Chapter 51: The Cat‑Stealing Thief

"What's going on?"

Jiao Yuan also stopped doing his homework; he was halfway through a dictation when a huge commotion came from outside, and, like everyone else, he thought of the previous thief incident. He set his pen down, looked around, and realized his cat hadn't returned yet.

Jiao Ba set the sixth‑grade Chinese textbook he was holding down, walked to the window and looked out. Around the neighboring buildings, young and middle‑aged people kept emerging, and some curious children perched at his own windowsill or balcony to watch outside, but they were soon pulled back inside by their parents.

"Sit down!" Jiao Ba called Jiao Yuan over to the window, took out his phone to ask others, and also called the elderly lady on the first floor, since those on the ground floor can get news a bit faster.

After hanging up, Jiao Ba thought for a moment, stepped out of Jiao Yuan's room, opened the main door, and just then Qu Xiangyang across the street, having heard the commotion, opened his door and looked this way.

"Hey, Jiao, you heard..."

"Little Qu, you came at the right time; I was just about to look for you!"

One minute later.

Qu Xiangyang sat on the Jiao family's sofa; Associate Professor Jiao asked him to stay and help watch the child, while the professor himself quickly went downstairs.

The commotion in the East District family compound was enormous, and the shift from quiet to chaos happened so quickly that the cat‑catcher hadn't expected it to develop like this. They had never encountered such a situation when catching cats in other residential areas before.

After hearing the loud cat cries near the osmanthus tree, the cat‑catcher immediately scaled the wall and ran toward the spot where the cage was. He dared not linger, and he had already heard a dog's bark coming this way.

He made a graceful leap over the row of rhododendrons, didn't slow down, and crouched straight toward the base of the osmanthus tree. Before he could even see the cage's position, four cat paws scratched upward.

Da Pang doesn't hold back his claws; when he does, they're startling. Even though his force isn't as great as Zheng Tan's, it's still fierce and decisive, and he scratches near the eyes. If his strength were a bit greater or his claws a bit longer, the cat‑catcher's eyes would probably be knocked out.

Even if he wasn't blinded, there are several deep bloodstreaks from the eyebrow to the eye and down to the nose, and blood almost immediately oozes from the claw wounds.

Da Pang doesn't consider whether he's blinded the person or whether he'll have to face consequences for severe injuries; his training is to fight back fiercely when danger arises, and any subsequent trouble is handled by others for him.

Zheng Tan acted similarly; his scratches were in roughly the same spots as Da Pang's. By moderating his force, he only caused temporary eye injury and impaired vision. Yet he didn't go easy on the man—Zheng Tan's scratches were much longer, reaching almost to the neck, and when he surged forward he also kicked the man's legs twice. He used the strength of a slightly larger‑than‑average cat, not his full power, because he didn't want to reveal too much.

"Ah—"

A wail, not loud, but clearly an unrestrained outcry of pain.

The man covered his face; his speed was too fast, his feet didn't stop, and he slammed straight into an osmanthus tree.

After landing the hit, Da Pang quickly retreated, watching from about ten meters away, not approaching.

Zheng Tan didn't dodge; seeing the cat‑catcher abandon the cage, he scrambled to his feet, intending to head toward the courtyard wall. He wasn't going to let the man get away— even if he couldn't knock him down, there were other ways.

The man likely had an eye injury, and in the darkness he couldn't see his surroundings, crashing into several trees without managing to turn away.

Seeing the man with his back to him, Zheng Tan lunged, jumped, and grabbed the man's trousers.

Yank!

What a pity, the man was wearing jeans with a belt. Zheng Tan couldn't yank it off.

The man felt a scratch on his thigh, didn't look closely, turned and kicked hard, but the cat missed; instead he tripped over a branch, fell backward.

The cat‑catcher hadn't expected the capture to turn out like this; the cat didn't go into the cage, yet boldly came up to scratch people. Aren't domestic cats supposed to be gentle? Most of the cats he'd caught in other neighborhoods weren't this aggressive. This cat, after one scratch, didn't stop, and scratched again. If the victim had been wearing sweatpants, the pants probably would have been yanked off.

Nevertheless, the current situation didn't give the cat‑catcher time to think; he had to flee quickly.

But before he could roll over and get up, a sharp pain shot through his buttocks.

Da Pang and Zheng Tan, squatting nearby, tugged each other's ears together.

Niu Zhuangzhuang, you're really damn powerful!

Niu Zhuangzhuang is the type who bites people with his lower jaw, fierce; this time was no different— he didn't even consider danger, just lunged forward and bit.

This time Niu Zhuangzhuang didn't bite the calf; perhaps he felt his mouth had gotten bigger or for some other reason, and he switched to biting the butt.

Since Niu Zhuangzhuang was here, Xiao Hua and Sahala arrived quickly as well.

Xiao Hua doesn't bite people, but can bite other things. Seeing its companions bite, it also found something to gnaw.

The cat‑catcher was wearing a hooded garment; Xiao Hua bit the hood and tugged it backward, shaking its head in a tearing motion, emitting a low whine.

Originally Xiao Hua was just playing; it usually plays with toys like this, but when the cat‑catcher's hood got caught, he raised his hand to swing at the big dog.

However, that swing provoked Xiao Hua's anger; being good‑natured doesn't mean it won't get angry, and with two companions nearby adding to the atmosphere, it gradually went serious, increasing its force, and the tearing became much more violent than before.

As Xiao Hua tore and swung, the cat‑catcher was pulled left and right, his already dizzy head becoming even more disoriented.

Zheng Tan recalled an older movie he had seen, "Cujo," which once made the Saint Bernard a symbol of horror.

Coming back to his senses, Zheng Tan looked again at the scene: amusingly, Xiao Hua was pulling on the man's hat while Sahala tugged at his pant leg, the two dogs pulling in opposite directions, and Niu Zhuangzhuang was in the middle biting; one had to admit the cat‑catcher was really unlucky.

The cat‑catcher felt terrible at that moment, his face burning, a dog biting his butt, and a dog each on his head and feet glaring at him; his head grew more dizzy. After a gasp, he stopped struggling with the big dog, and reached into his pocket.

He dug once—nothing.

He dug again—still nothing.

He tried another pocket—damn, still nothing!

Where's the knife?!

Zheng Tan saw what the man was looking for, but when the man fell and Niu Zhuangzhuang lunged to bite, Zheng Tan seized the chance to pull the knife from the man's pocket and toss it aside, preventing him from injuring the three dogs with it.

People from the compound weren't slow either; they arrived quickly, with the gate‑keeper uncle arriving first, while the guards from the Security Office were a few steps behind.

After receiving the elderly lady's call, the gate‑keeper uncle acted promptly. He's a veteran; taking this leisurely job here, although his own relatives had helped, he mainly did it for the lady's face, and her son also arranged it, so he often assists the elderly lady.

When the lady called to explain the situation, he immediately notified the School Security Office, and he also grabbed a flashlight and a handheld device, because he couldn't let the compound's faculty and staff take the risk.

However, after the gate‑keeper arrived, he was helpless; the three dogs were too engaged and clearly provoked, and if he rushed in now he'd certainly get tangled up.

He scratched his head, and the gate‑keeper looked at the two cats crouching nearby and asked, "What should we do?"

Zheng Tan gave him a glance, then walked over to the cat‑catching cage.

The gate‑keeper shone his flashlight toward Zheng Tan, quickly recognizing the cage's purpose. He went over, lifted the cage, glanced at the motionless sparrow inside, and examined the marks on the cage, clearly indicating it had caught many cats before.

"Yo ho, guts got fat, daring to come into the family compound to trap cats!" The gate‑keeper said, turning to glance at Da Pang squatting by the road looking indifferent, then at the cat‑catcher being harassed by the three dogs, and he sneered.

Running here to trap cats, isn't that courting death?

Even if our country's laws on this aren't solid, once caught they won't be lenient, especially since it involves that chubby tabby.

A few people from the compound came over, using the flashlight to look at the scene, and after hearing the gate‑keeper explain the cage's purpose, they didn't go to help the cat‑catcher; they just stood nearby, watching and chatting with the gate‑keeper. It was their first time seeing such a cat‑catching cage, and they were curious.

"Cats‑stealers like this usually nap during the day and start stealing around midnight, from about twelve to five or six in the morning, taking a dozen or twenty cats. Weren't there reports recently of many cats being lost? Those were done by these people. It's odd, though—this guy looks like an experienced cat‑thief, yet he came here to steal, and at ** o'clock," the gate‑keeper said, shaking his head.

Zheng Tan crouched nearby, listening to their conversation; he also wanted to learn about this. After all, before becoming a cat he hadn't cared about any of it, but now he had to, since it concerned his life.

"All of them are stolen pet cats? Even if they're for eating, couldn't those merchants raise them? Chickens, pigs, and such—don't livestock meant for meat have specialized farms to raise them? Why steal house cats?" a younger guy asked.

The gatekeeper uncle chuckled, "Raising them? How could that be? It's faster and cheaper to steal cats. Cats aren't like dogs; they're easy to snare. And these people have tricks for snaring cats—they target big ones, let the small ones go, then come back next year to snare again. Anyway, they don't have to spend money raising cats themselves."

"Holy cow! So those who painstakingly raise cats are basically raising them for these people? And aren't stray cats often seen? Catching strays would be bad enough, but they actually steal house cats!" the young man sighed.

"There aren't many strays, but market demand is high, so this gang targets household pet cats. Plus, well‑raised house cats are healthy and fetch a higher price. Still, the people who lose their cats are pitiful."

A middle‑aged teacher nearby chimed in, "Exactly, after raising a cat for so long you develop feelings; those who lose their cats can be heartbroken for ages—just like that someone earlier, who couldn't eat or drink after losing their cat."

The cat‑losing person the middle‑aged teacher mentioned, Zheng Tan knew, also lived in Dongqu Dayuan, but that family's cat never played with Zheng Tan and the others. Once the cat ran into Building B's first floor, climbed onto the balcony, and stole Da Pang's food, getting a stern scolding from Da Pang. However, around New Year I heard that cat had disappeared, and Zheng Tan didn't think much of it at the time; now, recalling it again, Zheng Tan feels a deep sigh.

"How much would this cat sell for?" the young man wondered.

"Not much—maybe a few dozen yuan, whether local or foreign cats, they're cheap. After catching the cats, some strip off the pelts and ship them to fur markets elsewhere; as for the meat, it's sold to restaurants or barbecue stalls, and the grilled meat and skewers on street stalls might contain cat meat, and it could also be mixed into other food products—many people have eaten it without knowing."

Some cats are simply tossed into boiling water and scalded to death; I've heard that after chopping off the head and feet and a bit of processing, they can be passed off as rabbit or other meat—this is for the fur and cat‑meat trade. Others run a live‑cat business, catching cats and shipping them south by the truckload… In big cities, to get a whole truckload of cats, you have to steal household pets.

"No wonder Ling Sis kept her cat locked up at home—I haven't seen her A Huang lately. By the way, are there many cat‑snatching gangs?" the young man asked.

Plenty.

Why not catch these people?

The gatekeeper uncle paused, then said, "The cat‑snatching organizations are far more numerous than you imagine, existing all over the country. It's terribly complicated, involving too many things. Some people haul cats south truck by truck; even if they're intercepted midway, they still have permits, so they always find some legitimate excuse to slip through—you can't catch them."

Zheng Tan listened to their conversation and suddenly felt a chill run through his body. Because he is now a cat, the sensation hits him more personally.

And connecting that to the gatekeeper uncle's earlier chat, Zheng Tan realized that the cat that had stolen Da Pang's food was gone and would never come back.

Residents of the complex gradually gathered here, and the security staff also rushed over.

All three dogs were called back by their owners, while the cat‑catcher looked quite miserable—his face covered in cat scratches, his trousers torn, blood seeping from his buttocks, and his clothes ripped to shreds.

Yet no one here felt sympathy for him.

The female owner of the household that had lost a cat, who had just been mentioned, was emotionally agitated, waving her palm to come forward, but her husband stopped her,

Under the osmanthus tree, the cat‑snatcher covered his face and lay there, blood seeping from between his fingers. Soon the security personnel took him away, but the residents' discussion never ceased.

Upon seeing Jiao Ba, Zheng Tan ran over to him, feeling safer staying with his own family.

Da Pang, upon seeing his elderly owner, reacted intensely, lunging forward and jumping onto her.

The old lady promptly scooped him up; from that series of motions it was clear this wasn't the first time.

Zheng Tan watched from the side, astonished.

"Damn, this little thing was fine just a moment ago, and now it looks terrified?! Shitty fatty, you weigh a ton—can't you show some consideration for the old lady's age?!"

Feeling Zheng Tan's gaze, Da Pang lifted his head, narrowed his eyes, shook his ears, and buried his head in the old lady's bosom to keep seeking comfort—each time he acted pitiful like that and returned, the old lady would give him an extra meal~~

Jiao Ba led Zheng Tan, and together with the old lady they walked toward her building, while she told them how Da Pang had been trained to recognize cat traps.

"Da Pang has been trained," her son said. "The cat's biggest enemy is that thing, so whenever we go there, he trains Da Pang to dodge all kinds of cat traps, as well as other snares. Alas, those cat thieves nowadays are so depraved..."

As the cat‑catcher was being led away and the residents gradually dispersed, another person also headed out from the complex's gate.

————————————————————————————————————————

A friend recommended a documentary called *Three Flowers* to me; it describes a shocking black‑cat‑trade industry chain. Interested friends can watch it. 【Note】 Sisters who love cats but are emotionally fragile had better not watch—it will be upsetting.

————————————

Thanks to everyone who voted with recommendation tickets, allowing this book to stay on the homepage recommendation list! Thanks to those who want to read the novel, hehe, Lezi Xiao, Tianlong Zhan, Xueyue Heimu, Tao Yaoyao~~, Piaomiao's worry, Xiao Xiao Chongchong, You Caoyiren, Spaletti II, I am Super Big Dragon, Anran Yiyu, Wutung·cat, 0773, Book Friend 121021173821201, I still don't understand,, Shui Boliu says, Oufimo, Wutung·cat, ygijrtuje65r, dear·Moyuan, Liuyan, Mutian Dixi, ioiji, Huojin hejin, Anjing·corner, lazyorange, Judah's descendants, etc. for the rewards! Thanks to shoulder blades, pure white fantasy wing, low hum light taste, lvut (5), Shui Boliu says and those friends who couldn't see the records for their rating votes! Thank you!