source of the voice. It wasing from the dorm in the corner on the third floor. The windows were thrown open since it was summer. Thankfully, the dorm was facing the right direction so they didn''t get any sunlight.


    Except for the foreign student dormitory, none of the dorms had air conditioning. Apparently, the Ph.D. dorms were getting installments this year, but the masters'' students and undergrads still had to wait.


    What was worse, electricity was limited. Electronics that requiredrge wattages were banned in dorms, so students couldn''t use heaters in winter nor portable air conditioners in summer. After years of tireless petitioning from students, the school had decided to lift the limit on electricity for graduate dorms over the next couple of years. The undergrads would once again have to wait.


    Chuhua got outrageously hot in summer and fans did almost nothing to alleviate the heat.


    Graduate student dormitories were unlike undergrad dorms that had four people, six people, and eight people rooms. All the rooms housed four and had private washrooms. Each room had four bed and table sets where the bed was above the table. At the moment, inside the dorm on which Zheng Tan was spying the four students had moved the dresser and cleared out space in the middle of the room for four intable pools. All four of them were in the pools.


    In the middle was a small chair and the boys were ying Ludo.


    Inside thergest intable pool was Su Qu. He had a towel on his head, a piece of watermelon in one hand and dice in the other.


    "Ha! Myst ne arrived at the destination! Give me the watermelon, all of it! Whoever loses has to go get more." He squeaked a rubber duck andughed like an idiot.


    Zheng Tan wished he didn''t know him.


    How f*cking embarrassing!

 Chapter 93: Everyone Knew Charcoal

    Chapter 93: Everyone Knew Charcoal


    Jiao Wei gave Zheng Tan a strange look when he came down from the tree. He didn''t understand why the cat suddenly decided to look inside someone''s dorm.


    Zheng Tan didn''t care what Jiao Wei thought. He nced sideways at the boy theny down and yawned.


    The dorm was newly built and the trees surrounding it were young and short. They didn''t provide much shade.


    Papa Jiao only asked Zheng Tan to be a guide. Jiao Wei was the one who should decide where he wanted to see. The guy didn''t say anything, so Zheng Tan walked around randomly. They had been walking for quite a while, so he wanted to rest.


    Jiao Wei saw the cat stop and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He could use a rest too.


    There was a small convenience store nearby. He was thirsty so he folded the map and headed toward the store. He stopped and turned around, he wondered if he needed to say anything to the cat. Before he could say anything, the cat was headed to the convenience store.


    Zheng Tan saw what Jiao Wei wanted to do so he ran after him. He was thirsty and demanded to be repaid for his efforts.


    Jiao Wei followed the cat.


    At the time, the convenience store was mostly empty. The cashiers were huddled together chatting and a couple sat near the milk tea stand enjoying the free air-conditioning.


    The convenience store didn''t ban pets, but Jiao Wei was still unsure if it would be ok to bring a cat inside. However, it was not up to him. The cat was already inside.


    Thedy slicing a watermelon at the door saw the cat and boy. She opened her mouth, then closed it again. Students brought their pet dogs in from time to time. No one said anything as long as they didn''t make a mess. The cat was a first though.


    The cat had a tag on its neck, so it had an owner. She went back to her business. The others stopped chatting and stared at them. Jiao Wei felt the pressure rising.


    Jiao Wei took out a bottle of water from the fridge. He was a frugal young man. The cat was behaving itself so far. It didn''t run around and mess up the shelves even though it wasn''t leashed.


    Zheng Tan saw Jiao Wei take out a bottle of water and jumped on to a refrigerator.


    "Does the cat want an ice-cream?" A cashier came over. She didn''t open the fridge. She was mindful of the cat. If anyone saw the cat jump into the fridge, they could forget about selling any ice cream.


    Zheng Tan looked at the avable products then patted at a box of ice cream.


    The cashier looked at Jiao Wei, who nodded. She opened the door and took out a box of double vored ice cream.


    Jiao Yuan always bought this stuff with his pocket money so Zheng Tan knew the prices of most of the ice cream here. He knew which ones were expensive and which brands were good.


    He got what he wanted so he jumped off the fridge and waited outside.


    "What a smart cat." Said the cashier who helped get the ice cream.


    Jiao Wei smiled grudgingly. Only then he realized he had spent one yuan on himself but two yuan on the ice cream for the cat. This was idiotic.


    The two found a bench in the shade and sat down. Jiao Weiid down the ice cream but didn''t open the lid, just to see what the cat would do.


    Zheng Tan held the ice cream box down and opened the lid with his teeth. He didn''t use the spoon provided but started licking the ice cream directly. Cats had little barbs on their tongues that made licking ice cream easy.


    Jiao Wei gulped. Were cats owned by professors smarter than other cats? However, can cats eat ice cream? He made a note to tell Mingsheng uncle when the got back.


    Jiao Wei opened his campus map and found the freshman dorms. They were close from here and easy to find. He just needed to see which one he was assigned to when school started.


    The campus was huge, evenrger than he had imagined. He had heard about university from other people, but it was different actually being inside one.


    After a short rest, Jiao Wei tried talking to the cat, although he still had an ent. Zheng Tan followed instructions and took Jiao Wei to the building and ssrooms he asked about.


    On their way home, Zheng Tan took a few shortcuts. They were passing by Professor Lan''s flowerbed when Zheng Tan saw the gate to the greenhouse was open. He peered inside. Professor Lan had a straw hat on and was busy at work.


    Professor Lan stood up to drink some water when he caught sight of Zheng Tan at the door. The ck fur was hard to miss.


    "What are you looking at, you rascal!"


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. Professor Lan really needed to watch the way he talked. He was a professor and swearing just wasn''t right. He turned and saw the awkward look on Jiao Wei''s face.


    Professor Lan was a different person in front of people he knew well and students.


    Zheng Tan took two steps inside. He shook his tail at Jiao Wei and motioned for him to follow.


    Professor Lan had thought Zheng Tan was outside by himself on a walk. Seeing this he asked, "Who else is here?"


    Jiao Wei forced himself toe out. "Hello."


    Professor Lan frowned and asked, "Who are you?"


    Jiao Wei went over and exined who he was and his rtionship with Papa Jiao. This was his first time meeting the old professor.


    "Oh, you''re a guest of Mingsheng''s. You''re here at school early. It''s not registration time yet." Professor Lan said. He took out a basket. "Have some grapes."


    "It''s ok. I brought water."


    "Eat when you''re told so!" Professor Lan red at him, then fed a few to Zheng Tan.


    "..." Jiao Wei was left speechless again. Why was the cat treated better than him?


    He sat down and ate a few grapes. He was nervous at first but he rxed after answering Professor Lan''s questions.


    He didn''tmunicate much before, mostly because he was nervous in a new environment and he was self-conscious about his ent.


    No matter how much ambition and hope he had carried with him when he left his town, being in a metropolis like this for the first time made him feel small. People here didn''t speak in theforting dialect of his hometown and he felt they looked at him funny when he asked for directions with an ent.


    However, this old man in front of him had a hint of an ent in his voice too. Though their ents were different, it made Jiao Wei feel better.


    Professor Lan had been teaching for too long to not notice what was going on with the boy. "You need to talk more. You''ll get used to it. There are many like you, so no one is going to look down on you."


    Middle school teachers need to pass Mandarin tests, but professors in universities weren''t subject to simr requirements. Many of the older professors had thick ents that people didn''t dare make fun of. People treated students very differently.


    Zheng Tan listened to them talk while eating fruit. When Professor Lan looked down, the grapes were half gone.


    "You foodie!" Professor Lan rolled up the newspaper in his hand and whacked Zheng Tan on the head with it. He said to Jiao Wei, "You''re young and strong,e help with the pots. Be careful, you can get hurt but my flowers can''t."


    It was almost five when Professor Lan left for the quarters with Jiao We and Zheng Tan.


    He had a shovel in his hand and was talking to Jiao Wei who was carrying a small pot of flowers. He was more at ease now.


    Zheng Tan had no interest in what they were saying and wanted to leave them, but thought it might be rude. So he stopped every once in a while to let them catch up while wishing they would walk faster.


    They ran into people they knew on the way home. All of them greeted Professor Lan and Zheng Tan. Some asked about Jiao Wei but Professor Lan just said he was someone he had found to help out at the greenhouse.


    Jiao Wei was surprised. He had thought the old man was a gardener at first. He was dressed in in clothes no different than the kind his family wore at home. It was only now that he realized he was a person of some importance. What stunned him more was the way people greeted the cat.


    "Does everyone know Charcoal?" Jiao Wei asked.


    "This guy?" Professor Lanughed. "He''s famous in the eastern quarters alright. He led a fight with the cats in the western quarters earlier and none of those cats dare toe over anymore."


    This was not fair. The fight was initiated by the cats from the western quarters. He had been ying with Fatty and Tiger that evening when a few cats came over from the western quarters. They were hostile and tried to steal Fatty''s food. That was going over the line.


    He had known a fight was bound to happen but didn''t foresee them being so bold. Even Tiger who was mild-tempered after being neutered was upset. They had beaten up the western quarter cats and chased them back to their homes.


    Those cats were lucky that none of the dogs nor General was home that day, or else they would fared far worse.


    It was best that business between cats was left to cats.


    "No matter cats or people, one has to rely on oneself to earn the eptance of others," Professor Lan said.

 Chapter 94: Cat Tree

    Chapter 94: Cat Tree


    By the end of August, the campus was bustling with activity. Parents were here dropping off their kids. They were waving goodbye with huge smiles, then turning to go to the train station the next moment weeping uncontrobly.


    Papa Jiao said a lot of parents didn''t apany their kids to school because they couldn''t bear to say goodbye, though most cried anyway when their kid boarded the train back home.


    Zheng Tan couldn''t quite rte. He had never experienced this.


    He went to university apanied by friends. The school was not very far from his home and he was not close to his parents. He had never been a father, so he didn''t quite know what it felt like so say goodbye to your child.


    What a weird emotion.


    Here at the Jiao family, Jiao Yuan was starting middle school. Mama Jiao took him along with some other kids and their parents to her school. They didn''t need to check the ssroom list. Mama Jiao told them ahead of time.


    One of the parents who had a bit of power had talked to the school and had all the kids from the quarters put into the same ss to avoid bullying. Middle school kids were young and impulsive, who knew what would happen. It was best if they stuck together. They could go home together this way.


    Jiao Yuan and the kids were pleased with this. They all decided to eat at the school cafe for lunch. Mama Jiao was busy since it was the start of the term and she now had Jiao Yuan to look after, so she couldn''t go home at lunchtime anymore. She let the kids eat at the teacher''s cafeteria where the food was better.


    Youzi had skipped a year and was now in fourth grade. She knew two kids in her ss, Xie Xin and Yue Lisha from the western quarters. The two were the ss monitor and prefect. They knew Youzi as well, so Papa Jiao stopped worrying she would be bullied because she was younger.


    At noon, the bell rang at the elementary school.


    Jiao Wei stood at the door looking for Youzi.


    He came to pick up Youzi every day to have lunch at his family''s restaurant which opened recently. Though it was farther from campuspared to some other restaurants, there were plenty of potential customers since it was the start of the year. Business was blooming and they hired someone from back home to help out. Jiao Wei tried to help when he had time but his mother wouldn''t let him.


    Papa Jiao and Youzi were going to eat at the cafeteria but Jiao Wei''s parents reasoned it was better if they ate at the restaurant. The cafeteria was too crowded and homemade food was always better. Papa Jiao wanted to pay them but they refused. After some discussion, they agreed to ept a small amount. Whenever Papa Jiao and Youzi went over, the size of the dishes was alwaysrger than usual and the oil used was the good stuff too.


    Papa Jiao was busy these days, so it was up to Jiao Wei to pick up Youzi.


    Youzi expressed that she didn''t need picking up since she knew the way and was in fourth grade, but Papa Jiao was still worried. At the start of the school year, there were all sorts of people in the area. Pick-pockets were nothing new, what if there were child traffickers as well?


    Jiao Wei was more outgoing these days and his Mandarin also improved. Many around him had ents and this made him rx. School was still a rtively simple cepared to the outside world. Sometimes people who knew Youzi would talk to him, he always answered with a smile.


    As he was waiting, he heard a sound on the fence. Even without looking, he knew it was the Jiao family''s precious cat.


    The first time Jiao Wei came to pick up Youzi, Zheng Tan forgot the time and waste. Jiao Wei was ready to leave when he found Youzi but she wouldn''t walk. She was kicking pebbles while looking around. It was only when he asked her did she say she wouldn''t leave until she saw the cat.


    Jiao Wei looked up at the ck cat. He was now used to the cat''s unnatural behavior and somewhat understood why the Jiao Family spoiled it. Jiao Yuan had told him about the cat and its past glories. Some of the things it did seemed impossible for a cat. Jiao Wei still didn''t understand why the Jiao family saw it as another kid. No matter how smart and understanding a cat was, it was still a cat.


    Zheng Tan found Youzi and jumped off the fence. He waited for her toe out of the school to go to Jiao Wei''s family restaurant to eat.


    There was a small room above the restaurant. The original owner used it to pile supplies. Jiao Wei''s parents had cleared it out and made it into a small bedroom where they could rest when there weren''t customers. There was a small table in the room like the one in Jiao Yuan''s bedroom. Papa Jiao and Youzi normally ate in that room. It was still a bit hot but the temperature was manageable in September, unlike in the earlier months. With a fan running, they could eat quitefortably.


    Jiao Wei''s parents were used to how Papa Jiao treated Zheng Tan and gave him the same food as his owners. Mama Jiao even bought a bowl for Zheng Tan to use here.


    Papa Jiao was busy that day and was noting. Yi Xin was tasked with bringing him lunch.


    Jiao Wei took Youzi home after lunch. He sometimes took a nap at the Jiaos before taking Youzi back to school.


    He had a delivery with him today. It was Qu Xiangyang''s lunch.


    A car drove by when they entered the quarters. Jiao Wei looked and saw it was an Audi. Somone rich?


    To his surprise, the car stopped beside them and the windows rolled down. Zheng Tan saw a familiar face.


    "Youzi, Charcoal!"


    Youzi looked at the man and smiled. She liked Fang Shaokang. He was the one who brought Charcoal home so he got one of her rare smiles whenever he came over.


    Zheng Tan was still expressionless.


    "Who is this?" Fang Shaokang looked at Jiao Wei.


    After he introduced himself, Fang Shaokang said, "Good. You can help me carry some stuff up."


    After Fang Shaokang parked his car, Zheng Tan went over to check out what he brought.


    Fang Shaokang came off the car and scooped up Youzi and raised her up before putting her down again. He had a young daughter her age who loved it when he did this. Youzi didn''t seem to mind either.


    Fang Shaokang scooped up Zheng Tan next but was kicked in the face.


    Fang didn''t mind and put the cat down. "You gained weight."


    Jiao Wei felt his face twitch. The cat ate so much every meal, of course it had gained weight.


    Fang Shaokang opened the car door. There were tworge paper boxes in the back seat.


    "These are...?" Jiao Wei asked


    "A cat tree," Fang Shaokang answered with a proud smile.


    "..."


    Youzi carried Qu Xiangyang''s lunch while Jiao Wei and Fang Shaokang each held a box.


    Jiao Wei didn''t know what to say. A cat tree. Again, something for the cat! The boxes were quite heavy too.


    They carried the boxes to the fifth floor. Qu Xiangyang came out with his lunch and circled the boxes while eating.


    Youzi wanted to see how the cat tree was built, but Fang Shaokang was not about to start the process when it was time for her nap.


    He went to the balcony and called Papa Jiao, "Professor Jiao, I''m Fang San."


    Papa Jiao didn''t look at the caller id when he picked up the phone and needed a moment to remember who Fang San was. "Oh hello, Mr. Fang."


    "I''m at your house now. I brought a cat tree and n to put it together this afternoon. Just thought I should let you know." No one was home in the afternoon and Fang Shaokang thought he should notify the Jiaos.


    Papa Jiao had nothing against the n and looked forward to the final product.


    Jiao Wei looked at this apparently very rich person and shook his head. This was again a person who treated the cat better than humans. He looked at the ck cat peering inside the box and again wondered what these people were thinking.


    After lunch, Jiao Wei and Youzi needed to leave for school. Youzi lingered around the boxes before finally leaving.


    Zheng Tan decided to stay at home and watch Fang Shaokang put together the cat tree.


    He had seen these things at Mr.Guo''s ce before, but the things Fang Shaokang took out seem different.


    Some parts were straightforward, like the shelves put up in Youzi''s room. It was made up of a pole with ropes tied on and some boards. However, there were some parts that needed to be bolted to the wall. Zheng Tan would walk up these boards to reach a tunnel of sort near the ceiling. He could walk all the way to the window on Youzi''s room door. If the window was open, he could jump out.


    The pole was moveable and all the materials on the boards would be taken off to wash. Except for the ''tunnel'' and the ''stairs'', everything else was easy to take apart and rebuild.


    The Jiao''s ce was too small for Fang Shaokang to achieve what he had nned so he had to make do. He had wanted to put up ''stairs'' and another ''tunnel'' in the living room too, but this wasn''t his house so he gave up. He left the extra materials so the Jiaos could put one up if they wanted to.


    The Jiaos loved the cat tree. Youzi was pleased with it as well. She didn''t have a lot of things in her room, so a cat tree was a good use of space.


    Fang Shaokang was quite considerate when he undertook the project.


    Except, that night Zheng Tan got off the cat tree and climbed onto Youzi''s bed.


    The bed was still morefortable than the cat tree.

 Chapter 95: The Four Musketeers At Military Training

    Chapter 95: The Four Musketeers At Military Training


    Fang Shaokang was a busy man. He didn''t show up again after setting up the cat tree.


    He did call the next day to ask about it. Papa Jiao said, "It''s nice. Charcoal spends a lot of time on it."


    As for night time, the family knew the cat only slept on the sofa or a bed.


    Though he didn''t use the cat bed on the cat tree, he used it often when he got bored during the day. He didn''t like staying idle, but couldn''t jump around because the house was too small. Now he had the cat tree. Fang Shaokang bought it so he wouldn''t feel bad even if he broke it.


    Around the time school ended, Zheng Tan went over to the elementary school. He didn''t see Jiao Wei today which was weird. Normally Jiao Wei was here earlier than him. Did something go wrong?


    No, that couldn''t be right.


    Last period ended earlier at the elementary school than the university. At first, Zheng Tan had thought Jiao Wei didn''t have ss in the afternoon. However, he was here early every day except today.


    He knew he was forgetting something.


    As the bell rang signifying the end of school, Zheng Tan heard footsteps.


    "Made it!"


    Zheng Tan looked over. Jiao Wei was dressed in battle fatigues and panting. He had run over and was covered in sweat.


    Military training!


    That was what he forgot.


    Freshmen started registration slightlyter than the sophomores and juniors, military training began eventer than that. Both Yi Xin and Su Qu didn''t need to do military training since theypleted it as undergrads so Zheng Tan forgot about it. Jiao Wei still had to undergo military training.


    Of course he didn''t have ss yet if military training wasn''t over.


    Papa Jiao had mentioned that the freshmen hadn''t started sses yet and Jiao Wei had been going to sophomore courses. The professors didn''t know all the students and didn''t bother to check. Most of them didn''t mind people listening in, some even liked those who were eager enough to take the course without registering for it.


    To Jiao Wei, Chuhua University was a renowned school and many professors here were famous. It would be such a loss if he didn''t go to as many sses as he could. The school didn''t charge for these extra courses, so he thought of it as him taking advantage of the school. If he needed textbooks he borrowed them from the library. Freshmen didn''t have library cards yet so Papa Jiao lent him his.


    At noon, they saw students in battle fatigues all around the shops near campus. Now freshmen were easy to detect.


    Jiao Wei''s parents were proud to see their son in his uniform and borrowed a camera to take pictures. His father asked where they were training and nned to go watch them train. He had until October, so there was plenty of time.


    Military training...


    Zheng Tan looked at the sun above his head, the temperature was rising again these days.


    That afternoon, after Zheng Tan and Jiao Wei dropped Youzi off at school, Jiao Wei left for his training grounds with a water cup.


    Jiao Wei didn''t notice a cat following him as he ran to the field. Zheng Tan was running in the bushes and it was hard to notice him if you didn''t know he was there.


    The training grounds were divided into areas. Science, engineering, humanities, social sciences, and med, each department took up a different area. The campus wasrge enough to have them do this.


    Something funny was going on though.


    Certain majors such as literature or foreignnguages were mostly made up of girls. Whenever they started training, the "vultures", so to speak, gathered around. As for the engineering department, 70% of the students were male, the rest were not that different from being male.


    How f*cked up!


    Most of the boys in the engineering department wanted to swear.


    Jiao Wei was in engineering. They had been assigned to one of the smaller training grounds. They had been divided by program and were standing in phnxes.


    The red running tracks were drowned by camouge. Training hadn''t begun yet and students were chatting in groups.


    Zheng Tan saw Jiao Wei head over to a group.


    At two in the afternoon, the sun was zing. The temperature was in the thirties and most of the freshmen were fatigued.


    There were some trees near the tracks but the students didn''t get to enjoy them.


    Zheng Tan sat on a tree watching Jiao Wei and his peers get berated by their drillmasters.


    Most of the drillmasters were the same age as the students. Some might be even younger. However, they were the boss at the moment and the students had to follow every order they gave.


    Zheng Tan was having a great time watching them suffer. He was quitefortable in the shade with a light breeze blowing in. The students were having a much worse time. Some even needed to rest because of heat strokes.


    This department was mostly men, so they tried to tough it out. They didn''t want to be called girly or weak since they all wanted to make a good first impression. The few girls in the department were still girls after all.


    Jiao Wei hadn''t noticed Zheng Tan until someone pointed at a tree during break time. He looked.


    Most people just thought it was funny and stopped watching the cat after a while. After all, cats were nothing new. Jiao Wei, however, thought the ck cat was up to mischief.


    Surely enough, the next day on top of the bleachers in the shade were four cats sitting in a row looking down at the students.


    Jiao Wei felt his eye twitch. The eastern quarter''s famous four were all here.


    His drillmaster was watching so he couldn''t do anything or even watch them. They were supposed to look straight ahead or else punishment was sure to follow.


    At this stage of their training, the focus was mostly on standing and marching. It was easier than what was toe, but standing still under the sun for hours was still tiresome. They weren''t even allowed to wipe the sweat from their brows.


    Fatty loved watching this. He was not his usual half-awake self and looked alert and interested. Sheriff followed the others and did what they did.


    As for Tiger, a little toy hanging on the strap of a water cup caught his eye.


    The students and their drillmasters had all left their cups on the bleachers in a row. Some even wrote their names on their cups so no one took it by mistake.


    The four cats were sitting in a row when Tiger was ovee by curiosity and just had to check out the toy.


    The cup was full of water, so Tiger couldn''t knock it over by ying with the strap.


    However, he decided pushing it around with one paw wasn''t enough anymore. He stood on his hind legs and held the toy with both paws.


    Sheriff decided it was time he joined in.


    Cats were like that sometimes. They just couldn''t leave things alone.


    And just like that, the cup with the strap was knocked over.


    "Knees straight. Hand on both sides held close to the line in your trousers."


    The young drillmaster was giving instructions while checking that everyone was following orders. He sometimes gave people a kick behind the knee or pushed their arms to see if they were putting in the effort.


    "S...Sir..." A student in the phnx said, "My water bottle..."


    "No moving! No talking! No looking around!"


    "Sir..um...sir," someone else said timidly.


    "Say report before you talk! Say report before you do anything actually!" The drillmaster bellowed.


    "Report! Sir your water bottle was knocked over, sir!"


    "..."


    He looked over just in time to see his water bottle roll down the bleachers, banging every time it hit a lower level.


    The culprit, a ck and white cat, had a paw still in the air and his head tilted. His sight fell onto another water bottle, this one with a pointy top. He reached his paw out and gave the tip a push.


    "Dong!"


    Another water bottle rolled down the bleachers.


    Another guy''s face dropped in the phnx.


    Zheng Tan turned around. It was none of his business.


    The four cats had a great time at military training.


    Zheng Tan watched them endure the torture of the sun during the day, then suffer a round of mosquitos at night. He loved the look the students had when they got bit but couldn''t scratch the spot.


    The cats switched between different phnxes. They visited one in the morning, then checked out another group in the afternoon.


    Now, whenever the students saw the cats near their phnx, their first response was to send someone to save the bottles.

 Chapter 96: Got A Problem? Better Call Charcoal!

    Chapter 96: Got A Problem? Better Call Charcoal!


    It was night. The sky was void of stars and the moon was hiding too. Lamps were lit around all the training grounds.


    "At ease! Break for five!" the drillmaster yelled out. The next moment, every standing figure seemed to have melted to the ground.


    "Pa!"


    Then the sound of mosquito hunting started.


    "Oh my God and Buddha''s uncle!" One of Jiao Wei''s roommates looked at the mosquito body and smear of blood on his palms and eximed, "It''s hard work producing blood, and this thing has to take some!"


    "Don''t disrespect Buddha," Jiao Wei''s other roommate said.


    "Have mercy, Buddha. Pretend I was just farting earlier."


    "You did fart earlier. You think I didn''t hear you just because you yelled?"


    "You want to be Buddha then?" Jiao Wei asked him with a smile.


    "God no! The job responsibilities sound like hard work. I just want to graduate, find a job, find a wife, reproduce, and thenplete this long and ordinary life."


    The other roommate was silent for a moment, then said, "This is too deep for me. I heard eating vitamin B1 pills could ward off mosquitos, why did it not work?"


    "Probably depends on the individual."


    "Use a spray or something tomorrow."


    At night, the training ground was a mixture of smells. However, mosquitos managed to attack amidst the repents, ointments, and sprays.


    It was half-past nine when the day of training finally ended. Jiao Wei didn''t head back with his roommates but left campus. He always checked in at his parent''s restaurant to help out until the restaurant closed for the day. He sometimes brought back midnight snacks for people in his dorm.


    Today, he saw people inside the restaurant from a distance away.


    Normally, they didn''t get many customers at this hour. What was going on?


    He quickened his pace and ran into the people outside the restaurant as they were walking out.


    The leader had yellow hair and was smoking. He looked every bit a punk.


    Jiao Wei felt his heart drop. He quickly went inside, sighing out in relief when he saw his parents were ok.


    "What''s wrong?" Jiao Wei asked. "Are those people picking on us?"


    Jiao Wei had heard that some businesses hired people to cause trouble for thepetition.


    "It''s nothing. Don''t worry about it." Jiao Wei''s father waved his hand.


    No matter how he pressed the issue, his parents just wouldn''t say anything. He had to ask the person they hired to help out the next day to find out what had happened.


    Last night, those punks came in when most of the customers had left and demanded Jiao Wei''s parents pay a sanitation fee.


    They had paid the city''s sanitation fee already and had the receipt to prove it. Obviously, those people were asking for a different kind of fee. Whether it was masked as a sanitation fee or a management fee, they were asking for a protection fee.


    Back in their town, their family restaurant had beenrger but they still had to pay such a thing. Jiao Wei just didn''t know about it.


    Now that he knew what was happening, Jiao Wei was furious. He told his parents they should refuse and call the police.


    Jiao Wei''s father was quite calm. He even made a joke, then exined the situation to Jiao Wei.


    The truth was, all the shops around here paid the punks. He had asked around to see what everyone else paid and realized their restaurant had to pay a bit extra. He epted this without much emotion. They were new and from out of town, after all, so he talked to those guys and paid them.


    Both his parents had expected this before they opened the restaurant. They just didn''t think those people would find them so quickly. They already had experience dealing with this kind of thing and had decided to teach Jiao Wei since he had found out.


    The couple had thought their child would end up a white-cor worker and wouldn''t have to deal with people like that. However, there were unspoken rules no matter the profession. Those who were exceptional might be able to defy those rules, but for normal people it was easier to follow the rules than to fight them.


    Jiao Wei had a bitter taste in his mouth. He was young but not stupid. He knew what his parents said was the reality but he still couldn''t ept it that easily. Before he started to care about his studies, he had fought all the time. He even fought teachers. He wasn''t sure he could control himself if he ran into those people again.


    After lunch, Jiao Wei sat at the door and helped peel potatoes. The restaurant was packed so he chose to sit outside where the air was better. His parents had refused his help but his stubbornness won in the end. His parents were afraid he would beughed at if his ssmates saw him, but he didn''t care. Who said university students can''t peel potatoes?


    As he worked, the owner of the shop next door dropped by.


    The shop sold mostly noodles and was owned by a young couple. The two families were familiar and the shop owner knew Jiao Wei.


    "I heard they came to your restaurant yesterday," the owner said.


    Yesterday his shop was only open for half a day, so he only just heard what happened.


    "Yes." Jiao Wei answered. He didn''t really want to talk about this. He tried to focus on the potato in his hand.


    The owner smiled and said, "Don''t be like that. We went through the same thing. I had just graduated from school and didn''t know the ins and outs of the business yet. I wanted to call the police but my wife stopped me. We chose appeasement and paid the money. Later, we got some help and never had to face those people again."


    Jiao Wei didn''t reply, but he had stopped peeling the potato in his hand. The owner knew he was listening and pointed to the hotpot restaurant across the street. "When they just opened, business was great until those punks started showing up. They got paid and behaved at first, but soon they were picking faults and asking for money. The owner was no doormat. He told them toe to the store the next day but had people teach them a lesson that night. The next day, none of the little punks showed up."


    "It was the same with the restaurant that sold rice bowls. Whenever they ran into things like this, they called for help and were ready to fight. One time the police had to show up. Those rascals are bullies, they pick on the weak. If you show them you are not weak, they won''t bother you. No point reasoning with them, you have to show them who''s boss. This is what society is like now. You are either tough or you''re nothing. There were real tough guys among those punks, people with tattoos and forbidden weapons, but they still backed off."


    "For a while, the city was all tough on crime, so those people disappeared. Now they are back. Before, most of these people were just your garden variety gangster wannabe. However, the people who dare to start harassing again so soon are probably harder to deal with. If you know people in the police, it could be time to pay them a visit. You''ll probably have to spend some money, but it''s necessary.


    "There are some other stores that haven''t been picked on. Though not all the owners are local, they had been around long enough to have contacts. For your shop, you guys should ask around, see who deals with this kind of thing and try to get in touch. If you have protectors, these people are nothing. If nothing works in the end, it''s best that you just pay them. After all, we''re all here to make money. No point looking for trouble when it can be avoided."


    He wife called for him, so he hurriedly said goodbye and left.


    Jiao Wei sat, dazed.


    "Exciting stuff."


    A voice behind him made Jiao Wei jump. He looked around, Su Qu was behind him with a bowl of rice.


    "Why weren''t you eating in the store?"


    Both Yi Xin and Su Qu knew Jiao Wei through Papa Jiao. They came to the restaurant when the cafe was closed.


    "It''s too stuffed in there so I came outside. I didn''t expect to hear all that. I never knew such things happened. I have friends that have stalls at the night market and they never said anything. Maybe they don''t want to talk about it," Su Qu said whilst stuffing food into his mouth. "I''m guessing arge gang won''t need to do things like this to make money. No need to fear those people. Count me in for a fight if that''s what it''s going toe down to."


    Su Qu was a big guy and quite intimidating, but Jiao Wei had decided not to resort to a group fight. His parents were aging and he couldn''t make them bet everything they had on a fight.


    "Um...would you...would you happen to know people who, you know, take care of things like this?" Jiao Wei asked tentatively.


    Su Qu knew what he meant but he was new to town too. This was the first time he even heard of such a problem.


    "I only know my boss," Su Qu said.


    Jiao Wei shook his head. "I can''t bother Mingsheng Uncle with this. He already helped us with so much and he has two kids to worry about."


    "Um..." Su Qu''s eyes suddenly lit up, "You know that guy right, that Wei Ling?"


    "I do, but not well. He helped find furniture for the restaurant. After the store opened, he sometimes came to get take out. You''re saying he knows people?"


    "Yi Xin told me about him, you can try asking him."


    "But I would need to go through Mingsheng uncle to reach him."


    "Well...and I''m just repeating what I heard, whether you believe it is up to you."


    "Yeah?"


    Su Qu threw the takeout box into the trash can and said, "If you really want Wei Ling''s help, you don''t need to tell my boss. There''s another way."


    "What do you mean?"


    "My boss''s cat!"


    Jiso Wei, "..."

 Chapter 97: We Got To Talk

    Chapter 97: We Got To Talk


    Jiao Wei did not expect this answer. Actually, no normal person would have expected this. It was a cat, how could it help?


    Su Qu could tell what Jiao Wei was thinking. He scratched his head and said, "I''m only giving a suggestion, whether you believe me is up to you. "


    "Why the cat?" Jiao Wei asked through clenched teeth.


    "Well, Yi Xin knows more than me. He told me some stories about the cat. The boss''s family loves the cat as you know, but the Buddha, Miss Zhao, and Professor Lan all hold the cat in high regard as well. There was this other professor who returnedst semester after studying abroad. He was fired, and it had something to do with the cat.


    Jiao Wei stopped peeling potatoes. He didn''t know most of the people Su Qu just mentioned, but he knew Professor Lan. The cat had taken him to the greenhouse before. He realized what Su Qu said could be true. After all, those people were more powerful than an assistant professor. Why were they so nice to Mingsheng uncle''s cat?


    "I heard all of this from Yi Xin, so I don''t know the details, but if we''re talking about Wei Ling, you could try to find him by watching the cat. Hees to look for the cat every once in a while. Believe it or not, I got admitted because of the cat." Yi Xin had analyzed the events prior to him being admitted into the program and came to that conclusion.


    It was gettingte, so Su Qu left. He had sses.


    Jiao Wei hurriedly finished peeling his potatoes, then left for training.


    All night, Jiao Wei thought about what Su Qu said. He was slightly ufortable the next day when he saw the cats again.


    Zheng Tan had no idea what was going on in Jiao Wei''s head. He and his gang had to find new spots to watch military training. The students were starting to shoo them away whenever they came close. He had to move between training grounds now. It was fun watching the kids make a fool of themselves.


    After recess, Zheng Tan and Youzi were walking to the restaurants when he felt someone watching him. He turned to find Jiao Wei staring at him.


    What?


    Zheng Tan was puzzled. Did Jiao Wei have a problem with them watching him train?


    Jiao Wei was still staring at him when they started eating. Zheng Tan was losing his appetite.


    The man and cat stared at each other for a couple seconds before Jiao Wei looked away. He felt weird, it was as if he had just stared into the eyes of a human.


    Jiao Wei had heard that you can tell what a cat was thinking by looking into its eyes. He didn''t quite know what this cat had on its mind, what he felt that it was in a bad mood.


    Around national day, military training wasing to an end and the weather was improving. Everyone was suntanned three shades darker but had to line up and have their pictures taken with their student cards. It was the one moment most juniors and seniors imed to be their most painful. That was the picture that ended up in their files and appeared in yearbooks, certificates, diplomas, student cards, library cards and every other thing that required a picture.


    At the time, identification cards were not all-purpose yet and most students had a different card for different things. All had that picture. Whenever students went to the library, the librarian had to look really closely to make sure they matched the dark face in the picture. Those who were easily embarrassed were seriously traumatized by these events.


    Zheng Tan sat on a tree and listened to this new ss of freshmenin about the pictures.


    He yawned. The old saying ''fairness hid a hundred ws'' was true. It was difficult finding anyone good looking in this group of people.


    Thest day of training was when all the students showed the result of their training in a big military parade. Tiger had an upset stomach and wouldn''t have been interested anyway. The other three cats all went.


    In the afternoon, the students said goodbye to their drillmasters. At those moments, people forgot how harsh their officers were and many were trying hard not to cry. Men were like that, they could fight one moment, then smoke, drink and talk locker talk together the next moment.


    The young were impulsive and often emotional. The atmosphere affected them greatly.


    Even Zheng Tan was moved. He remembered when he started university. He didn''t attend military training with the help of a fake sick note and some bribery. He regretted it.


    He yawned and jumped off his tree. It was time to go home, Mama Jiao was making dumplings.


    Jiao Wei and his roommates watched their drillmaster leave before heading toward his family''s restaurant. They nned to feast tonight and discuss their ns for the next two days.


    They had two days of free time after military training and nned to see a bit of the city.


    Jiao Wei''s parents edged them on. They wanted their child spend more time with his peers. They gave him some money and told him to go have fun with his friends. He hadn''t gotten a chance to experience the city yet.


    The boys researched some of Chuhua''s attractions after they returned to their dorm. Jiao Wei lived in an eight-person room. It was much cheaper than the other kinds. His parents felt bad about it but he insisted on it. He spent little time in his dorm, and besides, it was still better than his high school dorm room.


    At night, the boys were having heated discussions. Jiao Wei''s mind, however, was still on the cat. September wasing to an end, were those people going to show up again in October?


    Maybe he should try asking the cat.


    How would he do it?


    He couldn''t juste up to the cat and say, "Hey. Help me. I''ll buy you fish."


    People would think he was nuts.


    This was hard.


    The next day, Jiao Wei and his roommates had breakfast at the cafeteria. They nned to head out soon and bought transit passes already. Their route had been carefully nned.


    The boys were walking to the bus stop when Jiao Wei caught sight of a familiar figure.


    "You guys go ahead. Wait for me at the bus stop. I remembered something I need to do. I''ll meet you guys there." Jiao Wei said.


    "What? Do you need help?"


    "No. You guys go!" Jiao Wei was gone before his roommates could say anything else.


    Zheng Tan was nning to enjoy a stroll in the woods. He hadn''t been over there for a while and needed some exercise. He had eaten too much for breakfast, so he chose not to jog.


    "Charcoal! Wait up!" Jiao Wei ran behind the cat and yelled out.


    Zheng Tan stopped and looked at the person running toward him. He didn''t know what Jiao Wei wanted. The guy was going sightseeing with his ssmates today. Had they not left yet?


    Jiao Wei caught up with the cat but was suddenly at a loss for words. He looked around. They were not alone though the trail they were on was rtively remote. He said, "Let''s find a ce where we can talk."


    One month ago he would never have believed there would be a day he talked to a cat.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. What did this guy want? He had nothing to do so he decided to humor Jiao Wei. He thought of ces where they could be alone and started walking. He stopped to eye Jiao Wei.


    Jiao Wei scratched his nose then followed behind the cat.


    They didn''t have to walk far. There was a flower bed nearby where they could talk without being overheard.


    Zheng Tan jumped on the edge and waited for Jiao Wei to talk.


    Jiao Wei mumbled some nonsense before finally asking, "Can you help contact Wei Ling?"


    Wei Ling?


    What did Jiao Wei want from Wei Ling?


    Zheng Tan looked at Jiao Wei suspiciously.


    He hadn''t seen Wei Ling in a while. He mentioned when theyst met he wanted to avoid military training because it would make him miss the army. Now that training was over, he should be visiting soon.


    "If you can, lead Wei Ling to my family''s restaurant next time hees to visit you. Please?" Jiao Wei asked hesitantly while watching the cat''s reactions.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know what Jiao Wei wanted but they boy wasn''t asking for much and he was willing to help. He raised a paw and looked at Jiao Wei.


    Jiao Wei was puzzled and didn''t move.


    What an idiot! Zheng Tan was speechless.


    He went over and patted the back of Jiao Wei''s hand.


    This was how hemunicated with the kids. They would high five if he agreed to their proposals.


    He then jumped off the flower bed and left for the woods.


    Jiao Wei watched him go, then looked down at his hand. Did this mean...yes?

 Chapter 98: Relying On The Cat

    Chapter 98: Relying On The Cat


    Wei Ling showed up two days after Zheng Tan met with Jiao Wei. He called Papa Jiao first to notify him before arriving at the eastern quarters. He didn''t find Zheng Tan so he honked rhythmically.


    Zheng Tan was sleeping on a tree when he heard the car horn. He came to Wei Ling''s car.


    However, he didn''t jump into the car like usual. Instead, he turned and walked away.


    "Hey! Charcoal! Where are you going? There''s a celebrity performing at the Night Tower tonight. It''s a rare chance!" Wei Ling called out after him while following behind him in the car.


    Zheng Tan lead the way out of the school and to Jiao Wei''s restaurant.


    Wei Ling was curious. What was the cat up to now?


    Parking was scarce around the restaurant, so Wei Ling parked the car near the gate. When he arrived at the restaurant, Zheng Tan was already waiting on a chair.


    Jiao Wei''s parents were familiar with Zheng Tan and weren''t too surprised, but they were positively beaming when Wei Ling showed up. After all, he had done them a great favor. One greeted him hospitably and the other hurriedly called their son.


    Jiao Wei had told his parents to call him if the cat brought Wei Ling. He reminded them if they couldn''t reach him at his dorm to give Wei Ling his number and ask him to call when he had time.


    The two had thought it improper to ask for Wei Ling''s number, but their son had asked so they had to try if he wasn''t in his dorm. Thankfully, the boys were tired after spending a day in the city and were all resting in their dorm.


    Jiao Wei packed his backpack and hurried to the restaurant as soon as he got the call. He was nning to head over to help out anyways but packed up some money when he heard Wei Ling was there. He had heard it was bad manners to ask for favors empty-handed. Even if Wei Ling didn''t need the money, someone else might want it.


    He was doubtful of the cat yesterday, who knew it only took a day for the cat to bring Wei Ling.


    Like Su Qu said, the cat was quite resourceful.


    Wei Ling was still at a loss sitting in the restaurant. He was slightly bashful when facing Jiao Wei''s parents. "Please don''t mind me. You must be busy, dinner time is soon."


    Wei Ling wasn''t nning to have dinner here and only asked for a ss of water.


    "So, Charcoal, what is it? Why did you bring me here?" Wei Ling asked the cat sitting next to him.


    Zheng Tan ignored him. He didn''t even know why they were here.


    Jiao Wei had to run to the restaurant. His dorm was a distance away and the school shuttle had too many stops. He reminded himself to buy a bike. That way he could even help when the restaurant started offering delivery.


    He gulped down a ss of water and asked, "Uncle Wei, sir, can I ask you a favor?"


    "Don''t call me sir. You make me feel old." Wei Lingughed and stood up. He guessed Jiao Wei probably couldn''t say whatever he wanted to say here.


    Jiao Wei told his parents before leaving with Wei Ling.


    Zheng Tan followed them. He was curious what Jiao Wei wanted.


    They were a distance away from the restaurant before Jiao Wei started to talk. He exined what was happening with their restaurant and asked Wei Ling if he knew anyone that could help. He needed to know at least who to give the money in his bag.


    He asked around after the incident. Apparently giving the punks money wasn''t the end of the matter. Their restaurant would still be harassed. Jiao Wei was now willing to give in. He wanted his parents to be able to run their restaurant in peace. They were neers, after all.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. The matter was smaller than he had expected, but that was understandable. It was hard living as the 99%, especially as they were new in town and had no contacts.


    "So that''s what happened. I wanted to ask you if you know anyone who might be able to help us, or just point us in the right direction if you could." Jiao Wei was eyeing Wei Ling nervously. His palms were sweaty and he buried the hand not carrying his bag into his pocket.


    Wei Ling shook his head, "I''m not from Chuhua either and don''t know this area. However..."


    Jiao Wei was disheartened after hearing Wei Ling''s words but the ''however'' at the end of the sentence gave him hope again.


    "I can still help you though. It''s probably overkill asking me actually, but don''t worry, those people won''t bother you again. If they do, call me."


    Jiao Wei hurriedly took out his notepad to write down Wei Ling''s number.


    Zheng Tan figured Wei Ling was probably going to ask either brother Walnut or Ye Hao. Having either deal with some garden variety punks would be overkill.


    Wei Ling liked Jiao Wei. He had met the boy a few times in the past and felt he was a good person. He was ambitious, but that''s not a fault as long as his heart was in the right ce.


    "Um...Uncle Wei..." Jiao Wei didn''t know how to express what he wanted to say. He hadn''t expected Wei Ling to take over the situation like that, "Thank you, sir! Please let me buy you dinner sometime."


    Wei Ling understood what he was trying to say and shook his head, "Let''s not do the whole you stuffing me money stuff. How about this, just give me a free meal at your restaurant next time."


    "Of course! Anytime!" Jiao Wei was truly happy now the problem was solved.


    "By the way, are you free today?" Wei Ling asked.


    "I''m free." Jiao Wei quickly answered. He had nned to help out at the restaurant, but he worried Wei Ling might need him for something.


    "Thene with us. I''ll take you out today. You''re young, you need to have fun. All work and no y makes Jack a dull boy."


    Jiao Wei informed his parents, then followed Wei Ling to his car.


    "Take the passenger seat." Wei Ling said. "The back seat is Charcoal''s. He sometimes likes to roll around. You will be despised if you sit there. He''ll see you as an obstacle."


    Jiao Wi once again felt like he was less worthy than a cat.


    "Charcoal, Ye Hao''s bringing Duke today," Wei Ling said as he drove.


    Therge cat? It had been a while since he saw thatrge cat. Apparently, he was living the high life now that he was at Ye Hao''s. Tang Qi Ye paraded him around whenever he got the chance.


    Jiao Wei sat quietly in the passenger seat. He listened to Wei Ling talk to the cat. The cat never replied but Wei Ling just kept talking. He mentioned a Duke and some band called NB. Jiao Wei had no idea what either of those things was.


    When they arrived at the Night Tower, Jiao Wei waspletely shocked. He had passed this ce with his roommates yesterday. They saw the building from the outside and talked about the day when they would be able to go inside. They heard it was a very expensive nightclub.


    Jiao Wei looked at his clothes. He did not fit in at all. Then he looked at Wei Ling and felt better.


    Like usual they went in through the back door. Jiao Wei followed the man and cat.


    They just reached Wei Ling''s private room when Ye Hao arrived with Duke.


    With his enemies gone, Ye Hao didn''t need to hide anymore. He was busier than ever. Today, by chance, he had some free time and came to have a drink with Wei Ling.


    Zheng Tan looked behind him. He saw Baozi, but Long Qi wasn''t here. The man was now emotionally allergic to cats.


    Unlikest time, therge cat was really looking like a duke now. No matter if he was a supercat or a CFH, he was a cat and cats were proud animals. Therge cat had lived the life of a stray before, but now his fur was smooth and shiny and he looked even stronger. His spirit was high and he was looking majestic.


    Duke was quite obedient when with Ye Hao. He sat down right away after entering the room. Zheng Tan, on the other hand, jumped around between the sofa, the coffee table, and the washroom.


    This was Jiao Wei''s first time meeting Duke. He had never seen such arge cat. He thought it was a dog at first.


    "This kid''s parents are friends of Charcoal''s family. He goes to school at Chuhua University." Wei Ling introduced Jiao Wei to Ye Hao.


    Jiao Wei noticed how he said Charcoal''s family, instead of Professor Jiao''s family.


    Ye Hao nodded. The two men started chatting. None of the stuff they said needed to be kept a secret. Besides, the boy was a friend of Charcoal''s and Wei Ling had brought him here. He wouldn''t mean Ye Hao any harm.


    "So, how''s your joint project going?"


    Ye Hao frowned. "We can''t get a hold of Fang San. His secretary always says he''s busy and we need to make an appointment. He has a lot of appointments. We need to wait days just to see him."


    "Well, Fang San Ye is a busy man. It''s not like he''s doing this to you on purpose." Wei Ling clinked his ss with Ye Hao.


    Ye Hao nced at the ck cat, "Yeah. Fang San Ye is really busy delivering cat trees."


    Wei Ling coughed up the sip of wine he just took.


    "What? Fang San Ye delivered that himself?"


    "Yeah," Ye Hao answered.


    Jiao Wei was listening intently. It couldn''t be. Could it?


    "Wow. No wonder they saymon suffering creates strong friendships. You might need to rely on the cat someday," Wei Lingughed. He emphasized ''strong friendships''.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. He tried to forget about themon suffering he shared with Fang Shaokang. Those were days he preferred to leave behind.


    Though Wei Ling sounded like he was joking, Ye Hao knew what he said was the truth. When he finally met with Fang San Ye, he nned to talk about the cat first instead of mentioning the project.


    As a businessman, Fang Shaokang was unlikely to make decisions based on his friendship with a person or a cat, but this was a good ice breaker. At least he now knew what the man liked.

 Chapter 99: Your Cat Daddy Is Buying A Car

    Chapter 99: Your Cat Daddy Is Buying A Car


    Relying on a cat - this was something Jiao Wei had never thought possible. However, it was happening now.


    Jiao Wei didn''t know who the guy drinking with Wei Ling was, nor did he know what that Fang San Ye did, but he could guess they were important men. The Fang San Ye he had met seemed to be the more powerful of the two.


    Ye Hao couldn''t stay for long, so he soon left with Duke. Zheng Tan didn''t mind since he wasn''t friends with therge cat anyway.


    When the performance started, Zheng Tan sat next to the window to watch. Wei Ling, however, started trying to get Jiao Wei to talk. He was trying to get information on Fang San Ye again. Wei Ling couldn''t understand what the man was thinking. He came to Chuhua, yet somehow managed to find time in his busy schedule to deliver a cat tree.


    Sadly, he was disappointed. Jiao Wei knew little about Fang Shaokang. They only met briefly that time when he came to deliver the cat tree.


    Wei Ling looked at the cat and sighed. Not just Ye Hao, many of their partners at Tian Yuan Biology had been asking about Fang San Ye. Wei Ling had wanted to help but couldn''t find anything on the man. He decided it was a bad idea asking Professor Jiao for information. That would be unseemly since Professor Jiao wasn''t keen on using his rtionship with Fang for any personal benefits. They were lucky to get to know that man, but he was determined to achieve sess through hard work.


    Wei Ling thought of the lucky cat in Yuan Zhiyi''s office. The little statue was specially made. It was ck unlike the usual gold ones at the store. It didn''t matter that he was a scientist before, as a businessman Yuan Zhiyi was superstitious.


    Wei Ling took a sip of wine and thought to himself, Charcoal was a lucky cat indeed.


    They left the Night Tower around nine. Wei Ling asked a driver to take them home.


    The guy had driven for Zheng Tan several times and knew the roads. He drove into campus through the East gate and parked in front of the quarters. Jiao Wei got out too. He watched the cat jump out of the window and walk into his building. This was a funny world indeed. A cat lived better than people! Who would believe it?


    Yet, if his family''s restaurant was now free of harassment, he would have to believe it.


    The moon was shining brightly in the sky. The mid-autumn festival was two days away.


    He looked up at the sky then headed to the restaurant. He needed to let his parents know he was back.


    Zheng Tan saw Jiao Yuan unwrapping a package when he got home.


    Mooncakes?


    He checked the calendar. He almost forgot the mid-autumn festival was soon approaching. In 2003, the dragon boat festival wasn''t a national holiday yet and the kids still had to go to school on that day.


    Zheng Tan checked out the box of nicely packaged mooncakes. Mama Jiao would never buy something like this, she regarded it as a waste of money. She would only buy the kind sold separately in bakeries. It probably was a gift.


    Holidays were always a time for gift giving. Though the mid-autumn festival was not a national holiday, it was still an opportunity for gift giving. Fang San Ye and Mr. Zhao were all popr receivers of gifts. These two boxes were from Zhao Le.


    She had brought three boxes, one of which Papa Jiao gave to Su Qu and Yi Xin.


    They had had dinner already, so Mama Jiao only let Jiao Yuan have one mooncake. He was allowed to take one to school tomorrow.


    "Mom, Charcoal wants to eat mooncakes too. How many can he have?"


    "You each can have one. Charcoal can only have one too. He''s getting chubby," answered Mama Jiao, who was on the phone, before closing her room door.


    Youzi gave Zheng Tan an egg yolk mooncake to eat on the sofa. His ears were perked up, listening to Mama Jiao''s phone call. Why was she being so mysterious? What didn''t she want the kids to hear?


    Jiao Yuan and Youzi couldn''t hear her talk but Zheng Tan could, though not clearly. He caught the key words, something about the national day break and...buying a car?


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears and stopped eating. He listened intently to the phone call. Unfortunately Jiao Yuan was being chatty. Zheng Tan jumped off the sofa and ran to the door.


    The two kids saw the cat and followed him. All three of them huddled at the door.


    Mama Jiao had not expected to be eavesdropped on like this, she was still talking merrily on the phone.


    This was what Papa Jiao came home to, two kids on either side of the door with the cat in the middle.


    The kids felt no shame in being caught eavesdropping. Jiao Yuan asked his father excitedly, "Are we buying a car?"


    Papa Jiao wanted tough. So this was why they were listening.


    Though he was indeed nning to buy a car, he didn''t want to make any promises in case of any changes.


    Jiao Yuan and Youzi were still kids, so they took Papa Jiao''s word at face value. They were satisfied with the possibility of a car purchase and returned to the sofa happily.


    "Eat, shower, then go to bed. Don''t stay up." Papa Jiao said to the two kids. When he passed Zheng Tan, he poked the cat on the forehead. "You too. Don''t stay upte and exercise more. Look at you, you''re gaining weight."


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears, then ran into Youzi''s room. He checked his reflection in her mirror. He didn''t gain weight...at least not that much.


    He recalled his recent activities, he walked Youzi to school everyday. Besides that he ate, slept, and watched military training. He had every meal with the Jiaos but also snacked in between. Though he was picky about food, he still ate a lot. It was starting to show.


    He wouldn''t turn into Fatty, would he?


    The next day, Zheng Tan decided to start jogging daily again.


    Madam Di was returning from her dancing session. She still had her red fan when she saw Zhang Tan jogging. "Hey, Charcoal. It''s been a while since Ist saw you jogging in the morning."


    The olddy with her nodded and said, "This cat looks better now."


    By better, she meant fatter. People here believed pets needed to be fat to show they were raised with care. Boney pets were seen as mistreated pets. For example, Fatty''s owner was widely epted as the best cat owner in the eastern quarters.


    Thedy had worried about Fatty''s obesity but after a check-up, it was shown that Fatty was just fat. He was fine otherwise. This came as a surprise to many.


    No matter what, Zheng Tan decided to start jogging again. As they entered October, the weather was cooler.


    The campus was bustling with activities these days. Club week was upon them and clubs werepeting for members.


    The roller skating club was skating all around campus with banners publicizing their club. They looked very cool skating in a row, attracting many to their stand.


    The bicycle club was biking around campus yelling their club motto. They had pictures of their group trips in the past. Seeing as the national holidays were around the corner, many were lined up to join as well.


    There were students dressed like anime characters too. They belonged, obviously, to the anime club. There were anime conventions in the city every year with cosy events. The cosyers of Chuhua University were quite eye catching.


    Zheng Tan saw many other clubs advertising themselves around campus. There were students dressed in Chinese opera costumes and other dressed in ballet costumes. There were those dressed in Taekwondo uniforms and others dressed for traditional martial arts.


    Zheng Tan never participated in these activities in University. He spent most of his time off campus so he didn''t even know much of the events going on at his school.


    Zheng Tan saw Jiao Wei. He took a nce at some of the less popr clubs and happened to catch sight of the boy. He was the only one at the stand, but Zheng Tan couldn''t see what club it was. He wasn''t that interested though.


    He kept jogging. When he passed the bio building, he jumped on the tree outside Papa Jiao''s office and took a peek inside. The office was empty. Yi Xin and Su Qu weren''t there. They were probably in theb instead.


    He didn''t linger. After his jog, he returned to the eastern quarters to nap. However, Fang Shaokang''s car was parked downstairs and the man was leaning on his car whilst taking out his phone. He seemed very happy to see Zheng Tan.


    "I was about to call your owner. There''s no one home. Open the door for me." Fang Shaokang put his phone back into his pocket.


    Zheng Tan nced at him suspiciously. He had heard this guy was busy. Why was he here again?


    He jumped up to open the front door and retrieved the apartment keys from Fatty''s house. After returning to Chuhua, he started hiding his key in Fatty''s balcony. Fatty was home guarding the balcony most days anyway. When Fatty was away, he could hide the key back on the tree.


    Fang Shaokang didn''t seem to be surprised when Zheng Tan opened the door by himself. Papa Jiao had told him this before and he had seen the cat turn on the hot water and operate a blowdryer before.


    Fang San Ye was here with more boxes of mooncakes. He was nning to return to the capital for the mid autumn festival. He had gotten too many gifts and had to disperse them among his employees. He saved some for the Jiaos and was nning to drive back to the capital after dropping off the mooncakes.


    Fang San Ye put down the mooncakes and called Papa Jiao.


    After the phone call, he said to Zheng Tan, "Your dad is buying a car. He didn''t say anything to me but I heard talk of it."


    He then checked the cat tree. It showed signs of use, so he knew it was a good gift. Satisfied, he left.

 Chapter 100: Why Did You Bring The Cat?

    Chapter 100: Why Did You Bring The Cat?


    After Fang left, Zheng Tan stayed on the balcony. He took a look whenever a car entered the quarters.


    Papa Jiao''s car still hadn''t arrived when he had to leave to pick up Youzi.


    Papa Jiao called during lunch to say he wouldn''t being to lunch today, so Zheng Tan guessed he was still at the car dealers. He had to deal with this during work hours and probably left all his work to Yi Xin and Su Qu.


    He stayed inside the quarters that afternoon to wait for the car. He wandered around a bit, then picked a tree and took a nap.


    It was five in the afternoon when Papa Jiao finally came home. However, he came home on foot. Zheng Tan looked at him. There was no car.


    Where was the car?


    Papa Jiao gave no exnation, so Zheng Tan nned to eavesdrop that night. Papa and Mama Jiao would sometimes discuss matters after the kids went to bed.


    After dinner, he watched television with the kids until 9. He waited until they were in bed before acting on his n.


    Youzi wasn''t asleep yet, though her light was off. She felt Zheng Tan move and took out a shlight from under her pillow. "Where are you going Charcoal?"


    Zheng Tan shook his tail and looked at the lock.


    She got up to open the door for him. She tried not to make any noise and opened the door a crack to let him out. They had done this many times already.


    Zheng Tan sat down outside the main bedroom and listened intently. After about ten minutes, Zheng Tan got back into bed in a very good mood.


    Papa Jiao did make the purchase today, however, he wouldn''t be able to pick up the car until tomorrow. Mama and Papa Jiao also talked about the uing holidays. Papa Jiao''s younger sister invited them to her kid''s birthday party. They nned to drive back home in their new car and bring Zheng Tan with them.


    In that part of the country, tenth birthday parties were a big deal. They wouldn''t refuse to attend, especially since it was during a holiday.


    They then went on to gossip about their rtives, by which point Zheng Tan decided to go to bed.


    Because of this, he missed the part of their conversation that concerned him.


    Many put their pets into foster care when they went traveling. However, Zheng Tan was special and Mama Jiao didn''t want to have him locked in a pet care center. She didn''t trust anyone to watch the cat after the incident, so they decided to bring him along.


    Papa Jiao''s sister lived in the county. Their house wasrge, but they were probably inviting many people. The party would be at a restaurant, but people would still being over to the house. There would be lots of people, and more importantly, lots of kids.


    Young kids were the arch enemies of pets. Mama Jiao was worried. Their cat never scratched anyone, but what if a kid annoyed him too much and he attacked? Would there be a fight?


    "Don''t worry. Her family owns a dog and a cat. The kids get along with the pets. Besides, there are going to be grown-ups around all the time. Our cat is smart, he won''t start fights."


    "I''m still worried."


    "Just let Charcoal follow Youzi and I''ll talk to the family ahead of time."


    The next day, Papa Jiao came home with the car.


    It was a silver-grey family car. It was nothing close to Fang Shaokang''s Audi, nor was it as eye-catching as Yuan Zhiyi''s car. However, Zheng Tan and the kids were still very happy.


    Those high-end cars, at the end of the day, belonged to other people. East, west, home was best. It was the same with cars.


    Yuan Zhiyi needed a shy car because he was now the head of apany and the Audi was already Fang Shaokang being frugal. For the Jiao family, however, a regr car like this was quite enough.


    Zheng Tan knew that although the family''s financial situation had improved, they still couldn''t afford to be big spenders. Papa Jiao had rushed the purchase of this car partly because they wanted to drive the car to visit their rtives. It was also so that Mama Jiao could get used to driving before he went abroad. Riding a scooter around with two kids and a cat was dangerous. A car made transportation more convenient.


    The old Zheng Tan would have scoffed at this car, but the new Zheng Tan liked it. He jumped inside through the car window and looked around. The smell of a new car was very weird and unfamiliar. He suddenly recalled how Tiger and Sheriff marked their territory. Of course, he couldn''t pee in the car, or else he would never be allowed to ride in it again.


    He could also rub his smell on the car. Cats had scent nds near their ears and whiskers. They rubbed their scent on objects to mark ownership. So Zheng Tan started rubbed the car seat and the steering wheel. He sniffed, it didn''t seem to be working. So he rubbed again.


    People were mostfortable being in a ce where the smell was familiar. Even if the room was filled with dirty socks, as long as the person was used to it, he would prefer the smell over a clean room.


    People couldn''t tell smells anymore after getting used to it. In biology, it was called olfactory adaptation.


    So Zheng Tan allowed himself to rub his smell everywhere.


    Papa Jiao watched him rub and decided to let him do what he wanted. Besides them, no other family would let their pet act this way in a new car.


    The car didn''t have any decorations inside. The dealer had given Papa Jiao a pendant that was said to have been blessed by monks. However, he had removed it. He didn''t trust these things.


    After the kids came home, the inside of the car waspletely different. Mama Jiao stitched a safety pendant to hand in the car and the kids decorated the car with stuffed toys.


    Zheng Tan was rtively satisfied with the smell, so he got out after rolling around on the back seat.


    He looked forward to the holiday trip because of the car. No matter where they went, it would be a new experience.


    They left on thest day of September because Papa Jiao thought traffic would be heavy on the first day of the holiday. They had prepared for the trip, so they weren''t rushed when they left. The family had dinner, then hit the road around seven.


    They were headed to Papa Jiao and Mama Jiao''s hometown in Yi Yang. The town was two hours away by car. The grandparents had been notified already. Grandpa Jiao went to the county yesterday to clean the house. The preferred to live in the country normally. They knew everyone in their vige and nevercked ymates for Mahjong. They did, however, go into town from time to time to visit rtives.


    They arrived in Yi Yang around nine. Grandpa and Grandma Jiao were waiting for them outside the house.


    Grandpa Jiao was ready to greet his grandchildren when a ck cat jumped out of the car.


    "Why did you bring the cat?!"


    He stared at Zheng Tan, who stared back.

 Chapter 101: The Party

    Chapter 101: The Party


    Though Grandpa Jiao was deeply unhappy they brought the cat, he didn''t say anymore since it was gettingte.


    Most of the dwellings in this town were single-family homes instead of apartment buildings. The houses wererger and families had more freedom to do as they liked. No wonder Grandpa Jiao didn''t want to move to Chuhua.


    Grandpa and Grandma Jiao cleaned out two rooms for the family. Papa Jiao and Jiao Yuan would share one, Mama Jiao and Youzi would share the other. Zheng Tan ignored the cat bed Grandpa Jiao made out of sofa cushions and a paper box and ran into the Mama Jiao and Youzi''s bedroom.


    Grandpa Jiao hid the fish he had bought for the asion so that the cat couldn''t touch it.


    The next day, Grandma Jiao got up early to buy breakfast. Many of the town''s specialties were not avable in Chuhua. She wanted her grandchildren to try them all. However, she didn''t buy any for Zheng Tan. During breakfast, the family shared some of their food with him which angered Grandpa Jiao.


    "This cat is like this all because you spoil it!"


    Grandma Jiao didn''t say anything, but she appeared to agree.


    Papa Jiao smiled but didn''t say anything. Arguing would just anger him more.


    Zheng Tan took a bite of food, then looked up at Grandpa Jiao. He shook his tail. No matter how much the old man stared, he still got food anyways.


    Grandpa Jiao picked at his rice-noodles, then threw his chopsticks on the table. He held his chest and moaned, "My stomach hurts."


    Everyone was speechless.


    So his stomach is near his heart, eh?


    "Eat your food. Stop picking on a cat!" Grandma Jiao red at him.


    He didn''t talk anymore and picked up his chopsticks again.


    "Oh yes, Mingsheng, go visit Yao Hong after breakfast. She''s in the hospital," Grandma Jiao said.


    "What happened?" Papa Jiao asked, sounding shocked.


    Yao Hong was his cousin and was generally very healthy. Ever since her husband found sess doing business, she lived like a richdy. She was mindful of her health normally, how did she end up in the hospital?


    Grandma Jiao sighed, "I heard it was because of weight loss medicine. The hospital didn''t say, so we don''t know."


    The spoke in dialect. Zheng Tan had heard it before so he picked up bits and pieces of their conversation.


    How did someone end up in the hospital just because of weight loss pills, he thought to himself?


    Papa Jiao thought about it, then nodded, "I''ll go visit. Weight loss pills are indeed potentially very harmful."


    The birthday party was tomorrow so Papa Jiao nned for the kids to rest at home tonight. He would go visit his cousin at the hospital with his wife, along with Grandma Jiao.


    That left just the kids, the cat, and Grandpa Jiao at home.


    The kids were watching television. Grandpa Jiao took a walk outside beforeing back with a bristlegrass to harass the cat on the sofa. Zheng Tan wanted to ignore him, but the old man just wouldn''t leave him alone. Zheng Tan grabbed the bristlegrass, tore it in half, and threw it aside. He went to lie down between the kids. The old man surely wouldn''t annoy his grandchildren.


    Grandpa Jiao looked at the kids, then at the cat. He scoffed and said something to Jiao Yuan, then dragged over a chair and watched cartoons with the kids.


    Mama and Papa Jiao came back in the afternoon. Zheng Tan went to eavesdrop when they chatted in the bedroom.


    "I''m guessing it''s because of the weight loss pills. I asked and found out she was buying that really famous brand. However, I heard people over at the med school say the main ingredient of those pills was Sibutramine Hydrochloride. Some argue it''s not a very safe ingredient. In Europe, testing centers are doing another round of clinical trials involving the ingredients. It''s still on-going, but I heard there have been deaths and cardiovascr issues. I''m guessing there would be warnings against the pills sometime next year overseas. However, it''s hard to say what will happen domestically."


    "She won''t admit to it," Mama Jiao sighed.


    "Well, most of her symptoms match the drug''s side effects. She''s just too embarrassed to admit to taking the weight loss pills. However, I believe she took what I said to heart and will act with care."


    "So, that brand of weight loss pills, does it really work?" Mama Jiao was interested in the topic.


    All women cared about maintaining a good figure. However, as they aged, gaining weight was almost unavoidable. Papa Jiao''s cousin, for instance, started having too many social events to attend after her family became rich. This led to her gaining weight, so she started taking weight loss pills.


    Zheng Tan knew the weight loss pills they were talking about. He remembered the brand being very well-known for a long time. It received endorsements from many stars. However, that was years ago. He hadn''t heard anything about it for a long time but didn''t know what happened. Maybe it was banned as Papa Jiao foresaw.


    Zheng Tan kept listening. He was interested in the topic as well. However, his good mood was about toe to an end that night.


    Mama Jiao had to break the news to him twice before he could believe his ears. A disaster wasing.


    Kids, lots of them...


    He suddenly didn''t want to go to the party anymore.


    However, with everyone gone, Mama Jiao would never let him stay here alone. She already had his travel bag ready. She ordered the kids give him a good bath that night and for him to wear his pet cor.


    Knowing what was toe, he was in a sour mood.


    How f*cked up!


    On October 2nd, the Grandpa and Grandma uncharacteristically wore new clothes. Mama Jiao dressed both Jiao Yuan and Youzi in their best clothes as well. It was a tenth birthday party, kids were definitely going to be the center of conversation.


    That was how things were. Peoplepared grades when young, then theypared upbringing and wealth as they grew up. When they got married, it was all aboutparing kids. Jiao Yuan and Youzi were too young to understand this but Papa and Mama Jiao knew what wasing. They had bought both kids new clothes and had prepared what to say.


    As for Zheng Tan, he was sitting in Mama Jiao''s bag, his ears pinned back, looking deeply upset.


    It was much more crowded in the car. Mama Jiao was in the passenger seat. The kids and the grandparents were in the back. Youzi was sitting on Grandma Jiao''sp. Zheng Tan could tell Youzi was nervous. She was about to face a room of strangers. If this was a party with the Gu family, she would at least know some people.


    On the other hand, it was easier this way. Many people in the Gu family knew how Youzi''s mother sent her back to China to live with rtives while staying overseas herself. This was always brought up when Youzi showed up. Not being around the Gu family at least saved her from having to listen to everyone berate her mother.


    Papa Jiao pulled into the driveway of a three-story house. There were cars there already and a lot of people standing around.


    Mama Jiao got off with the kids. Papa Jiao drove the car to the restaurant nearby. The party would be held there and the parking lot wasrger. With so many kids around, he was worried someone would scratch his car. To protect the new car, he decided to park it away from the house.


    Mama Jiao had her bag in one hand and Youzi''s hand in her other. As for Jiao Yuan, he knew many of these people so she didn''t worry about him. He was in his early teens and Mama Jiao knew he wouldn''t want to stay by her side. He preferred to y with kids his age.


    Youzi was nervous and not speaking much. Mama Jiao would sometimes tell her to say hello to certain people.


    Many of the rtionships were tooplex for a kid and she didn''t quite understand the dialect. She had grown up listening to English and Mandarin. However, Mama Jiao was there to help her.


    "You brought your cat?!" A middle agedy looked at Zheng Tan andughed.


    "This is my family''s baby. We didn''t want to leave him in Chuhua so we brought him here. He''s a good boy and doesn''t bite," Mama Jiao said.


    There was a seven or eight-years-old child standing beside thedy, who saw the cat head poking out of the bag and bit his finger before trying to pull Zheng Tan''s whiskers. Zheng Tan quickly retracted his head back into the bag.


    They entered the house. Mama Jiao led the way into a room upstairs. There were a few children inside, mostly girls since the boys were having a hard time staying put indoors.


    Mama Jiao introduced Youzi to the kids and left her here to watch DVDs with them. She still had to exchange pleasantries with the rtives downstairs.


    There was a girl in her teens, probably in middle school, who was ying host. She brought Youzi a cushion to sit on and poured her some juice.


    The room was carpeted, so most of the kids sat on cushions on the floor. There was an infant crawling around. He probably couldn''t walk yet and was drooling as he crawled.


    Zheng Tan came out of the bag and sat next to Youzi. A few kids came to harass him at first, but slowly their attention was drawn back by the television.


    As he was dozing off, he suddenly felt something approaching. He opened his eyes to find the baby staring at him while making ''ahahah'' noises. It was impossible to understand what he was trying to say.


    Urgh!


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears.


    The baby was giggling and trying to talk again. He crawled towards Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan felt his head hurt and got up to move away.


    The baby followed him.


    Eventually Zheng Tan jumped up onto a closet. It was quieter up high. No one harassed him and he could avoid the baby.

 Chapter 102: His Life Was Depressing

    Chapter 102: His Life Was Depressing


    There was a window beside the closet. Zheng Tan looked outside and saw Jiao Yuan running around with a few boys his age. He then looked again at the room. The contrast couldn''t be starker.


    Girls were so much quieter than boys, at least the girls in this room were.


    As for the only boy inside the room, he was a baby so Zheng Tan ignored him.


    Not after long, an olddy, probably his grandmother, came and took him outside. Zheng Tan stayed atop the closet even though his main tormentor was gone. Time couldn''t pass by fast enough for him.


    Youzi didn''t have to worry about Zheng Tan anymore now that he was out of reach, so she started watching cartoons with the girls. Zheng Tan wasn''t interested in the show so he napped on top of the closet.


    As tradition dictated, tenth birthday parties were made up of a lunch and a dinner.


    Though they said the kid was ten, he was really nine if you counted from the day he was born, but people here calcted age starting from the time a person was conceived. Zheng Tan didn''t bother to understand why. He remembered Youzi was eight and was turning nine soon. Would she get to have a tenth birthday party? Her irresponsible mother was still abroad.


    They could go to Fang Shaokang''s hotel to celebrate.


    By noon, Mama Jiao showed up to bring Youzi and Zheng Tan to the restaurant. It wasn''t far so everyone went on foot.


    Zheng Tan didn''t go inside this time but stayed in the car instead. Youzi wanted to take him inside, but when Papa Jiao let him choose, Zheng Tan chose the car immediately. He saw how many children were present and didn''t want to have lunch with them. It would be crowded inside and who knew what the kids would do. He would rather wait for Papa Jiao to bring him food after they finished eating.


    It was boring in the car, but it was at least quiet.


    When he woke up from his nap Papa Jiao brought him a bowl of food, but he had to go back inside immediately. Someone wanted a word with him.


    He didn''t like the food, but it was warm so he made do. He heard the kids were going to an amusement park afterward. He nned to stay in the car. There probably wasn''t anything fun in a county amusement park. He had the soul of a grown-up man and didn''t want to y with kids.


    After lunch, he sat for a while but quickly became bored. He got up, put his paws on the window, and stretched his back.


    He got up just in time to see hordes of kids exiting the restaurant. The youngest was no more than three, the older ones were about Jiao Yuan''s age. The group of people came this way. Some of the kids had balloons in their hands. One was being carried by his father and was knocking him with his ballon. His father said nothing.


    Zheng Tan felt his bones hurt. Whenever he saw kids like that, he felt depressed.


    Too many kids were going to the amusement park, so each car had to carry several kids. The rest of the people taxied over.


    Two other kids got in Papa Jiao''s car with Jiao Yuan and Youzi. One sat in the passenger seat, the rest of them got into the back. Youzi was sitting on Mama Jiao''sp, Jiao Yuan and a boy around ten sat beside them.


    That boy had a ballon too. When he saw Zheng Tan, he started banging him on the head with the ballon, despite constant protest from the Jiao kids. Mama Jiao tried to tell him off, but he ignored her.


    Zheng Tan was so annoyed that he eventually scratched and popped the balloon.


    The kid finally stopped after Papa Jiao berated him, but he was only quiet for a moment. He kept looking at Zheng Tan.


    F*ck!


    Zheng Tan was upset.


    The amusement park was a twenty minute car ride away. Papa Jiao had to tell the kid to stop it every five minutes or else the kid would poke Zheng Tan or pull his tail. If he couldn''t reach his tail, he would pull his ears or whiskers. Zheng Tan pped his hand away.


    He couldn''t get away. The car had only so much space and he couldn''t move to the front of the car.


    Jiao Yuan wanted to beat up the kid but Mama Jiao stopped him. If the kid cried, a fight with his parents was unavoidable. The kid was truly annoying. Papa Jiao had to warn him every once in a while. He wouldn''t listen to anyone else, probably because he knew they didn''t dare do anything to him.


    Zheng Tan suddenly missed Chuhua and found himself wishing time would go by faster.


    The kid finally left Zheng Tan alone when they reached the amusement park. He darted out of the car.


    "Charcoal, wanna go?" Papa Jiao asked.


    Zheng Tan stayed put and ignored him.


    "Alright, stay here. Here''s a litter box. Use it if you need to." Papa Jiao took out a litter box made from a shoe box before leaving.


    There was water and snacks in the car. Now he even had a washroom. Papa Jiao wasn''t too worried about leaving him here.


    He left the window open a crack and told Zheng Tan to watch for car thieves.


    Zheng Tan looked out the window. The amusement park was just as he had imagined, small and poorly equipped. There wasn''t even a rollercoaster, although there was something close to it. It was, however, enough for the kids.


    Zheng Tan was growing bored. He couldn''t fall asleep. He hadn''t left the house much these two days because he was unfamiliar with the surroundings. He stayed indoors and ate, slept and ate again.


    He stood on his hind legs to look outside.


    There were scarcely any tall buildings around. The town was underdevelopedpared even to Chuhua, let alone the southern cities. They were at so-called downtown, Papa Jiao''s home was in a vige outside the city. They nned to visit during the holidays but Zheng Tan didn''t know exactly when. As long as he didn''t have to face the children, he would go anywhere.


    As he was thinking, he caught sight of a woman in her forties passing by the car with a baby in her arms. She seemed in a hurry.


    Zheng Tan noticed her not because she was eye-catching in any way, but because of the baby in her arms. The baby was covered up by a jacket, but the jacket slipped as the woman walked past the car, allowing Zheng Tan to catch a glimpse of the baby''s face.


    Wasn''t this the baby that was crawling after him today?


    His clothes had a bear on it, Zheng Tan could remember it clearly. It seemed the baby was sound asleep.


    The woman looked behind her and covered the child up once more. She carried the baby to a motorcycle nearby, where a man wearing sunsses was waiting. He said something to the woman, then lifted the jacket to check the sex of the baby.


    Then they left.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know the child, nor any of Papa Jiao''s rtives. He tried to forget about the issue. Though he was slightly suspicious, it wasn''t like he could get out now.


    However, five minutester, people started running out of the amusement park.


    The grown-ups who were with Papa Jiao were looking serious.


    Zheng Tan suddenly realized things weren''t right. He had never encountered anything like this. He had heard of people tricking kids with food and toys then abducting them. However, the baby was less than a year old, he couldn''t even walk yet. How did those child traffickers get ahold of the baby?


    Also, weren''t there a lot of people around, including the baby''s grandmother?


    Papa and Mama Jiao showed up after ten minutes. It was clear they were upset. Jiao Yuan and Youzi kept quiet. Two kids needed a ride in their car back home. Both were much betterpanions than the kid from earlier. One of them appeared to have been crying earlier.


    The atmosphere on the way home was very different. The mood was heavy and everyone was silent. Jiao Yuan opened his mouth several times to say something, but each time he decided against it.


    Papa Jiao dropped the kids off at his sister''s ce then took Jiao Yuan and Youzi back to his parents'' house. Grandpa and Grandma Jiao weren''t home yet.


    He made a few calls, then was off again.


    Before he left, Zheng Tan heard his talk with Mama Jiao.


    Normally child traffickers abducted children from one ce, hid them in another, and then sold them off somewhere far away from their home. If they didn''t find the child quick, who knew where the baby would end up. Their time was limited now.


    The baby was Papa Jiao''s cousin''s second child. The first child was a girl, so when they finally had a boy, the family was ecstatic. Unfortunately, the baby''s father was busy and his mother was in the hospital. The family had a nanny, but the grandmother helped take care of the kid. She had only wanted to take the child out for some fun, who knew this would happen? Everyone was worried sick and was trying to help. Papa Jiao was looking for ways to rescue the baby as well.


    In a small town like this, this was a hard task due to the fact that CCTV cameras were not yet in ce.


    Zheng Tan suddenly remembered when he was caught by cat traffickers and felt deeply sorry for the baby. He couldn''t even save himself like Zheng Tan had done when he was drugged.


    Pet cats, no matter how precious the species, cost at most tens of yuans once made into a dish. He had heard babies were quite cheap on the market as well. They were sold for several thousands at most, but were priceless to their families.


    Zheng Tan sincerely hoped Papa Jiao could find the baby.

 Chapter 103: The Cat Ran Away

    Chapter 103: The Cat Ran Away


    That night Papa Jiao came back veryte with Grandpa and Grandma Jiao. The elderly couple couldn''t be more different than they had appeared this morning. If they weren''t in such good health, Zheng Tan would suspect them to be on the verge of fainting.


    After all, what happened was a lot to deal with. They probably knew well what would happen to children who got abducted by child traffickers.


    It was going to be a sleepless night. Papa Jiao was still receiving calls at 2 am.


    Zheng Tan stayed awake as well and listened in to their conversations.


    Zheng Tan had experience with cat traffickers, but humans were different than cats.


    After his child disappeared, the father finally stopped working. He contacted everyone he knew and started posting posters that offered rewards to people who helped him find his son. The child''s mother, who had been in the hospital, was now in severe shock and would remain there.


    Child trafficking was nothing new. Offenders were forming well-organized groups. Police forces had to cooperate across cities or even provinces in order to catch them. However, they had little information at the moment, which made the search more difficult.


    Although they didn''t have much, they needed to keep trying. They were contacting everyone they could.


    Worried that his phone would run out of battery, Papa Jiao left people both his cell and home number.


    In the silence of the night, the ringing of the phone startled everyone.


    People say no news is good news, at least it proved the kid was still alive. However, this was escapism. Everyone here wanted news, so when the phone rang, everyone was alert.


    Papa Jiao took the call. He mumbled something, then his face turned ashen.


    "What happened?" Grandpa Jiao came out to ask. In his hurry, he almost tripped over a stool.


    "Nothing. I just need to go out," Papa Jiao said after hanging up.


    "Bullshit!" Grandpa Jiao walked over, pointed to Papa Jiao and said, " I may be getting old but I''m not dumb. I don''t have dementia, don''t think you can trick me!"


    His voice grew louder, as he was too agitated to control it, causing Mama Jiao and Grandma Jiao toe out of their rooms to see what was going on.


    Papa Jiao motioned for Mama Jiao to go take care of the kids. She hesitated but acquiesced.


    "Go rest!" Grandpa Jiao said to Grandma Jiao.


    He was still of the belief that when things happened, the men were responsible for taking the blow. Women should be sheltered.


    Grandma Jiao knew him well enough to know she was not going to get anything out of him right now. She wiped her eyes and went back inside her bedroom.


    Zheng Tan stood at the door. No one noticed him so he kept listening.


    "Start talking. What did they say on the phone?" Grandpa Jiao suddenly seemed worn out. He sat down on the edge of the bed.


    "They found an abandoned baby by the bridge," Papa Jiao replied.


    Grandpa Jiao''s hands were shaking. He knew exactly what his son meant. If Papa Jiao was notified, the baby must be a boy. Here, baby boys were precious enough that they were rarely just abandoned. The baby was found under the bridge in winter, so the chances of him still being alive were slim at best.


    "Are...are you going now?" Grandpa Jiao''s voice was shaking too. The lost baby wasn''t his grandson, but the families were close. Yao Hong and his husband visited often, and he liked the baby very much. How could he not be deeply saddened by what had happened?


    "We don''t know it''s Hong''s baby yet, so don''t tell her."


    "Alright. I''lle with you." Grandpa Jiao would not be refused, saying, "I still know people, you know."


    He was born and raised here, so Grandpa Jiao knew plenty of the locals. It was true that him being present could be of some help.


    After they left, the rest of the family stayed up. Mama Jiao bought breakfast early in the morning, but the children were yawning all through the meal. It was clear they didn''t sleep much either.


    Zheng Tan was upset as well and had lost his appetite. He uncharacteristically didn''t finish his breakfast. Mama Jiao noticed but didn''t say anything. She just sighed and sighed.


    Grandma Jiao wanted to take a walk outside. She said it was too stuffy in the house.


    Mama Jiao was worried her health might have been affected by her mood. She was not looking well and if she were to get into an ident or something, it could be devastating. However, she needed to stay home with the kids.


    She thought for a while, her eyes eventually falling on Zheng Tan.


    "Charcoal, do you want to go outside?" Mama Jiao asked.


    Zheng Tan shook his tail then jumped up and opened the door lock. He walked outside, then turned to look at Mama Jiao.


    "He really can open doors." He had managed to catch Grandma Jiao''s attention.


    "Yes, he often opens the door for himself at home. No idea how he does it though."


    Grandma Jiao thought she was talking about opening the door from the inside. She didn''t even think about keys. It was rare for cats to know how to open doors but a neighbor''s cat could do it too, so Grandma Jiao didn''t think too much about it.


    "Mom, let Charcoal go with you. He wants to go outside too. We let him run around campus all the time, he probably is getting sick of being indoors now."


    Grandma Jiao nodded. "He won''t run away, would he? Do I need to leash him?"


    "No. Charcoal''s a good boy," Mama Jiao said. She couldn''t imagine putting a leash on her cat.


    Zheng Tan heard what they said and pretended to be an obedient cat. He did want to go outside. The atmosphere was too heavyst night. He needed a walk.


    Zheng Tan followed Grandma Jiao out the door. He walked beside her and followed her pace.


    Mama Jiao watched them leave, then closed the door.


    Zheng Tan surveyed the street. He had been here for two days but he hadn''t gotten the chance to figure out his surroundings yet. They lived in a residential area, with a trail leading to a main road.


    This area was not at the center of the town but was slowly bing an up anding neighborhood. The old factory around here was being demolished and would be reced by new business towers. Other ces were circled up for constructing residential buildings.


    They had reached the main road when Grandma Jiao suddenly remembered she was with a cat. She looked to the side and saw the cat was staying near her. He didn''t run off nor did dogs distract him. No wonder her son''s family spoiled him, the cat was indeed obedient.


    She decided to walk along the main road before returning home. Zheng Tan didn''t care, as long as he followed her, he wouldn''t get lost.


    They passed by a convenience store where Grandma Jiao picked up some candy for the kids.


    "Are you walking your cat?" the owner of the shop asked curiously.


    Grandma Jiao managed to smile and say, "He''s my son''s cat. He is apanying me on my walk."


    The owner didn''t say anymore and gave her her change.


    She headed back home after buying the candy.


    Zheng Tan was about to follow her when out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of a familiar figure.


    A pedicab stopped at the side of the road and the driver got off to buy cigarettes.


    Pedicabs were amon sight around here. They were much cheaper than taxis.


    Zheng Tan saw the driver. He wasn''t wearing sunsses and his clothes were different, but somehow Zheng Tan felt he looked just like the man from the amusement park.


    "Charcoal. Let''s go," Grandma Jiao called out when she saw the cat had stopped.


    Zheng Tan turned to look at her then kept staring at the driver. He saw his gloves, they looked simr to the gloves the motorcyclist was wearing yesterday. He noticed the man always shrugged before he started his bike. This was a personal habit. At least Wei Ling never did it.


    Grandma Jiao called out to the cat again, however, the cat suddenly started running.


    "Charcoal,e back! Come back!" She knew her son''s family loved the cat dearly. If she lost the cat, the kids would definitely cry.


    Didn''t her daughter-inw say the cat wouldn''t run away? What was happening?


    She tried to run after him but couldn''t possibly catch up.


    The owner of the shop looked on as the cat ran further and further away and shook his head. "Why walk a cat? Cats could never just follow you."


    Zheng Tan ran after the pedicab. There was construction ahead and the road was covered by pebbles so the pedicab wasn''t moving too fast.


    When the pedicab took a turn, Zheng Tan managed to jump in through the window.


    The driver felt the car shake. He looked in the rearview mirror but didn''t see anything, so he swore and med the pebbles. Then he drove on.


    Most of the construction sites were fenced off, plus the pedicab was taking a turn, so no one saw Zheng Tan jump into the pedicab.


    Zheng Tan was worried someone might get on along the way. Even if he hid under the seats, passengers could see him if they looked down. Luckily, the driver showed no signs of stopping.


    Zheng Tan looked out the window. They were driving on remote roads. There were ''demolish'' signs on many of the buildings around.


    The pedicab had driven some distance before Zheng Tan suddenly realized a problem. If he got the wrong guy, how was he getting home?


    He didn''t know the roads!

 Chapter 104: Time To Cause Trouble

    Chapter 104: Time To Cause Trouble


    When Grandma Jiao got home, Papa Jiao and Grandpa Jiao were back already. They were visibly tired.


    The baby under the bridge was not their baby. They had taken some time to call upon several other people before visiting Yao Hong at the hospital. They came back hungry so Mama Jiao was cooking at the hospital.


    Grandma Jiao wanted to mention Zheng Tan but decided to ask about the baby first. She sighed after hearing what they had to say. She didn''t know what to say.


    Youzi ran out of her room the moment she heard Grandma Jiaoe back. She stared at the door but the cat didn''t appear. The grown-ups were talking so she didn''t get a chance to ask about Charcoal.


    Jiao Yuan switched through all the channels but didn''t find anything he wanted to watch. Just when he nned to take a nap on the couch, Youzi poked him and said, "Charcol didn''te home."


    Jiao Yuan sat up, he suddenly wasn''t sleepy anymore. He looked around and saw their cat wasn''t around.


    "Grandma, where''s Charcoal?" Jiao Yuan asked.


    Grandma Jiao pped her leg, she almost forgot about it. She hurriedly told them what happened.


    "Charcoal ran away?" Jiao Yuan jumped off the sofa in disbelief.


    "Charcoal would never do that," Youzi said.


    The two kids were about to go out to look for the cat, but Papa Jiao stopped them. He asked Grandma Jiao, "You said Charcoal was staring at someone?"


    A guilt-ridden Grandma Jiao answered, " Yes. He was staring at someone who stopped to buy cigarettes at the convenience store."


    Papa Jiao then asked a few more questions, which Grandma Jiao answered.


    Papa Jiao went into his room to make a call. Afterwards, he told Jiao Yuan and Youzi to stay up at home.


    "What is it?" Grandpa Jiao asked. He was a curious person, if Papa Jiao didn''t exin everything to him, he would be bothered for the rest of the day.


    "I asked about the middle-aged woman who took the baby Maomao to the parking lot. My car was parked there so Charcoal, who was in the car at the time, must have seen something. Eyewitnesses state that the woman took the baby to a man on a motorcycle. Maybe Charcoal saw the driver. He wouldn''t just run away. The person who bought cigarettes at the convenience store is highly suspicious. I''m going over there now to see what I can find."


    Maomao was the baby''s nickname. The new lead lifted Papa Jiao''s spirits. He took his cell and left.


    On the other hand, Zheng Tan, who was still inside the pedicab, was starting to feel like he had acted too hastily. He had jumped into the pedicab without any concrete evidence and now found himself trapped with nowhere to go. He didn''t even know where this cab was headed.


    The pedicab finally stopped in the suburbs. The area was made up of two or three-story buildings. The pedicab drove along a dirt road and stopped in front of a house. The driver got off without checking the back. He took out his keys and entered the building.


    Zheng Tan peered out of the window. He didn''t see anyone around so he jumped out and hid behind a tree. The weedy yard was perfect for hiding.


    Zheng Tan examined the two-story house. It was covered in white ceramic tiles and looked exactly like the other buildings around, except the windows and doors were all shut. Zheng Tan noticed that a window on the second floor used single-sided ss. It was impossible to see inside the window from the outside.


    Zheng Tan waited behind the tree for a while. Eventually, he jumped onto a tree and waited on a branch. He spied on the house through leaves.


    It was quiet around. Most of the houses here were not upied. He learned from the few people walking past this area was to be part of the new urban nning project. Those with farnd had receivedpensation payments and were moving away, which was why the area seemed so deserted.


    Just when Zheng Tan was growing sleepy, a window opened on the second floor and a middle-aged woman poured water out.


    It was that woman!


    Zheng Tan felt excited. He had note here in vain.


    The woman closed the window right away. Zheng Tan circled the house but couldn''t find a way to sneak in. The house didn''t have a backyard and the first-floor windows and doors were tightly shut. The only window open had an anti-theft screen.


    He had to get to the second floor.


    If he had a cellphone, it would be so much easier. He could text Papa Jiao anonymously. However, no cells were around. He couldn''t talk so calling was useless. He couldn''t tell people the address.


    He was on his own. He needed to at least find out if the baby was here.


    Zheng Tan didn''t hear any crying when he was circling the building, but he didn''t hear people talking either.


    He could wait till night, however, he remembered Papa Jiao had said every extra moment meant increased danger. He decided to act now.


    The front of the building was covered in ceramic tiles but the back was not. The surface of the wall was rough and he could climb up it. He estimated the height of the second floor.


    The second- floor windows were all shut except for one. Luckily for him, that window was a normal one. He waited until there was no one around and started climbing.


    He felt like spiderman moving on a wall. Thank God the surface was rough. If it was smoother, he would have a much more difficult time.


    When he reached the open window, he listened for sounds. He entered after making sure no one was in the room.


    The room was some sort of a storage room. It was full of paper boxes. It seemed that it had been a while since anyone cleaned the room. There was ayer of dust on the boxes.


    The door was closed, but luckily the lock was broken. Zheng Tan managed to open the door just enough so he could slip out.


    He listened intently for movement but heard none. He came to the next room. It was small with only a bed inside. On the bed was women''s clothing. He didn''t see any baby products.


    Odd. Where was everyone?


    He had seen the drivere inside and he knew the woman was here. Why couldn''t he hear any sounds?


    He searched the floor. Only one door was tightly shut on the second floor. Zheng Tan pressed his ear against the door. He could hear faint noises. The room was soundproofed.


    He could feel the floor shake as someone walked closer and quickly hid under a bed in the next room. The next moment, the door opened. Zheng Tan could hear talking. There were two men and a woman.


    The woman must be the middle-aged woman. One of the men was the driver, the other sounder older than them both.


    Zheng Tan heard them mention something about big cargos and small cargos and something about treating an illness.


    The woman wasining. The three seemed in disagreement.


    It took Zheng Tan a while to figure outrge cargo meant boys and small cargos meant girls. It must be cant among traffickers. However, it made him deeply ufortable hearing them refer to humans as cargo.


    The group had three babies on their hands, two boys and a girl. However, one of the boys got ill when he was transported here. They didn''t want to take the child to the hospital, partly because it would cost money, partly because they risked exposing themselves. They had left the baby under the bridge. Zheng Tan guessed it was that was the baby Papa Jiao and Grandpa Jiao had left home at 4 am to see.


    The girl had been given too many sleeping pills and was slow to respond. The pills had most likely damaged her brain.


    Zheng Tan remembered those people that shot dogs with tranquilizers. They never took the time to figure out the correct dosage for each dog which meant many dogs were killed just like that. It was the same with children. If the traffickers weren''t careful, kids could easily die. Even if the children survived, the pills often had negative effects on their brain. Babies were even more at risk because of how fragile they were.


    That was what the three were fighting about.


    The person who sounded older was ming the man and woman. He said he already had buyers lined up, however because of these two, they lost forty thousand yuan.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know how they found buyers but learned that the price of the boy was thirty thousand and the girl was worth ten thousand. The man said the price the buyer offered was very high. They still had a baby boy, but they still lost the opportunity to earn forty thousand yuan.


    Forty thousand for two lives. Two lives of babies who couldn''t even talk yet.


    Zheng Tan felt sick in the stomach. These people were devils.


    At the same time, he was infinitely d. Thest baby boy must be Maomao. The good-looking baby boy they got yesterday the old man described matched the baby Papa Jiao was looking for.


    He had found the right ce and he had found the culprits, but how would he contact Papa Jiao?


    Zheng Tan couldn''t think of a way.


    The room door closed again. The woman and the driver left. The old man stayed inside. Maybe he was contacting new buyers or negotiating prices.


    The driver smoked a cigarette before going downstairs. The woman came into the room in which he was hiding. She was searching inside a box. From the sounds of it, she was looking for jewelry.


    Then the woman left and went downstairs too. Zheng Tan listened for people beforeing out from under the bed. He surveyed the room.


    He didn''t think he could deal with all three of them. They seemed like the worst of the worst. He couldn''t afford to act impulsively.


    He shook his whiskers and squinted.


    Suddenly a box on the table caught his eye.


    Weight-loss medicine?


    He looked at the pot of tea sitting nearby and took out the medicine.


    It was time to cause some trouble!

 Chapter 105: Kick!

    Chapter 105: Kick!


    Zheng Tan had the child''s mother to thank for knowing the side effects of these pills.


    He had heard the conversation between Papa and Mama Jiao clearly and knew this was the brand of diet pills Cousin Hong was taking.


    He couldn''t throw the pill capsule inside the teapot, so he found a piece of paper and hid under the bed to break apart the capsules. He needed the powder inside.


    Paws were not the best tools to achieve this purpose. However, he made do. He was growing used to using his paws and breaking apart capsules was not that difficult.


    He then dumped all the powder into the teapot. He added some to the teacups as well. He didn''t know what kind of tea was being brewed here and could only hope it didn''t change the effect of the pills.


    He heard a noise around the stairs and quickly hid under the bed.


    He didn''t know if the side effects Papa Jiao talked about would actually ur in this instance, however, he could only try.


    It was the middle-aged woman again. Zheng Tan was curious, she was in her forties but was nowhere near fat. Why was she taking diet pills? He saw a box earlier in the drawer that had a lot of jewelry inside. It fine to like these things, but in her case all this gold was probably bought with money earned by trafficking children.


    People generally think of women as sensitive and kind. She was a woman and should at least have some maternal instincts when facing children. What was she thinking when she stole those babies?


    Maomao and the two other poor kids were only a few of the many children they had sold. Zheng Tan didn''t know how long they had been in the business, but they seemed quite familiar with it.


    Zheng Tan never thought of himself as a nice person, but now as a cat, he was finally exposed to the lowest of the low.


    As he was thinking, the woman sat down on the bed and started drinking her tea.


    She frowned. The tea tasted funny and it had turned cold. She opened the window and poured the tea out. She then poured herself another cup. It still tasted different. However, the pedicab driver was telling her to make lunch so she drank her tea and went downstairs.


    Zheng Tan could see her, but could roughly guess what she was doing by the sounds. He heard her drink the tea and took a deep breath. He wasn''t sure how much she drank and if the amount was enough to cause the side effects Papa Jiao was talking about.


    It would be enough if she was weakened. Or else, he would have to look for opportunities to deal with them one by one.


    Not long after, the smell of food drifted up from the kitchen. Zheng Tan was hungry, but he had gotten himself into this situation and had no choice but to endure the torture.


    He thought about his next step. He didn''t really have a n, to be honest. He was just improvising as he went along. He knew little about this group and would have to avoid exposing himself. What should he do?


    It was lunch time but the elder of the group did not go downstairs to join the others for the meal. The woman brought him his food, which led Zheng Tan to suspect the man might not be able to move easily. This would be to his advantage.


    It was noon. He wondered what was going on back home. What would Papa Jiao do after they realized he was gone? He remembered Grandma Jiao calling after him as he ran towards the pedicab.


    Would he get into trouble when he returned?


    After lunch, the group hid in the sound-proofed room to discuss something. The woman went straight to bed after she came out. Zheng Tan heard her talk with the pedicab driver about some n for tonight.


    Were they nning to transfer the baby tonight? Were they taking him out of the province to a buyer? Zheng Tan could hear the clock ticking.


    The pedicab driver came into the room. He was purchasing bus tickets and came to ask if the woman needed anything. He called out her name at the door but she didn''t respond.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. He listened to the woman''s breathing.


    Were the pills working?


    The pedicab driver pushed open the door after the woman didn''t respond, only to find her twitching on the bed. Her face was a purple color and she seemed to have difficulty breathing.


    "Hey! What''s wrong? What happened?" the driver asked after he came to the side of the bed. Still, there was no response. The woman was running a high fever and her symptoms were scaring the driver. He ran to the old man''s room and banged on the closed door.


    "Uncle Hook, open the door! We have a problem!"


    The old man opened the door. He sounded nervous, "What''s wrong? What happened?"


    The driver pointed to the woman on the bed, "She''s sick. Uncle, is she having a seizure?"


    The old man calmed down. As long as the police weren''t here, he had no reason to worry.


    "F*ck! Always a problem during critical times!" the old man swore.


    "Uncle Hook, do you have medicine? We can''t just leave her like this. We already have everything nned for tonight and we need her. If I travel with those babies by myself, the police will catch me the moment I get off the bus. You said we can''t give the babies sleeping pills or else they won''t sell for a good price. She knows how to deal with babies, I really don''t!" the pedicab driver hurriedly said.


    The old man spat and swore again. He told the driver to take her to a clinic nearby.


    "The clinic is closed. The owner is out house hunting. I passed by the clinic on my way back today, it was closed with no one inside."


    "Then take her to a nearby hospital. Remember to try and avoid being seen."


    "I know, I know. She has makeup on today and the amusement park is far away. No one will recognize us."


    Zheng Tan watched the driver take the woman downstairs, then heard the sound of an engine starting. He let out a long sigh. Now, with only the old man in the house, he could start moving. The old man seemed to always stay in that room. How could he lure him out?


    Zheng Tan check out the area downstairs. There was little furniture. The motorcycle Zheng Tan had seen at the amusement park was parked in here. There was a smaller room that was probably the driver''s bedroom. Besides being messy, the room seemed perfectly normal.


    All the windows on the first floor had antitheft screens which forced Zheng Tan to give up his n to escape through the window. He considered it then opened the front door. Even if thieves stole from stuff in the house, it wouldn''t harm Zheng Tan. In fact, he couldn''t wait for someone toe inside and discover the group''s secret.


    Zheng Tan went back upstairs.


    Zheng Tan went back into the woman''s room. He threw the teacup towards the window with all his might.


    Bang!


    The window broke, so did the teacup.


    The group was cautious so their neighbors probably had no idea they were trafficking children. Zheng Tan decided to rely on outside forces since there was nothing he could do.


    He looked for things he could fling at the window.


    The teapot, kick if off the table!


    The table, knock it over!


    He pulled out all the drawers and threw the contents on the floor, including the woman''s jewelry.


    The noise attracted most of the people living in the area. Some saw the door was opened and called out for the owner of the house, but there was no response. They decided against entering the house. Many families were bickering over thepensation they got from the government, fights sometimes urred as well. No one knew the residents of this house and all decided to stay out of any possible trouble.


    The old man heard the noise outside. He opened the curtains to peer outside. He hesitated but did not open the door. He called his aplices but neither answered their phone. He could feel a storm gathering. He paced around the room and lit a cigarette. A knifey on the table.


    If the invader was only a thief, he had nothing to worry about. He just hoped it wasn''t the police. It didn''t matter if some of the stuff outside was stolen. He could make back the money very quickly.


    He sat for a moment but was still nervous. He picked up a stic bottle of Chinese wineying on the floor. He twisted open the lid and took a few sips. With some Dutch courage, the menace in his eyes was more pronounced. Though his leg was hurt, his mind was sharper than ever.


    The small room was now filled with smoke. The baby in the cradle was squirming. The effect of sleeping pills was wearing off and the baby was waking up.


    Zheng Tan was fuming outside. The old man was determined to stay inside that room and the people outside were showing no signs ofing inside either. He looked at the mess he made and then at the closed door across the hall.


    If the old man wasn''ting out, he would have to break inside! The pedicab driver could be back any moment.


    If the old man didn''t open the door after all the noise he made, he was unlikely going to open the door if Zheng Tan knocked. He examined the door. He could probably kick it open.


    No time for hesitation.


    Zheng Tan backed up several steps then took a deep breath, he elerated, jumped up and kicked the door lock as hard as he could.


    He had nned to kick the door open with three kicks, however, the door opened immediately.


    With alcohol in his veins and a knife in his hand, the old man had gotten up to check what was going on outside. Just when he was about to turn the doorknob, the door flew open and hit it right on the head.


    Zheng Tan heard a bang. He cautiously peered inside and saw the old man was lying on the floor. Blood was gushing out of a wound on his head. He knocked over the bottle of Chinese wine when he fell, and the 60-proof alcohol flowed onto the floor. The still burning cigarette the old man had thrown onto the floor lit the alcohol and mes erupted.

 Chapter 106: My Whiskers!

    Chapter 106: My Whiskers!


    Zheng Tan had nned to give the old man a few more kicks but the fire was spreading fast. He kicked the knife away, then jumped onto the cradle to look at the baby inside.


    He was awake and about to cry. However, upon seeing Zheng Tan, he stopped mid-sob and cracked a smile.


    For God''s sake, stop smiling!


    The fire was spreading, Zheng Tan could feel the heat rising. If they stayed here any longer, breathing would be a problem. He raised the baby up and started running with his hind legs. He jumped over the old man and ran downstairs with the baby,


    The old man stirred and staggered to get up. He saw a sh and a ck silhouette jumped over him.


    The door had hit his forehead and he had knocked his head on a chair during his fall. He was dizzy and couldn''t see clearly. He couldn''t quite make out the ck silhouette, but the thing above it seemed familiar.


    It was therge cargo!


    Someone took therge cargo!


    The old man was dizzy and couldn''t quite tell distance. If only he could see a little clearer, he would see the ck silhouette was not a human.


    Though very dizzy, the old man now recognized the state of the fire and realized he couldn''t stay any longer. He stood up shakily and took a few deep breaths, but somehow he was feeling even dizzier.


    The room waspletely soundproofed so that the people outside couldn''t hear the babies crying. Sounds could still be heard through the door, but they were satisfied as long as people outside couldn''t hear a thing. So the room had the same old wooden door as all the other rooms. With great luck, Zheng Tan was able to kick open the door in one try.


    However, none of that was important now. Zheng Tan just wanted to get the baby out. He came to a sudden stop after the reached the first floor. He had almost forgotten the crowd that had gathered at the door. He couldn''t just carry the baby out and walk on his hind legs in front of all those people.


    Zheng Tanid the baby on the floor. The baby giggled while staring at him. Zheng Tan poked him on the cheek hoping to make him cry. If the baby cried, people outside would hear him ande inside, wouldn''t they?


    Unfortunately, the baby kept giggling.


    Zheng Tan was speechless.


    With no other way, Zheng Tan stood behind the baby and pushed him forward.


    The baby thought Zheng Tan was ying with him and allowed the cat to shove him forward while giggling all the way.


    "Hey, is that a kid?" A resident asked.


    "I think so. The baby is crawling out."


    It was dark indoors, so a lot of details can''t be seen from the outside.


    The kid was having fun but suddenly the cat stopped shoving. He looked behind him, the cat was gone. Then he looked in front of him and saw a horde of strangers.


    The baby finally broke into tears.


    Zheng Tan was able to rx when he heard the baby cry. People were alreadying inside. He stood on top of the stairs and watched the baby get carried out of the house, then he escaped from the window on the second floor.


    It was easier climbing up than climbing down. Thankfully, there weren''t any people there to watch him do it. He slid down the wall and jumped on to the ground.


    When he made it to the front of the house, people could see the ming curtains on the second floor and could smell the fire. It was a mess. People were calling to the police and trying to search the house for people. Zheng Tan saw someone had dragged the old man out. He was still breathing apparently but was unconscious.


    As he watched on, police cars arrived.


    "Huh? I just called the police. How are they here so fast?" someone asked.


    Zheng Tan, however, saw Papa Jiao''s car behind the police vehicles and felt a sense of relief. The baby would have to leave with the police. Papa Jiao could take him home.


    After the fire was put out, Papa Jiao found the baby who was wailing in the arms of a local resident.


    The baby''s father arrived too. His tears fell the moment he held his son in his arms again.


    Papa Jiao made calls to all the rtives to report they had found the baby, then he noticed a cat paw print on the baby''s back. He went to the side and called out, "Charcoal? Come out. I know you are around."


    Zheng Tan poked his head out from behind a tree.


    Papa Jiao saw him and was about to wave him over, then he saw the cat''s face and his expression became very odd.


    The baby''s father saw the old man and was furious. If the police weren''t here, he would beat the man up. The residents were busy watching the police and the baby''s father and no one noticed Papa Jiao.


    A policeman came over to talk with Papa Jiao.


    "We can be sure it''s him. He found a few phones in the house but all are damaged because of the fire. The information we need is on those phones and will trace the calling records. However, these people don''t use their real names. They change phones and names whenever they feel like we''re closing in on them. We can''t be sure how much information we can gain from these phones yet."


    "Thank you so much." Papa Jiao paused then asked, "Do you know the cause of the fire?"


    "We have a theory. That guy over there likes to drink Chinese wine. The kind he has contains industrial ethanol. He also likes to smoke plus the weather is dry today, or else the fire wouldn''t have spread as quickly as it did. The room was full of inmmable items. There were poor quality soundproofing materials that released poisonous gases when they burned. The old man inhaled a lot of poisonous gas, but luckily for him, he managed to get out in time. A nightclub caught fire a while back, things inside burned and produced Hydrogen Cyanide. If that had happened today, the old man would be dead for sure.


    Hydrogen Cyanide was a deadly poison. Papa Jiao knew it well.


    "How is that guy?" Papa Jiao asked. Now that he knew the fire wasn''t started by his cat, he could rx again.


    "He''s not dead yet, but probably will be soon. Thew will deal with him for the crimes he''smitted."


    It was early October and the weather was still quite warm. Many were still wearing short sleeve t-shirts. They had been moving around, so both Papa Jiao and the policeman were covered in sweat. The policeman was needed somewhere else, so he finished his talk with Papa Jiao and left.


    Zheng Tan listened to their conversation and learned that they had been looking for the pedicab driver. They caught him and the middle-aged woman at the hospital and found a brain-damaged baby girl in the pedicab, who the driver was looking for a ce to abandon.


    Papa Jiao looked over at the crowd. They were either fussing over the baby or fussing over the child trafficker.


    "Charcoal, go wait in the car." Papa Jiao led the way to the parked car, whilst ncing at the cat. His eye twitched.


    Zheng Tan jumped onto the car and went straight to the snacks. He left a trail of mud prints on the backseat but Papa Jiao didn''t say anything.


    He picked up the cat. He didn''t see any wounds and the cat was jumping and moving normally, not to mention his appetite was amazingly good.


    "Thank you...Charcoal!" Papa Jiao eventually said.


    This whole thing really was thanks to the cat. If not for the cat, they would never have known to look into pedicabs. He sighed and the closed the car door.


    Zheng Tan knew if Papa Jiao could tell he yed a role in the rescue of the baby, then he definitely would help him cover his tracks. He could rx now. The baby was safe and sound, so he could focus on filling his stomach.


    After he was full, he looked out of the window and saw the crowd had grown. The world nevercked curious people.


    He yawned and closed his eyes. He didn''t really restst night, so now that he could rx, tiredness was creeping up on him.


    He didn''t know how long he had slept when he was awakened by the sound of someone opening the car door. He opened his eyes and saw Papa Jiao. He looked out of the window. The two police cars were still there, but everyone else was leaving.


    They didn''t go home straight away but went to the hospital where the baby''s mother was staying.


    "I need to go inside. Are you staying in the car?" Papa Jiao asked.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears and shook his tail. He showed no signs of getting up.


    "Alright." Papa Jiao locked the car.


    Everyone broke into tears of joy when they saw the baby safe and healthy.


    None of this, however, concerned Zheng Tan. He just wanted to go home and take a bath.


    Papa Jiao came out of the hospital alone. The baby''s family was too nice, the baby''s father insisted on thanking him again and again. Eventually, Papa Jiao had to make up a reason why he had to leave.


    Mama Jiao was waiting at the door when they got back. The kids rushed down the stairs when they heard the door. When they learned the cat was safe on the phone, they waited for him in the living room. Even then TV couldn''t distract them.


    "Charcoal!"


    Jiao Yuan and Youzi ran to him.


    However, all of their faces twisted when they saw him. Zheng Tan suddenly remembered the look on Papa Jiao''s face when he had seen him. He first thought it was because what he had done, now he knew something was off.


    Youzi pointed at Zheng Tan and said, " Charcoal, your whiskers..."


    Whiskers?


    Zheng Tan had been too focused on bringing the baby to safety without being seen that he hadn''t had time to worry about anything else.


    He turned on the spot and jumped back into the car. He stood in the driver seat and stretched his neck to look in the rearview mirror.


    He didn''t know what to think anymore.


    F*ck! His whiskers!

 Chapter 107: The Pain Of Not Having Whiskers

    Chapter 107: The Pain Of Not Having Whiskers


    Zheng Tan stared at his reflection in the mirror for half a minute. After looking at himself from several angles, he had to admit, all his whiskers had been burnt.


    His long, straight, flexible whiskers were all burnt and curly at the ends.


    Cats have whiskers on the side of their mouths, but also on top of their eyes, on their cheeks, and sometimes on their chins. People don''t always notice the other spots and would sometimes call them by other names.


    Right now, all of his long whiskers were burnt. His ''eyebrows'' were curly, his whiskers were curly, the hairs on his chin were curly. They were all different degrees of curly too. Zheng Tan wanted to break the mirror. He managed to control himself by reminding himself that the car was new.


    Jumping out of the car, Zheng Tan ttened his ears and walked straight past the family into the house.


    "I suppose Charcoal is depressed about his whiskers?" Mama Jiao asked.


    "Probably," Papa Jiao agreed.


    Mama Jiao decided tofort the cat by cooking a big dinner.


    Youzi was deeply worried on her cat''s behalf and only rxed after Papa Jiao exined that Zheng Tan would grow new whiskers again soon.


    Zheng Tan knew he would grow new whiskers but he was still in a very bad mood. He jumped onto the table to check his reflection every once in a while. Every time, the curly whiskers worsened his mood.


    So, Zheng Tan made a decision.


    After searching a few room, Zheng Tan finally found a pair of scissors in Grandma Jiao''s drawer. He pushed the scissors in front of Youzi, who had followed him.


    "You want me to cut your whiskers?" Youzi hesitated.


    Zheng Tan shoved the scissors toward her again to say "just cut."


    Youzi was still worried so she checked with Papa Jiao who told her it was OK to do so. She picked up the scissors and started cutting. She worked slowly and carefully, cutting off only the burnt bits.


    Because his whiskers were all burnt to a different degree, the hairs were all different lengths after the burnt bits were cut.


    Cats have nerves on their whiskers that allow them to feel the slightest of movements. Apparently, cats could even tell the direction of the wind through their whiskers.


    Because she knew how important whiskers were to cats, Youzi had treated her task with great care. Jiao Yuan watched her whilst holding his breath. He was so afraid that she would identally pull out a whisker if he made a sound.


    Papa Jiao wanted to say as long as she didn''t harm the end of the whisker, how much she cut really didn''t matter. However, he decided to hold his tongues when he saw how nervous the kids were and how upset the cat was.


    Both Youzi and Jiao Yuan let out a long breath after she was done.


    Youzi cleaned all the cut bits into a stic bag and kept them in a box.


    Zheng Tan felt his whiskers, which were much shorter. The shortest was almostpletely gone.


    F*ck! Being a hero had a price.


    He jumped onto the table and check himself in the mirror again. He felt cats were much less majestic without whiskers. He looked ugly and creepy.


    "Don''t worry, they''ll grow back soon enough," Youziforted him.


    Zheng Tan shook his tail. Of course they would grow back, but how long would it take? Maybe two weeks, maybe a month, maybe it would take even longer than that. Papa Jiao said different cats grow fur and whiskers at different speeds.


    Grandpa Jiao managed to dampen his mood even futher when he came back.


    Knowing that it was because of the cat that they had found the baby so quickly, Grandpa Jiao bought a fish on his way home to reward the cat. However, when he got home, he saw the cat''s whiskers were cut short and were of uneven length. He was curious and forced Papa Jiao to tell him why.


    Papa Jiao told him it was because of the fire at the child trafficker''s home.


    Grandpa Jiao felt sorry for the cat at first, but shortly he started tough.


    After a whole day spent in pain, he wasughing very loudly now that everyone could rx. The two kids were deeply bothered.


    "This isn''t anything. Back in my vige, cats have their whiskers burnt all the time in the winter when they sit next to the fire. Don''t worry it will grow out again soon. The cat''s movement will probably be affected for the time being though."


    He tried to touch Zheng Tan''s whiskers, thetter turned his head and pped his hand away.


    "Hey, he''s got a temper."


    Grandpa Jiao wasn''t angered by the p. He now liked the cat very much because of the incident. His grandson said Charcoal was in a bad mood, so he stopped bothering the cat, although he was doubtful.


    Grandpa Jiao never thought cats would have feelings. However, now he knew cats were intelligent. He was to a degree superstitious and people always say animals with intelligence needed to be respected. He looked at the ck cat and found it hard to muster up any respect.


    He shook his head and went into the kitchen. Grandma Jiao was cooking, so he stood by and started giving instruction. He was chased out of the kitchen by Grandma Jiao who threatened him with a spat. In the end, he sat in the living room with the kids to watch TV.


    The baby''s parents called to express their gratitude and ask the family to dinner. They invited the cat as well. Papa Jiao refused, even though this was the first time the cat was formally invited to a social asion. The baby''s mother was still in the hospital and they were rtives. No point to all this.


    Grandpa Jiao told them to get well and take care of their kid for now. There was plenty of time left to thank Papa Jiao. They didn''t have to do it now when they had other priorities.


    The baby''s parents reluctantly agreed. They said the families should get together during the spring festival and they would like to treat the Jiaos to dinner.


    Most people only knew the cat had found the pedicab driver. No one thought the cat had actually saved the baby. Afterall, what had happened really didn''t seem like the work of a cat.


    Even Papa Jiao wouldn''t believe his cat had carried the baby downstairs.


    Because no one thought of the cat, the case was full of unexined problems. The investigators were deeply puzzled but the old man''s memory was blurry. Eventually, they decided to focus on the child traffickingwork.


    Human traffickers were mostly in contact with each other. They contacted each other to sell children out of the province. To catch the wholework with the information they had would be a difficult job. However, many saw a career advancement opportunity and were willing to take on the challenge.


    Five hours after they caught the old man, a suspicious-looking woman with a baby was caught at a toll station. When she was questioned, her words just didn''t add up and eventually, she admitted to her crime.


    The two cases were interconnected. Both groups had the same contacts. After investigating, the results showed that thework wasrger than they expected. Half a yearter, the police had found over two hundred people involved in the over one hundred cases of child trafficking. Arrests were being made all over the country.


    However, that would all happen in the future.


    For now, Zheng Tan was much more concerned with his whiskers.


    Many said cats used their whiskers like a ruler that helped them measure the width of an opening. Without whiskers, cats would have to move slower.


    For Zheng Tan, he didn''t really experience difficulties when he moved. He was just not used to the feeling of not having whiskers. It was different talking about something and actually experiencing it.


    He was upset about his appearance at first. However, now he did feel like something was missing. It wasn''t just his mind ying tricks.


    He never noticed before, butte that night he suddenly realized his senses were duller. Whiskers were a sensory organ that helped with vision.


    After losing them, Zheng Tan finally understood the use of those hairs. The ones on top of his eyes and on his cheeks reminded him when something dangerous was close to his face. He would be able to duck and not get hit in the face.


    He slept and ate like usual and his appetite was good. He would never let his stomach go without food. However, he always felt odd. Maybe it was the result of not having whiskers.


    Was he being too sensitive?


    He spent long hours on the sofa thinking about whiskers.


    Before Zheng Tan managed to adjust himself, the break was over. They didn''t manage to visit the vige in the end and had to return to Chuhua right away.


    Before they left, Grandpa Jiao told Papa Jiao to bring the cat when theye home for the spring festival and he would build a nice cat bed.


    Papa Jiao smiled but didn''t say anything. The cat always slept in the bed.


    Zheng Tan''s mood took a turn for the better when he learned they were going back to Chuhua.


    On the way home, he decided he would stay at home until his whiskers grew back to their original length.

 Chapter 108: Need To Let Off Steam

    Chapter 108: Need To Let Off Steam


    Zheng Tan was holed up at home for the first week after they returned to Chuhua.


    After the holidays, Jiao Wei''s sses had started as well. He would bring Zheng Tan lunch after he took Youzi to the restaurant.


    When Jiao Wei first saw Zheng Tan after the break, he didn''t know how to react. If it was any other cat he wouldugh, but he didn''t dare do the same facing this ck cat.


    He didn''t believe a cat really had the power to help but now he wasn''t so sure anymore. No one showed up in October to collect the ''sanitation fee''. His father said it was probably because they haven''t gotten around to it yet, but Jiao Wei knew that wasn''t the reason.


    He opened the door and put a lunch box on the chair. The ck cat got off the sofazily and yawned before eating his lunch. His whiskers had grown out a tad thisst week, but they were growing too slowly. At this speed, it would take another week for his whiskers to look normal again. It would be much longer before they grew back to their original length.


    However, after the clipped whiskers incident, he felt his new whiskers were much more sensitive. He didn''t know if it was the result of his training.


    He had been reading Papa Jiao''s magazines out of boredom and came across an article in a science magazine.


    Apparently, scientists did an experiment where they covered the eyes of a group of cats. Results showed thatpared to normal cats, these cats had longer whiskers and could grow out whiskers faster, so people joked that you can cover a cat''s eyes to help it grow whiskers.


    Zheng Tan didn''t want to cover up his eyes, but decided the method was still worth a try. He kept his eyes closed at home and felt his way around the rooms with his whiskers.


    The article had said that cat whiskers were very sensitive in the dark. Cats used them to sense things they couldn''t see.


    Zheng Tan tried it, but maybe it was because his senses were too dull or maybe it was because his whiskers were too short, but he wasn''t able to do what the article said. However, he wasn''t about to give up yet.


    As a cat without whiskers, a cat who was confined to the house, this was his only source of entertainment.


    No one was home during the day anyway, so even if he made a fool of himself, no one would know.


    In the afternoon, Jiao Wei would take Youzi back to school then go off to attend sses or study in the library. Zheng Tan would jump off the sofa and close his eyes. He tried to use his other senses to feel the room and capture small movements.


    Whenever there was a gust of wind, he could tell where obstacles were by the airflow.


    He also noticed certain parts of his paws could capture the slightest tremor in the ground. If cats were vignt enough, they could react quickly to anything because of these functions on their body that were the result of thousands of years of evolution


    Zheng Tan wanted to enhance these capabilities. They could prove to be useful in the future.


    He put his advertising job on hold as well. Mr. Guo, who urgently needed new ads, called every few days to ask about his situation.


    However, he couldn''t do ads while missing half his whiskers. People would beughing their heads off. Some might even associate it with the cat food. There were always people out there ready to attack whenever you gave them a chance. So, he had to wait.


    Mr. Guo had been asking around for ways to make a cat''s whiskers grow faster. Zheng Tan ignored him. He had just figured out how precious his whiskers were and did not want to risk them by trying some weird arcanum. What if his whiskers all fell out as a result? Then what would he do?


    Every morning, the first thing Zheng Tan did after he woke up was to feel his whiskers. He would check them in the mirror and have Youzi measure them for him. She had a notebook that recorded the length of his whiskers. Everyone was happy to see the numbers rise steadily. They all knew the whiskers would grow longer, but the proof reassured them.


    Zheng Tan did his whisker practice, then went onto the balcony. He clothed his eyes and bathed in the sunlight against the pot of orchards.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Zheng Tan heard the noise of ws hitting a wire fence. He ignored it.


    Many people traveled during the national day holidays, but not General''s family. There were too many people at attractions during the break, so General''s owner brought him back to the school. They spent most of the year traveling across the country visiting natural reserves anyway. Their trips were always free too.


    Zheng Tan ignored him, and after a while, General quieted down.


    Before Zheng Tan could fall asleep, he heard general''s familiar voice singing yet another song.


    "Why are flowers so red~ Why are they so red~ they are red like~ like fire in the night~"


    F*ck the flowers!


    Zheng Tan tugged his ears. He turned to leave, but identally nced downstairs and saw a familiar car arrive in the quarters.


    Why was Fang Shaokang here? Wasn''t he supposed to be busy?


    Fang Shaokang had called Papa Jiao earlier. He drove down from Beijing to bring the Jiao''s some seafood. He would drop it off at Papa Jiao''s office if no one was home. Learning that the cat was there, he drove straight to the eastern quarters. When he asked about the cat, Papa Jiao sounded funny on the phone which made Fang Shaokang very curious. What had the cat done now?


    He parked his car and looked up at the fifth floor catching sight of a pair of ck ears.


    "Charcoal,e open the door!" Fang Shaokang yelled downstairs.


    Zheng Tan rolled around but still went downstairs to swipe the security entrance card.


    "Why are you home? Aren''t you always exploring the outdoors during this time of the day..." Before he could finish his sentence, Fang caught sight of the cat''s short whiskers and fell quiet. Then he broke out intoughter.


    F*ck!


    Zheng Tan ignored him and went straight upstairs.


    "Wait! Let me catch my breath!" Fang stood up straight and picked up the bags he had brought. "I brought you seafood."


    When they reached the fifth floor, Fang put down the bags and stood in front of Zheng Tan. He took out his phone to take a picture.


    Only people like Fang Shaokang had phones that could take pictures in 2003. This made Zheng Tan very upset. It was only some burnt whiskers, why was everyone acting like they never seen anything like it before?


    "Don''t move. I''m taking a picture for my daughter. Hey, don''t move, turn around...Please?"


    Zheng Tan pped the phone out of Fang''s hand.


    Fang Shaokang picked up the phone. He made a few calls to check if it was still useable, then put it back in his pocket.


    Fang poured himself a cup of water and sat down on the sofa. "Your whiskers should be fine by next month, no?"


    Before Zheng Tan could answer, Fang went on, "They should. I saw a big cat burn its whiskers when I was a kid. It was fine three weekster."


    Zheng Tan rolled his eyes. His whiskers were burnt too!


    "Anyhow, next month I want to take you somewhere fun. Many people will be bringing pets and you can help me socialize. I have a few clients who love cats. You being there will make the negotiations easier. I''ll talk to Professor Jiaoter and set a time."


    Fang kept talking and answering his own questions for the next two minutes. Then he had to take a call. He left shortly after. He probably still had other business in Chuhua.


    Powerful as Fang was, his life wasn''t perfect. Everyone had worries.


    After Fang left, Zheng Tan checked the calendar. His whiskers should be back to normal in a month.


    Wei Ling came by that night. He came over the day after the Jiao''s came back but saw Zheng Tan was in no mood to go out and didn''t insist upon it. He didn''t expect the cat to want to go with him to the Night Tower tonight, but Zheng Tan did want to go out.


    He needed to let off steam.


    In the car, Wei Ling examined the cat. The whiskers did seem longer, but they were obviously still too short. He heard the cat had been in a bad mood.


    Suddenly, he shivered. He had a bad feeling about the night toe.


    That night, Ye Hao, Long Qi, and Baozi were over at the Night Tower too. Ye Hao owned other properties besides the Night Tower, but he preferreding here. He liked the performances at the East District.


    He heard from his people that Wei Ling was there that night too, but he didn''t know the cat was here too. Zheng Tan came inside in Wei Ling''s backpack. He didn''t want other people to see his whiskers.


    Ye Hao went up to the third floor and saw Wei Ling outside his usual room. He was smoking.


    "What''s up? Why are you outside?" Ye Hao asked and pushed open the door to the room. Immediately, the shriek that had once upied their nightmares rang across the entire third floor.

 Chapter 109: The Untouchable Cats And Dogs

    Chapter 109: The Untouchable Cats And Dogs


    Ye Hao shut the door and looked towards Wei Ling.


    "Why is the cat here?"


    Wei Ling stood up. "He''s in a bad mood and came to let loose. He didn''t drink this time though, so the ''singing'' will probably end in an hour or two."


    An hour or two...


    "How long have you been sitting here?" Ye Hao asked.


    Wei Ling took out his phone to check the time. "Fifty minutes, almost an hour."


    Ye Hao shooked his head. He was about to suggest they find another ce to talk when the door opened.


    This time, there was no shrieking. Zheng Tan had opened the door himself. He opened the door for the group and jumped back onto the sofa to rest. He was tired and felt much better. He drank a ss of water and was ready to rest.


    Ye Hao looked at the opened door and eyed Wei Ling.


    Theter shrugged and entered the room.


    Ye Hao followed him. Baozi and Long Qi hesitated, especially Long Qi whose face had turned to ash at the sight of Zheng Tan. Baozi had to give him a little shove before he entered the room with his talisman in his hand.


    Zheng Tan hadn''t nned on listening to these people talk, but a few keywords caught his attention.


    Ye Hao was nning to develop the abandoned construction site near Chuhua University. He had his eye on the site for some time, but the original construction had caused such controversy that he chose to stay out of it. Now that the political environment in Chuhua had changedpletely, he was considering that piece ofnd again.


    Still, there remained some difficulties, which was why he was trying to get Fang Shaokang on board.


    "How''s it going?" Wei Ling asked.


    "I just managed to schedule an appointment with Fang Sanye. We''ll see how that goes." Ye Hao rubbed his forehead. "It''s not like we need him to do anything. I just want to see what his stand is on this issue. As long as he doesn''t oppose our ns, we should be fine."


    "Is he interested in thend as well?" Wei Ling asked.


    Zheng Tan''s ears perked up.


    Ye Hao shook his head. "It''s all hearsay. No one knows what Fang is thinking. No matter what, I think it''s good to notify him before we do anything. Shaoguang group is trying to expand here in Chuhua. It''s obvious to anyone who followed their recent moves. Some of their recent decisions look risky but I don''t think Fang''s someone who does things impulsively."


    Zheng Tan couldn''t quite follow the rest of the conversation. He just knew that Ye Hao wanted the patch ofnd near Chuhua University but he wasn''t sure if he could get it or when the construction would actually start.


    The two men chatted for a little longer, then Wei Ling got up to leave.


    Ye Hao sat quietly in the room for a while after Wei Ling left. Then he looked up and asked Baozi and Long Qi, "Should I give the cat a room? He could do all his singing there."


    Long Qi felt himself go stiff. Who gave cats VIP rooms? No one! If Ye Hao gave the cat a room, did it mean the cat woulde here more frequently? Would the cat bring feline friends here?


    Baozi and Long Qi didn''t say anything. Ye Hao thought for a long while then got up to leave. He looked like he hade to a decision.


    On the way home, Zheng Tan suddenly realized Ye Hao didn''t seem to notice his whiskers.


    Was it because of the color of his fur and the lighting?


    It was only when he got home that he came up with the exnation.


    Only people who truly care about you notice the little changes.


    For some people, the slightest change in their pet''s behavior could rm them. For others, their pets could be barely breathing and they still wouldn''t notice.


    It was the same with people. If Papa Jiao or the kids so much as coughed, Mama Jiao would worry that they were sick and think of ways to prevent the worsening of these symptoms, yet most other people wouldn''t even notice anything amiss.


    The Jiaos could spot the change in his whiskers immediately because they cared about him.


    This realization gave him a funny feeling. He never felt like that before when he was his human self.


    His whiskers didn''t bother him as much now. They were growing longer every day and things were back on track again.


    Now that he was in a better mood, he wanted to go outside again. He sometimes saw Tiger and his friends rolling around on thewn outside when the weather was good. He envied them. Enjoying the sun from the balcony was different than sunbathing on thewn.


    So Zheng Tan finally decided to take a stroll outdoors after staying home for two weeks.


    His whiskers were looking fine now and he decided he didn''t care what random people thought of him anymore.


    He left the building and breathed in the warm afternoon air. Basking in the sunlight, he felt a sense of pure joy.


    Tiger was lying on thewn and Sheriff was ying in the bushes. Fatty was sitting to the side with his eyes closed. He only left the house when his owner wasn''t home. Whenever the olddy was home, he would stay on the balcony no matter what his friends were doing.


    Tiger saw Zheng Tan and flipped onto his back. He pawed at Zheng Tan''s tail.


    Zheng Tan shook his tail to avoid Tiger''s paw andy down on thewn. He yedzily with the grass around him.


    As he was ying, someone entered the quarters and took a shortcut across thewn to his building. The man caught sight of the cats.


    It took Zheng Tan a moment to realize it was the man who left his curtains open that morning when he was doing the unspeakable with his girlfriend.


    He had gone over to the building a few more times after that incident. The curtains were always shut when the man was home.


    Zheng Tan thought the man would throw rocks at them and he was ready to dodge. However, the man stood there for a few moments then left. He walked past the cats as fast as he could.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know that the man really considered throwing rocks at the cats but decided against it. He had asked around and his neighbors had told him there were two cats and two dogs here in the Eastern Quarters he should never provoke.


    The two dogs were Mighty and Sahara. The former was a vicious fighter that made a name for himself by catching the eastern quarter thieves and fighting regrly with the western quarter dogs. Sahara, on the other hand, was smart and vengeful. If someone annoyed him, he would make life extremely inconvenient for that person. He would poop in front of his house, or shove the person whenever he got a chance, or pee on the person''s clothes. The person wouldn''t do anything to Sahara either. Sahara''s owner was too powerful.


    The two cats were the fat house cat and the ck cat living in building B. No one gave him a detailed description of why these cats were special. The mystery made him even more wary of them.


    There was a jokeponent to the two dogs and two cats saying, but the man still avoided these animals whenever he saw them.


    When he walked past thewn, he caught the ck cat staring at him and felt goosebumps on his arms. He shook his head and hastened to leave.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know what the man was thinking. The man looked at him like he was some monster, which amused him, but he didn''t give it much thought.


    Around four, Jiao Yuan and his friends were back. It was cleaning day at their school but they were not on cleaning duty that day, so they got to leave early.


    The kids entered the quarters. As they did so, Zheng Tan heard them talking about going running tomorrow.


    Zheng Tan thought that was odd. Since when did Jiao Yuan run in the morning?


    At dinner that night, Jiao Yuan told his family that his school was about to hold the annual autumn sportspetition. Unlike elementary school kids, the middle schoolers took anypetition very seriously.


    Girls tend to grow faster than boys. In seventh grade, most of the boys were still short and small. Jiao Yuan and his friends were about the same height as Shi Rui, with the exception of Xiong Xiong. He was tall and sturdy and had managed to be the head of his ss''s sportsmittee.


    The teachers gave their little group a bit of preferential treatment, not only because of Xiong Xiong''s mother''s position in the ministry of education. The parent of these kids were mostly professors at Chuhua University. Middle school teachers had kids that would wish to go to university one day which might require the help of these parents.


    The eastern quarter kids had formed a little group in their ss. Xiong Xiong forced them to sign up for sports that other kids didn''t wish topete in.


    Jiao Yuan took out a piece of paper that designated what he had to do. Zheng Tan took a look. Jiao Yuan drew the short straw and had topete in two eight hundred meter races and a fifteen hundred meter race.

 Chapter 110: The Unattainable Six Pack

    Chapter 110: The Unattainable Six Pack


    For most twelve-year-olds, these long distance runs were extremely difficult.


    Zheng Tan felt sorry for Jiao Yuan.


    However, Jiao Yuan and his buddies wanted to help Xiong Xiong. They decided to test their endurance that weekend. Whoever won wouldpete in the annual sportspetition.


    They were nning to start training tomorrow morning.


    Papa Jiao was supportive of his n in principle but warned them to be realistic. The sports tournament was only a week away. There was little they could do in just seven days.


    Mama Jiao promised to cook him a special training menu.


    Next morning, Jiao Yuan got up early in the morning and met up with his buddies after breakfast.


    Youzi was bored at home. She didn''t have a lot of homework and hadpleted most of it yesterday. She watched some television, then went to look for Jiao Yuan with Zheng Tan.


    Youzi could now ride a bike without training wheels. Papa Jiao had adjusted the height of the bike seat for her.


    Zheng Tan jumped into the basket and Youzi started pedaling. They were headed to the running tracks near the eastern quarters.


    A lot of people were outside since it was a Saturday morning. The weather was still warm so people didn''t sleep in.


    People were surprised when they saw Youzi and Zheng Tan together on a bike. Youzi would stop to say hello to people she knew. Many people were walking their pets that morning, Mighty''s owner was among them. Zheng Tan saw Mighty from a distance. The dog was too noticeable with those dark patches of fur around his eyes.


    Zheng Tan always felt that it was Mighty walking Mr. Yan instead of the other way around. Mighty always led the way in the front and would stop every once in a while to mark more territory by peeing.


    There were a lot of people exercising in the morning. Many of them were jogging.


    Youzi parked her bike in the bike shed and went to the tracks with Zheng Tan. They spotted Jiao Yuan right away. He was huddled with his friends and fighting over something.


    Shi Rui was sitting on top of the horizontal bar and giving the boys a tongueshing.


    Jiao Yuan, Su An, Lan Tianzhu and Xiong Xiong were either panting on the ground or leaning on some sports equipment.


    "You guys won''t even be able to make it eight hundred meters, let alone the fifteen hundred meters run."


    Zheng Tan heard her say.


    He looked at the boys. This was a bad start.


    Jiao Yuan blushed when he saw Youzi and Zheng Tan. He hadn''t expected them and felt that his little sister had caught him in a moment of distress.


    Xiong Xiong felt more abashed. He was the head of the sportsmittee after all. He looked up at Shi Rui, "You make it sound easy. Why don''t you try and see if you can do it?"


    "I don''t have to participate in long-distance running. I''m signed up for the two hundred meter ry. Besides, we girls have a secret weapon. Just you watch, she''ll break records. You boys, on the other hand...you won''te inst, will you? That would be so embarrassing," Shi Rui said calmly.


    There was a girl who was really good at sports in their ss. She didn''t go to elementary school here so Jiao Yuan and his friends didn''t know her very well, but she was quite well known at her old school. She even took part in citywide sports tournaments.


    The rising Yin and falling Yang, Zheng Tan suddenly remembered this saying. Jiao Yuan and his group were being looked down upon by girls.


    "We still have a week. Wait until we''re done training! We''ll show you," Xiong Xiong said with his fist in the air.


    He paused before continuing to say, "Maybe we''ll even have six packs by then!"


    Everyone was quiet for a second.


    Lan Tianzhu coughed, "Xiong Xiong, I mean this in the nicest way possible. Some things you are born with, do you get what I''m saying?"


    Xiong Xiong had never been the lean kind ever since he was little. He wasn''t chubby either, though. He was very strong and had signed up for shot throwing.


    Jiao Yuan panted and patted the dust off his pants, "It depends on your red and white muscles."


    Everyone looked at him.


    Jiao Yuan loved to be the center of attention. He had read this from one of Papa Jiao''s magazines. He cleared his throat and went on, "People have red muscles that are for endurance and white muscles that are in charge of explosiveness. People are born with a certain red to white muscle proportion, which means some people are naturally better at endurance while others are better sprinters. We can train our muscles but can''t change them."


    "People do cardio to lose weight because cardio uses red muscles that can easily use up a lot of energy. If you look at long-distance runners, you''ll see none of them...well, have your body type."


    Xiong Xiong pretended to beat him.


    Jiao Yuan went on, "As for six packs, you need to train your white muscles to look toned. You need to train with dumbells. It won''t happen if you do yoga or tai chi."


    Su An nodded and pointed at Xiong Xiong, "If you want to be toned, you need to at least lose all your fat first, then do non-cardio exercises."


    "Probably." Jiao Yuan took a sip of water. His throat hurt after talking so much.


    "Xiong Xiong, you can do the fifteen hundred meters. A six pack is awaiting you." Lan Tianzhu patted Xiong Xiong on the back.


    Xiong Xiong tutted. "It''s waiting for me too far in the future. I can''t see it."


    Twops around the tracks already had the boys panting and moaning. Eight hundred meters was twops and a bit more.


    "Well, technically, not everyone can get a six-pack." Jiao Yuan decided to unt his knowledge some more.


    Everyone looked at him again. Jiao Yuan was pleased.


    "There''s a thing called the inscriptio tendineae, it''s what gives the muscles on your stomach a grid-like appearance. If you have three, then you get a six-pack, if you have four, you get an eight-pack. How many you have is predetermined by your DNA. That''s why some people have an eight-pack while others only have a six-pack."


    Xiong Xiong lifted his shirt. He sucked his belly in to see if he can get an eight-pack, but nothing showed up."


    A toned body seemed impossible.


    "Xiong Xiong, what are you doing!" Shi Rui shrieked and covered her eyes.


    Zheng Tan rolled his eyes.


    No matter if they were gaining eight-packs or not, they still had to run.


    Zheng Tan and Youzi sat on the steps of the bleachers to watch. The boys did twops then stopped to rest again. It was clear they were tired. People who didn''t exercise normally couldn''t do too much exercise in one go, or else they would feel the repercussions the next day.


    After half a day of training, the kids went home to rest.


    That night, Papa Jiao asked Jiao Yuan how training went. Jiao Yuan answered, "Eight-packs are looking more and more unattainable."


    Jiao Yuan said he was training again the next morning. His parents exchanged a mysterious smile.


    The next day, Jiao Yuan turned off his rm then dragged himself into the living room to call his friends. He was hurting everywhere and didn''t want to move.


    Before he made a call, the phone rang. It was Xiong Xiong. He was hurting too and also didn''t want to run.


    Everyone was tired and experiencing muscle pains, so they all decided to just stay at home.


    They didn''t really warm up properly yesterday and were suffering from theirck of exercise. They rode their bikes daily and yed basketball, but they didn''t really run a lot.


    Xiong Xiong was distressed. Who was going to do the long distance running?


    The kids spent the morning resting that Sunday but got together in the afternoon. Xiong Xiong took out a list of names of everyone in their ss. He asked his friends for advice, but none of them knew the other kids in the ss that well.


    As for Shi Rui, she was head of the academicsmittee and knew most people in their ss, but was only familiar with the girls. She wasn''t much help either.


    "What should I do? I already promised." Xiong Xiong palmed his face.


    "You''re just worried the assistant ss monitor would think poorly of you. Don''t worry, I know her well. I''ll put in a good word for you." Shi Rui patted him on the back.


    Zheng Tan listened to them talk and sighed. How he missed being young!


    He looked back to when he was in school. He never participated in any sports tournaments when he was a student. He never participated in any group event actually. He would skip school with his friends and spend the day at the arcade. He remembered going to a sports tournament during high school. There was a long-legged girl he liked whopeted in the tournament.


    The sportspetition at Jiao Yuan''s school probably wasn''t worth watching for the girls, but he was still curious. Maybe he should check it out?

 Chapter 111: Checking Out The Middle School

    Chapter 111: Checking Out The Middle School


    Zheng Tan nned to check out the middle school before the sports tournament.


    Jiao Yuan''s school was not that far from the university, but it still took a while to get there. Zheng Tan nned to leave through the side gate closest to the middle school.


    That morning, Zheng Tan headed toward the gate after dropping Youzi off at her elementary school.


    The gate was narrow and inconspicuous. Only students knew and used this door. Zheng Tan didn''t want to get caught up in a crowd, so he jumped over the fence.


    Zheng Tan had never been to Jiao Yuan''s school, but he remembered Mama Jiao''s dailymuting route and the school''s location on the map. It wasn''t that far away, so he should be able to find it without any problems.


    The streets were busy. It was a different type of busy than downtown. Many of the city''s original residents lived around here. Middle-aged women chatted about the groceries with thick Chuhua ents.


    There weren''t any skyscrapers or fancy cars. The street was bumpy and narrow. Bicycles, scooters, and family sedans co-existed around here. The street was full of life - simple, mundane, yet beautiful life.


    The school bus didn''t take this route, so Zheng Tan didn''t see a Chuhua University bus on the street.


    Zheng Tan jumped on a wall to avoid getting caught in the crowd.


    On one side of the street were shops, many of them sold breakfast. Zheng Tan could hear the sound of frying dough. Many students and office workers loved having breakfast here. However, Chuhua University was toorge and dormitories were on the other side of campus. Sadly, most students could onlye here once in a while.


    Zheng Tan walked along the street. He couldn''t help but sigh in amazement. Every time he left the campus, he saw something different.


    A meowing cat interrupted his contemtion.


    A kitty around six or seven months old jumped onto the wall and blocked Zheng Tan''s way. The kitty eyed Zheng Tan then started to walk. It seemed that this cat was going the same direction as Zheng Tan.


    The kitten came out of a building nearby and jumped onto the wall straight away. To cats, walking along the wall was a better option than sharing the sidewalk with pedestrians. They were able to survey the entire area as well as avoid being kicked by people.


    As long as they were going the same direction, Zheng Tan didn''t mind the kitten. He didn''t know it and didn''t bother greeting it.


    They walked in peace for some distance when Zheng Tan saw a cat ahead of them walking in the opposite direction.


    They were meeting on a narrow path, literally.


    Was a fight going to ensue?


    Zheng Tan decided to observe for awhile. The wall was too narrow to allow two cats to walk on it side by side. Would normal cats choose to fight in this situation, or would one jump off the wall?


    Apparently, there was a third option.


    To Zheng Tan''s surprise, the two cats didn''t even slow down. When they were about to bump into each other, the kitten ducked and passed under the other cat. Therger cat cooperated and lifted a paw.


    Therger cat talked towards Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan looked at it. They were about the same size and that cat didn''t look like it would back down.


    Zheng Tan walked forward cautiously, he was worried the other cat might suddenly attack. However, the cat didn''t show any hostility.


    When they were about ten centimeters away from each other, that cat stopped. It lifted its chin and raised a paw as if to say, ''well, you can duck now''.


    Zheng Tan was speechless.


    F*ck. He was not ducking under this cat''s legs.


    He thought about it, then checked out the wall ahead of him. He made some estimates, then jumped.


    He jumped over that cat andnded safely back on the wall.


    He was getting much better at controlling his jumps now. Although hended slightly too close to the edge, he managed to stand still. Zheng Tan turned his head and shot the other cat a nce before leaving.


    That cat shook its tail and continued on its path as well.


    The kitten who was walking ahead of Zheng Tan reached its destination. They were near an old residential neighborhood with lots of trees. The kitten probably had friends living here.


    Zheng Tan kept walking. He made sure to check the buildings on either side of the street as he walked. He didn''t know which side of the road Jiao Yuan''s school was on, so he needed to be careful. The affiliated middle school had a much smaller campus than Chuhua University, so the gate was probably smaller as well. He didn''t want to miss it.


    He kept walking for another five minutes before he heard people reading.


    That meant the school was just ahead.


    He heard the students before he saw the school gates. A teacher was leading the reading of some text. Some of the students were just going along because they had to and sounded sleepy. Others were putting in too much effort and absolutely shouting. He also heard the soft voices of young girls. Together, the voices created the music of youth.


    Zheng Tan peered through a window on the first floor. A couple of boys were poking their heads out from behind their books to look a girl.


    This made Zheng Tanugh.


    Oh, what it was like being young!


    Kids now were still untouched by the inte and were rtively innocent.


    No student dared to stare out the window. From time to time students caught sight of the ck cat on the fence, but would immediately be called upon by the teacher to answer a question.


    Zheng Tan kept walking. He wanted to see the gate.


    The size of the middle school was nothingpared to Chuhua University and the gate was only the size of a university side gate.


    Zheng Tan decided it was not worth his time, so he jumped off the fence and into the school.


    He didn''t dare walk around campus in in sight. He didn''t know what the rules were and he was worried he would be caught. He walked along the flowerbed and hid behind some bushes.


    He checked out the cafeteria, the convenience store, the parking lot, and the track field before going to the ssroom building.


    It took him about half an hour to get a good idea of theyout of the school.


    The ssroom building was quiterge. He had heard from Mama Jiao and Jiao Yuan that the seventh graders were on the first and second floor. Eighth-grade ssrooms were on the third and fourth floor and the highest floors were reserved for the ninth graders. The teachers'' offices were on one side of the hall and the washrooms were on the other side. There were staircases in the middle and on either side of the hall.


    The school didn''t divide students into different sses using test scores. At least not in the seventh and eighth grade.


    Zheng Tan remembered Jiao Yuan was in ss 1. Xiong Xiong''s mother wanted her child to be first in everything, so she managed to have Xiong Xiong and all his friends be put in ss 1.


    Their ssroom should be on the first floor. Zheng Tan found it next to the teachers'' office.


    There were always people in the hallway, so Zheng Tan went to the back side of the building. He found a window and jumped onto the window sill.


    Newspapers were glued to all the windows on the first floor. He guessed it was because there weren''t any curtains so the students used newspapers to block the sun. They sometimes left a corner clear so they could look out the window sometimes.


    The boy sitting next to the window was not listening to the math teacher lecture. He was instead coloring all the ''0''s in his textbook. When he was done, he started work on the ''4''s, the ''6''s, the ''8''s and the ''9''s. He colored them all, then erased all his work and started all over again.


    Zheng Tan remembered doing this when he was a student. He also liked to do illustrations in his textbook or add things to the already existing pictures.


    However, it had been a while since hest picked up a pen. He typed everything in University. If something had to be handwritten, he would pay someone to do it for him. He couldn''t actually remember thest time he wrote anything.


    The boy felt someone was staring at him so he looked up at the teacher. He frowned and turned his head to look outside through the uncovered corner of the window. He stared straight into a pair of eyes.


    These eyes did not belong to a human.

 Chapter 112: That Weird Child

    Chapter 112: That Weird Child


    The boy jumped. He almost dropped his pencil and would have jumped out of his chair if he didn''t suddenly remember he was still in ss.


    The teacher looked his way and the boy hurriedly sat straight and pretended to write something in his notebook.


    The boy could see there was a furry animal outside the window. Judging by its shadow on the window, he realized it was a ck cat.


    Zheng Tan was worried the kid would scream or jump out of his seat and draw attention to him. Fortunately, the boy remained calm.


    Zheng Tan looked past the boy and surveyed the ssroom.


    He found Jiao Yuan and his group. They were sitting close to each other in the middle of the ssroom. The homeroom teacher assigned them seats that allowed them to see the board clearly without breathing in chalk dust.


    Jiao Yuan had no idea at the moment that his cat was spying on him.


    Zheng Tan left to check out the teachers'' office. He didn''t find Mama Jiao, her office was probably on the second floor.


    Zheng Tan didn''t climb up to the second floor to search for Mama Jiao. He wandered around campus for a little longer and left.


    Mama Jiao came to the window to rest her eyes. She had been grading homework earlier and was tired. She looked down and just happened to catch sight of a small ck figure jumping onto the fence. She was too far away to see the animal clearly, but there were a lot of ck house cats in the world and Chuhua University was some distance away, so she didn''t think it was her cat. However, the figure did look somewhat familiar. She shook her head.


    After ss, the boy sitting in the back row opened the window to look outside. He didn''t see any cats.


    "What are you doing Fu Lei? Close the window, the sun''s too bright!" a student sitting next to him yelled, trying to catch up on some sleep.


    "Oh, ok." Fu Lei closed the window but ripped off some newspaper so if the cat came again, he would at least be able to see more of it than an eye.


    He went back to his seat and eyed the group sitting in front of him. Everyone knew there was a special group of kids in the ss. They got preferential treatment from all of the teachers. Most of his ssmates were envious of them. He, on the other hand, didn''t care about school and thought the whole issue was boring.


    Zheng Tan took the same route home and was able to walk faster now that he knew the way.


    He decided to include this area in his daily walk. Youzi would go to the same school in a couple of years, so he would being to the middle school often in the future. He noticed there were a lot of cats in the area. He saw two on his way to Jiao Yuan''s school and saw another two on his way home. These two cats were in a standoff when Zheng Tan approached them. One was startled and slipped. The other took the chance to p its opponent off the wall.


    The victorious cat turned to Zheng Tan. Its back was still arched and all the fur on its tail was standing on end. However, Zheng Tan kept walking and the cat backed down. It meowed a warning but eventually decided to jump off the wall and run away.


    Zheng Tan looked ahead at the long and winding ''cat road'' made up of connected walls and fences and realized he would be running into more cats on these walls.


    Jiao Yuan left to attend training after dinner. They still hadn''t decided who was participating in long distance running, but Jiao Yuan was already taking part in a four-hundred meter ry.


    They needed to practice passing the baton.


    Youzi and Zheng Tan went to watch them train. Sometimes, university students would talk to them and give them advice.


    "Let''s run Charcoal," Youzi put down her backpack and said to Zheng Tan.


    He didn''t mind running and was happy to apany her.


    There was a sports tournament at her elementary school too. Youzi didn''t sign up for anything this year. Zheng Tan always felt that elementary schoolpetitions were for fun mostly. Youzi yed a part in the opening ceremony. She had hidden the pictures Papa Jiao took of her and refused to let anyone see them.


    Thepetition was held on one of the university track fields. Parents and students gathered around to watch. Youzi was in charge of logistics and didn''t participate in any sporting events.


    Youzi warmed up before she started running and joined Jiao Yuan when he started his secondp. Zheng Tan followed behind her.


    Many were surprised to see this. People sometimes brought their dogs along for runs, but seldom their cats.


    Jiao Yuan and his friends managed to find the energy to increase their speed even though they were tired. Youzi had joined in and they didn''t want to be left behind by a girl younger than them.


    The group finished training and returned to the eastern quarters. Jiao Yuan and Su An encouraged Xiong Xiong to call ssmates to see if anyone would volunteer for the fifteen hundred meter race. He would have to step in if he couldn''t find anyone. Jiao Yuan knew he could barely run 800 meters let alone run 1500 meters.


    The next day, Zheng Tan walked Youzi to school, then headed to Jiao Yuan''s middle school.


    He took his time to observe the neighborhood. He memorized the names of roads and bus stations whilst enjoying the scenery.


    The buses were always packed. Little olddies were very skilled at squeezing their way onto the bus. He saw an olddy squeeze past a strong man and take his ce on the bus. The man couldn''t do anything. Afterall, we''re told to respect the elderly, aren''t we?


    Zheng Tan didn''t see yesterday''s kitten. Instead, he came across an unfamiliar fat cat who was taking a nap on the wall. Itpletely ignored Zheng Tan, who had to jump over it. He foresaw a lot of jumping in the future.


    He came to a small intersection. On one side was an alleyway. He was just about to jump onto a new wall when he heard voices.


    A dark alleyway was indeed the perfect location to start a fight. However, it was morning. Who had fights in the morning?


    Zheng Tan could tell from the voices that the people in the alleyway were underaged.


    Jiao Yuan''s middle school was close by. Could they be students attending that school?


    The closest high school was at least a few bus stations away.


    Zheng Tan decided to go see what was going on. He followed the voices into the alleyway.


    The alley was narrow smelled of trash and pee.


    Bang!


    A backpack flew over Zheng Tan and hit a wall.


    He could hear the sound of fists on flesh clearly. He carefully poked his head around a corner.


    It was the boy from yesterday!


    There were two other boys with him. He was the shortest of the three, the other two were obviously in ninth grade or maybe even high school.


    Strangely enough, the short boy was the only one standing straight. The other two were on the ground, and one was even crying.


    The boy spotted Zheng Tan.


    Fu Lei finished and shook his hand. His hands were scraped and parts of his body hurt, but he had suffered nothing serious. He went to retrieve his backpack when he caught the ck cat watching.


    Was this the cat from yesterday?


    He sniffed and tidied up. He picked up some pens that had fallen out and patted the dust off his bag. All the while he kept his eyes on Zheng Tan.


    He looked up at the sun, then left. He hesitated at the crossroad but decided to wait patiently at the zebra crossing.


    Zheng Tan was curious. The boy was Jiao Yuan''s age but was an expert fighter.


    Where was the boy going? He didn''t have to cross the road to get to school. Was he going to the hospital? Zheng Tan didn''t see any hospitals on his way here.


    He decided to follow the boy.


    The boy saw the ck cat following him, but didn''t say anything.

 Chapter 113: Study Hard And Improve Every Day

    Chapter 113: Study Hard And Improve Every Day


    Zheng Tan watched the boy walk into a residential neighborhood and followed him.


    He just wanted to check out the neighborhood, so he stopped when the boy entered a building. However, the boy paused to turn and look at him.


    After all the things he had been through, Zheng Tan could sense kindness or malice from humans quite easily. The boy was looking at him with pure anticipation, so he walked into the building after some hesitation.


    Fu Lei smiled and started heading up the stairs. He always took the stairs a few at a time, but today he walked slowly and would turn to check behind him every once in a while.


    The boy took out his keys in front of an apartment on the fourth floor. He opened the door and waved to Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan listened carefully but didn''t hear anyone home besides the boy. He entered the apartment.


    It was a normal home. The furniture was old and in. The apartment was even smaller than the Jiao house. It was only about fifty square meters. Zheng Tan felt a bit constrained. The house had two bedrooms and a living room. The boy''s room was the smaller bedroom. The size of the room was on par with Youzi''s room, but it much messier. A few books were lying on the floor. Zheng Tan walked over and glimpsed the boy''s name, Fu Lei, on the cover of one book.


    Every stroke was written with force and conviction, yet the handwriting was far from beautiful.


    Zheng Tan was surveying Fu Lei''s room when the boyid a fish head in front of him.


    The dish was probably a leftover from yesterday. It was old and the soup on the fish had already turned into gel.


    Zheng Tan turned his head.


    "You don''t want it?"


    Fu Lei didn''t understand. His neighbor''s cat would have taken the fish and ran off with it by now.


    Zheng Tan walked around the room, then jumped onto the desk. Things were piled on the desk, but there was a wooden prize cup on the desk that was free from clutter. It was very clean, unlike the piggy bank nearby which was covered in dust. The owner obviously cleaned it very often.


    "I won it when I was ten," Fu Lei picked up the prize cup and said proudly.


    The kid was much more chatty when he was excited.


    Zheng Tan had seen a lot of people like him. They opened up to animals.


    As a kid, it was natural for him to want to share something he was proud of whenever he got a chance. It didn''t matter that a cat most likely couldn''t understand anything he said.


    Zheng Tan learned that Fu Lei had indeed practiced martial arts before. However, he never trained systematically.


    Fu Lei grew up in the countryside. His parents were busy, so he lived with his grandparents in their vige. Someone in the vige owned a dojo, and Fu Lei was one of the many children who entered it.


    His grandparents were happy to see their grandson practice some martial arts.


    The cup was sculpted by their master. The sculpting was good too.


    Fu Lei managed to beat his peers in a test and earned the prize. Sadly, their master left the dojo to work in the city. He moved south and became a security guard. The dojo closed after he left.


    Fu Lei kept practicing even after his parent brought him to the city. He didn''t have a bike and ran to school every morning to save bus fare.


    This was not his first time being stopped on his way to school by bullies. He solved the situation every time by fighting. He would win sometimes and lose when the other side had too many people. This, however, gave people the impression that he was a problematic kid. Most of his elementary school ssmates avoided him.


    After he entered middle school, people who knew him from primary school spread stories about him and he managed to earn a reputation, even though the school year had just begun. That was why teachers let him be in the back of the ssroom.


    Fu Lei felt he wasn''t interested in studying and would work like his master in the south when he grew up. However, the first time he mentioned this, his father had beaten him so hard he had to stay in bed for a week.


    Whenever he mentioned he didn''t want to study, his father would beat him, so he learned to keep quiet. Because of the nine-yearpulsory education system, he would be able to enter middle school no matter what. His parent used a bit of bribery to get him into the school he was in now. They wanted him to ''study hard and improve''. Fu Lei ignored their wishes.


    Fu Lei''s mood was dampened now. He found school boring and missed his days in the dojo.


    He carefully put the prize cup down. Fu Lei opened a drawer and took out some ointment for the cuts on his hand.


    Zheng Tan looked into the drawer. It was full of all kinds of ointments. Did his parents buy all this because they knew their kid got in fights regrly?


    He was speechless.


    Fu Lei sat on the floor and took out his pencils. A few of his mechanical pencils were broken, so he took out the lead to ce into other pencils.


    As he worked, the pair of them heard the door open.


    Fu Lei jumped. He stuffed his pens into his backpack and said to Zheng Tan,"Hide under the bed, quick!"


    Zheng Tan didn''t know why he said this but still hid obediently under the bed.


    The next moment, a middle age man came barging into the room. He saw Fu Lei and it was like a volcano had erupted.


    "Fu Lei! You''re skipping ss again?!"


    The man saw the ointment on the floor and yelled, "You got into a f*cking fight again?!"


    Zheng Tan then heard the sound of Fu Lei being beaten.


    His father really was short tempered. He started beating the kid even before he asked what had happened. However, this showed that Fu Lei really did get into fights a lot and skipped school on a regr basis.


    "I spent so much money to get you into that school and what do you do? You skip ss and get into fights! If I hadn''t left something at home today, you would have gotten away with it, you bastard!"


    Fu Lei''s father kept hitting him. He hade home to pick up something and caught Fu Lei at home before he could even have a sip of water. He was tired now and sat on the side of the bed panting. He didn''t stop talking though.


    "Nothing is as important as studying. If you don''t study, you''ll be like me and have to work in a factory. The work is so hard and there is little money. You need to know English even if you want to be a bellboy at a high-end hotel. Do you not see the motto I wrote you?"


    Fu Lei''s father pointed to a piece of paper taped at the head of the bed.


    Fu Lei''s father dropped out of school after sixth grade. He managed to learn a skill and now worked in a factory. His mother only went to elementary school too and was now a cashier at a supermarket. The couple knew first-hand what problems no education would bring and wanted their son to study hard. Mao''s famous quote ''study hard and improve every day'' was their motto.


    Fu Lei''s father had the saying written in calligraphy and taped to Fu Lei''s bed. He looked towards the piece of paper, only to find it was sabotaged.


    The saying had been changed to ''study bad and improve none''.


    Fu Lei''s father was silent for a second, then took off his shoe and started beating the boy again.


    Zheng Tan could only see their legs from under the bed, however, he could tell from the sounds that Fu Lei was getting a good beating. However, he didn''t let out a sound.


    Fu Lei''s father was in a hurry to get back to work. He let go of the boy and wrote him an absence note. He signed his name on the note and pped it onto the table. He then left. The door shut after him with a bang.


    Zheng Tan came out from under the bed and looked at Fu Lei who was rubbing his behind. He looked at the note Fu Lei''s father left and shook his head. He had made up an excuse for his son.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know what to think about Fu Lei and his father. He did, however, believe Fu Lei''s dad was too extreme. If he knew what the job market would be like in ten years, Zheng Tan was curious what he would think.


    This was how society was though. Very few people were at the top of the social pyramid.


    Fu Lei''s father had a point, but he was notpletely right. Fu Lei''s future was in his own hands.


    Zheng Tan watched Fu Lei pocket his note and pack up his backpack in silence. It was clear this happened very often.


    The boy could take a lot of pain.


    Suddenly, Zheng Tan got an idea. Why not have Fu Lei run the fifteen hundred meter race?


    The boy ran to school every day, he had good stamina and was fast.


    The only problem was how to get Fu Lei to sign up for the race. He definitely knew about the sports tournament and would know that no one had signed up for long-distance running yet. Why hadn''t he signed up?


    Oh well, he''d leave it to Jiao Yuan to ask Fu Lei.


    Zheng Tan checked the clock on Fu Lei''s table. It was time for him to go home.


    "Are you leaving?" Fu Lei followed the cat and opened the front for him.


    Zheng Tan eyed him and memorized his apartment number before heading down the stairs.

 Chapter 114: Jiao Yuan, Your Cat

    Chapter 114: Jiao Yuan, Your Cat


    Fu Lei didn''t go to school until the afternoon. His parents didn''te home at noon so he always ate at the school cafeteria.


    Now that he was at home, he made do with leftovers and two buns he bought from a nearby store.


    He took a nap before finally leaving for school. The teacher epted his absence note without saying anything. It wasn''t the first time and it wouldn''t be thest.


    Fu Lei stared into space in the back of the ssroom. The person sitting next to him eximed how lucky he was to be able to skip ss. None of them could get absence notes from their parents.


    Fu Lei didn''t want to talk to his ssmates. His heart was heavy. He got off easy this morning because his father was busy. He wouldn''t be so lucky when he went home at night.


    He sighed. The bell rang so he took out his books and stared at the text.


    Halfway through the ss, Fu Lei saw a shadow on the window. He peered out and saw it was the ck cat.


    Zheng Tan had left the house with Youzi and Jiao Wei. He walked with Youzi to her school then came directly here. He jumped onto the window sill, and sure enough, Fu Lei was zoning out.


    He checked the rest of the ssroom, at least Jiao Yuan and his friends seemed to be paying attention in ss.


    The back window was closed, but a window near the front of the ssroom was open and Zheng Tan could hear the teacher clearly. To be fair, he could hear the teacher even if all the windows were closed.


    It was Chinese ss and the teacher was exining the dos and don''ts of writing.


    "Whether you are writing about a real event or a made-up one, be careful not to use single character names or write in any way that resembled Qiong Yao*."


    The teacher seemed very devoted, but sadly, many of the students were yawning. It was the first ss in the afternoon and many people were tired. Lunchtime was cut short after the national day holidays and most students didn''t have the time to take a nap. It was no wonder they were tired.


    When the bell rang, from those who were drifting off, some suddenly sat up and went outside for some fresh air, others nned to nap on their desks as soon as the teacher left.


    Zheng Tan jumped off the window sill the moment he heard the bell. He debated whether to go find Mama Jiao and Jiao Yuan while lying on the fence.


    Fu Lei saw that the ck cat had left so he opened the window to search for it. Xiong Xiong came over.


    He was asking everyone if they wanted to sign up for long-distance running. So far, he got nothing. They didps in gym ss so everyone knew what 800 meters and 1500 meters meant. No one wanted to sign up for the misery.


    The ss was full of people who were academics butcked jockeys. Xiong Xiong was setting his hopes on the people sitting in the back of the ss.


    People sometimes hesitated when they heard 800 meters, but all shook their heads at the 1500 meters race.


    "Hey, you, do you want to sign up for running?" Xiong Xiong asked Fu Lei.


    Before he finished his sentence, Fu Lei jumped up and ran out of the ssroom.


    "Who is he? How dare he!" Xiong Xiong was upset. This was his first time being ignored like that.


    "That''s Fu Lei. He''s very good at fighting. He can skip ss and the teachers won''t say anything," the person sitting next to Fu Lei answered. He was somewhat gleeful. Everyone knew Xiong Xiong''s background. Their homeroom teacher actedpletely differently around him.


    Xiong Xiong tutted and turned to leave. He identally nced out of the window and caught sight of a ck cat sitting on the fence.


    Xiong Xiong didn''t think much about it and returned to his seat. He said to Jiao Yuan, "I just saw a cat outside the window, it looks kinda like your cat."


    Jiao Yuan, however, sat up when he heard this. He knew what his cat was capable of. When he entered middle school, he had wondered if Charcoal woulde visit. So far the cat hadn''te yet. He quickly asked, "Where?"


    Xiong Xiong pointed at the window in the back of the ssroom.


    Jiao Yuan didn''t go to the back of the ssroom, there were too many people there. He opened the window at the front of the room and looked out.


    Zheng Tan was thinking on top of the fence when Fu Lei came running out.


    The fence was a bit too high, Fu Lei couldn''t climb up it nor could he touch the top. So he stood there and talked to Zheng Tan. He took out a bag of peanuts to share with the cat but Zheng Tan wasn''t interested in peanuts. He just stayed there listening to Fu Leiin about the beating that was sure to happen that night.


    "Charcoal!"


    Zheng Tan suddenly heard someone call his name. He looked over and saw Jiao Yuan waving to him from a window.


    Zheng Tan walked along the fence till he faced Jiao Yuan''s window directly.


    "F*ck! It really is you!"


    To Xiong Xiong, all ck cats look the same, but Jiao Yuan recognized the cat the moment it turned to him. He was sure when the cat walked toward him.


    Jiao Yuan ran out of the ssroom and quickly came to the fence. He was curious to see Fu Lei standing nearby but didn''t ask. He needed to know why his cat was here.


    "Charcoal, why are you here? Does Papa know? Where''s your cat tag?"


    Jiao Yuan fired out a string of questions that amazed Fu Lei. He looked at Jiao Yuan then at the cat. He would never have guessed it was Jiao Yuan''s cat. No wonder it always came to their ssroom.


    The bell indicating the start of the next ss rang.


    "Don''t go away. Wait until the end of ss."


    Jiao Yuan ran back to the ssroom. Fu Lei tucked the rest of the peanuts back into his pocket and followed Jiao Yuan back.


    All through ss, Jiao Yuan kept peering out of the window. The teacher red at him.


    As for Fu Lei, he was still zoning out. He did some drawing on his textbook and looked out of the window again. The cat was still on the fence. He didn''t understand, didn''t Jiao Yuan and his friends all live inside Chuhua University? Why would his cate all the way here? How did it travel so far?


    Zheng Tan bathed in the afternoon sunlight and took a nap until the bell rang again.


    He was used to the musical bell at the elementary school, this bell sounded too harsh.


    Jiao Yuan came outside directly after ss. He wanted to take Zheng Tan to find Mama Jiao but Zheng Tan didn''t move. Mama Jiao''s ssroom was on the second floor, who took a cat to the teacher''s office?


    Jiao Yuan realized his mistake, so he didn''t insist. He told Zheng Tan to be careful of a giant dog on campus. It was the security guard''s dog and it was quite hostile to other animals.


    Jiao Yuan kept talking for the entire ten minutes between sses.


    Zheng Tan, however, didn''t stay. He was bored and left to go home after Jiao Yuan went back inside.


    Fu Lei sat next to the window and watched Jiao Yuan with his cat. He was envious that Jiao Yuan''s cat came to visit him at school. His parent had a difficult time raising him. They could never get a pet.


    When sses ended again, Jiao Yuan looked outside and didn''t see his cat. He made sure the cat had left, before asking to talk to Fu Lei outside.


    He was shocked to learn from Fu Lei that his cat had been here yesterday and had gone to Fu Lei''s home this morning.

 Chapter 115: Lead The Way

    Chapter 115: Lead The Way


    Jiao Yuan felt Fu Lei was a nice person despite what everyone said about him. He praised Charcoal which greatly pleased Jiao Yuan.


    After talking about the cat, Jiao Yuan told Fu Lei, "I heard you can fight."


    "Not really. I just get in fights a lot." Fu Lei wanted to be humble. After all, he lost a lot in his fights.


    "Can you run then?"


    Xiong Xiong hade out by this time. He heard Jiao Yuan''s question and looked at Fu Lei hopefully.


    Fu Lei wanted to say he wasn''t a runner but was forced by the situation to answer yes.


    He regretted it immediately. To him, running was a waste of time. He would much rather practice his punches on bean bags.


    Xiong Xiong forgot he was upset with Fu Lei and draped his arm around Fu Lei''s shoulders. He took out his list of names and said, "Why don''t you sign up for the 800-meter run? We believe in you. Here, write your name here, then write 800 meters behind your name."


    800 meters, Fu Lei visualized the length. He nodded and wrote 800 meters after his name.


    Xiong Xiong was grinning so hard his eyes were slits. "Why don''t you write down 1500 meters too?"


    Fu Lei rolled his eyes. What a scoundrel.


    "Well, I''m pushing it too far aren''t I?" Xiong Xiong took back the list. He got a name down for the 800-meter race, it was something.


    On their way home after school, Jiao Yuan''s group ran into Fu Lei. However, Fu Lei wasn''t riding a bike, so Jiao Yuan''s group left after waving hello.


    Jiao Yuan told Papa Jiao about what happened. Papa Jiao didn''t seem surprised. The cat often went to the pet center by himself. That was even farther away than Jiao Yuan''s middle school. He was, however, pleased the cat could find his way there without any help.


    "Sadly my office is on the second floor. All the English teachers use the same office so I can''t let Charcoal in." Mama Jiao said.


    "Don''t worry about it. He went there on his walks, he can just walk home afterward. I haven''t heard of anyone trafficking cats in this area. He should be fine."


    After dinner, Jiao Yuan went to the track fields with his friends. Zheng Tan and Youzi went to watch and maybe run ap or two in the meantime.


    Jiao Yuan and his friends didn''t start running right away. They all just had dinner, so they needed to warm up first. They started chatting while they rested. Fu Lei became the topic of their conversation. Though there were all kinds of rumors surrounding Fu Lei, the group kind of liked him. Jiao Yuan liked him because he was kind to Charcoal, the rest of the group liked him because he signed up for the 800-meter race.


    "Should we invite him over to train with us tomorrow?" Lan Tianzhu asked. "Do you guys know his phone number? We could ask him first."


    "I only have a list of names." Xiong Xiong checked his watch, "It''s only seven. We could go to his house now."


    They normally went home around 8, which meant they still had an hour left.


    "That could work too. Where does he live?" Su An asked.


    Xiong Xiong shrugged, "I don''t know. Don''t look at me."


    No one knew where he lived, but he didn''t ride a bike to school so they felt he should live close by.


    "I know how to find him." Jiao Yuan suddenly jumped off the parallel bars. He waved to Youzi and the ck cat, "Come over here for a second Charcoal!"


    Zheng Tan heard Jiao Yuan calling out to him. He looked at Youzi and shook his tail. He didn''t want to go over there. There was always something up with these boys.


    "Charcoal, you know where Fu Lei lives right?" Jiao Yuan asked. "Lead the way if you do."


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears, what did these boys want to do?


    Xiong Xiong and the rest of the group didn''t believe a cat could lead the way, but Charcoal really did start walking.


    Jiao Yuan followed him. Youzi didn''t want to go home just yet, so she rode her bike along the rest of the group. She left her bike in the bike shed near the side gate.


    "Jiao Yuan, does your cat really know the way? It won''t lead us to some female cat, will it?" Xiong Xiong asked while looking left and right.


    It wasn''tpletely dark yet but the streetmps were all lit. There were a lot of people on the street, so the kids were not so much afraid as dubious.


    Jiao Yuan tutted, but he wasn''t so sure himself.


    Zheng Tan led the way in the front of the group. After a while, Xiong Xiong startedining again.


    "I thought you said he lived nearby. Why aren''t we there yet?"


    The other kids were voicing their doubt too.


    Zheng Tan ignored them all. He just needed to focus on leading them there.


    Zheng Tan crossed the street and headed to the old residential neighborhood where Fu Lei lived.


    There were elderly people taking strolls in the neighborhood. They were surprised to see the group of kids and asked why they were here. Jiao Yuan told them.


    "Fu Lei? Oh, that boy lives in that building over there. I think the family lives on the fourth floor." The man pointed to a building nearby.


    So he really lived here!


    The kids exchanged a look then looked at the cat again. They were truly surprised. Jiao Yuan''s cat really was something. No wonder it was the leader of all the eastern quarter cats.


    Fu Lei''s family had just finished dinner.


    His parents came home veryte every day, so they always had dinnerte.


    Fu Lei''s mother got up to clear the table. She could tell by the look on her husband''s face that Fu Lei was in for a beating tonight. He didn''t like to be disrupted when he was trying to educate Jiao Yuan.


    Fu Lei had three bowls of rice. He always tried to eat more when he knew his father was going to beat him. He felt he recovered faster if he ate more.


    "Come over here!" Fu Lei''s father motioned his son to him.


    He dragged to a chair over and sat down. He raised his hand ready to p his son when there was a sudden knock at the door.


    Fu Lei''s father didn''t want other people to see him educating his child. He wanted to show others the good side of his family. However, he was already on the verge of exploding. He sat there and didn''t move.


    Fu Lei''s mother sighed. She put down the dishes, wiped the water off her hands and went to open the door.


    She was surprised to see a group of kids about her son''s age outside. She had thought it was the neighborsing to borrow something.


    "Is this Fu Lei''s house?" Jiao Yuan asked.


    "Yes, and you kids are?" Fu Lei''s mother quickly answered. She was worried her son had caused more trouble at school. These kids didn''t look like schoolyard bullies.


    Zheng Tan went ignored everyone and entered the house. He saw right away Fu Lei was in his room with his father. Was Fu Lei''s father about to beat him? It seemed they hade right in time.


    Fu Lei and his father were surprised to see the visitors. He hadn''t expected Jiao Yuan to visit. The ck cat jumped onto a chair and looked like he was ready for the show.


    "Um, they are?" Fu Lei''s father managed to squeeze out a smile, pping Fu Lei on the back of his head as he asked.


    Like his mother, Fu Lei''s dad thought his son had beaten up his ssmates again. He thought of his bank ount. He had just received this month''s sry, so he should have enough to pay any hospital charges.


    "Hello. We are Fu Lei''s ssmates and we''re here to discuss the uing sports tournament." Xiong Xiong answered. He showed Fu Lei''s father the list in his hand and pointed at Fu Lei''s name.


    Fu Lei was lost. Why would theye to his house just to discuss some sports tournament? It got him out of a beating though.


    Fu Lei''s mother quickly found chairs for the visitors. She took out some snacks.


    This was the first time Fu Lei had visitors. Some of these kids were members of the ssmittee too!


    Fu Lei''s father managed to find out these kids live inside Chuhua University. He immediately smiled. Fu Lei never saw him smile like that. He wasn''t even sure his father was capable of such approachability.


    Fu Lei''s mother was embarrassed. She knew these kids all came from families that had more money than them. She was worried they would look down on them. However, she found out that they showed no contempt. They were a bit ill-at-ease at first but all settled down fairly quickly.


    Zheng Tan knew why.


    Most of the professors living in the eastern quarters lived frugal lifestyles, especially those who were retired. They might not be as tight on money as Fu Lei''s family, but their homes were not that different.


    Besides, although these kids could be proud, they were well mannered. Zheng Tan knew them well.


    "He is our hope in the 800-meter race." Xiong Xiong pointed to Fu Lei.


    Fu Lei''s father waved his hand, "Don''t worry about it. He can do both the 800 meters and the 1500 meters. That''s all he can do anyways!"


    Fu Lei rolled his eyes. Who said that about their own kid?


    Xiong Xiong''s eyes lit up when he heard 1500 meters. He quicklyid the list of names on the table and handed Fu Lei a pen. "If your father says you can do it, I''m sure you''ll be fine. You really are the hope of the ss!"


    Fu Lei hesitated. He didn''t want to do it, but his father pped him again.


    "Why are you hesitating? Do you not understand collective glory? A collective, collective you understand? You should pitch in whenever you can." Fu Lei''s father red at him.


    Fu Lei''s mouth twitched. He didn''t agree with his father but still took the [pen and wrote 1500 meters after his name.


    The trip had paid off! Xiong Xiong was very happy. Life was looking much brighter in his eyes. He looked forward to tomorrow!


    The group moved into Fu Lei''s room.


    "Sh*t Fu Lei, your room is even messier than mine!" Xiong Xiong looked around at the mess. He suddenly felt Fu Lei was one of them. Why would a man clean his room? No one saw it anyways.


    Xiong Xiong said it out loud. It was better than pretending not to notice.


    However, Fu Lei''s parents still blushed. It was embarrassing!


    The kids were all in Fu Lei''s room, Zheng Tan, however, stayed in the living room.


    "Why did these kids bring a cat?" Fu Lei''s father asked his wife quietly.


    "Maybe they are walking the cat?" She wasn''t sure either.


    "Even a professor''s cat is different." Fu Lei''s father took out a cigarette but controlled himself when he remembered there were kids here.


    The couple could go out for a walk now. They sat in their living room and stared at the cat.


    Fu Lei''s father got up and took out the fish head and put it in front of Zheng Tan.


    "Here, eat!"


    Zheng Tan was speechless. Fathers and sons really were alike.


    He ignored the food and moved to a different chair.


    "No wonder this is a professor''s cat. Is this what they mean by not taking food that was given with pity?" Fu Lei''s father examined Zheng Tan.


    This bothered Zheng Tan greatly, so he went into Fu Lei''s room.


    The kids were listening to Fu Lei tell stories of his ''childhood''. Xiong Xiong envied his experience in his vige dojo.


    They stayed for half an hour. Jiao Yuan reminded them they would be in trouble if they went home toote.


    "It''s toote tonight and we need to go home," Jiao Yuan said.


    "Let''s discuss the rest at school tomorrow. Oh, right,e train with us tomorrow."


    Xiong Xiong was still babbling on. Zheng Tan was growing impatient. It was getting dark. He didn''t know if the area was safe and wanted to leave when there were still plenty of pedestrians. If they ran into bullies, there was nothing he could do. There were girls in the group too.


    Fu Lei''s father got his coat. "It''ste, I''ll take you guys home. Chuhua University isn''t far."


    Zheng Tan left out a sigh of relief. The kids would be safe now.


    Fu Lei went with them. He and his father walked along with the group of kids toward Chuhua University. The ck cat walked alongside them. Fu Lei asked Jiao Yuan about the cat which got Jiao Yuan talking.


    The kids chatted andughed. In no time, they arrived at the side gate of campus.


    Youzi went to fetch her bike and allowed Zheng Tan to jump into the front basket.


    Jiao Yuan and his friends ran after Youzi''s bike all the way back to the eastern quarters.


    Fu Lei''s father watched the kids leave. He then stared for a while at the words on the gate. He pped Fu Lei on the back of the head again. "Be nice to them. It will do you no harm."


    Fu Lei didn''t say anything.


    "Did you hear me?!" Fu Lei''s father pped him again.


    "I heard pping people on the back of the head make them stupid," Fu Lei squeezed the sentence out through gritted teeth.


    "You rascal..." Fu Lei''s father was going to p him again, but stopped himself. He thought about it, then pped his son on the shoulder.


    As someone who hadn''t had much schooling, Fu Lei''s father had a special obsession with universities. He stood there in front of the gate and sighed.


    He would never have a chance to attend university in this lifetime, so he wanted his son to be able to enter college. He might be strict, but he never expected his son to be able to go to any good school, let alone Chuhua University. He would be satisfied if Fu Lei got into any college.


    The next day, Fu Lei agreed to go to Chuhua University to train with Jiao Yuan and his friends. The tournament was soon, they needed to hurry up.


    Fu Lei finished dinner. He picked up his backpack and got ready to leave. His father was going with him. If they trained till night, he didn''t want his son to walk home alone. On the other hand, he wanted to see the campus. He never got a chance to do so, since he was always busy at work.


    Jiao Yuan had told them where the track field was. They would be able to ask for direction if they couldn''t find it. However, they found the ck cat waiting for them at the gate.


    Zheng Tan stretched. He led the father and son to the track field. He had waited for them because he knew even students of the university couldn''t differentiate between all the track fields on campus. He didn''t want them to get lost.


    "What a cat!" Fu Lei''s father eximed.


    Fu Lei twitched his mouth. He already knew this the first time he saw the cat outside the window.

 Chapter 116: The Cat On The Commanders Post

    Chapter 116: The Cat On The Commander''s Post


    Jiao Yuan and his friends were warming up when Zheng Tan led Fu Lei and his father over. People were used to seeing them here by now and woulde to say hello and share childhood stories.


    Zheng Tan jumped onto the bleachers and sat next to Youzi to watch them train.


    Today, they were practicing the 400-meter ry. They need to figure out the order in which they would be running.


    Xiong Xiong was discussing running with Fu Lei, whilst Fu Lei''s father stood beside them and watched. He sat on the lowest level of the bleachers and was deep in thought.


    The group ran twops together. Fu Lei kept running while the rest of them stopped to rest. By the look of things, Fu Lei could do at least a few moreps.


    Fu Lei''s father was smiling. He was proud, at least his son still had merits.


    Fu Lei finished an entire fourps before stopping. Zheng Tan could tell he could keep going but this was his first run of the day and it made sense for him to reserve some energy.


    They trained again for thest time on Thursday and focused on practicing the ry. Another kid who lived in the area was there too. Together with Jiao Yuan, Lan Tianzhu, and Fu Lei, the four formed the team for the 400-meter ry. Fu Lei was the fastest of the group, so he was assigned to runst. Xiong Xiong knew himself well and resigned himself to just signing up for shot put.


    On Friday, Youzi begrudgingly went to school after Mama Jiao and Jiao Yuan left. She was going to have to miss the 800-meter and 1500-meter races.


    Zheng Tan walked her to school, then quickly jogged to Jiao Yuan''s school.


    A house cat was licking its paw on the fence. It had probably just finished hunting and was in the process of cleaning. Suddenly, it felt movement behind it. When the cat turned, a ck figure flew over its head. It saw the figurend behind it and run ahead. The cat stared for a few moments then went back to licking its paw.


    Zheng Tan increased his speed as he got closer to Jiao Yuan''s school. Arge cat was yawning ahead of him. He picked up some more speed and jumped over it.


    The cat had gotten up to stretch but was startled by Zheng Tan and almost fell off the fence. It steadied itself, then scratched its ear as it watched Zheng Tan ran away. It shook its head and resumed people-watching


    People wereing and going on the street. No one took the time to notice the running ck cat. They were all too used to the cats on the fence. It made no difference if the cat was white or ck.


    Here people and cats all had their own lives and went about them uninterrupted.


    When Zheng Tan reached Jiao Yuan''s school, the opening ceremony had already started. Students were standing in phnxes in their uniforms.


    Zheng Tan surveyed the ground, he didn''t find any high trees from where he could watch the tournament. His eyes fell on the wall behind themander''s post. The wall was covered by a giant poster, but it was high.


    Zheng Tan walked over and checked the wall from the side. It wasn''t thick but he could manage to sit on top of it steadily enough.


    The principal was still droning on on themander''s post. ''I only have a few words to say'' had turned into a full-on twenty-minute speech. Most of the students were growing impatient and started to chat among themselves. When their ssroom teacher red at them, the chatting would pause for a few minutes before resuming. Zheng Tan could feel their resentment.


    However, the students'' attention was drawn by the ck cat heading over to themander''s post. They started staring at the cat. The chatting even stopped. This was much more interesting than listening to the principal talk.


    Jiao Yuan was chatting with Su An in their codenguage when Fu Lei, who was standing behind him, poked him in the back. He motioned ahead, "Look!"


    Jiao Yuan was puzzled but he looked to where Fu Lei had indicated. His cat was on the bleachers and was heading over to themander''s post.


    Su An and the rest of the gang saw this as well. Though there were many ck cats, they could all tell this was Jiao Yuan''s cat immediately. No other cat could walk over to themander''s post so calmly in front of such arge group.


    Jiao Yuan''s eyes twitched. He heard about what happened at military training from Jiao Wei. Charcoal was definitely looking for a spot to observe them. He just wished he wouldn''t cause amotion.


    Zheng Tan didn''t worry about what anyone was thinking and jumped onto the wall. The banner on top of the wall partially covered him, so only a ck cat head was visible to the students.


    The principal hadn''t realized what happened and kept talking. "Remember friendship first, winninges second..."


    Zheng Tan yawned. He didn''t buy into all this crap. If there wasn''t any friendship to begin with, then surely winning came first. How can there be friendship among people who don''t even know each other?


    People say yawning is contagious. After seeing the cat yawn, the bored students, who didn''t rest wellst night because of over-excitement, started feeling tired too.


    Zheng Tan yed with the banner and looked down at the principal''s bald head. Was that the result of stress?


    Finally, the speech was over and the tournament officially began. Everyone sighed a sigh of relief. The principal was still sitting on themander''s post and would serve as a judge for the first event.


    The first event, however, was broadcast gymnastics. This was a seventh grade only event. The ten sses drew a lot to determine the order in which they performed. This was fairer. People couldn''tin since it was all based on luck.


    Jiao Yuan''s ss was going fourth, which was not bad.


    The juniors and seniors left the field. Some warmed up on the side, others looked on as the seventh graders did what they all had to do when they first entered middle school. Most of them believed doing broadcast gymnastics waspletely stupid.


    Zheng Tan watched on his wall.


    Everyone was trying their hardest. It was a contest after all and the principal was watching. They wanted to do every move perfectly which resulted in stiffness. Add serious but naive smiles to the equation, the whole show made Zheng Tanugh.


    He wanted to see Jiao Yuan''s ss. They were standing aside getting ready. Xiong Xiong was leading the pack.


    The people standing in front would be the lead gymnasts. All the other sses chose a pretty girl, yet this ss chose a beast.


    When it was their turn, Zheng Tan felt Jiao Yuan and his friends were stiff even before they began.


    Jiao Yuan on the other hand finally knew how Jiao Wei felt during his military training. It made him ufortable knowing his cat was watching. Somehow, it felt like the cat was waiting tough at him? Thankfully the other cats didn''te.


    The music started and Xiong Xiong, in his uniform and white gloves, started to move.


    People mostly thought to have Xiong Xiong lead was a mistake on their ssroom teacher''s part. However, she was wise. Most of the judges, who were officials in the school, knew Xiong Xiong''s mother and therefore knew Xiong Xiong.


    The principal who was sitting in the middle was looking at him with a smile. The earlier lead gymnasts did not get a smile.


    Unfortunately, Xiong Xiong was too focused to notice the principal. Zheng Tan wanted tough.


    Each ss had five minutes, the event was over in an hour. Jiao Yuan''s ss won first ce. Their teacher smiled. Zheng Tan felt there were deeper meanings behind that smile.


    The rest of the more serious events began.


    The first day was the hundred-meter and fifteen hundred meter races. Jiao Yuan wasn''tpeting today.


    Xiong Xiong had wanted to sigh Fu Lei up for the 100-meter race as well, but everyone was limited to two events. Thankfully the person running the race was pretty good. The teacher asked them to try to make it into the top eight. Only the top eight got scores. First ce got 9 points, the eighth-ce got 1. Points are doubled for the ry.


    The hundred-meter race had preliminaries, while the 1500-meter race didn''t.


    Fu Lei was warming up on the side. He was about to go on soon. Jiao Yuan and his group surrounded him. Everyone else was sitting in the ss''s designated area, either watching the race or writing encouragement notes to be read in front of the school.


    The school officials had all left and the school broadcaster took their ce. Some students wanted to poke Zheng Tan but the wall was too high. They threw paper balls at him and Zheng Tan yed p the ball with a few girls out of boredom.


    Mama Jiao found Jiao Yuan and pointed at the cat, "Why is Charcoal here?"


    Jiao Yuan shrugged, "He never misses an opportunity for some fun."

 Chapter 117: What Had He Missed?

    Chapter 117: What Had He Missed?


    After the 100-meter race preliminaries, the 1500-meter race began.


    Everyone in Jiao Yuan''s ss knew the person running the race was the bad kid who supposedly fought a lot and skipped ss regrly. They didn''t quite want to cheer for him, but this was the only event that morning. The 100-meter race was in the afternoon.


    Most of their ssmates were chatting and gossiping, only Jiao Yuan''s little group surrounded Fu Lei. Fu Lei did not care if the rest of his ss cheered for him. They were irrelevant in his eyes.


    Zheng Tanid sideways on his wall. The world was turned ny degrees. Sometimes the wind tickled his fur, so he twitched his ears.


    The race had just begun. Fu Lei hadn''t managed to put distance between himself and the rest of the contestants. The runners ran in a line on the innermostne. Fu Lei was near the back, but Zheng Tan could tell he wasn''t nervous.


    No a lot of people cheered during the firstp. Slowly, however, during the second and thirdp, the athletes were not running so close to each other anymore. The people in their sses were starting to worry.


    By the thirdp, some of the runners dropped out; others managed to keep running slowly in the back.


    Fu Lei was fifth in the group. His ssmates were getting excited. If he got fifth, they still can get four points.


    By the fourthp, people were cheering like mad. The school tracks were three hundred something meters long. They needed to run fourps and a bit toplete the 1500 meters. Many of the runners liked to sprint during thestp. First ce and second ce were starting their end spurt. People behind him were picking up speed as well, except Fu Lei.


    When he was about to be surpassed, his ssmates started to worry. Most of them couldn''t sit on the bleachers and watch anymore. They all moved to the side of the tracks and started cheering for him.


    Zheng Tan looked towards Jiao Yuan. His little group were growing red in the face but managed to stay quiet. They waited until Fu Lei started to speed up to start yelling. They were cheering with such might that it looked like they wanted to run in his ce.


    The finish line was being set up. Fu Lei was running faster and faster. Fourth ce and third ce were feeling the pressure. They wanted to speed up more but just couldn''t do it.


    Jiao Yuan started chanting Fu Lei''s name, the rest of his ssmates followed his move. Shi Rui ran onto themander''s post and took the announcer''s microphone. The announcers red at her, but she didn''t care.


    Some of the eighth and ninth graders cheered with them but had to ask who Fu Lei was.


    Someone told them that, judging by the cheers, he was either one of the top two or the guy running ahead from behind like his life depended on it.


    For the first time in his life, Fu Lei felt validated. He listened to all those people cheering for him.


    It was the first time his name was yelled out by so many people without disdain or contempt; he was instead the hope of the ss.


    He used to scoff at the concept of collective honor. However, today he understood it. It was real, and he felt it. Some things matured with time. There was no need to do anything, or express anything.


    He felt the passion for winning again. It was like he was back in his vige dojo and he was pinning for the wooden cup. This time it was for something greater though.


    Zheng Tan watched Fu Lei pass the person in second ce. He was still going and closing in on the person running in first ce.


    He really was something, Zheng Tan thought to himself.


    Zheng Tan heard Jiao Yuan mention that two of the athletespeting in the race were members of the school''s sports club. They were probably the two kids running in first and second ce.


    ss one was cheering louder than ever. They couldn''t control their emotions. Everyone was drawn to the race and was cheering.


    An announcer tried to take the microphone back from Shi Rui, but she turned and managed to avoid the person''s hand. Some of the other sses wereining that the school broadcasters were favoring ss one. They were the real victims here! They didn''t try to take back the microphone again; Shi Rui was clearly not letting go.


    Zheng Tan chuckled then looked back to the tracks. It was thest fifty meters.


    The student who managed to be first for most of the race was sprinting like he hadn''t already run 1450 meters. No wonder he made varsity. However, Fu Lei still ran past him and won by two steps.


    He didn''t manage to break any records, but winning first ce was surprising enough to his ssmates that they cheered and cheered. None of them thought they could evene close to winning.


    Zheng Tan watched as Fu Lei left the tracks surrounded by his ssmates and shook his tail.


    This was a good start.


    The race was the first actual event of the day, and they had won. Their ssroom teacher was looking at Fu Lei with such a calm smile that he felt shivers. He was much more used to her being serious.


    The hundred meter finals began.


    Those that did well left like a hero surrounded by people. Those that didn''t make it in the top eight were a different story.


    Zheng Tan went home at noon. He needed to have lunch with Youzi. He came back in the afternoon. Fu Lei still had the 800-meter race in the afternoon. He had a tough day ahead.


    Besides Fu Lei, Xiong Xiong and Lan Tianzhu werepeting too. There were lots of events in the afternoon, but Zheng Tan was only interested in the ones that involved people he knew.


    Mama Jiao watched the family cat leave before taking all the kids, including Fu Lei, to the faculty cafeteria.


    When Zheng Tan came in the afternoon, the tournament had already begun. He jumped onto his wall and stretched. He liked the spot. No one could block his view.


    Xiong Xiong got second ce in the shot put contest and was deeply upset about it. Besides, when he was cheering for his friends, he kept a straight face. Su An and Lan Tianzhu participated in long-jump and high-jump and did ok. They didn''t make it into the top three but still came in fourth and fifth.


    As for the 800-meters, Fu Lei came in third. His ssmates had told him to take it easy because of what had happened that morning. The 1500 meters race had probably made him quite tired. Third ce was enough for the ss to be happy. They were still first in their year on the scoreboard.


    Zheng Tan went home early. He didn''t wait for Jiao Yuan and Mama Jiao. The boys had to stay for a bit longer.


    That night Jiao Yuan described today''s events to Youzi then went to bed early. He had to participate in the 400-meter race and the ry tomorrow.


    The next day the whole family went to watch the tournament. It was a Saturday, and they all deserved some rest.


    Zheng Tan sat with the family on the bleachers. Most of the parents from the quarters were there.


    Jiao Yuan came in second in his group during the preliminaries and made it to the finals. The entire group went out for lunch that day. Fu Lei''s parents didn''te, but he was brought along to the restaurant.


    The kids discussed the uing ry and changed their tactics.


    They measured the distance every runner had to run. The school had made a mistake and the second runner had to run a longer length. They decided to have Fu Lei go second and have Jiao Yuan who was also quite fast gost.


    Jiao Yuan came in third in the 400-meter finals. He was quite satisfied with himself. He hade in second in his group and fifth among all in the preliminaries. Being third meant he had performed better than in the morning.


    When every other event had ended, that meant thest and most important race was about to start.


    The girls of their ss had the highest points among all the sses and were probably going to do very well in the women''s ry. The boys were ranked second in points.


    Everyone in their ss wished the boys would do well in the ry so they would finish with two first ces. Even their homeroom teacher promised to buy them basketballs and other sports equipment if they came in first.


    Zheng Tan sat on Papa Jiao''s shoulder. The race had begun. Fu Lei was excellent at sprinting, he managed to give them a significant advantage.


    Some of the other sses were making mistakes, but all of the runners were trying their best.


    The afternoon sun was warm, and the race was heating up.


    Zheng Tan squinted his eyes in the sun.


    These two days might have been nothing unusual to some, but to him, it was almost life-changing.


    These two days, there weren''t good students or bad students. People who were fighting over trivial things the day earlier were helping each other; people who never crossed paths were cheering for each other.


    Zheng Tan thought back to when he was this age. He couldn''t recall much. The memories were a blur. He remembered there were sports tournaments at his middle school too, but he had managed to miss every single one. He would skip school with his friends and go to the arcade.


    He had never thought the event was worth participating. It happened every year after all. He didn''t understand why his ssmates put in such hard work and cried andughed. He believed no one would remember a sports tournament that happened in middle school when they went on with their lives.


    Now, however, what he thought was boring didn''t seem so dull anymore.


    Zheng Tan saw Fu Lei wipe a tear when Jiao Yuan helped him to the side of the tracks. He saw Xiong Xiong almost hit a judge when he threw the shot. He saw a long-jumper identally jump too hard, causing his pants to fall off.


    What did he miss those years?


    He looked at his furry paws, then at Jiao Yuan who was running as fast as he could, then at his ssmates who were cheering at the finish line.


    This time, he was only a bystander. He could watch these kids run, jump, yell andugh in the sun.


    He envied them.


    At this age, kids were simple. They didn''t think long-term. Their happiness and sadness were pure. They had just started a new chapter of their lives and were doing their best to color it bright.


    They might change as they grow older. These kids might learn to wear a mask and hide their emotions, but when they looked back some day in the future, these days would always shine.


    Life was too short and so much of it was lost in the tide that is time. The few shining moments that the memory managed to store would be wealth beyond imagination for the years toe.


    He felt a pat on his forehead. Zheng Tan looked up. Papa Jiao was looking down at him.


    "Charcoal, let''s go home."


    He took a deep breath and stretched. He yawned while squinting his eyes.


    It was time to go home.

 Chapter 118: A Very Noisy Parrot

    Chapter 118: A Very Noisy Parrot


    Jiao Yuan''s ss was immersed in the joy of being first in points. The kids wanted to celebrate at Jiao Wei''s family''s restaurant. Xiong Xiong missed the food there.


    Jiao Yuan''s gang, Shi Rui, Fu Lei and some of the other kids in the ss nned to go to the restaurant together. Their parents had agreed and Papa Jiao volunteered to chaperone the children so their parents didn''t all have toe.


    Xiong Xiong had gone to the washroom. The rest of the kids waited for him outside the gate.


    Zheng Tan was sitting on the fence. Jiao Yuan''s little group was chatting about how to use the prize money their teacher had awarded them. The money came from the ss fee so they obviously couldn''t use it to pay for dinner. So far, they were nning to use it to buy a basketball and a ser ball.


    "Let''s buy badminton sets too. They don''t have to be nice," Shi Rui added. The girls didn''t y basketball or ser. They preferred badminton and volleyball.


    Some of the teachers stopped to talk to Mama Jiao. They caught sight of Zheng Tan before they left and asked Mama Jiao, "Is that your cat?"


    "Yes. We brought him here for the tournament," Mama Jiao said.


    "No wonder." The teachers left.


    Papa Jiao asked what she meant. Mama Jiao exined to him what happened during the opening ceremony. Papa Jiao shook his head. Which other cat had the guts to jump onto the wall behind themander''s post whilst being watched by so many pairs of eyes?


    Xiong Xiong joined the group. Papa Jiao handed him his backpack and the bottle of juice his mother left him.


    "Let''s go, kids," Papa Jiao said to the group.


    The kids all rode their bikes. Those who didn''t have bikes, like Fu Lei, got rides from their ssmates. Mama Jiao rode her bike too. Papa Jiao didn''t drive today, the street was narrow and there were bound to be a lot of people, so parking would be difficult. He rode his scooter instead.


    Papa Jiao led the way on his scooter, Youzi riding with him. Zheng Tan sat in the basket of the scooter. He rested his chin on the edge of the basket.


    "Hey Jiao Yuan, your cat is so nice. I have a cat too. Whenever I put him in the basket of my bike, he fidgets like I put him in confinement. Even if I manage to get him to sit still, he jumps out the moment the bike started moving. We have to take him to the vet in a cage every time. By the way, what brand of cat food do you feed your cat? He looks strong," a friend of Jiao Yuan''s asked. He was in the ry as well.


    "Our cat is special. He doesn''t eat cat food so we just feed him what we eat." Jiao Yuan paused before saying, "I don''t think he takes food from strangers though."


    Jiao Yuan wasn''t quite sure of it, though he never saw his cat take food from other people.


    Fu Lei agreed with him, "He didn''t eat the fish head I gave himst time."


    "Can your cat catch mice?" the ssmate asked.


    "Of course!"


    The kids chatted all the way. They went from "whose cat was better" to "how to avoid sshing water when you pooped".


    The restaurant wasn''t far thankfully. Papa Jiao''s phone had run out of power so Mama Jiao had called ahead to mention they wereing. Jiao Wei''s father agreed and told them toe whenever they were ready.


    When they got there, they saw Jiao Wei''s father had closed the restaurant just for them.


    Jiao Wei had told his parents why they didn''t need to pay the "sanitation fee" anymore. He didn''t mention the part Zheng Tan yed in it and thanked mostly Wei Ling and Papa Jiao. His parents were very grateful and wanted to show their gratitude. They closed the restaurant so the kids could have a great celebratory party.


    "Where''s Jiao Wei?" Papa Jiao asked.


    "He joined some club and is working on who knows what. He didn''t go to bedst night until this morning and is probably still in his dorm. He said he wasing, though." Jiao Wei''s mother wiped off the water on her hands with her apron.


    Zheng Tan was sitting on a chair between Shi Rui and Youzi. They were ying cards with Mama Jiao. Jiao Yuan and the boys were standing outside chatting by their bikes. Even Fu Lei, who seldom talked, looked like he was enjoying himself.


    Zheng Tan lost interest in what they were saying very quickly. It was much more fun watching the girls y cards.


    Papa Jiao chatted with Jiao Wei''s parents beforeing over. He said to Mama Jiao, "We probably won''t start eating for at least a quarter of an hour. I''ll go get my charger. We need to drop all the kids off at hometer and I''m worried Yuanzi won''t be able to get in touch with me in an emergency."


    Mama Jiao was focused on the cards in her hand but nodded her acknowledgment.


    Zheng Tan jumped off the chair and followed Papa Jiao outside. It was boring in here so he might as well go with Papa Jiao.


    When they enter the eastern quarters, Zheng Tan heard a familiar voice immediately. He also saw someone he knew under a tree.


    When he just got back, Mama Jiao took him to the residential quarters of the hospital staff. This person lived there. His name was Bai Yang or something and Papa Jiao wanted him toe work at their bio firm. They managed to get him eventually with the promise of a high sry. Zheng Tan didn''t know the details and hadn''t seen the man for a long time.


    Bai Yang was having a bad day. He had to work on a Saturday for starters. When he came here to discuss something with Professor Jiao, he realized he hadn''t brought his cell phone. He had left it at work. He remembered Professor Jiao''s phone number but when the guard at the door tried to call him, the line was busy. The guard said a lot of the people went to a sports tournament at Chuhau middle school and won''t be back until dinner.


    Bai Yang decided to wait.


    Ever since he started raising his girlfriend''s cat, he felt closer to other cats too. He would stop to y with cats on the street sometimes and always got positive feedback. When he was waiting, a cat came out from behind the flower bed. It wasn''t one of the eastern quarter cats though.


    He plucked a stalk of grass and started beckoning the cat over. When it got close, it looked up then suddenly ran away like it saw a monster.


    Bai Yang heard a noise and looked up as well. A blue parrot with yellow-rimmed eyes looked down at him from a tree branch.


    The cat was gone but the parrot got his attention. Bai Yang looked around. He didn''t see its owner.


    Many parrots knew how to say "hello" and "goodbye", so Bai Yang looked at the parrot and said, "Hello!"


    The parrot cocked its head sideways then replied, "Hello!"


    Bai Yang found this interesting. He had seen people teach birds to talk at the market. This was the first time he saw it in person though.


    "Hello," he said again.


    The bird replied as well.


    "What''s your name?" Bai Yang asked. He didn''t expect the bird to understand him. To his surprise, the parrot responded.


    "What''s your name?" The blue parrot repeated his words.


    Bai Yangughed.


    "My name is Bai Yang," he answered while fully expecting the parrot to repeat after him.


    Sadly, he was wrong.


    The blue parrot shook its wings. If Zheng Tan was here, he would know what it intended on doing.


    Immediately, the parrot started singing.


    "A small por tree (note 1)~beside the sential~watching over the northernnds~~"


    Bai Yang was speechless.


    At first, he found this amusing. He had never seen a bird that could sing. This bird was quite good at it too. The enunciation was good and he was on key. However, the bird didn''t stop.


    It was fun the first time, mildly amusing the second time; by the third time, the singing was a nuisance.


    "Stop!" Bai Yang sighed.


    The parrot paused for a moment, then kept going.


    Bai Yang rubbed his forehead and took out a pack of cigarettes. He realized the parrot had stopped singing when he started smoking. He saw the parrot checking him out and suddenly had a bad feeling.


    "Light a cigarette~my heart leaving me like the smoke~~"


    This song was from the eighties or nies, wasn''t it?


    When Zheng Tan returned to the eastern quarters on Papa Jiao''s scooter, Bai Yang was standing there with a cigarette in his hand, but he wasn''t smoking. He looked like he wanted to die.


    The parrot was singing "pour you a ss of wine~your face is red like an apple~~"


    His face was red, but it was because of anger.


    Bai Yang managed topose himself when he saw Papa Jiao.


    "Professor Jiao, this bird..." Bai Yang pointed at the singing parrot and asked.


    "It belongs to a professor living in my building. Very smart bird... loves to sing."


    "I know...oh boy do I know." Bai Yang tossed his cigarette in a trash can. He thought cats were annoying before. Now, inparison, he thought his cat was an angel.


    Note:


    1. Bai Yang is Por tree in Chinese

 Chapter 119: 100% Organic

    Chapter 119: 100% Organic


    Zheng Tan waited downstairs while Papa Jiao and Bai Yang went upstairs.


    As for the bird, General didn''t sing when he didn''t have an audience. He stood on top of the tree and watched Zheng Tan. His eye lingered dangerously on Zheng Tan''s ear. Zheng Tan red at him menacingly and he flew away to look for a new audience. He had nned to bully the cat earlier but ran into Bai Yang instead. He preferred singing to bothering cats.


    Zheng Tan knew the bird too well. He kept his guard up because General would attack his ears if he got the chance. He only rxed when General left. He yawned. He hadn''t had dinner yet but was not very hungry. He had eaten some peanuts at the restaurant earlier and decided to take a nap while waiting for Papa Jiao.


    Before he could fall asleep, he heard a car honking at him. He opened his eyes and saw Fang Shaokang''s car heading this way. Fang poked his head out of the window and waved at Zheng Tan.


    He wasn''t driving today and had a driver with him. Zheng Tan had never met the man but he looked reliable. The driver showed no emotion when his boss waved at a cat.


    Zheng Tan stretched and shook his fur, then jumped off the tree upon which he had been resting and came to the side of the car.


    Fang did not get out of the car. He had his cellphone in one hand and motioned for Zheng Tan toe inside.


    Zheng Tan jumped into the car, then looked at Fang curiously. He knew Fang wasn''t here to take him out for some event, he would have notified the Jiao family first if that were the case. Only Wei Ling would drop by to take him to the Night Tower unannounced.


    Fang Shaokang examined the ck cat. "I see your whiskers have grown back nicely. You look much better now."


    Fangpared Zheng Tan to the picture he had taken on his phone and nodded. He managed to pocket his phone before Zheng Tan flipped it out of his hand. "I was passing by Chuhua University and decided to pay you guys a visit. I need to leave soon so I won''t be going upstairs."


    Fang Shaokang had called Professor Jiao earlier, or else he wouldn''t have known Zheng Tan was on a tree. He hadmunicated the details to Papa Jiao and only gave Zheng Tan the short version.


    Papa Jiao waved his hello from the balcony on the fifth floor, then went inside to continue his conversation with Bai Yang. He had just managed to charge his phone and turn it back on when he got a call from Fang. Fang exined there was an event on Saturday and he would like to borrow the cat.


    Bai Yang had heard parts of the call. He had learned that this cat was a special one during his time at thepany. Yuan Zhiyi had a pure ck lucky cat statue on his desk after all. The Mr. Fang Professor Jiao was talking to was probably the one from Shaoguang Group. He couldn''t believe that Mr. Fang called just to ask to take the cat to an event. Since when did cats goworking? The cat was busier than most humans!


    Downstairs in the car, Fang exined he wanted to take Zheng Tan somewhere that Saturday to meet some people and that his driver would be here to pick him up. Fang himself obviously didn''t have the time. The driver who got the task was the man driving now.


    "This is Tong Qing. I came here to introduce him to you. He''s very nice and quite capable. He can drive and fight but is just a little bit too quiet." He pointed at the man in the driver''s seat and said to Zheng Tan. He then told the driver to memorize Zheng Tan. There were lots of ck cats in the world and he could easily bring the wrong cat. However, Fang knew that once they got familiar there was no way to confuse Zheng Tan with other cats.


    During this whole process, the driver Tong Qing''s face didn''t betray any emotions. He did have the slightest trace of doubt in his eyes though. He didn''t understand why his boss was talking to a cat. Did the cat understand him?


    Tong Qing started working for Fang in Chuhua after the national day holidays. He used to drive for Fang Shaokang in the capital. Fang felt the man was reliable and could take the shock that was Zheng Tan. Tong Qing was a man who could ept Zheng Tan and keep a secret.


    Zheng Tan didn''t care, he trusted Fang. He was happy as long as the guy wasn''t like Long Qi.


    Fang left after he told Zheng Tan of his ns. Zheng Tan watched Fang Shaokang''s car leave. He waited on the tree for Papa Jiao and they went to dinner together.


    The next week, Mama Jiao tried her best to make Charcoal look like an expensive and precious cat. She had been to Mr. Guo''s multiple times to discuss Zheng Tan. She learned that Fang was taking him to an event and assumed it was better for Fang to show up with an expensive cat.


    Most famous people were not like Fang and preferred rare breed pets.


    It wasn''t that Mama Jiao looked down on house cats, she just didn''t want Zheng Tan to beughed at. No one would say anything in front of Fang, but she still didn''t want anyone to look at her cat in disdain. She worked her best to dress Zheng Tan up in that week.


    Sadly, Zheng Tan was not interested in what Mama Jiao was up to. He had short fur and a pet beauty spa at Mr. Guo didn''t change him much. He didn''t want to wear clothes either. He had an organic fur coat already. Why would he ever need clothes?


    Papa Jiao was much calmer. He didn''t quite know what Fang was thinking but trusted him to look after the cat.


    Zheng Tan wasn''t worried either. He was going to a party as far as he was concerned. It wasn''t his first time going to a party after all.


    While Mama Jiao was trying to doll up Zheng Tan, Zhao Le was in Fang Shaokang''s office discussing the party on Saturday. She had received an invitation as well. Her father was busy so she would attend in his ce. She had run into Professor Jiao earlier that week and learned that Charcoal was going too. She didn''t quite understand why Fang had invited Zheng Tan.


    Zhao Le knew that among the people attending the party, there were a few who liked pets and brought their pets everywhere. However, their pets were all special breed animals. Charcoal was a in house cat.


    Though she knew it was awful to think like that, she too agreed with Mama Jiao. However, she knew Fang well. The man definitely thought out of the box, and though his actions sometimes seemed in bizarre, they always made sense in the end. He was a legend because he thought ahead of everyone.


    By the third day, she just couldn''t control her curiosity anymore and came to Fang''s office.


    Fang finished reading a report before saying to Zhao Le, "I had a chat with your fatherst week and he mentioned an interesting story. To transport a live fish like sardines, which love to stay still but also can easily suffocate, shipmasters keep a meat-eating catfish into the fish tank."


    "The catfish effect, I know." Zhao Le knew the concept, it was often used in business management.


    Fang Shaokang nodded and continued, "Don''t you think these parties are boring? It''s the same people every single time. People smile, shake hands, and endure hours of formalities."


    Was it boring? Zhao Le didn''t think so. Sure there was a lot of praising going around in these parties, but they provided a chance towork and form new business partnerships. Weren''t these parties always like this? Did Fang want to add some chaos to the party?


    "Anyway, I heard this story and thought your father was too right!" Fang pushed the cat-shaped tumbler on his table.


    Zhao Le was speechless. He got the meaning of the story wrong.


    "That''s not what my father meant!" Zhao Le emphasized. This was no joke. She couldn''t have her father taking the me if something happened.


    When Mr. Zhao told this story he meant Fang was the catfish. His rare and bizarre ideas stimted the industry. He was weird and brilliant at the same time. He looked at things from a different angle and saw problems in a different way.


    Fang looked at the tumbler on his table and rubbed the back of his neck. He recited a few names on the list of invitees. "These parties are formic. They are too boring."


    "There''s going to be chaos!" Zhao Le said seriously. She thought of the people who wereing and her head hurt. She was worried there would be hell to pay. It wasn''t just Charcoal. Even if he didn''te, the party wouldn''t be a peaceful one.


    "Don''t worry about it. I have faith."


    Just like that, Saturday was upon them.


    After breakfast, the driver arrived right on time.


    Zheng Tan refused to wear the clothes Mama Jiao bought him. He even left his cat tag at Fatty''s house.


    He jumped into the car through the window, theny down in afortable position.


    Like Fang Shaokang had said, Tong Qing was a man with a strong stomach. He was quiet though. He didn''t talk or even y music while he drove. He only turned on the traffic channel once in a while. He was a driver and drive was all he did. He was the opposite of Wei Ling, who talked all the time.


    They were going to a destination some distance away from Chuhua University. Shaoguang Group had built a neighborhood of vis and was holding a celebratory party.


    The people guarding the gates knew Tong Qing and the car. They peered inside but didn''t see anyone. They were curious because the boss was here already but didn''t have time to ask. They had other responsibilities.


    Tong Qing parked the car, then actually got off to open the door for Zheng Tan.


    He was very pleased - he hadn''t expected this kind of treatment after he became a cat. Wei Ling always let him jump out the window.


    However, his excitement didn''tst. People were gathering around the car to check out the people exiting. Even if it was just a pet, it might be a rare breed. The cat that had juste out of an earlier car was a leopard cat with a cat tag made of diamonds.


    The peopleing out of this car, however, were much different.


    The driver was an ordinary driver.


    The cat was a house cat. It didn''t even have a nice name tag.


    To these people, Zheng Tan was basically naked. The look in their eyes said it all. They couldn''t believe a cat like this could attend this party.


    People felt that such a cat was beneath them. Why would someone bring a regr house cat to a party like this? They held their tongues though. Who knew who the owner was? Maybe the person just liked house cats.


    Zheng Tan wanted to roll his eyes as well. Why was a cat judged by his cor or tag or stupid clothes?


    Did a tux make a cat a gentleman cat? Would a suit of armor make a cat more majestic?


    F*ck that!


    This was who he was! He was 100% organic.


    Zheng Tan turned and left.


    Tong Qing raised an eyebrow but didn''t say anything. He followed the cat without giving the crowd another nce.

 Chapter 120: Combat Capability Leaderboard

    Chapter 120: Combat Capability Leaderboard


    Zheng Tan didn''t want to be affected by those people, but he couldn''t help it. This was not the ce to start a fight. Most of the people here were the rich and famous of the city. Not that Zheng Tan was scared of them, but he could cause problems for Fang and the Jiao family.


    He decided to make Fang repay his losses.


    He was not someone to suffer quietly.


    Zheng Tan kept walking. A stretch limousine drove by followed by several other cars. The crowd of people turned their attention to the neers.


    Zheng Tan nced over out of curiosity and saw the neer was a familiar face.


    He hadn''t expected to see Ye Hao here.


    Ye Hao got out of the car, then turned to help an elderly man out.


    The man''s hair had gone whitepletely. He wore a Tang suit and carried around a walking stick, even though Zheng Tan felt he could probably walk without it.


    Zheng Tan heard murmuring in the crowd.


    Tang Qiye?


    He reexamined the man. He thought of Duke who apparently was living with this man now. He was happy for Duke. Ye Hao was against keeping him, but Tang Qiye put his foot down.


    Just when he was thinking about Duke, Zheng Tan saw the cate out of the car. He had a name tag made of some mysterious material. It didn''t look like it was just a tag but some security entrance card.


    Even if he didn''t have the tag, Duke was majestic looking enough that no one dared to look at him in contempt.


    Duke walked past the crowd with his head held up high.


    "F*ck, that''s Tang Qiye isn''t it? He''s a legend."


    "What''s that animal with him? It is a cat?"


    "Where did he find something like that? I''ve never seen one like it."


    "Someone else came with arge cat as well. This one is evenrger. Look at its eyes, it gives me the creeps."


    "Me too. Maybe that''s what people mean by a murderous look."


    "Wow. No wonder its Tang Qiye''s cat. It''s so different thanmon pet cats. It''s so cool!"


    ...


    Zheng Tan listened to the chatter among the crowds then turned to leave.


    Duke had seen Zheng Tan the moment he got out of the cat. He wagged his tail at Zheng Tan but stayed by his owner''s side.


    "Whose cat is that?" Tang Qiye turned to ask Ye Hao. He saw the ck cat too. He wondered why a seemingly everyday house cat would be here with a security guard. It was weird.


    Ordinary people might think Tong Qing was a regr driver, but Tang Qiye knew better. He might not be able to see through the cat, but he could tell this person wasn''t your average driver with a nce.


    Ye Hao had a strange expression on his face. He whispered something into Tang Qiye''s ear.


    Tang Qiye had a gleam in his eyes. He looked at the ck cat again and nodded, "So this is the cat."


    Just when he wanted to call out to the cat, he heard someone call his name. It was a friend, so he had to stay and chat. The ck cat would have to wait.


    Zheng Tan and Tong Qing were guided to the location of the party. It was on awn, with tablesid out with food on them. This area was for kids and young people. The business talks were going to happen mostly indoors.


    There were lots of animals here, all rare breeds and all expensive. There was the leopard cat who had a servant and a Himyan cat lying in the arms of a very sexydy.


    Inparison, Zheng Tan felt he was almost provincial.


    There were dogs there too. Therger breeds were being kept away from here, though the dogs still stared intently at the cats waiting for a chance to pounce.


    There was a puppy among the cats. Though young, it was still quiterge. It wasrger than Zheng Tan at least, like Daisy when she just came to the quarters. Unlike the St. Bernard though, this little guy was quick-tempered. A cat was bothering it on a chair. The puppy couldn''t jump onto the chair, so it barked ferociously and started to bite the leg of the chair.


    Zheng Tan looked at the cat on the chair. It had spots like a leopard, but the ears were different from those of leopards and leopard cats. It looked like a serval. Were people allowed to own servals in cities? Or was this a serval mix?


    Thetter was more likely.


    The cat had a leash like a dog''s.


    When Zheng Tan was strolling on thewn he saw Fang chatting with several people, Zhao Le included, in the vi nearby. Zhao Le was quiet and mostly listened to others talk.


    They were chatting about their pets.


    "Liu, I heard someone gave you a ck and tan mastiff, the one you brought here is brown," Fang said to a man in their group.


    "I gave that cub to a friend then bought this one. It''s still a pup now though."


    "I heard people often sell fake mastiffs now. You should be careful."


    "Do I look like someone who can be fooled?" Liu said.


    "Wang Bin, what was that dog your uncle raised?" Fan Shaokang asked a man in his twenties.


    "It''s a Tibetan spaniel. One of my father''s old war buddies gave it to him. He couldn''t keep it, so he gave it to my uncle. My uncle brings the dog to training all the time," the young man answered.


    "People still raise Tibetan spaniels?" Liuughed.


    "I''ve seen some pictures. The dog is always dirty. Does your uncle let it go into the wild with his soldiers?" Fang asked.


    Wang Bin shook his head. "My uncle said the dog is a guard dog and a hunting dog. Being dirty proves it is doing its job."


    "Not all Tibetan spaniels can hunt. Even if both parents are good hunters, there''s only a 50% chance the cub is a good hunting dog." Liu had first-hand experience in this area.


    "Dogs dogs dogs, why don''t we ever talk about cats," a fat middle aged man put out the cigarette in his hand and said.


    "Men prefer dogs. Cats are weird-tempered and not loyal enough," Liu grunted.


    "Large cats are not bad. I once witnessed a dogfighting ring. A caracal killed a pit bull. How about that?"


    "What''s the point in talking about big cats. It''s not like you can own one," Liu argued.


    There were ways around the rules, but there was no point.


    "That''s why I went for the next best thing. Come and see." The fat middle-aged man waved the group to the balcony. He pointed at the cat on the chair. "It''s it beautiful. Look at it. Your dog is getting yed, Liu."


    Liu''s face had turned dark. He grunted, "Wait until my pup grows into a big dog."


    "What can it do then? My cat isn''t stupid. A dog can''t climb trees, can it?" The middle-aged fatty sounded very pleased. He had some disagreements with Liu during a project and couldn''t let go of this chance to belittle him.


    Liu''s face grunted. He suddenly thought of something and said, "Your cat might berger than a normal cat. However, there are at least two cats in Chuhua that can beat it."


    "The third in the city?" The fat man wasn''t pleased. He knew Nie Shijiu''s cat was number one, but at least his cat could rank number two.


    "I''ve seen Niu Shijiu''s cat. You could agree that cat is stronger than yours, right? However, I heard Nie''s cat lost a match against Tang Qiye''s cat. So that one''s definitely number one, Nie''s cat is number two, that makes your cat number three."


    Fang lit a cigarette and listened to them talk. He caught sight of something going on on thewn and his stopped smoking for a moment. He ignored Zhao Le who was eying him.


    Zhao Le was watching the fat man''s cat when she caught sight of a ck cat. Before she could smile, the big cat ying with the puppy jumped onto the table and started inching closer to Zheng Tan. She wanted Fang to say something. His word would work better than hers.


    The fat man who was ready to argue with Liu suddenly stopped talking. He saw his cat in hunting mode. He knew it so well that he could tell what it was doing immediately. It was about to teach its prey an unforgettable lesson. Even if its prey didn''t die, it would be severely hurt.


    "Watch and see!" He was excited. He had been waiting for a chance to show off his cat. Now was the time. As for the ck cat, it looked in. God knew which idiot brought it here. He didn''t care if it was killed.


    Sensing a show, crowds downstairs were gathering over. Tong Qing had noticed the atmosphere had changed. He hesitated, not knowing if he should alert Zheng Tan. He had never been in a situation like this and didn''t know if this was normal behavior for cats.


    He decided to watch and see what happened. If therge cat attacked, then he would help.


    The big cat crept forward without making a sound. It jumped over the dishesid on the table and avoided a ping pong ball thrown over by a child. It kept its eye on the prey, ready to pounce.


    The fat man on the balcony couldn''t suppress his smile. He believed in his cat. It was a caracal mix and had the hunting skills to prove it. He had been training it all this time so fighting a house cat would be like child''s y.


    Finally, therge cat pounced.


    Zheng Tan hadn''t noticed therge cat at first. He was fixated on the scenery. However, he quickly felt something was off. His ears moved. The cat''s footsteps were light and virtually undetectable among the chatter. Yet, he could tell from what people were whispering that he was being targeted.


    F*ck!


    Before he could turn, therge cat had already pounced.


    Zheng Tan was quick to react. His senses were much sharper now, and he could feel danger a mile away. To other people, this fight might just look like to cats yfighting. However, Zheng Tan knew therge cat was aiming for his life.


    He jumped away. At the same time, he attacked by pping therge cat.


    He had been in a bad mood to begin with, and he had sensed pure malice from therge cat, so he didn''t control his force.


    Bang!


    The moment therge cat jumped off the table, it was pped back. It knocked all the tes and cups to the ground.


    Fang Shaokang raised an eyebrow. He took blew out a ring of smoke then slowly said, "Well, it''s number four now."


    Zhao Le was speechless.

 Chapter 121: Its Father is a Cat？

    Chapter 121: It''s Father is a Cat£¿


    Most people didn''t know what to do after seeing that.


    Before Zheng Tan had arrived here, that caracal had been gloating. All the precious pet cats were keeping out of his way. It looked so powerful and majestic that the Tibetan spaniel was the only one that dared to bother it.


    However, the leopard-like cat was not so majestic now. It was pped back by a cat significantly smaller than it.


    What a turn of events!


    It was like seeing a child p away an adult. It was so weird.


    The tablecloth hid thatrge cat from Zheng Tan''s view. However, he could tell from sounds that that cat was noting over anymore.


    He hadn''t given the p with his full force or else that cat would be dead by now.


    When the caracal got up, it was dizzy from the impact and stumbled a little bit. It was unclear if his bones were broken, but it had given up on picking on Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan surveyed the grounds and decided nothing caught his interest. He nned to find a spot and nap.


    The fat middle-aged man''s face had turned to ash. Liu, on the other hand, was trying not tough. Fang''s earlier words had cut like a knife.


    His caracal had lost to a house cat. What were people going to think?!


    There''s something odd about that cat. Everyone agreed on this, though none of them thought it would be something supernatural. They regarded themselves as worldly people and believed they have seen plenty. Everyone was discussing if that ck cat was some rare breed that just looked like a house cat.


    "Could it be a Bombay cat? Or a Bombay cat mix?" someone proposed.


    "The cat isrger than regr house cats, but the face doesn''t look right. It''s not panther-like," someone who knew a lot about cats answered.


    "Even if it''s a Bombay cat, it''s still much smaller than the caracal. How can it have so much force? On the other hands, cats are weird. Unlike dogs, they might look the same but can differ a lot," Liu chuckled. He didn''t know what breed that ck cat was, nor did he care why it could p away a caracal. He was just d the fat man didn''t get his way.


    "Whose cat is that?" someone asked.


    This was now the third strongest cat in Chuhua. People wanted it. Not that they were cat lovers, only because this gave them something to brag about.


    "I remember the person standing next to the ck cat drives for Fang San," a man standing on the side suddenly said.


    "What?! That''s Fang Shaokang''s cat?" Everyone looked at Fang Shaokang. "No wonder."


    What was left unsaid was Fang was weird, so it made sense he had an odd cat.


    Fang smoked his cigarette calmly, neither confirming nor denying their conclusion.


    Zhao Le understood why Fang Shaokang didn''t deny owning Zheng Tan. He wanted to protect the cat. If people knew Zheng Tan''s owner was only a university professor, they would try all kinds of methods to get their hands on the cat. However, if they believed the cat was Fang Shaokang''s, then they would give up. Even if it was a special cat, it isn''t worth risking the wrath of Fang for.


    "Hey, what''s that?!"


    Everyone looked at the direction of themotion. Tang Qiye and his people were walking in this direction.


    "I can''t believe Tang Qiye came. He rarely appears in public these days."


    "That old fox."


    Zhao Le was standing on the side. She didn''t understand what people around her were saying about the man. She knew only a little about the legend that is Tang Qiye, but his worlds were too far away from hers. Right now, her attention was not on Tang Qiye, but on therge cat next to him.


    The caracal was nothingpared to Tang Qiye''s cat. It wasrger and had long fur. It was so majestic that even Liu, who was not interested in cats, was gaping in awe.


    "So Liu, that''s the number one you were talking about is it?" someone asked.


    "Yes. I think this one is it." This was his first time seeing it too, "I almost mistook it for a dog."


    This cat was like the mastiff of cats. Compared to normal cats, it wasrger with long glistening fur. The cat''s every move was cold and calcting. The cat''s eyes werepletely devoid of curiosity. It didn''t even look at the foodying around or the people on thewn. Its ears moved from time to time listening for sounds. It was vignt like a panther surveying its territory.


    The cat was dangerous.


    Even Liu, who never cared for cats, admitted this one was beautiful. It made the caracal look like a pussycat. No wonder Niu Shijiu''s cat lost its fight with this cat.


    Liu looked at the ck cat walking next to the table. Liu looked at Duke then lit a cigarette. "Interesting."


    The ck cat had pped away the caracal but Duke looked intimidating as well. This meeting of giants would be interesting.


    People forgot all about Zheng Tan when Tang Qiye showed up. Duke was too eye-catching.


    Most people were holding their breath to see if the ck cat would get into a fight with Duke.


    As for Tang Qiye, he was trying to look like he didn''t notice the reaction of others. However, the wrinkles near his eyes showed he was smiling. Duke was so awe-inspiring.


    "Fang, who do you think will win in a fight, your cat or that one?" Liu asked Fang Shaokang.


    "I don''t know." Fang Shaokang put out his cigarette. "I''m worried though."


    "If you''re worried then take your cat away. I heard Tang Qiye''s cat is ferocious." Liu sounded worried for Fang''s cat but was not sincere at all.


    Fang didn''t really seem worried either.


    "Fang, it must have been hard finding a cat like that. Don''t let it get hurt," someone else said.


    Fang nodded then said slowly, "I''m not worried about my cat. I''m worried for your Tibetan Spaniel." Fang pointed at the puppy, "It looks excited."


    Liu hurriedly looked at his dog. He had been so focused on Tang Qiye''s cat that he wasn''t watching his dog. The pup was barking furiously at Duke.


    The pup had the sense to keep some distance though. Duke looked so dangerous that even the stupidly brave puppy was slightly scared.


    Liu kept his mouth shut. If he said or did anything, it would be a show of weakness. However, he was worried about his dog. A mature Tibetan Spaniel might be able to put up a fight against that cat. This pup, however, couldn''t even fight that caracal.


    He eyed the dog''s caretaker to have him be ready.


    Zheng Tan was leaving but decided to stay to see what Duke would do with the pup.


    Duke was getting annoyed at the barking and bared his teeth, which were muchrger than a normal cat''s teeth.


    The puppy paused, then started barking even louder.


    Duke took a step forward. If the dog kept barking, he wouldn''t mind giving it a scratch.


    Everyone jumped when Duke moved. Liu''s employees were felt cold sweat down their spine. If a fight broke out, the dog was in great danger. They would probably have to take a few scratches to rescue the puppy. It was an order from the boss.


    The puppy backed up when Duke moved and stopped when he stopped.


    At that moment, a ping pong ball flew at Duke, who managed to dodge in time.


    The ping pong ball hit a building and fell into a flower bed.


    The puppy wasn''t the only one who was stupidly brave, the kids were just as idiotic.


    Zheng Tan looked over to where the ping pong ball came from. The kid was about to throw a second one but was stopped by his mother. She knew better than to annoy Duke.


    Zheng Tan felt Duke''s anger rising. The puppy was still barking. Now it was just asking for it.


    Before Zheng Tan could finish the thought, Duke started moving. He walked straight over to the puppy. This meant he was not just warning the dog anymore. He wasn''t exactly doing anything except walking, but he was still very threatening.


    Most of the people standing around were bodyguards. They could feel the danger approaching. They thought even more highly of Duke now.


    The puppy started backing up as Duke closed in. Behind it, the two caretakers were getting ready to jump over to save it. They were familiar with the dog and the pup would most likely run to them.


    Surprisingly, the pup didn''t run toward them. When Duke got close, the puppy turned and ran toward Zheng Tan. It stopped two steps away from Zheng Tan and looked at him.


    Zheng Tan was speechless. Why the hell was the dog looking at him?!


    The pup wagged its tail then stood beside Zheng Tan and continued barking at Duke.


    One man said to Liu, "Is the dog''s father a cat?"


    "Yeah. Don''t people run to their daddies when they get into trouble? Why did your dog run directly to that ck cat?"


    A dog depending on a cat for support. That was a first.


    People were surprised.


    Fang Shaokang couldn''t help but smile. Zheng Tan was too popr. He was popr among cats and among dogs. He remembered when they first met in the South, Charcoal had three puppies with him.


    People on thewn were getting excited. They couldn''t wait for the two cats to start fighting.


    Surprisingly, Duke wagged his tail and left. He went back to Tang Qiye''s side.


    "Why didn''t they fight?"


    "Fang, do those cats know each other?"


    "Oh, yeah. They met before." Fang yawned.


    Everyone was speechless.


    Fang''s nonchnt attitude was infuriating.


    Why didn''t he say so earlier? F*ck!


    Fang Sanye got his amusement at their expense.


    Fang went downstairs to greet Tan Qiye. He was from an older generation and Fang needed to show his respect.


    Everyone else went downstairs with Fang Shaokang. No one dared to cross Tang Qiye.


    They greeted each other then went back in with Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan didn''t want to go inside but it was looking increasingly bothersome outside. There was the pup following him and children with ping pong balls around. After weighing his options, Zheng Tan followed Fang Shaokang inside.


    It was going to be boring indoors but at least it was going to be quiet.

 Chapter 122: Peeing

    Chapter 122: Peeing


    Tang Qiye had wanted to leave Duke outside but decided to let him in after seeing Zheng Tan enter the house.


    The brave little pup followed the group inside as well. This time he was behaving better. He stayed by Liu''s side which made him feel better. At least he didn''t run towards the cat.


    If people kept teasing him about this dog, he would have to give it away, or at least never take it out again. To him, avoiding embarrassment was important. He only just got the pup, so he didn''t have a bond with it yet. Giving it away wouldn''t make him sad.


    The pup did not know what his owner was thinking and bounced happily forward behind the group. He tripped on the stairs, only narrowly avoiding falling off. Thankfully, all the people were looking at Tang Qiye''srge cat and didn''t notice this mishap.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know what the pup''s name was since Liu never told them. When Zheng Tan got to the second floor, everyone had sat down. He looked around and saw Zhao Le waving him over. He ran to her and rested on herp. He didn''t see a better seat anywhere, so this would have to do for now.


    Fang Shaokang had waved at him too. However, it was an easy choice.


    Duke sat obediently next to Tang Qiye. Both his paws were outstretched like the sphinx statue. He looked very majestic.


    Zheng Tan, on the other hand, acted and looked like a standard house cat. Zhao Le even took out ab. If they hadn''t all seen him p away the caracal, he would seem like any ordinary cat.


    Everyone looked at the ck cat, then at Duke, and couldn''t help but think cats were weird animals.


    Unlike Zheng Tan and Duke who both stayed put, the puppy was biting Liu''s chair leg.


    Zheng Tan felt someone looking at him. It was the fat man. The look in his eyes was hard to decipher, but Zheng Tan knew he wasn''t thinking kind thoughts. He had nned to let the man be, but the staring became ufortable after a while.


    Zheng Tan could tell kindness apart from spite. The fat man was probably cursing him. There was a fat professor living in the eastern quarters who was very kind. They were the same size, why couldn''t the two men have the same heart?


    Fang Shaokang was talking with the group of people. Zheng Tan could feel the tension lying beneath the veneer of friendliness. He disliked the atmosphere, and the content of their conversation bored him.


    He jumped off Zhao Le''s legs and headed for the door after looking at Fang Shaokang.


    Fang didn''t say anything so everyone else just smiled. If the owner didn''t mind, who were they to object?


    Duke eyed Zheng Tan but stayed where he was.


    The puppy looked at Liu, then started inching towards the door while checking Liu''s expression every few steps.


    Liu sighed and told a guard to take the dog outside.


    The puppy sprinted after the cat happily.


    Tong Qing was still by Zheng Tan''s side. When they left the room, someone came up to him and whispered something in his ear. He looked surprised then nodded.


    The person was Fang''s assistant. His face waspletely devoid of emotions but who knew what he was thinking. It was his job not to ask questions and to do as he was told.


    Zheng Tan came out of that room and searched the floor for bugs. Though Fang seemed unreliable, he could be trusted with these things. People attending today''s party were all important, and none of them would appreciate being watched.


    He found nothing of interest on the second floor, so he went downstairs. The puppy followed him. However, he got too excited and fell off thest few steps. Fortunately, he had very thick fur, and the fall didn''t seem to harm him one bit.


    Zheng Tan checked around them. No one saw the fall, or else this puppy would be aughing stock again.


    Most of the people guarding the building indoors didn''t see Zheng Tan beat the caracal, so they saw him as just another house cat.


    This was to Zheng Tan''s advantage. He looked like a normal cat. If he got dirty, he would look like a stray and people would only be worried he would steal food.


    On the other hand, the caracal from earlier would raise people''s rms. It looked like it could do a lot of damage, so it couldn''t expect the element of surprise when it attacked. Duke didn''t have to hide his strength. He was majestic enough that no one would mess with him.


    They were different and led different lives; Zheng Tan preferred his lifestyle. It allowed him more freedom and gave him a chance to enjoy all the things he never noticed in his life as a human.


    Let things be - that was his attitude now.


    This would have been an unfathomable thought to the human Zheng Tan.


    There were plenty of flowers and evergreen trees in the back garden. Even in autumn, it looked like spring. Zheng Tan didn''t get a chance to enjoy the scenery because there was a little boy with a model car in the garden. The boy looked younger than Youzi and was probably around six or seven.


    Zheng Tan often heard Mama Jiao talk about other people''s pets. Because they now had a cat, the Jiao family would take notice when other people mentioned their pets. He heard that children were often curious and irresponsible since they did not have a clear understanding of right and wrong. If their parents never taught them how to treat animals, then these kids could be the archnemesis of any pet. He heard stories of children picking their pets up by the tail. If the animal attacked, then it would be punished.


    There was a saying in Papa Jiao''s hometown that three or four-year-olds annoy people, five or six-year-olds annoy dogs. There was some truth in that saying.


    Zheng Tan tried to avoid all children expect the ones with whom he was familiar.


    Kids always ruined his mood, especially boys. They were usually more troublesome than girls. He turned immediately when he saw the boy.


    Before he made it into the house again, Tong Qing suddenly spoke up.


    "Charcoal, do you want to use the washroom? Come, I''ll take you there." He waved to Zheng Tan and motioned for him to follow him.


    Zheng Tan didn''t understand. When did he express the wish to go to the washroom? Well, he didn''t mind going. He was worried that he wouldn''t be able to find the washroom when he needed to go.


    Tong Qing had expected the cat to ignore him, but Zheng Tan followed him back inside just like that.


    Tong Qing shut the door to the washroom. The soundproofing was good in here so he wouldn''t be overheard. The assistant from earlier had told him this.


    The more time Tong Qing spent with this cat, the more he found him odd. Pets should act like pets. For instance, that puppy was a pet. Even if he was a Tibetan Spaniel, he was still a pet. Besides understanding his name and a few orders, he didn''t know humannguage. No matter what people said, he would do as he pleased.


    This cat, however, would stare at you when you say something. It was the strangest feeling.


    Tong Qing really didn''t understand. Were all cats like this? Could this be why a lot of people didn''t like cats?


    Nevertheless, it was his job to pass on the bosses orders to the cat.


    He locked the door and turned. The sight that greeted him stunned him into silence.


    The ck cat was sitting on the edge of the toilet and peeing. Afterwards Zheng Tan pressed the flush button, jumped onto the sink and started washing his paws. He even used the hand dryer and fixed the fur on top of his head.


    Tong Qing was speechless.


    This changed his view of cats once more.


    No matter how mentally strong he was, watching a cat use the washroom like a human shook him to the core. He silently swore.

 Chapter 123: A Big Client? A Kid?

    Chapter 123: A Big Client? A Kid?


    Tong Qing was one of Fang Shaokang''s men, so Zheng Tan didn''t hide his actions from him. Fang had told him they would see a lot of each other in the future, so he wanted Tong Qing to get to used to him.


    He checked Tong Qing''s face in the mirror when he was fixing the fur on top of his head. The man was too quiet, so seeing his expression change gave Zheng Tan a lot of pleasure. Thankfully, Tong Qing was not like Long Qi and managed to recover hisposure shortly.


    Zheng Tan turned around after fixing his fur and waited for Tong Qing to say what he brought him to say. Zheng Tan was not stupid, he had been watching Tong Qing ever since they entered the washroom. By the looks of it, Fang had something he wanted Tong Qing to tell him.


    Tong Qing took a deep breath, though it was weird to do so in the washroom. The ck cat was sitting on the sink and watching him calmly like he knew he had something to tell him.


    He took another deep breath. "The kid in the backyard is Mr. Liu''s son Liu Yao. The boss said if you y with that kid, you could bring your owner a big client."


    Zheng Tan thought about what Tong Qing said and his tail swayed from side to side.


    Which Mr.Liu?


    Zheng Tan recalled the men in the room upstairs. He managed to remember their names during their conversation. Mr. Liu was the puppy''s owner. He seemed to harbor no ill will towards Zheng Tan.


    This regarded him and the family so Zheng Tan needed to carefully consider the implications. Zheng Tan had never been to Papa Jiao''spany. He heard that thepany was doing better now, but it was still a smallpany in Chuhua city. If he could get thepany a big client it meant more money for Papa Jiao and more money for Papa Jiao meant a better life for the family and him.


    Tong Qing observed the cat''s reaction as he talked. The cat''s head was down but his ears were perked up. His tail swayed as he listened.


    What a strange cat. No wonder his boss told him to just get to the point and not worry about anything else.


    Tong Qing told Zheng Tan why he could win Papa Jiao a client. He analyzed the situation for him. Liu was a good businessman and would never give a smallpany like Papa Jiao''s a big order. However, his child could be key.


    Liu was nearing his forties and only had this one bastard son, whose mother was a woman with whom he had an affair. He only learned of the boy''s existencest year when the mother needed money. The boy only just started living with him.


    The doctor had told Liu he had very little chance of having children because of problems with his sperm. He had been through several courses of treatment, yet nothing worked. He had about given up on having children when his son Liu Yao was returned to him. He had the boy''s DNA tested and proved he was his son. Ever since then, the boy became the center of his universe.


    Unfortunately, because of his mother, the boy was very introverted and didn''t talk much. Even animals didn''t like him.


    Liu had gotten a red and tan mastiff but had to give it away because the dog either avoided his son or barked at him threateningly.


    Liu loved dogs but he loved his son more. The boy was his only child and he wouldn''t upset his son just for a dog, so he gave up the mastiff and got this Tibetan spaniel.


    When Tong Qing finished talking, Zheng Tan''s first thought was it was amazing that Fang Shaokang managed to find all this out. The second thought was did he have to sacrifice himself to please the kid? Would the kid pull his whiskers, tails or ears?


    If so, he refused to go. Thepany wouldn''t go bankrupt without this client.


    There was a scratching noise at the door, probably from the puppy.He didn''t whine like normal pet dogs when rejected. He instead showed his feelings directly by scratching and biting the door.


    The people taking care of the dog were feeling very awkward. The dog was embarrassing them all. They tried to drag the dog away from the door, but every time he just went back. They were frustrated to the point of wanting to kick the puppy.


    They tried to pull him away again. The dog would bite everyone except Liu, so they needed to avoid hurting the dog while not getting hurt either. It was hard.


    Just when the caretaker bent down to pick up the dog, the door opened and Tong Qing was looking at him like he was a peeping tom.


    Tong Qing listened to the man exin then followed the ck cat into the backyard without saying a word.


    The caretaker didn''t know if he believed him or not but didn''t have time to worry. The puppy had run off again.


    The boy, Liu Yao, was ying with his model car alone. He looked up when he felt people approaching but quickly went back to ying with his car.


    Though the boy only nced at him, Zheng Tan could sense something wrong with the kid.


    His eyes were cold and emotionless which was probably what caused animals to avoid him. Zheng Tan had seen Yi Xin right after he had finished ab session involving dissection. Cat and dogs always ran away from them. The ones that didn''t avoid them were simply stupid.


    Liu''s dog probably detected the cold in his eyes and treated him with hostility. This Tibetan spaniel, on the other hand, was stupid.


    People who knew dogs well could tell which of the two dogs were better. However, it was because he was stupid that this Tibetan spaniel got to stay with the Liu''s.


    Even if he wasn''t close with the boy, he didn''t growl at him. Other than this, this dog was in no ways better than the tan and ck mastiff. However, he was still a pup, who knew what he would turn into when he grew up.


    Tibetan dogs only recognize one master. The pup might grow up to recognize Liu as his master or maybe he will recognize his son as his master. Even if he is a mastiff, growing up in the city and living as a pet probably made him unable to fight like his ancestors.


    As long as he could guard the house, he could be considered a good dog even if he was slow.


    A woman stood near Liu Yao. She was Liu''s current wife. No matter what she really thought of Liu Yao, she behaved like a loving mother.


    She would tell him to be careful of tree branches and ask him if he was cold.


    Liu Yao ignored her every word.


    She looked up at Tong Qing and Zheng Tan when they entered the backyard. The puppy''s caretaker came up to her and exined the situation. She nodded.


    In truth, Mrs. Liu was deeply annoyed at the moment. She should beworking with the other wives on thewn. Instead, she had to stay with Liu Yao because of Liu''s orders. She needed to pretend to care about him and she couldn''t even say anything when his car bumped into her.


    Mrs. Liu moved her legs and smiled at the puppy, "Come here, Bun."


    Bun?


    Zheng Tan looked at the puppy. Who named him? It was a fine name when the dog was a pup. However, it definitely didn''t work for a grown-up Tibetan Spaniel.


    Duke was a great name for a majestic animal. He seriously suggested someone write a paper on the importance of names.


    Bun was biting a branch when he heard someone call his name. He looked up but decided biting his tree branch was more important.


    Zheng Tan watched Mrs. Liu''s smile freeze with amusement. Suddenly he heard the toy caring at him.


    Tong Qing wanted to save the cat but suddenly remembered what had happened on thewn.


    Zheng Tan raised a paw to stop the car. He could easily stop a model car. To his surprise, the car made a sharp turn in front of him.


    So did the boy just want to scare him? Zheng Tan guessed so. In that case, he wasn''t too bad after all.


    Liu Yao didn''t quite understand. Why didn''t this cat run away at the sight of his model car like other cats?


    The model car started driving in circles around Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan squinted. The boy was targeting him.


    A kid was a kid. Even if this one was gloomy, he was still a kid. He did things ording to his own logic and will.


    Even the puppy stopped attacking the branch.


    Everyone was watching the boy and the cat. Some believed the ck cat was in for trouble and wished Liu Yao wouldn''t do what he was doing. The boy was attacking Fang Shaokang''s cat after all.


    Zheng Tan remained calm. He watched the car go in circles around him and suddenly felt like ying. He found a chance and jumped onto the car.


    Youzi didn''t have a toy car and Jiao Yuan preferred ying with toy guns. Zheng Tan could tell this model car was well designed and most likely expensive. The Jiaos wouldn''t spend this much money on toys. He had owned one like this when he was a human.


    The model car was well made and wasrge enough to withstand Zheng Tan''s size and weight. Zheng Tan could hear the sound of the motors but the car had stopped when he jumped on top of it. It couldn''t even move if there was this much weight? He supposed he had be too heavy for toy cars.


    However, he suddenly felt the toy car start to move.


    He felt like he was riding a horse and wanted to yell "Ja!"

 Chapter 124: When Can He Get His Own Car?

    Chapter 124: When Can He Get His Own Car?


    Zheng Tan sat in the toy car. Though it started moving again, the speed was much slower than before. Zheng Tan wasn''t worried about being thrown off.


    Of course, Zheng Tan would have preferred the model car to run faster. That would be much more fun. However, he couldn''t ask for too much.


    Like he had originally thought, Liu Yao didn''t want to hit him and was only curious. The boy was not naive and simple like others kids his age. This was probably due to his past experiences.


    After Zheng Tan got on top of the car, he kept his tail close to himself to avoid it being run over by the car or being hooked by an outstretched branch. Thankfully the backyard had been swept earlier by a worker, and only the asional leaf littered the ground. The few branches he could see were a result of Liu Yao and Bun. In other words, there weren''t many obstacles in the yard. The model car moved smoothly. Liu Yao was good at controlling it and managed not to hit anything.


    They managed to catch Bun''s attention, and the puppy dropped his beloved tree branch and ran towards Zheng Tan. He started running after the model car. He barked at it and pawed behind it. He was having a lot of fun.


    Tong Qing observed the trio and realized the kid seemed less gloomy now.


    No wonder his boss sent this cat on this mission.


    It was harder for people to open up to other people. Someone like Liu Yao who had experienced that ordeal with his mother would have a difficult time trusting other people. He had a hard time getting close to people he knew after all. This was why he yed here alone instead of mingling with the other kids on thewn.


    If Fang Shaokang had sent a kid over here to meet Liu Yao, Liu''s people would probably be suspicious. It was no secret that Liu Yao was the apple of Liu''s eye and people would try to use the boy to get close to Liu.


    Animals were a different story. No one would suspect a cat of having ulterior motives. Even if this cat was strong beyond belief, he was still a cat.


    The model car took Zheng Tan around the yard. Someone had set a track for the car in the middle of the yard. The track seemed to be able to withstand the weight of Zheng Tan; only the uphill part posed a problem. However, there was still Bun to consider.


    Bun watched the car run on the tracks and followed. His tail wagged and he stepped cautiously onto the tracks. He was a tadrge for these tracks, but it seemed like he would be fine, so the puppy picked up the pace and chased after the car.


    Zheng Tan turned to watch what the dog was doing. Seeing that Bun was chasing the car, he was very worried the tracks would break. However, seeing that they didn''t even shake, Zheng Tan rxed. At that moment, Bun decided it wasn''t enough to just run after the car, so he hopped.


    Ka!


    Part of the track broke and Bun fell to the ground. Thankfully the tracks were only ten or so centimeters above from the ground, so the fall didn''t hurt. Bun stood up and kept running after the car. This time he remained on the ground and only put his chin on the track once in a while.


    The tracks were broken but there weren''t any tools or recements avable. Liu Yao didn''t n to run the model car on the tracks anymore. He whizzed the car around in circles with Zheng Tan on top.


    Zheng Tan was thinking.


    Cars were a good tool. When he was human, he loved driving around when he was upset. It was his way of letting off steam. Now that he was a cat, could he have his own car?


    It was hard.


    Even if he had a toy car of his own, even if the car wererger than this one, it would still be someone else controlling it. Zheng Tan didn''t like the feeling ofying his fate in someone else''s hand. However, even if he was given the remote control, his paws couldn''t hold it nor use it.


    Zheng Tan sighed and struck a sad pose.


    Bun couldn''t share Zheng Tan''s sadness - he was having a st.


    Ignorance was bliss. In other words, being a stupid dog was a sure path to happiness.


    Zheng Tan looked at Bun then pped him. Obviously, he didn''t use that much force. Bun had thick fur, and the p didn''t seem to have hurt him at all. He was still hopping around happily.


    Zheng Tan decided since he didn''t know how to y with the kid, he would spend his time sitting on this model car and beating Bun when he felt like it. When the car passed the flowerbed, Zheng Tan pulled off leaves and flowers and even found a branch to hit Bun.


    It was likely that a dog like Bun probably went through all kinds of training to strengthen his muscles. However, with his intelligence, Zheng Tan didn''t know what he would do with all that strength.


    Bun might turn out like Tiger, serious on the outside and an idiot on the inside.


    Liu found time toe down to check up on his son. Seeing the boy''s expression, he could tell he was happy. After listening to the guards exin what had happened, he decided Bun was staying with the family. Even if the dog wasn''t that smart, he proved his worth by ying with his son. As for what other people might say, none of that matteredpared to his son''s happiness.


    Bun, who was still chasing the model car, didn''t know he had managed to change his owner''s mind. There were restrictions in Chuhua on what breeds of dogs were allowed as pets in the city. However, these bws had little effect on people like Liu. Bun could live a happy and safe life in the city.


    Soon, it was lunch time. The pets had a separate dining area, and there were special caretakers for them. Cats and dogs were kept in different areas. Zheng Tan didn''t join the other cats. He and Tong Qing found a spot, and Fang Shaokang had someone bring them food. Zheng Tan noticed the caracal eyeing him. The caracal quickly left when it saw Zheng Tan look its way. Zheng Tan didn''t chase it. He wouldn''t start a fight with another cat unless the other cat bothered him first.


    When Zheng Tan was done eating, he saw two people walk out from the vi. One was Zhao Le, the young man with her was someone Zheng Tan had seen earlier upstairs. His name was Wang Bin. Judging by how the two interacted, they knew each other well.


    Zheng Tan was debating whether to go over and eavesdrop when Zhao Le started walking this way.


    She sat down on a chair and asked Tong Qing what Zheng Tan had eaten. Tong Qing answered briefly, then stepped away so that Zhao Le and Wang Bin could continue their conversation. He couldn''t leave because Zheng Tan was still there.


    Zheng Tan had expected gossip. However, the rtionship between Zhao Le and Wang Bin wasn''t what he had thought. They were friends but not that kind of friends. They chatted about Zheng Tan, then about Wang Bin starting off as a normal employee at his family firm. Eventually, they started chatting about Wang Bin''s brother Er Mao. Both Zhao Le and Wang Bin sounded frustrated when they mentioned Er Mao.


    Zheng Tan was curious as to what kind of a person this Er Mao was.


    Many people left after lunch. After all, they were all busy people and didn''t have that much time to spend here idly. Most people like to hold banquets at night; Fang Shaokang was always different. When Zhao Le asked why they were having lunch instead of dinner, Fang Sanye yawned and said, "Waking up early is good for the health."


    Zhao Le wanted to roll her eyes.


    Of course, not everyone left. Liu, for instance, stayed a bit longer to chat with Fang Shaokang.


    Zheng Tan stayed and yed a bit longer with Liu Yao and Bun before finally going home.


    He didn''t know what Fang Shaokang had told Liu, but one night he overheard Papa Jiao on the phone chatting to Yuan Zhiyi when he was watching TV on the sofa and learned that thepany had got the business.


    Papa Jiao and Yuan Zhiyi had learned Zheng Tan''s role in this from Fang Shaokang, and Yuan Zhiyi brought Zheng Tan quite a bit of food to show his gratitude. He even remembered to pay his respect to the ck lucky cat statue in his office.


    Zheng Tan would have been pleased with the food if his mind wasn''t so fixated on model cars now. If he hadn''t seen one that day it wouldn''t bother him this much. However, being able to drive his own car was the only thing he dreamed about these days. He didn''t want to sit in Youzi''s bike basket or in someone else''s car anymore.


    He had been thinking of ways to get a car suitable for the cat he now was.


    Who could he turn to for help?


    Fang Shaokang maybe?


    How would he bring it up? It''s not like he could text Fang ''Hey, I''m Charcoal, get me a car''.


    That wouldn''t work.


    He needed to n this out.

 Chapter 125: The People In the Old Building

    Chapter 125: The People In the Old Building


    He needed to n out how to get a car.


    Zheng Tan''s life went on as usual. He spent time with the other eastern quarter cats, went on long walks, and went to the Night Tower once in a while with Wei Ling.


    Fang Shaokang visited twice. Both time, Tong Qing drove him. He didn''t stay very long either time and was only checking up on him.


    Though Fang didn''t stay for long on his visits, he heard from him that Yuan Zhiyi''spany managed tond Liu as a client. He also learned that Liu''s son now had a new hobby. He loved teasing Bun with his model cars. Bun had a new hobby too, which was chasing model cars. Whenever Liu Yao yed with his toy cars, Bun chased after them. This time, there wasn''t a cat there to p him.


    Liu had asked Fang to bring Zheng Tan over to his ce sometime. Unfortunately, Fang Shaokang had been busy. He did mention this to Papa Jiao just in case he needed to take the cat to Lius ce sometime in the future.


    It was November. The temperature was not yet cold in Chuhua. The weather had been good these few days, and Zheng Tan spent a lot of his time outdoors.


    One afternoon, Zheng Tan left the eastern quarters and started walking along a trail leading to a group of old houses. It was said the school was nning some construction in the area, but Zheng Tan still hadn''t seen any signs of it.


    Birds were roaming the area. Some flew away the moment Zheng Tan appeared. Others stayed put but kept an eye on the cat.


    Zheng Tan didn''t bother trying to catch the birds. Tiger and Sheriff were into bird hunting. Fatty, on the other hand, preferred anything over moving.


    Fatty''s owner seemed worried about his weight now. Every time she went on a walk, she brought Fatty along with her. However, she couldn''t walk that fast; Fatty didn''t get any exercise. People tried to tease him, but he either didn''t move or jumped onto a tree to sleep.


    Zheng Tan jumped onto the roof of a building and started searching for a good ce to sun bathe. He noticed quite a few cats resting on the roofs around here. Some noticed him but decided he wasn''t a threat.


    These cats all lookedzy, but could all react the moment danger appeared. For instance, when they heard footsteps, the cats immediately sat up. Humans didn''t frequent the area.


    Cats that were far away from the source of the noise looked up but quickly yawned and went back to sleep.


    Zheng Tan was close to the trail and heard the footsteps as well. The footsteps were somewhat familiar. He looked down.


    He was surprised to see Jiao Wei of all people.


    Today was Monday, and Jiao Wei had ss Monday afternoon.


    Zheng Tan knew this because once he ran into Jiao Wei and his roommates at Jiao Wei''s family''s restaurant. They were talking about how they had ss all Monday. Most of the sses were core courses as well.


    Jiao Wei was not someone who skipped ss, so why was he here? Zheng Tan remembered how Jiao Wei spent all his free time at the library or attending second-year courses.


    Was ss canceled today?


    Even if sses were canceled, Jiao Wei would either help out at the restaurant or study at the library. Why was he here? He looked in a hurry too.


    Zheng Tan was curious. He didn''t have anything to do at the moment, so he jumped off the roof and followed Jiao Wei. He didn''t take the trail to avoid being seen by Jiao Wei.


    The area was quiet, so Jiao Wei''s footsteps were very noticeable.


    Soon, however, Zheng Tan heard other noises. The noises grew louder and louder as he seemed to be heading toward the source. The noises wereing from above.


    When he looked up, he noticed Jiao Wei had stopped. To avoid being caught, he immediately hid in a bush.


    A few birds were pecking around when Zheng Tan suddenly appeared. The birds took off in a rush. Just when the birds flew into the air, an object flew this way and narrowly missed the flock of birds. It had managed to change course in time.


    Zheng Tan noticed it was model ne. It was not well made though.


    Due to the flock of birds and a mistake made by the controller, the ne flew into a giant parasol tree. It waste autumn, but the parasol tree still had most of its leaves, causing the ne to get stuck. The propeller spun, but the ne remained stuck in the tree.


    Another model ne flew by.


    A young man with a remote controller ran this way. He seemed to know Jiao Wei, and the two chatted for a bit. Jiao Wei didn''t seem in a hurry anymore and appeared to want to help the young man retrieve the ne.


    Zheng Tan learned from their conversation that the reason Jiao Wei was skipping ss had something to do with this young man or these young men. They were a group that met near here.


    Zheng Tan didn''t stay to watch them retrieve the ne but ran ahead to where the young man hade. He soon heard voices and knew he was close.


    He saw an old storage house like building in ahead. The building was multiple stories high andrger than the other buildings around here. It looked very old and dpidated. There were many buildings like this on campus. Many of these buildings had historical importance to the school.


    Zheng Tan had once seen a group of elderly people taking pictures in front of these old buildings. It was an event at the school. These people were all former faculty or graduates. They were here to reminisce about their days here. Some of these people were rich and famous now, and the school was willing to look after these old buildings even if only for their sake.


    This building here didn''t seem important, but Zheng Tan wasn''t familiar with the school''s history. He had been here before on his walks, and this building was blocked. He had heard sounds in the building, but he hadn''t paid too much attention to it in the past. Now, it seemed, the building had some secrets.


    He jumped over the fence. Zheng Tan realized some windows on the first floor were open. He couldn''t see what was happening inside, but he could tell there was plenty of action going on. He heard a buzzing noise, not unlike the kind made by Liu Yao''s model car.


    Was Jiao Wei here ying with remote controlled toys every day?


    Two weeks ago Zheng Tan would have thought these people childish, but he was into model cars as well now. He picked a window in the corner and peered inside cautiously.


    Zheng Tan saw a young man in his early twenties sitting near the window. He was ying with a Rubik''s Cube. What amazed Zheng Tan was this young man wasn''t looking at his cube. His eyes were wandering elsewhere. If he didn''t see the cube, Zheng Tan would assume the young man was contemting something.


    The young man messed up the cube they quickly returned it to its original state. He repeated this several times without looking once at the Rubik''s Cube.


    "Cheng, there''s a problem with the wheel on the ne. It''s stuck in a tree. Let''s wait a bit longer," someone said to the young man with the cube.


    He nodded.


    Though some of the people inside had model nes, most were fiddling with remote-controlled cars. Zheng Tan suddenly remembered Jiao Wei had joined a club. Was this the club?

 Chapter 126: Car Models

    Chapter 126: Car Models


    Jiao Wei and the young man from earlier were back after ten minutes.


    Cheng put his Rubik''s cube onto a shelf.


    Zheng Tan saw people start to take out model cars. Some looked like supercars, while others looked like SUVs. Some were still in the making, and the parts were all exposed.


    This club was indeed the model toys club. Zheng Tan didn''t look down on them because they liked ying with toys. Instead, he envied them now. He would do anything to have a toy car of his own.


    Inside, there were tracks. Some were t; others were covered in sand and pebbles, some even had hills.


    People startedying their cars on the t track, and the race began.


    The four cars shot out. They were much faster than Liu Yao''s toy, and the people controlling the cars were much more skilled than the boy. They were older and more experienced after all.


    Zheng Tan suddenly realized the room waspletely quiet besides the sound of motors running.


    People here, unlike Liu Yan, were obviously outgoing and had been chatting merrily before the race began. Now, however, they weren''t cheering as Zheng Tan had expected. Was this how adults yed with toys?


    Zheng Tan surveyed the crowd.


    The four people controlling the cars were obviously watching their cars intently. Their expressions changed as the states of their vehicles changed. However, none of them made a sound. Jiao Wei and the others, however, were watching the race with notebooks opened. Someone in the corner of the room even had a monitor.


    After ten minutes, Zheng Tan heard Cheng yell ''stop,'' and the cars stopped.


    Immediately, the room erupted.


    Zheng Tan listened to their conversation. He didn''t hear any talk about rank or speed. These people were talking about forms and technology. Even if Zheng Tan could see the data on their notebooks, he had no idea what it was about.


    Jiao Wei was new to the group and didn''t say much. He listened to his seniors speak and took notes. He looked up and identally noticed a ck cat on the windowsill.


    Jiao Wei jumped.


    He didn''t need to check up close. He recognized this cat with only a nce.


    Why was he here? Jiao Wei had a bad feeling in his stomach.


    The person next to him noticed him acting oddly and looked up.


    "Hey, there''s another cat watching us."


    "Another?" Jiao Wei looked around him. Everyone seemed quite used to seeing cats around.


    "There''s a lot of cats in the area. Some get curious ande to watch us work."


    This was why none of them seemed surprised when they saw Zheng Tan.


    This one was different Jiao Wei thought in his mind.


    Seeing that he was caught, Zheng Tan decided not to hide anymore. He moved to a window closer to the action.


    These people did a few more runs. Every single time they used different cars. After theps, they chatted some more technical stuff. Zheng Tan waspletely lost.


    Back when he was human, the car dealer from whom he bought his car gifted him a model car once. He treated it as a toy and kept it in its box. A lot of people collected car models. He used to think only children actually yed with them.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know how much technology in the field had improved in the years toe. He hadn''t thought about it much. These people, at least, were very into model cars.


    After discovering this ce, Zheng Tan would often visit this area on this afternoon walks. He would sunbathe on the roof ande down when he heard movement.


    After two weeks, Zheng Tan figured out the group met on Monday and Thursday afternoons at three. They were from different departments, some studied mechanical engineering, and some studied statistics. There were people from the physics department and chemistry department as well. They came together because of their shared interest in model cars. Cheng was their leader. Zheng Tan only managed to find out this much.


    They would bring all kinds of instruments to their meeting. Some were left there on shelves or in boxes. The group always locked up after themselves, but none of the stuff they kept in this storage house was worth much.


    The group learned about Zheng Tan from Jiao Wei. They learned he was the cat of a professor in the biology department. They would bring Zheng Tan snacks because Jiao Wei knew him well.


    Zheng Tan ignored their snacks. When they tried to tease Zheng Tan with spare tires and strings, he just gave them a look like they were idiots. Zheng Tan was only interested in their cars.


    If he couldn''t get one, at least he could look.


    He was familiar enough with the group that he eventually feltfortable enough to enter the room. He would sit on top the shelves and watch the group from up top.


    By five, the group started cleaning up and was getting ready to leave.


    Zheng Tan jumped down from his shelf and was about to leave when he heard people talking about him.


    "Why is that cat so interested in model cars?" someone looked at Zheng Tan and asked.


    "Cats are all interested in small moving things."


    "No, they''re not. My sister''s cat would try to get as far away as it could. It would never watch us like that."


    "I thought cats only like soft furry things. We only have parts and hard materials here."


    "My uncle''s cat likes to watch my nephew y with model cars. It won''t go close to the car though."


    Jiao Wei felt the corner of his mouth twitch. These people did not know Zheng Tan the way he did. They saw him as a normal cat. He knew that ck cat was probably listening to them talk. He could see his ears turning this way. His tail was swaying from side to side, proving he was thinking about something.


    Jiao Wei couldn''t say what he was thinking though. Papa Jiao talked with him and told him to not tell other people about Zheng Tan.


    After dinner, Zheng Tan left the house after some consideration.


    He headed to the storage house. He had been thinking about model cars these days. The model cars those people had were more like mini sized cars than toys.


    His mind was so upied with cars, that when he heard two students talking about ''car models'', his first thought was that were talking about the toy. Only when he heard them say ''sexy'' did he realize they were talking about human models.


    He was not the same person anymore. He used to mistake big group for chest after all.


    Zheng Tan looked up at the sky. He could see the moon and many stars. The weather was great.


    There weren''t any streetmps around the storage house. The area waspletely dark. The school was probably nning to demolish all the buildings in the area and thought putting up streemps would be a waste.


    Zheng Tan suddenly felt he was being followed. He couldn''t smell anything, but he heard a rustle in the bushes. He instinctively knew he was being followed, but his follower didn''t seem to mean him any harm.


    A dark figure jumped out of the bushes and pounced on him.


    Zheng Tan was alert and turned immediately when the figure jumped out. When his follower pounced, he avoided the attack and pped the figure. He didn''t use much force though.


    Zheng Tan hadn''t expected to see Sheriff here. Sheriff had beenrgely missing at night these days. It appears he had been spending his time here. This area wasn''t far from the eastern quarters. Cats, instead of people, popted the area.

 Chapter 127: When Cats Run Into Thieves

    Chapter 127: When Cats Run Into Thieves


    Running into Sheriff didn''t change Zheng Tan''s ns. He was determined to go to Jiao Wei''s club''s meeting ce tonight.


    Sheriff watched Zheng Tan go, then debated for a moment and followed behind him. The cats Sheriff were ying with followed him. These cats had no ns for the night. They were here just to y.


    Sheriff and the other cats yed as they followed Zheng Tan. The sounds they made attracted more and more cats to the group.


    This wasn''t because they were a pack. Out of all felines, only lions moved in packs. Cats were independent and unpredictable animals. It was hard to guess what they were thinking. Cats living in the human world sometimes looked for ymates as well.


    The area hadn''t been taken by a certain group of cats yet. Zheng Tan assumed it was because none of the cats lived particrly close to this area. All of them only came here to y. Cats like Sheriff were probably considered neers here.


    Zheng Tan ignored the growing pack of cats behind him. He kept an eye out for people. He heard talk that the school periodically asked janitorial workers to clear the area of strays.


    Once a worker found a litter of kitties in a building but couldn''t find their mother anywhere. The worker had to take the kitties home. The mother was probably caught and sent to the pound.


    Also, Zheng Tan realized that this area wasn''tpletely devoid of people. Besides the model car club; other people had also applied to use these abandoned buildings. These buildings were home to many clubs. The school encouraged students to form interesting clubs and would make sure these buildings were safe before assigning them. The safe ones had special marks on the wall.


    This was another reason why stray cats didn''t live here.


    Most of the cats following him were cats from the nearby residential areas. The one fighting with Sheriff came from the western quarters. This was why Zheng Tan could move among them without fear of being attacked. Even if he were stronger than most cats, he wouldn''t fare well if a group of cats attacked him together.


    Zheng Tan jumped over a construction fence and came to the clubhouse. The door was tightly shut. It was made from a thick wooden board. The students hadn''t installed a metal door because they felt it would give off the feeling that the things inside were worth stealing.


    Zheng Tan didn''t enter through the door. The ss was broken on one of the windows. He jumped onto the windowsill and slipped in through the hole. Sheriff followed him. Cats probably entered rooms through windows as often as they walked through doors. This was a very easy task for them. The other cats had followed them to this building, but only two jumped into the building.


    Sheriff and the two other cats started sniffing around the moment the entered the building. Zheng Tan let them do whatever they wanted. He jumped onto a shelf and started looking for a newly built model car. It didn''t have an outer shell yet, and the parts were all showing. He found the car and its remote control.


    Sheriff had no idea what Zheng Tan was doing. He watched Zheng Tan ce the car on the t tracks. Sheriff went to sniff the car, then patted it with his paw. He didn''t find it very interesting. However, the thing suddenly made a loud noise that startled him. Sheriff jumped up with his back arched. However, Sheriff quickly got used to the sound. When the car started moving on the tracks, Sheriff sat on the side and watched.


    Zheng Tan fiddled with the remote control. It was hard pressing buttons with his paw. Heid the controller on the floor to make it easier. At first, he couldn''t make turns so the car would hit the side of the tracks every single time. He would go over and flip the car back up only to have it hit the side again after a few seconds. The track was oval shaped, so it was difficult to navigate with paws. He hadn''t expected ying with toys would be this hard though.


    He kept trying.


    After a fewps, he could manage to hit the side of the track only five times perp.


    He had been so focused that he hadn''t realized he gained an audience. A group of cats was sitting by the tracks and watching him.


    They were still slightly wary of the model car, so most of the cats stayed a distance away. Sheriff had tried to run after the car. However, it moved too fast and moved only within a small area, so he sat down.


    After a short rest, Zheng Tan was ready to try again when suddenly, he heard a sound. He ran to the window and stood on his hind legs on a chair to look outside.


    He could see a figure sneaking up to the building. Even humans could see the figure in the moonlight. Unfortunately, there weren''t many people around here at night. Even couples avoided this ce because there were no streemps.


    Was this figure a thief? It was unlikely to be anything else.


    Who the hell picked this shitty ce to rob?


    The person came close to the building and looked around. He didn''t see anyone, so he waved his aplice over.


    The thieves were a man and a woman. Both of them looked very young and appeared to be students. There were a lot of thieving couples around here. It was better to work in pairs. Zheng Tan felt these two were much less experiencedpared to the eastern quarter thieves. He should be able to deal with them quite easily.


    When these two were trying to climb over the fence, they scared away all the cats waiting outside. Therefore, they didn''t realize they were still surrounded by cats.


    The fence was falling apart, so they made it through without much trouble.


    Zheng Tan saw them heading towards the window and quickly jumped off his chair. He looked around and found a wrench lying in a corner. It was covered in dust. Someone must have forgotten it there.


    Zheng Tan went over and picked up the wrench. He felt its weight, then hid four or five meters away from the door.


    The other cats in the room heard the noise outside as well. One cat who was close to the door quickly backed up to join the other cats.


    Zheng Tan was walking on his hind legs now. It wasn''t like any of the cats here could tell his secret to other people. They were clueless about what he was doing.


    He held the wrench and listened to the young couple talk. Even though they were sure the room was empty, they didn''t dare to talk loudly. After all, someone might pass by.


    "Are there things in there worth a lot of money? How much money?" the woman whispered.


    "Of course there''s stuff in there worth a lot of money. The things those people y with, if we sell them, we could get hundreds, maybe even thousands. We can afford new clothes for you. Didn''t you see a bag you likedst time you went shopping? We can afford to buy brand name perfume too." the man said.


    "Can you open the door without a key?" The woman was doubtful.


    Zheng Tan heard the man try to break the lock.


    After the incident at the eastern quarters, Zheng Tan greatly disliked thieves. Usually, he minded his own business. This time, however, these thieves had the misfortune of running into him. He couldn''t let them go without teaching them a lesson. He could use Mighty as his disguise in the eastern quarters, but this time, he was on his own.


    The cats in the storage house stayed silent. They were alert and ready to run away.


    The door opened with a creak. The moonlight flowed inside.


    "I told you locks couldn''t stop me." the man bragged.


    "Be careful." The woman still seemed afraid, yet the allure of new clothes and designer perfume was too great. She followed the man inside.


    "Don''t worry about it; there''s no one..."


    He didn''t finish his sentence because he saw pairs of glowing eyes in the dark.


    In the silence of the night, inside an old building, glowing eyes were very frightening, especially since they knew they were doing something wrong.


    "Ah..."


    The man ced his hand over the woman''s mouth to stifle her scream.


    "Don''t worry. It''s a pack of cats. Not human..." Though the eyes startled him too, he was more experience than the woman and managed to regain his cool. Before he could finish his sentence, something mmed into his face, and all he could feel was pain.


    Bang!


    His nose started bleeding, and a tooth fell off.


    Someone once said cats were useless against thieves. Dogs could alert humans and bite the intruder. Cats would probably run away.


    That might be the case normally. Sadly, these thieves were out of luck today.


    The wrench made a loud sound when it hit the floor.


    The other cats jumped and started scattering about.

 Chapter 128: A Hero

    Chapter 128: A Hero


    Zheng Tan didn''t run away like the other cats. He saw the man was still in shock and picked up a chair and flung it at him.


    Bang!


    Hended another hit.


    The man covered his nose, he could feel blood and was starting to feel nauseous. He knew one thing though; there was someone in this room. Judging by the strength with which things were thrown at him, the person was not a child. Why was there someone here?


    Zheng Tan found another stool. If the man picked up the wrench, he didn''t mind throwing another item at him. He didn''t do it yet because he was worried he might identally kill the thief. His hatred for these two was not on the same level as his hatred for the eastern quarters thieves. He wasn''t scared the man might discover him either. As long as he stayed hidden in the dark, no one would know it was him.


    Zheng Tan wanted to go over and p the man, but he was worried people might learn his secret. He could only fake the illusion that a human was here.


    As for the woman, she might not be a good person, but she was easily scared. She was looking around for something she could use to defend herself. However, when she looked down, she looked right into a pair of bright cat eyes.


    She saw the cat was two steps away from her and was staring at her. Those eyes were shining in the dark, and she couldn''t tell whether the cat was hostile or just alert.


    She was frightened and threw the first thing she grabbed out of her bag at the cat.


    The only cat in the eastern quarters that would dare fight the woman under these circumstances was Fatty. Tiger would be long gone. Sheriff would try to run away too. Unlike Tiger, though, Sheriff would try tond a scratch before running away if he got the chance - and he did.


    He was a cat and had no idea what gentlemanly behavior meant.


    He scratched the woman and escaped onto some shelves. He felt it was safer up high. He hissed at the woman.


    The hissing noise wouldn''t have bothered the woman during the day. However, in a dark room, the hissing gave her the creeps.


    Zheng Tan nced over and saw the woman had covered her face and ran outside shrieking.


    Judging by her height, it was probably Sheriff who jumped up and scratched her. He didn''t know how serious the wound was. He wondered if Sheriff learned it from watching girls fight each other by pulling hair and scratching. No matter why he decided to do what he did, Zheng Tan apuded his bravery.


    The man decided to run as well. The pain had subsided, and he had regained his ability to think. The situation in the room was unclear. He didn''t know how many people were inside and it was best that he not try to stay and fight alone.


    Since the people blocking the door had left, the cats in the room started running out as well.


    Zheng Tan didn''t chase after the thieves. It was gettingte, and he should be going home. If he wasn''t home soon, Papa and Mama Jiao would be worried. But...


    There was still blood on the floor. Even if he closed the door, Jiao Wei and his friends would be in for a real shock when theye here next time. No one would know what happened and it would probably be impossible to find the thieves since too much time had passed. It was toote to make amends by that time. It was Thursday, and the club wouldn''t meet again for another three or four days. Who knew if the thieves would be back? Even if the stuff here wasn''t worth much, a few thousand yuan was enough to entice some people.


    The club members didn''tck money, except for Jiao Wei. However, if they found out their beloved clubhouse was ransacked, and their precious cars were stolen, they would be very upset.


    Should he mind his own business or alert the club members?


    He could just leave. Everyone knew no cats lived in the area, and certainly no one would think he had anything to do with the mess. If the ce got robbed, everyone would me it on the thieves and not cats.


    Zheng Tan wanted to stay out of other people''s affairs. However, if he earned the club''s gratitude, he could probably do whatever he liked with their cars. He preferred that they owe him a favor rather than him having to beg them. He had learned this from personal experience.


    He had dealt with people like He Tao and Ye Hao. Even if you got their cooperation by promising them benefits, the rtionship would only be temporary. However, if they owed you, the rtionship could be a long-term investment.


    Zheng Tan scattered a bunch of little gs on the floor. If he only took one, it would be suspicious.


    He rubbed a white g in the pool on blood on the floor. He held the g in this mouth and left.


    Sheriff followed him. However, Zheng Tan was too fast. Sheriff wagged his tail and returned to look for other cats to y with.


    Zheng Tan took the g to Jiao Wei''s family''s restaurant. Business was booming, and Jiao Wei would always stay till ten to help out.


    Jiao Wei was wiping a table when Zheng Tan arrived.


    Zheng Tan jumped onto the table, and a few footsteps appeared on the newly cleaned table top.


    Zheng Tanid the g in front of Jiao Wei and hoped that the boy would recognize from where it came.


    Jiao Wei hesitated for a moment; then he picked up the g. He looked at the blood on the g then he looked at Zheng Tan. He checked Zheng Tan and found he wasn''t hurt.


    "Whose blood is this? Wasn''t this g in the clubhouse?" He recognized the writing on the g. They sometimes wrote racing results on these gs as a joke.


    Only after he posed the question did he realize he was talking to a cat. He quickly made a phone call.


    "Are you sure the door was locked? Oh...it''s nothing...I''m just asking."


    Jiao Wei hung up the phone. He told his parents he was going out, then rode his bike over to the clubhouse.


    Zheng Tan watched him leave and rolled his eyes. How dare the boy leave the hero here! He jumped off the table and followed Jiao Wei to the clubhouse. He still needed the club to realized he had done them a favor.


    When Zheng Tan got to the clubhouse, Jiao Wei had just finished phoning everyone from a public phone booth.


    Everyone who had gotten a phone call jumped up immediately when they heard someone had broken into their clubhouse. They were all on their way here.


    Zheng Tan couldn''t find Sheriff around the clubhouse. He probably went home already. The other cats had all left as well. The clubhouse was empty.


    The light was on, and the blood on the floor had dried. Jiao Wei had left the bloody wrench and stool where they were.


    When everyone got there, these ''weapons'' were the first thing they saw.


    "F*ck! Was there a fight here? Why is there blood? Are you okay, Jiao Wei?" someone asked.


    "It''s not me. It was like this when I got here," Jiao Wei exined the situation to them.


    "Someone picked the lock. I saw scratches," someone else who was standing by the door said.


    Zheng Tan sat quietly on the side and listened to them talk. Jiao Wei had told them how Zheng Tan brought him a g. The group all praised him; some even tried to question him. Zheng Tan pretended not to understand what they were saying and acted the way a normal cat would act. He was d they recognized he had helped them.


    "There''s no point questioning a cat. It was already a miracle he notified Jiao Wei," Cheng said.


    The person standing beside him nodded. "F*ck. If I find out who did this..."


    "I would never have expected thieves to be interested in this ce."


    "People will do anything for even a little bit of money."


    "But this is a good school..."


    "There are plenty of smart bad people."


    ...


    No matter how upset the group was, the only thing they could do now was clean up and rece the lock. After they were done, it was already 11.


    "Sh*t! It''s 11 already. The dorm''s locked. The dorm manager is going to be so upset."


    "Curfew is 11? It''s 11:30 at my dorm."


    "That''s because you live in the graduate student dorm. All the undergrad dorms lock up at 11. Cheng, you got to help us. The dorm manager will make our lives hell for the next week."


    "Why do we need Cheng?" Jiao Wei seemed puzzled.


    The person who had been talking was a third-year student in Jiao Wei''s department and lived in the same dorm as him.


    "The manager won''t say a thing if Cheng''s there with us," someone else exined to him.


    "Dormitory managers might look like some regr old guys, but they might be a rtive of some school official. There was a student in our building who got into a fight with the manager and was summoned by his advisor the very next day. The manager''s son worked in administration and was high-up."


    Zheng Tan didn''t stay to listen to them talk. It was already 11. He was in for a tongueshing too when he got home. Mama Jiao would never let him hear the end of it.

 Chapter 129: What Did He Do To Deserve That?

    Chapter 129: What Did He Do To Deserve That?


    The club members became very fond of Zheng Tan after the thieves incident. Someone even made him a small car to sit in.


    However, Zheng Tan got tired of the toy shortly.


    He wasn''t someone that liked being controlled. Also, every time he sat in his car, people crowded around to watch. This made him feel like a circus animal. He gave up on ying with the car and wasn''t that excited about model cars anymore. He didn''t even watch the club y anymore. Every time he went to the clubhouse, he would sit on the window sill and nap, fantasizing about having a car he could drive.


    Zheng Tan knew well that having a car of his own was only going to be a dream. He was a cat, and no one would be willing to spend so much effort to create a car for a cat. Even if the students were grateful that he alerted them, they would only allow him to y with their toy cars.


    Zheng Tan yawned and switched to a morefortable position. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone standing by the bushes. It was someone he knew.


    When did Tong Qing get here? How long had he been here? Had he been watching him all along?


    Zheng Tan looked around but didn''t see Fang Shaokang nor his car.


    A club member was calling out for him to go over to y with cars. Zheng Tan turned his head. When he looked around again, Tong Qing was gone.


    Zheng Tan decided to go back to the eastern quarters. He was confused.


    When he passed by the guard, he slowed down so the man would see him pass. If Fang Shaokang had been here, the guard would mention it. The guard recognized all the pets in the eastern quarters and always talked to them when he saw them. He was here alone all day and was lonely.


    The guard had a great memory. He remembered who once came to visit who. If Fang Shaokang''s car showed up, he would know immediately someone was here to look for Professor Jiao in Building B.


    Unfortunately, the guard looked up and only said ''You''re back early today'', then went back to reading the papers. He didn''t mention Fang Shaokang.


    This made Zheng Tan even more confused. If Tong Qing wasn''t here to look for the Jiaos, why did he show up at the clubhouse? He would never do anything without Fang Shaokang''s orders. It went without saying that Fang knew he was watching the model car club. Would Fang buy him a model car?


    Zheng Tanid on a parasol tree and considered the possibility that Fang would gift him a toy car.


    The next few days, Zheng Tan kept an eye out for Tong Qing. He didn''t see him again. Papa Jiao didn''t mention anything about Fang Shaokang or toy cars either. Papa Jiao was busy these days. Zheng Tan hadn''t seen Yi Xin in a while as well. As for Su Qu, he was spending all his time in theb preparing for the department''s annual academic conference.


    Finals were close, and the kids were busy studying.


    Everyone had something to do. This made Zheng Tan, who had nothing to do, feel very bored. Fatty was spending his time sleeping on his balcony. Tiger had a stomach issue and was being confined. Sheriff was off ying somewhere by himself.


    Zheng Tan liked to take long walks when he was bored. He liked seeing new things.


    He hadn''t been to Jiao Yuan''s school in a while and nned to head over there today. If things went well, he might wander off a bit further away as well.


    He passed by a basketball court on his way. A crowd had gathered there for a match. People were cheering.


    Zheng Tan jumped onto a tree to watch the game. Before he sat down, he heard someone yell, "The men of the brothel, go go go!" Zheng Tan almost slipped off the tree. He looked around and found that the person yelling meant p sci department''. [1]


    There was a scoreboard on the side of the basketball court. On it was written "04 Comp Sci vs. 04 B School)


    Compared to middle school and primary school students, college kids were much less worried about finals. They had been through the torture that was the University Entrance Exam, and a simple final was nothing to them. There were quite a bit of people watching the game. The yers were extra motivated since many of the pretty girls in the business management department were watching.


    Thep sci department was made up of mostly men. The opposite was true for the business school. yers from both sides were trying their best to impress thedies.


    On the bench, a student wearing a ''04 Comp Sci'' shirt drank some water and said to the person next to him, "When I was in middle school I liked to wear the same jersey as my favorite NBA yer. Now, however, wearing this stupid jersey with my name and department is kinda exciting too." He then turned to cheer, " Go Comp Sci!"


    People on the other side of the court red at him.


    The student looked quite proud of himself. No matter what, the girls on the other side were looking at him weren''t they?


    While Zheng Tan was watching the game, inside the engineering department building, Cheng Zhong was staring at a contract in front of him.


    Many of the students took on private projects. Even though their mentors probably wanted them to put all their time and effort into their projects, the students needed money. If the opportunity presented itself, students with the capabilities would never turn down a private project.


    Cheng Zhong had been doing it since he was an undergrad. He wasn''t worried about his mentor finding out. He probably knew and was pretending to be ignorant anyways. Right now, the contract in front of him promised him an alluring sum, but the project was a confusing one.


    "I never made a model car like this."


    "No problem. I believe in you. You''ve worked for me in the past, and I liked the result."


    "But this size..." He was contracted to make a model car that wasrger than usual. If the car were for a child, the size wouldn''t work. Who was this for? Cheng Zhong didn''t understand, but Fang wasn''t willing to say anymore.


    Fang Shaokang tapped the table. "I don''t need an answer right away. You can think it over."


    Cheng Zhong let out a sigh of relief. However, Fang didn''t move. He cautiously said, " Um...so...maybe tomorrow..."


    "Ok. Times up. What''s your decision?" Fang looked up from his watch. His expression was serious. He looked at Cheng Zhong and waited for his answer.


    Cheng Zhong was speechless. What the hell?!


    Fang had an ''I''m serious and not kidding'' expression that made Cheng Zhong very frustrated. Fang Shaokang had given him exactly 15 seconds to think things over.


    How the hell was he supposed to consider this in 15 seconds?!


    People like Fang made Cheng Zhong want to roll his eyes. If Fang weren''t someone even his mentor respected, Cheng Zhong would like nothing more than to p him.


    Fang could tell what Cheng Zhong was thinking and exined, "There''s a marketing phenomenon called the 15-second rule. Most TV ads are 15 seconds long. 15 seconds is enough to change a person''s mind. A good salesperson can capture a customer''s heart in 10 seconds. I trust that with your brain, 15 seconds is enough for you to make a decision."


    Cheng Zhong was speechless again.


    He reread the contract in front of him and said, "I''ll do it."


    Since he had decided to work on the project, Fang answered all his questions.


    Fang hade to Cheng Zhong because he knew this guy was very into car models. He had both knowledge and experience in the area. His office was also close to the eastern quarters and he would be readily avable to do repairs.


    Zheng Tan knew nothing about what Fang was doing. He had already left the basketball court and was outside Jiao Yuan''s school.


    He stood on the fence and saw that the newspapers on the windows had been torn off. The temperature was dropping, and people liked sunlight now. There was no need to cover the windows anymore. Zheng Tan could see inside the ssrooms. Fu Lei wasn''t sitting next to the window anymore. He had performed well in the sports tournament and was now a friend of Jiao Yuan''s, so the homeroom teacher had moved him closer to the middle of the ssroom.


    No one he knew sat next to the window, so he kept walking along the fence. He left the school and came to a regr residential neighborhood. He wasn''t nning on stopping here. However, he heard someone beckoning at him.


    "Where are you from? I''ve never seen you before. You''re not from here are you?" a boy about seventeen, who was wearing a school uniform, asked him.


    He ignored him since he wasn''t a girl.


    He was about to leave when he heard a window open above his head.


    A woman stuck her head out and yelled in a thick local ent, "If you have time, study! Why can''t you be more like your brother! Stop ying with cats! You''re going to have the IQ of a cat!"


    Zheng Tan was speechless.


    What did he do to deserve that?!

 Chapter 130: Swallows and Swans

    Chapter 130: Swallows and Swans


    The woman poured water out of the window then closed it with a bang.


    Zheng Tan looked at this student who had the IQ of a cat. Judging by his expression, what had just happened was amon urrence. He seemedpletely untouched by her words.


    He pulled a piece of dried grass from a flowerbed to tease Zheng Tan. Zheng Tan, however, ignored him and kept walking.


    He made a few turns when he heard construction. He could see a crane between two buildings. There were too many buildings and too many people around to find a good spot up high to survey the whole area.


    The ce looked familiar though.


    Zheng Tan had no idea what that ce was. He was in an unfamiliar ce and lost his sense of direction. He didn''t think too much about it.


    On his way back, he passed by the residential neighborhood again. He saw a student wearing a high school uniform talking to someone else.


    Their voices were drowned in traffic. When he got close, he heard that person say, "A swallow can never understand a swan''s ambition [1]."


    The boy in the uniform smiled and answered, "A swan can never know the pleasure of being a swallow."


    Zheng Tan sat on the fence and listened to the two debate swallows and swans. One was like ''what do you know about the world,'' the other was like ''I don''t care what you say.''


    Zheng Tan learned from their conversation that the person not wearing the uniform was the brother the middle-aged woman had mentioned earlier. They were both 12th-grade students at a nearby high school.


    Zheng Tan didn''t quite care who was more correct or who was more annoying. The first thought he had was that 12th-graders talked in confusing rhetoric. Their use of ancient Chinesenguage and idioms made it hard for Zheng Tan to understand what they were saying.


    The ''brother'' left after a few minutes. The boy in his school uniform turned and saw Zheng Tan.


    "You''re back!"


    He immediately smiled, then came over to tease Zheng Tan again. Zheng Tan didn''t want to y with him. He got up and headed home.


    Everything was the same on campus. However, on Zheng Tan''s way home, he heard the owners of a convenience store near the school talk about the construction of amercial za.


    Compared to therge zas downtown, this one would be much smaller. There were plenty of schools around, and it was easy to make money off students. Many of the shop owners in the area were discussing the matter. They heard that some residential buildings were going to be built as well. Zheng Tan only learned so much from their conversation since they didn''t know the exact details either.


    No wonder the location of the construction he saw earlier seemed familiar. It was the abandoned factory where he had taken Nougat. It seemed Ye Hao had managed to acquire it after all.


    Zheng Tan supported the project. It gave him a new ce to y. He hoped Ye Hao''s construction team worked quickly.


    The next day, Zheng Tan went on a walk and passed by the same residential neighborhood. He ran into yesterday''s uniform boy. The boy seemed in a rush and didn''t try to y with Zheng Tan.


    He was wearing a cheap track suit today. When he was walking out of the neighborhood, the middle-aged woman was yelling at him from the same window. She saw Zheng Tan, then said something about cats and IQ again.


    The uniform boy ran into someone he knew outside the neighborhood.


    "Zhong Yan, no school today? How did you do on your recent test?" the person asked.


    "So so." Zhong Yan shrugged.


    "You really should be more like your brother. I heard he studied until 11 again yesterday. He probably did well on this test."


    The person said a lot. Zhong Yan listened without any expression, then took his leave.


    Zheng Tan saw the person shake his head behind Zhong Yan''s back.


    Zheng Tan decided to follow this Zhong Yan and see where he was going.


    Zhong Yan bought a six pack when he passed a convenience store. He walked into an alleyway. Zheng Tan had passed by the alley yesterday. Now he saw that the buildings at the end of the alley had all been knocked down. It was a different area than the abandoned construction site Zheng Tan and Nougat visited. It seemed Ye Hao''s project involved arge area. No wonder he had to do so much work earlier.


    Zhong Yan walked to the end of the alley, then looked both ways before heading in one direction.


    This area wasn''t fenced in yet. Zhong Yan was headed to a temporary duty room. Inside there were a group of people smoking. Smoking was banned on the construction site, so the duty room had be one of the few smoking rooms on the site.


    Many of the people there knew Zhong Yan. They smiled when they saw the six pack in his hand. They couldn''t drink now but they could during dinner time.


    Not long after Zhong Yan got there, he left with a middle-aged man wearing a hard hat.


    Zheng Tan watched at the end of the alleyway. The man with the hard hat saw him, then walked over to Zhong Yan.


    Zheng Tan jumped onto the top of a house.


    "This cat came with you didn''t it?" The person took off his hard hat and pointed at Zheng Tan.


    "I wouldn''t have noticed if you didn''t point it out, brother Ning. I met the cat yesterday. I don''t know who it belongs to. It isn''t afraid of people," Zhong Yan said.


    Brother Ning smiled and shook his head. He asked, "How did you do on yourst test?"


    "It was ok," Zhong Yan answered. His answer seemed more sincere this time.


    "What are you here for?" Brother Ning asked.


    "I knew I couldn''t hide it from you." Zhong Yan scratched his head. "Winter break is just a month away. I was thinking I wanted to do something to earn some extra cash and was wondering if you guys need more people here on the construction site."


    Brother Ning frowned. "Why are you looking for a part-time job? Is your mother not giving you money? What kind of a mother is she? She treats someone else''s child better than her own."


    Zhong Yan rubbed his hands together without saying anything.


    "Focus on studying now and get into a good university next year. Don''t be like us. As for work, there are definitely people going home for New Year''s day, and we''ll need people then. If you aren''t afraid of tiresome work, then you cane. That''s all I can find you at such short notice."


    "Thank you!" Zhong Yan looked very happy.


    "No problem. Don''t worry about work. Focus on studying. People like me envy you guys who get to go to school. I only finished middle school."


    "What''s wrong with being like you guys. You guys can earn money and provide for your families."


    Brother Ning didn''t have much schooling, but he had skills and had been in the industry for a while. He had earned quite a bit of money.


    "You don''t understand. Even if we have money now, people still think of us as vulgar upstarts. You can tell yourself people say what they say out of jealousy. However, after a while, it''s hard to kid yourself."


    Brother Ning saw Zhong Yan''s head droop. He didn''t want to put too much pressure on the boy and said, "On the other hand, my boss once said some people are book smart while others are street smart. It''s unsure which kind of people will do better in the future. Everyone has their standards. You just need to live your own life. Zhong, you might not be doing so well at school, but you are smart. You''ll do better than me in the future."


    Zhong Yan didn''t exin or argue. He asked, "Brother Ning, is there anything I should know about your boss?"


    "Well, I don''t think so. You know our background and people like us don''t usually fear much. Oh, yes, I remember. The boss hates cats, especially ck ones. He doesn''te to the site a lot, but still, don''t bring the cat. That''s probably all."


    Brother Ning stood up and patted dust off his pants. He went back to the site.


    Zhong Yan watched him leave and sighed. He looked at Zheng Tan. "I really envy you guys. You cats eat and sleep and don''t have to worry about anything."


    Zhen Tan didn''t agree. He had been a cat for a little more than a year now and was bored most of the time. He didn''t have to worry about food or shelter but he did have to worry about how to pass the time.

 Chapter 131: Cosmic Velocity

    Chapter 131: Cosmic Velocity


    Zhong Yan had liked cats ever since he moved here.


    His mother remarried and formed a new family. He didn''t feel like he belonged to his new family and was going through adolescence.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know what Zhong Yan had been through, but he could tell it wasn''t a pleasant memory.


    Zhong Yan had run out of the house after a fight with his mother. He was in a corner in the yard letting out his anger on the grass in the flowerbed. He hid in the shadows even though sunlight was only a step away.


    He saw a cat on the fence. It was so calm as if the people moving by the fence had no effect on it at all.


    Zhong Yan took a step back and shielded his eyes against the sun. He saw the cat look at him. He looked back. They stared at each other for two seconds, then the cat left.


    The moment the cat looked at him, he had a warm feeling as if the world was smiling at him. Then the cat walked away.


    People liked topare him to his stepbrother and they all concluded that he lost in every regard.


    "People areplicated. You cats don''t understand, I don''t understand to be honest. When I grow wings, they snap them off, then me me for not being able to fly. Oh, kitty. I worked so hard to prove myself, then they told me I had to attend a normal high school with my brother. When it was time to pick science or arts, I chose humanities, yet that man said he was a physics teacher and his child had to study science. So I thought to myself, why do I want to prove myself? What''s the point? Being too keen isn''t a good thing."


    Zhong Yan picked up a pebble. He looked at Zheng Tan, "Do you know cosmic velocity?"


    "..."


    Cosmic velocity? What was that? It sounded familiar though.


    Zhong Yan tossed the pebble into the air and it fell to the ground.


    "This kind of speed can only make this rock move like this. ICBMs can fly tens of thousands of kilometers andnd somewhere far away. Satellites can reach first cosmic velocity and leave the ground to orbit the Earth. When satellites reach second cosmic velocity, they can escape from the pull of Earth''s gravity and enter the sr system. If something reaches third cosmic velocity, it can leave the sr system and wander the milky way. At an even higher speed, it can leave the milky way and enter the universe. Of course, there are issues to consider before a satellite can leave Earth..."


    Zhong Yan kept talking. Zheng Tan felt it was creepy, this boy was exining cosmic velocity to a cat. He felt the boy was a Papa Jiao in the making. His words seemed to have a deeper meaning.


    Zheng Tan could tell that the boy wasn''t just what he showed.


    He was hiding his true capabilities and had been hiding them for three years.


    Zheng Tan couldn''t imagine a boy in his teens hiding his strength from the first day of high school.


    Zhong Yan couldn''t tell anyone, not even brother Ning. Yet he was still young and needed to confide in someone or something. So he talked to cats. Zheng Tan just happened to be his audience today.


    However, most people found his habit of talking to animals creepy. No wonder the people in his neighborhood looked at him like he was weird and his mother greatly disliked cats.


    Zhong Yan hadn''t been able to talk to anyone for too long and Zheng Tan didn''t run away or fall asleep like other cats. Zhong Yan kept talking, he went from cosmic velocity to Confucius''s golden mean to how great it would feel to be the dark horse that won during the college entrance exam.


    "Everything you do during high school is all evaluated during that one exam. If you do well, all can be forgiven, if you don''t do well then whatever you did is wrong. I''m thankful they like to talk about me in the third person. I can pretend to not hear them. They didn''t name me after all."


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. He knew enough grammar to understand third person and objects and somewhat understood what Zhong Yan was trying to say.


    As for Zhong Yan, he might be trying to live by the rules of the golden mean, yet he never passed a chance to extract some revenge on the people around him. He had used hydrogen peroxide, potassium iodide and dish soap to y a prank on his stepbrother and no one knew he was the culprit.


    He was thick-skinned, shameless yet innocuous looking. He had be this way due to his past experiences.


    Zheng Tan could tell he couldn''t wait to get away from his current family. What would he do after he entered college? He probably had ns. No matter what they were, Zheng Tan admired them.


    After he finished sharing his secrets, Zhong Yan picked up a pebble and threw it with all his might. The pebblended behind a temporary construction house.


    "F*ck, who the f*ck threw it!"


    Zhong Yan started running the moment he heard the voice. He turned and waved at Zheng Tan, shouting, "Run!"


    Zheng Tan could tell by the yelling and Zhong Yan''s expression that he had identally hit someone he shouldn''t bother.


    What luck!


    The two ran out of the alley. Zhong Yan panted while leaning on amp post. Zheng Tan checked to see if anyone was running after them.


    "That person has a really bad temper. I heard he was in a gang and was quite famous some years ago. I couldn''t believe I hit him. Thank goodness we didn''t get caught or I can stop thinking abouting here to work in the winter."


    They rested for a while then Zhong Yan stood straight and patted dust off his clothes. He looked at the sky then headed home.


    Zheng Tan jumped onto the fence. It was dinner time.


    "I really envy you cats." Zhong Yan was walking very slowly. He deeply resented having to go home.


    Was it good being a cat?


    If Zheng Tan could talk, he would tell Zhong Yan what it really was. People always thought cats can y by themselves. They could spend hours ying with their tails and paws.


    After dinner, Papa Jiao received a call. He said to Zheng Tan who was watching TV on the sofa. "Charcoal, Mr. Fang would like to talk to you."


    Zheng Tan was watching a soap opera with Mama Jiao. Today''s episode involved two single-parent families so he managed to stay awake. The child on TV was crying his heart out after being berated. He had snot running down his face and was hupping from crying too hard. Zheng Tan imagined this was what Zhong Yan was like years ago. Then he heard Papa Jiao call him.


    Fang?


    Why was he calling?


    He hadn''t heard from Fang Shaokang ever since he saw Tong Qingst time.


    Papa Jiao pressed the speaker button. Zheng Tan sat next to the telephone. He patted the microphone to indicate he was listening.


    "Charcoal, haven''t seen you in a while. I nned a surprise for you but you need to do me a small favor first. I''lle get you the day before New Year''s Eve. Be ready!"


    Fang was talking to Zheng Tan but also notifying Papa Jiao.


    Zheng Tan''s attention was captured by Fang''s surprise. Knowing him, it must be something big.


    Before they could say anything, Fang hung up. He seemed very busy these days.


    Zheng Tan went back to the sofa but kept thinking about the surprise. He also wondered what Fang needed him to do. What was Fang San nning?

 Chapter 132: Nothing To Do But Cry

    Chapter 132: Nothing To Do But Cry


    It was January. The Jiao family had a new calendar in the living room.


    During the past year, Zheng Tan had gone through a lot, met a lot of people, and experienced all kinds of emotional rollercoasters. However, when he thought about it, he spent most ofst year napping. He was a cat after all.


    He yawned and jumped off a tree.


    It was winter break, and all the middle schoolers and primary school students were home on holiday. Youzi was doing her homework while Jiao Yuan was off ying somewhere. Last year, Papa and Mama Jiao didn''t go back to their hometown for Chinese New Year because of Mama Jiao''s ident. Jiao Yuan felt that the holiday spirit wasn''t very strong in Chuhua city. Zheng Tan didn''t know what strong holiday spirit meant, but he still looked forward to going back to that small town.


    He wondered how the little guy he saved from the human traffickers was doing. Still, he prayed he wouldn''t run into the baby again. A child was a child. Zheng Tan looked around the quarters. Fatty was off visiting rtives with his owner. Tiger and Sheriff had their eyes on a bird and were ignoring a grey magpie jumping around them. The bird they had their eyes on was rarer. They saw magpies all the time and lost interest in hunting them.


    Zheng Tan was not fond of hunting birds. He nned to take a walk near the construction site after lunch. He could take a shortcut by leaving campus through the side gate like he did that time with Nougat. However, he wanted to check on Zhong Yan.


    He hadn''t been over there for a while and hadn''t seen Zhong Yan sincest time. 12th graders were busy. Their school let them off only once a month. Other days, they had to be there early in the morning and leavete at night. Zheng Tan stayed home in the mornings and at night, so there was little chance of them running into each other. Zhong Yan was on his monthly break now.


    It was a cold, cloudy day, and maybe because of this, Zheng Tan didn''t see many cats around. It was very quiet near Jiao Yuan''s school.


    He came to Zhong Yan''s neighborhood and looked at his window. There didn''t appear to be anyone home. He couldn''t hear voices.


    Oh well.


    Zheng Tan left and headed down an alleyway to the construction site.


    It had been almost three weeks since he had been here with Zhong Yan and the area had changed a great deal. The buildings hadn''t been constructed, but the area was full of piles of brick and half torn buildings. A blue board fence had been put up.


    Zheng Tan looked at the posters on the board. He saw the name of Ye Hao''spany. He wanted to find a spot where he could see the whole area but couldn''t find one. A suitable billboard had been moved away.


    Construction sites were dangerous ces for a cat. Cats were an eptable protein for workers. However, Zheng Tan wasn''t too worried. If anyone had their sights on him, he didn''t mind making a huge fuss. Ye Hao would punish whoever touched him. Ye Hao''s support was what gave him the guts to stand here in in sight.


    He didn''t want to make trouble though. He just wanted to see the area change bit by bit. Papa Jiao always said it was good to see new things. New things and new experiences made up memories and slowed down time. Zheng Tan had included this area into his walking zone and woulde over here when he had nothing to do.


    He was still searching for an observation spot when he heard someone call Zhong Yan''s name. The person spoke in dialect, so Zheng Tan wasn''t very sure it was Zhong Yan''s name he heard. He decided to check. He knew Zhong Yan wanted toe here to work during his winter break.


    The voice came from behind a truck near the fence. He jumped on top of the truck and saw a few workers had gathered near a temporary resting area to eat their boxed lunches. Among them was Zhong Yan.


    He wore the same uniform and hard hat as the other workers. He looked dirty and was eating his lunch sitting on a rock. He chatted with the other workers between bites. Brother Ning was there too. No one would bully Zhong Yan if brother Ning looked after him.


    Zhong Yan stuffed his mouth with food. The boxed lunches didn''t taste very good, and there was dust in the food. It was always like that on the constructions site. It only took a moment for clean food to be covered in dust. It was a windy day too. They had to move stuff out of the resting room, and the small room was now full of dust, which was why they were eating outside.


    When you''re hungry, everything tastes OK. They were busy today, and lunchtime had to be pushed back, so everyone was starving. No one had time to fuss over dust.


    Zhong Yan caught sight of Zheng Tan when he was eating. The truck was higher than the fence so he could see the ck cat looking his way.


    He quickly finished his food then threw away the box. He said something to brother Ning then came out to meet Zheng Tan.


    The truck was leaving so Zheng Tan was nning to go home soon. He didn''t expect to see Zhong Yan. The boy wasing his way, so he jumped into the construction site.


    The actual construction hadn''t begun yet, so the site looked bare.


    "Fancy seeing you here." Zhong Yan recognized the ck cat. He had seen many ck cats, but this one left a deep impression on him. He hadn''t seen this cat in a while.


    "This cat''s back again," Brother Ning came over and said.


    "Again?"


    "Yes. This cat had been over here several times this past month. Before we took down that billboard over there, this cat would sit on top of it and supervise the site." Brother Ning smiled. His colleagues had suggested they catch the cat and turn it into a dish several times. However, he recognized it and told them to forget about it.


    "It''s dangerous for cats to be in in sight around here. People who work here are not afraid to kill a cat. Thankfully I''m in charge of this area, or it would have be food a long time ago," Brother Ning said.


    Zheng Tan red at brother Ning, then went back to surveying the site.


    The re made Brother Ning, who had been smiling, ufortable. He somehow felt disdain in that re. Were cats capable of giving him a look of disdain?


    He shook his head. He felt he must have been working too hardtely and was having hallucinations. It was only a cat.


    A few trucks wereing this way to load things, and dust flew all around them. There was still a bit of time left before lunch break ended, so Zhong Yan took Zheng Tan to the resting room. He poured a cup of water for Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan looked at the disposable cup then at the water machine. It seemed clean enough. He was thirsty after running around for so long.


    He drank the water and looked around the room. There was nothing special inside this room. The air was terrible though.


    "Isn''t this the supervisor-like cat?" someone saw Zheng Tan and asked. He felt it was a waste pouring cat water from the water machine, but Zhong Yan had brother Ning''s support, and he didn''t want to raise a fuss over such a small issue.


    Someone threw Zheng Tan a fishtail which he ignored.


    "This cat doesn''t even eat fish?"


    "It''s spoiled. Just don''t give it food for two days. It will eat it," someone else said.


    "Zhong, is this your cat?"


    "No. It''s my neighbor''s." Zhong Yan didn''t say any more. He didn''t actually know where this cat came from.


    As they were talking, someone came inside with arge stic bottle. His uniform was slightly different.


    "Li, we don''t have a lot of water here either. The supplier won''te until the afternoon. You can only take one-third of a bottle." Brother Ning came inside as well.


    Li was in his forties and worked in a different area than Zhong Yan. He wasn''t afraid of brother Ning. He knew people up high and didn''t respect most of the people here.


    He entered the room and saw Zhong Yan feeding cat water from a cup and immediately had something to say.


    "You guys give a cat clean water, and you say you don''t have a lot of water left. I think that''s not true. In that case, I''ll help myself. Are you guys keeping the cat for food? Remember to tell me when you guys cook it. I wouldn''t mind some."


    Li came to the water machine and started filling his bottle. He was set on filling the container. Everyone would have to work in thirst if did so. Brother Ning tried to stop him.


    "What? Am I less worthy than a cat? What do you mean I can only take one-third of a bottle? Ning, if you ask me..."


    He was berating Ning in front of his men. However, brother Ning was not a hot head anymore. He stopped Zhong Yan who about to exin and the other men who were about to argue. He knew Li. If they talked, it would only make the situation worse.


    Brother Ning took a deep breath. He knew people up high too or else he wouldn''t be made the supervisor of this area. However, he didn''t n to escte things.


    Before he could say anything, someone outside called his name.


    Brother Ning and Li''s face changed when they heard the voice. Li quickly put down his bottle, then patted dust off his uniform. He went out to greet the person with a huge smile.


    Before Ning went outside, he motioned to his men. They had all been working together for quite some time and understood immediately. The men, who looked like they were ready to beat Li a moment ago, immediately all put on a pleasant face.


    Zhong Yan didn''t know what was going on until someone told him to look sharp.


    "Zhong, the cat!"


    So the boss was here?


    Zhong Yan remembered what brother Ning had told him and nned to stuff Zheng Tan into a box.


    Zheng Tan ducked under the table to avoid Zhong Yan''s hand.


    It was toote. The people outside had entered the room.


    The first to enter was a man in his forties. He was talking to people next to him and asking about their progress. It was him who called brother Ning''s name earlier.


    Was this the boss?


    He looked amiable enough. Zhong Yan was slightly nervous. He knew it was foolish to judge a book by its cover and first impressions were often wrong. He wished the man would leave quickly.


    Sadly, that did not happen.


    Everyone came inside. Brother Ning and Li both had a respectful look on their faces and were choosing their words with great care.


    The man who was surrounded in the middle was the boss.


    Zhong Yan knew at first nce he was much less amiable than the person ahead of him. He was smiling, but Zhong Yan instinctively felt the pleasantness was a facade.


    What would he do?


    Zhong Yan stood on the side with his head down and tried to hide the cat behind him. However, Zheng Tan wasn''t cooperating.


    He had heard the group talk outside. Even though Long Qi only said one sentence, Zheng Tan recognized his voice. He knew though Long Qi would like to avoid him at all cost, he wouldn''t harm him.


    Everyone inhaled when Zheng Tan jumped on top of the table.


    F*ck! This cat was a troublemaker!


    Brother Ning regretted letting Zhong Yan take the cat inside.


    Li took the chance to say, "There''s a ck cat here. I saw someone feeding it clean water from the water machine earlier."


    Long Qi''s smile vanished when he saw Zheng Tan.


    There was nothing to do but cry. That was the first sentence that popped into Long Qi''s mind. He was angry and deeply regretteding here today.


    He tried to control his expression. After all, there were a lot of people here today and he didn''t want his image to shatter.

 Chapter 133: Go For A Ride

    Chapter 133: Go For A Ride


    "Why are you all blocking the door?"


    Zheng Tan recognized the voice.


    His trip here today turned out to be worthwhile. From now on, he coulde here without the worry of being caught.


    "Brother Bao, you came too," the man leading the group said with a smile.


    Most of the people here knew Long Qi as he was in charge of the project. Not a lot of people knew Boazi. He rarely came over here.


    "What''s going on?" Baozi asked.


    His face was void of expression. People nervously cleared away from the door. Only Long Qi still stood there.


    Before someone could exin, Baozi had entered the room and saw Zheng Tan.


    "Charcoal! You''re here." Baozi looked around but didn''t see Wei Ling. Wei Ling shouldn''t be free anyway.


    "Brother Bao, you know this cat?" the middle-aged man asked.


    "Yes." Baozi didn''t exin.


    He came here today simply because he had nothing better to do. None of their people knew much about the construction industry. However, Ye Hao had told them that leaders nowadays were capable of leading in all industries. They just needed toe here and make sure everyone was doing their job. They supervised attitudes.


    So, Long Qi and Baozi came here today and happened to run into Zheng Tan.


    Everyone here was smart enough to tell this cat was more special than they had thought. Baozi was even smiling.


    Long Qi and Baozi knew that Charcoal had yed a role in helping Ye Hao get in touch with Fang Shaokang. They weren''t sure if they got they project thanks to the cat, but still, he had given them contacts. Even Tang Qiye told them to pay notice to this cat because it may be of help in the future.


    Baozi didn''t understand how this cat could help them. There was no way people made business decisions based on a cat. However, Tang Qiye had spoken and Baozi was ready to follow orders. Both Tang Qiye and Ye Hao regarded this cat highly, and Baozi trusted them.


    Zheng Tan didn''t look at Baozi and Long Qi. He stared coldly at Li.


    Baozi, who was now familiar with Charcoal, could tell he was in a sour mood. He nced at Li, whose face had turned ashen. Without addressing the matter, Baozi told everyone to go back to work. Lunch break had ended and it didn''t make sense for them to all be gathered here. Brother Ning pulled Zhong Yan away.


    Only the people apanying Long Qi and brother Ning stayed.


    The person leading the way exined what had happened. Brother Ning made additions as he saw fit. He didn''t take the chance to exaggerate anything and only told things as they were.


    Long Qi''s face was stone cold, and he sat as far away from Zheng Tan as he could.


    Baozi didn''t care. He thought there was something borderline creepy about this cat as well, but he was willing to overlook everything if this cat was of help to them.


    After listening to what happened, Baozi didn''t say anything. Long Qi was in charge here and he should be the one to deal with this issue.


    They didn''t stay here for long. Long Qi and Baozi soon left to check out the other areas. Zheng Tan followed them. When they were done, Baozi even bought Zheng Tan a roast chicken. Zheng Tan only had a drumstick.


    Though he was still upset, and a chicken was nowhere near enough to win him over, Zheng Tan knew the men would deal with Li. He shouldn''t make a fuss over something so small.


    Baozi talked to Zheng Tan. Wei Ling had told Ye Hao to talk to this cat like he was human instead of a pet. Long Qi and Baozi were there when he said it. Long Qi never followed through on this instruction and Baozi was making his first attempt.


    Did the cat understand the humannguage? Baozi wouldn''t have believed it before. Now he was doubtful.


    After his meal, Zheng Tan went home to nap. Long Qi and Baozi returned as well. They reported everything to Ye Hao.


    "That cat is everywhere." Ye Hao rubbed his temples.


    Two dayster, Wei Ling came over to the eastern quarters with Baozi. Little New Year''s day (seven days before the Chinese New Year), which didn''t mean anything in the city, was close. The asion gave people a reason to visit.


    Baozi was here on Ye Hao''s orders and Wei Ling was here because the Jiaos didn''t know Baozi.


    When Wei Ling''s car entered the quarters, they saw that Fang Shaokang''s car was already there.


    Fang Sanye stood there babbling on about something.


    Papa Jiao had received a call from Fang Shaokang that morning saying he was going to visit.


    Zheng Tan looked at the calendar. Little New Year''s Day was tomorrow. He was indeed true to his word.


    Fang didn''te upstairs so Zheng Tan met him downstairs. When Fang opened the car door, Zheng Tan immediately saw a small car and his eyes had been glued to it ever since.


    It was even smaller than the toy cars made for children and was designed to look like a jeep. There was no hood and the steering wheel wasrger than normal. He wondered what it would be like to drive it.


    Zheng Tan was very happy. He suddenly felt Fang was a very nice guy after all. He noticed things other people didn''t. No wonder Tong Qing showed up at the clubhouse that day. Fang had this car made because he knew Zheng Tan liked cars.


    "How is it? Not bad, eh? Want to go for a ride?"


    Fang leaned against his car and looked very proud of himself. Wei Ling and Baozi were stunned.


    Was this really Fang Shaokang?


    Fang saw Wei Ling''s car but ignored it and said to Zheng Tan, "The weather is quite nice today. You could try your new car. Remember though, you promised to do me a favor."


    Zheng Tan was too excited about this car to mind anything else. He couldn''t wait to take the small car out and give it go. He was grateful too so he was happy to help Fang as long as he didn''t have to risk his life or do anything too weird.


    Wei Ling and Baozi watched Fang Shaokang''s car leave with their jaw dropped. As for Zheng Tan, he didn''t even see them Tong Qing had blocked his view.


    "That little bastard!" Wei Ling cursed. He was just joking though.


    On the other hand, Baozi was truly shocked. He never knew Fang had this side to him. This was how he treated his family and friends.


    Fang exined their afternoon ns to Zheng Tan. In short Zheng Tan would go for a ride, then y with children.


    They were headed to Liu''s house. Liu had a vi with a veryrge backyard. Zheng Tan could drive his car there. Apparently, Liu Yao was going through a difficult time and Liu was very worried. He had cleared off his schedule when Fang Shaokang came over with the cat.


    Both Liu and Liu Yao greeted them in the driveway. Bun was with them. He was muchrger now. Zheng Tan still felt he looked more reliable than majestic.


    Liu Yao''s eyes lit up when he saw Zheng Tan. His father had told him that ck cat from the party wasing here to y with him. He had taken out his favorite toy car. It wasrge enough for two cats.


    He was very surprised to see Tong Qing drag out a small car. He watched as the ck cat jumped into the small car.


    Was there going to be a race?


    Zheng Tan hadn''t considered that much. They were on privatend and he didn''t have to worry about anything. His new car was easy to operate. He used to love cars in his human days, so driving this was a piece of cake.


    Zheng Tan rested both paws on the steering wheel. There was a brake button instead of a pedal so he didn''t have to use his hind legs. The car was electric.


    He pressed the start button and the car started to move. Zheng Tan controlled the steering wheel. He felt like he was soaring while driving the first ever cat car.


    Liu Yao came out of his shock and immediately started his model car. As for Bun, he happily ran after the two cars.


    Tong Qi followed behind them to made sure no idents happened. He had previously doubted that a cat could drive this car. Now it seemed he had greatly underestimated Zheng Tan. He was doing just fine on his first try. He had now realized this cat was special and he shouldn''t treat him like he would a normal cat. Fang Shaokang had made up a story about Zheng Tan being specially trained.


    Fang Shaokang and Liu sat on the side and chatted business. Nannies took care of the children.


    At first, Liu''s attention was on his son. He was full of worries. Liu Yao had been running and was now sweating. Was he tired? Would he get sick? However, he rxed when he heard Liu Yaough.


    People alwaysined that children were noisy and they couldn''t stay still. However, most people still believed that was the way children should be at this age.


    They started to worry if a child was too quiet and obedient like Liu Yao.


    Kids should be happy.


    Now Liu Yao was running around andughing like other children. Liu almost broke into tears.


    They didn''t know that Zheng Tan was too fixated on driving to take care of the boy. When he realized it, the child was already covered in sweat. When he saw Liu Yao''s smile, he suddenly felt the boy was a good kid after all.

 Chapter 134: Same Accent, Different Person

    Chapter 134: Same ent, Different Person


    Liu Yao was tired and sat down to rest. His nanny came to wipe his sweat and bring him water.


    Liu was very pleased to see his son so energetic and happy.


    He was not someone who gave in easily in the business world. No matter how important Fang Sanye was in the capital city, this was Chuhua. He preferred not to upset Liu by forcing him into cooperation. Now, Liu owed him a favor and their negotiations went smoothly, and Zheng Tanpleted his task.


    Zheng Tan walked around his car. The logo was a cat head. There was even a tail on the rear of the car. It really was a cat car.


    Even if this car wasn''t as cool as he thought and driving it wasn''t as exciting as driving a real car, Zheng Tan was still very pleased. He was deeply grateful that Fang had been so thoughtful. He remembered his task and spent the rest of their time at Liu''s ying with Liu Yao. It was easy enough.


    When Fang Sanye left with Zheng Tan that afternoon, Liu Yao seemed very sad to see them go. Liu had wanted to buy Zheng Tan from Fang. Fang Sanye refused, so Liu was considering buying a cat. He needed to find a cat that got along with Bun and could make his son happy. It wasn''t easy.


    Zheng Tan didn''t care what Liu was thinking. He had his own problems. Where would he keep his car? Carrying it upstairs and downstairs was impractical. It was quite heavy.


    Before Zheng Tan could make up his mind, Tong Qing took him to the engineering department. Fang took him to meet Cheng Zhong. Zheng Tan now knew the person who made his car was the same Cheng from the model car club. This was good news. If there was any problem with the car, he now knew who to ask for help.


    The car still needed perfecting, so Zheng Tan couldn''t take the car yet. The Jiao''s were going home soon. He would have to wait until after Chinese new year to get his paws on his car again.


    Since he probably wouldn''t have a lot of chances to drive his car, Zheng Tan epted this fate.


    The next few days, Zheng Tan made a trip to the construction site. This time everyone treated him very well. Brother Ning didn''t say a thing when Zhong Yan fed him water from the water machine.


    People on the site gossiped about him. Someone mentioned he was the boss''s boss''s cat. Someone else said he belonged to someone important that the boss knew. There were all kinds of theories, but one thing was for sure, he was not to be messed with. These days, even a cat was worth more than humans.


    Because of this unexpected turn, Zhong Yan had managed to secure his position among his colleagues. He even got a small raise. No one dared to bully him anymore.


    Zheng Tan was the only cat wandering about in in sight near the construction site. Some had opposed him being there. The site was a dangerous ce and the cat could get hurt. They saw him as a ticking time bomb. Eventually, they realized their worries were unnecessary. The supervisors told them to let the cat be as long as it didn''t cause any trouble.


    Grandpa Jiao had wanted them home since little new year. Unfortunately, Papa Jiao had some business left in Chuhua and had to stay a few more days.


    Last time when they went back to Papa Jiao''s hometown, they stayed at their house in the town. This time they would be staying in the vige. Grandpa Jiao had cleaned out a few rooms for them and he even made up a cat bed.


    Three days before Chinese New Year, the Jiao''s packed up their luggage and left for home. Jiao Wei''s family had left on little new year''s day. Business had been good this past year and they were nning to buy a house in the area.


    They stopped at a red light. Three cars stopped side by side. All of them had just left campus. Zheng Tan didn''t know the people in those cars but Papa Jiao rolled down the window and said something to them.


    The windows were all open and Zheng Tan could hear the conversation in the cars on either side. Inside the car on the left, people were talking about curved spacetime and Hubble redshift. In the car on the right, people were chatting about the fluid mosaic model and the endosymbiosis theory of the origin of mitochondria chlorost.


    Zheng Tan decided to watch Jiao Yuan and Youzi y chess.


    There was a bit of traffic inside the city, but once they got onto the highway the road was clear.


    Youzi was new to chess. Jiao Yuan gave her an advantage of a rook, a knight, and a pawn. Mama Jiao sat in the passenger seat and looked back to help Youzi.


    Zheng Tan never yed chess before and was a newbie like Youzi. He wasn''t of much help and could only sit and watch them y. When he got tired, he looked up to check the road signs to see how much further they had to go.


    "Checkmate," Youzi said calmly.


    Zheng Tan looked back at the chess board. He grinned. They had just begun ying and Jiao Yuan lost.


    Jiao Yuan couldn''t believe it. He scratched his chin.


    Mama Jiaoughed and exined the match to Papa Jiao.


    "Many people make mistakes like that when they y against beginners. When I was learning how to y chess, an elder in my vige gave me an advantage like you did. I was excited and nervous and managed to checkmate him like Youzi. It was quite funny."


    Papa Jiao was recounting the memory. He still remembered how the elder''s face turned bright red after he won. "I only won that once though. I yed with the man every single time I went back to the vige but won never won. Now the elder would only allow me an advantage of two chess pieces. So that meant my chess skills have improved.


    Jiao Yuan reset the board and asked for a rematch. The first time he made a mistake. Now he was more cautious, Youzi, who had just begun ying, was no match for him.


    They were close to their destination and the kids were getting tired of chess. They sat and looked at the scenery outside.


    After two minutes, the car stopped.


    There had been an ident ahead and cars were all stuck here.


    Seeing that they weren''t going anywhere anytime soon, people were getting out of their cars. Some were carsick and needed fresh air, others got off to see what had happened.


    Papa Jiao got out of the car to ask about the situation.


    Behind their car was a BMW. An old man got out and stood by the side of the road with his hand behind his back. He stared entranced at the miles of farnd.


    A man in his thirties got out of the car and said something to the old man. He shook his head, then came over to Papa Jiao and asked if he knew what was going on.


    "The driver wasn''t hurt. A truck was flipped and there''s fruit everywhere. It''s probably going to be another quarter of an hour before they can clear the road," Papa Jiao said.


    Zheng Tan listened to them talk. The man in the BMW was from Yiyang as well. They talked in dialect. Zheng Tan could understand some of it now.


    "It''s been more than a decade. People probably don''t remember me anymore. When my father first moved to the city, he told me toe back home when I made it. He always felt this was his home, and no matter how nice life was in the city, he wanted toe back. Sadly he had just had surgery and couldn''t travel. He has regained some of his health now, so I''m taking him back home. Back in the day, this highway wasn''t built yet. It was so hard getting to Yiyang. The road was so bumpy."


    Leaving home at a young age and returning when one was old. One''s ent remained the same but one''s hair had now turned grey. (old Chinese poem)


    This was probably an apt description of what the man was feeling.


    He was one of those people who grabbed his chance in the nies and made a fortune. No matter what they did for a living, they needed to do face-saving projects before they went home. How else would people know they made it in the city. This BMW was a ssic example.


    To people in Papa Jiao''s vige, expensive cars meant BMWs, Mercedes, and Audis. To many of the vigers, driving a Maybach was the same as driving a Ford. To show that you''ve made it, you needed to consider what the people in your vige understood.


    Papa Jiao didn''t care about these things. He went back home quite often and people knew him well. It was different for people who hadn''t been home in years.

 Chapter 135: This Wasnt The Same Cat

    Chapter 135: This Wasn''t The Same Cat


    They got to Yiyang soon after the road was cleared.


    Papa Jiao headed to the vige instead of the town.


    The BMW followed behind them. The Jiao''s were quite surprised. They knew the BMW was headed to Yiyang but Yiyang wasn''t a small ce. There were many different viges in the jurisdiction, but the car had followed them all the way. Were they really from the same ce?


    Papa Jiao had chatted with the BMW man earlier but he didn''t say his name nor where he was going.


    The Jiao''s were just surprised. They weren''t worried the car was following them on purpose. What could the BMW man want from them?


    The man in the BMW was surprised too.


    After half an hour, the two cars finally parted ways near Papa Jiao''s old family house.


    "They''re probably from a neighboring vige," Papa Jiao said.


    They didn''t think too much about it. Jiao Yuan hadn''t been here in almost two years. Papa Jiao hade back here a few times, but he came on his own. To Jiao Yuan,ing to the vige was a distant memory.


    "There''s a new convenience store there." Jiao Yuan pointed.


    A store that size was nothing in Chuhua city, but it was consideredrger here.


    "It was builtst year." Papa Jiao exined the changes in the vige to them.


    Youzi was nervous. She didn''t know anyone here and had never been here before.


    They were surrounded by farnd and when they almost reached the vige, they saw a man waiting with arge yellow dog.


    "Grandpa!" Jiao Yuan waved at him.


    Grandpa Jiao grinned.


    Papa Jiao parked the car to let Grandpa Jiao in. It wouldn''t make sense to let his father walk behind the car.


    Grandpa Jiao got on and said to the big yellow dog, "You follow outside."


    The dog didn''t understand why Grandpa Jiao was getting in the car and came over. Suddenly a cat head popped up at the window.


    The dog started barking.


    Zheng Tan leaned on the window and ignored the dog.


    "Charcoal isn''t afraid! I forgot to tell you and Lucky. I decided to do an experiment and see how Charcoal reacts to Lucky. He really isn''t afraid of anything." Grandpa Jiao''s big yellow dog was named Lucky. He was over a year old and was a normal mutt.


    "Charcoal ys with a lot of dogs. There''s a Saint Bernard that''s muchrger than Lucky. Even


    it retreats when it sees Charcoal."


    "You know the word retreat now? Good for you."


    "Grandpa''s vocabry is impressive too."


    The grandfather and son praised each other while Papa Jiao shook his head.


    The big yellow dog ran behind the car.


    The road was bumpy so Papa Jiao drove slowly. The dog didn''t have a hard time running behind them. Jiao Yuan looked behind him at the dog and asked about him.


    There were many dogs in the vige. Some of them didn''t even have names. Even if they did have names, it was almost always ''Lucky'' or ''Richy''. People here raised dogs to guard their property. Dogs and cats in the vige were allowed to run around freely.


    "Won''t dogs get mixed up if they all have the same names?" Jiao Yuan asked.


    "They recognize their owner''s voice and won''t react to someone else calling them." Grandpa Jiao was very proud of his dog.


    Jiao Yuan realized the vige had changed quite a bit since hest came here. Many families had built new houses. The old brick houses had almost disappeared.


    Many of the people who went down south to work came back during the new year, and you could tell the changes in their houses. Building a house in the vige was much cheaper and was amon way for vigers to show off their wealth.


    Most of the older folk in the vige didn''t farm anymore. They spent their days raising their grandchildren and ying mahjong. Their children sent them money every month.


    Papa Jiao had wanted to rebuild his old family house. Everyone lived in new houses now and he was worried his parents might be ufortable if he didn''t build them one too. However, Grandpa Jiao was against the idea. He liked his house. Even now that he had a house in town, he preferred staying in the vige.


    Many people here in the vige knew Papa Jiao and respected him deeply. He was a professor after all. People here looked up to academics and government officials.


    Jiao Wei came over to help with their luggage. He had been helping Grandpa Jiao clean out rooms for the Jiao family. Papa Jiao had been of great help to him in Chuhua so he would like to repay his kindness.


    Zheng Tan came out of the car. The big yellow dog greeted him by barking like crazy.


    Many dogs were like that. They chased when you ran away and you ran away when they chased. It was a bad cycle. Smart dogs didn''t bite easily. Zheng Tan didn''t run away because he felt this dog wouldn''t bite him and Grandpa wouldn''t let it bite him either.


    Grandpa Jiao yelled at the dog to leave Zheng Tan alone. It did so, although unhappily, and ran into the kitchen. There were quite a few rooms in this house. Many were used to store things. Grandpa Jiao had cleared out three rooms for them. One for Papa and Mama Jiao, and one each for Jiao Yuan and Youzi.


    Though Youzi wasn''t a grandchild of theirs, Grandpa and Grandma Jiao treated her very well. They even ced some nts in her room to make it look livelier.


    There was a cat tree in Youzi''s room. Grandpa Jiao had made it himself. He had someone print him a picture from the inte and made a cat tree. It looked nice and the materials used were nice as well. Zheng Tan liked it.


    Zheng Tan still slept on the bed with Youzi at night. The cat tree was where he would rest during the day.


    Jiao Wei''s grandma had rabbits, so he brought two over to y with Jiao Yuan and Youzi. His grandmother was worried about the cat, but rxed after realizing Zheng Tan wasn''t interested in rabbits.


    The next day after breakfast, Grandpa Jiao left to purchase goods for the new year. Grandma Jiao and Mama Jiao stayed home making cured meat. The kids went to Jiao Yuan''s grandmother''s to look at the rabbits.


    Jiao Wei put a can in front of a rabbit hole. A string was attached to the can and he held the other end. When the rabbits left their hole, he would pull the string and the can would block the hole. Jiao Yuan and Youzi could then catch the rabbits.


    Zheng Tan watched them for a while, then decided to go back for a nap. When he jumped onto the fence, he saw Papa Jiao leaving the house with a bag in his hands.


    He knew Papa Jiao well enough to tell he was acting strange and decided to follow him.


    He passed by a few cats sleeping on haystacks. It was cold and the cats let Zheng Tan pass without any reaction.


    A dog blew his cover, however. It saw him and started barking. Thankfully it was leashed.


    Papa Jiao turned and saw him. His expression was somewhat twisted and he sighed. "Come if you must. Be careful, there are a lot of dogs around."


    Zheng Tan was now very curious. Where was Papa Jiao going?


    They walked for another five minutes and stopped in front of a very old brick house. The windows were all made from paper. The owner clearly didn''t have a lot of money.


    Papa Jiao looked at the house in silence for a few seconds before walking over to the door.


    The door was open and the sun shone inside. Zheng Tan could see dust floating in the air. There was a wooden rocking chair near the door. An olddy sat on it and appeared to be sleeping. She wasn''t wearing shabby old clothes like Zheng Tan would expect. Her clothes were made from fine material but she was looked like she couldn''t be bothered with keeping up her appearance.


    What a weird person.


    A three-legged tri-colored catid on herp. Compared to Li Yuanba, this cat was much smaller and skinnier. It detected someone was here and opened its eyes. It looked at them, then decided to ignore them.


    Papa Jiaoid the bags he was carrying down on the floor. He had brought vitamins and daily products from Chuhua city. He had spent quite a bit of money on them as well.


    The olddy opened her eyes. She looked even older than Grandpa Jiao but her eyes were still bright.


    The olddy looked at Papa Jiao, then at Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan felt a shiver run down his spine and hid behind Papa Jiao''s leg.


    "This isn''t the same cat," the olddy said.


    Her voice was t and Zheng Tan couldn''t detect any emotion in it.

 Chapter 136: Chapters of the Past

    Chapter 136: Chapters of the Past


    "It''s been twenty-something years, god knows if that old cat is alive or not. This one''s only two or three," Papa Jiao said.


    The olddy shook her head. "This one''s male. That one''s female."


    Papa Jiao was speechless. How would he know that old cat was female? She never told him.


    Zheng Tan didn''t notice Papa Jiao''s expression. He didn''t understand what thisdy was saying.


    F*ck! How did she know whether he was male or female?


    Zheng Tan never turned his back to her and there was no way she could check. Zheng Tan didn''t like showing his behind like other cats.


    Zheng Tan was starting to think thisdy was a bit creepy.


    "Is the cat cursing me?" thedy suddenly looked at Zheng Tan and asked Papa Jiao.


    Zheng Tan was speechless.


    Papa Jiao''s face twitched. He didn''t know how to answer that.


    The olddy didn''t wait for an answer. She asked, "Do you have a car?"


    Papa Jiao nodded. "I bought one a few month ago."


    "Good." The olddy opened a drawer and took out a pendant. She handed it to Papa Jiao. "Here."


    The pendant was very in looking. Many of the stalls on the night market near Chuhua University sold these things for a couple yuan. The olddy gifted it to Papa Jiao, but Zheng Tan somehow felt thate even if Papa Jiao hadn''te with bags of goods, she still would have done this.


    Papa Jiao thanked the olddy. She smiled, showing rows of dentures. She nodded at Zheng Tan, "Treat the cat well. It is fate you found it and it can bring you luck."


    Papa Jiao didn''t really believe in luck but he had to admit Charcoal had brought the family many opportunities.


    "I''ll leave you to rest now." Papa Jiao got ready to leave. He knew this olddy didn''t talk much and needed to rest a lot.


    "Before you leave the vige, bring this cat to see me again," the olddy said.


    Papa Jiao didn''t know what she wanted from the cat, but he agreed.


    Zheng Tan nced onest time at the olddy and the cat on herp, then left with Papa Jiao.


    After they left, the olddy sat up andbed her cat''s fur. She found a flea. "Another big one. Next time eat mice that don''t have fleas."


    The cat shook its ears.


    Zheng Tan and Papa Jiao left the olddy''s yard but didn''t take the same path as when they came.


    They were leaving the vige. Zheng Tan looked at Papa Jiao curiously. He could tell Papa Jiao had something on his mind.


    There was a mountain near the vige. It wasn''t high and couldn''t be categorized as wilderness. People were nting fruit trees on the mountain and it looked less natural.


    Zheng Tan followed Papa Jiao into a fruit garden. Papa Jiao stood and surveyed their surroundings, then he sat down next to a tree and lit a cigarette. He smoked in silence until half of the cigarette was gone. "Charcoal, I''ll let you in on a secret." Papa Jiao smiled, "It''s really isn''t a secret actually. I''ve told many people, they just don''t believe me."


    This was what he had been waiting for.


    Zheng Tan''s ears perked up.


    "When I was a young child, even younger than Youzi, I was quite naughty. There was a rumor amongst the children that there was hidden treasure in this mountain. The kids from the vige came here often to search for treasures but didn''t find anything. Most people gave up, but I didn''t. One day, I came here without anyone knowing where I had gone. I searched and searched but didn''t find anything. I was tired and hungry. I ate the bread I had brought and took a nap on the grass. I didn''t have any sense of danger and it was great luck that I didn''t die.


    When I woke up, the sky was dark. It was past dinner time and I was very anxious to get home. On my way home, I slid down a steep slope. Unfortunately, when I got back up, I fell into a hole in the ground.


    "The hole was very deep. I couldn''t climb out of it. People probably dug the hole then forgot to fill it back up. I was a child too, so I wasn''t strong. I yelled and yelled but no one came. I tried to climb up the hole and my fingers were bleeding from scratching the rocks in the soil. That was when I heard a cat meowing. A cat appeared. It looked at me then left. No long after, a rope was thrown down and I climbed up the hole by grabbing the rope. I felt someone holding onto the rope on the other end. The person didn''t use that much force though. When I got out of the hole, I realized it was the cat holding the rope. The other end was tucked into a crack in a giant rock. The cat was very smart. It ran away when I got out of the hole and that olddy back there appeared not long after. She told me she caught the cat stealing her rope and followed it."


    It was during the cultural revolution and the people all avoided her. Papa Jiao remembered him and the other kids had thrown rocks and mud at her house. Thedy had to move into a tent on the mountain until the cultural revolution ended.


    Papa Jiao still remembered what it was like being trapped in the hole. He was hungry, cold and scared.


    "She found a cat tooth on the rope. The cat probably broke its tooth when it was biting the rope." Papa Jiao flicked the ash off his cigarette and stared into space.


    The rope was very tough, but just biting it wouldn''t result in a broken tooth. The cat was pulling on it too. The cat might have broken the tooth when it was dragging the rope over here or it might have broken it when it was trying to pull him up. No matter what, Papa Jiao was deeply grateful. However, he never saw the cat again.


    "Thedy melted some rosin and preserved the cat tooth for me. I still have it. I''ll show you sometime," Papa Jiao said to Zheng Tan.


    Over thirty years had passed and Papa Jiao knew that cat was probably no longer alive. However, when Mama Jiao brought home a ck cat, he immediately thought of the one that saved his life.


    The cat had appeared in the dark and even when it looked up at people from the ground there was no fear in its eyes. It almost looked like a panther.


    Because of this, Papa Jiao, who opposed raising pets in cities, agreed to keep Zheng Tan. The SARS epidemic had just passed and there were two kids at home. Mama Jiao was very surprised he agreed to keep the cat. No one else in the Jiao family knew this story.


    "Thatdy told me not to tell other people about my experience. She said some stories are best left untold. People wouldn''t believe anyway and I might get into trouble."


    Back then Papa Jiao didn''t understand why she had said so. When he was older, he understood that back then things that had the tint of superstition could get people into a lot of trouble. After the cultural revolution, people were more epting and were less prone to take extreme measures when something weird happened. Even so, Papa Jiao still didn''t tell most people about had happened. He had tried telling it once but no one believed him. If he didn''t still have the cat tooth he would have believed it was all just a dream.


    Papa Jiao took Zheng Tan to where the hole was. Papa Jiao came here every time he came back to the vige. The hole had been filled and the mountain had been turned into patches of fruit trees.


    When they returned to the house, Papa Jiao went to help with New Year preparations. Zheng Tan didn''t have anything to do, but he didn''t want to catch rabbits with the kids. He went to the olddy''s house and tried to gather information about her. Many people hade home from the city and every day she had visitors. No one cared about superstitions these days. Compared to her peers in the city who charged a great deal, the olddy was quite ethical.


    She wasn''t famous in Yiyang but was quite well-known in the vige. She was in her nies and wasn''t from here originally. Some of the vigers held her in awe and veneration, others were fearful of her. However, most people who left the vige to work in the south came here and asked for blessings.


    A lot of people didn''t believe in superstition anymore thanks to school and science ss. However, people still went to her for peace of mind, just in case.


    People might say they didn''t believe in superstitions but thedy still didn''tck visitors. Many went to her with money and gifts. If you believe in something, it exists. [1]


    Zheng Tan didn''t know much about the olddy. However, no matter if she was a fraud or not, she never caused any harm or trouble. Her business actually had a good reputation. Even if she was a fraudster, she had once saved Papa Jiao and that was enough for Zheng Tan. She might have been the reason why Papa Jiao epted his odd behavior so quickly too.


    He remembered her telling Papa Jiao to bring him to visit her again before they left. He didn''t know why she wanted to see him again, but judging by Papa Jiao''s story, she didn''t seem like a bad person and didn''t mean him any harm. She had adopted her cat after it was hit by a car. She seemed kind.


    [1] (Old Chinese saying)

 Chapter 137: Kids And Fire Crackers

    Chapter 137: Kids And Fire Crackers


    Two days after they arrived in the vige, Zheng Tan finally understood what Jiao Yuan meant by holiday spirit.


    To Jiao Yuan, holiday spirit meant firecrackers.


    Bang!


    Zheng Tan heard children cheering.


    He was resting on the roof and watching Jiao Yuan light firecrackers with Youzi and some other kids.


    These things were banned in the city, but all was allowed here in the countryside. Firecrackers were very cheap and could even be made at home.


    The kids had got tired of rabbit catching and were now focused on firecrackers. Youzi always watched from the side. She was unfamiliar with these things. She had seen fireworks before, but this was different. Watching and lighting one herself was also different. Most people, including Zheng Tan, had watched fireworks during holidays before. Back in his human days, he had bought fireworks for a girl he liked. However, he had never yed with firecrackers like these kids.


    This was an old new years tradition. Unfortunately, it was a dangerous tradition that involved a lot of pollution. Most kids who grew up in cities never got the chance to y with firecrackers. Even if they did, they could only get their hands on what these vige children call ''kids stuff.'' These children had much more experience with firecrackers.


    It was quite clear this wasn''t Jiao Yuan''s first time ying with these things. Though he was in middle school already, he was still in his early teens and loved to y. He and a few other kids his age were in charge of the younger ones.


    "Try this."


    A kid of seven or eight took out an aluminum pot from a pile in the corner of the yard. He put a firecracker in the pot thenid it upside down on the ground. The kid raised the edge of the pot and lit the firecracker with incense, then ran away.


    Everyone covered their ears.


    Zheng Tan covered his ears with his paws. These firecrackers made such loud noises that his ears rang.


    Bang!


    The pot was sent flying in the air. Sadly, the kids weren''t satisfied. They thought the impact was still too weak.


    Zheng Tan looked at the pot. It''s shaped had changed due to the explosion.


    These kids were too bold.


    "We don''t have many of therger ones left. We need to be frugal, or else that''s it for today," a kid about Jiao Yuan''s age said. He had a box of firecrackers in his arms.


    The kids all had boxes of firecrackers, except his were thergest.


    "The small ones are no fun!" a child yelled.


    "No fun? Watch and learn!"


    One kid looked around at the vegetable patch.


    This area was a bit far from the farnd, so families turned vacantnd into vegetable patches.


    The kid went into a vegetable patch with cabbages. The weather was still not too cold. Winter wasn''t that harsh here. Some years, they didn''t even get any snow.


    The child found arge cabbage and stuffed a firecracker inside. He lit the firecracker and ran off.


    The kids didn''t cover their ears this time. They had used a small firecracker.


    Zheng Tan heard a bang, and the cabbage was blown into pieces.


    Damn these kids! If the owner of the vegetable patch saw the mess, he would explode with fury.


    One of the older kids knew better and stopped the child from blowing up more cabbages.


    It was fun blowing up other people''s vegetables. If this were their own families'' patch, a fight would have broken out already.


    "If we can''t blow up vegetables what should we do? Should we blow up fish?"


    "We can''t. We got a tongueshing yesterday. You can only throw firecrackers into rivers and ponds without fish."


    "What''s the fun in that?!"


    The kids were deep in discussion. Zheng Tan wanted tough. The kids had blown up a few fish yesterday and were caught by the owner of the fish pond. He was extremely angry. It happened every single year. Even a beating couldn''t keep these kids away from the fish pond.


    It was to be expected when you gave explosives to these little rascals.


    The kids hade up with an idea.


    Their new target was a water tank in the corner of a vegetable patch.


    The vige now had running water, but most people still liked to use water from the well. Every family had earthenware like this to store water. This one had probably been here for a long time. The water inside was dirty and stinky. The owner used it to water the vegetables.


    "I remember a story we learned in Chinese ss," a kid said.


    "I know! I know!" Another kid raised his arm and said, "Sima Guang blew up the water tank!" [1]


    Everyone was speechless.


    What a kid!


    The violence level had been upgraded to something Sima Guang wouldn''t even be able to imagine.


    They were ready to blow up a water tank after ruining cabbages. These kids were troublemakers.


    A child took out a firecracker about the size of a grown-up''s pinky. It was wrapped in stic and had a pointy end. It was apparently called a torpedo and was water-proof. It came in different sizes and was used by the children to blow up fish.


    The kid threw it into the water tank at just the right time. If it was thrown in too early, the fire might extinguish. It was dangerous to throw it in toote. However, this kid was very experienced.


    The rest of the group stood far away. They didn''t want to get water on them.


    The water tank was too old, and the torpedo managed to blow a hole in it. Dirty water flowed out.


    The child who lit the firecracker got water on him and went home to clean up.


    By lunchtime, the children had used up most of their stock and went home to eat and would gather together again after they had replenished their supplies.


    Jiao Yuan had traded snacks for some firecrackers. He still had pocket money, but the local stores didn''t have any of the good stuff. You needed to go to the county fair to find more varieties of firecrackers.


    He picked ones that had long fuses to give to Youzi. Ones with short fuses were too dangerous. He knew himself well. He might be older than the child who blew up the tank, but he was nowhere near as experienced.


    Mama Jiao was cooking.


    The house had an old-fashioned stove, the kind that used firewood. The cookware she used was arge iron wok. Grandpa Jiao liked this kind of stuff. They had a gas-lit stove too, but that was used to boil and fry stuff. This old stove was only used during the holidays.


    Jiao Yuan was looking for incense. He lit it.


    "What are you doing?" Mama Jiao frowned.


    "I need it to light firecrackers."


    "Be careful and don''t scare Charcoal." Mama Jiao was slightly worried.


    "It''s not a problem. Charcoal was watching us y all morning. He even knew to cover his ears." Jiao Yuan grinned then went into the backyard with Youzi.


    There was always plenty of space in the countryside.


    There was a pile of firewood in the backyard. There were a few cedar trees, and Grandpa Jiao had swept the yard in the morning.


    There was a water tank here too. Jiao Yuan didn''t dare blow up this tank. Grandpa Jiao had bought live fish. Yesterday, they had marinated the fish and kept them in the bottom of the tank. There was still a little bit of water left inside.


    Grandma Jiao was frying lotus root meatballs in the kitchen. She kept an eye on the kids. They lived in the city, and she didn''t trust them with firecrackers.


    Zheng Tan watched on top of the pile of firewood.


    Jiao Yuan poked a hole in the ground then buried the firecracker inside.


    He lit it.


    It let out a bang.


    It was a small firecracker. Jiao Yuan didn''t dare y with therge ones in his grandparent''s yard. They would give his grandparents a heart attack. He just wanted to try them out.


    The two kids each had incense in hand and were lighting firecrackers.


    After a while, Youzi looked at Zheng Tan. "Charcoal, do you want to give it a try?"


    Zheng Tan shook his tail. He did.


    "Come Charcoal." Jiao Yuan stood on tiptoe and handed Zheng Tan his incense.


    Zhen Tan looked at it then jumped off the haystack.


    Youzi took out a napkin and wrapped up one end of her incense and handed it to Zheng Tan.


    What a good girl.


    Zheng Tan held the incense in his mouth and walked to the firecracker Jiao Yuan ced in the ground.


    Jiao Yuan''s mouth twitched. His cat was a germaphobe.


    The fuse lit and Zheng Tan got a bit nervous. He knew this wasn''t a very powerful explosive but he had never done anything like this before. He was excited. He turned and ran as soon as he saw a spark on the fuse.


    Bang!


    The firecracker went off.


    Grandma Jiao took all the fried lotus root meatballs out of a pot and nced at the kids in the yard. She saw her son''s precious ck cat light a firecracker and dropped her meatballs.


    The big yellow dog who had been waiting on the side came running over and hurriedly ate the meatballs. He didn''t even care that they were burning hot.


    [1] (Sima Guang and the water tank is a story about Sima Guang, who was a well-respected historian and politician during the Song dynasty. When he was very young, he broke a water tank with a rock to save a child who was trapped.)

 Chapter 138: The Revenge Of A Cat

    Chapter 138: The Revenge Of A Cat


    Grandma Jiao didn''t mind the kids letting the cat y with firecrackers. They were in their yard after all and only family members could see them. If other people saw this scene, they might cause trouble.


    In the vige, people liked smart animals, but being too smart wasn''t good.


    Grandma Jiao said so to Papa Jiao and he told the kids to be careful.


    Zheng Tan was satisfied with just trying it out. He didn''t need to y with firecrackers.


    "Hey, dad, is the dog having stomach issues?"


    Papa Jiao pointed at the dog''s poop under the grape vines.


    "Stomach issues?" Grandpa Jiao came over. "It appears so."


    The dog was having diarrhea. However, the big yellow dog appeared quite lively and was happily waiting for food to fall on the ground.


    "Don''t worry about it. He''s probably having digestion problems because he ate too many random things," Grandpa Jiao said.


    This was how people in the vige raised animals. Cats and dogs often ate what humans ate and the vigers never bothered to make sure their food wouldn''t hurt animals. Most of the pets here didn''t get to die a normal death. People often stole cats and dogs to sell to restaurants. Cats weren''t worth much and were often left to survive on their own. In short, animal lives weren''t worth anything around here. People needed to worry about their own lives. Inparison, Grandpa Jiao was a very good dog owner.


    "Should we not chain him there?" Papa Jiao asked. If the dog was leashed in the kitchen he would always be able to find food. Grandma Jiao was frying meatballs and if her hand shook again, the dog would be in for a treat.


    "He whines if I lock him in the house. Let him go outside and y. He''ll be back by lunchtime. Most of the dogs in the vige are like that."


    "Aren''t you afraid someone will steal him?"


    "No one steals dogs during the day and Lucky won''t go far. He''ll stay in the vige and there are people everywhere. We need to lock him in at night but he''ll be fine wandering around on his own during the daytime."


    Grandpa Jiao pushed the dog, who stubbornly wanted to stay in the kitchen, out of the gate. "Go y. Come back before lunch."


    The dog wanted to squeeze back inside but Grandpa Jiao blocked the door. He realized he wasn''t getting back inside and left after barking a few times.


    "Won''t he be upset?" Papa Jiao asked.


    "He wouldn''t dare! You''ll know when lunch is ready." Grandpa Jiao shook his head. "He isn''t like the pets you guys have in the city. I heard someone say pets can harbor resentment. What''s Charcoal like? How''s his temper?"


    "...He''s...OK." Papa Jiao managed to squeeze out the words. He thought for a second then added, "He treats his family well."


    Jiao Yuan and Youzi were making dumplings with Mama Jiao. They had helped before and could at least make dumplings that looked the way they were supposed to.


    Zheng Tan was bored so he followed the dog out. He wanted to see if Lucky would get lost.


    "You''re going to let him out like that?" Grandpa Jiao pointed at Charcoal.


    "Don''t worry, Charcoal''s very smart."


    Zheng Tan jumped off the fence and followed the dog. He kept an eye out for unfamiliar dogs. Dogs were often allowed to run around freely here and not all of them were friendly towards cats.


    Lucky seemed familiar with the road around the vige. He followed the smell of food. He knew which family would give him things to eat and which families wouldn''t. Animals were much smarter than people realized.


    A cat who was sun bathing on top of a barrel opened one eye to look at Lucky but didn''t move. When Lucky left, it went back to sleep.


    Lucky kept collecting food. Zheng Tan almost admired him. He was thick-skinned and smart. These two qualities guaranteed he never went hungry.


    Suddenly, he heard barking. The barking had a warning tone to it. It was the kind of barking aimed at danger.


    Zheng Tan looked up and saw Lucky baring his teeth at a man.


    The man was ugly but he gave off the aura of a rascal. He did not leave a good first impression.


    He had a toothpick in his mouth and was shaking his leg. He wasn''t at all afraid when Lucky barked at him. He picked up a brick and threw it at Lucky. He used all his might and Lucky would probably have broken a few bones if he was hit.


    Thankfully, Lucky ran away in time. The brick scraped the fur on his back but didn''t hit him.


    No wonder Lucky treated the man that way. He obviously wasn''t a nice man.


    Zheng Tan looked around. People obviously saw what had happened but none of them wanted to stand up against this man for a dog.


    The toothpick man gave up on bullying Lucky. He pulled his jacket tighter and left looking very proud of himself.


    Lucky didn''t rx until the man was finally out of sight. This probably wasn''t their first encounter.


    Zheng Tan heard a child crying. The toothpick man took a child''s firecracker and threw it into a vegetable patch.


    People starting murmuring, but still, no one came up to stop him.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. He decided not to intervene as well. Papa Jiao had told him toy low.


    It was almost lunchtime and Lucky turned to go home. Zheng Tan was amazed at his sense of time. He didn''t have a watch and none of the families around were eating yet. No one told him it was lunchtime.


    Lucky looked excited on his way home. Apparently, Grandpa Jiao was right. He wasn''t harboring any resentment.


    Zheng Tan followed him. He saw Lucky enter the yard. Then the dog suddenly ran out and started barking furiously.


    Zheng Tan entered the house and caught the toothpick man taking a piece of fried fish out of Youzi''s hand.


    F*ck him!


    Zheng Tan was furious. If Papa Jiao hadn''te over he would have pped the man.


    It was none of his business if this man bullied other children but he couldn''t stand it if the man bullied his family.


    Lucky had gone straight to the kitchen when he came home. Youzi saw him and knew Zheng Tan was probably back too. She had picked up a piece of fried fish to bring to him when she ran into the toothpick man. He took the fish from her.


    Youzi was ring at this stranger. She did not like him one bit. She was considering throwing her chopsticks at him.


    Grandpa Jiao was angry as well. He picked up a shoulder pole and chased the man out of the house.


    The man kept yelling. "I heard professors like brother Mingsheng work on projects that are at least worth millions. I just wanted to see what millionaires look like. What are you doing?"


    "Stop bullsh*tting! The money is for research. If you keep bbering I''ll take you to the police station." Grandpa Jiao wanted to beat the man.


    The vigers cared a great deal about seniority in the family. He could bully people his own age or younger than him, but he didn''t dare touch the elders. That would be inviting the fury of the whole vige. He would get a beating and would end up at the police station.


    Though Grandpa Jiao had chased the man away, Zheng Tan was still upset. He wanted revenge. It was New Year''s Eve tomorrow and he decided not to cause trouble just yet. He would wait a few days.


    People had dinner early in the vige. There weren''t many entertainment activities at night and people were used to going to bed early. However, people were busy with New Years preparation and bedtime was pushed back slightly.


    A family''s pig had piglets and Grandpa Jiao took Jiao Yuan with him to check it out. Youzi didn''t want to go and was watching TV with Mama Jiao.


    Zheng Tan was curious too so he went with Jiao Yuan.


    Grandpa Jiao took a shortcut. Zheng Tan followed behind him then suddenly he heard something. He stopped and traced the voice to an alleyway. He saw the toothpick man smoking and talking to someone on his cellphone. He was bragging about stealing a box of ''torpedos'' from the local supermarket. He tried them out and was nning to sell the box to children tomorrow at a higher price.


    "Anyway. Got to go. I want to take a sh*t."


    The man pocketed his phone. He flicked his cigarette on the floor then went into the washroom while humming.


    The tip of Zheng Tan''s tail swayed from side to side. He went over.


    This opportunity to exact revenge on the toothpick man was more important than piglets.


    He went into the toothpick man''s house and found the pack of ''torpedos'' in his room. He opened the box and took out two. He then ran to the washroom.


    It was dark outside and no one noticed a cat walking on his hind legs. The toothpick man''s family was all inside watching TV and didn''t realize there was an intruding cat.


    Most of the washrooms in the vige were just an area fenced in by brick walls behind the house. There was usually a potty that was half in the washroom and half outside so the vigers could use the natural fertilizer for crops. Zheng Tan was nning to use this structure to exact his revenge.


    He picked up the cigarette the toothpick man threw on the ground and quietly went to the washroom.


    He recalled how the kid lit the firecracker and lit the fuse. He threw it into the washroom and ran away as fast as he could. He remembered how the kid got water all over himself.


    When he was some distance away, he hid behind some hay and heard a bang inside the washroom.

 Chapter 139: New Years And Red Pockets

    Chapter 139: New Years And Red Pockets


    The ''torpedo'' did its job.


    Zheng Tan heard a ssh followed by screaming and swearing.


    The air stunk and the toothpick man ran out of the washroom without even picking up his pants. He tripped and fell onto the floor, getting even more poop on him. He ran into the house.


    The firecracker had created quite a mess. Zheng Tan was fortunate he hid behind a haystack. Some excrement even sshed onto the tree in the yard. Zheng Tan, however, was amazed at how well the washroom was built. It didn''t have any cracks after the blow. Or maybe it did, he just couldn''t see them.


    Zheng Tan wanted to see how pathetic the toothpick man looked now, but he couldn''t stand the smell any longer. He wanted to puke. Besides, the toothpick man''s family had realized what happened and he could hear themotion inside the house.


    Zheng Tan hurriedly left via the backyard. He took care to avoid stepping on excrement.


    The neighbors heard the bang but had thought it was only the local kids ying somewhere. However, they heard swearing after the bang and opened their doors to see what had happened. The smell of excrement greeted them.


    Zheng Tan hid the other ''torpedo'' he stole under a brick. It was safe there. No one looked under bricks. If the toothpick man ever bothered his family again, he would put that firecracker to good use.


    When Zheng Tan returned home, he felt he smelled, so he sat on the haystack to air his fur out.


    He saw the three-legged cat run past him with a fat mouse in its mouth.


    Were tricolored cats just superior to other cats? This one moved with such agility despite missing a leg.


    Zheng Tan shook his ears. He admired the cat.


    After twenty something minutes, Grandpa Jiao returned with Jiao Yuan, and Zheng Tan followed them into the house.


    Grandpa Jiao and Jiao Yuan smelled as well, so no one noticed Zheng Tan.


    The yellow dog sniffed Grandpa Jiao then sneezed. He then sniffed Zheng Tan. He wanted to lick him too but was pped away by Zheng Tan.


    The Jiaos at home thought Zheng Tan had gone to see the piglets with Grandpa Jiao. Grandpa Jiao and Jiao Yuan thought he had stayed home. In the end, no one realized where he had gone or what he had done.


    Zheng Tan took a bath that day. He felt strange and didn''t want to jump onto the bed without a bath.


    The next day was New Year''s Eve.


    The grown-ups were busy from the moment they opened their eyes. When Zheng Tan got up and went to eat breakfast, the grown-ups were already done eating. Zheng Tan sat onto a chair and started eating his food while listening to Papa Jiao and Grandpa Jiao talk.


    "I told you the dog''s very healthy and he''ll be fine after a walk." Grandpa Jiao pointed at Lucky who was ying with a rubber duck in the yard.


    "What about breakfast?" Papa Jiao asked.


    "Breakfast? No need. Not every animal is your precious cat and gets three meals a day."


    Grandpa Jiao then told Papa Jiao about what had happened to the toothpick man. That morning,st night''s events had spread among the vigers. No one knew who did it and ording to the toothpick man he didn''t hear anyone opening the door to his backyard. He had heard the sound of a burning fuse, but that was it.


    His new phone had fallen into the cesspit and couldn''t be used anymore. He didn''t even bother picking it out.


    He was incredibly angry and spent allst night swearing and cursing.


    Most people were secretly d. He deserved what had happened and no one felt bad for him. The money he used to purchase his phone was earned through unknown and probably unspeakable means. He had boasted to everyone he had met about his phone as if it made him a rich person.


    Because it was New Year''s Eve, people started setting off firecrackers everywhere.


    Grandpa Jiao had told the kids not to run around that day. The firecrackers used for celebrations were different than the one kids yed with. They came in a string and could easily hurt someone. The kids were too young, so Papa Jiao told them to stay home.


    Zheng Tan watched them move tables and ce candlesticks. It was a tradition. People prayed to the gods for good luck on this day.


    Papa Jiao had invited Mama Jiao''s parents over, but they had refused.


    Jiao Wei brought firecrackers over. He had made them with his friends. Therge ones were the size of Jiao Yuan''s arm. The small ones were for Jiao Yuan.


    They called therge ones ''thunder'' and generally saved them for new Year''s Eve dinner.


    Zheng Tan had thought it was bad during the day, yet he realized it was nothingpared to dinnertime.


    Paa Jiao cleared out space in front of the house. Jiao Yuan brought all the firecrackers out and Papa Jiao lit the fuse.


    "Hurry, go inside and close the door."


    Papa Jiao half shut the door. They heard a strings of bangs thatsted over two minutes. If the door wasn''t half shut, the debris would have flown inside.


    Zheng Tan sat on the window sill and watched the firecrackers in front of every house. Smoke was everywhere. If everyone followed this tradition in the city, they would spend New Year''s day in smog.


    Lucky was waiting by the dinner table. He couldn''t care less about firecrackers.


    After setting off the string of firecrackers, Papa Jiao told his son to take the ''thunder'' brought over by Jiao Wei outside. This time, they went outside the yard.


    Bang!


    The loud explosion shook the ground. Zheng Tan felt the window shake.


    The firecracker was wrapped in red paper which had turned into confetti in the explosion. The ground was covered in red.


    After dinner, more firecrackers and even some fireworks were set off. The kids were so excited they couldn''t sleep until it was veryte.


    By 11, most people had stopped setting off firecrackers. The children were asleep and it was quiet atst.


    Zheng Tan couldn''t sleep though. He wasn''t thinking about anything in particr but just couldn''t fall asleep.


    This New Year was filled with noise and color. It was a first for him.


    Last year they had spent the New Year in Chuhua city. There were only the four Jiaos. There were many restrictions in the city and it was a much quieter celebration.


    However, Zheng Tan preferred it this way.


    Just when he was about to fall asleep, he heard firecrackers again. People set off firecrackers here at midnight to signify a new year was upon them. It was tradition. He heard Papa Jiao''s voice and then firecrackers in front of the house. It was loud enough to wake anyone.


    Zheng Tan sighed. OK, maybe it was a bit too noisy here.


    He slept in on New Year''s day. Youzi didn''t sleep well as well so she got upte too.


    Zheng Tan greeted Papa Jiao and Jiao Yuan at the door. Jiao Yuan had been awakened early in the morning to go visit his ancestor''s graves and was still yawning.


    Kids got red pockets on New Years day. Jiao Yuan and Youzi received red pockets from their grandparents. Jiao Wei''s parents came over and gave them red pockets as well.


    As a cat, Zheng Tan did not get money. However, Papa Jiao and Mama Jiao did pack two red pockets. They were filled with cured fish and jerky.


    Zheng Tan didn''t have anything to do that day. He spent the day sleeping on the cat tree. The next day Papa Jiao drove the whole family and Zheng Tan to Grandpa Gu''s house. The two families lived only a half an hour drive away.


    They stayed a few days with the Gu family before returning to Grandpa Jiao''s ce.


    The toothpick man had been uncharacteristically well behaved these few days. He had been staying at home. He was worried about more revenge. Also, everyone knew what had happened and he couldn''t face the mockery.


    Zheng Tan didn''t go visit family and friends. He watched Lucky run around all day and decided to take a walk after dinner.


    He was now familiar with the vige and could find his way around the ce.


    He walked in the meadows. The house was only a dot now. He saw graves ahead of him. Some were covered in debris left over from firecrackers and half burnt incense. He could tell people had visited those. Some graves were covered in weeds. No one remembered them.


    Zheng Tan kept walking. Suddenly, he saw people walking his way.


    Weren''t these people the ones who had been sitting in the BMW they had ran into on the highway?

 Chapter 140: Fate

    Chapter 140: Fate


    The people walked over to a few graves and kneeled. They burnt incense then set off firecrackers.


    Zheng Tan watched them. He had watched the kids go through the same process when they were staying with Mama Jiao''s family.


    He was about to leave when he was spotted by a child.


    The child was very excited to see a cat. He didn''t understand the importance of visiting graves and was bored. He ran over.


    He tripped over a bump in the ground and fell. The thing he had in his hand flew out andnded in front of Zheng Tan.


    The child''s mother came over to pick him up and dust the dirt off his clothes.


    "The rooster''s gone." The child didn''t cry but sounded very upset. He showed his mother his empty hand.


    Rooster?


    Zheng Tan looked at the thing that fell in front of him. It was a gold rooster-shaped keychain.


    There was a ditch between Zheng Tan and the child. There was a lot of mud in the ditch and weeds growing on the side. An athletic young man could jump across the ditch easily, but no one in their group fit the criteria. The man who had chatted with Papa Jiao wore an expensive suit paired with leather shoes. He didn''t even attempt to jump.


    "We could keep walking that way and see if we could cross over there," he said.


    The kid ignored his father and pushed away his mother''s hand. He pointed at Zheng Tan and said, "Kitty."


    "Yes. That''s a kitty." The child''s mother thought he was only trying to notify her that he recognized animals now and praised him for his effort.


    "Kitty!"


    "Yes. It''s a ck cat." The mother patted dust off his pants then took his hand to take him away.


    He pushed away her hand again and pointed at Zheng Tan. "Have the kitty throw it over. Have the kitty throw it over."


    "The kitty can''t throw. Daddy will get it for youter," the mother exined patiently.


    "Let the kitty throw."


    "The kitty can''t..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, she heard movement, then saw the golden rooster keychain fall on the ground beside her.


    She was speechless.


    The kid didn''t know what was going through his mother''s head and happily picked up his toy. He pressed a button on the rooster and it croaked. Seeing that it wasn''t broken, the child smiled.


    Zheng Tan didn''t want to help at first but the kid trusted him so he tossed the toy over. Throwing a keychain wouldn''t cause any suspicion, would it?


    Zheng Tan swayed his tail then left.


    "Doesn''t that cat belong to the family we met on the highway?" an old man asked.


    "I don''t think so. A lot of families have cats and there are plenty of ck cats around," the mother answered.


    Though they felt the cat was oddly familiar, the old man and the father didn''t say any more.


    Papa Jiao nned to leave after the Lantern festival [1]. So on the fifteenth of the lunar calendar, Papa Jiao took Zheng Tan to see the olddy again.


    Zheng Tan could hear the sound of Er''hu from a distance away.


    He didn''t know much about music and didn''t like the sound of Er''hu in general, but he seemed to detect a bittersweetness in the music.


    Papa Jiao opened the gate and Zheng Tan saw thedy ying her instrument on the chair near the door. She was old but could still y like a pro. If he hadn''t seen it for himself, he would have suspected she was ying a tape.


    Papa Jiao found a chair and sat down without interrupting her ying.


    Zheng Tan looked around. The three-legged cat was sitting on a wooden chair. It seemed to have gained a lot of weight since hest saw it. It appeared to be sleeping but its ears moved to the rhythm of the music. Zheng Tan could tell by the gifts on her table that a lot of people came to visit during the New Year''s celebrations.


    After finishing a piece of music, thedy put down her Er''hu and looked at Papa Jiao. "You came."


    "Yes. I''m nning to leave early tomorrow morning and came to say goodbye," Papa Jiao said.


    The olddy turned to Zheng Tan. He felt the hair on his back stand up on end.


    "Come here cat," thedy waved to him.


    Zheng Tan hesitated. He looked at Papa Jiao then at the olddy and twitched his ears. Oh well. Papa Jiao was here, she wouldn''t do anything to hurt him.


    Thedy patted herp and motioned for Zheng Tan to jump.


    Zheng Tan followed her orders.


    She reached into her pocket then took out a jade pendant. There were words on it but they were written in Zhuan character and Zheng Tan only recognized one word. He had seen characters like these before but didn''t know Zhuan characters very well.


    The pendant was hung on a new string that was clearly shorter than most nes. It was a perfect size for Zheng Tan''s neck.


    Thedy said to Papa Jiao, "Would it be alright to have the cat keep this for me?"


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears again. She had already put the pendant on him. What good was it to ask for permission now?


    Papa Jiao didn''t understand. The jade didn''t look cheap, so why was thedy giving it to a cat? If he didn''t know her well, he would have thought her crazy.


    "I just want you to keep it for me. If one day you meet someone with a simr pendant, tell me. It''s my wish to see my rtives again before I die. Sadly, I don''t even know where they are." She sighed, then asked a question as if it had suddenlye to her, "You wouldn''t mind would you?"


    Papa Jiao didn''t what to say. It wasn''t like he could refuse now that the jade was already on his cat''s neck.


    "Of course I''ll help you." Papa Jiao nodded. "However, my cat likes to run around. Are you sure you want to give him your precious jade pendant? What if he loses it?"


    "Well," thedy took the pendant off Zheng Tan''s neck and handed it to Papa Jiao. "You keep it for me then. Give it back to me this time next year."


    Both Papa Jiao and Zheng Tan rolled their eyes. What the hell was thisdy doing?


    "Granny, I''m going abroad this year and might not be back by this time next year." Papa Jiao exined.


    "Then give it back when youe home. You''re not immigrating are you?" She looked nervous.


    "Of course not." He was sure of that. However, he didn''t know when he would be back and whether she would still be alive by them. ording to the elders in the vige, she was quite old.


    "That''s fine then." She saw his expression and added, "I won''t die anytime soon. Don''t worry."


    Papa Jiao coughed awkwardly.


    Thedy then exined how she got here forty-something years ago. It was during a famine and she was very sick when he arrived here. Her illness was cured and she had stayed in the vige ever since then.


    "I tried to find them but failed. I had given up a few years ago. If I couldn''t find them, then this pendant is worthless to me." She sighed.


    Zheng Tan didn''t understand. If she had given up, why was she asking for their help? It had been over forty years, everything had changed. Didn''t she have weird powers and couldn''t she just ask her gods for help?


    He nced at her but saw she was looking at him too. She gave him a long look. Zheng Tan shuddered. Did she know what he was thinking?


    People say as you aged you either became shrewd or more confused. She was obviously the former.


    Papa Jiao was thinking about something and didn''t notice them looking at each other. "The inte is bing more and more developed. We could use it to look for your family."


    She shook her head. "If you find them, then it''s fate."


    She talked some more before they left. She was very talkative but never went off topic.


    Zheng Tan decided to leave the pendant problempletely to Papa Jiao. He was a cat. He ate, slept, and asionally took walks.


    Early the next morning, the Jiao family left the vige in their car.


    Not long after they started their trip, they met the BMW again at the crossroad where they hadst parted ways.


    Papa Jiao didn''t stop to say hello, but when there was traffic again, the cars stopped side by side. Papa Jiao opened the window.


    "So we meet again."


    "It''s fate."


    Papa Jiao smiled and epted the man''s card.


    The man''s name was Zheng Xuan and he was the CEO of apany in Nanhua city.


    Zheng Xuan saw Zheng Tan and immediately recognized him to be the cat they met at the grave.


    Zheng Xuan believed in fate, but he was cautious by nature. However, now he was sure fate was staring him in the eyes and his attitude changed.


    [1] Thentern festival signifies thest day of the New Years celebrations.

 Chapter 141: I Faked It All

    Chapter 141: I Faked It All


    "Mypany is in Nanhua city. Contact me if you guys are ever in town. Here''s my number."


    Zheng Xuan smiled amiably. He introduced himself and talked about his vige.


    Papa Jiao introduced himself as well. He didn''t have a card, so he just gave Zheng Xuan his number. Papa Jiao was leaving in April, so they probably wouldn''t be in contact anytime soon. However, exchanging phone numbers still meant they were now acquaintances. Who knew if a chance for cooperation might arise in the future.


    Zheng Tan listened to them talk. Zheng Xuan had the samest name as him. He saw the man look at him and could tell he recognized him to be the cat at the graves. His child waved to Zheng Tan. The boy still had the golden rooster in his hand. Zheng Tan ignored the boy. They were off to different ces. Zheng Tan thought about Nanhua city and the south in general. He wondered if he would ever get the chance to go back home.


    He wanted to see his hometown again. However, Papa Jiao was going abroad soon, so the rest of the family wouldn''t be taking any long distance trips in the near future.


    The two cars parted ways at an intersection. The Jiaos quickly put the encounter behind them. The world was a fast changing ce and it was likely they would never meet again. If they did though, it would be fate.


    When they got back to the Eastern quarters, the wintersweets in the yard were still blooming. The kids in the quarters loved these flowers.


    Lan Tianzhu was telling Su An that athough Chinese wintersweets and plum blossoms had simr names, they were in fact very different nts. Plum blossoms belonged to the Rosaceae family while wintersweets were of the Calycanthaceae family.


    They saw the Jiaos'' car and forgot all about flowers. They found Jiao Yuan and started chatting about going to school tomorrow.


    Zheng Tan had watched the weather forecast and knew there was about to be snow in the next few days. The kids didn''t like this. Biking to school in the snow was a difficult task. The weather was the kind that made people want to stay in bed all day and skip school.


    After the school term begun, everyone was busy again. Papa Jiao was preparing to go abroad. He had a lot of work he needed toplete before he could leave. He also needed to worry about Yi Xin and Su Qu. He was only nning to take in one new grad student this year. He couldn''t handle too many since he wouldn''t be in Chuhua.


    Papa Jiao wanted to take in a female grad student that Mama Jiao could call upon for help.


    Papa Jiao had received a lot of emails from potential students and had a shortlist ready.


    The girl was called Zeng Jing. She was a student in the foreignnguages department. Many didn''t understand why she chose to study biology in grad school. Though they sometimes got applications from students who majored in something other than biology, they were at least science or engineering majors. They rarely got applications from students who majored in the humanities. Most professors didn''t want grad students like that. They preferred those who already had four years of training in their discipline.


    Competition was fierce for grad school here at Chuhua University. Su Qu was an anomaly. Most didn''t dare to apply unless they scored much higher than the eptance grade.


    Zheng Tan had never met Zeng Jing. He had heard Papa Jiao and Mama Jiao chat about her. Scores hadn''te out yet and Papa Jiao didn''t know if she passed or not. He only talked about her briefly. However, Zheng Tan knew Papa Jiao would never ept someone who wasn''t up to his standards. This Zeng Jing must have something special about her. Zheng Tan looked forward to meeting her.


    He spent two days at home. He had heard nothing about his car and was growing bored. He couldn''t stay at home all day sleeping. The weather forecast had said snow, but so far the sky was clear. He decided to go for a walk.


    He went to check out Jiao Yuan''s school. The windows were covered in mist so he couldn''t see what was going on inside. He could only hear the lecture.


    He went to Zhong Yan''s neighborhood. He was at school, and there didn''t appear to be anyone at home. No one lingered outside in this weather so he couldn''t eavesdrop on gossip.


    He decided to go to Ye Hao''s construction site. The site hadn''t changed muchpared to two weeks ago. Many of the workers were on leave during the holidays.


    It was still early, so Zheng Tan wasn''t in a hurry to go home. He decided to explore.


    Chuhua city was full of old neighborhoods. However, new developments were springing up everywhere, and many of the old neighborhoods faced demolition.


    He came to a new neighborhood with buildings that had elevators. The apartment building stood out in the area.


    There were wintersweets in the neighborhood and plenty of evergreens. He didn''t see a lot of people in the yard. It was a workday, and it was cold. People were either at work or staying warm inside their homes. Winter in Chuhua wasn''t cold like in the north, but it was humid. Many neers couldn''t get used to winters like this at first.


    He didn''t see any animals around either. He heard dogs barking in the distance but couldn''t find another cat.


    Suddenly it started raining. He swore and debated between finding shelter or running back to the eastern quarters. He was quite some distance away from home, and unless he ran all the way, he would be soaked by the time he got home.


    Before he could make up his mind, it started to hail. He felt it would start snowing very soon.


    He decided to find shelter. He didn''t want to get wet and it was very ufortable running in hail.


    He looked around. Most balconies in this neighborhood had wires. He looked around and found a house on the first floor.


    He jumped onto the balcony and squeezed between the wires.


    The family had left a few empty cardboard boxes in the balcony. They were covered in dust. He perked up his ears. He didn''t hear anyone moving inside, so he pulled over a few boxes to block the wind for him.


    What bad luck! It had to snow the day he decided to go outside.


    He waited for the rain to stop. Then he heard a sound at the door. Someone hade home. He heard footsteps. Zheng Tan adjusted his position. If the owner of the house didn''t want him here, he was ready to leave.


    A middle-aged man dressed in a ck coat opened the door to the balcony. He saw a ck cat by the boxes and was slightly shocked.


    However, he didn''t show any disdain and turned to go back inside.


    Zheng Tan heard footsteps and the sound of the microwave.


    The man reappeared on the balcony with a cup of warm milk. He ced it in front of Zheng Tan.


    ''The world was full of kind people!'' Zheng Tan couldn''t help but think.


    However, most people didn''t know cats were usuallyctose intolerant and couldn''t drink milk.


    Zheng Tan''s stomach could process anything let alone milk. He was cold and could use something warm. He didn''t sense any hostility from the man.


    However, he decided to be cautious. He licked the milk slowly then looked up and checked outside before sipping the milk again. He pretended to keep an eye out for any danger and repeated his lick and check process until he felt there could be nothing wrong with the man and the drink he offered. He then quickly finished the cup of milk.


    The man saw the cat look up whenever someone passed by outside and grinned. "You''re a vignt one aren''t you?"


    Zheng Tan rolled his eyes. He had faked it all!

 Chapter 142: A Black Cat At The Door

    Chapter 142: A ck Cat At The Door


    Zheng Tan felt much warmer after finishing the cup of milk. He stretched before looking outside again.


    The rain had stopped, but it was snowing now.


    The man picked up the empty cup and went back inside. "Come inside. It''s cold on the balcony," he said to Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan hesitated. Should he go inside? It was getting rather chilly out on the balcony.


    He didn''t react and the man thought this cat didn''t understand what he had said. He waved at the cat then pointed at the milk cup. He realized his motions weren''t working, so he left the door open and went back inside.


    Most of the houses in Chuhua didn''t have heating, so families used air-conditioners.


    Zheng Tan could feel the air-conditioning and warmthing through the opened door. It was much warmer inside. He looked at the grey sky, then followed the man inside.


    The man had taken off his coat and was standing in front of the microwave heating up another cup of milk. When he turned to take the milk to the balcony he realized the cat had entered his house and was looking around with curiosity.


    Zheng Tan felt the man was probably a white-cor worker. There were a lot of books in his house. Most of the books were in English and the topics ranged from literature to medicine. He felt a man like this wouldn''t harm him.


    The man left the cup of milk in front of Zheng Tan, then went to his desk and turned on theputer. He started working.


    Zheng Tan drank the milk whilst watching the man. He couldn''t quite see theputer screen but could tell he was tranting something. He didn''t know if this was his day job or a side project.


    There were three rooms in this house. The doors to the other two room were shut so he didn''t know if anyone else was home. He saw arge drawing board on the wall. A lot of post-its were stuck on the board. Things were scribbled in English but Zheng Tan couldn''t read the hand-writing.


    He didn''t know enough English to decipher the notes even if the handwriting was neater.


    The door to the balcony was still open and Zheng Tan shuddered as a gust of wind blew inside.


    The man felt the gust of cold air and got up to close the door. He checked to make sure the cat wasn''t against this.


    Zheng Tan was fine with him closing the door. He jumped onto the man''s desk.


    The desk was near a window. A booky open in front of the window. He could see many bookmarks and notes in the book. He didn''t sit on the book. It was clear the man was using it now. He decided to behave himself seeing he was in a stranger''s house.


    He sat next to the book and looked out the window waiting for the snow to stop. Mama Jiao would have something to say if he didn''t get home by dinner.


    The room smelled of wintersweets. The man even made tea with wintersweets. He must like the flower very much. Zheng Tan wondered if his tea came from the wintersweet shrubs in the neighborhood.


    Afterpleting his tranting work for the day. The man stretched and looked at Zheng Tan. The cat hadn''t moved and was staring out the window. He grinned then took out a pencil and some paper. He drew the scene. It was clear he knew how to sketch from his drawing.


    The man showed Zheng Tan his drawing but Zheng Tan wasn''t interested. He stared outside and calcted the time. School ended in an hour so he had to leave soon no matter if it was snowing or not.


    Thankfully, it wasn''t snowing as hard after half an hour.


    He stretched then jumped off the table. He stood in front of the door while looking at the man.


    The man had watched him jump off his desk and smiled when Zheng Tan patted the door. "You''re leaving?"


    He got up and opened the door.


    Zheng Tan could open the door by himself but decided to act normal in front of a man he had just met.


    He felt the man liked to smile but there was something sad hidden in his smile.


    The man watched Zheng Tan squeezed out through the wires. He left a row of paw prints behind him in the snow as he walked away. He closed the door when he couldn''t see the cat anymore.


    Zheng Tan started running towards Chuhua University after he left the neighborhood. People were too focused on the road to notice a running cat.


    When he passed an intersection, he stopped because there were too many cars. He saw two police cars speed towards the direction he had just left. He waited at the crossroad with the pedestrians.


    The bell rang the moment he got to Youzi''s school.


    He had made it on time.


    It was snowing very hard by this time.


    Youzi and Jiao Yuan were all sad because Papa Jiao was going abroad soon and weren''t even excited to see snow. The other kids, though, were all gleeful when they saw theyer of white on the ground. However, with so many kids running around, the snow soon turned to muddy water.


    It snowed for two days. The snow melted quickly after the sky cleared. The weather forecast said the temperature was about to rise. Zheng Tan waited until the snow had melted before going for another walk.


    He traced the route he had tookst time and went to Jiao Yuan''s school, then Zhong Yan''s neighborhood, then the construction site before finally going to the new neighborhood again.


    He ran into twodies walking home from the supermarket when he entered the neighborhood.


    "Did they close that case?"


    "I don''t think so. I didn''t hear anything new about it."


    "Didn''t they say it was suicide through drowning? Is it not suicide?"


    "God no! I heard from my nephew that when that person was found, they didn''t have any clothes on. No one wouldmit suicide like that."


    The ran into anotherdy. The three of them seemed to know each other.


    "What are you guys talking about?"


    "That incident by theke."


    ...


    Zheng Tan remembered the police cars he saw that day. It was probably rted to the incident thesedies were talking about. He felt this had nothing to do with him. Things like this happened every day in the world.


    Zheng Tan decided to go to the house that smelled like wintersweets again. Maybe he would get another cup of milk.


    He saw the light on in that house. The man was probably working at this hour.


    He jumped onto the balcony and squeezed in through the wires.


    He saw the boxes were still there but beside them was a cushion. There was a cup of cold milk by the cushion.


    Zheng Tan sniffed the cup. It didn''t seem to have gone bad. However, milk didn''t go bad when left outside in this weather. He couldn''t tell how long this had been here.


    If people saw this stuff on the balcony they could think the owner of the house had a pet.


    Zheng Tan sniffed around the balcony. He decided if the man had gotten a dog he would leave.


    Most people believed that dogs had better noses than cats, which was why there were only K9 units. However, cats had sensitive noses as well. They were just harder to train.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know how his nosepared to a dog''s. He just knew he could tell smells apart quite well.


    He sniffed around but didn''t find any scent other than that of the house owner''s. He smelled his own scent on a box. Other than that, he couldn''t even sense a girl. The man turned out to be quite a loner.


    Zheng Tan tapped the door. He was debating whether to scratch the door when he heard footsteps. The door opened.


    The man smiled when he saw Zheng Tan at his door.


    "You''re here."

 Chapter 143: Right-Handed? Left-Handed?

    Chapter 143: Right-Handed? Left-Handed?


    The man had been working. There were several books open on his desk likest time.


    He ced a cup of warm milk in front of Zheng Tan then went back to his work.


    Zheng Tan looked at the cup. It was a new cup. Zheng Tan had a good impression of the man. He never used dirty cups even though Zheng Tan looked like a very in cat.


    He finished the milk, then took a tour around the room.


    He realized there was a new drawing on the man''s bookcase. It was clearly the work of children and was a picture of wintersweets. It was dated the day before yesterday.


    A boy about Jiao Yuan''s age came inside with a cake box full of wintersweets.


    "Uncle Wintersweets, I got these from those kids." The child obviously didn''t realize he wasn''t old enough to call other children ''kids''.


    Uncle Wintersweets? The name amused Zheng Tan. Was the man''s name actually Wintersweets, or was it because he liked the flower so much?


    The boy received a bag of lollipops in return for the flowers. He left after saying thank you.


    Uncle wintersweetsid the box of flowers on the side. He saw Zheng Tan staring at the box and smiled. "A lot of the kids in the neighborhood like to break tree branches. I told them to pick the flowers off any wintersweet branch they break."


    Zheng Tan now knew how he got all those flowers in his room. Kids in the neighborhood picked them for him in exchange for sweets.


    "They drew this picture for me the other day." He pointed at the picture Zheng Tan saw earlier.


    Zheng Tan didn''t understand why this man, who seemed amiable but didn''t talk much to people, was so willing to talk to a cat.


    Pets really did put people at ease.


    Uncle Wintersweets took out a piece of paper and started sketching Zheng Tan again.


    He worked quickly and soon a ck cat appeared on the piece of paper. Suddenly Zheng Tan realized he drew with his left hand.


    He was left-handed.


    However, if Zheng Tan remembered correctly Uncle Wintersweets wrote with his right hand.


    Zheng Tan remembered watching him writest time he was here. He wondered how his handwriting was. He had seen his English handwriting on his notes. His handwriting in Chinese was much better.


    He guessed this man was left-handed but had trained himself to write with his right hand. This was the only person Zheng Tan knew who was equally good with both hands.


    It was warm in the room and Zheng Tan was growing sleepy. He took a short nap.


    Soon the sketch of him was finished. He yawned and looked at the drawing.


    A ck cat rested next to the box of wintersweets. Its head was tilted to the side with a look of curiosity in its eyes.


    Uncle Wintersweets looked at the drawing for a moment, then he looked at Zheng Tan. "I heard many animals are extra intelligent. Are you one of them?"


    Zheng Tan didn''t answer nor could he answer.


    Uncle Wintersweets didn''t expect an answer from a cat. He just had a strange feeling when he saw the look in this cat''s eyes. However, after he posed his question he suddenly realized this was just a cat and couldn''t talk, so he smiled.


    Zheng Tan was lost. Was he talking to a cat or to himself? What a weirdo.


    Uncle Wintersweets ced the sketch along with the kid''s drawing into a folder and left the room.


    He went into one of the locked rooms Zheng Tan had seenst time. Zheng Tan followed him. The room wasn''trge and had been soundproofed. Theyout inside was simple. There was a piano in the middle of the room.


    This man appeared to know how to y music as well.


    Zheng Tan jumped onto a chair. If he was going to perform, Zheng Tan didn''t mind being his audience.


    Zheng Tan immediately knew the piece of music he was ying after hearing a few notes.


    ''For Elise'' was too famous. Many children liked to y this piece.


    However...


    Zheng Tan didn''t know piano very well, but the music seemed different than the versions he had heard before. Uncle Wintersweets was ying very slowly. Yet it wasn''t for the purpose of teaching.


    ''For Elise'' was a light piece of music. The tune wasforting and spirit-lifting. However, the music Uncle Wintersweets yed was notforting at all. Zheng Tan felt a shiver down his spine.


    What was wrong?


    Uncle Wintersweets didn''t move after finishing ying. Zheng Tan stretched his neck to look at him.


    Holy Cr*p!


    He was crying because of ''For Elise''?


    Zheng Tan didn''t understand.


    Zheng Tan decided to go home. The atmosphere was too weird.


    He took a stroll around campus since Youzi was still at school. A debate was going on in the lecture hall on the first floor. The topic was interesting so Zheng Tan sat on a tree and listened.


    The school freshmen were debating whether left-handed people were at an advantage or disadvantage.


    "A person''s left and right brain have different functions. The left brain is in charge of logic andnguage, the right brain is in charge of feelings and imagination."


    One side argued that left-handed people had an advantage. Many lefties were very smart people. They excelled in areas that required imagination and spatial recognition. For instance, Mozart, Bach, Caesar, Napoleon, and Newton were all left-handed. They also felt that the right brain, left brain, then right-hand reaction circuit was longer than the right brain to left-hand reaction circuit, so left-handed people were more agile.


    The other side argued lefties were at a disadvantage. They were rare for a reason and no one could prove those famous people mentioned earlier were left-handed.


    They even mentioned a theory by a Swiss scientist.


    He believed there were equal numbers of left-handed and right-handed people at the start of human life. However, left-handed people couldn''t survive as well as the right-handed people. Scientists had conducted experiments that showed lefties often had worse autoimmune systems. 65% of people who had autism were left-handed..."


    Zheng Tan watched the kids argue. They were behaving like people fighting on the streets.


    They were freshmen after all, and none of them had participated in debates before. The professor watched them with a smile. She had organized this debate to inspire interest in her students. Formalities were not important.


    The professor ended the debate by saying, "Only humans and apes have left-handed individuals and only humans discuss the cause of this. Many have explored the difference between left-handed and right-handed people yet none havee out with conclusive results."


    Zheng Tan always felt there was no right and wrong in debates. It was only a battle of wit.


    How annoying.


    He looked down at his paws and suddenly felt defeated. He wasn''t right-handed nor left-handed.


    He was right-handed when he was human, now it seemed he could use both paws equally well. He wouldn''t have noticed this if he hadn''t listened to the debate today.


    He remembered Uncle Wintersweets. Was he left-handed or not? He made a note in his mind to check again next time he went for a stroll.


    He had nned to visit Uncle Wintersweets on Saturday but Wei Ling came over to take him to the Night Tower.


    Ye Hao''s birthday was a few days ago. He was too busy to care about his birthday, but they still nned ate birthday party for him on Saturday.

 Chapter 144: Theres Something Off About That Man

    Chapter 144: There''s Something Off About That Man


    Wei Ling talked all the way to the Night Tower. Zheng Tan learned that A Jin had moved up into the South District of the club. He was proving himself. His group had saved up some money and moved into a better apartment. Even their dog looked better now.


    They were passionate about their music and had gathered some supporters and followers at the Night Tower. Zheng Tan was happy for them.


    Long Qi and Baozi were now in charge of the construction project and someone else took over the Night Tower.


    The clubhouse was packed.


    Zheng Tan followed Wei Ling into their usual room. Ye Hao, Baozi, and Long Qi were all there. There were two other people in their group. One was a man called Liang Hu. Ye Hao called him Huzi. He was in charge of the nightclub now. Zheng Tan didn''t know the other man, but he was definitely someone Ye Hao trusted.


    Zheng Tan behaved like he always did in front of the group. He knew Ye Hao''s people wouldn''t do him any harm.


    Duke was there on the couch.


    Wei Ling had mentioned that Duke had saved Tang Qiye''s life during the holidays. Someone had tried to assassinate Tang Qiye but was almost scratched to death by Duke.


    Tang Qiye was very grateful and Duke was now an important member of the family.


    Tang Qiye was holed up at home these days, so he gave Duke back to Ye Hao.


    Zheng Tan eyed Long Qi. Sure enough, he was sitting as far away from Duke as possible.


    Long Qi froze when he saw Zheng Tan. He was ufortable whenever these two cats were in the vicinity.


    Zheng Tan was used to him acting this way. He jumped onto the coffee table and started looking for food. His activities here were eating, sleeping, and passing time.


    Wei Ling sat down. He knew everyone here and was at ease.


    "What are you guys talking about?" Wei Ling asked. He picked up a te of peanuts.


    There were plenty of nuts on the table. They knew Wei Ling liked these things. He especially liked the peanuts at the Night Tower. Even Zheng Tan ate more peanuts when he was here.


    Wei Ling ced a peanut in front of Zheng Tan, then peeled another one for himself and waited for Ye Hao''s response.


    Ye Hao handed him a folder. "Take a look."


    Zheng Tan was curious, so he went over to take a look too.


    There was a picture of a young woman in the folder. The picture was taken in a club and the woman was dancing. She was quite pretty.


    "Isn''t this Lai Er''s woman?" Wei Ling asked. "What did she do?"


    Lai Er was apetitor of Ye Hao''s and the woman was his girlfriend. She often came to the Night Tower to make trouble.


    Wei Ling read a report that was cut from a newspaper. Wei Ling frowned.


    "Suicide?" Wei Ling didn''t believe what he read. "Lai Er had given her arge sum of money. She could live off that money for quite some time. She loved luxury - why would she kill herself?"


    Zheng Tan wasn''t interested. He didn''t care about these things. Before he left though, Wei Ling took out another photo. Three fatties and a teenage girl in a princess outfit were in the photo.


    The two men were of average height but were way over 200 pounds. Inparison, the girl was very pretty.


    Zheng Tan stared at the fat man on the left.


    There was something weird about him.


    Ye Hao lit a cigarette and pointed at the picture. "This man''s name is Chen La. When I first came to Chuhua he was quite famous in the business circle. La Er had pulled him out of the game and gained the support of Lei Tou. Now, ten yearster, no one still remembered him. Nor did anyone remember Lei Tou.


    Wei Ling raised an eyebrow. Ye Hao was not a sentimental man. He was telling this story for a reason.


    Zheng Tan''s ears perked up. He stuffed his mouth with peanuts and listened to Ye Hao talk.


    Ye Hao said to Wei Ling, "Look at the newspaper clipping under the photo."


    Zheng Tan took a look as well. The clipping was about the incident he had heard from thedies in Uncle Wintersweet''s neighborhood.


    "Chen La had a very loyal underling who disappeared one day and waster found dead in ake.


    Wei Ling looked at the report. "The sameke as the one here?"


    Ye Hao nodded. "Before the Chen family came to their end, the daughter jumped off a bridge. Chen La loved his daughter. Her dream was to be a pianist. He had named her Alice."


    Zheng Tan almost choked. He coughed and sprayed Duke with peanut bits.


    Duke looked at him then shook off the peanut bits on his fur. He closed his eyes after he was done and started napping again.


    Everyone was focused on Ye Hao''s words so no one saw him cough. Wei Ling eyed him but turned his attention back to the report in his hand when he saw Zheng Tan was OK.


    "This woman..." Wei Ling pointed at the photo of Lai Er''s girlfriend.


    "Same bridge. Same death," Ye Hao answered.


    "Interesting," Wei Ling said.


    They didn''t know the people involved in this incident so to them this was only a story.


    "ording to people close to her, she was acting strangely before she died," Baozi said.


    "Pills maybe? She was known to take drugs."


    "She had taken drugs for sure. The newspaper didn''t report this. La Er probably bribed them."


    "The drugs made her susceptible to hints." Long Qi said. They had dabbled in the drug business but were now clean.


    Hints? Had someone lured her to kill herself?


    "I had people investigate her before and they told me she hated bridges. She would take a detour to avoid bridges. It would make sense if she was linked to what happened those years ago," Baozi said.


    "No matter what, someone targeted Lai Er and his people," Wei Ling said.


    "I was wondering if you could ask He Tao about the investigation of her death."


    Ye Hao could probably do an investigation of his own, but He Tao had better resources.


    "Sure. Is there anyone you guys suspect?" Wei Ling asked.


    Ye Hao shook his head and pointed to the ceiling. "Someone up high targeted Lai Er. He has made some enemies over these years. However, those people wouldn''t have taken the trouble to kill her like this. There''s someone else I suspect. Chen La and his wife died in a fire. Their daughter jumped off a bridge, but their son is still missing."


    Ye Hao pointed at the man on the left in the photo.


    Zheng Tan had moved away from Duke after he coughed peanut bits on him. He looked over at the photo and blocked Long Qi''s view.


    Long Qi wanted to move him away, but after some hesitation, he instead got up and changed seats.

 Chapter 145: Good Or Bad?

    Chapter 145: Good Or Bad?


    "Chen La''s son?"


    Everyone looked at the man in the photo.


    "Chen La''s son, Chen Zhe, was in university when his family died. He didn''t go to Chuhua University but attended another business school in the city. He didn''t stand out amongst the kids in his circle. He wasn''t good looking either, so no one knew much about him. It''s just that..."


    Ye Hao put out his cigarette and said, "Hepletely disappeared off the radar. If he''s not dead, then he''s more resourceful than anyone ever thought. Chen La was not a stupid man, or else he wouldn''t have made his fortune. His only mistake was to trust Lai Er."


    "Maybe Chen La''s friends helped him," Long Qi said.


    "It''s possible." Ye Hao paused. "I heard Chen La had some stuff on his hands that could send Lai Er to his grave. Lai Er had been searching for whatever Chen La had for many years but came up empty. I suspect whatever Chen La had, Chen Zhe has it now. Lai Er has lost two of his people in a short amount of time. The way they died is sure to rm him. He must know something. A lot of people have their eyes on the stuff in Chen La''s hand."


    "You included?" Wei Ling asked.


    "Of course. If Lai Er or anyone close to him gets their hand on the material first, it would be a blow to us."


    "Tell me about Lai Er." Wei Ling was interested.


    "Lai Er''sst name isn''t Lai. I heard from Qiye that Lei Tou said he had the quality i'' so he changed hisst name to it [1]. He was the second son so everyone called him Lai Er. He doesn''t see this name as shameful, but as proof of how he used Lei Tou to reach where he is now."


    Ye Hao told them about Lai Er but Zheng Tan was only half listening. He kept staring at the picture of Chen La''s family. Hepared the man on the left to Uncle Wintersweets. They were slightly simr, but the Chen Zhe on the photo was too fat and too young. Uncle Wintersweets had a normal build and the look of someone who had been through a lot.


    Zheng Tanpared the girl to her family. She was very pretty and the only one who was not overweight. ording to Chen La, she looked like her mother while Chen Zhe looked like him. Chen Zhe indeed looked like Chen La. Zheng Tan wondered if he would look like Uncle Wintersweets if he lost weight.


    He couldn''t be sure that Chen Zhe was Uncle Wintersweets based only on a photo. He never saw any photos at Uncle Wintersweet''s home and his suspicion was based on instinct only.


    Suddenly he noticed writing on the picture. Chen La''s wife''s maiden name was Mei.


    La Mei? [2]


    That could be something that linked this family to Uncle Wintersweets.


    Zheng Tan thought about it, then decided to visit Uncle Wintersweets again. He could never be sure if he just sat here thinking.


    If he really is Chen Zhe...well, there was nothing a cat could do about it. Ye Hao had said the situation had spiraled to a level beyond their control. As a cat, it was best if he stayed out of things.


    He looked at the other picture. Ye Hao had mentioned this woman was friends with Chen La''s daughter. She took her to that bridge and may have yed a role in her suicide.


    The woman had lived safely under the protection of Lai Er, but her luck had run out.


    Who led her to her death?


    Who did all this?


    The person must be very smart.


    Ye Hao and Wei Ling started talking about the construction projects. Zheng Tan listened whilst enjoying the peanuts Wei Ling peeled for him.


    Duke remained on the sofa this whole time. The movement of his ears from time to time betrayed the fact he was still alert though he appeared to be resting. Compared to Zheng Tan, Duke was very well-behaved.


    Zheng Tan waited two days before visiting Uncle Wintersweets again. He was on a mission.


    Zheng Tan arrived at three in the afternoon. Likest time, there was a cup of cold milk beside a cushion on the balcony. He sniffed the milk, it hadn''t gone bad yet.


    Zheng Tan entered the house and went straight to the desk. He stayed on the desk and surveyed the room. The doors to the other two rooms were shut as usual. He already knew one of the rooms was a music room. The other one was still a mystery.


    Uncle Wintersweets ced a cup of milk in front of Zheng Tan. He didn''t do his trantion work today, but was working in front of therge whiteboard. Post-its covered the board. He drew signs and lines beside and between the post-its. He made notes in his unreadable English handwriting.


    Zheng Tan was upset. He didn''t understand a word.


    However, judging by the serious expression on Uncle Wintersweet''s face, Zheng Tan guessed the post-its on the board contained a secret. Zheng Tan was the closest...well, cat...to these secrets. Sadly, he couldn''t understand the writing on the board.


    He decided not to disturb Uncle Wintersweets. He was different now then when he worked on his trantions. The atmosphere was heavy and Zheng Tan could sense an aura of danger emanating off of him. It made him ufortable.


    Zheng Tan looked away.


    There were a lot of books on the desk. There was a magazine close to him. People weren''t glued to their phones yet, so magazines still sold well.


    He sat next to the magazine and read the content to ease his nerves. The atmosphere was too depressing. However, after reading the page his mood was further dampened.


    The magazine was flipped to a page on psychology.


    ''Awakening the devil in everyone'' was the topic of the article.


    The article was very long and involved a lot of terminology Zheng Tan didn''t know. He took a quick nce then left it.


    The article was too deep for Zheng Tan. He was a simple person and could only understand parts of what he just read.


    "There is a thin line between good and evil. This line could move and be crossed. A change in a situation could cause a change in people''s behavior. Under certain circumstances, ck is white and white is ck. Good is evil and evil is good. People all have amazing capacity to do good and to do evil. One decision and Lucifer went from angel to devil..."


    Zheng Tan was still slightly upset on his way home.


    He saw Tiger in a flowerbed. He was napping in the afternoon sunlight. Zheng Tan almost envied him. Ignorance was bliss sometimes.


    Zheng Tan decided to let out his anger on Tiger. He pped the yellow cat. Tiger was deeply confused and looked at Zheng Tan with a surprised expression. Then he saw a bird and forgot all about what had happened. He went to chase the bird.


    Papa Jiao didn''t go back to his office after dinner, nor did he go to his study. Mama Jiao stayed home as well. They were discussing something on the sofa.


    Youzi''s tenth birthday party?!


    Zheng Tan''s spirit lifted.


    Youzi was indeed almost nine. ording to local tradition, a child was one year old when they were born. Therefore, Youzi is almost ten. Her birthday is in a few months, but by that time Papa Jiao would be abroad. After asking Youzi, they decided to hold her birthday party next week.


    Compared to her important part, nothing else seemed important.


    [1] Meaning rascal


    [2] Chinese for wintersweet

 Chapter 146: Lai Er

    Chapter 146: Lai Er


    Zheng Tan hadn''t prepared anything for Youzi''s birthday. If he had known earlier he would have prepared something, but now there wasn''t enough time, and he had standards.


    He decided to wait until he found something nice and give her ate present.


    Mama Jiao had called her sister, who was a very irresponsible mother. She sent some money when Mama Jiao mentioned Youzi''s birthday party. The Jiaos didn''t expect much from her so they weren''t disappointed.


    Papa Jiao had nned to make a reservation at a restaurant near Chuhua University. However, Fang Shaokang heard about the party and called to invite them to hold it at his hotel. He would save them a private room in the restaurant.


    Papa Jiao wanted to refuse but Fang somehow won him over.


    Zheng Tan felt Fang was a very good man. This move would show their rtives and friends that Youzi was important to the Jiaos. They shouldn''t look down on her just because her parents weren''t here. Also, people would see them as people worth knowing if they could hold a party at Shaoguang hotel. They might need help from these people when Papa Jiao went abroad.


    In this money-worshiping society, these little moves were necessary. Fang might have mentioned this to Papa Jiao in their phone conversation.


    After setting the location for the party, Papa Jiao started working on the invitations. He gave some to Youzi for her to give to her friends. This was a good chance to bring her closer to her ssmates. With the help of Yue Lisha and Xie Xin, Papa Jiao was sure she could invite some people from school.


    Of course, there were people who didn''t approve of their actions. Some distant rtives called Papa Jiao after hearing the location of the party. They berated him for spending so much money on a niece.


    Zheng Tan did not like these people and nned to ignore them when they visited. He might even throw some dead cockroaches into their bags. He found the cockroaches near the garbage bags in front of Qu Xiangyang''s house.


    People who couldn''t make it to the party, like Zhao Le, Yuan Zhiyi and some friends in the quarters, sent gifts.


    Yuan Zhiyi was very busy, but he lent them apany bus to help transport all the kids from the Jiao''s house to the hotel.


    Papa Jiao had gotten the results of the grad school entrance exam. Zeng Jing would pass the eptance score for Chuhua University for sure and was now working alongside Papa Jiao''s other grad students.


    Zheng Tan had met Zeng Jing when he came to visit with Yi Xin and Su Qu. She was quite good looking and very out-going. She had made varsity when she was in university and was tall and toned. This could be why Papa Jiao epted her. He needed someone who was healthy to help out Mama Jiao.


    Papa Jiao liked students who were talented and who made good nannies. Zeng Jing didn''t know this. Yi Xin and Su Qu decided not to tell her.


    Tong Qing was sent over to look after Zheng Tan on the day of the party. The Jiaos were too busy dealing with guests. However, everyone knew Zheng Tan was surely not staying at home.


    The party was on a Saturday. Youzi''s ssmates dropped her off at the eastern quarters. They nned to gather here and go together to the hotel in the bus provided by Yuan.


    The parents were satisfied with the bus. It was normally used to pick up employees.


    Youzi was slightly shy in front of so many guests. However, she had prepared herself for today and Yue Lisha and Xie Xin were there to help her, so she was soon at ease. Tong Qing was there to look after Zheng Tan, so she could focus on her ssmates.


    Zheng Tan got to ride in Tong Qing''s car. He didn''t have to share a ride with anyone which made Wei Ling jealous.


    Tong Qing followed behind the bus. Zheng Tan was thinking about something in the back. There was a duffel bag beside him. Fang didn''t tell them to hide the cat but Papa and Mama Jiao didn''t want to cause him any trouble. They were worried people wouldn''t like seeing a cat inside the hotel. Most people were against pets in restaurants, so Zheng Tan would have to go inside in a bag.


    One side of the duffel bag was made from mesh so Zheng Tan could breathe and see everything going on outside. Without looking closely, no one could see him through the mesh.


    Wei Ling didn''t have to work today and showed up at the party. He was ying cards but was quickly growing bored. The kids had gone to the amusement park after lunch and most of the adults wanted to enjoy the facilities in the hotel. Wei Ling wanted to take Zheng Tan to the Night Tower. He wanted to karaoke and maybe challenge Tong Qing to a martial arts fight. He could tell Tong Qing had spent time in the military as well.


    Zheng Tan left with them inside the bag. As they were waiting for the elevator, a group of people came their way. Zheng Tan didn''t notice them until he heard a familiar name.


    "Lai Er, fancy seeing you here," a personing out of the elevator said to the man in the center of the group.


    Zheng Tan knew the person talking. He had seen him at Fang''s party but had forgotten his name.


    This didn''t stop him from noticing the keywords in his sentence.


    Lai Er? Zheng Tan was immediately interested. He wanted to see what Lai Er looked like.


    He could see clearly enough through the mesh and was slightly disappointed. Lai Er was very average looking. If he hadn''t heard stories about him from Ye Hao, he would have thought this person was your average sessful middle-aged man. However, Zheng Tan didn''t notice the ruthless look in his eyes.


    Besides the woman who looked like a secretary standing by Lai Er''s side, the rest of their group was made up of unsmiling men who were most likely bodyguards.


    Tong Qing didn''t know Lai Er. He wouldn''t do anything even if he did. He went straight to his car after getting off the elevator. Zheng Tan was disappointed that he couldn''t take one more look at the man who was willing to betray everyone to get ahead.


    Zheng Tan couldn''t see Lai Er anymore, but he could still hear him and the other man talking sarcastically to each other.


    Lai Er mentioned the man''s recent business failure while the manughed at Lai Er for being a coward and using so many bodyguards.


    Zheng Tan could tell from the man''s words that a lot of people knew what was happening to Lai Er. If Ye Hao knew already, it made sense other people knew as well.


    Before Tong Qing made it to the car, Wei Ling told them there was a change of ns. He asked Tong Qing to apany Zheng Tan, then went back into the hotel.


    Zheng Tan could guess why he went back inside. He was curious why Lai Er hade here as well. Was he here to meet someone or just to talk business? However, this would remain a mystery to him for now.


    He took a stroll around the hotel and then napped in the car. Tong Qing listened to the traffic radio the whole time.


    Wei Ling reappeared during dinner. He said something to Papa Jiao, then left again. Zheng Tan knew he must have learned something.

 Chapter 147: Chen Zhe

    Chapter 147: Chen Zhe


    The party was a sess. Many people hade to Papa Jiao to express their willingness to help out Mama Jiao and the kids when he went abroad.


    The Jiaos decided to rest on Sunday after a busy day. Zheng Tan had different ns.


    His Saturday was spent in leisure. He napped and ate, then went to bed early when they returned home. He was very energetic on Sunday.


    The Jiaos all slept in and didn''t get up until lunchtime. Zheng Tan left the house after lunch. There were people all around campus. After being teased for the seventh time, Zheng Tan decided to take a stroll off campus.


    The weather was good. Zheng Tan ran into several cats sunbathing on the fence. He had met most of them before. A few showed hostility, but Zheng Tan ignored them. He didn''t have time for them today.


    He took a stroll around the construction site. He was happy with the progress they were making. The site looked different every time he was there.


    He had nned to visit Uncle Wintersweets. He could tell by the look on Wei Ling''s face yesterday that he had learned something important. He wanted to see if Uncle Wintersweets was doing anything.


    He didn''t have proof that Uncle Wintersweets was Chen Zhe, but his instinct told him this was true. He was avenging the death of his family.


    Near Uncle Wintersweet''s neighborhood, he saw someone familiar. He searched his memory only to remember he saw this man with Lai Er yesterday. Why were Lai Er''s people here?


    The area was made up of residential housing. Many people chose to rent here because of the cheap rent.


    Zheng Tan watched the man say something to two other men. The two men nodded, then stood guard. The three men were dressed in in clothes. If Zheng Tan hadn''t recognized one of them, he wouldn''t have noticed the group.


    The man from yesterday entered the neighborhood. Zheng Tan followed him. The men standing guard saw Zheng Tan but didn''t react. After all, he was just a cat. Many of the residents had pets.


    There were grey residential buildings on either side of the road. There were clothes hanging on the balconies. The two buildings were close together so the residents didn''t get much sun.


    The road was narrow to the point that it only allowed one car through at a time.


    Zheng Tan kept some distance between himself and the man. He noticed people standing guard on the side of the road. The man nodded slightly to them as he passed by. Zheng Tan could sense danger off these people. He tried to act natural.


    Thankfully, like the two men earlier, these people didn''t really notice Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan was curious. What did these people want?


    They reached a patch of private houses. The man kept walking.


    After almost ten minutes, the man stopped in front of a two-story house. There was a yard in the front, but only weeds grew in it.


    Unlike the earlier buildings, there was a fair amount of distance between the houses in this area. Zheng Tan noticed most of the houses had yards and the houses were all well designed. People who lived here obviously knew how to enjoy life.


    A year ago, there were many houses like this around here. Most of them were torn down now. People had moved away from this area leaving empty houses behind.


    A few men were standing in front of the house. The man Zheng Tan was following said something to them then took out his phone.


    Two minutester, a car pulled into the driveway. Construction was being done all around the house. Soon, this ce would be demolished as well. People who rented here probably moved because of this.


    Lai Er was in the car.


    Zheng Tan went near the house while avoiding Lai Er''s people. He didn''t know if they would kill a cat just to be safe. He was too curious and had to know what was going on.


    No wonder people say ''curiosity killed the cat''. After he turned into a cat, Zheng Tan was having a harder and harder time controlling his curiosity. Maybe it was because life as a cat was too boring.


    Zheng Tan avoided the car and climbed up the wall to a window on the second floor.


    Zheng Tan was very good at climbing walls now. As long as the wall wasn''tpletely made of ss, he could easily reach a very high level.


    Lai Er came out of the car. The man Zheng Tan had followed went to him.


    "I ced guards all along the road leading here. The buildings along the way have been cleared and there are people standing guard downstairs. We found a surveince camera and disconnected it. The camera is linked to an apartment. There was aputer in the apartment but it hadn''t been used in a long time."


    Lai Er nodded, then entered the house.


    Zheng Tan had nned to enter the house through a window. However, he heard noises inside. He carefully moved to the source of the noise. It was hard to hide in broad daylight. Thankfully, the people guarding the door weren''t looking up.


    Lai Er went upstairs into a room.


    There was scarcely any furniture in the room, only a desk with aptop on it.


    One of Lai Er''s people turned on theputer.


    Zheng Tan moved to the window and peeked through the shades.


    Everyone except Lai Er had left the room. Lai Er didn''t want anyone knowing his secrets. He didn''t trust anyone.


    He was making a video call to someone using theptop. Zheng Tan had great hearing and could hear them talking even though Lai Er turned the sound down.


    On the screen was a man wearing a ck coat and a mask. The mask was the kind that could be found everywhere. It looked like a kids'' toy.


    "Long time no see, Uncle Qiang," the man said.


    "Chen Zhe?" Lai Er stared at the screen and said through clenched teeth.


    Zheng Tan recognized Chen Zhe''s voice. It was Uncle Wintersweets.


    "Oh, I forgot. You like being called Lai Er now. Don''t you feel the house you are in is familiar? I remember my father built an American style house in the area. The neighbors soon followed suit. The area was Chuhua''s first high-end living district." Chen Zhe was lost in memory.


    "I''m not here to listen to you reminisce about the old days. Where is the stuff?" Lai Er asked.


    But Chen Zhe wasn''t done. "Then father made a name for himself in the city, so we moved downtown. He would stille here on weekends from time to time. Mother would cook."


    "Enough! I don''t have much time. Where is the stuff?!" Lai Er was practically shrieking.


    "What''s the hurry? Are you afraid? You had them burned here, don''t you remember? What were you thinking at the time? They''re all watching you, you know?" Chen Zhe''s voice was low.


    "You think you can scare me this easily?" Lai Erughed. "You bought thend, rebuilt the house then sent me an email anonymously. You talk about your parents as if I would be afraid. I wasn''t afraid of them even when they were alive. Why start now?"


    Lai Er suddenly remembered something. "Did you ce that surveince camera? Too bad. I had it disconnected. I realize you are not a boy anymore. I got to give it to you. The way you finished off those two people without anyone knowing it was you. However, you are no match for me! I can find the stuff even if you don''t give it to me. As for you, since you came out of hiding, then prepare to die."


    Chen Zhe didn''t seem surprised. He asked Lai Er, "Do you believe in karma?"


    When Chen Zhe said this, Zheng Tan suddenly felt a chill down his spine. No matter what he did, he couldn''t get rid of the foreboding feeling in his heart.

 Chapter 148: His Ending

    Chapter 148: His Ending


    Zheng Tan trusted his instinct. He suddenly regretteding here.


    No matter how curious he was, he shouldn''t have risked his life. Even if he was a cat, living was better then dying.


    He didn''t know that the fur on his back was standing on end. He was deeply afraid and couldn''t notice the change in his body.


    He decided to leave right now to be safe.


    Just when he was about to jump off the window sill, he saw a scene through the shades that he would never forget.


    Lai Er was on fire!


    No one poured gasoline on him. No one lit the fire.


    But a fire was burning.


    There was no sign this was going to happen except for the foreboding feeling Zheng Tan had felt.


    Zheng Tan couldn''t see Lai Er''s face, but he could see the masked face on theptop screen. The screen reflected the light from the fire, but Chen Zhe was calm. Too calm.


    Lai Er had believed that he could scare Chen Zhe into showing weakness. He knew immediately when he saw how his people had died that Chen Zhe was back. He had everything nned out. He would catch Chen Zhe the moment he showed any weakness.


    However, he never would have thought this would be his ending.


    Before Lai Er lost consciousness, he realized he never really knew the person on the screen. To him, he was still the fat boy whose sister far outshone him.


    Lai Er didn''t make a sound. He didn''t call for help, nor moan out of pain. He didn''t even move. Not because he didn''t want to, but because he couldn''t.


    There was a button by his right hand. If he pressed it, the guards outside woulde in immediately. But he couldn''t press it.


    The man on the chair was a ball of fire now. Oddly enough, the fire didn''t reach below his knee. The heat had even changed the shape of the chair, however, the fire didn''t spread.


    Lai Er''s people had cleared the room of mmable objects. Lai Er was always cautious. He even moved the desk. What caused this? How did Chen Zhe set up this trap and why didn''t Lai Er''s people notice anything?


    Suddenly Zheng Tan remembered something.


    He had heard a few students chatting about spontaneousbustion on one of his strolls.


    There were many instances of this in history. Those instances might be pure coincidence. However, Chen Zhe had wanted revenge for over ten years. He lured Lai Er here on purpose. This was not a coincidence.


    People used to believe that spontaneousbustion was God''s punishment. However, was there a scientific exnation?


    Scientists tried exining the phenomenon. Fat, alcoholism, static electricity and atomic reactions were all possible exnations. However, the true cause was a mystery.


    Maybe Chen Zhe had solved this mystery, or maybe he knew the person who did. No matter what, Lai Er had burst into mes. Zheng Tan was deeply shocked.


    He remembered the students saying people could be burnt into ashes in only twenty minutes.


    No matter how Lai Erbusted, Zheng Tan wanted to leave the ce. He was frightened.


    Zheng Tan checked the side of the house. No one was there. He immediately jumped down. He was stiff from shock andnded too hard on the ground. However, he was too focused on leaving to feel pain.


    When he reached the guards at the cross section where he had seen the man from yesterday, they were on their phones. Their faces changed and they started running towards the house. Zheng Tan knew Lai Er had been found. However, he was surely dead by now.


    He was on a busy street. Cars and pedestrians came and went. The temperature was warm.


    It was a sunny day but Zheng Tan felt the sky wasn''t so blue anymore. He couldn''t feel the warmth of the sun. He was still frightened, even though he was far away from the house.


    He jumped onto a flowerbed. He had always felt he was quite brave, but now he doubted it.


    He took a few deep breaths. He was trying to calm his nerves, but he suddenly saw the tall apartment buildings in the vicinity.


    The buildings stood out in this area.


    Uncle Wintersweets, or Chen Zhe, lived there.


    He should have known. The roads around here were all interconnected. Zheng Tan hadn''t realized the building was close by before because he wasn''t familiar with the area.


    Chen Zhe was very close by this whole time. Did this mean, he had everything all set up and was just waiting for Lai Er?


    Lai Er was dead. He died in the fire. Zheng Tan knew even if the police came they wouldn''t be able to find any conclusive evidence that pointed this death to murder. They might suspect something but they wouldn''t have enough evidence.


    Zheng Tan thought about recent events and what happened today.


    Chen Zhe knew Lai Er very well. He knew for sure that he woulde today and he would be in the room alone. He knew Lai Er would shut the blinds and that no one would realize he was on fire fast enough to save him.


    The surveince camera they found was probably just a bluff. As for the ''stuff'' Lai Er wanted, Zheng Tan didn''t know what it was nor did he want to know. It was best if he remained a normal cat.


    He looked around himself. He didn''t want to walk back. He would run into Lai Er''s people again. He decided to go to Uncle Wintersweet''s neighborhood and check on him. He wouldn''t go inside his house this time. He would check if he was home, then go back to the Eastern Quarters.


    Zheng Tan had it all nned out. He would satisfy his curiosity and stay a safe distance away.


    He went into the neighborhood and stood below Uncle Wintersweet''s building. He was home. The light was on in his house. Zheng Tan could see a person moving inside.


    Zheng Tan was wondering if Uncle Wintersweets would run away afterpleting his n when the door opened and Chen Zhe walked onto the balcony. Zheng Tan was startled and almost sprang away like a kangaroo.


    He controlled himself and didn''t run away. He wanted to pretend he was a normal cat and leave without seeming suspicious. Chen Zhe waved to him.


    "Hey, ck cat."


    Zheng Tan ignored him.


    Chen Zhe called out again. Zheng Tan looked up. He couldn''t help but wonder if he would burst into mes as well if he went to Chen Zhe.


    However, this Chen Zhe was the kind Uncle Wintersweets. Zheng Tan didn''t feel the chill he felt when he saw the masked man on theptop screen.

 Chapter 149: Catfather

    Chapter 149: Catfather


    Chen Zhe didn''t expect to see the cat in front of his building when he opened the balcony door. He had just boiled water to make tea and was nning to change the milk he had ced outside. He had recently learned that not all cats could drink milk. However, the ck cat that visited him from time to time seemed to like milk. So he always left some out for the cat.


    Zheng Tan saw Uncle Wintersweet wave to him with a cup of milk in his hand. He hesitated.


    Should he go over?


    Zheng Tan had nned to leave after seeing if Uncle Wintersweet was home. However, he could sense kindness and hope from the man, and his curiosity got the better of him.


    What did he want?


    Zheng Tan jumped onto the balcony.


    The balcony was the same as always. There were paper boxes, a cushion, and a cup of milk.


    Zheng Tan hade, so Chen Zhe didn''t ce the cup of milk in his hand on the balcony but ced it on the desk in front of Zheng Tan.


    Zheng Tan had jumped onto the desk to get a better view of the room.


    The room hadpletely changed. The books on the bookshelf were all gone. The door to the other two rooms were all open, but Zheng Tan could see the rooms were both empty. There were several packed boxes on the floor of the living room.


    There was a cup of wintersweet tea on the desk. It was still hot. The can with wintersweet flowers was empty. This was probably thest of this years flowers. Spring wasing, and the temperature was rising.


    A book was ced next to the cup. If Zheng Tan hadn''t experienced the fire for himself, he would never have believed it had anything to do with this domestic scene.


    He looked at Chen Zhe. He was different somehow, like a weight had been lifted off him. His smile was clean and pure. He was like a clear blue sky.


    People always showed their true colors when they were alone with animals.


    Chen Zhe sat back in front of his desk and stared at Zheng Tan. Zheng Tan was bing irritated when Chen Zhe finally looked away. He started telling Zheng Tan about what he had done. He talked about the three deaths but didn''t go into detail. When he mentioned Lai Er, he merely said, "It''s a trick."


    Zheng Tan thought he was right. This person had caused what had happened to Lai Er. How did he do it though?


    Trick? A magic trick?


    What did he mean?


    But Uncle Wintersweets didn''t say any more. He took a sip of tea and started talking about other things.


    Zheng Tan was speechless.


    Zheng Tan was disappointed. Though Lai Er bursting into mes was frightening, but he was still curious. It was like witnessing a great magic performance. People always wondered how the magician did it.


    Zheng Tan wanted to know how he set Lai Er on fire. What did he do? However, Chen Zhe wouldn''t say.


    "I donated the piano. These boxes are all filled with books. I''m going to donate them to high schools in less developed areas. The students there could use them," Chen Zhe said.


    Why was he telling a cat all this? Zheng Tan didn''t understand.


    He didn''t want to drink milk at this time. Zheng Tan''s eyes fell on the book beside the cup of tea. It was in a foreignnguage that wasn''t English. Zheng Tan didn''t recognize thenguage, but the book cover caught his eye. On it was a young man kneeling in front of a priest in a church.


    He was confessing his sins.


    Many people used confession as a mean of stress release. Was Chen Zhe confessing?


    If he was confessing, why was he confessing to a cat? What kind of a confession was this!


    Chen Zhe checked the book cover again, then looked back at Chen Zhe.


    F*ck!


    Zheng Tan wanted to flip the table.


    He was a cat, not a priest. He didn''t hold confessions.


    Chen Zhe wasn''t just confessing though. He simply wanted to let off pressure. He couldn''t tell anyone this stuff, so he chose to talk to a cat. Zheng Tan understood. He wasn''t the first person who did this. Cats couldn''t talk and could not tell other people what they had heard.


    Zheng Tan was special though. He understood what he said and knew what happened.


    "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection unto eternal life..." Chen Zhe said. He was quiet for a while, then he took a deep breath. He saw the cat stare at him. It looked surprised. He smiled. He never thought he would tell another soul these things. However, now he was telling a cat. He felt much better now. He thanked this cat. If not for him, he would have to live with this burden for the rest of his life.


    Chen Zhe took out a gold pocket watch and dangled it in front of Zheng Tan. "What do you think I should do with this? To many people, this is a very important thing, but I don''t want to keep it. It reminds me of my past."


    Zheng Tan was losing patience.Chen Zhe kept talking but he left out all the important parts. The pocket watch was still dangling in front of him. His eyes were tired from watching the watch move from side to side. He swatted the watch away.


    Chen Zhe didn''t hold onto the watch very tightly. He didn''t expect a suggestion from the cat, he was just asking for the sake of asking. He felt a tug on the chain before he could tighten his grip the watch was sent flying. Itnded on the desk.


    He froze for a moment. Then, suddenly, he smiled. "Not a bad idea."


    Zheng Tan was lost. What idea? What was happening?

 Chapter 150: Findings

    Chapter 150: Findings


    The pocket watch wasn''trge but it seemed heavy.


    Chen Zhe''s reaction made Zheng Tan feel there was nothing special about this watch. He didn''t treat it with great care, nor did his expression change when it dropped onto the table with a thud. He didn''t even check to see if it was broken.


    But he remembered what Chen Zhe had said about it and he wasn''t so sure anymore.


    He had heard from Ye Hao that Chen Zhe had stuff on his hands that could bring down Lai Er. Ye Hao had wanted to get that material. Zheng Tan had heard Lai Er and Chen Zhe mention ''stuff'' and ''material'' during their video call. The ''stuff'' seemed very important to Lai Er.


    Stuff...


    Zheng Tan looked at the pocket watch again. This was something that made people betray their closest friends. How could it not be special?


    Chen Zhe saw the cat look down at the watch and thought he saw it as a new toy and was curious. He said, "Before his death, my father told me to leave if I could. He said I should go somewhere else and start a new life. If I couldn''t make a living anymore, then I should open this watch - but I hate this thing. Whenever I see it, I''m filled with hatred. This was what caused the betrayal that led to my parents'' death. I''m fine with living a low-key life. I don''t need to shine."


    Chen Zhe poked Zheng Tan''s head. "I''ll leave this thing here like you wanted. Whoever finds it first can have it. Leave it to fate, right?"


    F*ck!


    Zheng Tan tilted his head and avoided another poke. He was still trying to figure out what was so special about this gold watch. However, Chen Zhe was watching him so he couldn''t do anything out of the ordinary, such as open the back of the watch.


    Chen Zhe suddenly remembered something and opened a paper box.


    Zheng Tan went over and saw the box was filled with notebooks, folders, and pens.


    Chen Zhe took out a stic pencil box. It was filled with color pencils. He had received them from the kids in the neighborhood. He had sketched for them once and they gave their old coloring pencils to him.


    Chen Zhe took out a pencil and opened his notebook. Before he could start sketching, he saw the caty a paw on the paper box. He realized the cat was looking at the color pencils.


    Did he want to be drawn in color?


    Chen Zhe considered it for a moment then took out a color pencil.


    The pencil was cheaply made and his drawing techniques were merely so-so but Zheng Tan liked his drawing. He thought the drawing of him looked life-like.


    He hadn''t done any works in color for many years.


    However, he suddenly felt color was good.


    He dated the sketch and looked at Zheng Tan. "I''ll keep this as a souvenir. I don''t like taking photos so I''ll draw you. When I look at this drawing, I''ll always remember I once met a special cat."


    Zheng Tan ced the drawing in a folder. He sat back in his chair. "I''m leaving tonight and probably won''t be back ever again."


    Tonight? So soon? Was someone on to him?


    Zheng Tan spent another ten minutes here with Chen Zhe, then he had to go home.


    Chen Zhe stood on the balcony and watched the ck cat disappear into the distance.


    The next day Zheng Tan did a new video ad for Mr. Guo. He didn''t get any free time until after dinner. The gold pocket watch was still on his mind. He decided to go to Chen Zhe''s ce once more.


    He stretched and went to the door.


    "You''re going out Charcoal?" Mama Jiao, who was doing dishes in the kitchen, asked.


    Zheng Tan let out a low howl. He still couldn''t meow like a normal cat but the Jiaos were used to the ''aw'' sound he made.


    Mama Jiao understood what he meant and said, "Don''t stay out toote."


    Many people talked to their pets.


    A family who had a dog in the neighborhood would always open the front door and say ''go poop'' to their dog when it seemed restless. The dog would do its business on thewn then run back home to its owner and beg for a treat. Zheng Tan always looked on with disdain when the dog did this. He didn''t understand why the dog deserved a treat for going to the bathroom.


    Zheng Tan headed straight to Chen Zhe''s neighborhood.


    He saw that the light was off in Chen Zhe''s apartment. The door to the balcony was closed but not locked. He jumped onto the balcony and opened the door. It was already dark but the streetmps weren''t lit, so he wasn''t worried he would be seen.


    The room was empty of life. There was some furniture left behind, but that was it.


    This was what Chen Zhe meant by following his advice. He had pped the watch away because it was irritating having something sway in front of him. However, Chen Zhe misinterpreted his meaning.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears and made sure no one was here. He jumped onto the desk and saw the gold pocket watch lying there in in sight. Theputer wasn''t here anymore. Nor were there books and magazines on the desk. Even Chen Zhe''s teacup was gone. The pocket watch stood out like a sore thumb.


    Zheng Tan picked up the watch with his front paws. No one was here so he could walk on hind legs.


    It was dark in the house, but Zheng Tan didn''t want to turn on the light. It was too risky and he could see in the dark.


    The pocket watch was slightly heavy like he had expected.


    Zheng Tan opened the lid of the watch. He was worried that Chen Zhe might have left a trap in the watch. Though he wasn''t frightened anymore, he was still slightly wary.


    When he opened the watch, he realized it wasn''t a watch at all. There was a dial and a needle, but no numbers. When he moved, the needle moved as well.


    Was it apass?


    Didn''tpasses have an N and an S on the dial? The needle wasn''t pointing to south either.


    He made several other guesses. Could this be pointing to a location hiding something?


    Could it be the material Ye Hao mentioned?


    No matter what it pointed to, Zheng Tan didn''t dare take it with him.


    If this thing really was that important, then it wasn''t something the Jiaos should have.


    He didn''t want the Jiaos to end up like Chen Zhe''s family. He was a cat now and wasn''t even protected by thew. The Jiaos were normal people too.


    Normal rascals on the streets could cause big trouble to Mama Jiao and the kids, not to mention people on the level of Fang and Ye Hao. He didn''t want to overthink things, but he had realized recently ''idents'' were not hard to fake.


    He didn''t want to leave this here though. Chen Zhe didn''t care about this watch anymore. He had gotten his revenge and was living a peaceful life. However, other people still cared.


    Zheng Tan''s ears moved. He heard a sound at the door. He was immediately alert. Could it be Chen Zhe?


    If it wasn''t Chen Zhe, then it must be people searching for this watch. It might be Ye Hao''s people or it might not be.


    He closed the lid and carried it to the balcony. Thankfully he didn''t close the balcony door when he entered the apartment. He could leave without making any noise.


    He hid on the balcony. It was dark in the parking lot, so no one saw a cat walking by with a watch clutched in its front paws.


    He ced the watch in a corner and sat in front of it. He perked up his ears and listened to the noises in the apartment.


    He could hear more than one person entering Chen Zhe''s house. They didn''t turn on the light. He heard them swear. One of them was making a phone call.


    Soon those people left. Zheng Tan went to the edge of the balcony and looked down. He saw three young men get in a car. One of them swore again. Zheng Tan was sure they were the people who had entered the apartment.


    Zheng Tan was about to go back into the house when he saw someone get out of a car. He couldn''t see the man''s face but he seemed familiar.


    The man looked up when he passed by the balcony. As if he felt something, he saw Zheng Tan.


    It was indeed someone familiar, Zheng Tan thought.


    Long Qi didn''t have any thoughts in his mind. Oh, f*ck!

 Chapter 151: Crossed The Line

    Chapter 151: Crossed The Line


    There were people in the world that weren''t afraid of snakes but were terrified of frogs. These people could handle poisonous snakes, but frogs would send them running.


    Long Qi could rte to these people. He could kill a man without blinking twice and would remain calm when facing even the most ferocious beasts, yet cats petrified him.


    He wasn''t so scared of cats before he met Zheng Tan and Duke. Now, however, he froze slightly even when he saw other cats.


    Long Qi had followed the three men from earlier here. He had been visiting the construction site. When he was about to meet up with Ye Hao, he saw someone he knew at a red light. Long Qi had seen this person on the material Ye Hao passed out yesterday. Baozi was in charge of this business.


    The person he saw didn''t stand out, but Long Qi recognized him immediately. His observational powers were superb. Even Wei Ling admitted it. This was also why he recognized Zheng Tan right away.


    Long Qi was driving someone else''s car today. His car was in a garage being fixed. He had borrowed this in Volkswagen which was perfect for tailing people. He had thought what great luck he had to run into these people today. Baozi wasn''t making much progress and he was hopeful he might be of help today. Now, however...


    Long Qi cursed his luck.


    F*ck! Didn''t this cat live on the campus of Chuhua University? Why was it here?


    Did cats go on such long strolls?


    He didn''t know about other cats, but this cat, at least, always showed up in ces he least expected, no matter how far away from his house.


    The man and cat stared at each other for a minute. Long Qi looked away first. He debated whether or not to continue his investigation.


    He didn''t trust the cat and was worried they might get caught. However, he didn''t want to leave like this either. He knew the people he had followed had gone into the building. He didn''t hear knocking, nor did he hear anyone open the door. He knew those men didn''t live here, so they must have broken into the house.


    He didn''t hear fighting so the house must be empty. The only apartment in which the lights were off was the one with the cat he hated.


    Was there a way to make the cat stay put when he searched the house? Was there a way to make sure the cat stayed quiet and wouldn''t attract people to the house? Could he make the cat stay out of the apartment? The answers were all no!


    F*ck!


    Cats were indeed the most annoying animals on the.


    Long Qi cursed Zheng Tan in his mind.


    At the same time, Zheng Tan was hesitating too.


    He hadn''t nned who to gift the watch to and was about to hide it. However, he ran into Long Qi. Maybe this was fate. Like Chen Zhe said, it was best to let fate make the hard decisions.


    However, Zheng Tan didn''t trust Long Qi enough. Long Qi might kill him for all he knew. If it was Fang or Wei Ling who showed up, he wouldn''t have hesitated at all. Long Qi, on the other hand, disliked cats for some reason.


    Long Qi had made a decision. He nned to leave. He would take a stroll around the neighborhood or take a nap in the cat. He would wait until the cat left.


    So he took another nce at Zheng Tan then turned to leave. Before he could go, a ck shadow sprang in front of him.


    Zheng Tan thought Long Qi was leaving and hurried to stop him. He hadn''t made a decision yet. He didn''t want to keep the watch any longer. He had to go home tonight and didn''t want to take this back to the Jiaos.


    Long Qi frowned. He turned to walk a different direction.


    Zheng Tan stopped him.


    Long Qi turned right.


    Zheng Tan stopped him.


    Long Qi turned to go back.


    Zheng Tan stopped him again.


    Long Qi''s temper was rising. The cat was toying with him. The worst part was he couldn''t do anything to the cat. Tang Qiye and Ye Hao had spoken. If he did anything, Wei Ling and Fang Shaokang would never let it pass, let alone his boss. Long Qi knew he couldn''t handle the aftermath of killing this cat. If someone had told him two years ago a cat would have him cornered, he would haveughed.


    Long Qi pointed at the cat in front of him. "I''ll telling you, you''re crossing the line!" However, it was a bluff, and Zheng Tan knew it.


    Wei Ling had told them to speak in humannguage to this cat. He didn''t respond to anything else. Long Qi waited to see how the cat would react.


    Zheng Tan looked at him with disdain.


    "Don''t think I didn''t see that look in your eyes!" Long Qi was furious.


    He went back to his car and dialed Wei Ling''s number.


    "Ling, I''m in a pinch here." Long Qi exined what happened. He didn''t mention what he was investigating and Wei Ling didn''t ask.


    Zheng Tan saw Long Qi get in the car. He didn''t follow him. They weren''t close enough for him to jump into his car. Long Qi had shut the windows too. He had taken care to block the door when he entered to make sure Zheng Tan wouldn''t jump in. If Long Qi left without another word, then it was fate Ye Hao didn''t get the watch.


    However, Zheng Tan saw Long Qi take out his phone. He didn''t appear to be leaving. Soon he got out again and came to him. He made sure Long Qi was holding a phone and not a steel pipe in his hand.


    Long Qi didn''t turn on the speaker. He ced the phone on the ground and backed up.


    Zheng Tan saw there was an on-going phone call, so he ced his head against the phone.


    "Charcoal? Are you there Charcoal?" It was Wei Ling''s voice.


    So Long Qi had called Wei Ling!


    Did he call to tell on him?


    Zheng Tan red at Long Qi.


    Long Qi was furious. He knew cats could show emotion with their eyes. They were evil animals indeed.


    Zheng Tan listened to what Wei Ling had to say. He knew he was safe now that Wei Ling was involved.


    He pped the phone with his tail as a way to answer Wei Ling''s question.


    Wei Lingughed. "You should go home. It''s gettingte and you''re too far away from campus..."


    Wei Ling kept talking but Zheng Tan lost patience. He jumped onto the tform above the parking lot.


    Long Qi saw Zheng Tan leave and thought Wei Ling''s words had taken effect. He thanked Wei Ling. He looked at the cat on the tform. There was a chain by the cat''s paws. It was too dark so he couldn''t see clearly what the chain was.


    Zheng Tan tossed the thing down and Long Qi hurried over to catch it. He checked to make sure no one was approaching and looked at the thing in his hands.


    Zheng Tan watched Long Qi''s reaction and knew Ye Hao didn''t yet know what he was looking for. However, he didn''t care. He had gotten rid of the watch and a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He felt much better.


    He didn''t want to stay here any longer. He jumped off the tform and ran home without taking another look at Long Qi.


    As for what Ye Hao would do with the watch, it was none of Zheng Tan''s business. Ye Hao was powerful enough to protect himself from people who wanted this watch. However, if he couldn''t find what this watch pointed to, then it was fate.


    Zheng Tan left feeling good, but Long Qi waspletely lost. He had searched the house but came up empty. He got a phone call from Ye Hao and left afterwards.

 Chapter 152: Spring Is A Lovely Season

    Chapter 152: Spring Is A Lovely Season


    Baozi was reporting his recent findings to Ye Hao.


    He hadn''t made any substantial progress. He looked worn out and had clearly been working hard.


    After Lai Er died, his underlings were busy fighting among themselves. They knew he was looking for something, and although they didn''t know what it was or what it did, they were dead set on getting the material.


    "If we can find this thing, we can get to the bottom of the mystery. This thing is of great importance to Lai Er, so it must be valuable," Baozi said.


    "It''s not that easy to find." Ye Hao had basically given up. After Lai Er''s death, his interest in the material was gone. Lai Er was gone after all.


    He had managed to take over two of Lai Er''s old factories. He was slightly tight on money and manpower and didn''t want to waste resources on looking for something that might not even exist. Rumor had it that Chen Zhe had evidence against Lai Er. However, if this was true, Lai Er wouldn''t have dared to kill the Chens ten years ago.


    Baozi opened his mouth but didn''t say anything. He believed it was his fault that they didn''t find anything.


    There was a knock on the door. Someone entered and handed Ye Hao a folder. The man was sent by Tang Qiye.


    Ye Hao opened the folder. Inside was a photo of a gold pocket watch.


    "This is what Lai Er was looking for?" Ye Hao asked. Tang Qiye was Tang Qiye, he knew what they were looking for even before Ye Hao had a clue.


    "Yes. Qiye calls it the goldenpass."


    "Golden?" Ye Hao''s eyes squinted. Tang Qiye might not havee up with the name, but he at least agreed it was a suitable one. The name betrayed the value of the good. Ye Hao forgot all about giving up his search.


    Long Qi was back.


    "What? Didn''t you say you found something?" Baozi asked. He really hoped Long Qi coulde up with something.


    Long Qi shook his head. He told them how he had followed the three men to the empty apartment.


    Ye Hao sighed and said to Long Qi, "Work on this with Baozi for now. Let someone else deal with the construction projects."


    "Sure. Oh, I ran into the cat today." Long Qi''s face was twisted.


    "Which one?" Ye Hao asked.


    "The ck one."


    "Oh." Ye Hao and Baozi now knew why Long Qi was in such a sour mood when he came back. They had thought it was because he came up empty, but they now knew it was because of the cat.


    "I called Wei Ling and he talked the cat into leaving. However, it left me this before it went home." Long Qi took out the gold pocket watch and ced it on the table.


    The man who came here on Tang Qiye''s orders gasped when he saw the watch. Ye Hao and Baozi stared at the pocket watch in Long Qi''s hand.


    "The Golden Compass?!" Ye Hao was speechless. He took out the photo in the folder.


    Baozi wanted to bang his head on a wall. He had been working without sleep for days, yet a cat had found the watch before him.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know what Ye Hao and his people were thinking. At the moment, he was being annoyed to death by the cats meowing outside.


    He had entered campus through the west gate and passed through the western quarters. There were more and more cats in the western quarters, cats from the nearby neighborhoods often came here as well.


    Many people disliked cats because of their noise. Cats meowed from night to day when they were in heat. The cats around here were meowing like they were being tortured.


    Spring wasing and cats wereing out of hiding.


    Zheng Tan was human, yet he couldn''tpletely pretend the meowing had no effect on him. It was like being forced to go vegetarian yet having someone eat a steak in front of you.


    Spring was a lovely season.


    Zheng Tan was not going to admit the meowing had an effect on him. However, he was not about to let the cats around him enjoy their ''happy time''. If he had to go vegetarian, they weren''t allowed to eat meat either.


    The woods on campus were full of cats at night. However, a shriek rang through the woods. The shrieking sounded like a howl but was much creepier.


    The meowing stopped instantly. Some cats started to run the moment they heard the shrieking, especially the cats from the western quarter.


    They knew that the only thing that couldn''t make a noise like that was the ck cat from the eastern quarters. Even if they didn''t know, the shriek alone would have frightened them.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. He didn''t hear meowing anymore. His tail swayed and he happily went home. He took a bath then went to bed.


    Because of his shrieking, there were fewer cats in the woods these days. Sadly, the cats in the eastern quarters still meowed every night.


    Zheng Tan sat on the balcony and twitched his ears.


    Sheriff was meowing like mad, though it was pointless. The area was full of male cats and neutered cats. The only female cat was a kitten. If he wanted to find female cats, he should have gone to the warehouse where Jiao Wei raced toy cars. That area was full of female cats.


    Tong Qing had brought Zheng Tan to visit Cheng Zhong. He tried his car again. Cheng Zhong had never seen cats drive before. Following Fang Shaokang''s suggestion, he made changes to the steering wheel. He understood why after seeing Zheng Tan drive.


    No one could see Zheng Tan''s paws after he lowered the steering wheel. People would think it was controlled by a remote. There wererge toy cars like this one nowadays and in a year or two, Zheng Tan could probably drive this car in public.


    He had signed a confidentiality agreement.


    Cheng Zhong still needed to make some changes to the car now that he had seen Zheng Tan drive the car.


    Zheng Tan didn''t need the car in a hurry. Even if it was ready now, he couldn''t drive it out in public.


    He yawned. He wondered how things were going with Ye Hao. What would his reaction be when Long Qi showed them the pocket watch?


    A-choo.


    Zheng Tan rubbed his nose. This was his tenth time sneezing today. Did he catch a cold? He didn''t feel sick and his spirit was good. His temperature was normal. He just had a bad feeling. Zheng Tan wasn''t happy.


    After dinner, Mama Jiao and Papa Jiao were chatting in the living room. Papa Jiao had been busy these few days and finally got some free time today.


    "A fellow English teacher at my school owns a very pretty cat," Mama Jiao said.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. A pretty cat was still a cat. It wouldn''t have boobs or anything.


    "She said she wants to visit Charcoal tomorrow. She wants to find Toffee a boyfriend. Toffee''s over one year old and can have kittens." Mama Jiao chuckled.


    Zheng Tan stared at Mama Jiao in horror.


    Little boyfriend?!


    This must not be true!


    This was why he had the bad feeling in the afternoon.


    Mama Jiao! You can''t do this to me. I might be a cat on the outside but I''m a human inside.


    Mama Jiao looked at Zheng Tan, then said to Papa Jiao, " Charcoal looks excited."


    Zheng Tan was speechless. He wasn''t excited!


    Zheng Tan wanted to kill himself, but nothing was going to change Mama Jiao''s mind. She was discussing Toffee with Papa Jiao. Zheng Tan wondered if he should run away from home tomorrow. Maybe stay away for a few days.


    There were plenty of cats at Mr. Guo''s. Those cats were pretty and healthy. They ate the best cat food and looked majestic even when they were just sitting in a corner. Though they weren''t smart, nor could they fight, but they were still way superiorpared normal house cats. Toffee''s owner should have gone to Mr. Guo''s shop if she wanted kittens.


    Didn''t Nougat and Li Yuanba live at the pet center? He was nning to introduce Nougat to Toffee.


    They could have series of candy cats!

 Chapter 153: Do You Know A Cats Pain?

    Chapter 153: Do You Know A Cat''s Pain?


    Zheng Tan was nning to leave home to avoid this disaster. However, Mama Jiao reminded him several times toe home on time tomorrow.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. Running away was not a good idea. Even if he could run away this time, there would be a next time. Mama Jiao wouldn''t let him off the hook that easily.


    What should he do?


    He didn''t have a good n. He decided to just ignore Toffee. It wasn''t like she could force him to do anything. Not every cat was Li Yuanba. Even if she was another Li Yuanba, Zheng Tan was still probably stronger.


    The next day, Zheng Tan stayed on the balcony and sighed all day. He was thinking about his life. Mama Jiao, however, took this as a sign that he couldn''t wait to meet Toffee.


    Bang!


    Zheng Tan banged his head on the flower pot beside him.


    After dinner, Mama Jiao kept an eye on Zheng Tan so he couldn''t run away. Papa Jiao was reading the papers on the side.


    Zheng Tan sat on the sofa. His spirit was still down. His tail swayed from side to side. He had spent the day thinking of ways to get out of this mess. Just when he was debating between ns A and B, Mama Jiao''s phone rang.


    She picked up the phone, then stood up and started walking out the door. She told her colleague to call when they entered the quarters.


    Soon, Zheng Tan heard footsteps in the hallway. Mama Jiao was talking andughing with someone.


    Her colleague was in her forties. They taught the same subject and were pretty close. She lived close to campus.


    The colleague had a pet travel bag in her hand. Zheng Tan could sense an unfamiliar cat inside. However, he didn''t sense hostility. The cat was simply cautious because she was in a new environment.


    Zheng Tan stared at the bag. The two kids came out of their rooms to meet the visiting kitty.


    Mama Jiao''s colleague opened the bag. Zheng Tan could see the cat hiding inside from his angle.


    The cat was indeed hiding. She was more upset than curious and refused toe out of the bag.


    She was a silver Scottish fold and looked healthy. Her owner obviously took good care of her.


    Scottish folds were very cute. Her looks were way out of Zheng Tan''s league.


    She wasn''t pretending to be quiet like Tiger, nor was she like Sheriff who needed to check out everything. She wasn''t majestic like Li Yuanba either. Toffee was truly peaceful.


    Jiao Yuan was interested in the new cat. He inched closer to take a better look. Toffee felt himing and shrank back into her bag. Mama Jiao red at him. He backed up.


    The colleague took Toffee out of her bag and cuddled her. She seemed less nervous now that her owner was petting her. Though she was calmer, she was still eying her surroundings with caution.


    This was Mama Jiao''s first time seeing Toffee. She had heard a lot about her and liked her the instant she saw her. Scottish folds weredy mas.


    "Ms. Mo, Toffee is so pretty!" Mama Jiao eximed.


    Ms. Mo smiled, but Zheng Tan noticed her smile was slightly stiff. This Ms. Mo truly loved Toffee. He could tell by the look in her eyes when she looked at the cat.


    "Come Charcoal, meet your new friend," Mama Jiao waved to him.


    Zheng Tan pretended he didn''t hear her.


    Papa Jiao eyed him and sighed. He knew he was pretending.


    Ms. Mo didn''t say anything. Cats didn''t understand humannguage after all.


    However, Mama Jiao knew he understood her, but she couldn''t tell him off in front of Ms. Mo. She red at him as if to say ''I''m disappointed in you''.


    Zheng Tan was set on pretending to be dumb. He did take peeks at Toffee out of curiosity. Her ears were very small.


    Ms. Mo put Toffee on the floor. She rubbed against her leg then jumped back onto herp.


    "Your cat is sody-like." Mama Jiao smiled.


    Indeed, not every cat was like the four musketeers of the eastern quarters.


    Jiao Yuan and Youzi were sent back to their rooms and the grown-ups started chatting. Papa Jiao could tell Ms. Mo had something on her mind that she didn''t want to say in front of children.


    Ms. Mo liked cats but had always owned house cats. Most of her former cats ran away after a few years. They might have gotten lost, or were stolen by cat traffickers and sold down south. Last year, a friend gifted her Toffee. She loved the cat. Toffee didn''t like leaving the house, which saved her a lot of trouble.


    Her neighbors and friends saw Toffee and all asked her for a kitten.


    Ms. Mo liked cats, but she didn''t know much about them. She did know, however, that Scottish folds often had unhealthy kittens if they reproduced with other Scottish folds. She decided to find a healthy male cat that wasn''t the same breed to guarantee the health of the kittens. She had her eyes set on house cats.


    Her friends were very against her idea. Rarely did people bred Scottish folds with house cats. Most people used British Shorthairs or American Shorthairs. The kittens would look better and sell for a higher price.


    Mama Jiao frowned. Indeed, Toffee was much better lookingpared to Charcoal. However, to her, her cat was the best. He never caused trouble and even helped out with the kids. She didn''t like it that other people looked down on her cat.


    Papa Jiao stopped her before she could say anything. He let Ms. Mo continue.


    Zheng Tan was listening as well. He didn''t know much about Scottish Folds, expect that their ears folded and they were very expensive. To many people, they were a precious breed.


    Ms. Mo saw the look in Mama Jiao''s eyes and hurried added she didn''t need the kitten to look very pretty. She just wanted them to be healthy. She had made up her mind at the vet this afternoon.


    "People around me started to buy Scottish folds after they saw Toffee. My sister was one of them. She got bored after two months so I took over her cat. Her cat was female as well and was three months younger than Toffee. That cat wasn''t so lucky and her tail couldn''t bend like a normal cat. I took her to Mr. Guo''s this afternoon for a checkup. The results weren''t good."


    A vet told her that many Scottish folds were born with hereditary diseases. Their tails were often short and stiff. They often had other bone diseases as well and their joints were weaker than other cats. Many experience joint pains after a few years.


    "Toffee was very lucky that she''s healthy so far. I don''t know how long her luck willst though. I didn''t know much about them before, but I am responsible for them now. I have to take them for regr checkups at the vet and I don''t want her to have kittens until I''m sure she''s ok."


    "The vet told me that the breed is very special. I shouldn''t breed cats without the supervision of a specialist. Toffee was very lucky and I need to protect her. My sister''s cat has to endure the pain of bone diseases. Every step hurts."


    "We all have cats and we all know that cats can endure pain without letting it show. They hide their illnesses out of habit to protect themselves. It''s hard for us to tell what they are feeling. If I let Toffee have kittens, and the kittens are born with bone diseases, then I...I can''t stand it."


    Mama Jiao was quiet. She didn''t have much experience with cats. Zheng Tan was her first pet and he was very trouble-free.


    How many people truly knew a cat''s pain?


    Even Zheng Tan didn''t understand what other cats were experiencing. He was slightly different after all.


    "I came here today to tell you this so you won''t misunderstand," Ms. Mo exined. "I don''t see house cats as inferior."


    Mama Jiao shook her head and said she understood. She asked about the other cat.


    Ms. Mo chatted with Mama Jiao for a while then stood up to leave. She had another cat at home that needed her care.


    So, Zheng Tan''s first set-up date ended before he could do anything. Ms. Mo did tell Mama Jiao to take Zheng Tan over to her ce to visit her cats. Her cats disliked leaving the house, but she knew Zheng Tan went on strolls to their school.


    Papa Jiao did some research on Scottish folds on the inte that night. Zheng Tan sat on the desk and read with him.


    There were a lot of debates regarding this breed.


    Scottish folds had such a bad name because of the people who bred these cats simply for theirmercial value.


    It took a lot of sacrifices to breed a true Scottish fold. Zheng Tan didn''t know what happened to the failed ''products''. They might be sold off at a cheap price, or they might be dealt with in less humane ways. Zheng Tan couldn''t change the reality of the pet market. He felt lucky he was a very healthy cat and wished that Toffee could remain healthy as well.

 Chapter 154: Cats Are Idiots

    Chapter 154: Cats Are Idiots


    The Toffee incident did nothing to tone down Mama Jiao''s determination to find Zheng Tan a girlfriend.


    He was annoyed, so he was rarely home these days. He only went home for meals and to sleep. Mama Jiao berated him because of this.


    Zheng Tan Tan went home at dinner time. Mama Jiao, who was cooking in the kitchen, saw hime inside.


    "If you don''t spend all your time wandering outside, you could be a father by now." Mama Jiao was chopping ribs. "You probably won''t know even if you be a father."


    Zheng Tan listened to the sound of knife-on-ribs and felt a chill down his spine. He rubbed his ears. Mama Jiao was very frightening sometimes.


    One day, the weather was sunny and the temperature had risen.


    Zheng Tan was enjoying his stroll. He sniffed a flower in the grass and sneezed.


    It had been a week since he gave Long Qi the pocket watch. He didn''t know what Ye Hao was doing with it now. Wei Ling had been busy, and the Jiaos hadn''t had any visitors recently. He had been watching Papa Jiao to see if he behaved differently.


    Zheng Tan had taken another trip to Uncle Wintersweet''s apartment. It was still empty, so he didn''t go again.


    He walked to a yground. People were ying ser, and no one noticed a cat watching them.


    The yground was one of the older ones on campus. It was built on lower groundpared to the buildings in the area. Zheng Tan stood on a hill and looked down. The yground was surrounded by evergreens and shrubs. The trees didn''t change much in winter, nor did they sprout new branches in spring.


    He rested against a tree and pushed away a few des grass that blocked his view.


    Bang!


    A ser ball hit the barbwire fence and bounced back. A student ran over to pick up the ball and saw Zheng Tan sitting against a tree. He yelled, "Come look, this cat is sitting like a human!"


    Zheng Tan eyed him. He ignored the students.


    Another student came over and said to his friend, "You idiot! Cats sit like this because they are sick. Their hind legs are in pain, and they don''t want to support their weight using their legs."


    The other boy eximed, "No wonder - this cat looks quite heavy. How sad! It''s a sick cat."


    Zheng Tan rolled his eyes. He was very healthy!


    The two students went back to their game of ser.


    Zheng Tan took out his frustration on the flowers in the grass. He had sat like this before, and no one had said anything about it.


    This was the first time he had heard that exnation. He didn''t know if that was the reason why other cats sat like this.


    He now knew after meeting Toffee that not all cats were born healthy.


    He felt very lucky. House cats were cheap, but were generally in better health and could survive in the wild.


    He stood up and shook off the bits of grass on his fur. He looked at the sky, then left campus through the nearest gate. He was bored and decided to go for a stroll.


    He walked along the edge of campus. He walked on the fence whenever there was one.


    It was around three in the afternoon. Student often set up stalls on this road to make some extra cash. Most of their goods were little things and clothes that targeted girls. It was low-cost business, and they had plenty of customers. People often had to fight for space. They used cushions to mark their space, then quickly set up their stalls.


    By five, the street was full of stalls. Zheng Tan sat there watching the students work. He suddenly heard a few girls cheering.


    The school nted bamboos along the fence in this area. The leaves blocked Zheng Tan''s view.


    He pushed away the leaves, then traced the sound to its source.


    A young man in his twenties with a mohawk dyed blond was standing there. He looked like a rascal on the streets.


    He was doing tricks with poker cards and eyed the chests of the girls around him.


    Zheng Tan stared at him in disdain. After watching what Uncle Wintersweet was capable of, little tricks like this were nothing.


    However, street magicians were bing rarer and rarer. The ones still around were often quite capable. They were at least better than the so-called magicians on TV.


    Zheng Tan watched the man do his tricks. Though he had despised the man, he now admitted he was quite good.


    The young man felt someone staring at him and turned.


    He was quite alert, Zheng Tan thought. Then he saw the man''s face.


    He looked familiar. Zheng Tan was sure he had never seen this man before.


    How strange!


    Who was he?


    Zheng Tan couldn''t figure out why he looked so familiar.


    The young man had seen Zheng Tan as well and was startled. His hands shook, and the card flew from his grip. The girls watchingughed.


    Zheng Tan watched him for a while then left to pick up Youzi.


    The young man turned around to look behind him for the third time only to see the ck cat was gone. He quickly smiled at the girls around him.


    Ten minutester, a car pulled over, and the driver whistled.


    "Sorry my dears, I gotta go." The young man pocketed his cards and walked to the car. He turned to blow the girls a kiss. Many of them blushed.


    The young man got in the back. He crossed his legs and rested his arms on the back of the seats.


    "You''rete, brother Wei," the young man said.


    The driver was Wei Ling, who Zheng Tan hadn''t seen in a while.


    "No harm done. Gave you time to pick up girls," Wei Ling said.


    "Don''t even mention it. I was about to ask the girls for their numbers when I ran into a cat. It was staring at me."


    Wei Ling raised an eyebrow and asked, "Was the cat ck?"


    "How did you know? I told you ck cats were weird." The man pped his leg. He recalled the ck cat he met and didn''t notice Wei Ling''s tone.


    "You finally decided toe home? I thought you were going to continue your rebellion and never look back," Wei Ling said.


    "I''m enjoying life, not being rebellious. Also, I might be persistent, but that doesn''t mean I can''t grow up," the man said.


    "You call this grown up? Looking like this?" Wei Lingughed.


    "What''s wrong with my look? I like it." The man touched his hair.


    "There''s nothing wrong with it, except that it''s going to make your father explode out of anger."


    "What do you think I look like? An idiot? A rascal? Riffraff?" The man shook a finger. "Have you never heard of riffraff philosophy? Without riffraff, our country''s history would be much more boring. Think of the kings that started dynasties. Many of them were riffraff. People dive during ser matches too. You need riffraff in life."


    "I didn''t know you are a philosopher now." Wei Ling shook his head.


    The man in the backseat didn''t argue. He looked out of the window and asked, "Are we going to that club you mentioned? The Night Tower, is it?"


    "No. We are visiting brother He Tao."


    "God no! He''s going to kill me!" the man moaned.


    "Don''t worry about it. I''ll buy you a coffin."


    The next day, Zheng Tan didn''t leave campus. He was with the four musketeers. They were sitting on a branch of arge parasol tree and watching a group of people fly kites on thewn.


    Wei Ling was driving. They were on the main road on campus.


    "Why are we here? Why aren''t we going to the Night Tower?" the man in the backined while chewing gum. He stretched his arms. Brother He Tao had given him a good beating yesterday. Thankfully, he didn''tnd any blows on his face.


    Wei Ling didn''t say anything. He drove slowly and searched the trees on either side of the road. He saw the four cats on a parasol tree and smiled. "Found them."


    The man in the back opened the window and looked over to where Wei Ling was pointing. He saw people flying kites and thought Wei Ling was searching for someone in their group. Then he saw the cats and his smile disappeared.


    "Cats are idiots!" he cursed, then spat the gum in his mouth into a garbage can. The trash can was a meter away but the gumnded safely inside. He was very proud.


    His good mood didn''tst though. When he looked up, he almost choked.


    The four cats on the tree branch had all turned and were staring at him.

 Chapter 155: Are You Serious?

    Chapter 155: Are You Serious?


    The four cats were staring at him as if they understood what he had just said. They weren''t meowing. They just looked at him.


    Maybe it was all in his head, but he felt the cats were looking at him differently after he said they were dumb animals.


    He was about to say ''cats don''t even know it when they are being cursed'', but stopped himself when he saw the look in those cats'' eyes.


    Wei Ling looked at him andughed. "Er Mao, why don''t you like those cats? They didn''t do anything to you."


    Er Mao, who was the man with the mohawk, pointed towards the cats on the tree and asked Wei Ling, "Are those cats looking at me with disdain? I think they are cursing me!"


    "...It''s all in your head." He knew Er Mao was a bit paranoid. It wasn''t all his fault. Anyone who had been through what he had been through would be the same.


    In truth, it was a coincidence that all the cats turned to look at him at the exact same time.


    Zheng Tan understood what Er Mao had said and Fatty probably understood a word or two. He could sense the hostility in Er Mao''s words. Tiger looked over because he heard Er Mao spit out gum. As for Sheriff, he did whatever the others did.


    Er Mao scratched his head. Maybe it was all in his head. He looked at the cats and saw the look in Zheng Tan''s eyes. The look of disdain was too clear that he couldn''t kid himself it was all in his imagination.


    He looked like he was being force-fed dog shit.


    He took a deep breath and told himself not to get angry over a cat. He wasn''t here to deal with cats.


    He wanted to get away from here so he turned and said to Wei Ling, "Come on, let''s go. Who are you looking for? Let''s find him and get out of here."


    "Ok." Wei Ling waved to Zheng Tan, "Come here Charcoal!"


    Zheng Tan had recognized Wei Ling''s car from afar. He saw the man who did card tricks in the back of the car and thought Wei Ling wasn''t here because of him. He went back to watching kids fly kites. However, the man had to curse cats. What did they do to him? Why was Wei Ling with this idiot?


    He didn''t go over to Wei Ling immediately. The man in the backseat was a rascal, and Mama Jiao said to stay away from people like that.


    Mama Jiao said this to Jiao Yuan and Youzi. Zheng Tan was surrounded by rascals. However, at that time, he didn''t think he was doing anything wrong.


    Wei Ling yelled to him, "Come on, let''s go to the Night Tower. I told your owner already."


    Zheng Tan didn''t want to go out today, but on second thought, he didn''t mind finding out what Ye Hao was up to these days.


    He jumped off the parasol tree and went over to Wei Ling.


    Er Mao had a foreboding feeling when he saw the ck cat walking in their direction. He had wondered who Wei Ling was talking to. It appeared he was talking to a cat. Er Mao wanted to shut his window so the cat couldn''t jump into the car.


    Sadly Wei Ling''s window was still open. Zheng Tan jumped in and sat in the passenger seat. He didn''t want to share seats with the rascal in the back.


    Er Mao stared at Zheng Tan like he had the gue. Unfortunately, there was only so much space inside the car. Zheng Tan stared at Er Mao too. Where had he seen him before? Zheng Tan couldn''t remember.


    Wei Ling drove towards the Night Tower after Zheng Tan jumped in the car.


    Wei Ling had an apartment near Chuhua University. It was a new neighborhood. He was rarely home. He preferred to stay at Papa Jiao''spany. It was boring staying at home alone. He liked staying at thepany dorm where there were people who could keep himpany. He went to the Night Tower on weekends to let loose. He even started dating an elementary school teacher recently, but he didn''t tell anyone this.


    He had cleared out a room for Er Mao. Er Mao''s parents lived in Chuhua city as well, but he was definitely not staying with his parents. It was for the best. They would be fighting every day if they lived together. So he decided to call Wei Ling and ask for a room. He didn''t mention how long he would be staying - it would depend on his mood.


    Er Maoined the whole way. He didn''t understand why they were taking a cat to the Night Tower. Wei Ling told him about Zheng Tan and said, "This cat is quite popr. Not only Ye Hao, even Brother Walnut owes him a favor."


    Er Mao stared at Zheng Tan in disbelief. This cat must be very special to have Brother Walnut owe him a favor. However, the more special this cat was, the more wicked it must be. Er Mao disliked special cats.


    "Cats are annoying, they''re a pain in the ass!" Er Mao eximed.


    Zheng Tan observed Wei Ling and Er Mao as they chatted. He knew they studied martial arts together as children. He wondered what their master did for a living. His three students were in three different fields. He also wondered if he had more students.


    He suddenly noticed the man''s name.


    Er Mao?


    He heard this name before.


    He searched his memory, then remembered Wei Ling and He Tao had both mentioned the name before. Zhao Le and Wang Bin mentioned him as well.


    Wang Bin?!


    Zheng Tan looked at Er Mao again. He recalled the face of Wang Bin, who he met at Fang''s party.


    The two men looked very alike, their features were identical but they gave off different auras. Wang Bin looked very much an elite. Er Mao, on the other hand, was a rascal. Even if the two men stood side by side, people wouldn''t realize the two were twins.


    If they really were twins, why was Er Mao like this? The two seemed like the beggar and the prince.


    Zheng Tan thought about Zhong Yan. Was Er Mao''s situation the same as Zhong Yan''s? Even if his parents didn''t treat him so poorly, his parents must not love him that much. Poor boy.


    Er Mao kept an eye on Zheng Tan while chatting with Wei Ling. He noticed the cat was staring at him. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He patted the driver''s seat and said, "Brother Wei, can you make the cat look elsewhere? It''s getting creepy."


    Wei Ling sighed. "Charcoal, can you not stare at him?"


    Zheng Tan''s interest in Er Mao was gone by now, so he curled up. The Night Tower was a half an hour drive away, and they might encounter traffic. He could take a little nap.


    Wei Ling led Er Mao inside the Night Tower through the side door and they went straight to his usual room. Zheng Tan followed behind them. The guards were used to seeing him here. Er Mao was surprised that the guards didn''t react to Zheng Tan being there.


    Ye Hao had been busy recently, so Wei Ling didn''t call him. They drank wine and watched the performance downstairs.


    Wei Ling didn''t tell Er Mao what Ye Hao was doing. It was highly confidential. Ye Hao had Zheng Tan to thank this time. Tang Qiye called the watch ''the goldenpass'' because it had something to do with gold.


    Lai Er''s underlings were too busy in-fighting, so Ye Hao took the chance to quietly make some money.


    Zheng Tan took the entire sofa for himself. Er Mao sat on a chair and said to Wei Ling, "Since when were cats so respected? Are you sure your friend is ok with you bringing this thing here? What if it ruins the furniture? Even if your friend doesn''t care about money, you shouldn''t let a cat do whatever it wants."


    Wei Ling shrugged, "I told you this cat was special. Someone even gave him a nickname ''lucky cat''."


    Er Mao burst out inughter.


    "This is a normal house cat. You can get one for twenty bucks in a vige. How can it be lucky..."


    Er Mao had wanted to say more, but he saw the serious look on Wei Ling''s face. "Are you serious?"


    "I''m not joking." Wei Ling nodded. "I suggest you spend some time with this cat. You can follow him on his walks. You have nothing to do anyway."


    Zheng Tan red at Er Mao. He didn''t need this idiot to apany him on his walks.

 Chapter 156: Keep Demons At Bay? F*ck That!

    Chapter 156: Keep Demons At Bay? F*ck That!


    Zheng Tan and Er Mao disliked each other from the first moment they saw each other. This first impression wasn''t reversible so easily.


    Er Mao told Wei Ling about his adventures these two years while keeping an eye on Zheng Tan.


    Wei Ling listened while peeling peanuts for himself and the cat.


    Er Mao rolled his eyes in disdain at the man acting like a ve. However, he knew Wei Ling well enough to know that there must be something very special about the cat to warrant such behavior.


    Maybe it was a lucky cat.


    He was still slightly doubtful. He refused to admit anything he hadn''t seen with his own eyes, even if it was Wei Ling who told him about the cat.


    Zheng Tan waited until there was a pile of peanuts on the table to start eating.


    "Have you decided what to do next?"


    "I''ve been running a small business these years. I don''t n to do anything for a while. I want to enjoy life."


    Er Mao''s eyes were on Zheng Tan when he said this. He suddenly jumped up from his seat and attacked Zheng Tan.


    Bang!


    "Demons at bay!"


    He managed to hit Zheng Tan and immediately backed away.


    Wei Ling and Zheng Tan were speechless.


    Zheng Tan hadn''t expected this. He disliked Er Mao, but because Wei Ling was here, he didn''t sense any hostility from Er Mao. His guard was down, so he didn''t manage to move in time.


    Er Mao didn''t want to hurt him. He just stuck a piece of paper on Zheng Tan''s forehead.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know what was on the piece of paper, but he could guess it was the kind of paper spells used to keep demons at bay in movies!


    Keep demons at bay?


    F*ck him!


    Zheng Tan shook his head, and the piece of paper fell off. His ws sprang out, and he pounced.


    He was not going to let Er Mao get away after he attacked.


    The cat and man started fighting. Er Mao shielded himself with a pillow, which was quickly shredded by Zheng Tan. Er Mao realized he had vastly underestimated Zheng Tan, so he quickly covered his head with his jacket and backed up to stand behind Wei Ling.


    Feathers flew everywhere. The room was a mess.


    Wei Ling watched without speaking. He wanted to beat Er Mao up. He was already in his twenties, yet he still did stupid stuff like this. He made him angry.


    After some ten minutes, Zheng Tan sat on the coffee table and went back to eating peanuts. He was in a bad mood. No one would be happy if they were stuck with a spell. It was worse for him because he had a secret.


    Er Mao slowly moved to a chair and balled up his jacket. It was in shreds. However, he didn''t care as long as his face was not hurt.


    "Why did you have to do that?" Wei Ling asked.


    "Didn''t you tell me to get along with him? Men be friends through fighting. We are like brothers because we spent our youth fighting."


    Wei Ling rubbed his forehead. He pointed to the spell on the floor, "Where did you get this?"


    Zheng Tan''s ears perked up. He wanted to know this as well. Did Er Mao buy this because he wanted to be an exorcist?


    Er Mao answered, "I met an old guy at the train station. He had a notebook and asked me for money. You can leave your name if you do donate. I gave him ten bucks, and he gave me the spell."


    There were a lot of people like that at the train station. It was hard to tell if they need money or were con men. Society was bing more and more unconcerned. Scams made people more and more cautious. Most people''s first reaction, when asked for donations, was disdain instead of sympathy.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know if Er Mao knew the old man might be a trickster. However, he looked like someone who would buy the spell for fun even if he knew he was being tricked.


    So the spell was only a souvenir?


    Zheng Tan rxed.


    Wei Ling didn''t care about the spell. He asked, "So you gave him your name?"


    "Of course, I spent ten yuan. I practiced calligraphy for ten years. My signature was way better than the other names on the notebook."


    "So next time someone donates money, they will know a man called ''Wang Ming'' donated ten yuan?" Wei Ling teased him.


    "I''m not that dumb. I didn''t use my real name. Why tell people I fell for the trick too? That''s too embarrassing."


    Sometimes people didn''t donate because they wanted to but because they were forced. There was an article in the Newspaper about people who were beaten after they refused to ''donate.'' Many felt it was very embarrassing to ''donate'' against one''s will.


    If Er Mao didn''t write his name, then whose did he put down? Did he make up a name?


    "Whose name did you write?" Wei Ling asked.


    "Wang Bin," Er Mao said gleefully.


    Zheng Tan and Wei Ling were speechless.


    They wondered what his brother''s reaction would be when he found out his name was used like this. This was probably one of the least infuriating things Er Mao had done. Zheng Tan wondered if the advertisements onmp posts and bathroom walls had Wang Bin''s name on them as well? It was hard to say.


    Zheng Tan felt he would probably have murdered Er Mao by now if he were Wang Bin.


    Wei Ling rubbed his forehead. "You know how to ask for trouble."


    Er Mao chuckled. He turned his face and said to Wei Ling, "Look!"


    Wei Ling didn''t know what he was trying to do, "What? Grew a pimple? Or do you want me to p you?"


    "What the hell are you saying." Er Mao pointed to his ear and said, "Look at my earlobe. See how huge it is. People say big earlobes mean big luck."


    Zheng Tan checked. His earlobe was not huge, but it wasrge by normal standards.


    Er Mao waited for Wei Ling to show his admiration. However, Wei Ling calmly shook his head, "That''s bullshit. Even I know that''s hereditary. You have big earlobes thanks to your parents. We need to respect science."


    Er Mao leaned back and stared at Wei Ling. "Since when did you start to ''respect science''?"


    Even Zheng Tan was surprised to those words out of Wei Ling''s mouth. Was he being affected by Papa Jiao?


    Wei Ling kept talking, "The eyes, nose, earlobes, and eyshes are all dominant inheritance. The chin is too. Those stars on TV that havepletely different chins than their parent must have had stic surgery."


    Er Mao was still staring at Wei Ling suspiciously. He didn''t doubt his words, but he just didn''t know why he knew all this. The sports and politics section of the Newspaper was the only reading he did. Since when did he read about science? He always disliked professors and so-called academics. What happened?


    Wei Ling didn''t give him the chance to ask.


    Zheng Tan listened to them chat. He had expected them to chat about Ye Hao. However, Wei Ling hadn''t mentioned him once so far. It appeared he decided to keep Er Mao out of the look. Wei Ling and Er Mao were long-time friends, but Ye Hao didn''t know Er Mao. Zheng Tan could surmise that the pocket-watch was top secret. He wouldn''t get any useful information today.


    They stayed for a little longer before calling it a night.


    Wei Ling dropped Zheng Tan off first before driving Er Mao home.


    Er Mao looked more at ease without Zheng Tan in the car.


    "I''ll crash at your ce for two weeks at most. I should be able to find an apartment by that time," Er Mao said.


    "You don''t need to move out. I stay at thepany dorm most days anyway. If you''re here, we could be roommates."


    "I know you too well." Er Mao smiled mischievously, "You have a girlfriend now don''t you? You should hurry up and get married. People your age have children already. You were always on duty before. But now you''re free to date. I don''t want to be in the way."


    Though he seemed useless, he was in fact quite observant. Wei Ling didn''t say more. He knew he couldn''t change Er Mao''s decision.


    "Ok then. Have you decided whether to rent or buy?"


    "I''ll wait and see. If I love the ce, I''ll buy it. I have the money anyway. However, renting is fine too. I don''t know how long I''ll stay in Chuhua." Er Mao sat back in his seat, "Do you have any good suggestions?"


    Wei Ling thought about it for a while, then said, "I suggest you find a ce on campus. There''s plenty of staff housing."

 Chapter 157: Friend Of The Ladies

    Chapter 157: Friend Of The Ladies''


    "On campus?" Er Mao frowned.


    He hadn''t thought about renting on campus. Generally, the buildings on campus posed more restrictions than normal residential neighborhoods. He couldn''t do what he wanted there.


    "I know some of the housing on campus is open for rent to non-students. They are harder to get, but it''s worth the extra work. The atmosphere on campus is good. The buildings are quiet and you will be surrounded by good people. One takes on the color of one''spany. I read in a magazine that your surroundings can change you. You need to settle down now," Wei Ling said calmly.


    Er Mao rolled his eyes but didn''t say anything.


    Wei Ling had good reasons for wanting Er Mao to rent on campus. He was always a fickle child and fooled around too much. He knew his heart was in the right ce, but was worried he was making bad friends. He hoped to put Er Mao back on the right track and thought this would be a good start.


    Wei Ling didn''t know much about the rest of campus, but he was sure of the environment in the Eastern Quarters. He would very much like it for Er Mao to be influenced by the retired professors that lived there. He would have something to tell their old master.


    It was difficult to rent on campus but Wei Ling trusted Er Mao''s abilities. He might look like a rascal, but he was smart and resourceful. Wei Ling himself lived close to here and could be of immediate help if Er Mao caused any trouble.


    Wei Ling also took the Jiaos into consideration. Papa Jiao was going abroad soon and Er Mao could be of help to the family in his absence. He heard taking care of other people could increase a man''s sense of responsibility.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know of Wei Ling''s ns yet. He was busy setting his schedule for the following week.


    Papa Jiao was leaving soon and Zheng Tan had been counting the days.


    One afternoon, he stared at the calendar. He had to spend Monday helping out Mr. Guo. There was a performance that he wanted to catch at the Night Tower on Friday afternoon. He promised to apany Fang Shaokang to a business meeting with Liu. He decided to not stroll off campus during these days before Papa Jiao''s departure. He would spend his days sleeping on the parasol tree inside the quarters. That way, he would see the Jiaos the moment they came home.


    He wondered what his life would be like after Papa Jiao went abroad. He could go on long strolls now because of Papa Jiao''s support. Mama Jiao was always worried he would get kidnapped again. She would never let him out at night.


    If Papa Jiao wasn''t here, he might never get to go out at night again if he got into any trouble. Would he have to stay at home all day? That would be so boring. He was now used to leaving campus and saw staying home as a waste of time. The only thing to do at home was to sleep.


    He rolled around on the sofa and swayed his tail. He tried to think of a n when he caught sight of the bedroom door.


    The door to the master bedroom was open. The bedroom led to the balcony. That door was open too, and the room was pleasantly warm. He had targeted the room not because of the balcony but because of theputer on the desk.


    Papa Jiao was the only one who used theputer. The kids were allowed to yputer games on the weekend, but only for a short amount of time.


    There was a passcode and Zheng Tan was the only one who knew it besides Papa and Mama Jiao. He was often on the desk when Papa Jiao used theputer and had seen the password many times.


    Papa Jiao would be abroad and Mama Jiao and the kids would be at school working and studying on the weekdays. He could surf the inte during this time. Mama Jiao wasn''t as observant as Papa Jiao and he wouldn''t get caught as long as he was careful.


    He hadn''t been on the inte for a very long time now.


    Papa Jiao knew their cat was special, but he would never guess the car had set its eyes on theputer.


    Now that he had a new found way to kill time, Zheng Tan jumped off the sofa and went out for a stroll.


    The temperature rose quickly here in Chuhua city. The season for thick jackets was over.


    Fatty was sitting on his balcony and enjoying the sun. He heard Zheng Tan leave the building and opened his eyes slightly. He then quickly closed his eyes again and went back to sleep. He showed no signs of wanting to move.


    He didn''t see the other two cats. Sheriff wasn''t moaning these days anymore. He wondered if Sheriff had found a female cat friend.


    He strolled out the gates and saw someone in a tracksuit squatting beside a stone stool near the gates to the eastern quarters. The man had a lollipop in his mouth and stared at Zheng Tan with a weird grin.


    He cursed the man and looked away. He took a few steps then paused.


    Something was off.


    He knew the man!


    He looked over again, and then realized it was that idiot Er Mao!


    His hair was dyed back to ck and he was in a track suit instead of one of his colorful suits. He looked almost like a student on campus.


    He waved to Zheng Tan, "Hey ck Charcoal! Going out?"


    Zheng Tan was speechless. Who the hell was ck Charcoal?


    He hated people who messed up other people''s names.


    Zheng Tan looked around. This was not the ce to start a fight. Er Mao got lucky this time. He turned to leave. He couldn''t stand being around this man any longer.


    "Oh yes, ck Charcoal, I''m moving here in a few days. I''ll be staying in your building," Er Mao said slowly.


    Zheng Tan stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to face Er Mao, trying to figure out if he was messing with him.


    Zheng Tan had thought Er Mao was like Long Qi and would stay as far away from cats as possible. Now he realized Er Mao was the kind of person who would choose to stay around someone who disliked him just to annoy that that person.


    However...


    He thought about the residents in his building. Many of the professors disliked renting to people who weren''t associated with the university. They didn''t trust outsiders. There were a few apartments in his building that were usually empty, but the co-op board was strict. Professor Lan hated it when people rented out their ces to outsiders. Bribing him would make him even angrier. There was no way Er Mao could rent a ce in his building.


    He felt he could rx now, so he ignored Er Mao and left.


    Er Mao watched him leave and said in a quiet voice, "He really did understand what I said!"


    He didn''t believe Er Mao could manage to rent an apartment in building B, so he forgot about the matter. Er Mao probably said it to annoy him.


    On Sunday morning, Papa Jiao took the kids out for a jog. Zheng Tan went with them. When they passed the school square, he suddenly caught sight of a man among the olddies who danced there every day. The man was familiar. It was only then that he realized Er Mao had been serious.


    Thedies were dancing with fans and a group of students wasughing whilst watching them. They were used to seeing thedies dancing, however, it was their first time seeing a young man in the group. He had a red fan and was dancing to the beat of the music. The olddies were grinning at him. Madame Di was looking on with a fond smile as if he was her son.


    If Madame Di was on his side, then Professor Lan was no threat.


    Er Mao had decided to worm his way into Building B by portraying himself as a friend of thedies''.


    Er Mao was a cheeky bastard, but olddies loved him. They didn''t appreciate shyness.


    Professor Lan preferred being called Mr. Lan like he was an ordinary teacher. However, most people called him Professor to show their respect. Er Mao, however, got him.


    "nt it over there by the Azalea flowers."


    "What about these?"


    "Over there."


    ...


    Zheng Tan watched Er Mao work. He had to admit, Er Mao was probably close to achieving his goal.


    This put him in a sour mood.


    He turned to go home. He was thinking about how to ruin Er Mao''s ns when he heard a child yelling in the distance.


    "Brother ckie!"


    He hastened his steps when he heard the voice and cursed silently. Damn it!

 Chapter 158: Hello Neighbor

    Chapter 158: Hello Neighbor


    Zheng Tan decided this was just not his day.


    He ignored the yelling behind him and hoped to god...


    "Wah!"


    Just as he had expected, the child burst out crying while sitting on the ground.


    The child was a one-trick pony, but his one trick worked. It was the only thing Zheng Tan was afraid of. He felt guilty whenever the kid cried. After all, he called him brother ckie.


    He stood still for a few seconds and sighed. Then he turned, exasperated. He looked at the kid crying on the ground and the woman in her thirties who was standing behind him. She was his nanny and standing closer to him right now, yet she showed no signs of wanting to pick him up from the ground. What kind of a nanny was she?


    The woman saw Zheng Tan and smiled, but still didn''t move.


    What the hell was she smiling about?


    Zheng Tan tugged his ears. His pulled a de of grass from the ground, swayed his tail, and went to the child.


    Kitty Zhuo was now almost one year old. Time passed quickly. Zheng Tan had seen the boy several times this month.


    Zhuo was away and Kitty''s caretaker was the women by his side now. The ''Buddha'' had found her. She was busy so she couldn''t take care of the boy herself. She had found him a nanny instead. She called her ''Wan'' while Kitty called her ''auntie''.


    Auntie, in the Chinesenguage, was reserved for the sisters of one''s father. Zheng Tan knew Kitty''s father was not around and might never show up again. However, on Kitty''s files, his father was shown to have died for his country. Because of Zhuo''s participation in the top secret government project, Kitty was allowed certain privileges, which was why the files said what it said. This could protect Kitty from the social sigma attached to kids whose parents weren''t together.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know if Wan was hired by the ''Buddha'' or by people from up top, but at least Kitty seemed to be well.


    Before he was born, people had worried he would be deformed or have some sort of congenial disorder. After he was born, people started worrying about his intelligence. However, Zheng Tan was sure there was nothing wrong with the boy''s IQ. He was not yet one, but knew how to deal with each individual in his life. If this was a sign of low IQ, the rest of the people he knew must only have the intelligence of a Labrador.


    Zheng Tan knew he was faking tears but he still went to the boy. Sure enough, the crying stopped immediately.


    The baby was a great actor, Zheng Tan had to give him this. He managed to squeeze out tears whenever he fake cried. His tears disappeared, however, the moment he got what he wanted. Throwing a fit was a measure reserved for children and it worked.


    Kitty loved to use his tears to force Zheng Tan into ying with him. It also worked and Zheng Tan hated it.


    "Brother ckie!" Kitty called out again.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears and pushed Kitty''s head with his paw.


    Kitty got up by holding on to the railing beside them.


    Wan watched on with a smile. She was all too familiar with this routine. She was mindful of the cat at first, but Zhuo had called her and told her not to worry. She eventually realized this cat was of no danger to the child and she let them be.


    Wan remembered when Kitty was just learning to walk. He would take steps while holding the railing. Whenever he saw the cat, he would sit on the ground and start crying. He wouldn''t stop unless the cat came over. She used to try to pick him up, but then one time she decided to observe. Kitty had thick clothes on and wouldn''t get hurt from falling. She realized he was doing all this on purpose, so she never intervened again.


    She always wanted tough when Kitty called the cat ''brother ckie''. She had heard about the cat from Zhuo, yet the seeing the cat pat the boy with his paw always cracked her up. The cat looked like he was going to smash the kid''s head, but his paw was always gentle when it came in contact with Kitty. His ws were never out.


    Seeing that Kitty had gotten up from the ground, Zheng Tan immediately turned to leave. He wanted to find a nice warm spot and take a nap.


    He turned a corner and saw someoneing his way. His mood took a turn for the worse.


    "ck Charcoal, fancy seeing you here. Do you want a piece of this bread I bought?" Er Mao shoved his half-eaten bread towards Zheng Tan, then immediately took it back and started eating again.


    He was hungry afterboring for Professor Lan and had bought the bread at the convenience store near the campus gate. He had bought a food for Professor Lan as well. He hadn''t expected to run into the ck cat.


    Zheng Tan stopped walking when he ran into Er Mao. During this time, Kitty managed to catch up with him. He was still calling out ''brother ckie''.


    Er Mao heard the child too. He looked around, they were the only ones there. Who was the child calling?


    When Kitty called out again, Er Mao almost choked on his bread. He saw the boy was staring at Zheng Tan.


    This cat was brother ckie?


    This was the first time he had seen a child call a cat ''brother''.


    Er Mao walked towards the boy. However, Wan stepped forward and stood in front of Kitty. She was smiling, but it was clear she didn''t trust Er Mao yet.


    Er Mao shook his hand to indicate he understood and kept at arm''s length from the child. He took out a lollipop from his pocket, it was the kind shaped like cartoon characters.


    "Do you want this?" Er Mao showed Kitty the lollipop.


    Zheng Tan wanted to roll his eyes.


    Kitty pushed past Wan and reached out his hand.


    Er Mao retreated. He pointed at Zheng Tan and said, "If you say ''Charcoal is an idiot'' I''ll give it to you. You can have it if you just call him ''idiot'' too."


    Zhuo inched forward wanting to take the lollipop from Er Mao.


    Er Mao repeated his words several times to no effect. Oh well, he gave up. The boy was too young and probably couldn''t say too many words yet.


    He stood up straight and handed the candy to the child. He was about to say something, when... liquid shot through the air aimed at his shoes.


    He reacted very quickly but still got some piss on his shoes.


    F*ck! This child knew how to distract him.


    This was a nned attack.


    Er Mao''s face was contorted.


    Wan stifled a snicker and pulled Kitty behind her. Er Mao didn''t show signs of malice, but he was a stranger and it was best to stay cautious. Wan had a feeling this twenty something man was not easy to deal with.


    Kitty didn''t seem scared at all. He didn''t even look guilty. He giggled with the lollipop in his hand.


    Zheng Tan''s spirit lifted.


    Good job, Kitty!


    Er Mao shook piss off his shoes and wiped them with his napkin. He looked at this baby with a pained expression. Did the boy really not understand what he had said? He must really be brothers with the cat to have attacked him because of what he said!


    To had insult to injury, Kitty waddled over to Zheng Tan. Thewn was somewhat uneven and he almost fell.


    Heid the lollipop in front of Zheng Tan.


    Er Mao was speechless. It was confirmed. They were indeed brothers.


    Zheng Tan was moved. The boy obviously wanted the candy, yet he still gave it to him.


    What a good a child.


    Zheng Tan pushed the candy back to Kitty and patted his head. The child was still so young. Soon, Zheng Tan wouldn''t be able to pat him on the head anymore.


    Kitty had helped him win one over Er Mao and this greatly pleased Zheng Tan. He recalled the scene of Kitty peeing on Er Mao''s shoes whenever he needed a pick-me-up.


    However, his good moodsted only for a week.


    A weekter, Zheng Tan was going out for a stroll when he noticed noises on the third floor.


    The door across from Professor Lan''s house was open. The owner of that unit was seldom there. He heard Professor Lan''s booming voice from inside the unit.


    "Put it there, yes, that''s fine. You can use the master bedroom, we''ll put their stuff in the guest room."


    Zheng Tan was curious. He had only seen the owners of this apartment a few times.


    He came to the door and peeked inside. Madame Di was wiping a table.


    She saw him and smiled. "Come inside Charcoal. I saw a rat earlier."


    In that case, Zheng Tan thought, it was best he didn''t go inside.


    Just when he was about to leave, someone walked out of the bedroom.


    F*ck! Why was he here?


    Er Mao was wearing blue working clothes. He heard Madame Di talking and came out to say hi. He was practically gloating.


    "Hello, neighbor."

 Chapter 159: Zheng Tan Is A Cat

    Chapter 159: Zheng Tan Is A Cat


    It seemed that all the grass had turned green overnight. Winter was truly over, and spring was here.


    Papa Jiao was scheduled to leave in the middle of April, but he got a call and left early for the capital city. He was going to visit a well-known professor. With the help of that professor, things should go well for him overseas.


    He had managed to delegate all his work two days before he left. All his grad students got assignments, along with a junior student. He had recently decided to take on the new student after she graduated. Like Zeng Jing, she was not the skinny and quiet type. His colleagues joked he preferred sturdy students.


    He had individual talks with all his family members including Zheng Tan.


    Right now, Zheng Tan was perched on his cat tree and listening to Papa Jiao talk.


    "Try to stay out of trouble while I am away. Don''t think I don''t know what''s going on at home when I''m abroad. Don''t y dumb with me. I know you know what I''m talking about. To sum it up, don''t go out looking for trouble. Of course, that doesn''t mean you run away from issues."


    It was his first time leaving home for so long. Papa Jiao had a hard time staying calm whenever he remembered he would be leaving his family and his pet behind for a year. Papa Jiao was worried about Zheng Tan.


    "I talked with that Ye Hao," Papa Jiao said.


    Zheng Tan turned immediately. He wanted to know what Papa Jiao was going to say next.


    However, Papa Jiao didn''t say any more. He took out a bank card. He had set up the bank ount using his name, but it was for Zheng Tan. He had saved up all the money Zheng Tan had earned over the years. It included the money he earned by doing ads and the money Zhao Le''s father gave after he saved Zhao Le. It also included the unbelievablyrge red-pocket he got from Fang and Zhao Le, and the money he got from Ye Hao. Papa Jiao had never spent any of it.


    "This is your bank card; Mama Jiao doesn''t even know about it. I''m giving it to you now. Keep it in this drawer."


    Not even Mama Jiao could imagine Papa Jiao had saved the money all for the cat, let alone Wei Ling, Ye Hao and Fang. The amount of money on this card could be consideredrge for some people, yet Papa Jiao was the only one who knew where the money was.


    Papa Jiao opened a drawer on the cat tree and ced the card inside. Fang had designed this drawer. It was quite well hidden and had a lock. Zheng Tan kept the key.


    Zheng Tan was surprised by the bank card. He didn''t think Papa Jiao would give him a bank ount.


    Papa Jiao patted the cat tree. "Do you think if a thief got in, he would know there was a bank card hidden in the cat tree?"


    Zheng Tan wagged his tail. He couldn''t imagine any thief that would look inside a cat tree for valuables. It was too bizarre to most people. Zheng Tan believed no normal person would think of it.


    Papa Jiao was quiet for a while, then he got up and entered his bedroom. He came back out with a box in his had. Zheng Tan knew inside was the jade pendant he had gotten from the olddy back in his vige. Zheng Tan never wore the pendant. It was too ufortable and too eye-catching. People would try to steal it from him when he went on walks, so Papa Jiao kept the pendant safe for him.


    "Let''s keep this in the drawer too. Come over here - I want to show you something." He opened another box.


    Inside was a piece of amber that contained a cat tooth. Papa Jiao had told Zheng Tan it was the tooth of the cat that once saved him.


    Zheng Tan checked the tooth thenpared it to his fangs. He had to admit the tooth in the box wasrger than his own. The cat must have beenrge, but it was still probably smaller than Duke.


    Papa Jiao was only showing Zheng Tan the tooth. He didn''t want to keep it in Zheng Tan''s drawer.


    He talked about a few other things, then finally got up and left.


    Papa Jiao left on a Saturday. Mama Jiao drove Papa Jiao to the airport along with a colleague of his. The man was surprised to see the Jiaos bring their cat on the trip. He even joked to Papa Jiao on the ne that he had a second son in the form of a cat. Papa Jiao didn''t dispute this.


    The house seemed quieter now Papa Jiao wasn''t around anymore. Jiao Yuan and Youzi were very well-behaved. They did their homework and went to bed on time and even helped out with housework.


    Zheng Tan still behaved like he used to, but he was neverte for dinner again and he didn''t go over to the Biology building anymore. Yi Xin and Su Qu were often in Papa Jiao''s office. They didn''t haveptops, so they often used theputer in the office to surf the.


    Speaking ofputers, Zheng Tan was waiting for a chance to use the one at home.


    On Monday morning, he dropped Youzi off at school and immediately went home. His mind was upied by theputer, so much so that he didn''t care about anything else.


    He went home and headed straight for theputer.


    He sat on the desk and turned the machine on. It was 2003 and theputer was an old model, so it took a while to turn on. Zheng Tan wasn''t in a hurry. He had plenty of time.


    He couldn''t use the mouse with one paw, so he held it with both paws like he was hugging it.


    Since he turned into a cat, this was the first time he used theputer on his own. He was very excited and almost sent the mouse flying. He tried to use his tail and hind legs to type, but it was hard. He messed up a word several times. He never thought he would one day be saying ''practice makes perfect'' to himself.


    He managed to create an ount on a social media tform. He didn''t have any ''friends'' yet. He had wanted to use his old ount from when he was human, but couldn''t remember the ount name. He stared nkly at the web page.


    He shook his head. Oh well. He wondered if he''d have friends on this ount in the future. Even if his real identity had to be kept a secret in this life, everything was allowed in virtual reality.


    He didn''t dare download games. It might leave traces. He had wanted to use theputer for a very long time, but now he couldn''t think of anything to do on it.


    Oh yes!


    Zheng Tan searched up the pet forum Mr. Guo often mentioned. The two most active pages were the cat sub-forum and the dog sub-forum. This was a given since these were the two mostmon pets.


    He went into the cat sub-forum. He found a post with pictures from hisst photo shoot.


    He read the post. The animals coborating with him in the photo shoot were better looking than him, but he was happy to find he had a loyal group of fans on the site. Many of them were long-time users of the forum. Someone even said ''ck C is an icon''. He was so happy that his tail was high in the air.


    He decided to create an ount but was having a hard time thinking of a nickname. He looked at other people''s nicknames for inspiration. They were all somewhat rted to the word ''cat'' or ''kitty.'' It was very clear what pet they owned.


    He thought for a bit longer, then started typing.


    ID: ZhengTanIsACat


    After he created his ount, he posted unabashedly, "That ck cat is so cool!" Then he added, "So very, very handsome!"


    He surfed the inte, then cleared his search history and turned off theputer. He was in a great mood when he went downstairs for a stroll. He loved theputer but still liked spending time outside.


    His mood would be even better if he weren''t followed by Er Mao.


    Er Mao just woke up. The cafeteria was out of breakfast by this time, so he left campus and bought some eggs and a boxed meal. He would have the boxed meal for lunch. He wasn''t picky and was alright with eating cold food. He saw Zheng Tan when he got back to the Eastern Quarters and followed him from a distance.


    Zheng Tan tried to get away but failed. Eventually, he gave up and allowed Er Mao to follow him.


    He jumped onto a fence.


    This was his first time leaving campus since Papa Jiao left. The street outside the side gate was the same as always.


    He passed an alleyway and took a nce inside. He saw a ck and white cat sitting on a tree.


    He didn''t stop because there was anything special about this cat. It was a house cat like him. He was just curious what the cat was looking at.


    It was staring at a window on the second floor of a building in front of the tree where it was sitting.


    Zheng Tan had thought it was napping, but then he saw its eyes were wide open and its ears were perked up. It seemed rmed.

 Chapter 160: Revenge Is A Natural Instinct

    Chapter 160: Revenge Is A Natural Instinct


    The cat felt Zheng Tan''s gaze and looked over.


    It appeared to be a stray cat. Its fur was dirty and it had wounds below its eye. The wounds looked new.


    Zheng Tan didn''t know how it got the wounds, but if the wound were any longer, it would be blind now. The cat was lucky it still had its left eye.


    The cat saw Zheng Tan and Er Mao as nonthreatening and went back to looking at the window.


    Er Mao finished his eggs and asked, "What''s that cat looking at? What''s going on in the building? Something saucy?"


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears and ignored Er Mao. He went over to the tree on which the cat was sitting.


    The cat eyed him suspiciously. It was very vignt.


    Zheng Tan didn''t climb onto the tree. He just wanted to know what the cat was looking at. However, he looked up and saw the curtains were drawn on the second floor. He couldn''t see anything and felt disappointed.


    He looked at the cat again and shook his head. How weird.


    He left the alleyway and continued on his path.


    Er Mao was having a great time. He never been here before and was attracted by the food stands on either side of the road that sold local delicacies. It was past breakfast time, but many stands sold other stuff as well. He kept buying food and eating as he walked. He liked a mung bean cake he tasted and bought a pack to take home.


    People living on this street were used to seeing Zheng Tan. Some even said hello to him. They didn''t know his name but were talking to him the way they would their pets. They tried to guess his owners.


    The old district of the city was full of small alleyways. The alleyways were full of stories. He had seen so many things during his strolls. He had seen people fighting, people bullying others, people doing drugs. He had seen people of all ages and all genders.


    Maybe this was part of the culture?


    He heard a noise and looked inside a small alleyway. There was an area for trash in the alleyway. Two men in their twenties were talking to a boy near the trash bins.


    Zheng Tan listened to them talk but decided to mind his own business and leave. However, he saw Er Mao enter the alleyway. He took a few steps and ate his mung bean cake while leaning against a wall.


    Zheng Tan jumped onto a fence. He wanted to know what Er Mao was going to do. Was he about to help out?


    The two young men had gotten the money they wanted and were leaving when they saw someone standing there near the entrance of the alley. They pocketed their money then exchanged a look. Immediately they reached into their jacket for their weapons.


    Er Mao wiped his mouth and walked straight towards them.


    One of the men was debating how to scare Er Mao with words when he looked up and saw Er Mao was already in front of him. The next moment, he was on the ground. He didn''t even see how Er Mao attacked him.


    The other man was still taking out his knife when Zheng Tan heard the sound of bones breaking. The man''s scream was stifled.


    Er Mao had them both moaning in pain on the ground using only one hand.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. He was impressed. Er Mao was indeed Wei Ling''s master''s student.


    The boy standing by the trash bins looked over timidly. His eyes met with Er Mao''s, and he shuddered. He didn''t daree over. He was praying Er Mao didn''te for him next. He didn''t want to end up like those two men.


    Er Mao looked away after a nce. He searched the pocket of the two men on the ground and found nearly a grand. He pocketed all the money, not even leaving a quarter. He showed no guilt and even looked proud of himself.


    Zheng Tan was speechless.


    F*ck!


    So he was stealing from the thieves?!


    He had thought Er Mao was going to get the money back for the boy. It appeared now he had grossly over-estimated Er Mao.


    Er Mao dusted off his jacket then turned to leave. The student standing near the trash bins was almost about to cry.


    Er Mao looked up at Zheng Tan, who was still sitting on the fence and saw the cat was looking at him with disdain.


    "What? You think I should give the boy his money back?" Er Mao tutted. "Trust me. The boy''s no saint. He probably got the money from children weaker than him."


    Er Mao had no morals at all, but Zheng Tan had to admit he was a good judge of character. Though it might have been an excuse, he was right. Zheng Tan recognized the boy. He and a friend of his had tried to bully Fu Lei. The boy was out of luck now. It was karma at its best.


    The incident in the alley was only a blip in their day, and the cat and man went back to what they were doing. Zheng Tan walked, and Er Mao followed him. He kept buying everything he saw that he liked.


    Zheng Tan passed by Jiao Yuan''s school. He sat on the window sill and watched Jiao Yuan for a while. He was seen by a few students sitting in the back and left before the teacher saw him. He didn''t know if the teacher knew Mama Jiao but decided to avoid possible trouble.


    Zheng Tan went to the constuction site.


    Er Mao followed him. His expression didn''t change, but he was surprised at how many people greeted Zheng tan on the site. He couldn''t help but think this cat was very popr.


    Er Mao had a great tour of the area thanks to Zheng Tan. He saw the cat was leaving and decided to go home as well.


    They passed by the alley with the cat and looked inside again. The cat was gone and the window on the second floor was open. Zheng Tan got curious. So he jumped onto the tree.


    There was a man in this thirties inside the apartment. He wore a suit and gold-rimmed sses. He had a cup of coffee in his hand and was sitting in front of the window thinking about something.


    He saw a ck cat jump onto the tree in front of his window and was slightly surprised. Then he smiled.


    Zheng Tan felt the man had a weird look in his eyes. His smile might be normal, but Zheng Tan was creeped out by him. There was something off about this man.


    Indeed, the man suddenly poured his cup of hot coffee towards Zheng Tan. He was still smiling when he did this.


    The tree was very close to that building. Some branches were almost touching the windows. Zheng Tan was able to dodge but he still got a little on his back. It was only a few drops so he wasn''t burnt, but he could smell coffee and was very upset.


    The man, on the other hand, was absolutely gleeful.


    Zheng Tan jumped off the tree and ran away. When he looked back up at the window on the second floor, the man was gone. He probably went to get more coffee.


    Zheng Tan looked around. He saw a rock.


    The man wasn''t back yet. Zheng Tan carefully inched closer to the tree he had just left, in case the man came back and poured something else.


    He moved the rock. There was a wall between the tree and the building that was blocking Zheng Tan.


    He found a right spot then picked up the rock with his front paws. He threw it at the window on the second floor.


    F*ck you!


    The rock hit the window, and he heard ss breaking.


    Zheng Tan ran away immediately, but the sound pleased him greatly.


    In his fit of rage, he had remembered Er Mao was watching him. He didn''t throw the rock with one paw but picked it up using both paws. It was slightly less rming.


    Er Mao was shocked, but he still gave Zheng Tan the thumbs up. Wei Ling had warned him about things like this, and he had met a strange cat before, so he wasn''t too surprised. His master had once told him that revenge was a natural instinct. It was true for humans and true for cats as well.


    On their way home, they saw the ck and white cat again. He was sitting between two restaurants. Someone had ced a paper bowl in front of it and inside was some old leftovers and two fresh buns.


    Zheng Tan had thought the cat had a smudge on its nose, but up close he could see it was a coloring of his skin.


    The cat didn''t seem hostile towards them. Its guard was still up though. It even warned Zheng Tan with a hiss when he got close to the paper bowl.


    Zheng Tan backed away. Er Mao went over with his boxed lunch. The cat eyed him with rm but didn''t hiss.


    The boxed lunch was cold, but the smell of meat made the cat raised the cat''s spirit. It didn''t eat immediately but kept staring at Er Mao.


    Er Mao looked around and saw a crayon on the ground. He picked it up and wrote on a piece of cardboard ''can catch mice, can guard the house, please take me home''.


    He sketched a cartoon cat behind the words.

 Chapter 161: As A Cat, I Feel Sad

    Chapter 161: As A Cat, I Feel Sad


    Er Mao was still talking about that cat when they got back on campus. He had given it food and made it a sign, but he showed no signs of wanting to adopt it.


    Zheng Tan recalled the first time they met. He knew Er Mao didn''t dislike cats, but he also didn''t particrly like them. He was different than Long Qi though.


    Oh well. He''d have to leave it to fate. He wanted the cat to be adopted but knew it couldn''t be forced.


    Zheng Tan remembered a cat he met near the pet center. He sometimes went there when he was free. He once met an old man who had lost a leg. He was chatting with other people visiting the pet center. He said that it was important to pick pets to which you felt a connection. He wouldn''t raise a pet he didn''t feel close to no matter how precious the breed. His cat had lost a leg in a car ident. He had taken great care of it, and it was clear they had a good rtionship.


    If the owner disliked the pet, he wouldn''t take great care of it. If the pet disliked the owner, it would run away. Most cats weren''t like Li Yuanba and couldn''t find an owner by themselves. Duke was also a special case.


    He took a different path than the one had taken when he left campus. It was still early, he didn''t want to go home to the Eastern quarters yet.


    He would always take this path when he came back from walks at noon. He would pass by the auditorium which had arge LED screen outside which disyed the time. He needed to know when he should go pick up Youzi.


    Er Mao was already on his way back to the eastern quarters when he realized Zheng Tan wasn''t beside him anymore. He found him and walked over.


    Zheng Tan ignored him. It wasn''t like he could answer.


    Er Mao had heard about Zheng Tan from Wei Ling, but Wei Ling had painted a very broad picture with no details. He couldn''t guess why this cat wasn''t going home even though it was lunchtime. It was only when he saw the gate of the elementary school that he realized the cat was picking up a child.


    He had nothing to do at the moment. He wasn''t hungry either because he had never stopped eating on their little adventure, so he decided to wait with Zheng Tan.


    Parents were here to pick up their children. Most of them knew Zheng Tan and greeted him warmly. Zheng Tan ignored all of them. He was a cat, and no one would take him not responding to being rude.


    The bell rang and the kids started running out. Youzi saw Zheng Tan and rushed over. She saw Er Mao but didn''t say anything. She waited alongside Zheng Tan.


    Er Mao didn''t understand. Were they missing someone?


    Soon, Jiao Wei came running over.


    "Sorry. The professor exceeded ss time," Jiao Wei said to Youzi; then he looked over at Er Mao. He was a new face and not a parent. Jiao Wei didn''t say anything to him. He took Youzi''s hand and started to leave.


    "Where are you guys going?" Er Mao asked.


    Jiao Wei eyed Er Mao suspiciously. He looked at Youzi who was also perplexed. He didn''t seem to be a friend of the family.


    "I live in the same building as the Jiaos on the third floor. Myst name''s Wang." Er Mao introduced himself. Then he pointed at Zheng Tan and said, "I''m friends with the cat."


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. They were not friends!


    Jiao Wei immediately nodded. "Oh. So you know each other."


    Even Youzi seemed friendlier after he said all that. Er Mao was shocked. He never thought one day he would make contacts through a cat.


    Jiao Wei introduced himself and invited Er Mao to lunch with them. "Come with us brother Wang. My treat today. My parents run the restaurant. If you like the food, doe again."


    Er Mao was not one to shy away from a free meal. "Sure. I''ll have a ce to eat now."


    During lunch, Er Mao chatted with Jiao Wei, and somehow he mentioned Wei Ling.


    "You''re a friend of brother Ling. My apologies for being so rude earlier." Jiao Wei exined how Wei Ling helped him before. "Thanks to Charcoal, I was able to get brother Ling''s help. The restaurant wouldn''t still be here if not for him."


    No wonder he looked at the cat as if it wasn''t a pet, Er Mao thought.


    Er Mao smiled. "Wei Ling and I learned martial arts together. He''s not around most of the time. If you run into trouble again,e to me. I''ll help you. I''m great in fights."


    Jiao Wei''s mouth twitched, but he managed a chuckle.


    Er Mao left two packages of dessert he bought today for Jiao Wei''s parents. They didn''t frequent the old city and hadn''t tried many of snacks sold there.


    That afternoon, Zheng Tan dropped Youzi off at school then went straight home. He locked the door just to be safe.


    He turned on theputer and surfed the inte.


    He read some news and celebrity gossip then went on the pet forum again.


    He had wanted to read the post with his pictures again to satisfy his vanity, but the top post caught his eye. It was about a case of cat-torture.


    In it was some pictures of a university student and a tortured cat. The cat was lying on the ground, its eye was still bleeding, and it was covered in wounds.


    All the pictures were of the student and the dead cat. They were taken from all angles and made Zheng Tan shiver. It was like a horror movie.


    He might not have been so affected if he was still human. Now, however, he was a cat and had once been caught and made to experience almost ending up in a restaurant that sold cat meat. The pictures made him very ufortable. It was even worce than seeing the man with all the tattoos throw a kitten on the ground.


    The student in the pictures didn''t look like your typical bad guy. Zheng Tan scrolled down and read a bio on him. He was attending a top-tier university in another province and was considered an excellent student. His father was a rich entrepreneur, and his mother worked in management at argepany. The words ''top-tier university'', ''straight A student'' and ''cat torturer'' did not go together, but he was all three. He had tortured and killed more than a dozen cats. He confessed to as much.


    Zheng Tan never knew that apart from the man with the tattoos, people who seemedpletely civilized tortured animals as well.


    He didn''t want to look at the pictures anymore, so he scrolled down to read thements.


    "F*ck! How cruel! You call this one of the brightest minds in the country?!"


    "Academic achievements have nothing to do with morals and character."


    "He should be shot dead, brought back to life and shot dead again."


    "Not only do you need to protect pets from cat traffickers, now you need to be careful of people who adopt with the wrong intentions. If you identally give a pet to these monsters in suits, you''ll have to live in regret."


    "I don''t see as many cats around my house anymore. I thought they were all caught by traffickers, could they have been caught by these maniacs and tortured?"


    "There''s not that many lunatics around. Don''t scare yourself. Just be mindful of your cat. Especially if you let your cat outside the house."


    ...


    Back when he was human, he wouldn''t have cared about this kind of thing. He wouldn''t bat an eye when he read this post let alone argue with other people. Now, he was conflicted.


    A person whose ID was ''Irritable Cat'' said, "It''s all because of his upbringing. His father neglected him, mothers of this age are focused on their careers and don''t have time for their children as well. Neglect is even worse than physical abuse in a value. It makes a child feel worthless. Growing up like this, it''s easy to neglect the feelings of others."


    ID ''Kitty magician Ai'' said, "Some people behavepletely differently at homepared to when they are out in society. They might appear to be submissive and passive, but inside they are aggressive and hostile people. They suppress their real emotions in front of their bosses and coworkers, which cause them a great amount of stress. They take this out on those weaker than them. They don''t do this because they dislike those they bully or torture, but because of their bottled-up stress and anger..."


    These were thest two rationalments.


    Zheng Tan kept reading on.


    "Isn''t he afraid of karma?"


    "If karma was real, he would not be well and living now."


    "Calm down everyone."


    "If this happened to your cat, you wouldn''t want the bastard dead?"


    "Aren''t these stray cats?"


    "Stray cats are animals too. You speak as if its OK to kill stray cats."


    "At least legally, he''s fine."


    "Poor stray cats."


    ...


    "We can''t torture a person like torturing a cat. If he says, he''s going to repent and change. We shouldn''t give him extra pressure. If we outcast him, we could ruin him."


    "That''s hrious. A dog will always eat shit."


    "You''re defaming dogs!"


    ...


    The post ran ten pages. Zheng Tan read the other posts; theterments were getting less and less civilized. People started throwing personal insults at each other.


    Some were emphatically denouncing this man. They believe that if thew wasn''t going to punish this man, society should punish him. Others believe his crime was torturing animals, not humans.


    Of course, on this forum, most people belonged to the former group. Theter group did not belong to this forum but came over from other inte sites to argue a point.


    Zheng Tan thought of the ck and white cat with all the wounds. It was tortured as well, but luckily it was still alive.


    Zheng Tan knew that no matter how people argued right now, people treated cats and humans with different standards. In a few years, that boy would be among the elites of society, and the dead cat would be forgotten.


    From a species point of view, society had more tolerance for humans. Those who were sessful would still live a great life no matter what they did to animals. If Zheng Tan were still human, he wouldn''t think so much about the matter, but now it made him upset.


    He refreshed the page and realized the post now had fifteen pages ofments. The fight continued and was getting worse and worse.


    Zheng Tan thought about it, then used his paws to move the mouse and clicked on the reply button. He typed, "As a cat, I feel sad."

 Chapter 162: Pick The Lock?

    Chapter 162: Pick The Lock?


    Many people on this forum took on the point of view of an animal when they posted ormented, so Zheng Tan''s words did not cause any surprise. It was quickly lost in the sea ofments. People who read the post wouldn''t remember thisment that had very little content.


    Zheng Tan didn''t want to elicit a reaction. He turned off theputer and went to take a nap on the balcony.


    When he went on that forum again a dayter, the post was deleted. There were several posts rting to the incident but he didn''t want to read them anymore. He decided to visit the ck and white cat since he had some time.


    Without Er Mao tagging along, he was in a much better mood than yesterday. He passed by the cardboard box where the cat lived but didn''t see it. The boxed lunch Er Mao ced there was empty. The bowl in front of the box contained some leftovers. There were a lot of fish bones probing out. The food was mostly made up of fish bones and smelled rotten.


    He looked around but still saw no sign of the ck and white cat, so he went to the alley where he first saw it.


    He didn''t see the cat on the tree either. The window on the second floor was closed. There was nothing special about the area.


    He moved closer to the apartment. His ears were perked up, listening for sounds inside. He didn''t hear anything. The apartment appeared to be empty. Most apartments were empty at this hour, people were either at school or at work. He only heard the sound of birds chirping merrily.


    Too many birds.


    He realized there were too many birds in this area.


    Sparrows weremon in the city, especially in areas with trees.


    Zheng Tan had been taking strolls in this area for more than half a year now. He knew the ce well. He remembered many cats in the area, which resulted in very few birds. He even saw cats chasing sparrows a few times. Now that he thought about it, there didn''t seem to be as many cats in the area anymore. Winter was over, the cats near Chuhua University were all out and about.


    People who lived in the area probably chalked it up to cat thieves who caught cats and sold them to restaurants. It was amon urrence during the new year. However, Zheng Tan knew that after he was caught, Wei Ling, Ye Hao, and Fang Shaokang all took measures to prevent such a thing from happening again. He knew the city wasn''t free of cat thieves, but it wasn''t as much of a problem anymore.


    It couldn''t be that those cat thieves now only worked this area.


    Zheng Tan considered thements he read in that post. A great many things could have happened to the cats that had disappeared. He hoped it wasn''t what he was thinking. He looked up at the window on the second floor. Why was the ck and white cat staring at that house?


    Was it out of curiosity, or was it out of hatred?


    Zheng Tan decided to look for an answer.


    He jumped onto a fence and surveyed the area.


    The house had a small yard which was mostly upied by a flowerbed. There weren''t any flowers in the flowerbed. The dirt showed signs of digging. A tree stood in the middle of the flower bed. The tree didn''t have any leaves. Zheng Tan wondered if it was still alive.


    The back door of the yard was locked. There was a weird smell in the air.


    Zheng Tan couldn''t tell what the smell was, but he had a bad feeling.


    He jumped off the fence but avoided the flowerbed. There was something about the flowerbed that made Zheng Tan sick.


    The temperature had risen and the sky was clear. It was a beautiful day, but Zheng Tan felt a chill in the yard.


    Wind blew a stic bag into the yard and it danced in circles.


    Zheng Tan''s fur stood on end. He couldn''t feel the warmth of the sun and shuddered.


    He heard a small noise on the fence. He looked up only to see the ck and white cat.


    The cat was surprised to see Zheng Tan here. It hesitated for a moment before jumping off the fence. Unlike Zheng Tan, it chose to jump into the flowerbed.


    The ck and white cat eyed Zheng Tan cautiously. Zheng Tan backed up a few steps. He didn''t want to start a fight.


    It deemed Zheng Tan non-threatening and started to sniff around. It found a spot and started digging.


    What was hidden in the dirt?


    Zheng Tan was curious, but his instinct told him it wasn''t anything good.


    The cat dug for five minutes, then started sniffing again before digging once more.


    Zheng Tan stood up on his hind legs to look at the hole. No one was around so he was safe.


    Zheng Tan saw a cat paw in the hole. The rest of the cat was still buried. Zheng Tan could see marks on that paw. Marks that could only be caused by burning.


    The ck and white cat was still digging but Zheng Tan didn''t want to look anymore. He was sure the flower bed had the body of more than one cat.


    Cats were vengeful animals.


    He didn''t know how this ck and white cat was rted to the cats buried but he knew it had targeted the man he saw in this house. He didn''t see the look in its eyes when it stared up into the window from the tree. The look could have been of hatred or something else.


    He jumped onto a window sill. The window was closed but he could see inside. On the kitchen floory an object that made Zheng Tan''s temper rise.


    F*ck. It was a cat trap.


    It reminded him of his time in the hands of the cat traffickers.


    Cat traps were easy to make but it was very odd seeing one in a clean, well-kept kitchen.


    What kind of elite owned cat traps?!


    He was now sure the coffee-pouring person was indeed a bastard.


    Most of the windows on the first floor were either shut or had protective wires. Zheng Tan couldn''t get inside the house.


    He jumped onto the fence and looked for an opening on the second floor. He found a window near the fence that had screens. Screens might be able to stop bugs, but it couldn''t stop a cat.


    He took a leap. He was used to breaking into houses, but the window sill was slippery.


    He almost slipped but managed to hook his ws on the window screen.


    He kicked the wall with his hind legs and pulled himself to safety.


    A two-story fall was not a big deal for a cat. However, there was a gutter between the wall and the fence. It used to be covered by a stone nk, but someone had moved the nk. Zheng Tan cursed whoever did it.


    Whew! That was close. If he fell, he would havended in the gutter and gotten wet and smelly. He checked the window sill on which he was standing. It was made of a smooth hard material and sloped downwards. Most cats would have slipped off even if they used their ws. Thankfully his ws were harder than most cats and he was stronger, or else he would have fallen as well.


    He pushed open the window screen and looked inside.


    He saw the room was a washroom. It was modern and very clean. He suspected the owner of the house had germophobia.


    He came to the bathroom door and listened for movement outside. He opened the bathroom door when he was sure the house was empty.


    He was very careful now that he knew the owner of the house tortured cats. He wanted to avoid running into traps like the window sill. The house was very clean. The man he had seen was obviously different than the man with the tattoos.


    He didn''t see any cameras around. The living room was linked to three rooms. Sadly the doors were all locked and he couldn''t get in. He didn''t find anything inside the house and left the way he came in.


    The ck and white cat was gone. It had tried to cover up the hole it dug but the hole was still visible. A cat was still just a cat, so Zheng Tan helped it cover its tracks.


    He got back to Chuhua University. He dropped Youzi off at school and nned to watch a movie on the inte that afternoon.


    "Hey, Charcoal. So great to see you. I forgot my keys, help me open the door.


    Er Mao had a boxed lunch and several stic bags in his hands and was standing outside the building door. He was waiting for people toe in and out of the building but so far Zheng Tan was the only one that showed up.


    His security entrance swipe was on his neck. He looked at Er Mao, who had probably just woke up and was eating his first meal of the day, and rolled his eyes. He walked up the stairs. When he passed the third floor he suddenly thought if Er Mao forgot his security door key, did he have his house key?


    He stopped on thending between the third and fourth floor and looked behind him.


    Er Mao put down the stuff in his hands and reached into his pockets. He pulled out a wire and poked it into the lock hole.


    Zheng Tan was shocked.


    Was he picking the lock?


    F*ck!

 Chapter 163: That Room

    Chapter 163: That Room


    He didn''t lock the metal security door. The wooden door inside had a rtively simple lock.


    Before Zheng Tan could recover from his shock, the door was open and the lock was unharmed.


    He had heard of master keys but this was his first time seeing someone pick a lock with a wire. He had thought it was a skill that only existed in stories. However, it seemed anything was possible.


    Er Mao had gone grocery shopping and bought a lot of ready-made food. He only cooked instant noodles and frozen dumplings.


    He opened the door and started moving his grocery items inside. He had too much stuff and had to move them bit by bit. Thankfully he wasn''t worried about someoneing and stealing his things in front of his apartment.


    "Hey! Take your paws off my stuff. Don''t open the packaging."


    Zheng Tan moved his ears. He sniffed the bags. Now that Er Mao told him not to touch them he had to go touch the groceries. He opened the bag and moved the bags of fish balls around. They were frozen so he wasn''t interested.


    Zheng Tan decided to leave the bags alone. Er Mao came back out for the rest of his stuff. Zheng Tan grabbed the chance and pushed open his door.


    Bang!


    The door shut right in front of Er Mao''s face.


    Er Mao was shocked.


    "F*ck!"


    He wanted to curse loudly but was worried Professor Lan, who lived across the hall, might hear him. He put down his bags and took out the wire in his pocket to pick the lock again.


    Zheng Tan watched the clock on the wall and calcted how long it would take Er Mao to pick the lock.


    It was only ten seconds from when the door closed to when Er Mao opened the door again. This meant he picked the lock in under ten seconds.


    This was clearly not his first time doing something like this.


    Er Mao was swearing when he came inside. Zheng Tan ignored everything that came out of his mouth. Lockpicking was something Zheng Tan had always wanted to learn. It was just that cat paws were less agile and couldn''t handle delicate work like that.


    Er Mao organized everything, then sat in front of the TV and started eating his lunch. Zheng Tan stared at Er Mao''s pocket and tried to think of a way he could get Er Mao to help him.


    Er Mao didn''t know what to do with the cat. He didn''t want his food or else he would have meowed.


    "What are you looking at?" Er Mao still had rice stuck to his chin. "This?"


    He traced Zheng Tan''s gaze to his pockets and pulled out the wire. It was tightened into a circle.


    He seemed very proud of himself.


    "Are you admiring my skills? Locks like this are easy," Er Mao boasted.


    Er Mao kept talking while Zheng Tan took a step backward to avoid his spit.


    "Have you heard of lock-picking using tin foil? I heard someone picked a neighborhood of locks with tin foil. It was a bit of an exaggeration but tin foil is indeed a great tool. Though many locks look simr, you needpletely different tools to open them." Er Mao took out a leather pocket. "This is my tools bag. I can probably open most of the locks on campus with the tools inside this bag. Electronic locks not included, of course."


    Zheng Tan was somewhat d to know Er Mao couldn''t handle all locks when Er Mao said, "I need my other tools bag to open electronic locks."


    Zheng Tan, "..."


    Who was this man? Did he have a criminal record? He needed to keep the Jiaos away from him.


    He didn''t know where Er Mao learned all these things. He had talent, except this talent wasn''t the kind that people liked. Most people would see him as a bad person, but Zheng Tan didn''t have a set standards for good and bad. To him, people who could help him were good.


    Er Maoy down to take a nap but Zheng Tan grabbed his sleeve and started pulling him outside. His sweater had a hole now due to Zheng Tan''s ws.


    "I''m warning you! Enough is enough," Er Mao said, pulled the covers over himself.


    Ka-cha. Ka-cha. Ka Ka Ka.


    Zheng Tan was stepping on a stic water bottle and trying to make as much noise as possible.


    "F*ck!"


    Er Mao got up and red at Zheng Tan. He saw the cat had his jacket.


    He took out the wire in his pocket and tossed it to Zheng Tan. Er Mao got back into bed. He scratched his head and suddenly grasped onto something. He turned and asked the cat, "Do you need to pick a lock?"


    Zheng Tan stared at him and wondered if he should nod.


    "Wag your tail up and down for yes. Wag it sideways for no," Er Mao said.


    Zheng Tan swayed his tail up and down. He felt Er Mao was too used to talking to a cat. Normal people didn''t speak to cats like this. He didn''t know Zheng Tan well. If it was Papa Jiao or Wei Ling who spoke like this he would have understood.


    Er Mao jumped up and looked very energetic. "Whose house do you want to break into? I hope it''s not someone who lives in the eastern quarters, or else it would be awkward if I run into the person in the future. The lock had better pose a challenge."


    Zheng Tan was left speechless again. He was too eager for this!


    Er Mao quickly dressed. He did his hair then rubbed his hands together and said, "Okay, let''s go!"


    Zheng Tan led the way. It might have all been in his head but he felt Er Mao was very high-spirited. He seemed more energetic than he had ever seen him.


    They passed by the paper box and saw the ck and white cat eating.


    It sensed them and looked up before going back to its meal. With the temperature rising, food went bad very quickly. The cat had new food that was rtively fresh in its bowl. It had finished eating a fish head and was eating rice right now.


    Zheng Tan left.


    He led Er Mao to the tree in the alley and looked at the closed window on the second floor. He jumped onto the tree and surveyed his surroundings.


    Nothing had changed from that morning, meaning the man hadn''t returned home.


    "It''s this house again. You are a vengeful cat you know that?!" Er Mao thought Zheng Tan was here because the man poured coffee on him.


    Zheng Tan jumped into the yard, Er Mao followed him. Er Mao avoidednding in the flowerbed so his shoes could remain clean. He didn''t want to leave footprints inside.


    The door was harder to openpared to the locks in the Eastern Quarters, but Er Mao had tools.


    Theyout of the first floor was simple. The house contained a small exercise room. He must be quite wealthy to afford exercise equipment


    Er Mao saw the cat trap in the kitchen and frowned, but he didn''t say anything, so Zheng Tan couldn''t guess what he was thinking.


    They came to the third floor. Zheng Tan didn''t mind which door Er Mao opened first. He knew for sure the owner of the house tortured cats but only found a cat trap so far. This meant he must keep the rest of his suspicious items in the three locked room on the second floor.


    Er Mao did not appear to be nervous at all though they were breaking and entering. He looked around and checked the locked doors.


    "This one should lead to the bedroom...that one would be the study. As for this one here... I don''t know. Let''s pick this lock first. The lock on this door is the mostplex, he should be in for a surprise."


    Zheng Tan didn''t know how Er Mao knew all that, but he chose to trust him. He seemed like a pro at this.


    Though the lock wasplex, Er Mao still picked the lock in no time.


    He opened the door ajar to peer inside.


    The door was heavy and quite thick. Zheng Tan thought it could be used as a front door, but it was only a room door.


    Er Mao opened the door after he made sure no one was inside.


    The room was soundproofed. They couldn''t even hear the birds chirping outside. There was little furniture inside the room. On one side was a desk.


    Er Mao pulled open a cover and showed a hidden object.


    The thing was about a meter and a half long, a meter thick and two meters tall. The front side transparent. A person sitting at the desk could see inside the object.


    Zheng Tan couldn''t tell what this thing was for. He thought it might be a portable shower, but Er Mao''s expression had changed. Zheng Tan jumped onto Er Mao''s shoulder to get a better look.


    "I saw something like this on television when I was a kid. This is a simplified model. I never imagined people would have something like this in their home," Er Mao said in a low voice. "There''s a very cruel dish called roasted duck feet. It''s made by putting live ducks onto a heated iron board. Sauces are spread onto the board. Ducks walk around on the board because of the heat. They would still be alive when their feet are cooked. This is a device that serves that purpose."


    Zheng Tan looked through the ss and saw a metal on the bottom. So this was how the dead cat got its wounds.


    Er Mao looked around the room then went to the window. The window looked like it hadn''t been opened in a very long time. Thick curtains blocked all the light. Er Mao searched for a suitable ce then started installing a mini camera.


    Zheng Tan twitched his ears. Er Mao had so many tools!

 Chapter 164: And The Show Begins

    Chapter 164: And The Show Begins


    They were in for a surprise all right. The surprise was a bit hard to handle. Zheng Tan shuddered at the thought of the roasted duck feet.


    Zheng Tan and Er Mao left after installing the camera. They went to pick the other two locks.


    The blinds were shut in the bedroom and the study. They found work-rted documents in the bedroom. They also found a few locked drawers that probably contained bank books. Er Mao wasn''t interested in those so he left them locked. They found aputer in the study but it was password protected. Er Mao didn''t have the skill set necessary to break into theputer, nor did he bring the necessary tools. Er Mao ced a camera on the bookshelf.


    "This man is either too cautious or too afraid. He has something to hide, so he doesn''t even dare draw the curtains. He might just be evil-minded though."


    Zheng Tan didn''t smell ''cat'' in these two rooms. Maybe air freshener covered it all up. He waited for Er Mao to finish with the camera and then the cat and human left together.


    The ck and white cat was sitting on the fence waiting for them. It saw them and showed curiosity. It remembered that Er Mao had given him tasty food before and liked him.


    The two went back to the Eastern Quarters. Zheng Tan slipped into Er Mao''s house. He wanted to know what Er Mao was about to do next. Unfortunately, Er Mao didn''t wee him.


    Er Mao tried to shoo him away but Zheng Tan showed no signs of leaving. Er Mao eventually gave up and closed the door. He dragged over a chair, putting him at eye level with Zheng Tan who was sitting on a table.


    "Oh, ck Charcoal, our country''s animal protectionws arecking. There is no writtenw that forbids the killing of cats, or else cat restaurants would all be closed by now. However, killing cats and torturing cats are two different issues. The only way to deal with people who torture animals is to condemn them. If that was an effective method of prevention, you cats would have a much better living environment."


    It''s all about who your owner is. If your cat father bes powerful, you can do anything you want."


    Er Mao appeared to be exining this to Zheng Tan, but he might have just been convincing himself.


    "Even if we sue that guy, he''s going to get out of this unharmed. Legally speaking, me breaking into his house is way more serious an offense than him torturing cats. He might be the only one we know, but there are bound to be loads more people in Chuhua city that torture cats. Some of them might be using methods that are even crueler. We don''t know those people, but we should start a public outcry to pressure them into behaving."


    There might be formal legition in the future, but currentlyw enforcement can''t step in. It''s all up to normal folk like us to stop those animal torturers. We need to make a lot of noise to attract society''s attention," Er Mao said.


    "My grandpa always said the general public will side with justice. He also said the public is capable of anything. We need to trust the public."


    Zheng Tan wondered what Er Mao''s grandpa would think if he knew his grandson was citing him like this.


    Er Mao saw the ck cat tilt his head in deep thought and shoved him. "Go home now. I''ll deal with this. Go. I want to nap. Don''t even think about stepping on stic water bottles."


    Zheng Tan was shoved off the table and out the door. He sat in front of Er Mao''s door thinking about what he had said. He reached a conclusion then went upstairs.


    Zheng Tan was curious what Er Mao had nned, but he didn''t run into him the next time he went downstairs. Zheng Tan couldn''t pick locks, so he could only wait.


    The next day, Zheng Tan was surfing the inte when a post on the front page of the pet forum caught his eye. He clicked the link.


    The title of the post was short and sinct. "Cat-torturing Scum at Large!"


    The ID of the person who posted this was ''GoodNamesAreAllTakenByCats''.


    The post had pictures and a vivid description of events. It caused an uproar in thement section. The events reminded people of the student that tortured cats. The fact that the central figure was a member of society''s elite only served to anger people even more.


    Zheng Tan recognized the pictures. He knew the flowerbed and the burnt cat paws and that strange roasting device.


    The only thing pixted was a human''s face. The man was mentioned only by hisst name.


    Zheng Tan was not aputer expert. He only used the inte to y games or watch movies. He wanted to trace the IP address of the person who wrote the post but he couldn''t see the date on which the ID was registered.


    It was registered three years ago. Zheng Tan guessed it belonged either to Er Mao or a friend of his.


    In thements area, people started posting pictures of the man who lived in that house. They managed to find where he worked and his address. Of course, all this information came from ''a friend'' or ''certain sources''. Someone mentioned Chuhua Daily.


    The Jiaos didn''t get Chuhua Daily so Zheng Tan didn''t know what the paper reported. ording to thement, Chuhua Daily had mentioned this incident briefly.


    That was not enough if they wanted to achieve the effect they imagined. Did Er Mao have more nned? Zheng Tan had a feeling this wasn''t all.


    Zheng Tan reread the mail post.


    There were a few pictures of the roasting device. The metal on the bottom of the device would produce electric sparks when turned on.


    Zheng Tan knew the cat in the picture. He wondered what its owner would do if he or she saw this post.


    Besides providing proof of cat torturing, the post mentioned several incidents of people going to jail because they tried to protect cats through violence. The post warned people to think before acting. As for where the line should be drawn, the post did not say. Many readers were already nning revenge by using the grey area ofw enforcement.


    Maybe this post was only a start.


    Zheng Tan had wanted to solve this the way he dealt with the man with the tattoos. However, Er Mao appeared to want to take this to the next level.


    After picking Youzi up from school that afternoon, Zheng Tan ran into Er Mao in the hallway. He had his lunchbox in his hand and had juste back from the cafeteria. Zheng Tan let Youzi go home alone and stood still on the third floor.


    "We''re in for a show tomorrow. Get up early," Er Mao said before quickly shutting his door.


    A show?


    So the post was just the start.


    The next day, Zheng Tan got up early like he always did. He had to drop Youzi off at school. He ran into a yawning Er Mao on the stairs. The man usually got up around noon. Him getting up so early was a rare urrence.


    He dropped off Youzi then headed to that alley with Er Mao.


    There was a noodle shop near that house. Er Mao sat down and had a leisurely breakfast. They saw a middle-ageddy pass by. She was headed towards that alley as well. Er Mao wiped his mouth and said to a bored Zheng Tan, "Let''s go."


    Their target had just gotten ready to leave for work. He wore a nice suit and had a briefcase in his hand. He was greeted by the disapproving face of the head of the neighborhoodmittee.


    Thest time he saw her was when there was a day of water outage because the waterpany was checking storage facilities. Why was she here this time?


    He greeted her with his signature smile. He was about to say ''good morning'' when thedy spat on his face.


    "How can you do such a thing! I guess you really can''t judge a book by its cover. You are scum. You are a disgrace."


    Zheng Tan and Er Mao watched thedy berate the man from a distance. She managed to not use dirty words but somehow linked cat-torturing to peace and to a harm on one''s country and people. She talked for ten minutes straight.


    Zheng Tan felt middle-ageddies were very lovely.


    A few journalists arrived. Zheng Tan didn''t know which paper they belonged to.


    The man seemed impatient now. He pushed past the journalists and left quickly.


    Er Mao showed no signs of wanting to leave so Zheng Tan stayed as well.


    Soon the house was surrounded by people. A fewdies stopped a group of young people from breaking and entering. Clueless neighbors came out to ask what had happened. They were shocked by what he had done. They shuddered to think they were living next to a man like that. Would he torture kids like that as well?


    "He moved here two years ago. Thest owner sold him the house. We don''t know him well. He doesn''t interact a lot with neighbors." One of the neighbors tried to distance themselves from him.


    More and more people were gathering around the house. They were all cat lovers. The alley was full of reporters.


    A police car was parked at the end of the alley. Two policemen were watching the crowd. They had gotten a call saying people were illegally protesting something. However, they came and realized the situation was moreplex than they had thought.


    One of the two policemen sighed. "You watch. I need to go get a pack of cigarettes."


    "No. I want to get away too." The other man rolled his eyes.


    "I see my mother-inw in the crowd. She loves cats. Don''t you see she''s fuming? I''m worried I would do something that would anger her even more. You got to help me with this one."


    "Call your wife. Tell her toe bring her mother home."


    "God no. My wife loves cats even more. If she were here, she would want me to shoot the cat-torturer."


    The other policeman didn''t know what to say.

 Chapter 165: What Does That Cat Want?

    Chapter 165: What Does That Cat Want?


    The two police officers were not able to stay out of the mess. A fight broke out and they had to step in.


    A passerby mumbled, "He only tortured cats. What''s the big deal?" This immediately earned him the fury of everyone there. He would have been beaten if the two police officers didn''t step in on time.


    Journalists were busy taking pictures. They had gathered enough material today even without getting a quote from the man.


    An old man shook his head. "What an idiot. He doesn''t even know when to say what. Some words he needs to keep to himself. He doesn''t even realize he was surrounded by cat lovers." The old man saw Er Mao near him and quickly left.


    The crowd was still there at noon. Zheng Tan decided to leave for lunch thene back in the afternoon.


    Zheng Tan analyzed the situation when he got home. He guessed that Er Mao had found out the password of theputer through his cameras. He went back to copy videos of the man torturing cats, then had the cameras removed. He seemedpletely unafraid that someone might go inside the house to look for clues. He had gathered media attention and used the inte to steer public opinion into the direction he wanted.


    Pictures on the inte came from videos on the man''sputer. He hadn''t done anything in the past few days. He seemed to periodically torture cats to let out steam. It could be days, weeks or months before he tortured another cat. It all depended on how much stress he was under.


    The man was away the whole day. However, someone had posted more information on him on the inte. Clear pictures of his face were posted as well. Every day, there were people throwing eggs and pouring paint onto his house. Of course, some of those people were doing damage for fun.


    Soon, the province''s main newspapers all reported on the incident. Many psychologists wereing out with their take on his mental state.


    However, there were people who used this topic to gather attention. Zheng Tan didn''t care what the true motive was behind many people''s actions as long as the actions suited his need. Cat lovers existed in all industries. As long as the news spread wide, the man would have a difficult time living in Chuhua city. He had already been beaten by an anonymous cat lover.


    On the other hand, the incident caused wide debate. Many thought it was odd how fast the situation escted. How did this incident get into the spotlight? To them, people were making too much fuss over a non-issue. He had tortured cats, but this wasn''t anything new. Why did he get so much attention?


    Er Mao was behind all this, but there were other reasons.


    If this was a single incident, it might not have caused an uproar. However, a simr case had happened recently. An expert on the matter had said earlier that these were rare urrences only days before the man was exposed. That expert''s authority was now being questioned.


    People weren''t over the first incident when news of this man came out. It was like adding oil to fire. People underestimated how far cat lovers were willing to go to protect their beloved pets. Many were pushing for formal legition that protected animals.


    Also, killing cats was different than torturing cats.


    Killing a cat or a dog to many people was no different than killing a pig or cow. The majority of society did not see this as a big deal. Most people were too busy living their lives to care about it.


    Torturing was a different issue altogether, especially when someone pushed public opinion in certain directions. If the center of the issue wasn''t cats but whether the animal torturing was just a sign of more serious mental problems, people had to take it seriously. They were worried that if one day torturing cats couldn''t satisfy these people anymore they would turn to harm humans instead.


    Could cat torturers one day switch to torturing kids? They were sociopaths. They were scum.


    Suddenly everyone was cautious of people who could have harmed animals. A local TV program warned parents about this. Who would want their kids to grow up around people like that?


    The student who tortured cats should be thankful someone was now shouldering me with him.


    Zheng Tan had overheard many people guess possible animal torturers on his strolls. People who kicked or scolded animals were now under a lot of pressure. Tiger had peed on a car. The owner found out and managed to control his anger. He drove away without so much as a harsh word to Tiger. If he yelled at the cat, people who didn''t see the cat pee on his car would suspect he hated animals. He would earn the wrath of all thedies around him.


    Zheng Tan looked at Tiger who was cluelessly ying on a tree and yawned. He needed a nap. He was spending too much time on the inte these days. Cats needed a lot of sleep and he wasn''t getting enough.


    When he was looking for a tree he ran into Er Mao.


    "ck charcoal, are you going out tonight?" Er Mao asked.


    Zheng Tan looked at him. What was he nning?


    Er Mao smiled. "See you at eight. Meet me at the side gate. If you aren''t there by eight, I''m going without you."


    Night?


    Zheng Tan had a feeling it had something to do with the cat torturer. Er Mao had more nned.


    He would have to wait until tonight to find out.


    All three of the Jiaos were home that night so Zheng Tan could leave without worrying about the kids'' safety. He headed out at quarter to eight. The side gate was a ten minute walk away.


    Zheng Tan sat on the side of a flowerbed and watched carse and go. He watched people get off the bus at the bus stop near him. People came over to tease him but Zheng Tan scared them all away by hissing.


    A in looking car stopped in front of him. The car window was rolled down and Zheng Tan saw Er Mao''s face. He jumped into the car through the window. He immediately recognized the smell in the car. He sensed the smell of that ck and white cat and the cat-torturer.


    He didn''t see that man but he found the cat in the back.


    Zheng Tan looked at Er Mao questioningly.


    Er Mao shrugged. "I drove past his box and it meowed at me. It jumped in the car and started sniffing around. Do you think it knows we''re punishing that guy?"


    Zheng Tan looked at the cat. He didn''t know what it wanted.


    Er Mao started driving.


    Er Mao''s driving style was simr to that of Wei Ling''s. The radio was on but he couldn''t stop talking. "The guy''s in the back. He changed his car. It appears that people are still targeting him. When I found him he had bandages on his head."


    They drove to the suburb.


    Zheng Tan looked around and his first thought was, did Er Mao n to kill the man?


    "Stay here sweety," Er Mao said.


    Zheng Tan didn''t think Er Mao was talking to him. The cat in the back looked up and meowedzily. It was a sleepy meow. It stayed in the car even though Er Mao rolled down the window.


    Zheng Tan looked around. They were surrounded by bushes. There was light in the distance. The moon was almost full so they had moonlight for lighting.


    Er Mao dragged the man out of the trunk. Er Mao seemed very ustomed to doing something like this.


    The man''s hands were tied as were his feet. His mouth was taped and his eyes were covered. He looked drowsy and was probably drugged. This was all the handiwork of Er Mao.


    Er Mao dragged the man to about ten meters away from the cat. He pulled out a metal stick from the car and asked Zheng Tan, "So, what do you say?"


    Zheng Tan ignored Er Mao and looked at the ck and white cat instead. It was staring at them in the car.


    The cat meowed as if to confirm the man''s identity. It jumped out of the car and walked over.


    Er Mao didn''t say anything. He spun the stick in his hand.


    The ck and white cat walked slowly. Its ears were pulled back and its whiskers were pointing up. It meowed.


    Zheng Tan could sense the hostility in its voice. The noise it made wasn''t a warning.


    The man had woken up. He started struggling.


    The wind was blowing. They could hear the rustling of tree leaves.


    It was a beautiful night.

 Chapter 166: Its Hard Being A Cat

    Chapter 166: It''s Hard Being A Cat


    The man wasn''t quite sure what was happening, but he knew to be scared.


    Human?


    No, no.


    He heard a human''s voice, but he also heard cats meowing.


    He was moving his legs trying to break loose when he heard another meow. He felt a chill run down his spine.


    He knew the sound. It was too familiar. The sound was a nightmare to him. A nightmare he couldn''t rid himself of even by killing so many cats. His fear of this cat had increased no matter how many cat-torturing videos he watched.


    It''s that cat.


    The one he had almost killed but had got away.


    Why wouldn''t it leave him alone?


    He regretted his actions. He really did.


    Why had he bought this cat?


    Was it because it had that fierce look in its eyes? He had thought that look would give him the most pleasure when he killed it.


    "Meow."


    Anyone could sense the hostility in the sound.


    Zheng Tan pulled back his ears.


    Cats have different meows. Most warnings meows started low, then rose up and ended with a low growl.


    The ck and white cat wasn''t meowing like this. To humans, the sounds cats made might be the same, but from Zheng Tan''s point of view, this cat seemed to be calling out for other cats.


    Even when you didn''t know anguage, you could sometimes tell kindness and hostility apart from the tone of the words spoken.


    Though theirnguage couldn''tpare with humannguages, cats could make a wide variety of sounds. Zheng Tan had heard hundreds of different meows since he became a cat. It seemed that every cat had a nguage'' of its own. They used different sounds to express the same meaning. No one quite knew. Zheng Tan could only guess the meaning of the sounds he heard. Sounds that seemed the same to humans could be conveying opposite emotions.


    There was a meow in the distance.


    The ck and white cat called back.


    More meows from different cats called out to them in the night. Zheng Tan could guess immediately what they were saying.


    "Are these cats in heat?" Er Mao poked Zheng Tan.


    People''s first reaction to cats meowing was asking if they were in heat. However, cats howled together for many different reasons. This time these cats were obviously not in heat.


    Zheng Tan realized more and more cats were responding. He wondered how the ck and white did it? Did all cats naturally know how to do this? Or did this cat figure it out by itself? Its howl seemed to have awakened something in the cats around. They were gathering.


    Zheng Tan felt it was like when a wolf howled at the full moon and all other wolves howled along with it.


    There was rustling all around them. It was not the rustle of leaves but the sound of cats running in the grass.


    Er Mao could see movement in the wild weeds around them. Cats were running toward here.


    Large cats like tigers and lions had deep majestic howls. Cat howls, however, were eerie.


    Er Mao lit a cigarette to settle his nerves.


    The light from the end of his cigarette flickered.


    Er Mao stood against his car and looked around.


    More and more cats had joined in the howling.


    Was this a chorus?


    Zheng Tan, who was on the top of the car, was starting to get excited. He had the urge to howl as well.


    He looked up at the moon and took a deep breath.


    Aow!!!


    The howling stopped immediately.


    It was as if someone had farted in the middle of a chorus. The soundpletely killed the atmosphere.


    The cats in the bushes around here all stopped. Pointy ears poked out of the grass. They were trying to figure out what had made it into their group.


    A few cats nearest to Zheng Tan reacted by jumping backward.


    Er Mao choked on smoke when he heard Zheng Tan howl. Wei Ling had told him Zheng Tan''s howl had the impact of a bomb but that was an understatement.


    The ck and white cat nced at Zheng Tan, then started growling at the man on the ground again.


    Zheng Tan could see the disdain in the cat''s eyes when it looked at him.


    He was frustrated, so he scratched the car attempting to leave w marks in the paint.


    He had been a cat for almost two years, yet he still sucked at it.


    It was hard being a cat.


    The other cats started gathering towards the ck and white cat again.


    Er Mao put out his cigarette. "Just give up. That sound you just made could scare away ghosts. Let''s just watch them do their thing. You can step in if they can''t handle it."


    Er Mao could feel goosebumps on his arm. There were over a dozen cats around in the bushes and more cats wereing.


    Cats wereplex animals.


    Er Mao got in the car just to be safe. He wasn''t needed anymore and the cats nearby seemed too hostile.


    Er Mao always felt cats were half demon and half angel. They were adorable when they were purring on yourp. The way they squinted their eyes when they earned a scratch under the cheek could warm up your entire world. However, they had a demonic side as well. The glinting eyes in the bushes were hunting for a target. Any moment the ws coulde out.


    Zheng Tan watched from the top of the car as the cats, led by the ck and white cat, pounced on the man. His mouth was taped so he couldn''t yell but Zheng Tan could tell from his muffled whimpers that he was truly afraid.


    Compared to the pet cats in the city, cats living on the outskirts of the city were more vicious. They spent their days ying in the fields, fighting other animals. There were a few wild cats in the group, they were especially ferocious.


    The more timid cats stayed on the outside of the group and snuck in a scratch or two when they could. The fearless ones pounced with the ck and white cat. The man kicked and struggled. He managed to kick away a few cats but they just pounced again.


    Er Mao rubbed the goosebumps on his arm and rolled up the car window. He was worried the cats might get too excited and attack him for being there.


    Most of these cats were house cats and didn''t quite know how to attack a person where it hurt most. Some treated what they were doing as a game. If the man curled up, he would be able to get away alive.


    The bites and scratches that hurt the most came from the ck and white cat and a wildcat.


    Er Mao kept an eye on the cats. He didn''t want the man to die here.


    As for Zheng Tan, he was studying the sounds these cats made. He wanted to see how the ck and white cat gathered itsrades and how it affected their mood. Cats did not live in packs but they weren''t solitary animals either. Afterall they were part of the human society. There were plenty of cats on campus. He got excited just thinking about gathering them up one day.


    It wasn''t easy though. Maybe it was a skill he couldn''t master even if he spent his whole life as a cat trying. He was a human trapped in a cat''s body, so learning this was harder for him. However, he believed if he worked hard enough he still had a chance.


    When Er Mao stepped in to stop the cats, the ck and white cat had splotches of blood on its fur. It heard Er Mao and meowed reluctantly. However, it still stopped. It went to the car and started to lick its fur. The other cats stopped when it stopped. The wild cat had run away the moment Er Mao stepped out of the car. It could sense he was hard to deal with.


    The man on the ground was covered in blood and scratches. He was curled up. His chest heaved slightly indicating he was still alive. He had peed his pants.


    The ck and white cat was quite obedient in front of Er Mao. It curled up in the back of the car. If only its ws didn''t still have human blood on them, it could have passed for a sweet kitty.


    Er Mao stuffed the man into the trunk. He said he would take care of the rest. He promised Zheng Tan and the ck and white cat they wouldn''t even see the man again. He didn''t look like he was going to kill the man though.


    Zheng Tan got off the car at the side gate. The ck and white cat was still napping resting in the back. Er Mao shooed it away but it didn''t move, so he gave up.


    Zheng Tan passed by a patch of woods on his way home. He could hear Sheriff fighting in the woods, but he appeared to be winning so Zheng Tan didn''t have to step in. It was time to go home.


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