Chapter 2494: Cat Search Notice
After buying their things, it was almost mealtime, so Xu Huo and his group found a place to eat.
The two members of the Wan family and the old lady all had poor appetites, while Bubble Bean, caught up in the mindset of freeloading off the wealthy, ordered quite a few dishes.
Xu Huo took a sip of tea and refilled the cup for the old lady beside him, who kept drinking water. "You don't need to be so nervous. Since things have come to this, you're powerless to change it. You might as well think about how to spend your old age."
"The Wan family lost several people because of you, and who knows what trouble they'll face in the future. Don't just dwell on your own vendetta—think about the people who've been dragged into this for no reason, and how you're going to repay your debts."
"The Wan family just had a child born recently. I see you're still strong and healthy, so why not go work for them to pay off what you owe? You're alone anyway, and a bit twisted. Spending time with innocent kids might even extend your life."
"What? Don't like it? You're the only one left in your family. Instead of staring at photos every day and reminiscing, why not do something beneficial for society? If you really can't stand living, grab a knife and take someone down with you."
"Don't like that either? You're a tough old lady to please."
Bubble Bean was stunned by the exchange, then glanced at the old lady's livid face and gave a thumbs-up. "I thought you were a man of few words, but your tongue is sharp as a blade! That's intense!"
The old lady couldn't take it anymore. She slammed the table and tried to leave, but after two attempts, she couldn't get up.
Glaring at the man beside her, she said bitterly, "Are you trying to torment me for revenge? It's not like I asked you to follow me! What does it have to do with me that you can't clear the instance?"
Xu Huo calmly sipped his tea. "You're overthinking it. Tormenting someone isn't just about running your mouth."
"Old lady, sit tight. Don't think about walking away. If you leave us, do you believe you'll vanish from this world the moment you step out of Pharmaceutical City?"
The old lady was furious, thinking he was threatening her, but then the long-haired player said warily, "Someone else is following us?"
"Others probably realized the Cat Whisker Fruit they snatched back is useless and are planning to come back and silence us," Xu Huo said.
Bubble Bean and the others exchanged uneasy looks. "So the thing she grabbed earlier was fake!"
"Something valued more than life itself—why would it be handed over to a stranger so easily?" Xu Huo said flatly. "The Council election is heating up. Likely, the matters below will be settled before the official vote."
"Drag it out a few days, and that Cat Whisker Fruit of yours will be useless. Naturally, no one will follow you anymore."
The old lady couldn't sit still anymore. Her earlier anger and hostility faded, replaced by pleading. "Go find the hotel manager. He knows who to hand the thing over to!"
Xu Huo remained unmoved. After a moment, he said, "Wind Apricot City isn't so easy to enter now. That hotel manager you mentioned might already be arrested. Whether the Cat Whisker Fruit you took out is real or fake—he might have been the one to verify it. Still want to go to him?"
"Or is there something else you're hiding?"
The old lady closed her eyes and finally said, "It's not that I'm deliberately hiding things from you, but even if you go, it'll be useless."
"You saw those stray cats in Cat Whisker Town. Their evolution isn't obvious compared to other mutated species, and they're not very useful, but they're smart—they recognize people."
"Your real goal is a cat?" Xu Huo raised an eyebrow.
"Are you kidding me?" Bubble Bean's expression turned cold. "Are you messing with us?"
The old lady, who had been mixing truth and lies all along, now spoke with utmost sincerity. "I only remembered when I got to Wind Apricot City. Last year, when my grandson Xiao Feng came home, he brought a cat. I thought it was just one of the town cats at the time."
"I don't really like cats, but Xiao Feng said the cat was very smart—it recognized people, remembered who was good to it, and could not only take revenge but also repay kindness."
"When I was being chased in Wind Apricot City, I saw a cat search notice on the street. The cat had the same pattern as the one Xiao Feng brought home."
"Xiao Feng only told me to find the bookstore owner. If I couldn't find him, to look for the hotel manager. If I was unlucky and couldn't see anyone, I was to wait nearby, and someone would come to me—it would recognize me."
Everyone fell silent after hearing this.
"That's a bit ridiculous," Bubble Bean commented. "You can't rely on people, but you're counting on a cat? Are you sure this isn't just your imagination?"
"Cat search notice—the cat went missing," the long-haired player said. "It was already gone before. Did the notice have a contact method?"
After days of harrowing experiences, the old lady was already doubting everything. "If people can't be trusted, can the contact info on a cat search notice be real?"
"So now we have to trust and search for a cat," Xu Huo summarized.
"Someone actually uses a cat as a partner?" Bubble Bean was baffled and deeply shocked.
"Not necessarily as a partner," the long-haired player said. "Maybe someone trained them as messengers, like carrier pigeons or messenger crows from long ago."
"This isn't exactly unheard of. People have trained pets to carry items for a long time, but it's mostly for fun. No one would use them for truly important things—they're just animals after all."
"Are we going to look for the cat?" the Painting Woman raised her head to ask. "I want to go find the cat."
"Go back to Wind Apricot City now?" Bubble Bean asked Xu Huo for his opinion.
"No," Xu Huo said. "Since we can contact people from outside, we can have them come out."
"The cat search notice should be findable on the Message Collection Terminal." Bubble Bean fiddled with his watch terminal and quickly found the notice. After the old lady confirmed it, he dialed the contact number.
After a moment, the call connected. A hoarse, weary voice said, "My cat has already been found. Don't contact me anymore."
"Are you sure the cat you found is your original one?" Bubble Bean said. "I've found an identical cat here. Don't you want to confirm?"
The other side hesitated before saying, "Turn on the holographic communication."
Bubble Bean couldn't produce a cat out of thin air, so he said, "Forget the cat for now. Have you got the money ready?"
The reward listed on the notice was already high, but he demanded triple the amount, bluntly saying that if the money wasn't paid, he'd stew the cat to nourish himself.
The person on the other end grew anxious. "I'm on a business trip right now and can't get back immediately. Don't do anything rash! Just half a day—no, three hours—and I'll be back. I'll bring the money for sure!"
"Ask for his address," Xu Huo mouthed.
Bubble Bean did as told, and the other party said he was near Renzhi Pharmaceutical City.
After setting a meeting place, Bubble Bean ended the call. "Isn't this too coincidental? How is he just nearby?"
"Not that coincidental," the long-haired player said. "If the cat's owner knows the inside story, it makes sense for him to hide outside his sphere of influence. But this person can't be trusted."