Do You Have Any Opinion on Mechanical Cat Ears? (CAT EARS)
[The first batch of hosts have entered the mission world. Hosts of the second batch, please proceed to the designated windows.]
The announcement echoed through the Miniature Garden's mission hub, accompanied by background music.
At this moment, Jiang Zhuo and System 6666 were still browsing potential mission worlds at the hub's core.
Suddenly, Jiang Zhuo felt a tap from 6666's tail. Looking up, he saw numerous hosts sprinting in one direction.
Having grown accustomed to immediately consulting 6666 for explanations, Jiang Zhuo wasn't disappointed this time either—the system swiftly obtained the information.
"Reliable intel: Host Ji Yiwei has exceptionally initiated a mission playback stream. You can watch his mission completion footage—audio excluded—in the auxiliary hall to the side of the main lobby. First hundred viewers get free access."
System 6666 paused, then couldn't resist adding:
"Host, please hurry."
Free early-bird viewing—run! They were truly broke!
Seizing this rare opportunity, Jiang Zhuo immediately broke into a sprint. Though rescued by Mr. Ji previously, he'd never witnessed his actual mission execution. Observing the full process might yield invaluable techniques.
...And free admission for early arrivals!
At this moment, his thoughts aligned perfectly with 6666's.
Poverty breeds creative freeloading.
En route, Jiang Zhuo praised 6666: "Your intel is always so prompt and precise."
In Jiang Zhuo's understanding, systems presumably shared data through some grand central processor like in sci-fi films. Reality differed—6666, unmoved by praise, calmly checked the Cat Ball forum.
A Thousand-Armed Guanyin cat video topped the page, followed by chaotic discussions. The most prominent thread read:
[57,100 free viewing slots—GO GO GO!]
No high-tech sophistication here—this was the actual source.
Seeing over half the slots taken, 6666 panicked.
[Host, run! Over 50% claimed!]
Jiang Zhuo sprinted desperately, barely securing the hundredth free slot. The [0 points] deduction filled him with joy. Channeling his living days' camaraderie with brothers, he turned to 6666:
"6666! High-five!"
The system seemed startled, then—did Jiang Zhuo imagine it?—appeared to smile. But manuals stated systems were mere programs. Could they smile?
Before pondering further, 6666 raised its tail. Grinning, Jiang Zhuo met the mechanical cat's appendage with his palm.
Seated in a special screening chair with an individual display, Jiang Zhuo noticed a side groove—initially assuming a cup holder—until 6666 curled inside.
Ah—a Cat Ball docking bay!
He had barely settled into his seat when the side hall was already packed with hosts, with more still arriving. Those who came later could still watch, though they'd have to stand and view through their wrist devices. Even if the demonstration was silent, there must be techniques and skills worth learning—after all, these were top-tier hosts from Infinite Space!
The only puzzling thing was that Ji Yiwei had almost never held public demonstrations before. Why the sudden change? Could it be for the system's commission from ticket sales?
Hosts who thought of this reason couldn't help but laugh. Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
Before the footage began playing, Jiang Zhuo noticed someone standing beside him.
"Move."
Jiang Zhuo looked up to see a young man with narrow eyes and a deeply furrowed brow—someone who clearly wasn't easy to get along with. Judging by his demeanor, he must be a veteran host. Not wanting conflict, Jiang Zhuo decided to comply.
Silently, he picked up both his chair and the cat-eared sphere beside him, moved aside, and sat back down.
Wen Xu, standing beside him, was momentarily speechless. He wanted this viewing seat, not empty space!
Seeing his frustration, the host sitting on Jiang Zhuo's other side—adorned with a gold chain—burst into uproarious laughter. As all eyes in the venue turned their way, Wen Xu's expression darkened as he repeated:
"Get out."
Before Jiang Zhuo could respond, the gold-chain host beside him chuckled.
"Wen Xu, who do you think you are? Ji Yiwei? Grown man picking fights with newcomers over free seats—if you're that hard up, I can hook you up with a loan."
Jiang Zhuo: "..."
He wondered silently, just what kind of image does Mr. Ji have among these hosts?
Wen Xu grew even angrier.
Having hidden in the Miniature Garden for days, he'd been stewing in frustration—even the high-level world System 1234 brought him hadn't eased his temper. Yet the other host remained unfazed, dropping his joking tone for something firmer.
"Wen Xu, you really think you're somebody now?"
He leisurely toyed with his gold chain.
"You're not the same as when you followed Sheng Songshi. Back then, out of respect for him, I'd give you some leeway. But you've split from them—what's there to fear now?"
Clearly struck where it hurt, Wen Xu blustered weakly.
"Qian Dafa, don't push it!"
Qian Dafa whistled.
"I can push even harder." With confident ease, he delivered a threat straight out of elementary school: "I'll tell Ji Yiwei you were making a scene during his live mission."
Mention of recent humiliations silenced Wen Xu immediately.
Jiang Zhuo: "..."
So what exactly is Mr. Ji's reputation among you people?
As Wen Xu slunk away in defeat, Qian Dafa snorted disdainfully at his retreating back. With Ji Yiwei's mission yet to begin, he used the time to introduce himself to Jiang Zhuo.
"I'm host of System 1818—Qian Dafa. Don't mind what just happened. That Wen Xu? Nothing but a stray dog with its tail between its legs."
Just then, System 1818 arrived with two drinks. Qian Dafa handed one to Jiang Zhuo and even gave System 6666 an extra supplement pack. The moment 6666 saw the supplement, its cat ears perked straight up, yet it resisted taking it immediately, instead turning to look at Jiang Zhuo for approval.
"Go ahead and take it. Kitties love this stuff—it's always good to reward your little partner now and then."
Qian Dafa's unexpected warmth left Jiang Zhuo slightly flustered. He wondered if this host, who seemed friendly with Mr. Sheng, was going out of his way to help him, especially since he'd recently accepted Mr. Sheng's invitation to join a secret organization...
"Don't get the wrong idea—I've got nothing to do with Sheng Songshi," Qian Dafa said, crossing his arms emphatically and curling his lip. "He's not kind to kitties, and I can't stand that."
"Honestly, how could anyone mistreat a kitty?!"
"That's why I really admire Ji Yiwei. He's such a good guy—just look at how well he takes care of his kitty! So lively, adorable, and glossy. If only I could pet it just once... Ahem, never mind, forget I said that!"
He referred to the systems as "kitties," sounding like a devout follower of the Cat-Ball Sect, rambling endlessly at the mere mention of them.
System 1818 had already turned away in embarrassment but was forcibly pulled back for a toast.
Perhaps noticing Jiang Zhuo's kindness toward the cat-balls, Qian Dafa showed him how to access the live feed. The moment Jiang Zhuo opened the stream, he was stunned.
The screen showed a sparsely furnished room.
The dim glow of a streetlamp slanted through a small window two meters above the ground, casting a dusty beam of light that illuminated an iron chair bolted to the floor at the center of the room.
Seated on the chair was a young man, his posture relaxed and slightly tilted. Tea-gold bangs swept to one side, revealing a black kitten-head earring on one ear. His hands and feet were tightly bound to the chair, yet when he lifted his head, his lips curled into a smile.
"Hell of a starting point," Qian Dafa muttered beside him. "But don't worry—this won't hold Ji Yiwei for long."
Sure enough, in the next moment, Ji Yiwei's hand twisted unnaturally, slipping free from the ropes before casually undoing the restraints on his feet. With another unsettling motion, his dislocated joints snapped back into place.
"See?" Qian Dafa said, looking unsurprised.
The feed had no audio, and the gathered hosts watched intently on their screens. Ji Yiwei began speaking, but without sound or clear lip-reading due to the shadows, they could only guess at his words.
...Was he discussing the mission strategy with his system?
A minute passed, and Ji Yiwei was still talking.
The hosts remained tense.
Five minutes later, he was still talking.
A hint of impatience crept in.
Ten minutes in, Ji Yiwei continued speaking—now laughing animatedly as he did so.
The watching hosts: "..."
Help! Since when was the Great Demon King this chatty?!
Finally, Ji Yiwei stopped talking—but instead of leaving, he lounged in the chair like a king. Raising a hand, he performed a motion veteran hosts recognized: retrieving an item from the in-game store.
What had Ji Yiwei bought?
From thin air, he produced a glass of water and took a few sips.
He was thirsty?!
Holy shit, he actually gets thirsty! Now that he's had his drink, surely he'll leave, right?
Ji Yiwei didn't stop. He shifted his sitting position and resumed chatting cheerfully, even refilling his water midway. Drinking while talking, he looked like he was attending a tea party.
Qian Dafa couldn't boast anymore. With elbows on his knees, he clutched his head in despair.
Suddenly, he felt sorry for the hosts who'd spent points watching this livestream.
"Newbie, seriously," he muttered while holding his head, "Ji Yiwei is really impressive. His System 2333 is truly remarkable too, but I never knew they were like this... just like this in mission worlds..."
After half an hour of chatting, Ji Yiwei finally moved. He picked up the ropes that had once bound him, clearly checking the item descriptions. Then, the corners of his mouth lifted—he'd obviously found his target.
"This is what I meant about Ji Yiwei's system being impressive," Qian Dafa sighed quietly. "Critical information just from reading rope descriptions. Ji Yiwei's system is really..."
Jiang Zhuo turned his head and noticed both System 1818 and 6666 were intently watching the screen, as if studying carefully. Still confused, he got further explanation from Qian Dafa.
"Newbie, ever played video games?"
Jiang Zhuo nodded honestly.
"I actually quite enjoy them."
That made it easier to explain.
"Except for some special format games, don't most games have lots of text? From the game title, to scene introductions and character dialogues, down to item descriptions... these don't appear magically."
Qian Dafa glanced at his System 1818.
"All these are created by systems during [World Analysis]."
"Does every single item get analyzed?" Jiang Zhuo asked humbly.
"Of course. Systems analyze every object the host might interact with, but the level of detail varies—that's what demonstrates a system's analytical capability."
For example, one system might describe a rope as [A worn-out rope], while another could produce [A worn-out rope stained dark red from blood. May have once bound someone important. Though damaged, it remains usable for 2-3 more times].
True, hosts might notice details like bloodstains through keen observation. But whether the rope is a key plot item or can be used as equipment—that all depends on the system's analysis.
Qian Dafa believed Ji Yiwei's system definitely produced the latter type of descriptions, possibly even better.
"So... do you read every single item's analysis?" Jiang Zhuo asked even more humbly.
"...Normal people wouldn't."
"But Mr. Ji seems to be checking each one."
"..."
Author's Note:
Ji Yiwei (blissfully): San-san's analyses! Everywhere I look—San-san made these just for me!
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
The completed novel is now available in my Ko-fi page.
If you appreciate what I do, please consider supporting me on kofi. Thank you!
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•