Chapter 2470: The Sound in the Town
"White Notes are a different matter altogether." Ling Ling immediately said.
The Painting Woman cast a disdainful glance at her.
"Meow!" As soon as they got off the vehicle, several plump little cats came over. Nearby tourists were gathered in a crowd feeding them. To get food quickly, the kittens would roll on the ground, show their bellies, rub against people's pant legs, and not resist being petted or picked up.
Ling Ling bent down and scooped up two of them, smiling as she said, "The cats are really warm."
Bubble Bean didn't like cats much, and the cats didn't like him either—both sides gave each other a wide berth.
These cats also didn't like Xu Huo. They completely ignored him as they walked past, heading straight for the Painting Woman.
The Painting Woman was especially popular with the cats. Even though she had no food in her hands, several kittens tried to climb up onto her.
The Painting Woman grabbed the cats one by one with each hand, pulling them off her clothes and then casually tossing them aside.
Seeing her actions, Ling Ling said in surprise, "Throwing them like that will hurt them."
It wasn't that she was deliberately looking for trouble, but the Painting Woman's movements were hardly gentle.
Then the Painting Woman became like a ruthless cat-removing machine, continuously pulling cats off her body and tossing them away, until she was covered in fur and her new clothes were completely ruined.
"This is driving me crazy!" The Painting Woman turned around, bought a water gun from a nearby shop, and started a game of chase with the group of cats.
These cats had undergone over a dozen generations of genetic modification—they could be larger and more agile. It was clear they had a special fondness for the Painting Woman. Even when she sprayed them with the water gun, they stubbornly circled around her, and their numbers kept growing.
"Did you put fish in your bag?" Bubble Bean asked with amusement.
Of course she did. The Painting Woman also liked dried fish, but her dried fish was no different from anyone else's. Yet these cats didn't chase after others—they only chased her. Some cats even took high positions and jumped onto her head.
The water gun battle moved forward from the town entrance, and the townspeople seemed to enjoy watching. Even if some people accidentally got sprayed with water, they didn't get angry.
Xu Huo and the other two followed behind the Painting Woman into the town.
Most of the shops in town sold various handicrafts made from Cat Whisker Fruits, along with a few woven items like hats and scarves. At the center of the town was a giant cat head assembled from Cat Whisker Fruits, with many people lining up to take photos.
While the Painting Woman was in the middle of her battle with the cats, she still found time to ask Xu Huo to queue up for her.
"She doesn't even like cats. Is she really going to take a picture?" Bubble Bean didn't want to waste time here, because players could be seen everywhere in the town. As they walked, they spotted some players buying Cat Whisker Fruits, others trying to apply for jobs at shops, helping with deliveries, or even picking fruits from the mountain and bringing them down to sell to different merchants.
The townspeople generally didn't refuse requests from players. As long as they paid a deposit, whether they wanted to admire the handicrafts or help with work, it was all fine.
A group of children blew cat-head-shaped whistles as they ran past, then chased after the Painting Woman and disappeared into the distance. It seemed that whether it was cats or people, none of them would be back anytime soon. Seeing that Xu Huo had indeed gone to queue up, Bubble Bean curled his lip, pointed at the exhibition hall nearby, and said, "I'll go in and take a look."
Ling Ling also went into a nearby shop.
While queuing, Xu Huo glanced at the photo wall nearby. It had both photos and holographic projections left by visitors. Most of them wore Cat Whisker Fruit accessories. The painting styles varied—some were cartoonish, others realistic—but overall, they leaned toward cute and had a unique charm.
There were many people near the square. You could hear tourists haggling with shopkeepers, as well as players tentatively asking, "What exactly is the Cat Whisker Fruit Journey?" Of course, the townspeople hadn't studied the instance in depth—they just made handicrafts and sold them. If players were willing to help with deliveries, they had no objections. As for the "journey," it might refer to the tourist route or the process of the Cat Whisker Fruit going from seller to buyer.
Those who had arrived early had already failed. They had delivered the Cat Whisker Fruits to Cat Pupil City according to the merchants' requirements but couldn't clear the instance.
Some had simply paid and traveled with the merchants, acting as both deliverymen and bodyguards, but they had also failed.
The players who had returned here began digging into the personal information of the townspeople, focusing on those who seemed particularly special—like whether the Cat Whisker Fruit had any special meaning, or whether someone's upcoming journey differed from others'. In short, they tried every method.
Another popular spot was the bulletin board covered with lost-and-found notices. Most of them were about lost Cat Whisker Fruit handicrafts with sentimental value, along with some job postings. Some shops were doing good business and needed players to help out quickly.
During this time, people were talking about the town mayor. They said the mayor had ordered a cat-head-shaped aircraft from another city, which would arrive soon, and someone was arranging to receive it. This mayor had just taken office and was visiting the previous mayor.
Two nannies came from a shop to pick up custom-made clothes for children. They worked for the Wan family. The employer's pregnant wife was about to give birth, and all the clothes made for the newborn needed to be taken back and washed in advance.
Everything around the giant cat head seemed harmonious. Even crying children would gradually stop fussing when cats came near. However, occasionally, a few unpleasant voices could be heard—people dissatisfied with the new mayor favored by the Wan family.
Strangely enough, even though these voices were unfriendly toward the new mayor, their attitude toward the Wan family remained very positive. They seemed more upset that they themselves or the people they supported hadn't gained the Wan family's approval. One person even engaged in self-criticism on the spot, saying that if the Wan family hadn't valued him, it was because he had shortcomings, and the new mayor must have some exceptional qualities.
This Wan family wasn't just well-regarded—even their ability to recognize talent was acknowledged by others. That wasn't something an ordinary "good person" could achieve.
Xu Huo bought a map of the town, roughly checked the location of the Wan family residence, and waved from a distance to call the Painting Woman back.
It was his turn.
The Painting Woman had lost patience with the cats. She strode under the cat head and flipped off the camera—clearly showing she didn't like it.
With the photo done, the Painting Woman had no regrets and ran back to Xu Huo. "Let's go."
Xu Huo wanted to check out the area near the Wan family. Seeing that Bubble Bean was still in the shop, seemingly unaware that Xu Huo was about to leave, he simply nodded at Ling Ling and took the Painting Woman with him.
The Wan family lived in a residential area on the edge of town. The housing density was low, and there were no defense barriers set up inside or outside the neighborhood—only some surveillance devices were running. However, as they got closer, they could sense that many players were guarding this area. As soon as the two of them approached, several pairs of eyes locked onto them.