Chapter 64: The Kicking‑the‑Testicles Thing Wasn

The next day, Zheng Tan hid inside Fang Shaokang's bag, preparing to leave the hotel.

The front desk clerk gave Fang Shaokang's large backpack a lingering glance, probably not expecting someone who looked so down‑and‑out to be staying at this kind of hotel, and wondered what could possibly be inside that big bag.

"Sir, your backpack zipper isn't closed…" the clerk began, intending a courteous reminder, but the final "closed" never left her mouth because she had already seen a cat's whiskers through the opened zipper.

She opened her mouth, glanced at Fang Shaokang, who gave a bright smile, then swaggered away.

Once they passed through the hotel's doors, Zheng Tan felt little restraint, leapt out and trailed beside Fang Shaokang, the backpack being unbearably uncomfortable.

"Hey, the car's here!" Fang Shaokang said.

Zheng Tan craned his neck, looked around, but couldn't tell which car Fang Shaokang meant; the hotel parking lot was packed with vehicles.

Fang Shaokang walked toward an unremarkable private car, raised his hand and greeted the driver in the seat.

That was what Fang Shaokang meant by "saved on the fare."

When Fang Shaokang opened the door, Zheng Tan saw another passenger in the back seat, about the same age as Fang Shaokang but looking more solemn and bearing a hint of authority.

Whether stern or not didn't matter; Zheng Tan only hoped the person was reliable, not as troublesome as Fang Shaokang.

"Mayor Yuan, congratulations on your appointment!" Fang Shaokang stepped into the car, plopped down without caring what the others thought, tossed the mud‑spotted backpack onto the empty seat beside him, patted the remaining space on the rear seat, and called to Zheng Tan, who was still watching from outside, "Come up!"

Zheng Tan glanced at the other passenger in the back, then at the tiny gap there, then at the vacant front passenger seat, leapt into the car and squeezed straight to the front.

"Hey, this cat!" Fang Shaokang chuckled, ignored Zheng Tan, and started chatting with the person beside him.

Zheng Tan perched on the front passenger seat, feeling that this slightly more spacious spot was far more comfortable than being cramped with Fang Shaokang's big backpack.

Admittedly the car looked unimpressive from the outside, but the interior was decent—probably modified. Glancing at the driver beside him, Zheng Tan felt a vague sense of familiarity.

It wasn't that Zheng Tan had met him before; rather, the man reminded him of Wei Leng. He was likely a bodyguard‑driver, and recalling Fang Shaokang's earlier mention of "Mayor Yuan" made sense.

The driver beside him noticed Zheng Tan's stare, turned his head. A cat perched on the front passenger seat was a bit odd, but since the boss gave no comment, he kept quiet, as long as the cat didn't interfere with driving. Yet now, seeing the cat stare at him with a gaze that didn't seem feline, gave him a shiver.

This cat is seriously weird!

The driver felt gooseflesh all over, causing a few seconds of delayed reaction when the boss gave the order to drive.

Shifting his gaze from the driver to the window, Zheng Tan perched on the seat, watching the skyscrapers outside through the glass. Though his eyes were on the view, his ears were tuned to the conversation behind—Fang Shaokang and the other man—since he'd just noticed they'd brought up last night's robbery.

Fang Shaokang, holding a document handed over by Mayor Yuan, cursed, "How dare those two still sue me?! Moreover, they clearly colluded in their testimony. I beat one of them with a stick—just one strike—and the rest are none of my business. If I'd known, I'd have beaten them so badly they couldn't even speak. They're just two thugs, yet they're still bragging!"

So those two who were disciplined by Zheng Tan and Fang Shaokang last night went to accuse Fang Shaokang of malicious assault, even mentioning attempted murder.

"Then tell me, what happened to that person's injuries?"

"The cat kicked them."

"…"

Mayor Yuan pinched his brows; he hadn't expected to run into this mess right after his transfer.

"Anyway, that's none of my business." Fang Shaokang tossed the document aside, spread his hands, "Even if that guy really ended up a eunuch, it's just bad luck he brought on himself. What was wrong with him last night? He tried to copy a robbery, even brought a steel pipe! Moreover, he has a criminal record; even if he knows a few people or has a bit of connection, it doesn't change that he's a scoundrel looking to extort money."

Fang Shaokang rattled off a string of words, then summed up in one sentence, "Anyway, the kicking‑the‑testicles thing wasn't done by me."

Seeing Mayor Yuan pondering, Fang Shaokang snorted, "Don't wear that worried face. This gives you an excuse to make a clean sweep. A new official always brings three fires; since there's a spot for you to burn, you might as well burn it well."

After speaking, Fang Shaokang kicked the front passenger seat. In other words: I'll take the trouble you caused!

Zheng Tan tugged at his ears, pretending he knew nothing; after all, he's just a cat now. Who would believe a cat almost turned a man into a eunuch? Even the beaten robber wouldn't dare tell the truth—who would believe it? Or perhaps they think spilling the story would embarrass them, not wanting anyone to know a cat was the one who nearly made him a eunuch.

Regardless of the scenario, Zheng Tan trusted the person in the back seat could handle it; it wasn't his concern.

The two behind stopped discussing the badly beaten robbers and shifted to family matters, which Zheng Tan had no interest in, watching the scenery outside and estimating when they'd leave the city.

After a little over an hour, the car came to a stop.

Zheng Tan leapt out; according to Fang Shaokang, they would transfer to another vehicle here, which would take them all the way to Chu Hua Shi.

So Zheng Tan was thrilled—no more walking, no crouching on bike baskets, no three‑wheel rickshaws, no street performances! Most importantly, it meant he could soon return to Chu Hua Shi, back to the quiet family compound!

Just the thought makes Zheng Tan so excited he can't sleep.

Counting the days carefully, it's been over a month since he was captured. That month felt to Zheng Tan like several years; even the word "torment" barely captures his view of the ordeal.

The vehicle taking Zheng Tan and Fang Shaokang to Chu Hua Shi was an off‑road SUV, fairly luxurious. Inside were some clean clothes and the like, all for Fang Shaokang; as Mayor Yuan put it, "Mind your image, don't let people make fun of you when you get there."

Zheng Tan wasn't sure who Mayor Yuan meant by the "people" that would laugh, and he was too lazy to guess; he only needed to know he could return to Chu Hua Shi.

The SUV driver knew Fang Shaokang; he'd been sent by Fang Shaokang's second brother.

Watching the SUV disappear, Mayor Yuan sighed, "Someone nearing forty still can't compare to a cat for peace of mind."

If Jiao Ba heard Mayor Yuan's remark now, he'd surely say, "That cat is actually even less reassuring."

After the SUV hit the highway, Zheng Tan would occasionally glance at the road signs. Fang Shaokang held a map, and Zheng Tan would lean in to look, using the signs to gauge how far Chu Hua Shi still lay.

Originally, Zheng Tan thought they'd reach Chu Hua Shi quickly. Instead, Fang Shaokang ordered the driver to take a detour. What could have been a straight route was twisted to a historic city for sightseeing—photos, local snacks, a few days of wandering.

The first two days, Zheng Tan was a bit reluctant but found the food, drink, and fun somewhat interesting. Yet the endless repetition wore him down; he no longer felt like sightseeing. Even if the cities were historic or the snacks delicious, traveling with Fang Shaokang left him with no desire to wander.

Still, the driver only obeyed Fang Shaokang, and Zheng Tan couldn't change that; he couldn't expect the driver to take only him.

Since he couldn't change Fang Shaokang's plans, Zheng Tan switched tactics. When they strolled through a midway city, Zheng Tan would have Fang Shaokang buy small souvenirs; if he liked one, Zheng Tan would leap to grab it and then wait for Fang Shaokang to pay.

Thinking of each Jiao Family member's favorite colors and styles, Zheng Tan picked a variety of items.

The driver trailing Fang Shaokang went from surprise to calm to numbness; Zheng Tan's souvenir‑picking had become routine. If Fang Shaokang was busy photographing, the driver ended up paying. This was the first time the driver felt that a cat could be such a hassle!

After wandering and stopping, taking another detour, it took a week before they finally entered Jinghan Province, the province where Chu Hua Shi lies. Just as Zheng Tan felt the light was within reach, Fang Shaokang again ordered the driver to stop, spending a few days in a county not far from Chu Hua Shi, claiming they were going fishing.

Zheng Tan wanted to slap him; never ride with people like that again—they're always looking for trouble.

"We agreed on ten days to half a month—why go back so early?" Fang Shaokang sat by the lake, leisurely fishing with his rod.

Zheng Tan perched on a nearby tree, tugging his ears, ignoring him. It'd been ten days since the contact with Jiao Ba, almost half a month already? And yesterday, using Fang Shaokang's phone to call Jiao Ba, Jiao Ba said the matters over there were almost resolved, and Zheng Tan could return anytime.

"Woof! Woof woof!"

The black‑fur farm dog beside them hopped excitedly in place. It belonged to a nearby farm family, always loves watching people fish, and barks excitedly at any movement.

"Got a bite?!" Fang Shaokang quickly lifted the rod, "We'll have fish for dinner!"

Zheng Tan yawned, ignored them, bored, and trotted back to Fang Shaokang's big backpack, unzipped it, and pulled a phone out.

The driver beside them, helping carry the fish bucket, saw the scene but didn't react; after all, it wasn't the first time. Nowadays, he could see the cat pull a phone from the backpack every day, dial, listen to the call, and after the call the cat seemed especially pleased. Each time he witnessed this, the driver reaffirmed that the black cat was truly weird. (To be continued…)

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