Yu Shen sprinted toward the exit, handing the mother bird to a staff member. “My cat got out. Its wing is injured; I’ll be right back.”
The staff member was still stunned, cradling the bird in their hands, while Yu Shen had already reached the doorway. The person reviewing the security footage exclaimed in delight, “Found him! The man in the white vest.”
Yu Shen caught the tail end of the sentence. As he turned to leave, he spotted the little kitten’s small figure bouncing as it ran, its tail held high in the air. Looking ahead, he saw the man in the white vest just turning into another alleyway.
A wild, fantastical thought suddenly struck him: Could this little dummy be chasing a thief?
But it was just a tiny kitten.
Cen Nian’s four legs paddled furiously. He had to admit, he was becoming more and more accustomed to this feline body. Whether it was jumping or taking sharp turns without tripping, he was growing more agile.
However, compared to a human, there were still too many obstacles on this path. The thief was ducking further into the narrowest corners, and as the distance between them widened, Cen Nian’s ears flattened in frustration.
Above, a whole family of birds preparing to migrate south was chirping and fluttering.
Cen Nian: “Meow!” (Help me out! Block that thief in the white vest ahead!)
Several birds glanced at him, but they remained indifferent, showing no intention of helping. Only two playful ones flapped their wings and flew past him without hindrance. Soon, the thief was seen rubbing his head, looking at his hand, and then glaring up at the sky.
“Fuck! How dare you shit on my head! I’ll kill you!”
The two birds happily flew in circles before being called back by their mother.
Cen Nian kept running, searching for other animals that could help him. Just then, a cold voice sounded beside him. In his peripheral vision, a pair of clean sneakers and black sweatpants appeared.
“You’d better run faster. If I catch you, the consequences will be terrible.”
Cen Nian’s legs buckled in fright, and he nearly fell. Fortunately, he was agile enough to recover. He looked up at Yu Shen and finally remembered he had an owner, the very same one who had just sworn that if he ran again, he’d be a dog.
“Woof…”
He let out a tiny bark. This time, the kitten had a good reason to run, he thought. This is what you call justifiable circumstances. With this “justification” in mind, he focused on the man who was about to disappear and continued his desperate chase.
Yu Shen watched the little cat. It was really chasing that thief again.
Cen Nian soon spotted a Samoyed and immediately said to it, “Incomparably handsome Mr. Samoyed, please help me pounce on that thief in the white vest.”
The gentle Samoyed looked a bit embarrassed. “I can’t. I can’t pounce on and bite people; it would cause trouble for my owner.” Its dark eyes followed the rainbow-colored leash on its neck back to its owner.
Cen Nian understood. What was he supposed to do now?
Although Yu Shen’s legs were long and he ran fast, the distance was simply too great. Moreover, the fact that Yu Shen hadn’t overtaken him yet clearly showed that he was reluctant to leave Cen Nian’s side.
Yu Shen glanced at Cen Nian and then at the man ahead. The pet shop had captured the thief’s image on camera; a quick check at the police station would find him in minutes.
On the other hand, if he didn’t keep an eye on his own cat, it would truly vanish in the blink of an eye.
Cen Nian was pondering this when he passed a sewer grate. A gray rat suddenly popped out of it. The cat and the rat came face to face without warning. The rat froze, and Cen Nian took a step back in fright.
After all, his soul was human, and seeing such a large rat was still a bit terrifying.
As natural enemies, the rat tried to flee the moment it regained its senses. Cen Nian, having recovered from his own shock, swiped a paw, grabbed the rat by its tiny ear, and hauled it out of the sewer grate.
“Help me stop that man in the white vest, or I’ll eat you.”
He really is such a polite little kitten, starting his threat with the word “help.”
Yu Shen’s pupils dilated almost imperceptibly. Seeing his cat hold a large gray rat, he felt a strange sense of dread.
Moreover, the two little creatures seemed to be conversing, meowing and squeaking back and forth.
“Squeak squeak.” (You’d better keep your word.)
“Meow meow.” (I swear on my owner’s life: if I break my word, he’ll never find a partner.)
The rat stared at Cen Nian with its black-bead eyes. “You’re ruthless. I believe you.”
Then, it strained its neck and let out a loud, piercing squeak.
Cen Nian’s large blue eyes darted left and right, alert and filled with curiosity about what was to come.
Even Yu Shen, standing nearby, could sense the kitten’s tension. He stared at the thief ahead, a premonition washing over him that something was about to happen.
So he gave up on pouncing right then and there, wanting to see what would happen.
Suddenly, the thief let out a terrified shriek. Yu Shen, taking in the scene, stared in astonishment. At least a dozen rats, all the same size as the one the little cat was holding, swarmed out from the sewer grate near the thief. They scurried up his legs, and in the blink of an eye, one had already reached the top.
The thief stood frozen, eyes shut tight, screaming at the top of his lungs. He flailed his arms wildly, jumping up and down in panic.
It was a scene so wretched that passersby couldn’t bear to watch, frowning as they hurried away.
“Zhi zhi.” (How’s that? Can you let me go now?)
Yu Shen looked down. The little dummy’s cat face looked quite pleased, and even its meow seemed a bit more arrogant. Then, it set the rat down. Before scuttling back into the sewer, the rat let out another squeak.
Yu Shen watched as the other rats on the thief’s body vanished back into the grate in a single blur. There was no doubt about it: the rat the little dummy had caught had summoned the others. So, the little dummy had…
Yu Shen pondered.
Though the rats had all retreated, the man remained collapsed on the ground, paralyzed with fear.
Cen Nian was about to run off triumphantly, but as he passed Yu Shen’s feet, he stopped. He finally remembered that he was now a little kitten with a family to support, and he couldn’t just wander off and act on his own. Otherwise, his owner would think he had been abandoned and would be heartbroken.
He backed up, raised his dirty little paw, and placed it on Yu Shen’s foot. His big, sky-blue eyes, as bright and pure as if they had just been washed by rain, stared at Yu Shen. He let out a milky, adorable meow: “Meow.”
Then he glanced back at the thief.
Let’s go catch the criminal.
Yu Shen scooped him up, his gaze full of scrutiny. Cen Nian shrank into his arms in fear. Oh no, am I about to be exposed?
With the help of Cen Nian and several other small animals, Yu Shen had caught the thief and delivered him to the police station.
Afterward, he took Cen Nian back to the pet hospital. On the way back, he lifted the kitten’s face, and those eyes that had made the criminal dare not look during the interrogation were now fixed on Cen Nian. “You knew he was a thief? How did you know? Why did you want to catch him? Can you understand what I’m saying? What did you say to that rat? What exactly… are you?”
A relentless barrage of questions.
Cen Nian’s little paws clenched his fur, and his tender, three-lobed little mouth was pressed tightly shut.
Until my lawyer arrives, I… I will say nothing!!