It was drizzling, with heavy, dark clouds gathering overhead. Before Bai Yu could fully process the situation, the Daju jumped from her arms.
Daju: "Human, stay close to me. I’m going to find you a new home—one much wealthier than that nest of germs you were living in."
"No, Daju, I’m a respectable person. This idea of yours about 'clinging to the powerful' is unacceptable. If it really comes down to it, I can just get a job. Even if the pay is low, it’s not as if—"
Daju: "Human, the son of the richest man in the city has been missing for three days and three nights in the alley ahead. You only need to find him, and you’ll surely land a huge reward."
"Alright then, which alley? Is it that dark, damp one up ahead?" Without a second thought, Bai Yu braved the drizzle and charged into the alley.
The alley was pitch black. As night fell, the deeper she went, the less light there was. The girl tripped into puddles more than once.
"Daju, this alley is way too deep. I can’t even see my own fingers. Are you sure that 'son of the richest man' is actually here?"
Daju: "Keep going. Trust me."
Just as Bai Yu was wavering, a new member appeared in the [Animal Chat Group].
Grey Mouse: "Disturbing my sleep in the middle of the night! You deserve to die! Just wait until I scare the life out of you."
No sooner had Bai Yu finished reading the message than several dark shadows scurried past her feet. "Ahhhhhhh!"
Daju: "..."
Daju hadn't hunted in a long time. Upon seeing the cheeky Grey Mouse, his portly body lunged like a runaway truck, barreling past the girl’s feet. A moment of frantic scuffling followed.
Her phone vibrated. The girl lit up the screen.
Daju: "Human, are you hungry? I caught two grey mice. Want to eat?"
"Thanks, but no thanks... I don't eat mice..."
Grey Mouse: "Great Cat King, spare me! I have unweaned pups at home. Please don't eat me..."
Daju: "Who told you to scare people? Humans are cowardly; they’re terrified of mice."
Grey Mouse: "I’ll never do it again, I beg you, let me go, wuu wuu..."
"Um... Daju, she has babies. Why don't you..." Although Bai Yu hated and found mice disgusting, she pleaded for mercy out of sympathy for the pups.
Daju: "She doesn't have any babies. He’s a male mouse."
"Damn, a liar from the start. This mouse really deserves to die!"
Daju licked the corner of his mouth: "Burp~ Just a little trick. Human, follow me—we’re going to cling to that powerful leg."
The alley was dim and lightless; Bai Yu had to use her phone’s flashlight to see where she was stepping. Daju’s bottom swayed as he walked, looking like a Kardashian in a grass skirt. Bai Yu followed, looking back every so often, feeling increasingly chilled.
Finally, the Daju stopped. Only then did the girl see a man curled up in the shadows of the alley, soaking wet. His white shirt was spattered with mud, and his dark eyes were obscured by his bangs. Sensing someone approaching, his whole body tensed like a dormant beast.
Then, a fuzzy head nudged into his palm. Daju flipped over like a truck, put on a high-pitched, coquettish voice, and let out a "Meow~"
Bai Yu shivered from head to toe.
Daju: "Big Boss, Big Boss~ I’m soft and fluffy, please pet me, please pet me! Take me home and feed me cat strips."
Daju: "Human, make the call! What are you standing there for?"
Bai Yu watched the Daju wiggling into the man's arms. She pulled out her phone and typed in "richest man." A missing person notice popped up immediately. It stated that anyone who found the richest man's son, Little Lin Du, would be rewarded with... one, ten, a hundred, a thousand... a million!
The girl rubbed her eyes and counted the zeros again. Finally, she gulped. "A million!" The girl’s exclamation startled the dark alley.
The man curled in the corner suddenly stiffened, his sharp, dark eyes snapping up toward her.
Daju: "Human, why are you shrieking? The Big Boss is having a stress reaction! It's over, it's over, it's over!"
After reading the chat, Bai Yu looked up and met the man’s dark gaze. Before she could speak, her chin was gripped tight.
"Ugh..." The girl’s eyes widened, her phone dropped to the ground, and her feet were nearly lifted off the floor. The man’s eyes were cold and grim, his sharp features half-hidden in the flashlight's beam.
When Little Lin Du was young, he had been kidnapped, and the kidnappers had murdered his brother. Little Lin Du had watched his brother lie in a pool of blood, and after he was rescued, he developed elective mutism. If he was triggered or saw blood, he would have an extreme reaction.
"I... I’m just passing by..." The girl’s face turned red as she beat against his muscular arms.
Daju was frantic. To save Bai Yu, he took a running leap onto the man's shoulder, rubbed his head against his face, and let out soft, melting meows.
"Meow~ meow~ meow~ meow~"
He was trying to wake the man's senses. Bai Yu was moved to tears, but it was clear that self-help was the only way. She lunged forward and bit the man’s hand hard.
The man grunted and pulled his hand back.
Daju’s eyes widened: "Human, you’ve got guts! You actually bit the Big Boss's hand! Do you still want the money or not?!"
Bai Yu leaned on her knees, gasping for air. "Having money... is only good if you have a life to spend it."
The girl picked up her phone and dialed the number on the missing person notice.
"Hello? I’ve found Little Lin Du. He's at..."
"Really? Is it really our missing Little Lin Du?"
"Yes, come quickly. I'm afraid your Little Lin Du is going to kill me."
"Yes, yes, please, Miss—even if our Little Lin Du tries to stab you, please do whatever you can to stop him."
"What an unreasonable request." Bai Yu felt that the brains of the upper class worked differently from normal people.
"If you are lucky enough to survive, the injury compensation will ensure you live a worry-free life—for this lifetime and the next."
As soon as the voice on the phone finished, Bai Yu’s eyes lit up.
She picked up a shard of glass and shoved it into the man's hand, her eyes full of excitement. "Come on, go ahead and stab me..."
Daju thought Bai Yu had gone crazy. Worried that Lin Du might lose control and actually stab her, he used his fat paw to cover the man's eyes.
The man didn't see any malice in her naive face, and she smelled faintly of fresh fruit, which helped calm his agitation. With a cold expression, he dropped the glass, picked up the Daju, and walked out of the alley.
The girl waited, but the fatal stab never came. She opened her eyes to see Lin Du already walking away. She hurried to follow.
"Hey, don't walk away! Your family will be here soon."
"It's raining. You'll catch a cold."
No matter what the girl said, the man wouldn't stop. Finally, Bai Yu held a woven bag over her head to block his path. "Even if you want to stand in the rain, my Daju can't!"
The man’s dark eyes were expressionless. Seeing the girl’s wet, stubborn face with raindrops clinging to her long lashes, he finally stopped. In his arms, the Daju kept wiggling like a reincarnated Daji, letting out high-pitched, coquettish meows.
When Assistant Liu found Little Lin Du, he saw him hiding from the rain under a woven bag with a girl, holding a cat that was belly-up. He was stunned.
"Little... Little Lin Du, we finally found you."
"The master is worried sick, waiting for you to come home."
Lin Du said nothing and got straight into the car. Bai Yu watched, stunned, as he took the Daju away.
"Hey? That fat cat is mine! Hey! Wait!"
Assistant Liu blocked the girl with an official smile. "Our Little Lin Du likes that cat. He is willing to pay 1 million for it. Here is the check."
"!!!" Bai Yu’s eyes practically glued themselves to the check. A battle raged in her mind. With this money, Grandma could get treatment. But she would never see the Daju again. It was a guaranteed profit to sell the Daju for a million...
Just as the girl was hesitating, her phone vibrated.
The Daju was exploding in the [Animal Chat Group]!
Daju: "Human, get in the car! We've snagged a golden leg!"