Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Jianguo
In the rabbit’s embrace, Zhang Wenda felt as if he were still in sync with the Youth Palace. A sense of injustice welled up inside him. ’Why? I haven’t done anything wrong. Why do I have to suffer this continuous, unprovoked harm?’
But Zhang Wenda quickly shook off the feeling. He knew that wallowing in it would do nothing but make him miserable. The world doesn’t let you show weakness.
"Do you know what to do?" Zhang Wenda asked again.
The rabbit gently released Zhang Wenda. He didn’t say anything, his cleft lip just drooped slightly.
Seeing his expression, Zhang Wenda already knew the answer.
’It makes sense, I suppose. He might have some abilities, but that doesn’t mean he can solve my problems.’
Although he was deeply disappointed, he immediately put on a nonchalant act. "Hey, it’s fine. I was just asking. It’s not life or death. I can handle a small problem like this myself. I’m off, see ya."
With that, Zhang Wenda gave a casual wave and walked into the pitch-black stairwell of the apartment building.
When he reached his front door, his steps heavy, he looked over the railing and saw the rabbit standing there, watching him silently.
"It’s fine, go on, get back to your business," Zhang Wenda said, forcing a smile and waving at him. "Keep up the grind!"
Then, Zhang Wenda saw the rabbit point a finger at his—Zhang Wenda’s—right-hand pocket. "Go ask at the Xinhua Bookstore. You might find your answer there."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Zhang Wenda froze for a moment, then reached into his right-hand pocket. He pulled out a green plastic ticket, about the size of a lighter. On it, written in traditional characters, were two words: Function Ticket.
’What is this? Why did the rabbit tell me to take this to the Xinhua Bookstore? Could this be my hope for escaping the rules?’
Zhang Wenda’s eyes began to light up. He saw hope once again!
’The rabbit wouldn’t have given me this ticket for no reason. Maybe this is the real hidden reward!’
’Maybe this thing can solve my big problem.’ He couldn’t stand having this rule on him for another second.
After returning home in high spirits, Zhang Wenda pushed open the door and immediately froze. On the table sat a bowl of long-cold noodles.
He glanced at the curtain behind the cloth wardrobe and the two pairs of shoes—one male, one female—placed in front of it. The expression on Zhang Wenda’s face gradually turned cold.
He walked silently to the sofa and began to quickly slurp down the noodles. They were clumped together and a bit too salty, but Zhang Wenda didn’t care. He wolfed them down in big mouthfuls.
AHEM~. A cough came from behind the curtain. Zhang Wenda, his mouth full, paused. He glanced at the curtain again before continuing to eat.
After filling his stomach, Zhang Wenda quickly washed the bowl. After briefly washing up, he went straight to bed.
Perhaps because he was exhausted from the day and all that had happened, Zhang Wenda fell asleep in no time. The steady sound of three people breathing filled the small room.
「The next day」
Zhang Wenda intentionally woke up late. By the time he opened his eyes again, he was the only one left in the cramped, old apartment.
Yawning, Zhang Wenda got out of bed, threw on his clothes, and eagerly ran outside, clutching the ticket the rabbit had given him.
He didn’t know what it was, but Zhang Wenda had a feeling the rabbit wouldn’t deceive him.
’Besides, yesterday was Friday, so today’s Saturday. I don’t have school. That gives me two days to deal with this rule’s punishment,’ Zhang Wenda thought as he walked.
As he walked, Zhang Wenda was drawn in by a tantalizing aroma. Across the street, he saw a fried dough stick stall. Golden-brown dough sticks tumbled in a wok of hot oil, making a SIZZLING sound.
"Boss, one fried dough stick, please," said Zhang Wenda, who hadn’t eaten breakfast.
"You got it! One cent!"
Munching on the crispy, fragrant dough stick, Zhang Wenda walked and thought to himself, ’Not bad. Prices here aren’t too high, after all.’
Maybe it was because he was smaller, but Zhang Wenda felt like the fried dough stick today was especially big and long.
Just as he was halfway through it, a black shadow suddenly leaped from the bushes to the side, catching his eye. That splash of black looked very familiar.
With the dough stick still in his mouth, he walked toward the nearby shrubs. After about a minute, Zhang Wenda saw a familiar figure. It was the Black Cat! The Black Cat from the Youth Palace!
Before he could call out, he saw the Black Cat hiss at a speeding minivan, then quickly run toward the People’s Park across the road.
"Hey! Wait! It’s me!" Zhang Wenda shouted from behind, but he couldn’t tell if the Black Cat heard him; it was running like the wind.
Just when Zhang Wenda thought he was going to lose it again, he saw the cat rapidly scramble up a nearby utility pole.
Zhang Wenda’s gaze followed its path upward, finally settling on a giant bird’s nest on the utility pole.
It was a very strange treehouse—exceptionally strange, even for this bizarre world.
A giant, twenty-five-foot-long clothes hanger served as the frame, combined with all sorts of urban refuse piled into a massive, top-heavy structure. To call it a treehouse was a stretch; it looked more like a bird’s nest. Or, to be more precise, a utility pole nest.
While Zhang Wenda was staring blankly at the treehouse, a slender figure emerged from within. It was a girl, looking a few years older than him, with short hair—long on one side and short on the other—in a very casual style. Her sun-darkened skin was dotted with a few freckles.
She wore simple clothes, and her entire right arm was wrapped in an animal-hide sleeve. More importantly, Zhang Wenda saw a single cat ear perched atop her head.
Zhang Wenda thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but when he rubbed them, he saw that, yes, in addition to her normal human ears, there was indeed a cat ear on her head.
Only then did Zhang Wenda belatedly realize that the Black Cat was lying in her arms.
As Zhang Wenda looked at her, the girl looked back at him. She tilted her head slightly at him, then ducked back into the treehouse. A moment later, a rope dropped down from inside.
Zhang Wenda scratched his head, but for the Black Cat’s sake, he grabbed the rope with both hands and climbed up.
When Zhang Wenda finally scrambled to the top, he discovered there wasn’t just one black cat. Looking around, he saw the entire treehouse, just a few square meters in size, was filled with black cats playing and roughhousing.
"Coal Ball told me about you. Thanks for saving his life," the girl said. Her voice, though youthful, had a hint of a smoker’s rasp.
Before Zhang Wenda could speak, she held out a hand to him. "I’m Song Jianguo. You can call me Jianguo. What’s your name?"
Zhang Wenda hesitated, looking at her outstretched hand. ’This girl’s presence is so aggressive,’ he thought. ’I don’t really like it.’
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