Chapter 128: Is Its Father a Cat?

Those who saw this scene couldn't accept it for a while.

Before Zheng Tan arrived here, that big cat had been imposing for a while; the other few more precious cats also kept their distance, not daring to approach. The leopard-patterned big cat's kingly aura was thoroughly emitted, and only that little lion-headed mastiff persistently went up to bite.

But now, that leopard-patterned big cat was slapped aside by a black native cat noticeably smaller than it by one round, slapped so neatly.

A divine-like turn of events.

This contrast is too great, and with the obvious size difference before them, everyone felt as if they were seeing a child slap an adult away—no matter how they looked, it seemed strange.

Due to the tablecloth blocking the view, Zheng Tan couldn't see the big cat that had rolled to the other side of the table; he could only judge the situation by hearing, feeling that the big cat seemed unwilling to come over.

Zheng Tan didn't use full force for that slap just now, holding back a little; if he had used full force, that big cat would probably have kicked the bucket right then.

After the big cat on the other side of the table rolled off, it got up, seemed still a bit dazed, staggered a few steps in place before standing firm. It's unknown if any bones were broken, and indeed it had no intention of coming over to bother Zheng Tan again.

After looking around, Zheng Tan felt there was nothing interesting, so he prepared to leave, find a quiet place to nap and then talk.

On the villa's balcony, compared to Fang Shaokang's nonchalance, Lao Liu's schadenfreude, and others' surprise, the plump middle-aged man's face was grim, especially since Fang Shaokang's seemingly offhand remark just now had hit the nail on the head.

Forget about third place; even saying fourth would make people doubt. They can't even handle a little house cat?!

That cat is strange. That's the unanimous view of everyone present, but they didn't go thinking about other supernatural things; they considered themselves knowledgeable, having seen many odd things, and now they were just wondering if that black cat was some precious breed, merely looking somewhat like an ordinary farm cat.

"Is that cat actually a Bombay cat? Or perhaps a variant of the Bombay cat?" someone wondered.

"Although that black cat is a bit larger than some house cats in build, its face shape is wrong; it doesn't look like a 'little black panther,'" said someone who considered themselves knowledgeable about cats.

"Even if it were a Bombay cat, compared to that big cat it's still smaller by one round; you couldn't slap that big cat into that state with one slap, right? But anyway, cats are inherently weird, unlike dogs—they may look similar but actually differ greatly." Lao Liu chuckled. He didn't care what breed the black cat was, nor whether it could really slap a cat one size larger into the air; as long as he saw the big cat's owner suffer, he was happy.

"Whose black cat is that?" someone asked.

For this cat considered to rank among the top three in fighting power in Chu Hua Shi, some people had already started making plans, though they didn't necessarily like cats much. It was purely for show; if they could keep such a cat, they'd have something to brag about later.

"I remember, the person standing beside that black cat had been driving for Fang San a few days ago," a person who had been quiet on the side said softly.

"What?! That cat is raised by Fang San?" A group looked toward Fang Shaokang, their expressions changing, and after two seconds of silence they said, "No wonder."

No wonder what, nobody specified.

Fang San Ye was originally a weirdo; raising a weird cat is also normal.

Fang Shaokang merely smoked calmly, not refuting anyone's words, giving a hehe laugh twice.

Regarding Fang Shaokang's tacit behavior, Zhao Le expressed understanding; this is actually also a protective measure. These people know that if the black cat's owner were someone else, those who wanted to make a move would still do so, possibly even resorting to more extreme means, but if it were Fang Shaokang, those little thoughts would have to be put away. Even if he's a bit special, a cat is after all just a cat; they wouldn't bother provoking Fang Shaokang, this weirdo, over a cat.

"Huh, what is that?!" someone exclaimed.

Following the direction that person pointed, everyone saw Tang Qiye and his entourage walking over here.

"I didn't expect Tang Qiye to come too; in recent years it's rare to see this old man, he's learned to restrain himself."

"The older, the craftier."

Zhao Le stood aside, not really caring about the few people's comments on Tang Qiye; she only knew a little about Tang Qiye's deeds, usually didn't interact much with those people, and wasn't very familiar, but now her main focus wasn't on Tang Qiye himself, but on the big cat beside him.

The "big cat" mentioned by a few people just now, compared to this cat beside Tang Qiye now, is still smaller by one notch; plus this one is long-haired, quite imposing, giving a much stronger first impression impact. Even Lao Liu, who usually isn't interested in cats, now stares fixedly.

"Lao Liu, is that the one you said ranks first in combat power?" someone asked.

"Yes, that should be it!" Lao Liu, seeing it for the first time himself, said, "If it weren't for my good eyesight, I might really mistake it for a stray dog."

This cat is like a giant lion-headed mastiff among dogs; compared to other house cats, it's big enough, with long, smooth, glossy fur, and its every move exudes the coldness and depth of a wild large feline. Its eyes show no curiosity, and it doesn't react strongly to tempting food or to people and animals running around nearby; its erect ears twitch occasionally, alertly observing the surroundings, and its tail hangs down in an arc, like a patrolling leopard.

Wildness, or it may also include other things, such as lethality.

Although Lao Liu isn't interested in cats, he can't deny that this cat is indeed formidable; just from its aura it outclasses that leopard-patterned cat by a large margin, and it's no wonder Nie Shijiu's cat suffered a crushing defeat under its claws.

Lao Liu glanced at the black cat walking back by the long table, then at "Jueye" following Tang Qiye's group as they approached this side, took out a cigarette and lit it, saying, "Interesting."

The former had just slapped a big cat away, while the latter looks not easy to provoke. It's just unknown what sparks will fly when these two meet.

As soon as Tang Qiye and his group appeared, everyone immediately tossed aside the earlier incident of Zheng Tan slapping away the leopard-patterned big cat; Tang Qiye's status and seniority were evident, and his sidekick "Jueye" was truly eye‑catching and attention‑grabbing.

Some people there thought similarly to Lao Liu, just waiting for the showdown. When the two cats meet, what will the fight be like?

As for Tang Qiye himself, although he tried to keep that nonchalant demeanor, his old face still gained a few more laugh lines. He just knew that bringing out "Jueye" would give him face! It's stylish!

"Fang San, how do your cat's chances look against Tang Qiye's?" Lao Liu looked toward Fang Shaokang and asked.

"Not really." Fang Shaokang flicked the ash accurately into the ashtray, braced his hands on the railing, looked downward, and said, "Just a little worried."

"Hey. If you're worried, hurry up and take your cat away; otherwise a collision would be bad. I've heard Tang Qiye's cat is quite fierce, not necessarily inferior to those wild vicious cats like the jungle cat." Lao Liu's words were meant to express concern for Fang Shaokang's cat, but his expression showed he was eager for the showdown.

But at the same time, Lao Liu noticed that although Fang Shaokang said he was worried, he showed no sign of worry at all.

"Fang San, I'm not saying this, but it's not easy to get a cat like this; you gotta keep an eye on it—any injury or disability would be a huge loss!" Another person nearby said in a solemn tone.

Fang Shaokang grunted, then drawled: "I'm not worried about that cat; I'm worried about your little lion-headed mastiff." As he spoke, Fang Shaokang glanced over and pursed his lips, saying, "That little guy seems pretty excited."

Lao Liu started, then hurriedly looked at his precious lion-headed red mastiff; he had just been looking at Tang Qiye's cat and hadn't noticed his own dog. Now he saw his little pup fearlessly heading over there, letting out an immature roar.

Unlike before when facing the leopard-patterned big cat, when confronting "Jueye" the little dog kept a slight distance after approaching, not launching a direct attack; it clearly sensed the dangerous aura emanating from "Jueye", and even a bold dog had a hint of crisis awareness.

Lao Liu felt he shouldn't speak up now; if he did, he'd be in a weak position and be looked down on by those present, but he also felt sorry for his dog. Even an adult lion-headed mastiff would be fine, but this little pup couldn't even beat that leopard-patterned cat from earlier, let alone this one.

Although he shouldn't speak up himself, Lao Liu quickly signaled his subordinates, just in case.

Zheng Tan had been preparing to leave, but seeing this scene he stopped again, waiting to see what fun would come next, to see what reaction "Jueye" would have. Needless to say, that pup's gall is indeed fat.

The lion-headed mastiff pup growled a few times at "Jueye"; "Jueye" probably got annoyed, bared its teeth, revealing fangs somewhat longer than other cats', looking much more ferocious.

The pup paused, then barked even louder.

"Jueye" saw that baring its teeth didn't work, stepped forward two paces, and if the pup kept making noise, it wouldn't mind giving it a few swipes.

When "Jueye" moved, a crowd of onlookers tensed up; Lao Liu's two subordinates stood not far away, palms sweating. If a fight really broke out, who knows what scratches that cat's size and aura would inflict on them, but even if they got scratched, they'd have to protect the pup—after all, it's the boss's favorite.

When the pup saw "Jueye" move, it retreated a few steps; when "Jueye" stopped, it also stopped and kept growling.

Just then, a ping‑pong ball was thrown at "Jueye", but "Jueye" noticed and dodged it.

It missed the target, the ping‑pong ball flew past "Jueye", hit a nearby building, and landed in the flowerbed.

Besides the bold pup in front, there are also reckless kids.

Zheng Tan looked in the direction the throw came from; there a little brat was preparing to toss a second ping‑pong ball over, but his mom stopped him. Throwing more would just stir up hatred—mustn't lure Tang Qiye's big cat over.

At the same time, Zheng Tan also felt that "Jueye"'s hostile aura had intensified considerably, while the pup continued to fearlessly bark at it.

You're really courting death.

Zheng Tan had just finished sighing when Jueye moved; this time it wasn't a warning two steps, but it strode straight toward that puppy. Although it didn't make a direct swift attack, its posture meant it could no longer tolerate it, and it gave off an overwhelming sense of oppression, even though it was just a slightly larger cat.

Many of the people nearby were experienced bodyguards or similar, and they could clearly feel that indescribable chill; precisely because of that, their opinion of Tang Qiye the cat rose several notches in their hearts.

As Jueye approached, the puppy kept stepping back. Two people were already standing ready five meters away to rescue it; they were familiar with the puppy, and whenever Old Liu walked the puppy around, they also stood guard nearby. So, if the dog were smart, it would definitely run that way.

But to everyone's surprise, the puppy didn't run toward those two people; at first it retreated while barking, but after seeing Jueye get closer, it turned and ran toward Zheng Tan. When it got to two steps away from Zheng Tan, it paused and looked at Zheng Tan.

Zheng Tan: "……" What the hell are you looking at me for?!

The puppy wagged its tail, slowly edging closer to Zheng Tan; after getting a bit nearer, it turned and continued to growl at Jueye.

The people on the balcony joked, "Old Liu, is the father of your lion-headed mastiff actually a cat?"

"Yeah, nowadays if you can't beat someone you go find their dad, right? Why doesn't anyone go looking for the father of your lion-headed mastiff, instead hiding beside that black cat?" Another person chimed in.

The dog is relying on the cat's might?

Really, it's the first time I've seen this.

Several people watched, finding it strange.

Fang Shaokang looked over there, thinking that Hei Tan had good rapport with people, decent with cats, and not bad with dogs either, especially puppies. Recalling how he had once seen this black cat with three puppies in the south, Fang Shaokang couldn't help but smile.

Regarding the situation over there, some people got excited, waiting for the two cats to have a PK battle.

But unexpectedly, Jueye swayed its tail twice, ignored the puppy, and steadily walked back to Tang Qiye's side.

"Huh, why aren't those two fighting?" someone wondered curiously.

"Looking at those two cats' reactions…… Fang San, do they know each other?" one person asked Fang Shaokang.

"Oh, they know each other." Fang Shaokang turned around, yawned, stretched his arms, and said.

Everyone: "……"

That matter-of-fact tone is really asking for a beating!

Damn it, since you know each other, why didn't you say so earlier? Are you just playing with us?!

A crowd had gathered to watch the show, but in the end they didn't expect that the only one watching the spectacle from start to finish was Master Fang San.

Since Tang Qiye had come over, Fang Shaokang also went downstairs to greet him; after all, by seniority Tang Qiye counts as an elder, and having come in person, Fang Shaokang naturally ought to show proper respect.

Several others also followed Fang Shaokang downstairs; although Old Fox Tang Qiye has become much more restrained nowadays, his claws are still sharp and not to be underestimated, so everyone also ought to give him some face.

After exchanging pleasantries with Tang Qiye, Fang Shaokang greeted Zheng Tan and told him to come inside together.

Originally Zheng Tan didn't want to go, but thinking it would also be a hassle outside—aside from the curious glances around, there was a puppy closely following, and a brat holding a ping-pong ball watching over here—after some consideration, Zheng Tan still followed Fang Shaokang inside; although it might be dull, at least it could be quiet. (To be continued…)

ps: Thanks everyone for the monthly votes, tips, and recommendation tickets!

Let me explain the issue with post review in the comments section: earlier, because we added an anti-scraping version, many posts needed review, but today it should be lifted.