Chapter 83: The Life of an Experimental Dog

Jiang Xiaoyu was completely dumbfounded when he was scooped up into a sack. Before he could recover and struggle free, someone had already lifted him out of the bag.

Ye Lan grinned as she stroked the cat’s head a couple of times. “Now that I’ve stolen you, you’re part of the Ye family. From now on, you’ll be called Ye Little Yu.”

Ye Lan was fifty-nine, not yet sixty. In her earlier years, she’d been worn down by that Old Madam of the Ji family, living her days in a rigid routine that had almost made Chen Yiqu forget what a mischievous little girl she’d been in her youth.

Seeing her playing with the cat now suddenly made him feel like that girl, who was a good ten years younger than him, had returned.

He pulled a handkerchief from the breast pocket of his suit and dabbed at the corner of his eye. “Are you heading out now, then?”

Ye Lan hummed in affirmation, adjusting Little Black Cat by cupping his butt to hold him properly, then called out to Yan Feilang. “Fei Lang, hurry and invite Elder Wan out. Someone’s waiting.”

She and Jiang Fenghua weren’t too far apart in age, so she could still call her Sister Fenghua, but facing Wan Qianli, who was more than twenty years her senior—even as peers—she absolutely couldn’t bring herself to call him brother.

Hearing his grandfather’s name, Jiang Xiaoyu grew a bit anxious. His paws scrabbled at Ye Lan’s arm a couple times, his hind legs flipping upward as he tried to jump down.

“Don’t rush, don’t rush. I’ll let you down.” Ye Lan petted the jade token around his neck with a smile.

Jiang Xiaoyu dashed back into the Cat House. Wan Qianli’s spirits looked decent today—he wasn’t huddled in the cat bed but had come down to the ground, resting his head on the books Jiang Xiaoyu had haphazardly piled up.

“Grandpa, can you go outside?” The curly-furred little cat butted his head against Wan Qianli’s chest, only to be picked up and licked on the cheek.

The Old Cat’s awareness came and went; sometimes he recognized people, sometimes not. But luckily, he recognized cats, and seeing Jiang Xiaoyu told him this was his good grandson.

“Grandpa will go with you.” His voice was hoarse and aged when he spoke, but much clearer than before. He got up and walked to the door.

Worried that his body couldn’t handle it, yet also concerned he’d get stir-crazy cooped up in the Cat House forever, Jiang Xiaoyu didn’t stop Yan Feilang from carefully picking up the cat.

Yan Feilang looked burly and rough around the edges, but he was actually very attentive. Knowing Jiang Xiaoyu’s worries, he said, “Don’t worry. Even if I died, I wouldn’t let the Old General take a tumble.”

Jiang Xiaoyu held his head high as he followed behind Yan Feilang. The moment he stepped through the cat door, Ye Lan, who was guarding it, nabbed him on the spot. “The sun’s strong—put on a hat.”

Thus, Jiang Xiaoyu ended up wearing a goose-yellow soft hat with lace trim as Ye Lan buckled him into the back seat.

Yan Feilang meticulously secured Wan Qianli in the safety seat before exchanging greetings with Ye Lan and getting out of the car.

Now it was just Jiang Xiaoyu and Ye Lan alone. He shifted awkwardly toward the edge of the seat, but before he could move two steps, she pressed him back down. The little old lady carried a pleasant scent of face powder as she scooped him up onto her lap. “So soft and fluffy. No wonder Lian-ge likes petting you.”

Her words made Jiang Xiaoyu a bit embarrassed, and he let out a mrowl, glancing toward Wan Qianli, who was squinting off to the side.

“It’s fine—there’ll be people to look after Grandpa once we get there.” Ye Lan stroked Jiang Xiaoyu’s head. “Such nice weather. Auntie Lan will take you out shopping.”

When they arrived at the mall, Jiang Xiaoyu finally realized who Ye Lan meant by “someone’s waiting.”

Jiang Fenghua stood there with A-Cui, who was holding a lightweight silk umbrella over her. Their presence stood out distinctly from the crowd, creating a barrier that seemed to transcend time itself.

Seeing them arrive, a ripple of laughter danced in Jiang Fenghua’s eyes as she reached out. “The sun’s blazing today—this hat looks adorable on you.”

Jiang Xiaoyu didn’t know how to face her and flusteredly turned his head away, placing both paws on Ye Lan’s decorative buttons.

It was an obvious gesture of refusal. Though disappointed, Jiang Fenghua didn’t push it and turned sideways to look into the car. “Qianli, shall I take you out for a stroll?”

Wan Qianli opened his eyes and mumbled in agreement. She bent down to undo the safety straps. Though the Curly-Haired Old Cat was fairly large in size, he was terribly thin and didn’t weigh much. Jiang Fenghua, petite as she was, had no trouble carrying him.

Time never defeats a beauty. These two women, raised in prestigious families, were elegant even in old age. One cradled a curly-furred black cat in her arms, with a couple of bodyguards trailing behind—their head-turning rate was self-evident.

Fortunately, Jiang Xiaoyu was gradually getting used to the stares. Being in cat form now, he settled contentedly on Ye Lan’s shoulder, even switching sides from time to time so as not to tire the woman out.

“Such a thoughtful little treasure.” Ye Lan stroked his little paw dangling over her shoulder, finding the kitten so well-behaved it was no wonder Ye Lian adored him.

Jiang Fenghua watched enviously and stroked the somewhat dry-furred Old Cat in her arms. “Where do we get the grooming done?”

Ye Lan smiled. “Right up ahead. They have excellent pet fur care techniques.”

The shop Ye Lan mentioned was the same one Ji Wangan had brought Jiang Xiaoyu to before. He’d sprawled on the grooming table as the stylist circled him several times.

“Oh, if it isn’t our big internet celeb!” The stylist was a young man who spoke with a bit of a flamboyant flair but was very patient with animals.

He recognized Jiang Xiaoyu—this cat had been blowing up lately. The shop didn’t allow casual photos, so he glanced around to make sure no other staff were nearby, then picked up his phone with eager temptation. After struggling for a moment, he set it down. “Professional integrity, professional integrity,” he muttered to himself before pinching Jiang Xiaoyu’s soft pink paw pads. “The toe fluff is pretty neat, but a bit dry. I’ll rub some grooming oil on them later.”

Ye Qingxu would bathe and brush Jiang Xiaoyu’s fur, but he knew nothing about professional grooming and had never thought to bring the kid out for it. So when the round, fluffy, and fragrant little cat appeared before the elders after the trim, the delight in the women’s eyes nearly overflowed.

“So cute.” Ye Lan beamed as she pulled out her phone and snapped a bunch of photos of Jiang Xiaoyu on the table. Then, narrowing her eyes, she sent them to Ye Lian: Your cat’s in my hands. Get back within two days, or I’ll smother him with kisses.

Jiang Fenghua held the now-groomed and much sprightlier Old Cat. Seeing the fresh, dewy little cat perched on the table, she was so smitten she didn’t know what to do with herself. She set the Old Cat down next to Jiang Xiaoyu and, mimicking Ye Lan, unleashed a barrage of shots on the grandfather-grandson duo.

Jiang Xiaoyu felt a bit restrained, while the Old Cat half-closed his eyes and nuzzled him affectionately.

Ye Lan had hauled that sack all the way here just to steal the cat, apparently for the express purpose of grooming and shopping for cat clothes.

Little Black Cat was now dressed in a full-body pantskirt that covered his legs, ensuring the freshly oiled paw pads wouldn’t get dirty even if he ran on the ground.

He ambled slowly behind the elders, marveling inwardly at their little high-heeled shoes. Women truly were remarkable creatures, able to walk such long distances in those.

“Madam Ji!” Someone called out to Ye Lan, and the group halted.

Jiang Xiaoyu looked up to see a short, skinny middle-aged man who appeared in his fifties or sixties, arm linked with a tall woman.

“Hello. And you are?” Ye Lan seemed not to recognize him.

“Ding Zhiman, director of the Pine City Experimental Dog Breeding Base. We met at an auction—you were with your son, Mr. Ye Lian, and he bid on a piece of raw emerald stone from my collection.”

Jiang Xiaoyu had been trailing a few steps behind but slowly drew closer upon hearing “Experimental Dog Breeding Base,” his pupils contracting.

Ye Lan remembered now, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with a polite smile. “Director Ding, hello.”

Ding Zhiman was warmly enthusiastic, which irked his female companion. She covertly pinched his arm. Glaring at her irritably, he turned back, bending at the waist toward Ye Lan. “Have you decided what to do with that raw stone? If not, I know a renowned carver I could recommend.”

“No need to trouble yourself.” Ye Lan bent down to pick up Jiang Xiaoyu from her feet, her slender fingertips lifting the Lotus Flower Jade Token. “It’s already done.”

Ding Zhiman was sharp as a tack, quick to pivot. “Wow, this is divine craftsmanship! I’ve collected art for years, but this is the first lotus-shaped jade token I’ve seen.” Eager to keep chatting, he added, “I recall the raw stone being much larger—this pendant seems a bit small?”

Ye Lan patted Jiang Xiaoyu’s head. “The rest was carved into jade balls and little trinkets. Just cat toys anyway.”

Ding Zhiman inwardly smacked his lips: As expected of Locust City’s top family—even a billion-yuan emerald was just playthings for their cat. His gaze shifted to the elegant Jiang Fenghua with her bodyguards and deferentially asked, “And this esteemed old madam is?”

Jiang Fenghua came from a wealthy maternal line and a powerful paternal one; proud by nature, she couldn’t soften her temper even for family, let alone some random passerby.

She gave Ding Zhiman a cool sidelong glance and stroked the Old Cat in her arms without a word.

But that haughty demeanor only excited Ding Zhiman more—he knew she had to be from a background on par with Ye Lan’s. Unable to resist networking, his eyes darted around. Noticing they both had cats, his mind raced, and just as he was about to steer the topic to pets, the relatively plainly dressed old lady by the noblewoman’s side spoke up: “This is the lady of the Jiang family from Paulownia City.”

Ding Zhiman caught on instantly, beaming. “No wonder! With your refined poise, you must be from a great clan like the Jiangs.”

Ye Lan stepped back a couple paces, one arm cradling Jiang Xiaoyu while using her handkerchief with the other to cover her smile. Leaning toward the staring Jiang Xiaoyu, she whispered, “You can tell at a glance he’s no good. That woman by his side? Definitely his mistress.”

Jiang Xiaoyu was stunned for a few seconds by her words, then he came back to his senses and looked over carefully. That tall, glamorous woman seemed dissatisfied hearing Ding Zhiman praise other women, but knowing she couldn’t afford to provoke these people, she had no choice but to gaze at a luxury store by the roadside, practically itching to charge in.

Jiang Xiaoyu let out a meow. What he actually wanted to ask was about this man’s identity.

Pine City Experimental Dog Breeding Base—wasn’t that the place where Yellow-White Patch came from? Unfortunately, both Ye Lan and Jiang Fenghua couldn’t understand cat language, so they couldn’t voice the question for him.

Ding Zhiman continued fawning and chatting for a bit with a full face of sycophancy. Seeing Jiang Fenghua’s impatient expression, he knew when to quit. He left his business card with the two women, then smugly led his lady into the luxury store she’d been eyeing.

Jiang Xiaoyu hadn’t expected that two days later, when he saw the man again, he’d be in such a pathetic, begging state.

—

“Hurry and contact the platform to take down all the videos!” Jin Ge had smoked two packs in one night, his voice hoarse like it’d been fumigated by toxic fumes.

Thanks to efforts from all sides of society, the animal abuse videos had been taken down by network censors. After a few days of calm, in the wee hours of this morning, even more explosive videos were uploaded online.

Looking at the familiar man’s face in the video, Jiang Xiaoyu exclaimed in shock, “Ding Zhiman?”

Jin Ge, with a cigarette burning anxiously between his lips and eyes full of red veins, asked, “You know him?”

“Yesterday when I was with… Grandma and them shopping, we ran into him. He struck up a conversation with them and introduced himself. He’s the head of Pine City Experimental Dog Breeding Base?”

“That’s right.” Jin Ge watched the man begging pitifully in the video. He was completely naked, his limbs nailed to a wooden frame. Someone in a rabbit costume walked up to the camera holding a massive syringe.

Under the rabbit head hood came a string of emotionless mechanical sounds: “How much do you all know about experimental dogs? Oh, maybe you all know about beagles and the existence of experimental dogs. When you hear about them, you feel pity, and those with high empathy might even shed a few tears. Or maybe you’ll leave comments like…”

“So pitiful.”

“Can we adopt one?”

“Rest in peace, baby.”

“It hurts my heart to watch, thanks for your efforts.”

The rabbit costume’s face showed buckteeth in a smile, paired with the icy mechanical voice, dripping with sarcasm: “And then? One second later, you’ll swipe to the next video. Ten seconds later, you’ll be laughing at funny clips. Thirty seconds later, they’ll be completely forgotten by you.”

“Of course, I’m not accusing you all.” He raised his hand, the syringe pointing like an arrow at the sky: “After all, selfishness is human nature. To survive, we have to sacrifice other lives—that’s only natural.”

“But!” He aimed the syringe at the screen: “After going through clinical medical experiments and blast injury tests, why can’t those experimental dogs get peace? They’re trafficked by people, their dog meat dragged into butcher shops, skinned, halved, hearts dug out, bones removed! Is that bloodstained meat really that delicious?”

The rabbit shook with laughter, the weird mechanical cackle lasting dozens of seconds. Then, he raised the syringe and approached the piglet-smooth naked Ding Zhiman, tone manic: “Let me solemnly introduce this man to everyone—Ding Zhiman, Director Ding. Head of Pine City Experimental Dog Breeding Base. He’s tested multiple batches of chemical drugs for cancer treatment, making irreplaceable contributions to human clinical medicine!”

“Uh huh, me and you watching the screen—we probably both owe him a thank you. After all, who knows if one day in the future, we’ll need those chemo drugs tested on experimental dogs ourselves?”

The rabbit lightly poked Ding Zhiman’s belly with the needle tip, once, twice. Ding Zhiman was already scared shitless, snot and tears streaming as he begged desperately: “Please let me go, I didn’t mean to! I really didn’t want to do it that way! I wanted to euthanize them, for real! It wasn’t me who wanted to sell the dog meat!”

“Not intentional?” The rabbit let out a big laugh: “Hahaha, audience, he says it wasn’t intentional! Abandoning his wife and kid wasn’t intentional, not euthanizing the experimental dogs wasn’t intentional, using the dog meat money to buy bags for his mistress wasn’t intentional.”

“But he spends that dirty money more! Happily! Than! Anyone!”

The rabbit jabbed the needle into Ding Zhiman’s belly. The man let out a agonized howl, and before he could catch his breath, the rabbit pulled out the needle and leaned sinisterly close to the screen: “For experimental dogs, at the end of their miserable lives, if they could get one euthanasia shot, that’d be the most ridiculous reward in their tragic existence. But euthanasia drugs are so expensive—these beasts can’t bear to use them, so instead they get air injected into their veins. Saves money and effort, and the dog meat after death can still fetch a price.”

“Isn’t that right, Director Ding?” The rabbit held the air-filled syringe and walked back to Ding Zhiman’s side, leisurely patting the man’s arm to find the injection spot.

As the man convulsed in agony, the screen cut to footage of experimental dogs undergoing medical tests and their deaths throughout their lives.

Jiang Xiaoyu couldn’t bear to watch the rest of the footage. Jin Ge turned off the screen, and everyone in the room fell silent.

“Fuck… Is it really as bad as he said?…” A criminal police officer muttered to himself.

Some of the more sensitive ones were already covering their reddening eyes: “Animals, how much money do these people need to be satisfied? They gave their whole lives, and at the end, those people won’t even spend on a single euthanasia shot?”

Jin Ge stayed silent, letting the cigarette burn to his fingertips. He released his fingers, stood up to open the window and let out the smoke. Just as he was about to say something, he heard someone speak:

“Even so, that can’t be a reason for him to harm others. Fighting evil with evil, violence with violence—if we waver on that logic, then what’s the point of our existence? What’s the meaning of the law?”

Jiang Xiaoyu’s eyes shone brilliantly: “We are the police, we stand for justice. We protect lives, whether they’re good or evil, human or not.”