Chapter 208: You Need a Leash to Walk a Cat

"?"

Chen Shu's first reaction was to look at the author of the video.

It was the official account of the National Daily.

It could not be fake.

So Chen Shu clicked on the link below, opened a collaborative webpage, and carefully read the information.

Duqin is located in the easternmost part of Xizhou; it is a chaotic small country with constant wars year-round. There are two main reasons for this: rich Spirit Crystal Mine resources, and its key location right at the border of Central and Western Xizhou, which is why it has become a chessboard for major powers.

The place where the Duqin Fangti was discovered is currently under the control of the Duqin Government, but it is also very close to the crossfire line.

After finishing the news, Chen Shu covered his Mobile Phone screen with a thin blanket, opened his eyes in the dark, and stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

According to international consensus, a Fangti belongs to the country where it is unearthed. But in reality, if a Fangti is unearthed in a small country, most of the items inside will be voluntarily handed over by that small country to a major power in exchange for benefits.

Voluntarily, that is.

The value of a Fangti is simply too great.

This value can be divided into several aspects.

In terms of historical artifacts, some small countries do not have the ability to organize these artifacts and often have to ask for help from major powers. Some small countries have a stronger backbone and will choose to keep these artifacts in the end, while some small countries cannot even protect themselves; their own chaotic domestic situation makes it impossible to protect these artifacts. Not to mention anything else, officials at all levels and warlords would make more than half of them disappear, so they wouldn't be able to keep them anyway.

In terms of natural treasures.

Those that haven't gone extinct are not important.

For those that have already gone extinct, major powers have the ability to research them and attempt to regenerate them, while small countries can only treat them as consumables. Whether out of their own interests or international pressure, small countries usually sell them to major powers at a high price.

Finally, there is the Mijing.

This is a strategic resource.

A small country has no way to keep it.

Unless this small country is located in Dongzhou, the final destination for a Mijing Space Stone is only one of two places—

Yiguo or Blue Country.

For example, the Fangti from two times ago.

Chen Shu vaguely remembered the situation at that time.

At that time, that small country, using the excuse that "the Fangti is a treasure belonging to all mankind," sent invitations to Yiguo, Blue Country, and its neighboring major power. In the end, several countries sent a History Expert Group to go there, ostensibly to help with the excavation, organization, and protection of the artifacts, but in reality, to conduct negotiations, select artifacts, and distribute them.

Chen Jiaoshou was among them.

In the end, that Mijing fell into the hands of Yiguo, and its current use is unknown, while that small country received a large number of commercial orders and obtained quite a bit of technical assistance and infrastructure promises.

Chen Shu threw away his Mobile Phone.

Daily Cultivation.

Four hours later, he opened his Mobile Phone again.

There was no new news.

"Xizhou..."

"Heading west..."

Chen Shu remembered what the great monk at Xinzheng Temple had said at the beginning of this year, pondered for a moment, and gradually closed his eyes.

Early morning.

Chen Shu felt a figure beside him in a daze, followed by a few small plum-blossom feet stepping back and forth on him, as if they were treating him like a road—today this cat seemed a bit more deliberate than before, always stepping on his face.

Until another foot pressed onto his eye.

"Ugh..."

Chen Shu opened his eyes slightly, just in time to see the cat looking back at him, a pair of large blue eyes seemingly hiding stars within them.

"Emmm..."

This was definitely on purpose, right?

Then he saw a figure sitting beside him, sitting very close to him, with a proper posture and eyes tightly closed.

So it was you...

You're so mischievous once you turn into a cat; where did that cold aloofness go?

Chen Shu was speechless.

He lifted the thin blanket and began to get dressed.

Taozi sat down right next to him, watching him dress without blinking.

This cat was not afraid of water, loved baths, and was also clean. Ning Qing and Xiaoxiao kept it spotlessly clean, its whole body snow-white, so white it seemed to glow. Its fur was fluffy, its mouth and nose tip were pale pink, and it had no tear stains; it was impossibly perfect, the cat of one's dreams.

Chen Shu finished dressing, rubbed Taozi's head, reached out to pinch Qingqing's face beside him, and gave her thigh a stroke before taking out his Mobile Phone.

He continued to search for news about the Duqin Fangti.

Duqin Government: Due to the deteriorating domestic situation and intensifying war conflicts, it has been decided to temporarily suspend the excavation of the Fangti and invite the Blue and Yiguo sides to hold talks to discuss how to protect the Fangti and the artifacts and treasures within it.

Temporarily suspend excavation?

Are they trying to use this as a bargaining chip to exchange for stability in the situation?

Chen Shu guessed.

If that is really the case, I am afraid it will not work; a small country cannot control a Fangti, nor can it decide when it will open.

While Chen Shu was pondering, his right hand was disobedient and reached out to the side.

He soon touched Qingqing's thigh.

"Woof?"

Taozi tilted its head and stared at his face. Seeing that he was ignoring it, it tilted its head again and stared at his sinful hand.

Its little head was full of question marks.

Chen Shu continued scrolling through the news.

Why is it all clickbait...

At the same time, his hand kept rubbing back and forth.

Qingqing was wearing a pair of waffle-knit casual pants today, a light gray loungewear style; the fabric was soft and skin-friendly, and the feeling under his hand was also quite unique.

Because of the small raised squares on the fabric of the pants, the texture was clearly coarse, yet it felt as if he could sense the softness of the thigh underneath and the extreme silkiness of the skin through this layer of cloth; even Qingqing's body temperature was transmitted to his hand with absolute clarity.

Soft, smooth, warm.

By comparison, jeans are trash.

Chen Shu couldn't put his hand down.

"Awoo!"

Taozi pounced toward Chen Shu and bit his hand.

"Hiss..."

Chen Shu pulled his hand back quickly, then turned his head to stare at this cat and questioned, "What are you doing?"

"Woof!"

"What's wrong with touching it?" Chen Shu said righteously, "You could clearly cultivate upstairs, yet you insisted on coming down, and you insisted on sitting next to me, sitting so close—isn't that just for me to touch?"

"Awoo~"

"You've even learned to argue after turning into a cat!"

"Woof~"

"Got it, got it."

Chen Shu put down his Mobile Phone for the moment and went to make breakfast.

Taozi, possessed by Qingqing, still followed behind him, sitting at the kitchen entrance, looking up and staring, acting as a supervisor.

Taozi usually did this too.

"Tch..."

Chen Shu glanced at it: "Believe it or not, I'll cook a snail rice noodle durian hotpot at noon today?"

Taozi narrowed its eyes.

"Haha..."

Chen Shu couldn't help but be amused.

Half an hour later.

Qingqing ended her cultivation state, and Taozi had long since become accustomed to this; the three of them and one cat ate breakfast.

Chen Shu opened WeChat.

Chen Shu: Chen Jiaoshou, Chen Jiaoshou

Chen Shu: Wake up and watch the market

Chen Shu: The stock market has been crashing lately, you wouldn't happen to be heavily invested, would you?

Chen Jiaoshou:...

Chen Shu: Hurry up and look at the morning market news, cut your losses early; if you're late, you'll be eating floorboards.

Chen Jiaoshou: /smile

Chen Shu: Haha

Chen Shu: Have you heard about the Duqin Fangti?

Chen Jiaoshou: I've heard of it.

Chen Shu: Have you gotten any news?

Chen Shu: Will they organize another History Expert Group to go over there this time?

Chen Jiaoshou: I don't know.

Chen Shu: Why aren't you concerned at all?

Chen Shu: If you go again, you'd definitely get a large travel subsidy and could add to your positions again.

Chen Jiaoshou: /smile

Chen Shu: Keep an eye out for me.

Chen Jiaoshou: They probably will go.

Chen Jiaoshou: But it definitely won't just be an expert group; Duqin is too chaotic right now, and the expert group and the Messenger group alone can't control the situation.

Chen Shu: Ping me if there's news.

Chen Jiaoshou: Okay.

Chen Shu put down his Mobile Phone.

Chen Jiaoshou's speculation was very reasonable.

Duqin and Lan Country were not far apart and were previously influenced and controlled by Lan Country. However, as a multi-racial and multi-ethnic immigrant superpower primarily controlled by Night People, some of Lan Country's foreign policies and national style were inevitably perceived by outsiders as somewhat brutal. Duqin had been bullied by Lan Country for years; news of Lan Country garrison troops acting recklessly in Duqin—beating passersby to death, bullying local officials and police, and abducting and insulting young girls—was common, and the people of Duqin were gradually losing their patience.

Yiguo took the opportunity to support an anti-Lan Country government, and thus the country fell into war.

Many people were brainwashed and picked up weapons, shouting that they were fighting for freedom, when in reality, they were mostly fighting for the interests of major powers. Ironically, many did not realize this until they died in battle. As for the few who were clear-headed, they were swept up by the situation; even knowing they were pawns of major powers, they still had to pick up weapons and fight to the death, just so their descendants could stand up and be human beings in the future.

The previous turmoil in Puluo was Lan Country's targeted retaliation against Yiguo.

There are currently two major forces within Duqin.

The government that is close to Yiguo;

The anti-government armed forces supported by Lan Country;

And both sides have a small but elite number of Mercenary groups assisting from the sidelines, attacking only the other side, not the other side's Mercenary groups.

The appearance of the Square Body, and the fact that it appeared in an area controlled by the government, meant Yiguo would certainly not hand it over. And given the current situation in Duqin, I fear that besides an expert group, they will have to dispatch a sufficiently powerful armed force for this trip to be successful.

"Focus on eating."

Beside him, Qingqing had already put down her chopsticks and was watching him calmly.

"Uh-huh..."

Chen Shu cast these thoughts aside, slurping the noodles mixed with pickled pepper duck intestines and tripe leftover from last night, and said, "Are you still going to cultivate later?"

"Yes."

"What are you possessing?"

"Taozi."

"Why do you always possess Taozi? Are you addicted?" Chen Shu asked.

"She is." Before her sister could answer, the little girl nodded first, her face serious. "Sister thinks possessing Taozi is really fun now."

"I think so too," Chen Shu nodded as well. "Things she's usually too embarrassed to do, she can do once she becomes Taozi."

"Shut up, both of you."

"How about you turn into a cat later, and I'll take you out to play?"

"Possess."

"What?"

"It's possessing, for cultivation, not turning into a cat."

"So, shall I take you out to play?"

"I can't go too far; if I go too far, I will lose the connection and mutual perception with my original body."

"Just walking around the residential complex."

"Walking?"

"Strolling, just strolling."

"That's fine."

"I'm staying home," the little girl said.

"While I am cultivating, I have perception of my original body and the environment around it," Ning Qing looked at her indifferently and reminded her, "I didn't pay attention to you before, I just didn't want to."

"..."

The little girl stared at her, was silent for a moment, then turned her head to her brother-in-law and said, "Brother-in-law, I wasn't thinking of doing anything, and she's already framing me like this!"

"Hit her!"

"You hit her."

"You hit her, you hit her..."

"You hit her."

"..."

"..."

The two looked at each other for a second, then lowered their heads and continued eating noodles.

Ning Qing felt no ripples in her heart.

A few minutes later.

Ning Qing was still sitting on the sofa with her eyes closed, while a long-haired white cat stood on the edge of the sofa, tilting its head to stare at Chen Shu—it soon saw Chen Shu pick up a piece of rope, making a gesture to loop it around its neck.

"???"

The white cat struggled desperately.

"Hiss!!!"

It hissed at Chen Shu.

Chen Shu said repeatedly, "No, no, it has to be leashed, it has to be leashed, I am a person of quality..."