Chapter 274

Upon seeing those three characters, Zhang Dong's first reaction was to smash his phone, but thinking that the phone in his hand was worth a lot of money, the arm already raised to throw it froze mid‑motion. After taking several deep breaths, Zhang Dong managed to calm his emotions a little.

If the other party had stolen something and left, Zhang Dong would accept it, acknowledging their superior skill and bowing out; if they were just messing with him, hiding his phone and SIM card everywhere as a prank, he would chalk it up to them having fun. Now the other party actually sent a text message—only three characters, yet dripping with blatant mockery—making Zhang Dong feel as if he had been slapped and then punched. It is obvious they have no intention of stopping; Zhang Dong worries they might come back here again, or even target him, doing something that threatens his life.

The more Zhang Dong thought, the more agitated he became, after all many of his usual deeds were not fit for daylight; even if he deliberately ignored them at the time, once certain situations arose, negative emotions would surge directly.

Staring fixedly at the screen, Zhang Dong scratched his head and pressed the dial button.

After all, speculation is just speculation; Zhang Dong wanted to talk directly with the other party, lay everything out openly, even if it meant sacrificing some interests.

But after dialing, hearing the automated voice on the line, Zhang Dong grew angry again, almost smashing his phone—the other party's phone was turned off, unreachable.

After walking around the house several times, Zhang Dong decided to temporarily move elsewhere, thinking 'If I can't provoke them, can I at least avoid them?' He immediately called to rent another place and packed up and left that same day.

Compared to Zhang Dong's doubts and agitation, Zheng Tan was doing fine over here. After sending the text, he simply turned off the phone—he didn't want to waste words, and he also needed to save battery.

A phone is indeed a convenient thing; communication between parties is invisible, and if you can't use a computer, playing with a phone is fine too.

However, recalling the balance information he learned when checking his phone bill, Zheng Tan became worried again.

Topping up phone credit is quite simple for others—whether going to a service center or having someone else do it—but for Zheng Tan it is a technical problem. How can he do it without anyone knowing or seeing him?

Money?

Zheng Tan has it.

Zheng Tan knew where Xiao Youzi, Jiao Yuan, and Jiao Ma kept their private cash, as well as Jiao Ba's bank card, but he did not want to use their money. Whether one calls him stupid or stubborn, face‑conscious, or obstinate, the bottom line is that stealing from Jiao Ma and the others to top up his own phone is something Zheng Tan cannot do, even though he had already planned to give the money in the card to the Jiao family. But Zheng Tan feels that is a different matter and cannot be lumped together.

Taking without telling is theft; Zheng Tan could act against Zhang Dong or strangers, but with the Jiao family he cannot get past that mental hurdle.

Back home, he opened the drawer on the cat tree and looked at the several cards inside; there was a lot of money in them. Once Zheng Tan saw Jiao Ba log into online banking after registering and check the balance, he himself was startled. Unfortunately, no matter how many zeros are on the card, Zheng Tan cannot get a single cent out of it—not because Jiao Ba moved the money elsewhere, but because Zheng Tan simply cannot withdraw cash, as ATMs all have cameras.

Nearby places for topping up phone credit seemed not to have card‑swiping options; if there were, Zheng Tan could sneak in when no one was around to swipe and top up.

Have someone else do the top‑up?

Zheng Tan is not really willing. He still wants to use this phone number for other things, so the fewer people who know, the better.

What to do?

Zheng Tan lay on the balcony, thinking.

From the fourth floor came a rustling sound—that was the fourth floor's 'cheap bird' cultivating its artistic temperament.

At this moment, the General was biting the pen shaft and drawing; the General's owner, to prevent this creature from going out to cause harm again, had taught it some other things, and drawing is what the General is currently interested in—every day, when idle, it bites the pen shaft and draws; its owner, Professor Qin, even bought a special drawing board, using an environmentally friendly pen.

This both distracts its attention so it won't go out stirring up hatred and keeps its mouth shut; its strong learning ability makes its mouth increasingly foul, and if not silenced it could infuriate people. Members of the Computer Science Institute are still being mocked by other colleges, and the General's information has been dug up by everyone. Moreover, I've heard that someone in the Computer Science Institute made an animated chat emoticon based on the General's original form, uploaded it online, and it has been downloaded many times—even Professor Qin's chat emoticons use it.

Zheng Tan poked his head out from the balcony to look at the General's drawing; he didn't know what it depicted, guessing it was abstract. After finishing, the General tilted its head to look, then lifted its big paw, grabbed the eraser resting nearby, wiped the drawing off the board, and continued its artistic career.

Watching the General draw with its mouth holding the pen, Zheng Tan suddenly realized he could also write and draw, and could try to find someone to top up his phone this way, though it carries some risk.

To solve this technical problem of topping up phone credit, the first requirement is cash; online banking payment is out of the question for Zheng Tan at this stage. How can he obtain cash, and do so through legitimate means?

That day, Zheng Tan went to Xiao Guo's place to film a new episode of promotional ads. Xiao Guo's shop attracts customers not only with pet supplies; nowadays the main draw is the pet center's website, which regularly posts promotional videos. Whenever a video is released, a large number of the pet center's customers and netizens looking for fun gather in front of their computers, then share or screenshot the videos on video sites and discuss them on forums, attracting attention.

This episode Zheng Tan's prop was a small backpack, and he was dressed as a mountain climber. However, during filming, the other several cats were inexplicably low in spirits today, uncooperative, dragging out the shoot; a short video that should have been finished by 2 p. m. was still incomplete at 3 p. m., and Zheng Tan was already quite impatient.

Xiao Guo worried beside him, sending his underlings to calm the other cats; as for Zheng Tan's side…

"Hei Tan, let's discuss—can we stick it out another hour?" Xiao Guo looked at Zheng Tan; having worked together so long, Xiao Guo also knew how to communicate opinions with this cat.

Zheng Tan ignored him, lying down beside him with half‑closed eyes. He was thinking about how to get cash, while Xiao Guo in front of him showed a disinterested attitude.

After Xiao Guo talked for a while with no response, he prepared to take out a cigarette for a smoke; while reaching into his pocket he found a fifty‑yuan note, on impulse he took it out and waved it in front of Zheng Tan, saying, "Let's stick it out another hour—this fifty will be your overtime pay!"

Originally Xiao Guo was just joking, waving the bill and then intending to put it back and go smoke; he didn't expect the cat, which could barely lift its eyelids, to spring up instantly, full of energy.

Xiao Guo: "…" He felt that when the cat saw the bill just now, its eyes flashed.

He paused for two seconds. Xiao Guo took out the bill that was half‑in his pocket and slowly waved it in front of the cat, then watched as the cat's eyes followed the note.

Holy shit!

So effective!

Zheng Tan's remuneration from Xiao Guo had always been paid directly into his card, but Xiao Guo didn't expect cash to work so well; if he had known this would boost the cat's work attitude, he would have produced it earlier. However, has this happened before? Xiao Guo shook his head, recalling none, not sure if he never encountered it or simply forgot.

"Hei Tan." Xiao Guo folded the bill, slipped it into the small backpack Zheng Tan was wearing, and said, "Your overtime pay is here—shall we start work?"

Let's get to work!

The cash worry was resolved; Zheng Tan's mood is quite good now, and the other cats, having been soothed by the staff, have stabilized emotionally,

so, in the cooperative atmosphere, Zheng Tan worked especially hard in the remaining time, being highly compliant and very patient, unlike before when he would want to slap another cat for making a mistake.

Xiao Guo leaned on his chin, watching the filming, thinking that if they ever needed overtime again, he would just hand over cash—after all, fifty yuan means nothing to him now, and being able to make that cat so cooperative is truly a bargain.

After filming, Zheng Tan did not take off the backpack prop, and Xiao Guo didn't ask him to; he let Zheng Tan wear it home. Later, Jiao Yuan wanted to see Zheng Tan's small backpack, but Zheng Tan refused, deciding henceforth to bring it to the pet center.

Having cash, the remaining question is how to get these fifty yuan into phone credit.

Originally Zheng Tan thought of leaving a note with the cash at a place where others top up phone credit, but while strolling he discovered another way to top up.

On the road toward the student dormitory area there is a newsstand; Zheng Tan staked it out for several days and found that every afternoon around three o'clock the auntie there would lie down to sleep. She isn't afraid of people stealing newspapers, because the students' overall quality is relatively high and the school is much safer than the outside world, so she doesn't worry about other mishaps—if a student comes to buy a newspaper or card, just wake her up.

Zheng Tan wore the black change pouch around his neck, his phone not with him, inside were the fifty yuan in cash.

After the newsstand auntie lay down to sleep, Zheng Tan placed the change pouch behind the bushes, then he himself seized the fifty yuan in his mouth and jumped through the window into the newsstand; holding things in his mouth has become increasingly habitual.

At that moment no one was passing by, and there were no cameras around; after jumping in, Zheng Tan looked at the person sleeping there, who was still asleep, faint snoring audible—he had previously confirmed the auntie slept deeply, which is why he chose this spot to act.

The box of top‑up cards sat on a cabinet under the window, not tightly covered, presumably because many people buy cards here and she couldn't be bothered to close it.

Zheng Tan put the money in a nearby small change box; he didn't see a box for large bills, presumably it had been hidden. Then he went to the card box, rummaged inside and pulled out a fifty‑yuan top‑up card matching the carrier, held it in his mouth, listened for any outside movement, and quickly left.

Hiding behind the bushes, Zheng Tan glanced at the newsstand; the auntie was still asleep, so he breathed a sigh of relief, slipped the obtained card into the black change pouch, zipped it up, and then ran with the pouch to the woods.

Hiding in a tree hollow, Zheng Tan followed the phone's voice prompts to enter the card number and password; when his phone received a message showing successful top‑up and the balance, he felt endless emotion—such a trivial top‑up required all this trouble!

However, topping up can't always be done this way; today was just lucky. If the newsstand changes staff or closes down, Zheng Tan will have to worry again, so he decided to look for other methods when he has time. (To be continued…)

ps: (6.1)