Soft.
Fuzzy.
Warm…
Huh?
Tingyun’s tail?
For some reason, the thought popped up unbidden.
He opened his eyes, and the dream popped.
A palm-sized ball of fluff was curled at his side.
That was what he’d been feeling.
Its snow-white coat blended into the world; set it on the ground and you might miss it entirely.
“What the…”
He blinked.
For a moment he couldn’t place what it was.
He rummaged through Jarilo-VI in his memories—nothing matched.
What puzzled him more was the blood matted in its fur.
Weather had frozen it stiff, but you could tell it was badly hurt.
Curiosity won.
He reached out and poked.
“Mrr…”
The ball murmured, shivered, and revealed a pair of sky-blue eyes.
They locked gaze.
He was caught by those eyes— clear as heaven, crystalline, spotless— the sort you wanted to stare at a bit longer.
A few heartbeats later, he realized the “ball” was… a cat?!
[Just tuned in—what happened?]
[Where’d the cat come from?
Why is there a “dangerous creature” like that in the Zone?!]
[Waa!
So cute!!]
[My ragdoll just lost all its charm (cry.jpg)]
[Others spent the night terrified; Jing Yuan slept like a baby and woke up with a cat to pet—is this what they call “the inequality of the world”?
(sly.jpg)]
In a day, the Zone stream had become Blue Star’s hottest thing.
People opened it with their eyes barely unglued.
Even early, the chat was buzzing.
Everyone focused on the little white cat.
Those who’d come earlier explained—
[No idea.
It was already there when I arrived.]
[Don’t know where it popped from—showed up about half an hour ago, not afraid of people at all…]
[Must be seeking warmth.
My cat cuddles up in winter too—and it looks badly hurt (pity.jpg).]
[Uh… what are you doing?!]
[Bro.
[???]
The chat swerved hard.
Because Jing Yuan pinched the scruff, lifted the cat, and—without shame—checked its belly…
He even flicked a certain unmentionable.
“Well now.”
“So it’s a boy.”
The white cat, destiny clenched, couldn’t resist.
Its forepaws paddled the air in protest.
Jing Yuan grinned.
“Easy.
Behave and I’ll dress your wounds.”
Something like understanding flickered in the cat’s eyes.
It stopped struggling and went limp in his hands, as if yielding.
[Good heavens!
It understood him!]
[Does that mean creatures in the Zone are all sapient?]
[It’s over.
The kitty’s been molded into Little Jing’s shape (bigcry.jpg).]
[Fake!
All fake!
I put my phone in front of my own cat so it could “learn.” It just glared at me (scared.jpg).]
[Maybe—hear me out—you’re just not as handsome as Little Jing?
(lol)]
The command center’s mood was different.
The old general, who’d pulled an all-nighter, frowned as the biology expert spoke.
“Sir, look at its forepaws, nose, the eyes.
“Not a housecat.
“I’m certain—the creature he’s holding is a lion.
“Newborn, by the look.
But much smaller than Blue Star lions, and white-furred.
Likely a genetic mutation.”
The general’s brows pinched tighter.
This professor was the nation’s top biologist.
If he said “lion,” it was probably a lion.
He didn’t know why the Zone had Blue Star fauna, but he accepted it.
In any case, cat or lion didn’t matter to him.
What mattered was—did it threaten Jing Yuan?
“How aggressive is the little thing?” he asked.
The professor watched a bit longer.
“Large felids can be dangerous.
But judging by behavior, this white lion is very friendly to humans.
There’s a real chance it could be tamed.”
The general’s face eased, but he still fretted.
“Taming a lion isn’t easy…”
He wanted to prod the Academy for progress again.
They needed time to reach the Zone—but waiting, hands tied, was agony.
He’d never been this anxious, even in wartime…
“Look!”
A middle-aged officer in uniform blurted.
Zhang snapped his attention back to the screen— and saw Jing Yuan tearing open his government-issued emergency kit.
He was using the first-aid meds and bandages to treat the “cat.”
“That’s for people!”
“And there isn’t much!”
“If he wastes it on an animal, what happens if he gets hurt?”
The officer was frantic, itching to leap into the Zone and stop this “extravagance.”
The Zone had come suddenly.
The emergency kits were tiny.
Medical supplies were barely a single person’s worth.
To him, spending them on an animal was unwise.
Zhang stalled, expression complicated.
After a moment’s thought, he sighed.
“So be it.
If that’s Little Jing’s choice, we’ll trust him.”
The officer sagged.
“If only we could reach him…”
“No.
I’m calling the Academy again.”
He turned on his heel.
The old general could only shake his head.
Inside the Zone,
Jing Yuan disinfected and bandaged the wounds, even tied a neat little bow.
He admired his handiwork and nodded.
“There.
Rest a few days and you’ll be fine.”
Pain dulled, the white cat brightened.
It leaned in and licked his palm.
“What, sticking with me now?” he teased.
“I don’t have fish snacks.
You’ll go hungry if you tag along.”
Thank you so much for reading until the end.
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