Do You Have Any Opinion on Mechanical Cat Ears? (CAT EARS)
The warehouse behind the secret door was unexpectedly empty, which took Ji Yiwei by surprise.
A peculiar feeling stirred within him. For so long, nearly everything had unfolded exactly as he predicted. He had been indulging in the comfort of cat ears, and even when seizing the White Bird Project or gathering unplanned hosts, he had done so with a certain nonchalance.
But now, his heart began to beat faster—this sensation of the unexpected…
Usually, only San-san could evoke this in him.
Had San-san come?
The smile on his lips widened as he stepped inside leisurely.
Wen Xu followed nervously behind him, fully expecting to meet his end once Ji Yiwei saw the robots inside. Yet, his trembling vision reflected only an empty warehouse.
Not a single robot remained—no, not even a single screw was left.
Catching Zhou Yuechu’s covert glance, Wen Xu shook his head almost imperceptibly with his eyes wide with panic.
It wasn’t him!
He’d been robbed!
But why hadn’t his AI alerted him?!
And the more Wen Xu thought about it, the more terrified he became.
Though the missing robots had inadvertently saved his life… where had they gone? Those were robots loaded with untested viruses!
Ji Yiwei paid no attention to the silent exchange behind him.
He was already growing excited as he carefully examined the traces left in the warehouse.
The theft had been somewhat rushed, yet executed flawlessly—all evidence meticulously erased. This mix of spontaneity and caution felt more and more like San-san’s handiwork.
Zhou Yuechu gathered her courage and stepped forward to inspect as well. Observant, she noticed marks where large numbers of robots had once stood—footprints and wheel tracks remained, but there were no signs of movement. It was as if they had been plucked straight from the air.
Only one thing could cause this…
In a corner, Ji Yiwei found a familiar, hastily erased tail mark—San-san’s tail, no doubt. Then he noticed a patch of dust on the floor that was thinner than the rest, as if left by San-san’s screen… Wait, a screen mark?
He traced the shape with his fingers while reconstructing the scene in his mind.
This mark—
Could only have been made if San-san had been swung like a flail and missed then face-planting into the ground.
His heart ached at the thought, and he immediately drew his gun on Wen Xu.
San-san had been used as a flail in this warehouse—did it hurt when they hit the ground? Tomorrow, when they met, he’d have to kiss it better. Wen Xu was unforgivable!
Wen Xu paled as Ji Yiwei aimed the gun at him and realized that there was no hiding the truth—this was his reckoning!
"There… were originally things in this warehouse," Wen Xu admitted with his face ghostly white. Still, he didn’t dare mention the virus, so he mixed truth with lies.
"...It stored some higher-quality robots. I intended to keep them from you, but now it seems they’ve all been stolen."
"Good theft," Ji Yiwei said without hesitation.
Wen Xu: "???"
Was he really that petty?!
But Ji Yiwei wasn’t done. With a friendly yet unyielding tone, he forced Wen Xu to repeat it.
"Say it—good theft."
Wen Xu: "...Good theft."
Swallowing his blood and tears.
But he noticed Ji Yiwei's mood had strangely improved again.
The man looked around the empty warehouse with a beaming smile, even touching the black kitten ear stud on his earlobe.
San San really had good taste—stealing only the best.
Wen Xu was also thoughtful enough to gather all the best items in one place for San San's convenience.
The traces in the warehouse made Ji Yiwei realize that San San was taking active steps. That initiative of his had never changed. To be worthy of San San, he needed to be more proactive, more driven.
However, he knew San San wasn’t a greedy cat ball. Why would he take every single robot from this warehouse without leaving a single one behind?
Ji Yiwei, ever suspicious, grew doubtful. Wen Xu watched as his previously bright expression darkened again and cursed inwardly at Ji Yiwei’s mood swings before forcing himself to change the subject.
"Mr. Ji, although I brought you here tonight to tour my warehouse and research results, I’ve already parted ways with the White Bird Project. I’m only providing technical assistance as part of an exchange of benefits. Even if you are the future leader of the White Bird Project, you have no right to—"
Hmm, that was indeed a problem. If it was purely a transaction, he’d have to spend points every time he needed Wen Xu’s help. In his mind, the black cat ball suddenly bounced up and made a "reset to zero" sound at him.
Not frugal enough.
But this was easy to solve.
Ji Yiwei smiled and said to Wen Xu,
"Then, I grant you membership in the White Bird Project."
He really was the best leader in the history of the White Bird Project—not even officially in power yet, and already recruiting technical talent for the cause. San San would surely praise him for being thrifty.
Wen Xu stared in disbelief. He wanted to refuse, but Ji Yiwei’s dark, unreadable eyes fixed on him.
"By the way," Ji Yiwei added, his gaze devoid of amusement, "there’s something else about this warehouse that I find suspicious. Don’t let me discover you’ve hidden anything."
Wen Xu’s protest died with a hiss in his chest.
At that moment, he suddenly realized the terror of having Ji Yiwei lead the White Bird Project.
—No one would dare defy him. No one would dare betray him.
System 2333, carrying a bellyful of virus-infected robots, didn’t dare look back or pass through areas dense with other systems. He turned to 1818 and said,
"I’ll glitch my way to 4399’s place. The route is more complicated, but it’s safer for everyone. If the virus really can spread… at least the infection won’t expand too far."
1818’s heart ached, but all he could do was rush to the cat-ball house near the free market and panting as he explained the situation to 4399.
Coincidentally, 1001 was also there tonight. Shocked by the news, he immediately began making arrangements.
He personally waited at the entrance to guide 2333 directly to the underground testing area when he arrived. Seeing the worry all over Xiao Yi’s screen, System 2333 even tried to reassure him with a smile.
"It’s fine, Xiao Yi."
"You should stay away from me too. I’m worried—"
Watching his friend, who seemed determined to contain the virus within himself, 1001 burned with anxiety and resentment toward the host who had developed this virus.
He and 2333 shared the same fear—this virus might not just target robots. It could very well be meant for them, the cat balls!
Why did something like this exist?
What exactly did the hosts want to do to them?
The solemn atmosphere between them was abruptly interrupted by 4399, who was being carried over by 1818 and 6666.
Despite the situation, his screen displayed the calm expression of a seasoned researcher. Amidst the inexplicable grief surrounding them, he blinked his vertical-line eyes composedly.
"What are you all grieving about?"
"A virus that can infect robots was never going to infect us cat-balls in the first place."
The four grief-stricken cat-balls: "???"
Seeing their reaction, No. 4399 sighed helplessly.
“33's approach to handling an unknown virus was correct," he first praised, then pivoted. "However, none of you seem to have an accurate understanding of the technology we use... Let me use 33 as a teaching aid to demonstrate."
He beckoned System 2333 with a flick of his tail. Though 2333 initially hesitated, fearing his virus might spread, 4399's confidence was unwavering. After a moment's thought, 2333 moved closer.
4399 grabbed his little ears and split him open from the middle after deactivating the internal projection to let the other cat-balls see inside.
System 2333: "???"
It felt like thinking you had a serious illness and going to the doctor, only for the physician to gather a crowd of interns and PhDs around you, pry you open, and say, "See? This is that completely harmless condition I mentioned earlier. What a rare opportunity—let’s also review basic human anatomy while we're at it."
A clear blue light suddenly illuminated the room, casting its glow on every cat-ball. The source was System 2333's illusory chip—his "heart." Every mechanical cat-ball possessed one.
4399 relaxed and began his lecture earnestly.
"See this glowing part at the center? This is the crucial illusory chip."
"These are the data lines connecting to the screen. They must function properly for facial expressions to work. If these fail in some systems, they become expressionless."
He continued his anatomy lesson on mechanical cat-balls.
"This is the speaker. This controls splitting open. This controls the ears, and this the tail. These are all circuits. Beyond these basic components..."
"We're hollow."
The other cat-balls were visibly stunned.
6666 raised his tail hesitantly. "Then where are our storage spaces and shops?"
"Excellent question." 4399 nodded approvingly. "I was just getting to that. What I showed you earlier were just the basic mechanical components. The functions 6666 mentioned all rely on the [modules] attached near our illusory chips."
Even while split open as a teaching aid, System 2333 couldn’t resist asking, "What about my 100,000 volts and 100,000 horsepower...?"
"That’s because I installed power generation and acceleration modules for you. Not to mention lacking the expertise, I didn’t dare tamper with your core chip recklessly—I was afraid I’d turn you dumb."
Feeling his friend’s caution and concern, 2333 immediately chuckled. "Hehehe."
4399: "..."
Too late. Maybe he already did.
However, 4399 was truly grateful to Sansan. If it weren't for Sansan constantly clamoring for new features with fearless boldness towards modifications, he wouldn't have kept disassembling the other to add functions. And this eventually led to accidentally disabling the internal hidden projection during one operation, revealing the core of the Cat Ball.
He still remembered that moment of awe.
Sansan's virtual chip was the brightest he'd ever seen—a flawless heart where not even shadows could cast.
After explaining the Cat Ball's structure, 4399 reassembled 2333, whose screen now displayed "Believe in Science" everywhere.
"Stop watching those alarmist boomer conspiracy theories. The so-called virus you mentioned can't affect our core systems. Any transferred malware would get automatically sanitized with distorted effects. At worst, it might cause minor issues like facial paralysis, tail spasms, or speech loops. As for contagiousness..."
He flipped System 2333 over, finding its screen frozen in a winking expression with its tail twitching uncontrollably.
"Daddy save me save me save me save me thank you thank you thank you..." System 2333 looped endlessly.
4399 fell silent.
"...Damn, the contagion's stronger than expected. I'll fix Sansan before dawn, no worries."
Finally, standing tall before the awestruck Cat Balls with his tail akimbo, 4399 declared proudly:
"Have confidence, everyone. We may resemble robots, but we're fundamentally different. Our composition..."
"...is higher-dimensional technology."
Author's Note:
Given the Cat Balls' peculiar biology—
Sansan (opening skull): Hi Ji Yiwei! Wanna see my heart!
Ji Yiwei: Sansansansan oh no I love Sansan even more now sansansansan...
Others & Balls: IS THERE A SINGLE NORMAL ONE AMONG YOU?!
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