Lin Xinyao held the black kitten in her arms, continuously playing with her, stroking her fur, and pinching her limbs.

"Brother, where did you get all these cats from?"

"They came free with my phone bill."

"Meow?" Maomao protested.

"Really?" Lin Xinyao lifted the black cat and looked at her underside.

"Meow meow meow meow?" Maomao frantically struggled.

"It's a little female cat! Let me take good care of you~"

Lin Xinyao carried Maomao into the room. Maomao looked at Lin Bai with pitiful eyes, but was ultimately taken into the room.

"Captain Chi, what are your plans for today?"

"What did you call me?"

"Uh? Chi Xiaoyu?"

"Wrong."

"Then should I call you Xiaoyu?"

"That's better." Chi Xiaoyu nodded. "There's nothing special today. Tomorrow is Qingming Festival. Do you have any plans?"

Lin Bai had just asked casually, but since Chi Xiaoyu brought it up, he took out that video.

"Cold—so cold."

Chi Xiaoyu watched the video with a serious expression and frowned.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? I didn't bring my exoskeleton armor!"

"Sorry!" Lin Bai put his hands together in apology.

"It looks like an infectious anomaly. The infection condition is answering 'cold' when they ask if you're cold."

"It doesn't seem to have much destructive power. Tentatively classified as D-grade."

"Shall we go deal with it together later?"

"Forget it, I've sent the video to the D City Investigation Bureau. They'll handle it."

"Really?"

Lin Bai nodded. If E City had an Investigation Bureau, D City naturally had one too. Looks like he was worrying unnecessarily.

Just then, the door opened, and Lin Xinyao came out carrying a cat wearing a pink hair accessory and a mini apron. The cat's eyes had lost their luster, as if she had been neutered, though she was a female cat and had no testicles.

"What did you do to her?"

"Nothing, just dressed her up in a little skirt."

"Meow—" Maomao stuck out her tongue, looking like she was about to die.

"You didn't feed her anything, did you?" Chi Xiaoyu hurriedly asked.

"I did. At first she didn't want to eat, so I forced a few pieces of cat food into her mouth. Is something wrong?"

Remembering how he had once planned to feed Maomao some cat food but was kicked away by her in disgust, Lin Bai helplessly waved his hand.

"Uh, it's nothing."

"Meow—" Maomao's eyes were filled with tears.

Seeing Maomao's state, Lin Bai recalled his experience eating chocolate and couldn't help but shudder.

"Let's go out, the three of us?" Lin Xinyao suggested.

"Yes, yes!" Chi Xiaoyu agreed.

"Uh, I guess so."

Lin Bai checked the time—1 PM, still a long way from evening.

Lin Xinyao bounced into the room, searching for something. Shortly after, she came out with three vouchers.

"Hehe, I happen to have three exchange vouchers for the game center!"

"Sister Chi will drive. Let's go!"

Arriving at the destination

This was a large shopping mall. The first floor sold phones, cars, and other retail items. The second floor was for entertainment shops, and the third floor was for restaurants. The surroundings were filled with numerous warehouses and buildings, forming a large activity center.

"This way, this way!" Lin Xinyao waved her arms, walking at the front. Lin Bai and Chi Xiaoyu looked at Lin Xinyao in the distance and smiled.

"She's still the same."

"Your sister is so lively."

"Meow—" Maomao still had a lifeless expression, being carried in Lin Bai's arms. The other five kittens were left at home to watch the house.

Lin Xinyao wouldn't stand still even on the escalator. While the escalator was running, she still ran up it, then called out to Lin Bai from above.

"Brother, you weren't like this before!"

Lin Bai held his forehead. In the past, he was just like Lin Xinyao, disliking waiting for the escalator to slowly carry him up.

Entertainment Center, Game Arcade.

Entering the shop, it was filled with various noises. Countless electronic devices came into view, with various childhood arcade game machines arranged inside.

"Boss, three vouchers, exchange for 300 tokens."

"Certainly, here you go."

Holding a handful of game tokens, Lin Xinyao quickly called Lin Bai and Chi Xiaoyu over. After the three of them divided the tokens equally, Lin Xinyao remembered that Chi Xiaoyu had asked her to play wingman, so she hurriedly said to the two:

"Brother, you play with Sister Chi first. I'll go play something else!"

Then she vanished in a flash.

"Hey, wait."

"..."

Seeing this, Chi Xiaoyu tugged on Lin Bai's sleeve. Help me grab this...

In front of them was a row of claw machines flashing with lights, filled with various fluffy cat plushies.

"You still like these?"

"Hmph, help me grab a few, won't you?"

Lin Bai smiled and approached the machine.

"It's just a claw machine, wait a moment."

"Almost got it!"

"Ah, just missed."

"No worries, let's try again."

"Too bad, just a little more."

"Don't worry, my skills are top-notch. I'll definitely get the next one!"

"What? How did it drop again? Is this machine rigged?"

"You..."

"I can't do it."

Looking at the now-depleted game tokens in his hand, Lin Bai fell into thought. Where exactly had he gone wrong?

Chi Xiaoyu handed her tokens to Lin Bai.

"I can't get it, you try yourself?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Chi Xiaoyu turned her head away and whispered.

"I want you to get it for me."

Lin Bai helplessly held his forehead and continued trying.

Seeing that Lin Bai still couldn't grab anything, Maomao kicked the machine and let out a "meow" sound.

When Lin Bai tried again, he miraculously grabbed one.

"Oh! Finally got it."

Lin Bai held a fluffy pink cat head in his hand and gave it to Chi Xiaoyu.

Chi Xiaoyu accepted it with a happy smile.

"It's just a plushie. If you like it, why not just buy one?" Lin Bai couldn't understand why Chi Xiaoyu only wanted this one.

"Buying directly is different."

"How so? They're exactly the same."

Chi Xiaoyu shook her head. Lin Bai couldn't understand—she only wanted the one that Lin Bai grabbed for her, because only the one Lin Bai got for her was unique.

Lin Bai picked up Maomao and stroked her head.

"Lucky cat!"

The two looked around but couldn't find Lin Xinyao. Lin Bai took out his phone and called her.

"Hello, is that you, brother?"

"Where did you go?"

"Hehe, I just beat a game record, and the staff took me to the warehouse to get a prize."

"Where are you?"

"Just outside in a nearby warehouse. But this staff member is strange—wearing such thick clothes in this hot weather. Talk to you later."

"Wearing thick clothes? Don't follow him, he might want to harm you."

Beep beep beep—

The call was disconnected.

"Isn't this where I get my prize? Why did you bring me here?"

In front of her was a cold storage room, with chilling air emanating from it. It didn't look anything like a game arcade warehouse.

The staff member turned around and said slowly to Lin Xinyao:

"Are you... cold?"