Chapter 56 Part 2

Why hadn’t he seen the cat or dog after so long today?

Phone in hand, Bo Ting puzzledly stepped back toward the balcony, only to widen his eyes: the balcony was empty—Doudou and Tang Yuan were gone?

No wonder it had been so quiet earlier. The dog and cat weren’t home.

Wait, where did they go?

Bo Ting searched the house puzzledly but found no trace of the pets. He asked in the group chat.

“Folks, sorry to bother.”

“Has anyone seen Doudou and Tang Yuan today?”

Sister Han sat up in bed.

“Hm? Doudou’s missing?”

Bo Ting felt a bit awkward.

“Just got back and didn’t see them.”

“I’ll look again.”

He put on a mask to search anew but saw Aunt Qian post in the group, puzzled.

“A few minutes ago, I could still hear that dog barking like crazy, but now it’s gone?”

Huh?

A few minutes ago, it was still barking?

Bo Ting estimated the time it took him to go upstairs.

Doudou should have been home, right?

A faint sense of unease stirred in his heart. He glanced toward the balcony again and called out, “Doudou?”

The balcony remained perfectly quiet—no dog’s woofing, no cat’s meowing.

Bo Ting approached with some doubt, then took two cans of pet food from the locked cabinet, opened one, and tested the waters.

“Didn’t I tell you last time?”

“If you want something tasty, just tell Dad.”

“Don’t learn from Little Blue downstairs and run away from home.”

“If you come back, you can eat as much as you want tonight.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a faint rustling sound came from the windowsill nearby.

Bo Ting listened carefully and seemed to hear something like claws scratching on the floor.

He narrowed his eyes.

“Sigh, now even opening a can doesn’t bring the dog running.”

The rich aroma of the pet food wafted out through the window.

A minute later, with a “woof,” a massive dog deftly pawed open the window, leaped down from the air conditioner platform, and poked its head innocently into the house.

Bo Ting: …

He was furious—furious!

Good grief.

So it had hidden away just to scam some canned food?

Last time, to keep Doudou and Tang Yuan from imitating Little Blue, he’d given them extra treats. He never imagined they’d turn the tables on him.

Bo Ting’s anger was about to erupt, but he kept a straight-faced “good dad” expression and cracked open another can.

Sure enough, seconds later, the impatient Tang Yuan wriggled down from the air conditioner platform too.

The cat and dog nimbly jumped back inside, making him—the guy who’d just come home searching for them—look like a total sucker.

Bo Ting: …

“Good kids.”

“You must be starving. Eat some canned food to recharge.”

Doudou and Tang Yuan exchanged a glance. They usually couldn’t stand each other, but at that moment, the cat and dog were perfectly in sync.

No wonder humans ran off from home now and then—hiding really did score extra snacks.

And… Bo Ting had promised them all-you-can-eat canned food!

This thrilled both Doudou and Tang Yuan.

As soon as the dog and calico cat lowered their heads, Bo Ting swiftly slammed the window shut and locked it.

He then grabbed Tang Yuan and Doudou by the scruffs of their necks.

“Fine.”

“You’ve learned to scam snacks!”

They never learned the good stuff, only the bad.

Bo Ting took a deep breath, immediately messaged the group chat to explain to Sister Han and Boss Zhu, then couldn’t resist venting to Xu Qinglai.

“I almost thought they’d really gone missing.”

“Turns out they were hiding to trick me!”

Xu Qinglai had been wondering why Bo Ting suddenly went quiet, but now he received the exasperated rant and chuckled inexplicably.

In his mind, he could picture Bo Ting’s current expression from the chat description, which made his eyes flicker as he shook his head.

“Look on the bright side—at least they’re smart.”

Bo Ting: …

That smarts was all used to outwit him!

No wonder Boss Zhu and Sister Han looked prematurely aged—it was all Doudou and Tang Yuan’s fault!

Bo Ting glared fiercely at the two little rascals and decided to teach them a lesson tonight.

After heading to the bedroom, he planned to hang Tang Yuan and Doudou on his bedroom door for the night!

Let them feel the master’s authority.

Even in their sleep, he’d condemn them!

Doudou knew it was doomed the moment the can was taken away, but it was too late to escape. It could only whimper as it got grabbed.

Tang Yuan… had no chance to resist at all and was the first stuffed into the cloth bag on the door.

After all their scheming, the cat and dog hadn’t gotten a single bite. They deflated in disappointment.

Bo Ting smirked evilly, finally calming down, and headed to the bathroom for a shower.

…

After last night’s chaotic “joint operation” with the flying dog and scampering cat, Bo Ting deeply realized he couldn’t leave Doudou and Tang Yuan together.

Whenever they were together, the cat and dog caused trouble.

So the next morning, after waking up, Bo Ting planned to take Tang Yuan out while leaving Doudou to cool off.

Early morning:

He’d just bought breakfast and sat in the car when Xue Hengfu spotted the activity outside Taiping Luxury Garden’s gates.

Hmm, right on time.

Out again.

This guy came out almost every day and was so diligent.

Xue Hengfu was musing when he noticed what Bo Ting held.

This shark-headed weirdo wasn’t alone this time—he was carrying something?

From afar, through the black hoodie, it was hard to make out. Only when Bo Ting approached did Xue Hengfu see it was a pretty calico cat nestled softly in “Bo Ting’s” arms.

As he passed the parking lot, Xue Hengfu instinctively glanced over, only to see the calico cat suddenly turn its head. A pair of clear yellow eyes looked his way, followed by a tiny “meow.”

Holy crap!

Xue Hengfu jolted and immediately ducked his head.

Bo Ting looked down in confusion.

“Hm?”

“Why’d you meow all of a sudden?”

“Not used to the outside?”

Boss Zhu had said this little calico used to roam outside, so she shouldn’t be stressed.

Tang Yuan groomed her paw, then slowly withdrew her gaze.

As Bo Ting bent down, she lifted her head and casually swished her fluffy tail across his neck.

Bo Ting, secretly coddled: …

“Alright, no more acting cute.”

“No snacks for you today, absolutely not.”

Seeing she couldn’t score any canned food, Tang Yuan regretfully lowered her head.

Meanwhile.

The Resurgence Management Office’s chat was blowing up.

After being eyed by the calico, Xue Hengfu immediately reported the anomaly back to HQ.

“Captain Zheng, ‘Bo Ting’ brought a cat out today. Not sure what it means.”

Zheng Shangyun: …?

A cat?

Didn’t Taiping Luxury Garden have a dog?

How was there a cat too?

And… could cats even leave the neighborhood?

He overthought it for a second, then frowned upon snapping back.

“Can you tell if the cat is a weirdo?”

Xue Hengfu glanced at his captain. Si Ning shook his head, looking awkward. “It looks like an ordinary cat.”

“Just really pretty.”

“Probably… mental-type?”

Xue Hengfu guessed off the cuff—high-value weirdos were often mental-affinity, good at confusing humans.

Zheng Shangyun nodded, accepting the explanation.

“Keep observing.”

“Be careful not to get spotted.”

“Yes, Captain Zheng. Don’t worry.”

Xue Hengfu nodded. He’d tailed for days—how could he get caught?

But right after the thought, there was a “bang” on the car roof.

Something heavy had landed.

Then a cute meow sounded through the car.

Xue Hengfu stiffly looked up to find the roof caved in like scrap metal.

And that meow had come from—right above him?!

Dead silence filled the air.

Xue Hengfu’s mind went blank.

After locking eyes with the calico through the empty roof, a slender white hand scooped her up next. Then the familiar shark head peered in.

Two fluffy faces side by side—it was like stacking buffs.

Xue Hengfu sucked in a cold breath as the “Bo Ting” holding the cat asked:

“Huh? What are you guys doing here?”

“What a coincidence.”

Recognizing the staffer who’d given him a ride to the Population Census Office that first day, Bo Ting felt a bit surprised.

But then he scanned the people inside, his voice slow and hesitant:

“Are you tailing me?”

Xue Hengfu: …!!!

H-How did It figure that out?

The little calico that had just smashed the roof now stared innocently at him, as if suspicious too.

In a flash, Xue Hengfu came up with an excuse.

“We have some business with you.”

“The original owner from yesterday’s transfer has an ID issue. Have you met them?”

He coughed lightly.

Si Ning already pulled out a photo.

“It’s this guy named Mu Feng.”

“Has Mr. Bo seen him?”

The tension eased a bit.

Bo Ting glanced at the photo and jolted in surprise.

Ah, wasn’t this the fugitive he’d tied up in the West View Paradise mansion?

The Population Census Office had traced it to him—they were pros.

Bo Ting felt a pang of guilt, his gaze flickering as he racked his brain for an excuse.

The shark head across from them fell silent.

The atmosphere froze.

One line flashed in Xue Hengfu’s mind:

“We’re screwed!”

Was the excuse no good?

He’d never appreciate a calico’s looks again, that damn cat.

Xue Hengfu clutched the car, on the verge of tears.

After a full three minutes of silence.

Bo Ting, holding the now-fur-ruffled Tang Yuan, spoke gravely.

“Since you already know…”

“Come with me then.”

He’d planned to anonymously dump the two fugitives on the authorities. But since the Census Office had come knocking, he had no choice but to hand them over.

He just hoped his newly transferred house wouldn’t get reclaimed.

The further they walked, the more nervous Bo Ting got.

After crossing the street, he stopped abruptly and turned back with feigned concern to fish for info.

“What did those two do?”

“Can you tell me?”

Xue Hengfu: …

His heart skipped. He glanced covertly at the shark head beside him, unsure of the intent.

Eyes met; Xue Hengfu forced a dry laugh.

“Nothing inconvenient.”

“They’re members of a secret organization. They’ve done plenty of illegal stuff these past few years, and… cough, they worship an evil god?”

His last words were softer, lest “Bo Ting” take it personally.

But as Bo Ting listened, his expression gradually turned odd.

Wait, this “evil god” description sounded just like that hacker trying to siphon his money?

Could that be the so-called Copper Splitter?

Bo Ting’s face twisted strangely. He suspected the Census Office had been duped.

It was just a skilled hacker—nothing godly about it.

Even Upstart Bro had blocked its money-moving tricks.

No, he had to expose it!

That should count as meritorious service, right?

His house wouldn’t get reclaimed then?

In an instant, Bo Ting felt refreshed, his thoughts syncing perfectly with the calico that had just ass-planted the car roof.

He looked down at Tang Yuan, finally understanding her good intentions.

“Punishment reduced by one day,” he coughed lightly.

The calico perked up with a jolt, full of energy now.

As Bo Ting scratched her chin, she rolled over with a soft “mrrrow.”

Xue Hengfu, who’d witnessed her smash the custom car with her butt: …?!!