ITOTIABSAM | Interstellar Orcs | 113
Throughout the weekend, Xie Ye stayed with Gu Cong.
The company, the public opinion, everything remained calm, as if Xie Ye being kidnapped and turned into a cat was just a dream, unable to stir up any waves in the capital star.
However, secretly, many people were reviewing surveillance footage, transforming into animal forms, and gathering in groups to search for a cat.
"Worthless!"
With a loud bang, the latest communicator was fiercely smashed against the wall, shattering into pieces in an instant. Xie Tianhua, his face wrapped in bandages, took a deep breath, his eyes full of frustration.
The scratch from the desperate Xie Ye showed no mercy, leaving a long-lasting wound, deep enough to see the bone. Xie Tianhua knew that his own father was currently hoping for Xie Ye to inject capital into the family, acting as a savior, while also facilitating connections and providing major projects for the family's company. If his involvement in the kidnapping were exposed, he would surely face another round of scolding.
But he had a better plan.
Because of the unstable new drug, Xie Ye had transformed into a cat that couldn't be recognized by humans, yet his lineage couldn't be severed from the Xie family. Murder was illegal, but what about killing a cat?
Waiting for a sufficient amount of time for his disappearance, Xie Tianhua's company, properties, stocks, everything, would be taken over by the legal "father and brother."
Despite being a spur-of-the-moment plan, it seemed very feasible in Xie Tianhua's eyes. The only problem was that the cat was missing.
After enduring the pain and hastily treating the wound, he immediately sent someone to catch Xie Ye, but they came back empty-handed. The abandoned warehouse area was already considered a slum, with few surveillance cameras, and Xie Ye's small size allowed him to quickly disappear without a trace.
He had tested the same batch of drugs before, and none of them had a similar effect. Xie Tianhua was unsure if Xie Ye could still transform back into a human, so to eliminate any future problems, he needed to act quickly.
"Useless! Useless! They're all useless!" In order to distance himself as much as possible from Xie Ye's disappearance, Xie Tianhua didn't dare to go to a major hospital. The wound healed extremely slowly, and it stung fiercely whenever he moved. Unfortunately, he couldn't control his mouth or his anger.
The fact that his boss had gone missing, and yet Ark Technology, which he had been watching closely, hadn't encountered any trouble at all, managed to successfully sign a new project with the federal government early this morning and even made headlines on the Star Network.
—Well, Xie Ye, that sick little cat, probably had many times when he couldn't wake up normally.
Trying to calm his restless heart, Xie Tianhua thought maliciously that perhaps Xie Ye hadn't been found yet because he had already ended up in a trash heap, becoming a dead cat.
Sneeze.
Xie Ye, who was diligently tapping on the keyboard with his cat's claws, felt a tickle on his nose.
With the system in place, he actually didn't need any communication devices or light brains. However, in the future, if he truly lost his cover, he would have to provide an appropriate explanation to Gu Cong, who had taken him in.
Assistant Anna, the only employee in the company who knew that the small account suffered from Sleeping Beauty Syndrome, was also Xie Ye's junior sister and one of the early members who joined the company at the beginning of its establishment.
This morning, she represented him at the cooperation meeting with the federal government, holding the final version of the proposal sent by Xie Ye, without arousing any suspicion.
Similar situations had probably been dealt with by Gu Cong many times before, assuming that he had left scheduled emails before falling into a deep sleep, without any doubts.
【She also sent meeting minutes and some key documents,】 1101 exaggerated, temporarily residing in Xie Ye's light brain, "Wow, there are so many."
Whether it was intentional indulgence or too much trust, Gu Cong didn't lock the door before going to work. This light brain was secretly found by Xie Ye in Gu Cong's study. It was an older model, but sufficient for basic tasks.
Combining with the memories of his alter self, Xie Ye went through it quickly, leaving corresponding suggestions and annotations.
Gu Cong's file was also included.
In the photo, Gu Cong wore a suit, not smiling, and lacking the gentleness he showed when facing the cat. The sharpness of his facial features was fully displayed, handsome and aggressive.
The basic information in the company's files did not specify Gu Cong's animal form. After all, there were quite a few people like his alter self who were resistant to the so-called "talents," and there were also many black industries related to animal forms, such as human trafficking and illegal drugs that forcibly retained animal ears and tails. The federal government had classified such information as private data many years ago.
As a high-dimensional world, autonomous quick-transmigration system, 1101 naturally could find out Gu Cong's registered animal form in a matter of minutes. However, its host had been instructed not to pry into Gu Cong's privacy without permission, even with the old light brain being used by Xie Ye at the moment. Therefore, it obediently refrained from accessing any records.
Two hours later, after Xie Ye had finished his work, he carefully cleared all traces and turned off the light brain.
The outdated model, much like a tablet in modern society, was far less lightweight and convenient than the current wristwatch version. Xie Ye's new body was indeed smaller, with short hands and feet. It took him quite a bit of effort to drag and shove the light brain back into the cabinet under the bookshelf where it belonged.
Then, he called out, "System."
"Here I am!" With 1101's cheerful tone, a round and flat floor-cleaning robot emitted a white light as it made its way to the study.
Essentially a human-turned-animal form, Xie Ye didn't think he shed as much fur as a regular cat. At least, the pillows he had lain on earlier remained very clean.
However, just to be safe, he asked the system to help clean the entire study.
The professionally treated wound had begun to scab, causing a slight itch. With some time left before Gu Cong finished work, Xie Ye decisively used his claws to remove the medical bandage and threw it into the trash.
Feeling comfortable, he found a narrow corner to nestle in, tucking his front paws neatly and closing his eyes. He thought it was better to avoid slipping every time he jumped around.
Capital Star, 7 p.m.
As he left work, Gu Cong specifically made a trip to the supermarket and bought some fresh fish and chicken for the cat. Standing in front of the apartment door, he deliberately unlocked it with a slower method, creating enough noise to be detected by the cat's ears.
However, when the door opened, the apartment was eerily quiet.
There was no responsible cat waiting for him.
"Well, expecting a cat to be as welcoming as a dog might be a bit unrealistic," Gu Cong thought to himself as he put down the shopping bag and changed into slippers.
"Snowball," he called out while moving around.
In his sleep, Xie Ye's silver-white ears twitched upon hearing the familiar tone, but the unfamiliar name brought him back to a state of calm.
What Snowball? Who is Snowball?
Gu Cong looked around but didn't see the cat anywhere.
He had personally checked the doors and windows before leaving for work, ensuring there was absolutely no chance of the cat unexpectedly getting out. So where could such a conspicuous ball of snow hide?
Ten minutes later, he opened the undiscarded delivery box on the balcony.
The fluffy tail covered his body, and the silver-white cat was sleeping soundly inside.
No matter how he called earlier, the cat ignored him. But now, as he reached out his hand, the cat immediately opened its eyes, jumped out of the box, and elegantly stretched its lazy body.
Gu Cong: ...
This temperament is completely different from when he woke up hungry last night.
Can cats have split personalities?
Noticing the cat's left front paw touching the ground directly and recalling the medical bandages in the trash can, Gu Cong was absolutely certain that the cat had damaged its "restraints" on its own.
Quite polite and clean.
Feeling a mixture of exasperation and amusement, Gu Cong took a step forward, blocking the path of the silver-white cat.
Xie Ye impatiently looked up: ?
This body has limited height. Looking at Gu Cong like this all the time will surely ruin his cervical spine sooner or later.
As soon as he thought of complaining, the next moment, he found himself being lifted up entirely by the person.
Thinking that the other person wanted to cuddle him or take him to eat, or simply feeling too lazy to struggle, Xie Ye pretended to resist for a moment before giving up and letting Gu Cong scoop him up.
...Until he saw a lone trash can lying there with medical bandages in it.
With a flick of his thoughts, Xie Ye lifted his paw and pointed to the robotic vacuum cleaner resting in the corner, recharging.
Gu Cong: "This model doesn't have a mechanical arm."
Even if he discovered something unusual, he wouldn't throw it into the trash can.
"So smart, yet why don't you understand that your wound hasn't healed yet?" Gu Cong casually placed the cat on the sofa and went to fetch the medicine box. Suddenly, as if sensing something, he stopped and turned around. "Don't move."
Xie Ye, who was planning to slip away: ...
Under the warm light of the living room, the medical bandage, which had been cut into small pieces after being applied with ointment, was ready to be reapplied to the cat's wound. Gu Cong noticed that the scab on the wound had started to peel off.
"Is it itching?" His tone involuntarily softened a lot, and Gu Cong gently lifted Xie Ye's injured left front paw, blowing on the pale pink pad. "But we still need to bandage it, otherwise it will leave a scar."
The importance of the paw pad to a cat was self-evident. Unlike pinching, the gentle airflow passing over it made Xie Ye feel an indescribable itch.
The instinctive claws hidden within almost poked Gu Cong's eyes, but he forcefully retracted them. However, Gu Cong seemed not to worry at all and even joked, "What? Want me to trim your nails?"
It seemed like he wasn't concerned about being hurt by Xie Ye at all.
"I only realized after going to work that your fur color is somewhat similar to my new boss's hair," Gu Cong continued to apply the bandage to Xie Ye's paw pad as the cat in his arms stopped struggling. "But he has a ponytail, and you don't."
Starting up the light brain, he clicked on a notification, which was also about the cooperation between Ark Technology and the Federal Government this morning. However, this news article seemed to focus more on the boss's appearance and gossip. It featured several photos of the boss.
The virtual screen displayed a young man with snow-white hair, slightly long and tied up in a small bundle at the nape of his neck. Backlit, his hair shimmered with strands of silver, and his expression was aloof, tempering the innate allure of his appearance.
The most important detail, however, was the color of his eyes—they were black.
1101: “He's wearing colored contact lenses."
Whether it was atavism or a genetic defect, the boss's appearance carried too many features reminiscent of an animal—white hair and emerald eyes, too easily associated with a cat. It was fortunate that the boss had previously disguised himself sufficiently out of aversion, preventing Gu Cong from making other associations due to divergent thinking.
But as the original owner, Xie Ye knew clearly that deep down, the boss didn't actually dislike cats; he just despised his own weakness and vulnerability from his youth.
"Doesn't he look alike?" Completely unaware that the new boss was right in his arms, Gu Cong finished applying the bandage and released the cat. "So beautiful. How about I tie one for you too?"
In his contemplation, Xie Ye jumped away abruptly:
What pontail?
No way.
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