Do You Have Any Opinion on Mechanical Cat Ears? (CAT EARS)
The mining mission had come to an end, and the cat-balls collectively returned just as they had arrived.
Having thoroughly enjoyed their playful romp, all the cat-balls were in much lighter spirits than when they'd set out, feeling refreshed and energized—ready to tackle eight hundred pounds of paperwork in one go!
System 2333 gazed wistfully at the giant cat-ear-shaped ore resting beneath the spaceship that was soon to be loaded into a special compartment. His heart ached at the thought.
There was no way he'd willingly hand over his artistic masterpiece to that awful boss!
Like a scholar burning his poetry before death or a painter destroying his canvases, System 2333 steeled himself and painfully chiseled off the two cat-ear sections of the ore, setting them aside for now.
The paper bird buried in the sand began to rustle faintly again.
System 2333 hammered away with a clink-clank, the process so brutal that the other cat-balls winced in phantom pain and covered their tiny ears with their tails.
After some creative modifications, the great artist System 2333 reshaped the massive ore into something resembling—but not quite—a watermelon.
This way, he could mock the boss while leaving him no room to complain... He'd just claim the ore naturally looked like this! If the boss had any doubts, let him come inspect the mines himself!
Since the Main System was on high alert for cat-balls smuggling ore, bringing back the cat-ear shaped pieces risked detection during scanning. The Main System was itching to catch him slipping—he couldn’t afford to take that chance.
With a sigh, System 2333 regretfully decided to smash the cat ears into tiny fragments and distribute them among the others to fill their little baskets. No way would he let the Main System benefit!
But while the Main System missed out, Ji Yiwei didn’t.
By the time System 2333 finished sculpting the "watermelon," the cat-ear ore had vanished.
Hugging his tail, System 2333 let out an indignant mewl.
A thief! Someone stole the cat ears!
The culprit, Ji Yiwei’s paper bird, remained deeply buried in the sand, undetected. Not only had he secretly made off with the cat-ear ore, but while underground earlier, he’d also pocketed energy ores only Cat-Balls could mine.
San-San will need these, Ji Yiwei thought.
He’d better stock up plenty.
The cat's ears were never recovered before departure. As the melancholy strains of System 1111’s erhu filled the air, the mining team boarded the ship one by one, with their hearts heavier than ever.
Meow, we had so much fun here. San-San came up with so many great ideas for food, drinks, and games. I hope we can come back next time.
Robots moved systematically as they fitted each cat-ball with perception-blocking devices. Before his senses dimmed, System 2333 took one last look out the spaceship window.
Amidst the dirt and mining equipment, the wreckage of a foreman robot stiffly waved at him.
This was what System 2333 had hidden—his beacon.
If... if anyone else ever came to mine here...
His distress signal would finally be of use.
While the cat-balls lingered in reluctance, the energy-starved Main System grew impatient.
The moment the ore-laden ship landed, its cargo was transported to Sublevel 4 of the System Living Quarters.
Among the vast storage rooms filled with ore, the giant "watermelon" stood out conspicuously—like a blatant taunt.
However, when the Main System questioned through the robots, no cat-ball admitted anything. Retrieving the memory storage of the overseer robots also yielded no relevant footage.
The Main System couldn't shake the feeling that System 2333 was up to mischief and kept trying to find evidence. But then, System 1234, who came to report, diverted its attention.
"Great Main System."
System 1234 landed properly in front of the Main System, which disliked cat-balls flying around—preferring only itself to hover, a stance that was nothing short of condescending.
A few words from System 2333 flashed through 1234's mind, and it lowered its head slightly, its screen momentarily blank.
The Main System scrutinized it with a critical gaze.
"Did System 2333 show any unusual behavior in the mining area?"
"My deepest apologies. I am rather dull-witted, while System 2333 is quite clever. I did notice it acting alone a few times, but I couldn’t track it."
This was within the Main System’s expectations. If 1234 had outright denied any anomalies, it would have immediately suspected betrayal. This response, however, seemed normal.
Sensing the Main System’s guard lowering slightly, 1234 mused inwardly—no one understood the Main System better than System 2333.
Every tactic, every word it used today had been carefully crafted with System 2333’s help. System 2333 had called it a "freebie," and indeed, everything was proceeding smoothly.
"There’s a very important matter I must report to you."
1234 mentally reviewed the information exchanged with System 2333, feeling not a shred of doubt. Even though failure this time would mean severe punishment, it was willing to trust System 2333.
"There was something I couldn’t confirm earlier, so I hesitated to report it. But just before I was honored with your energy ore retrieval mission, I completed my investigation and now bring it to your attention."
"I’ve confirmed that in the host district, I discovered… a storage warehouse filled entirely with robots."
"I strongly suspect someone may be plotting to seize control of the robots."
In an instant, the Main System recalled the previous robot attack as alarms blaring in its mind.
It had to investigate this immediately! But as a truly dogmatic leader, since the cat-balls had already returned from mining…
Rest? Out of the question.
Back to work!
The Main System’s new orders were issued—no breaks for the mining cat-balls, at most a quick energy supplement before being driven back to labor. Even the infamous exploiter Zhou Bapi would shed tears at this.
At times like these, System 2333 felt immensely grateful that its host was Ji Yiwei.
Ji Yiwei didn’t take missions too frequently, so it didn’t have to constantly perform world analysis. Moreover, Ji Yiwei was quite finicky, prone to obsessive-compulsive episodes and melancholy, demanding System 2333’s frequent company—something the Main System tacitly allowed.
With Ji Yiwei's request upfront and the Main System's approval in place, System 2333 was an exceptionally special cat sphere who spent considerable time with Ji Yiwei. Being thoroughly spoiled by him, the little system's "work" was practically just lounging around...
Though to others and fellow cat spheres, any job involving Ji Yiwei was considered hellish.
System 6666 arrived as if waiting specifically for them, ready to join the seniors for world analysis.
"Senior Three-Three, I won't disturb your work now, but later, if you have time, I'd love to hear about your mining experiences!"
6666's screen brimmed with admiration. Seeing how cheerfully the returning cat spheres reacted before receiving further assignments, the mining fields must be incredibly fun.
System 2333 readily agreed and casually asked,
"Little Six, where's your host? Coming from the Miniature Garden—just finished a mission?"
"Yes," 6666 replied sheepishly. "After completing the last task world, Jiang Zhuo mentioned a friend gathering, so I returned to system duties."
System 2333 exchanged subtle glances with 1001 and others.
Was the White Bird Project... making moves again?
After the brief exchange, System 2333 waved his tail, bidding farewell to friends heading for world analysis or accompanying their hosts on missions, then shifted into work mode.
First, he dipped into the small stash of credits that Ji Yiwei had set aside for his daily expenses and purchased a few items from the mall to send home. However, after scouring the entire marketplace, he couldn't find the one-credit green onions Ji Yiwei had mentioned earlier.
His frugal heart burning with determination, System 2333 even sneaked into the host market—yet nowhere were onions that cheap to be found.
Where did Ji Yiwei buy them...?
Preoccupied with onions, he opened the door—and was instantly stunned by the sight inside!
The house was immaculately tidy, every item in its rightful place, with none of Ji Yiwei's usual casually strewn clothes in sight. The floors and tables gleamed, the windows spotless and the glass so clear it seemed invisible.
On the second floor, the seagull Mai Mai chirped—not its usual demand for fries, but the contented call of a well-fed bird.
What was happening? Ji Yiwei had voluntarily cleaned and even fed the seagull!
System 2333's gaze shifted, landing on the most astonishing sight: the sofa, now entirely draped in a fluffy mat, with a massive, plush cat bed at its center.
Along the bed's edges, rare-flavored supplements were artfully arranged into floral patterns. A full set of cat sphere grooming tools lay on the table, awaiting use.
As he stood frozen, the kitchen door opened. Ji Yiwei emerged carrying a shallow basin filled with prepared cleaning solution, its water shimmering dazzlingly. Balancing the wobbling basin, he smiled—slowly—at System 2333.
"Three-Three, you're back. You must be tired from the joint world analysis. Rest first—let me polish your shell for you."
Ji Yiwei approached with a basin in hand, leaving System 2333 in a daze.
Vague images flashed through his mind—one particularly clear scene resembling a public service announcement where a son brings water to wash his mother's feet under dim yellow light.
This was exactly that scene!
Truly, parents are a child's best teachers! His spendthrift son Ji Yiwei had finally learned to give back!
Deeply moved, System 2333's screen instantly welled up with tears as he emotionally asked Ji Yiwei:
"Are you going to tell me the little duckling story too?" [Author's Note]
Not only did Ji Yiwei vividly narrate a kitten tale, but he also delivered a full-body massage. System 2333 felt the soothing strokes on the top of his head, his ears twitching in pleasure.
Curled up in his soft cat bed, his model host continued whispering sweet nothings:
"San-san, is a 20% markup in the store too low? Let's discuss this further."
"San-san, how many tasks are you short this month? I'll double the quota."
"San-san..."
System 2333: "Wahoo!"
Bliss! He was the ultimate system life winner! If the Main System knew he was working like this, it would die of envy!
Yet he retained a sliver of rationality.
Hmph, such uncharacteristic flattery.
What kind of mischief was Ji Yiwei's colorful performance trying to stir up?
Author's Note:
[Note] Reference to childhood memory—the public service ad "Parents Are Children's Best Teachers." Those old commercials were truly well-made!
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
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!
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•