??Chapter 255: Chapter 248 Does this kind of accidental event happen often?
Chapter 255: Chapter 248 Does this kind of accidental event happen often?
Just as Zheng Tan thought, the red rat looked indeed clever and cute, but behind that facade lay a fierce nature and, fundantally, a tendency to bully the weak and fear the strong.
The way those researchers treated the red rat made it clear that, in this period, it had not encountered any threat at all. It got the best food and drink, even the wood for gnawing was custom made, with hardness ticulously calculated and chosen from several types suitable for its teeth grinding needs. Even after killing two of Dean Xie’s carefully bred lab mice, no one punished it; instead, they contacted other research institutes with their lab mice to discuss counterasures, implenting a “sustainable developnt” strategy; for all you know, it might even start receiving international aid. Anyway, the red rat’s future looked prosperous.
Zheng Tan heard that any new decisions made in the institute regarding this rat had to be through a eting and approved by several authoritative figures before implentation. Because everything was done in favor of the creature, it had grown sassy lately. Mr. Jiao said it would even bare its teeth directly at the scientific researchers, not giving anyone face, always causing trouble with impunity, playing in the sink if it didn’t finish drinking water. Now it even beca picky with food, demanding everything fresh, threatening starvation otherwise, though it never truly succeeded in fasting. The caretakers always found new ways to pamper it. Zheng Tan saw two recent photos taken by Mr. Jiao; the red rat had grown a size larger and noticeably chubbier than when Zheng Tan first caught it.
So rodents have to scuttle about in the sewers scavenging for food, like house mice, while others are lavishly pampered, like this red rat. It’s enough to infuriate one rat with envy towards the other.
Once, when Zheng Tan went to Mr. Jiao’s office to climb through a window, he happened to run into Dean Xie, who was about to drive out. But instead of scolding him, Dean Xie gave Zheng Tan a very warm smile.
After returning ho, Zheng Tan got the answer from Mr. Jiao.
Recently, Dean Xie had reaped a lot of projects and support from various quarters thanks to the red rat, and Mr. Jiao was one of the beneficiaries. Although the red rat was no longer considered Mr. Jiao’s “private property,” Mr. Jiao had also benefited greatly. With the consent of a few bigwigs, the “Associate” title in his “Associate Professor” designation was about to be dropped quickly. Moreover, Mr. Jiao found it much easier to apply for projects now. As the saying goes, having connections in high places makes things easier. Sotis, success depends just on a word from so people, and even in this circle that is considered a “sanctuary” and wears a halo, changes had been quietly taking place. Therefore, when Yuan Zhiyi ca over once, she couldn’t help but express to Mr. Jiao, “Your cat has been quite a catch, damn worth it!”
Every ti Yuan Zhiyi visited the Jiao family, she made it a point to worship Heitan, which she explained was not about paying respects to a cat, but to the God of Wealth.
Zheng Tan had grown indifferent to Yuan Zhiyi’s behavior, thinking she was just being silly.
“Your cat is truly godly, Old Jiao, let
tell you, ever since I started worshiping this Lucky Cat, my company has been on a positive developnt trend. Hey, let
show you my collection,” said Yuan Zhiyi, who talked a lot when drunk, flaunting his phone album to Mr. Jiao.
Zheng Tan leaned over and saw that there was an album in the phone nad “Lucky,” filled with pictures of the Black Cat – Zheng Tan and various black custom-made Lucky Cats displayed in Yuan Zhiyi’s office and ho.
“Don’t make him out to be so divine, it’s just coincidence, a series of occasional low-probability events,” Mr. Jiao replied.
Just as Yuan Zhiyi was about to argue, Mr. Jiao’s phone suddenly rang.
Mr. Jiao signaled “let
take this call” to Yuan Zhiyi and pulled out his phone to look. The number displayed on the screen was unfamiliar, and Mr. Jiao did not rush to answer but waited a while. If the caller hung up swiftly, he intended not to bother with it; he often encountered such calls, which after answering, turned out to be either sales, misdials, scams, or occasionally inquiries about the red rat. He didn’t want to answer any of it.
Unexpectedly, the call persisted this ti, with the caller seemingly insisting on “I’ll keep calling if you don’t answer.”
Mr. Jiao then pressed the call button, without rushing to identify himself, “Hello?”
Zheng Tan pricked up his ears to listen to the voice on the phone, suspecting it might concern the red rat, since its fa hadn’t yet died down. However, it seed the caller wasn’t talking about the red rat but sothing else. Zheng Tan couldn’t hear it clearly, catching only a few words.
“…Yes, it’s … Yes… It’s my family’s cat…” Mr. Jiao said, glancing over at Zheng Tan on the couch.
Yuan Zhiyi, who was about to quench his thirst, imdiately perked up his ears and stopped drinking. He stood still, holding his glass, listening to Mr. Jiao’s phone call, occasionally glancing toward Zheng Tan.
“It’s convenient. I’ll be ho tonight. The address is East District B Building Fifth Floor… Okay, see you later then.”
After hanging up, Mr. Jiao looked at Zheng Tan with puzzled eyes, wondering what this cat had done that nobody knew about in the year he’d been away.
“Whose call was that?” Yuan Zhiyi asked.
“The man said his na is Yan He, asked for my na, and if Black Cat was mine, then said he’d co over later to discuss sothing,” Mr. Jiao had never heard the caller’s voice before; it was the first conversation with this person nad “Yan He,” and the topic evidently related to their family cat. He had initially suspected it might involve the red rat, but the caller never ntioned anything about it from beginning to end. What else could it be about, then? And to co over in person to discuss – his tone made it sound as if he were granting Mr. Jiao a great favor.
Yuan Zhiyi’s expression beca serious, “In any case, the Lucky Cat must not be sold!”
“No kidding, did I even need you to tell
that?!” Mr. Jiao tidied up the living room and then discussed with Yuan Zhiyi what they should do next.
“…Yan He’s na does sound familiar.” Yuan Zhiyi decided not to leave right away and to stay a little longer, to see what the visitor was really after and to back up his brother. Although he was just a not-so-famous company boss, over the years, he had his own way of judging people after attending nurous social functions, “Don’t worry, I’ll help you suss him out later, and we’ll share any trouble that cos.”
Zheng Tan was even more puzzled. He carefully thought about what he had done over the past few months, and it seed that he hadn’t done anything outrageously wrong that would have people co to make accusations or hold him accountable. However, the na Yan He did ring a bell, but he just couldn’t rember where he had heard it before.
About half an hour later, Yan He arrived at the Jiao family, and Zheng Tan found out who he was.
No wonder the na sounded familiar; wasn’t Yan He the son of that old lady who lived by the lake? But he usually heard the old lady refer to him as “Xiao He,” and others called him “Mr. Yan,” so he hadn’t connected the na “Yan He” with this person.
As for Yuan Zhiyi, his reaction was even more exaggerated. Sitting on the sofa with a “don’t ss with ” attitude, prepared to intimidate the newcor, he imdiately sprang from the couch upon seeing Yan He, a smile blossoming on his face in an instant, “Mr. Yan, it’s you!”
Zheng Tan: “…” So, within the first second of the eting, Yuan Zhiyi had already changed sides?
Yuan Zhiyi had t Yan He at a banquet once, where they had a formal conversation. At that ti, one of Yan He’s subsidiary companies needed a reinspection of their goods due to so issues with the quality inspection departnt, and the diagnostic reagents and dicines they purchased had so problems. Thus, Yan He was looking for another company to help with the testing. Yuan Zhiyi took the opportunity to promote his own company, they exchanged business cards, and then Yan He never contacted Yuan Zhiyi again, clearly not impressed with Yuan Zhiyi’s company.
But now, Yuan Zhiyi hadn’t expected to run into this potential big client whom he thought he wouldn’t be contacting for a long ti.
However, as Zheng Tan observed Yan He’s reaction, it was clear that Yan He didn’t rember who Yuan Zhiyi was at all.
Yuan Zhiyi introduced himself, and Yan He, whether he truly rembered or was just being polite, responded with a smile and then cut to the chase.
It turned out, the old lady had agreed to follow the old man who had co looking for her to the Southern region. She likely wouldn’t return for a while, and Yan He didn’t really want her living here either, as it was too far away. Even if she did co back to Chuhua City, he wouldn’t be able to take care of her, so she would just live in another property he owned in the city. With nobody living in the lakeside house, it would be a waste to keep it, so he planned to sell it. But the old lady had grown attached to the house over ti and was picky about the buyer. Several potential buyers had approached, but she rejected them all, not liking any of them. That was until a few days ago when she noticed the group photo in the newspaper and saw Zheng Tan.
“At that ti, none of us realized that the cat in the newspaper was this one from your family, but the old lady recognized it at a glance. She said it was fate and sent
over when I had ti to ask if your family was interested in buying a house,” Yan He summarized the situation.
Mr. Jiao and Yuan Zhiyi were both shrewd people; they knew Yan He’s words were half true, half false. Who would believe the house couldn’t be sold? Didn’t everyone have a circle of interested friends or relatives? However, Yan He must have co because of the old lady’s instructions; otherwise, the busy boss wouldn’t have condescended to visit personally.
Indeed, Yan He had originally planned to sell the house to a relative of his friend. The relative was also a good choice, and the old lady was almost ready to agree when she saw the newspaper article and recognized the cat. After inquiring, she saw that the Jiao family of four people plus a cat lived in such a small house; they would need to buy a bigger one sooner or later. The old lady felt that if she had co this far in life, it was partly because of Zheng Tan’s blessing. She wasn’t short of money; what mattered to her was affinity, whether with people or cats. At her age, there were so things she valued that others might find incomprehensible. And Yan He, being filial, would agree to her wishes even if he didn’t understand them—for him, a house was nothing compared to his mother’s wishes. He could afford to let it go.
Yan He didn’t stay long after explaining the situation. He told Mr. Jiao to think it over and get back to him quickly, since the old lady would be heading South soon and was waiting for an answer.
Once Yan He left, Yuan Zhiyi exclaid dramatically, “Old Jiao, do these kinds of coincidences happen often to your family?”
Yuan Zhiyi didn’t believe for a second that Yan He hadn’t seen the soaring trends in real estate. To still plan on selling at a low price now was like receiving a windfall from the sky! Why couldn’t such good fortune happen to him?!
Mr. Jiao didn’t respond, as if deep in thought.
“Old Jiao, just agree to it. There’s no other chance like this one!” Yuan Zhiyi urged from the side.
Mr. Jiao remained silent for a while and then looked at Zheng Tan, who was also posing deep in thought on the sofa, “Let’s visit the old lady tomorrow.”
(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welco to vote for it at Qidian (qidian), your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian to continue reading.)
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