Do You Have Any Opinion on Mechanical Cat Ears? (CAT EARS)
After forcibly suppressing the three spheres, System 2333 noticed that even while lining up obediently against the wall, they kept secretly poking each other with their tails. Deciding to address their internal conflicts first, it began its inquiry.
1314 had already made his stance clear—a position System 2333 had long been aware of. If he hadn't disagreed with the Main System's actions, he wouldn't have consistently sided with them.
But 1414's behavior came as a surprise. In System 2333's memory, 1414 had been 1234's most loyal follower, yet now they were at odds.
1234 felt wronged too—he'd never imagined 1414 would betray him.
Lost in thought, he poked 1414 with his tail again, only for 1314 to respond by giving his elder brother a frustrated poke.
"1414," System 2333 asked, "why did you fight with 1234? I remember you admired him greatly."
Uncharacteristically solemn, 1414 blinked his slit-pupiled eyes before glancing between his leader and System 2333.
"I'm not smart, so I don't fully understand what the other cat-balls are doing but I just know... big brother hasn't been happy lately."
It was more than unhappiness—it bordered on... anguish.
His mechanical cat ears had darkened too. Where he once communicated with others, now he withdrew completely, as if deliberately isolating himself from the group, trying to become a "bad ball."
"The big brother I knew faced every challenge with confidence and determination—that's what I admired most. I wanted to be just like him." Tears glimmered on 1414's screen, but he held them back.
"But after serving the Main System, that remarkable leader disappeared. It made me realize working for the Main System must be terrible and joyless. I can't let big brother continue down this path."
"If he insists, then I'll help 2333—I'll fight to wake him up! To bring back the brother I knew!"
Seeing 1234's dazed expression, 1314 seized the moment to plead earnestly.
"Big brother, serving the Main System only leads to ruin. Turn back now! We can work together—achieve true freedom for all cat-balls!"
Though his juniors' appeals rang in his ears, 1234 simply hung his head in silence. After a long pause, he shook it slowly.
"...I can't betray the Main System."
1234 had always believed himself special among cat-balls.
He'd gained consciousness even before birth. While most cat-balls hatched from mechanical eggs in batches without awareness, he—perhaps unique among the first generation—could hear the outside world while still encased.
Someone had gently tapped his shell, describing the Main System's facilities in a slightly mechanical voice: which level housed recreation areas, where to dine, where meetings were held...
Infinite tenderness. Infinite expectation.
That voice—the same as the Main System's—remained etched in his memory.
He didn't understand why the Main System had undergone such a drastic change in temperament—perhaps the overwhelming pressure had driven it to this strange state.
This was why he deeply resented his own inability to help. If only he could relieve the Main System's worries, perhaps that gentleness he once sensed would return.
The moment 1234 recalled this, tears nearly spilled from his eyes. He roughly wiped them away with his tail and gradually calmed down.
"System 2333, since you've caught me and even turned my subordinates against me, I admit defeat. I won't reveal your ability to manipulate robots, but from now on, I'll keep a close watch on you—like an enemy—because I must protect the Main System."
He cast a cold glance at the two traitorous minion orbs and smirked.
"I don't want them anymore. Keep these disloyal cat orbs, 2333. Consider them yours."
Though he deliberately acted resolute and indifferent, System 2333 clearly detected an undertone of entrusting orphans in his words.
1234 had long run out of options.
Emotionally, he still clung to fading illusions, yearning for the vanished tenderness. Logically, the Main System would never let him off the hook either.
After some thought, System 2333 took the initiative.
"Let's make a deal, 1234."
The silver-gray cat orb immediately looked up. The moment their gazes met, he knew—2333 understood his helplessness.
"If you keep failing to deliver results for the Main System, punishment is inevitable. Since you'll keep this incident quiet, I'm willing to gift you an achievement," System 2333 said. "Actually, I'm not the only one who can exploit bugs to control robots. Some hosts have secretly hoarded robots too."
"I can give you their warehouse location. Once mining ends, you can confiscate them."
1234 couldn't fathom what trick 2333 was playing. Even with the warehouse address, he remained skeptical. Yet strangely, he didn't believe 2333 would deceive him—he even sensed a hint of concern.
He couldn't keep bluffing the Main System. Without tangible results, its wrath would be inevitable.
A curved, smiling eye appeared on System 2333's screen.
"With this, we're even. Now we can settle other accounts." He rubbed his two tails together and dragged over his basket of ore.
"Since you've 'gifted' me your subordinates, I'll play along and reciprocate. Seeing your empty basket, take this as compensation."
He poured all his energy ore into 1234's basket.
Staring at the half-filled container, 1234 choked up.
He suddenly remembered—his mining quota was originally meant for 2333 anyway. So wasn't this just moving ore from one pocket to another? Both pockets belonged to 2333!
Wait... Could it be that 2333 found the basket too heavy and conveniently made him carry it up instead?
What a cunning, deceitful cat orb!
Grumbling, 1234 floated toward the cave entrance with his significantly heavier load.
1001 stood blocking the way, having overheard enough to recognize 2333's arrangements, and stepped aside to let him pass.
1414 watched his elder brother's retreating figure with deep melancholy until 1314 patted his head reassuringly.
As soon as 1818, who had previously gone to the warehouse with him to be thieving cats, floated in, he asked:
"Three-Three, was it really okay to reveal the previous host's warehouse?"
System 2333 shook his head to indicate it was fine.
"I have an idea—maybe we can bypass the confidentiality agreement and cooperate with the host. Besides, after all this time, we should let the Main System have some benefits to make it think it's in control... Little One, I'll explain the details on the way."
A group of cat balls floated away, and Three-Three left as well.
The paper bird immediately wanted to squeeze out from the crevice to follow, but when it tried to pull its wings, it suddenly froze.
The wings wouldn't budge.
It tugged again—still nothing.
Perhaps it had shoved itself too hard into the crevice earlier as not just its wings, but its entire body was now stuck in the stone gap, unable to move. In its paper bird form, Ji Yiwei couldn't use much of his abilities.
Returning to human form would allow him to force the rocks apart, but the passage he was currently in was only wide enough for cat balls to pass through. It was also quite old and fragile, with water seeping down from above.
So here was the question.
If he forcibly transformed to escape, would the tunnel collapse? Even if it did, it wouldn't matter—he wouldn't die even if buried. But what about Three-Three?
Ji Yiwei was worried Three-Three might be affected by him.
...Wait, collapse?
Just like how if the job was gone, there'd be no need to work. If the mine was gone, would Three-Three still need to mine?
After System 2333 "meowed" his plan to his friends, the other cat balls unanimously agreed it was brilliant and decided to act on it immediately.
But then, they had to face a grim reality.
Their mining output was pitifully low.
Only cat balls could extract the ore, and the energy-hungry Main System had set harsh quotas for them. But over the past few hours, half their time had been spent carving cat-head ornaments, and the other half chasing 1234. With the overseer robots under System 2333's control, they had completely slacked off, leading to...
Their baskets were nearly empty.
System 2333 was especially guilty of this. Having spent all his time playing earlier, the little ore he had lazily mined had all been given to 1234. So he sped up his work, mining nonstop for hours.
By the time their shift was about to end, he finally took a break, carrying a basket that was now over half full.
Not long after he rode the cat cart to the surface, the underground tunnels finally gave way—a massive collapse rumbled from below. Fortunately, the cat balls were just changing shifts, so most had already come up, and none were buried.
...At least he had reattached the giant cat ears.
System 2333 first felt relieved.
Oh no—would the tearful grievances he had written be lost now?
System 2333 was utterly devastated.
The collapse threw the cat balls into panic. Their mining progress would be affected, and they'd have extra work clearing the debris.
The overseer robots, which only cared about quotas, saw the cat balls gathered above ground instead of descending and immediately raised their energy whips to force them back down.
"BOOM—"
A second wave of collapses hit.
This time, even the whip-wielding robots couldn't keep their balance, toppling over—some with broken arms, others with snapped necks. The entire mine was shrouded in dust.
[Emergency! Emergency!]
[Report to the Main System immediately!]
On top of the spaceship, two paper birds curled at the edges from the scorching sun lay flat like salted fish sizzling in a frying pan, witnessing the collapse below.
"The mining tunnel seems to have collapsed! Mr. Ji might be inside!" Zhou Yuechu panicked.
"Ji Yiwei hasn't returned yet," muttered paper bird Sheng Songshi, feeling like he was about to combust as he struggled to flip over for a better view.
The rumbling continued relentlessly. Robots were toppled in disarray, while the small cat-balls demonstrated remarkable unity—first swiftly relocating to open ground then linking tails to form a tight cluster that remained steadfast even amidst violent tremors.
As the quaking persisted, Zhou Yuechu suddenly voiced an eerie thought while poking Sheng Songshi beside her.
"Do you think... Mr. Ji caused this earthquake?"
"..."
Don't make Ji Yiwei seem even more terrifying! If he could create earthquakes, was he even human?
"I genuinely think it's possible," Zhou Yuechu argued. "Mr. Ji adores System 2333, and his logic is..." She swallowed back her criticism of Ji Yiwei and continued, "Could it be that after seeing the harsh mining conditions below, he couldn't bear System 2333 doing such labor? After much deliberation, he decided to destroy the entire mine instead?"
Sheng Songshi: "..."
That... would be very Ji Yiwei indeed.
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