The three followed the black cat to the junction of the bridge corridor and Building B’s staircase. Zhou Ying was the first to stop, pulling back Wen Nanxing and Cheng Li, who were still about to keep running.
“Wait, why are we running?”
They were here to complete a mission, why are they fleeing?
The information was clear now: the one who leaked the formula was Lin Xie. His subordinate He Xiaobi had been privately executed, and Lin Xie himself was locked in solitary confinement.
Simple enough: all they had to do was go to the confinement room and ask Lin Xie what was going on.
This mission seemed very easy to complete, so why were they running?
Wen Nanxing said, “Well, I saw Cheng Li running, so I ran too.”
Cheng Li looked at the crouching black cat in the corner. “I ran because I saw the cat running. Haven’t we been following the black cat all along? In a situation like just now, of course we had to run. They just finished dealing with a traitor, so there’d definitely be people coming and going to clean up. If we didn’t leave, we’d have been discovered too.”
Zhou Ying said, “You’re right. But we can plan a little first.” She looked at the black cat. “It might have just been startled by the gunshot. Cats are afraid of loud machines, let alone a gunshot that sounded like it went off right at my feet. The terror value was pretty high.”
Wen Nanxing tried to show off his celebrity experience. “I’m fine. Back when I shot crime films, there were explosions going off all the time. I got used to it.”
Zhou Ying replied, “But that was just filming, not real.”
Her comment backfired, so Wen Nanxing asked instead, “Then what do we do now?”
Seeing he wasn’t afraid in the least, Zhou Ying didn’t bother preaching. She said directly, “We follow them and find where Lin Xie is being held, then we rescue him.”
The three began to discuss their rescue plan. Meanwhile Yan Jiyun’s ears were still buzzing. That gunshot had truly shaken him. Not physically, but mentally.
Manager Wang had also been shot, but Yan Jiyun hadn’t seen or heard the process, nor did he know Manager Wang personally. He Xiaobi was different — Yan Jiyun had met him before, had even taken him for a stand-in for a little while. Even if he was just an NPC, he had felt like a living person. And to be killed so casually before his eyes… after the Midnight Meal event deaths, it was yet another taste of the game’s malice.
While he was working through his emotions, Zhou Ying and the others were already preparing to move.
Yan Jiyun heard the footsteps of black-uniformed men. Lin Xie was getting farther and farther away, but Yan Jiyun could still tell which direction they were going.
The confinement room had to be one of the rooms on this floor.
When the hallway grew quiet again, Zhou Ying and Wen Nanxing stepped out first. The black cat was clearly spooked, so they no longer pinned all their hopes on him, choosing to rely on themselves.
With Zhou Ying and Wen Nanxing wearing black uniforms, they went up front. Cheng Li followed behind, moving only if the two ahead signaled the all-clear.
Of course, Yan Jiyun wasn’t that fragile either. He followed close, slipping into every patch of shadow he could find, making the most of his natural black cover.
Passing the grand, opulent hall where the meeting had taken place, Wen Nanxing grew eager to peek inside. Zhou Ying glanced around warily.
Cheng Li caught up, more cautious than Wen Nanxing. “There aren’t cameras here, are there?”
Zhou Ying said, “I didn’t see any in the meeting hall. But it makes sense. If a killing were recorded and the footage got stolen by someone ill-intentioned, everyone here would be exposed. Let’s find Lin Xie first. Maybe we can get some answers from him. He should have plenty of secrets.”
No one disagreed.
Naturally, Yan Jiyun didn’t either. First, Lin Xie was his provider of food and shelter in this instance; second, he was crucial to the main storyline.
If Lin Xie really stayed locked up for three full days, the main mission would stall.
Lin Xie’s character was composed. Even when He Xiaobi was killed before him, he hadn’t reacted excessively. Now, locked in solitary confinement, he made no sound at all, so much so that they couldn’t pinpoint him by ear.
Where would a confinement room usually be?
They couldn’t just search blindly, lest they draw out all the black uniforms and end up with a bullet in their heads.
Yan Jiyun could use his sense of smell. Whether pleasant or foul, humans only noticed scents within a meter, but cats could detect them from ten to 14 meters away.
He remembered Lin Xie’s cologne. In this central corridor, traces lingered in the air. Lin Xie must have passed through here. Yan Jiyun was sure the confinement room was within 15 meters.
But which one? There were plenty of doors.
Seeing the black cat searching for its master again, Zhou Ying and the others hurried to follow. With the little black cat, their effort was cut in half.
Yan Jiyun tracked the scent. The stronger the cologne, the closer Lin Xie was.
He stopped before an iron door with peeling paint. Lin Xie was here.
The room wasn’t convenient for escape, tucked away from the hallway. But they wanted to rescue him nonetheless.
Yan Jiyun scraped at the door with his claws, deliberately making the sound of nails dragging on metal.
The harsh screech made Zhou Ying and the others’ scalps tingle, and even the noise-maker himself found it unbearable.
Why did such awful sounds exist in the world?
He only scraped three times before a knock came from inside: “Blake?”
Yan Jiyun patted the door again. From inside came Lin Xie’s soft chuckle, clearly relieved.
“How did you find this place?”
At that, Zhou Ying stepped forward to speak on behalf of the group while Wen Nanxing and Cheng Li kept watch.
“Boss Lin, hello. We were brought here by the black cat. I guess it wants us to rescue you.”
The room fell silent.
Yan Jiyun figured Lin Xie either didn’t believe them and so chose silence, or he was weighing which side Zhou Ying belonged to.
Zhou Ying was patient. She wasn’t in a hurry. Instead it was Yan Jiyun who tapped at the door again. No scratching, sparing his own ears.
Hearing the soft taps, Lin Xie finally spoke, “Who are you?”
Zhou Ying said, “We’re the guests you invited.”
Lin Xie refused, “Thank you. Just take care of Blake for me. I won’t be in danger here. When the time is up, someone will naturally let me out. No need to rescue me.”
Clearly, Lin Xie didn’t believe them.
The three exchanged glances. Now what?
The black cat had delivered the key character of the mission right to their doorstep, and yet they couldn’t gain anything from it. Truly frustrating.
Yan Jiyun too was troubled. Why wouldn’t Lin Xie leave?
He tried putting himself in Lin Xie’s place. If he left the confinement room right now, that would practically confirm his involvement in the leak. And behind him, there was still Kevin Yang, who had been itching to drag him down.
Zhou Ying clearly wasn’t going to persuade Lin Xie. Suddenly Wen Nanxing spoke, coming straight at him with a fastball, “Boss Lin, here’s the thing — we accidentally overheard your conversation just now. May I ask, did you truly have a hand in the formula leak?”
Lin Xie’s voice sank, displeasure obvious. He had just lost a subordinate, after all.
To him, Zhou Ying and the others were strangers. Forget trust — if anything, it was a miracle he didn’t quietly get rid of them on the spot.
“This is our own affair, and it has nothing to do with you. You don’t need to risk yourselves. Just take Blake with you and leave.”
Yan Jiyun tapped on the door again.
Zhou Ying drew on her persuasion skills, speaking evenly, “Boss Lin, you’ve mentioned Blake twice. Do you mean this little black cat?”
Lin Xie chuckled softly. “What? Do you intend to use it to threaten me? That won’t work. It’s only a cat.”
Zhou Ying kept her voice calm. “I truly don’t mean it as a threat. We know your office was stocked with food and drink for the little black cat. You clearly wouldn’t want to hand it over to ill-intentioned people. Neither would we. I’m a cat lover myself. I believe the cat led us to you because it likes us. But while it’s here, its life is constantly in danger. If you want us to take good care of the cat, would you be willing to make a trade? We’ll find it a safe home, and in exchange, you tell us whether you were involved in the leak. What do you say?”
Lin Xie was moved. The little black cat was clever enough to lead people here to rescue him. But right now, he really couldn’t leave.
He was touched by Yan Jiyun’s persistent attempts to save him—the most direct proof was the system notification that rang in Yan Jiyun’s ears.
[Player Yan Jiyun has gained +20 Favorability with Lin Xie.]
The three: “……”
Wen Nanxing looked at Zhou Ying thoughtfully. She had been the one talking to Lin Xie. Was it possible she was hiding her name?
Zhou Ying wasn’t stupid. She noticed his blatant suspicion: “……”
Meanwhile, Yan Jiyun quietly played the part of the obedient cat, squatting aside as if clueless, trying his best to look like a pitiful kitten who had just lost his long-term food provider.
Both inside and outside the door, silence suddenly fell. Outside, the three were questioning their teammate’s identity. Inside, Lin Xie was weighing the deal. At last, Lin Xie spoke.
He knew he couldn’t keep the little black cat forever, and he did hope it would find a new owner. With sincerity, he said, “The leak truly has nothing to do with me.”
Yan Jiyun figured an NPC like Lin Xie wouldn’t lie, especially since he was a key story character.
That was as far as Lin Xie would go.
The truth behind the leak was still unknown. They would have to find the real culprit.
Since nothing more could be gotten from Lin Xie, the three decided to leave, taking the black cat with them. But the black cat clearly didn’t want to go. When Wen Nanxing picked him up, he even deliberately hooked the iron door with his claws.
Zhou Ying earnestly praised the cat. “It’s rare to see such a loyal black cat. No wonder black cats have always been considered auspicious. Boss Lin, don’t worry, I’ll find it a good owner.”
Yan Jiyun thought to himself, ‘Thanks a lot, but I already have a shit shoveler. And he’s good-looking too. I can introduce you sometime.’
Though inwardly grumbling, in Wen Nanxing’s arms he still squirmed, gazing at the iron door with a look of pure grievance.
[Want To Be Human] livestream chat:
“Mimi looks so wronged! Don’t be sad, Kitty, you lost one pooper scooper, you’ll get another. Here’s a can of food for you!”
“The main thing is, Lin Xie really treated it well. It got two whole fish, a pack of dried fish snacks, and even carried it around everywhere. He even played with it! Where else can you find such a hardworking pooper scooper? No wonder the cat is sad. The next one might not be so good.”
“It’s fine, Kitty Baby. The next owner will be even better. Sending gifts!”
“I’m just curious, without Lin Xie’s help, how will the cat clear the instance? If it dies here, that’d be a real shame.”
“If other players find it, it’ll probably die miserably. One less competitor means more points for the rest after clearing. I can’t wait for these players to start tearing each other apart.”
“Tch, Lin Xie might not survive much longer anyway.” [This comment contains spoilers and is hidden from the player.]
Yan Jiyun nearly impressed himself with his acting. He felt he had perfectly portrayed that sense of reluctance and unwillingness to part with Lin Xie. And most importantly, had fooled his three temporary teammates.
When his favorability had increased earlier, he had clearly noticed Wen Nanxing’s suspicion, though aimed at Zhou Ying.
The system notification about him finding the murder weapon at the start was highly incriminating. If he didn’t come up with some way to muddle through, his identity as a cat player would eventually be exposed.
He glanced at his props inventory. He already had an idea, but wasn’t in a rush to act on it. For now, Zhou Ying and the others weren’t thinking along the lines of “the black cat is Yan Jiyun.”
The three slipped into an empty conference room near the confinement area to plan their next move. Building B should hold plenty of secrets.
So far, they hadn’t seen any other players searching here. Likely, the others were in Buildings A and C. The only reason the three had gotten into Building B at all was thanks to the black cat’s desperate attempt to save its master.
Leaning against the wall, Zhou Ying whispered, “Do we need to uncover three secrets related to Lin Xie in order to unlock his trust?”
Wen Nanxing: “What secrets? A side mission?”
Cheng Li: “Yes. We went through his office, found clues, and triggered three of Lin Xie’s secrets. But even after contacting him just now, we didn’t get a completion prompt.”
Wen Nanxing: “Should I go search his office too?”
Cheng Li: “You’d probably have to crack the safe again. I doubt you can. And besides, it’s too difficult. Lin Xie isn’t cooperating at all.”
Wen Nanxing: “Right now my focus is mainly on Main Mission (2). My side mission is to uncover a chef’s secret, but I think that was just an early search task. It’s not really important anymore, so I’ll skip it.”
Zhou Ying decided for them. “Then let’s work together on Main Mission (2).”
Neither Wen Nanxing nor Cheng Li objected. It was rare for three strangers to meet and work together so smoothly. They had Zhou Ying’s decisiveness and leadership to thank, as well as the NPC black cat, guiding them down the main storyline. They were quite fortunate.
Cheng Li said, “The known key figures are Lin Xie himself and the man who pointed the gun at Lin Xie in the hall earlier, Kevin Yang.
Yan Jiyun wanted to add: there was also Jiang Yan.
Clearly, after splitting from him, the three hadn’t followed the Jiang Yan–Lin Xie path.
Still, he was sure the true key figure of this instance was Lin Xie.
Kevin Yang wanted to kick Lin Xie out of the organization, as he wanted to inherit it for himself.
Jiang Yan didn’t get along with Lin Xie, but when he spoke privately with Kevin Yang, he had never heard him badmouth Lin Xie. That meant he was probably neutral, maybe even jealous of Lin Xie. Otherwise, why would he give him a -25 favorability rating? Yan Jiyun brooded over this.
If Zhou Ying and the others decided to look for clues at Kevin Yang’s place, that just happened to align with Yan Jiyun’s plan.
Zhou Ying made the call for their next move: “Let’s go. We’re going to bust Kevin Yang’s nest right now.”
Yan Jiyun felt her tone was full of blood-pumping fervor. She might really be some kind of leader in the real world. She had a knack for motivating people.
The three of them studied the layout of Building C. Going up two more floors should be the Old Master’s residence, so Kevin Yang likely wouldn’t live higher than that. As Lin Xie and Jiang Yan’s elder brother, he ought to live closer to the old man, to take care of him conveniently.
They decided to head for the fourth floor.
To show respect for the main storyline character Lin Xie, and to keep the little black cat from running off, they carried Yan Jiyun along. He didn’t have to spend any stamina that way and felt very comfortable. It’s worthwhile that he’d brought them to clues earlier. Still, with the difference between men and women, he preferred perching on Wen Nanxing’s backpack, pawing at the man’s thick hair while sitting steadily.
Cheng Li couldn’t help laughing. “Nan-ge, you look hilarious, like you’re wearing a Lei Feng hat[mfn]
something like this[/mfn].”
Zhou Ying went even further: “I think Nanxing looks more like the little black cat’s mount.”
Wen Nanxing: “…” What the hell kind of mount!
Yan Jiyun pretended not to hear their teasing.
The lighthearted moment was short-lived. They dodged patrols of men in black uniforms and slipped up to the fourth floor.
By now the sky was fully dark. The equipment in Building B was old, and the corridor lights weren’t very bright. After the patrol passed, Zhou Ying and the others deliberately switched off the stairwell lights, so they wouldn’t be noticed moving in the stairwell.
As soon as they stepped onto the fourth floor, they saw a long corridor stretching before them. Turning into it was like stepping into an old-fashioned KTV: the floor was a mix of black and gold, even more gaudy and ostentatious than the gilded halls downstairs. The walls seemed studded with diamonds, and under the spotlights they glittered in dazzling, garish colors. The style was indescribable, but the upside was that it made people’s faces hard to see. It’s perfect for Zhou Ying and Wen Nanxing in disguise.
This extravagant fourth floor had to be Kevin Yang’s territory. Outside, things were quiet, but inside they were soon assaulted by the thunderous torture of karaoke. Yan Jiyun was the first to want to cover his ears.
Even Wen Nanxing, who was half a singer-dancer himself, wanted earplugs. It was unbearable, more like screeching than singing.
Yan Jiyun could tell: this was Kevin Yang himself. He’d remodeled the entire fourth floor like a private KTV, all for his own enjoyment.
Compared to Lin Xie and Jiang Yan’s offices, this place was absurdly over the top.
They had just entered when they heard laughter. A heavily made-up middle-aged woman came around the corner, leading several young, pretty girls.
The three humans and one cat ducked behind a decorative KTV counter, listening closely.
The middle-aged woman halted the young girls. “Listen to me first, sisters. Kevin-ge is not like other men. You’d better not make him angry. But I heard he’s in a good mood today, and he’s generous with money. You know what to say and what not to say, I’ve already warned you. Did you remember my words?”
All the girls chorused: “We remember, Mama.”
There were even three young men among them.
Wen Nanxing pressed Yan Jiyun’s head down so he wouldn’t be seen.
Yan Jiyun silently griped at the conversation outside. ‘What era was this? Was there no anti-pornography squad around?’
Once “Mama” had finished her workplace culture indoctrination, the group bustled off.
Zhou Ying suddenly had a bold idea. “What if we dress up as the girls and sneak in? Everyone else is a familiar face, only these girls are new.”
Wen Nanxing frowned. “But how can you be sure they don’t know each other?”
Zhou Ying said, “We just need to look like them, sit off to the side, and not approach Kevin Yang directly.”
Cheng Li reminded them, “Nan-ge could even pretend to be one of the little gays among them. Their makeup’s usually thicker anyway. Don’t your idol performances use heavy makeup?”
Wen Nanxing ground his teeth. “That doesn’t mean I’m not a man. That was for the stage, not for pimping.”
Zhou Ying: “Come on, sacrifice a little for the mission.”
Wen Nanxing asked, “Then what about the kitten?”
Zhou Ying: “Put him in a bag for now. Once we finish, we’ll let him out again.”
Everyone agreed. Time to act.
Yan Jiyun, about to be stuffed into a backpack: “…”
Their impersonation plan went surprisingly smoothly. After waiting a while, they took advantage of a bathroom break to knock out one of the men and two girls, swapping into their clothes and makeup. The dim lighting here made it impossible to tell who was under the heavy cosmetics.
They slipped into Kevin Yang’s private room without a hitch.
Kevin Yang sat with a woman in each arm, a cigar in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. Zhou Ying decided to take the initiative. She approached him, even clinking glasses with him. Kevin Yang, in high spirits, shoved one girl aside to let Zhou Ying sit by his side.
She settled next to him. According to her work habits, she’d bought a “Never Drunk” prop from the system shop. Her plan was simple: drown Kevin Yang in drinks. Once he was drunk, she could escort him back to his room and search for secrets.
Meanwhile, Wen Nanxing quietly set Yan Jiyun on a sofa.
Someone suddenly remarked: “This young man looks a bit like Lin Xie, doesn’t he?”
The room fell silent. Kevin Yang’s face stiffened, then he seemed to think of something and suddenly laughed: “Send someone to call Jiang Yan up here.”
Not long after, Jiang Yan arrived.
Kevin Yang pointed at Wen Nanxing and asked: “Di, doesn’t he look like our second brother[mfn]Lin Xie. Just a reminder: Kevin Yang is the first brother/young master, followed by Lin Xie, then Jiang Yan[/mfn]?”
Wen Nanxing grew nervous: “…” What’s this supposed to mean?
Jiang Yan sat down in the empty seat beside him. Wen Nanxing quickly made room, calling on all his idol-stage acting skills. He played the role eagerly, handing over a drink. “Yan-ge, hello.”
Jiang Yan took it with a stony face, then sat down.
The atmosphere picked up again. Kevin Yang grabbed the mic and howled into it.
Yan Jiyun, however, was wondering if Jiang Yan truly was at odds with Lin Xie. He decided to test him. Right now, aside from Jiang Yan, no one else could draw Lin Xie out.
He tugged open a corner of the backpack’s zipper and reached a paw to hook Jiang Yan’s trouser leg. No reaction. He hooked again.
Jiang Yan thought the young man beside him was playing footsie. Without thinking, he grabbed the “hairy hand” to fling it away—
The touch was wrong. Hairy? He looked down and saw a real furry paw. Shock shot through him as all his hairs stood on end. Looking closer, he locked eyes with a pair of vivid green cat eyes.
Perfect. It was that ugly little black cat again!
T/L: btw just a note…… the comments on JJ are calling out Jiang Yan being a “primary school chicken” aka childish~ They are saying that the -25 favorability from JY is because he’s jealous Yan Jiyun (a cat) is closer to Lin Xie compared to himself lol (that’s why the favorability only went down after he saw how close the kitty is to LX, not when YJY is wreaking havoc on his office).
Yes, they’re shipping JY/LX over there.
Me too honestly. Childish puppy top!JY vs. Calm and beautiful kitty bottom! LX. Then the setting is them being fellow adopted brothers of the leader of a crime gang… petty rivalry on the outside, neutral/friendly on the inside… secret crush…
Peak.
lol glad I’m not the only one thinking JY was being tsun tsun to his crush~