Chapter 60: The Old Woman with the Cat’s Face

“Shi... Brother Shi, you're here too?” Only then did Feng Sanpao notice Shi Chengjin’s presence.

He dashed to the wide-open window at the speed of a hundred-meter sprint, then flashed a smile as if reborn after a calamity.

“Another one who complains about my smelly feet!” Shi Chengjin snorted, though he didn't say much more.

“Weren't you supposed to buy some gifts for me? Why did you come back empty-handed?” Chang Yu looked at Feng Sanpao’s empty hands, unsure what to say.

Feng Sanpao began to talk at length, spitting as he spoke, leaving Chang Yu and Shi Chengjin bewildered: “Buy gifts? I don’t have a penny left on me right now, how could I possibly buy anything?”

Chang Yu was taken aback and asked curiously, “Didn’t you still have several thousand yuan on your salary card the last time we left the mall? How did it disappear so quickly?”

“I ran into a man on the way who claimed to be Qin Shi Huang.” Feng Sanpao beamed proudly, showing off to Chang Yu and Shi Chengjin. “He told me to transfer all the money from my card to him, saying his army was in desperate need of funds.”

“He said the money wouldn’t be wasted, and when his army arrives, I’ll become his strategist and enjoy all sorts of glory—titles, riches, a golden house filled with beauties—nothing would be out of reach.”

“Sigh!” Chang Yu sighed. He should never have asked Feng Sanpao to buy gifts if this was the outcome.

Clearly, Feng Sanpao had run into a swindler.

He truly hadn’t expected Feng Sanpao to believe such a clumsy lie.

“So, you gave him all your money?” Chang Yu asked helplessly.

“Of course.” Feng Sanpao answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “I think it’s a good thing. For him to seek me out must mean I have talent!”

Shi Chengjin eyed Feng Sanpao in surprise, as if observing a rare specimen. “Kid, did it occur to you that he picked you precisely because you’re gullible?”

“Why are you all looking at me like that?” Feng Sanpao seemed oblivious to any wrongdoing, feeling as though he alone saw clearly while everyone else was lost.

“Such a great opportunity—you guys couldn’t even hope to encounter it—so why call me foolish?”

“By the way, can any of you tell me how far the First Emperor’s army has advanced? I’ll need to report for duty when they arrive.”

“When I make it big, both of you will benefit from my rise, just like the saying—when one man attains enlightenment, his family prospers.”

“We’re doomed!” Chang Yu covered his face in resignation. “The kid’s truly lost his mind.”

...

“That’s roughly how things went.” In the hospital ward, Chang Yu recounted the incident with Feng Sanpao to Katya.

Now, only the two of them remained in the room. Feng Sanpao had been taken away by Xiao Zhang, at Chang Yu’s request, and returned to the Yongan Security employee dormitory.

Shi Chengjin claimed he needed to continue his training with his master, and after chatting briefly, he too left the hospital.

“This is classic fraud. We all know the First Emperor has been dead for over two thousand years.” It should have been an exciting moment for the two of them, but Chang Yu felt no joy whatsoever.

“Nowadays, the First Emperor’s tomb is in Xi’an, surrounded by a legion of Terracotta Warriors. For someone to claim he’s Qin Shi Huang is pure nonsense! Only Sanpao would believe such a story.”

Katya frowned as she listened to the tale’s details, then said, “I’ll call the police and report the case.”

“This is just ordinary fraud, it’s not our jurisdiction. We’re only tasked with clearing disasters; we can’t overstep and handle criminal cases.”

“I have contacts at the police, though. They’ll investigate thoroughly, and I’ll retrieve every cent that was stolen.”

“Isn’t this just bullying?” Chang Yu was furious. “That swindler knew full well that Feng Sanpao isn’t all there mentally and still conned him out of his money—utterly heartless!”

Chang Yu glanced at the table nearby, where several sealed meal boxes sat—meals Katya had brought specially from the Yongan Security cafeteria.

“Let’s eat something; it’s almost noon. My stomach’s starting to growl,” Chang Yu suggested. “As usual, since I’m not well, you’ll have to feed me.”

“I’ll feed you in a bit,” Katya replied, taking a thermos from her bag. “First, drink the medicine I prepared for you. I made it especially for you—one cup before a meal aids digestion.”

She poured the medicinal liquid from the thermos into a bowl and brought it to Chang Yu’s lips.

Chang Yu stared at the bowl, his expression complicated. For some reason, he was reminded of a classic line:

“Brother, it’s time for your medicine!”

Looking at the dark, murky liquid, Chang Yu felt his situation resembled that of Wu Dalang from the old tale.

Then he looked at Katya—her expression was calm, composed, and elegant.

Comparing his own ordinary looks to Katya’s breathtaking beauty, Chang Yu’s sense of identification grew strong.

“Well... maybe I shouldn’t drink this?” he said nervously, forcing a smile.

“That won’t do,” Katya insisted. “I went to great lengths to make this.”

Her gaze was stern as she looked at Chang Yu. Though her demeanor remained calm, her eyes radiated an undeniable authority.

It was as if she were saying: if you don’t drink this, you’re nothing but a scoundrel.

“All right! I’ll drink it, isn’t that enough?”

Unable to resist Katya, Chang Yu braced himself and swallowed the medicine.

Instantly, the bitter, pungent liquid filled his mouth.

He had no idea what Katya had cooked up, or whether it would cause any problems.

“What sort of medicine is this?” Chang Yu’s mind was uneasy, his heart racing.

“It’s to aid digestion and stimulate your appetite,” Katya explained casually. “You’re injured now, so your appetite won’t be as good as before.”

“Oh... I see.” Chang Yu finally relaxed.

Ignoring Chang Yu’s wild thoughts, Katya opened the meal boxes with a conflicted expression.

She felt as though she were facing a difficult life choice, making her hesitant.

To feed a man so intimately—was it really appropriate?

But then she remembered how Chang Yu had been injured to save her, and her heart lightened.

It’s just feeding someone, after all. What’s the big deal?

She’d already fed him apples earlier; feeding him lunch wouldn't make much difference.

A blush crept across Katya’s cheeks, and her movements became flustered, but she still picked up a piece of tofu and brought it to Chang Yu’s lips.

Certain things become easier after the first time—the second, third, and subsequent times follow naturally.

“Mmm... not bad.” Chang Yu swallowed the tofu in one bite, burning his mouth in his eagerness.

“The cafeteria chef is quite skilled, but the food lacks a hint of the warmth of home.”

“If I could taste a meal cooked by Katya herself, perhaps my life would regain its meaning.”

“With your dexterous hands, anything you cook must be delicious, right?”

“I wonder which lucky soul will get to eat your cooking in the future—he must have saved the galaxy in his previous life.”

Chang Yu gazed at Katya with hopeful eyes, his anticipation nearly shining from his face.

Katya hesitated in her feeding, then reflected and said, “I haven’t cooked in a very long time. My cooking skills have probably grown rusty.”

“If possible,” Chang Yu’s eyes sparkled with expectation, “I’d like to try your cooking.”

“Maybe someday,” Katya replied, sounding perfunctory, as if merely being polite.

Chang Yu’s gaze dimmed for a moment, then recovered: “What did the organization say about the orange cat?”

Katya answered, “The bureau was surprised; they had no idea that the big orange cat was actually the infamous Cat-Faced Granny from H City.”

“They always thought it was just a standard D-class disaster, which is why they assigned it to our team.”

“The Cat-Faced Granny was deeply hidden; no one expected such an ordinary-looking orange cat to be a powerful C-class disaster known throughout the ranks.”

“Years ago, the bureau sent many people to hunt it down, but the cunning creature always escaped.”

“In short, this was a misjudgment by the bureau. We’re all victims of this incident.”

“So it was the Cat-Faced Granny.” With Katya’s reminder, Chang Yu recalled that the disaster’s appearance did seem familiar.

But in the heat of battle, he couldn’t spare the thought; even if it looked familiar, he couldn’t immediately remember its origins.

Now that he thought about it, the disaster had half its face as an old woman and half as a cat—exactly as described in the legends.

The Cat-Faced Granny was a notorious figure in H City’s eerie folklore, said to have caused many deaths.

Back then, even elementary students stayed home, afraid to attend school for fear of falling prey to her.

Who would have thought she’d escape the old hunt only to die at Chang Yu’s hands.

“I’ve always had a question,” Chang Yu’s voice turned somber.

“We—me, you, and Feng Sanpao—all have C-class strength, so why couldn’t we defeat a C-class disaster like the Cat-Faced Granny?”

Katya lowered her lashes, her long eyelashes trembling gently. “Disasters of the same class are stronger and more advantageous than humans of the same class.”

“Their hides are tougher, their claws sharper, their attacks more bizarre—making them hard to guard against.”

“That’s why we fight in teams. One-on-one, humans can’t beat a disaster of equal rank; we have to band together.”

“To kill a disaster, it takes a group of investigators working in concert. Few can take one on alone.”

“Also, both you and Feng Sanpao are new—your first time in combat—so you couldn’t unleash your full strength.”

“Got it!” Chang Yu understood the last point: he and Feng Sanpao were rookies and had held back the team.