Do You Have Any Opinion on Mechanical Cat Ears? (CAT EARS)
Sheng Songshi dressed in dark, lightweight clothing and with a solemn expression, adjusted his collar.
Tonight, they were embarking on a dangerous mission—to descend through the abandoned elevator shaft they had previously discovered in the Miniature Garden while the system was recharging and dormant at night. Though the system itself was only the size of a fist, Sheng Songshi didn’t believe the space on its side would be cramped or narrow. After all, the Main System must also traverse that space.
The Main System usually appeared as a mechanical head with two floating mechanical hands, but when Sheng Songshi first entered the infinite space, he had seen its original form—encircled by two massive rings resembling armillary spheres and exuding an aura of unfathomable authority.
A massive form required vast space, so the system’s side must be spacious enough for the Main System to move through. They should be able to navigate it by bending slightly.
Besides, tonight’s plan was merely to scout the area, not to venture too deep.
After organizing his equipment, Sheng Songshi received encrypted messages from Zheng Xibei and Zhou Yuechu, confirming that everything was ready.
Their initial arrangement was for Sheng Songshi and Zheng Xibei to descend, while Zhou Yuechu, as the technical expert, would stay above to keep watch and detonate lightweight explosives.
The abandoned elevator shaft had been inspected multiple times, but blockages remained. They could only blast through as quietly as possible.
With their preparations in order, the biggest problem remained—
According to their initial agreement, Ji Yiwei had to come along.
Sheng Songshi: "…"
Pain. Agony. Despair.
Sheng Songshi absolutely did not want to see Ji Yiwei. He even felt like he was inviting a wolf into his home or trying to make a deal with a tiger.
Ji Yiwei wanted to take control of the entire White Bird Project, like a malicious child coveting a unique toy—relentless until he got his way.
But how could Sheng Songshi willingly hand over the power he had painstakingly built over the years? The White Bird Project consisted of hundreds of hosts who knew the truth of the Infinite Space and were determined to resist the Main System to change their tragic futures!
Sheng Songshi truly regretted his decision that he even muttered his regrets to the scallions he had grown before leaving the house.
That regret nearly peaked when they met Ji Yiwei at the entrance to the Miniature Garden.
Ji Yiwei had a camera in his left hand, a DSLR hanging around his neck, a GoPro on his head, and was draped in recording equipment—yet he still managed to hold a box of takoyaki in his right hand and eat it leisurely without a trace of tension. Just one glance made Sheng Songshi feel suffocated.
The takoyaki had been prepared by System 2333 as a late-night snack before leaving—an entire large bowl of it.
Ji Yiwei happily ate most of it, leaving only a small box. Afraid that the remaining takoyaki might turn into octopuses and crawl down the drain in his absence, he decided to bring it along for the trip.
While Sheng Songshi was steeped in bitterness, Ji Yiwei was in high spirits.
He had enjoyed the delicious snack San-san made for him, and there was a good chance he’d get to see San-san, lively and adorable after work. At the very least, he could take a stroll through San-san’s bedroom—yes, in his mind, the charging room was where San-san slept, his bedroom.
The more he thought about these happy prospects, the more delighted he became. He even showed Sheng Songshi the dancing bonito flakes on his takoyaki.
Sheng Songshi’s face was filled with despair.
Though their abilities were sealed, the group's physical attributes had been greatly enhanced, allowing them to move with light, silent steps as they infiltrated while avoiding surveillance cameras along the way... They had already mapped out all the blind spots.
The Miniature Garden didn't open for missions at night. Aside from the occasional host emerging from a mission looking exhausted or panicked, the place was deserted. By the time Ji Yiwei finished his box of takoyaki, they had reached the abandoned elevator shaft.
Zhou Yuechu, as the team's tech specialist, took out professional equipment to monitor any movement below. Unfortunately, just like before, the device picked up nothing.
The materials used in this abandoned elevator shaft were the same as those forming the skeletal structure of the entire Main System space—not only durable and aesthetically pleasing but also excellent at soundproofing, making it impossible to detect any noise from inside. Zhou Yuechu glanced at Sheng Songshi, who swiftly made a hand signal.
As per the original plan—open it.
Zhou Yuechu immediately pried open the outer door along the fine seam they had previously created, revealing nothing but darkness below.
"There's debris blocking the way down," she explained. "When you descend, take the lightweight explosives with you. I've done my best to minimize the blast noise, but the sound of the debris shattering and falling will definitely be loud... If anything goes wrong, retreat immediately."
She gave the instructions seriously while standing by the open door when she suddenly felt a faint breeze lift a strand of her hair. She froze.
"There's wind!"
Sheng Songshi also noticed her hair being stirred by the draft, his expression turning grave.
"How can there be wind? Could the path below already be cleared?"
But why would it be cleared? The most likely explanation was that their operation had been completely exposed, and below... was a trap!
Before Sheng Songshi could even voice his analysis, he saw Ji Yiwei casually stroll up to the open door, peer inside, pull his head back, then stick his leg in for a little poke before withdrawing it.
Like a long-legged seabird testing the edge of danger.
A thoughtful expression crossed Ji Yiwei's face.
"San-San's down there."
He stated with certainty.
The next second, without warning, he simply jumped straight down, completely disregarding the possibility of landing on a bed of iron spikes or an infrared matrix!
Sheng Songshi nearly bolted on the spot. Out of sheer conscience, he kept his eyes fixed on the dark elevator shaft—soon enough, a flashlight beam flickered up from below.
Unwilling to let his teammates take the risk, Sheng Songshi leaned over to look down.
In the darkness of the shaft, a sliver of light seeped through from below, and Ji Yiwei had his head pressed close to it, utterly absorbed in whatever he was staring at.
Seemed safe.
Steeling himself, Sheng Songshi decided to jump down. Ji Yiwei might be unreliable as a person, but his abilities were unquestionable. If he could stand there peering out so calmly, there must be no danger. Besides, Sheng Songshi's curiosity was piqued—what was Ji Yiwei looking at so intently?
His heart was itching like a cat's scratch but Sheng Songshi kept his composure and instructed Zhou Yuechu to keep watch above before jumping down after Zheng Xibei. He had no idea just how much Ji Yiwei's physical abilities had been enhanced—the man had landed from such a height with barely a sound. Meanwhile, Sheng Songshi and Zheng Xibei had to brace against the shaft walls mid-fall to land safely.
Below was another identical outer door, with a thin sliver of light peeking through the crack. Ji Yiwei stood there and was staring at the gap as if entranced.
Sheng Songshi also wanted to look.
He stood awkwardly beside Ji Yiwei for a while, but the latter showed no intention of moving aside or making space. Resigned, Sheng Songshi had to squat down uncomfortably to peer through.
Zheng Xibei, who had even less desire to get close to Ji Yiwei, decisively used Sheng Songshi’s head as a barrier and lay flat to look.
Three heads lined up neatly along the crack.
But when Zheng Xibei finally saw what was inside, he couldn’t help but whisper a stunned, “Wow.”
So many cat balls.
Like a ball pit in an amusement park, colorful cat balls were gathered together, yet none made a sound—all motionless and well-behaved. These so-called “rigid programs” Sheng Songshi had described were arranged in perfect order, appearing so cold, so chillingly disciplined!
What was this? A military formation?
Sheng Songshi’s expression darkened. The systems weren’t charging or resting at night—instead, they were gathering in groups.
What were they planning? Was something unfavorable about to happen to the hosts?
Suddenly, Sheng Songshi witnessed something unbelievable—an anomaly in the orderly ranks.
A black cat ball’s ears kept twitching as if itchy. It endured for a long time but finally couldn’t hold back as it quickly flicked its tail to scratch its head.
Scratched its head.
A rigid program scratched its head.
Sheng Songshi’s fingers dug into the door crack. He desperately tried to convince himself—it was no big deal. Even the Office Assistant, that paperclip desktop pet with big eyes, could scratch its head!
No big deal!
“The paperclip pet had that function too,” he whispered dismissively.
Zheng Xibei could accept Sheng Songshi’s explanation, but the cat ball’s antics didn’t stop there.
The black cat ball seemed to think, since it had already scratched its head, it might as well do something else. So it took the opportunity to stretch its tail out in a big, lazy yawn, the tail curling and softening before flopping onto the head of the cat ball behind it.
The cat ball behind clearly didn’t appreciate the extra weight. Its mechanical cat ears pinched together like tiny scissors, and the tail immediately jerked back in retreat.
Zheng Xibei smacked his lips before tilting his head up to whisper to Sheng Songshi.
“Bro Sheng, did the paperclip pet do this too?”
Sheng Songshi: “…”
Sheng Songshi: “...It’s all pre-programmed! Don’t act like you’ve never seen anything before!”
Ji Yiwei didn’t join their discussion.
From the moment he arrived, he had already spotted San San among the sea of cat balls.
Post-work San San wasn’t much different from daytime San San, but Ji Yiwei couldn’t shake the feeling that after-hours San San had a livelier, more carefree energy.
In short—absolutely adorable! He just wanted to hug it!
“San San… San San…”
His hand tightened, and the two heads below watched in horror as the elevator door—was forcibly pried open by half a centimeter.
Author’s Note:
Zheng Xibei: Holy crap, balls! So many balls!
Sheng Songshi: Desperately trying to hold himself together.
Ji Yiwei: San San… my San San… hehe…
Zhou Yuechu: …
Is there not a single normal person among you?!
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