WCG Chapter 62.2

Jiang Shi and Bamboo immediately rushed back.  

When they arrived at the neighborhood, a group of people was gathered under the building near a roadside shrub, pointing and gesturing at it.  

“Isn’t the cat hiding in there? It’s all black, you can’t even see it.”  

“That black cat looks so unlucky, glowing eyes at night, so terrifying.”  

“I’ve complained so many times about catching this stray cat. Now look what happened! Your kid has to get vaccinated, and it costs thousands!”  

“It’s not a stray, it belongs to the second-floor family. I often see that black cat jumping in from the air conditioning unit.”  

“Didn’t you contact the cat owner? Where are they? Come out and pay up!”  

Jiang Shi pushed his way through the crowd—or more accurately, pulled apart the people with sticks surrounding the shrubs.  

When the landlord saw him, she immediately said, “Jiang Shi, your cat scratched Mrs. Lin’s son. Look, there’s a long scratch on the back of his hand!”  

Jiang Shi followed her gaze and saw a five- or six-year-old boy. His injured right hand was being held by his mother, while his left hand held a small wooden stick. The boy looked angry as he jabbed the stick into the bushes repeatedly.  

Without thinking, Jiang Shi snatched the stick, snapped it in half with a crack, and tossed it far away.  

The boy clenched his fists and tried to charge at him, but when he looked up and saw Jiang Shi’s cold face, which was even fiercer than his own, he burst into tears.  

When Jiang Shi wasn’t smiling, he could look quite intimidating. With his bold hair color, he looked like a gangster.  

Mrs. Lin didn’t expect Jiang Shi to be so aggressive. She pushed the crowd aside, picked up her child, and shouted, “What’s wrong with you? Your cat scratched my kid, and you’re acting so arrogant? Do you even have any sense of decency?”  

Jiang Shi stood in front of the shrubs with a cold expression. “Xiao Hei wouldn’t scratch anyone for no reason.”  

Xiao Hei, likely scared from being beaten as a kitten, was an extremely cautious cat. He would walk away whenever someone approached, and even Bamboo, who had fed him many times, hadn’t managed to pet the cat much.  

Let alone scratching strangers.  

“Are you saying I’m lying?” Mrs. Lin grabbed her son’s hand to show Jiang Shi. “Look at this—there’s still fresh blood on the back of his hand!”  

She made it sound serious, but it was just a shallow scratch that had already started to scab.  

Still, even minor scratches required rabies vaccines.  

Mrs. Lin quickly got to the point. “Don’t try to deny it. You must pay for the vaccines.”  

“If it’s Xiao Hei’s fault, I’ll certainly pay.” Jiang Shi looked down at the teary-eyed boy. “But you need to tell me why the cat scratched you.”  

Perhaps Jiang Shi’s imposing demeanor was too much, as the boy instinctively hid behind his mother.  

“A crazy cat needs a reason to scratch someone?” Mrs. Lin retorted impatiently. “It’s your fault for not keeping your cat in check.”  

Jiang Shi raised his eyes coldly. “Xiao Hei isn’t crazy. And why don’t you say it’s your fault for not watching your kid?”  

He’d seen black fur on the boy’s stick earlier. The lighting wasn’t great, so he couldn’t confirm if it was cat fur.  

Just as the situation reached a stalemate, a young girl’s clear voice spoke up: “It was Xiao Zhuang who chased the black cat, cornered it, hit it with the stick a few times, and then tried to grab it with his hands. That’s when the cat scratched him.”  

A little girl with twin braids stepped forward and pointed at the boy hiding behind Mrs. Lin, revealing the truth. 

Xiao Zhuang’s face turned red. “You’re lying!”

The little girl didn’t expect him to deny it and looked at him with disdain. “Xiao Nuo and the others saw it. They can all testify. We told you not to bully the kitty, but you wouldn’t listen, and now you’re even lying.”

Mrs. Lin didn’t anticipate the situation taking this turn and looked at the little girl. “You’re in the same class as Xiao Zhuang, yet you’re siding with an outsider?”

“I’m just telling the truth.” The little girl raised her voice, and argued. “Teacher taught us to be honest and trustworthy. It was obviously Xiao Zhuang’s fault!”

Mrs. Lin wanted to say something but was interrupted by Jiang Shi, who raised his hand.

“I’ve set up surveillance cameras in the areas where Xiao Hei often stays. If you keep lying, I don’t mind showing everyone the footage to reveal what kind of behavior your child has.”

Mrs. Lin looked at her son, whose guilty expression betrayed him. She finally understood, her face turning grim.

“I know you’re worried about the cost of the vaccine,” Jiang Shi said, expressionless. “I can cover half of it, but on one condition.”

Mrs. Lin asked, “What condition?” She realized that Jiang Shi could refuse to pay altogether, so covering half was within her acceptable range.

Jiang Shi replied, “Have your son apologize to my cat.”

Mrs. Lin was furious. “Are you insane? Why should my son apologize to this filthy thing?”

Hearing the word “filthy,” Jiang Shi’s face immediately darkened. “Because I consider it my child too.”

“I’m taking my cat for a check-up soon. If it has any injuries, you’ll have to cover all medical expenses. As for emotional damages, I’ll decide depending on the situation.”

Mrs. Lin looked at him like he was crazy.

She tried to pull her child away, but Jiang Shi’s words stopped her in her tracks.

“You can leave, but if you do, I won’t pay a single cent for the vaccine.”

Mrs. Lin gritted her teeth and glared at Jiang Shi.

She had already noticed that this cat owner was far from lacking money. The scarf around his neck was from a brand she had seen on TV, costing tens of thousands.

If it really came down to a confrontation, she’d likely end up losing.

She pushed her crying son forward. “You made the mess, you deal with it.”

The little boy stumbled in front of Jiang Shi, staring at him in terror and even forgetting to cry.

To be fair, Jiang Shi’s stern demeanor could scare any child.

Jiang Shi glanced at him and pointed to the bushes. “You bullied him today. Apologize.”

The little boy’s voice trembled with fear. “Kitty, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have poked you with a stick.”

After saying it, he seemed ready to cry again.

Mrs. Lin, despite acting indifferent to her son, couldn’t help but feel distressed. She pulled the child into her arms and glared at Jiang Shi. “Satisfied now?”

Jiang Shi’s face remained emotionless. “Yes, I’ll have my landlord pass the money to you.”

With that, the matter was resolved, and the onlookers dispersed. On a cold winter evening, no one wanted to stand outside freezing any longer.

Jiang Shi’s pocket buzzed occasionally, but he was in no mood to check.

Bamboo glanced at Jiang Shi’s blank expression and felt a bit uncomfortable. “Jiang Shi…”

Ever since Jiang Shi had a massive fight with his father at an internet café, their story had been a hot topic in the neighborhood. It was then that Bamboo learned Jiang Shi’s mother had died during childbirth. Many people labeled Jiang Shi as unlucky, with his father leading the accusations.

Father and son lived like enemies, constantly fighting. When he was younger, Jiang Shi got beaten, when he grew older, he fought back desperately to resist his drunken father.

Bamboo couldn’t imagine the kind of environment Jiang Shi had grown up in, with people treating his misfortune as gossip.

He wanted to say something comforting, but Jiang Shi interrupted, “I’m fine.” His tone was calm.

Jiang Shi stared at the dark bushes. “You should go back. Xiao Hei is probably terrified right now. If you stay, he might not come out.”

“I’ll stand farther away,” Bamboo suggested. “I’ll keep you company.”

“But… are you sure Xiao Hei is in there?” 

It was too dark to see anything.

Jiang Shi nodded. “When that kid was poking the bushes, I heard it hissing.”

Small but fierce — if the boy had reached a bit farther, he’d probably have been scratched.

After some time, Jiang Shi convinced Bamboo to leave. Now, only he and the hiding black cat remained by the apartment building.

The cold wind made Jiang Shi’s hands and feet numb. 

He squatted beside the quiet, dark bushes, the cool streetlamp casting his small shadow. His scarf hung loosely around his neck, so he adjusted it to avoid it getting dirty.

After squatting for about half an hour, the shadows in the bushes shifted slightly. Then, a pair of pointed ears appeared at the edge of the darkness.

Jiang Shi looked at the ears and smirked. “Scared stiff by a little kid? Aren’t you ashamed?”

“They call you unlucky. Why don’t you talk back? You always meow at me when you’re being stubborn, and you’re pretty fierce then.”

The ears twitched, though it was unclear whether it was agreement or disagreement. Still, the cat didn’t come out.

On such a cold night, many stray cats and dogs wouldn’t survive. Xiao Hei had always returned to Jiang Shi’s apartment to sleep before.

“If you don’t come out, I’ll leave you out here,” Jiang Shi said.

Despite his words, the cat remained hidden. He had been truly frightened earlier.

Jiang Shi rubbed his frozen hands and was about to lean closer for a better look when his phone rang again — this time, a call.

Was someone already calling about the money?

He checked the screen and saw it was Xie Xu.

“Why didn’t you reply to my messages?” Xie Xu asked.

Jiang Shi glanced at the time. It had been an hour and a half since he left the wonton shop. “Captain, something happened. I had to handle it back at the apartment.” He briefly explained the situation with Xiao Hei.

“I’m waiting for the cat to come out now.”

Xie Xu could hear Jiang Shi occasionally exhaling sharply from the cold. “You’ve been outside this whole time?”

“Yeah, but I’m not cold. I’m wearing your scarf!”

“I know this stinky cat well. Give it another half hour, and he’ll probably come out.”

After that, Jiang Shi asked Xie Xu about one thing. “Captain, is it okay to keep a cat at the base?”

He originally planned to bring it up after the Spring Festival, but now that this incident had occurred, he was worried Xiao Hei might be mistreated in the neighborhood. Xiao Hei was used to its freedom, and Jiang Shi couldn’t keep it locked up all the time. He wondered if he could bring it to the base earlier than planned.

“That should be fine,” Xie Xu replied. “Lele’s been asking to keep a pet for a while.”

“But…” Jiang Shi hesitated. “This cat is special. I’m not sure if the others will accept it.”

“Never mind. I’ll ask them. It’s no big deal.”

Jiang Shi opened the group chat and sent a message.

[Obedient Jiangjiang]: Can I bring a cat to the base?

Jiang Lele was the first to reply.

[The Group’s Most Handsome Guy Jiang Lele]: Sure! I’ve wanted a pet for ages!!!

[Nine-ge]: Up to you. Cats are cute.

[Back]: I don’t mind.

[Yuan Yang]: I only care about one thing, will the cat chew on our equipment cables?

[Obedient Jiangjiang]: No, I promise.

His second-hand computer had been sitting in the apartment for ages without a single bite mark.

[Yuan Yang]: Then fine. The base is big enough. Keeping a cat should be easy.

[Obedient Jiangjiang]: By the way, it’s a black cat.

In many people’s eyes, black cats were seen as unlucky. Xiao Hei had often been called a jinx in the neighborhood and had even been ostracized by other stray cats. When Jiang Shi first adopted it, it had been skin and bones.

He worried his teammates might mind.

[Back]: ?

[Nine-ge]: What’s wrong with a black cat?

[The Group’s Most Handsome Guy Jiang Lele]: T Bao is probably worried we’ll step on the cat in the dark? I always see those videos of black cats with glowing eyes—they’re practically invisible in low light, hahaha…

[Back]: Then I’ll walk carefully at night.

[Yuan Yang]: I get your concern, but nobody here believes in that superstitious nonsense. Go ahead and bring it.

[Xu]: Yeah.

Seeing their messages, Jiang Shi couldn’t help but rub his eyes. At that moment, a small black cat head peeked out of the bushes, its bright eyes cautiously watching him.

Xie Xu’s voice came through the phone. “Feeling better now?”

They were still on the call.

“Has the cat come out yet?” Xie Xu asked.

Jiang Shi looked at the dark little head and sniffed. “He’s halfway out.”

His hands were too cold, so he put the phone on the ground and switched to speaker mode.

Xie Xu paused before suggesting, “Want me to try persuading the cat?”

Jiang Shi was stunned and couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Captain, this cat is more stubborn than me.”

“But if you want to try, go ahead. I’ve turned on the speaker mode.”

Soon, Xie Xu’s voice came from the microphone, “Hello, my name is Xie Xu, nice to meet you.”     

Saying this to a cat is a bit too formal.     

Jiang Shi couldn’t help but smile. 

Xiao Hei didn’t respond, but his ears stood up higher.     

“It’s 0℃ outside now, aren’t you very cold?”

Jiang Shi nodded. The cat’s ears also twitched in response. 

“Do you want to come out? You have a new home, and no one will bully you anymore. Don’t be afraid.”     

Xie Xu’s voice was gentle and clear in the winter night.     

“I’m in that home too, I will protect you.”     

Slowly, there was a rustling sound from the bushes, followed by the sound of feet stepping on broken leaves.     

Xiao Hei finally came out of the bushes, tilted his head and glanced at Jiang Shi.