Chapter 105 - 105: Stray Orange Cat
“I’m hungry.” Zhou Chao, who was in a deep sleep, was awakened by the growling of his stomach. He grabbed his phone from the pillowside and realized it was already out of battery. He casually plugged it in to charge.
With no other choice, Zhou Chao got up, picked up the Sky Moon Tourbillon watch from the nearby table, and checked the time—it was already past three in the afternoon. He couldn’t blame his stomach for growling; he had to get out of bed.
Putting on his thick pajamas and strapping on the Sky Moon Tourbillon watch, he headed downstairs.
“Boss.” The people who were seated, including Lin Wu, immediately stood up.
“Yeah, I’m going out to find a place to eat something. I’ll be back soon.”
“Boss, how about I prepare something to eat right away?” Da Wu quickly suggested.
“No need, I’m just going out for a stroll.” After saying that, Zhou Chao walked towards the exit.
“Boss, how about I accompany you?” After a moment of thought, Zhou Chao agreed, and Lin Wu quickly followed.
The two of them walked slowly along the canal embankment.
“Lin Wu, when we get back to Modu, why don’t you and Wang Feng set up a security company? You’ll be in charge of the company’s assets, so you won’t have to keep following me like you do now, wasting your energy by staying at home all the time.”
“Boss-” Zhou Chao looked at Lin Wu’s hesitant expression and waved his hand.
“That’s settled then.” Lin Wu nodded at the decision.
The winter wind in Jingdu was chilly, and while there was no snow, it still sent shivers down one’s spine.
“Meow- Meow-” Clear and urgent cat cries echoed from the direction of the canal embankment.
With his affinity for animals, Zhou Chao faintly felt a hint of desolation in those cries. He followed the sound and walked over.
“Boss.” Lin Wu saw his boss suddenly turning towards the embankment and hurriedly followed.
As Zhou Chao reached the embankment, he noticed a small orange cat struggling in the water. It was lying on the embankment, trying to climb up but unable to.
“Lin Wu, find something to help lift it up.” Lin Wu also saw the little orange cat soaking in the water.
Zhou Chao’s animal-friendly aura gave the small orange cat a glimmer of hope. It lay on the embankment, tilting its head, its two big eyes fixed on Zhou Chao.
“Little Orange Cat, don’t be afraid. 1’11 have someone lift you out soon.” The small orange cat seemed to understand Zhou Chao’s words and responded with a meow.
Soon, Lin Wu returned with a large fishing net.
“Where did you find this thing?” Zhou Chao looked at the fishing net in Lin Wu’s hands, surprised.
“Hehe, I borrowed it from the nearby sanitation aunties. They sometimes use it to retrieve trash from the river.” Lin Wu scratched his head and pointed to the sanitation aunties not far away.
Zhou Chao took the fishing net from Lin Wu’s hands and easily lifted the small orange cat out of the canal.
The wet little orange cat was trembling on the ground, its pitiful cries tugging at Zhou Chao’s heartstrings.
Zhou Chao lifted the small orange cat from the ground and cradled it in his arms. In a moment, his pajamas were soaked.
Seeing this, Lin Wu, who had just returned the fishing net, quickly said, “Boss, let me do it. Your clothes are already soaked.”
“It’s fine. 1’11 change when we get back. Let’s first find a pet clinic to check on this little guy.” Zhou Chao looked down at the sleeping small orange cat in his arms. It had probably exhausted itself from being in the water for too long.
Lin Wu found the nearest pet clinic on his phone—it was less than a kilometer away. After about ten minutes, the two of them arrived.
“Hello, could you please check the condition of this little cat for me?” Zhou Chao held the small orange cat in his arms and saw the busy staff at the pet clinic.
“Sure thing, handsome. Leave it to me.” A young female clerk in her twenties took the small orange cat from Zhou Chao’s arms.
“How long do we need to wait?”
“Probably about an hour.” Zhou Chao checked the time; it was already past 4 o’clock.
“After the examination, please give it a vaccine shot and provide some cat food suitable for it to eat. 1’11 come back to settle the bill later.” The feeling of hunger urged Zhou Chao to find a restaurant and have a satisfying meal.
“Alright.” The female clerk nodded quickly, sensing a significant business opportunity.
“Boss, are you planning to adopt it?” Lin Wu, who was following behind Zhou Chao, asked curiously.
“Well, 1 guess we’re fated to be together!” Zhou Chao thought about the little cat that was only two or three months old, struggling alone in the icy river water, and he also wanted to have a cat as a companion to spend time with.
“Huh? Fog City Noodles?” Zhou Chao walked straight in.
“Boss, is it authentic?” As soon as they entered, they saw the owner sitting at a table, smoking.
“I’m from Fog City, so of course it’s authentic!” The owner quickly stood up upon seeing a customer entering.
“Alright, I’ll have three portions of Wanzha, dry style. Lin Wu, would you like to have a bowl too?”
“I’ll have three portions as well.” The two of them chose a table near the inside and sat down.
“Two portions of Wanzha.” Soon, the owner brought the noodles to their table.
Without much ado, Zhou Chao picked up his chopsticks and began to eat. The taste was indeed quite good.
The three portions of Wanzha were quickly devoured by Zhou Chao. He patted his stomach and felt he could still eat more.
“Boss, two portions of dumplings, please.” The owner wasn’t surprised, and soon the dumplings were served.
“Hey, would you like to have some too?” Zhou Chao looked at Lin Wu, who was staring at him, thinking that he hadn’t eaten enough.
“No need, Boss. I’m already full.” Hearing this, Zhou Chao didn’t pay him any more attention and continued eating.
“Burp.” Zhou Chao rubbed his stomach after finishing, stood up, and prepared to pay and leave.
As he reached for his phone, he remembered that it was still charging at home. He turned his gaze towards Lin Wu, who immediately understood.
“How much is it in total, Boss?” Lin Wu quickly asked the owner.
“45 yuan.” Seeing Lin Wu making the payment, Zhou Chao headed towards the pet store.
“Ding Dong.” Zhou Chao and Lin Wu pushed open the door of the pet store and walked in.
“Is it ready?”
“The bath is finished, and the cat has received its vaccine.” Zhou Chao followed the female clerk and noticed that the small orange cat had transformed. It was currently enjoying its cat food with contentment.
“Meow.” The small orange cat seemed to have noticed Zhou Chao’s presence. It lifted its head and meowed at him. Zhou Chao reached out and gently stroked the little orange cat’s head.
“Sir, would you like to buy some cat climbers or cat beds?” The female clerk beside them noticed that Zhou Chao seemed unfamiliar with cat care and asked.
“Give me a complete set of everything a cat might need. Can you deliver the items?”
“As long as it’s not too far, we can arrange delivery.”
“It’s close by. You can deliver it to Building 30 in the courtyard by the canal,” Zhou Chao replied. The female clerk was briefly taken aback, not anticipating the level of wealth possessed by the attractive man before her – someone who possessed both good looks and financial prosperity.
This time, Lin Wu promptly settled the bill. They spent around ten thousand yuan, and Zhou Chao and Lin Wu carried the cat back home.
By the time Zhou Chao arrived home, the delivery from the pet store had just arrived. Wang Feng and his companions were in the process of moving the items inside. Before long, everything had been moved in.
“Boss, how about giving this little orange cat a name?” Lin Wu looked at the small orange cat getting acquainted with its new home.
After a moment of contemplation, Zhou Chao said, “Let’s call it ‘Shoufu.\'”
“Shoufu? As in ‘First Wealth’ or ‘Prime Minister’?” Lin Wu and the others seemed to catch on.
“Shoufu, come here.”
The small orange cat, which was getting used to its new home, seemed to understand that it was being called. It ran over to Zhou Chao and meowed while rubbing against his leg..