After coaxing Dan Huang, it was already past eight-thirty, the liveliest time on Shiliu Street. The Xian Chan Cat Café, located at the far end of the street, was just the right distance from the hustle and bustle, immersed in the perfect amount of human warmth. It was neither too noisy nor overly quiet.
Dan Huang lay by the window for a while, still chewing on beef jerky. The plate Pei Shiyi had brought over was already empty, the jerky torn into small strips, all devoured by Dan Huang.
Swallowing the last piece, Dan Huang smacked his lips and said, “Boss, shouldn’t we expand the cat café? With more customers now, when are we opening the second floor? We could move to the third floor. There are two rooms up there. It’s a bit smaller, but enough for us.”
There was exactly one week left until the second episode of 《Small World》 aired on Bishui Station. After the cat café’s appearance in the episode, an influx of customers was inevitable. While the café wasn’t crowded yet, more people would inevitably disrupt the relaxed atmosphere Pei Shiyi had carefully cultivated.
Pei Shiyi replied, “We don’t have enough cats, my little manager.”
With seven cats on the first floor, they’d need at least fifteen for two floors.
Dan Huang calculated the potential loss of customers and felt a pang of heartache. “Then we really need to find more cats… The Supernatural Management Bureau—oh, right, Boss, isn’t Mr. Bo from the bureau? Could we ask him to contact other cats? Working at our café is great—eating, drinking, even breathing helps cultivate their power. Tong Qian is thriving here.”
Pei Shiyi thought to himself: If the bureau could find two more cats, Bo Jin wouldn’t be hanging around the café every day, unwilling to leave. He has a little cutie at home, yet he’s out here mooching off other people’s cats.
Truly a dragon’s nature… ahem, fickle.
Pei Shiyi stayed silent, and Dan Huang’s attention naturally drifted elsewhere.
Cats, after all, aren’t the most reliable creatures. Once full, their minds wander, and even playtime lacks focus. Mentioning Bo Jin, Dan Huang immediately latched onto the topic of the bureau chief, who was currently stationed who-knows-where:
“Speaking of which, Mr. Bo dropped off Pine Cake today and left. Is he not staying at the café anymore?”
Pei Shiyi asked nonchalantly, “Do you like him that much, Dan Huang?”
Dan Huang licked his lips. “Mr. Bo is really nice. He seems hard to approach, but he’s actually quite easygoing. He’s much easier to deal with than Yun Chao.”
The big shots have worse tempers. Besides their own cubs and pretty girls, they only show a good face to the boss. Anyone who insists on petting them is bound to get a scolding.
Pei Shiyi narrowed his eyes, feeling a wave of irritation. Bo Jin really is a troublemaker, always flirting with my cats at the café. Even though he left today, he’s still haunting the place.
“Most importantly,” Dan Huang said with regret, “now that Mr. Bo is gone, there’s no one to cook. The chef’s food isn’t as good.”
They’ve lost a master chef!
Oh, so that’s what he was upset about.
Pei Shiyi remained expressionless, his fingers tapping lightly on the windowsill.
“Will Mr. Bo really not come back? Can we at least ask him for a recipe? His boiled chicken breast is delicious.”
Pei Shiyi said, “He’ll be busy from now on. If you like that flavor, I can—”
His words were cut off by a wave of screams. The commotion on the street, accompanied by roars, made Pei Shiyi frown. Before he could get a clear look, his phone rang.
It was Bo Jin.
Pei Shiyi answered the call. “Bo Jin?”
“It’s me. Are you at the cat café? The Supernatural Management Bureau had a slip-up in their operation today. Two small fry got away and headed toward Shiliu Street. The Bureau’s golden retriever has already gone after them. Could you keep an eye out?”
Before Pei Shiyi could respond, Bo Jin quickly added, “Song Gao says he wants to stay overnight at the cat café tomorrow.”
Pei Shiyi had no intention of refusing anyway and agreed immediately, “Sure.”
Dan Huang pressed his face against the glass, waiting until Pei Shiyi finished the call before exclaiming, “Boss! That’s a huge dog!”
The street, originally bustling with people, had now cleared a path wide enough for two people to walk side by side. An exceptionally tall and burly man, accompanied by a gray-furred “dog”, was chasing a golden retriever and a black-and-white cat as they dashed frantically down the street.
With so many people around, Pei Shiyi couldn’t just leap down from the building. Instead, he hurried down the stairs and out the main entrance. By the time he reached the street, the man and the animals had already raced past the cat café and turned into the alley behind it.
Pei Shiyi was just as bewildered as everyone else on the street. Others were curious but too afraid to follow. After all, there were two dogs of alarming size and a hulking man trailing them, all of whom looked dangerous.
But Pei Shiyi, confident in his own abilities, wasn’t fazed. He locked up the cat café, scooped Dan Huang into his arms, and headed into the back alley.
The alley was actually a dead end. It used to house a few nail and beauty salons, but they’d all gone out of business due to the poor location. No new shops had moved in yet, so the alley was deserted, with only a few security cameras still running.
Before even entering the alley, Pei Shiyi heard sharp, frantic barks. Frowning, he glanced at the cameras but still strode in briskly.
The burly man and the “gray-furred dog” had their backs to him. The man was spewing what sounded like gibberish. Pei Shiyi caught a few phrases, but the pronunciation was clearly foreign, likely from overseas.
Pei Shiyi’s gaze shifted to what Dan Huang had called the “gray-furred dog”. Its tail was stiff and lowered. That was no dog; it was a wolf. And judging by its aura, it had clearly awakened its spiritual intelligence. No doubt, these were the two small fry the Supernatural Management Bureau had let slip.
The golden retriever carried a faint trace of the Zhulong’s aura, so subtle it was almost imperceptible. It must be an employee of the Bureau. Pei Shiyi had initially thought Bo Jin meant someone with dyed blond hair when he mentioned a “golden retriever”, but it turned out to be an actual golden retriever.
And as for its cultivation level…
Yun Chao could swat it away with a single paw.
When Bo Jin had said the Supernatural Management Bureau was short-staffed, Pei Shiyi hadn’t believed him. But seeing this golden retriever, he had no choice but to accept it.
The golden retriever trembled as it faced the larger, stronger wolf, yet it stubbornly shielded the cat behind it. The cat was completely hidden from view. But the blood dripping onto the ground made it clear it was injured.
Pei Shiyi hadn’t bothered to conceal his presence or footsteps when entering the alley, so both the burly man and the wolf noticed him immediately and turned around.
As soon as Pei Shiyi saw the man’s distinctly foreign features, he was reminded of Zhu Heng, who had caused trouble at the cat café in the middle of the night. His expression gradually turned unfriendly.
The burly man sized him up, probably deciding that a pretty face like Pei Shiyi’s posed no threat. He spat out a clumsy sentence in Chinese: “Mind your own business.”
Then, he strode straight toward the golden retriever. The golden retriever, still shielding the cat, backed away step by step, its tail tucked tightly between its hind legs, silently pleading with Pei Shiyi for help.
Pei Shiyi glanced at the surveillance camera, slowly rolling up his sleeves as he said calmly, “Sir, that’s my golden retriever. You should let me take him.”
The burly man turned and sneered coldly.
Pei Shiyi narrowed his eyes slightly. “Courtesy before force. I’ve warned you.”
The gray wolf was far more aggressive than the man. It lunged straight at Pei Shiyi with claws outstretched.
Dan Huang hissed in fright, fur bristling as he extended his claws, only to be scooped back by Pei Shiyi.
“Stay still.”
Pei Shiyi was mildly annoyed, his voice unusually stern as he chided softly.
Dan Huang instinctively curled up in his arms.
Pei Shiyi shifted slightly to the side and kicked the gray wolf in its flank. After a sharp yelp, the wolf was sent flying, crashing hard against the wall.
Wolves are known for their tough heads and tails but vulnerable waists, the most easily injured part. Pei Shiyi had held back slightly, not going for a fatal blow, or the gray beast would already be lifeless.
Hearing his companion’s cry of pain, the burly man turned to see Pei Shiyi already standing behind him. Cursing, the man swung a fist. Pei Shiyi caught his wrist, pulled and twisted it, then pressed down on the man’s shoulder, forcing him to his knees.
The sound of knees hitting the stone floor made Dan Huang flinch. For the first time, he realized his boss was a figure of considerable authority. He shivered. That earlier slap from his boss had reminded him of the fear he felt under Yun Chao’s control.
The burly man roared, “Who are you?”
Pei Shiyi had no patience for his words and waved a hand to silence him. He walked over to the golden retriever, studied it for a moment, and asked, “From the Supernatural Management Bureau?”
The golden retriever nearly burst into tears. “Woof-woof-whimper—”
Pei Shiyi gently pinched its ear. “Speak slowly.”
The golden retriever quickly switched back to human speech. “Yes, boss! I’m from the Supernatural Management Bureau. Please save the kittens! That man’s hat is suspicious. There are cats inside!”
The golden retriever limped over to the burly man and tugged off his hat. No matter how hard he shook it, though, it remained just a hat. Nothing fell out.
Pei Shiyi took the hat, careful to avoid the golden retriever’s drool marks, and examined it closely.
The large cat that had been hiding behind the golden retriever slowly approached. Its voice was ethereally feminine. “This is a witch’s hat. Inside are the cats they carefully selected as the most likely to become the witch’s assistants. But I’m sorry. I really don’t know how to open it.”
The golden retriever chattered on, “Miss Penny is also a witch. Thanks to her, the Bureau was able to catch them so quickly this time. I was supposed to escort Miss Penny, but I was too clumsy and exposed our tracks, letting them discover that Miss Penny was secretly communicating with me… And we never expected they had another trick up their sleeve. They separated the selected kittens. The director and the others intercepted the main group.”
As he spoke, the golden retriever began to sob, his whimpers both pitiful and amusing.
Pei Shiyi had no time to comfort him. He gently nudged Dan Huang, signaling him to go over and offer some solace, while he himself grabbed the burly man by the collar, lifted him effortlessly, and tossed him into a blind spot of the surveillance camera.
Twirling the hat in his hand, Pei Shiyi smiled. “Will you tell me how to open it yourself, or shall I persuade you to tell me?” He remembered this was the last day of his probation.
The nearly six-foot-tall man felt as light as a stuffed toy in his grip. The burly man’s face flushed red, but he stubbornly refused to speak.
“Hmm—” Pei Shiyi said, “Then I suppose I’ll have to ask you to speak.”
The golden retriever: “We don’t allow private punishment—”
A scorching pressure smothered his face. Even though he was only brushed by the edge of the unleashed aura, he felt his breath catch and his fur nearly singe.
The burly man at the center of the pressure couldn’t breathe at all. His chest felt as if weighed down by a thousand pounds, his mind buzzing, already oxygen-deprived to the point of ringing in his ears.
Money or life. Of course, life was more important.
The burly man: “I… I’ll talk.”
Pei Shiyi couldn’t actually suffocate him to death, so he loosened his grip. The burly man slumped against the wall like mud.
Gasping for breath for a long while, the burly man trembled and uttered a string of nonsense. The gray bow on his hat snapped open with a pop. The burly man: “It’s… done.”
Pei Shiyi hesitated, then flipped the hat over. A litter of kittens tumbled out with a rustle.
Dan Huang: “!!”
It’s the kittens!
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Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152