Insights Chapter 66: Kitten

Chapter 66: Kitten

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

Nighttime, Southeast corner of Penang. The night was already deep, and a vacant lot located southeast of Penang was still brightly lit. This place belonged to the nearby Revival Electronics Factory, which had been fenced off for construction for a long time, but had been deserted for quite some time. Finally, this year, the construction plans were approved, and workers and various construction vehicles were allowed to enter.

To expedite progress, several large excavators were shuttling back and forth, transporting debris. Here, a new modern factory building will be constructed on a solid foundation. Suddenly, one of the excavators dug up something, and the driver frowned and cursed, then got off to inspect the situation. It was a rectangular object wrapped in cloth, about one and a half meters long, tightly wrapped.

As the object was unearthed, a foul, decayed smell permeated the entire construction site. The construction workers stopped their actions one after another, approached to observe, and some even took out their phones to record videos.

“What is it?”

“Could it be an animal?”

“Could it be the legendary deity?”

“The deity wouldn’t smell this bad, would it?”

Other workers muttered in unease. These workers had dug up everything with their excavators before: dog carcasses, garbage, and even once unearthed decades-old human bones.

“What are you looking at? Get back to work!” the foreman said, dispersing the crowd and approaching. He bent down to look at the object wrapped in cloth and immediately recognized that the cloth was an old bed sheet stained with coffee-colored marks. The foreman squatted down, but was immediately choked by the smell. He coughed a few times, covering his nose with his right hand, and bravely lifted a corner of the torn cloth with his left hand.

As he lifted it, the stench in the air became even stronger. One of the workers suddenly realized, took two steps back, and sat down on the ground.

“It’s a corpse!” another worker suddenly exclaimed.

“Don’t talk nonsense. How could it be a corpse? You can’t even see anything,” the foreman scolded.

“It is a corpse, probably rotten for a long time. I heard from the elderly that corpses buried in watery places for a long time will become like soap,” one worker said stutteringly.

Indeed, what they saw before them was such a strange thing.

“It’s a person, seems to be a woman with long hair…” As soon as this was said, others also saw it.

Just then, a wooden stake on the construction site suddenly collapsed with a loud noise.

This collapse didn’t hit anyone, but it happened to pull down the power line connected to the construction site, plunging the surroundings into darkness, leaving only the headlights of a few excavators.

A chilly breeze seemed to blow over the dark construction site.

“Ghost!” someone shouted.

The workers scattered and fled, fearing that if they ran slowly, their souls would be taken away by ghosts. The once noisy construction site suddenly became quiet, with only the corpse on the ground and the humming of machines operating.

—

Another day dawned, bright and sunny. Today was a rare rest day, and Shen Junci got up early. He sat at his desk. The books and computer on the table had been put away. Neatly arranged on the table was a set of dominoes.

Shen Junci’s long lashes drooped, his hands steady, as he carefully arranged the dominoes. He arranged them in sections with a safe distance between each section so that even if a domino in one section fell accidentally, it could be contained within that area without affecting the whole setup. Gradually, the dominoes on the table began to take shape. Shen Junci also added some simple devices like steel balls and slides.

By noon, his phone suddenly rang. Recognizing the ringtone, Shen Junci knew it was a call from Gu Yanchen. Shen Junci didn’t stop his hands, and with one hand, he answered the phone.

Captain Gu got straight to the point, “Doctor Shen, I’ve been called to a meeting at the City Bureau today, but I had an appointment to take Wuliang to the pet shop at noon for a bath…”

Shen Junci immediately understood, “Okay, I’ll take him there first.”

He knew the pet shop Gu Yanchen mentioned, just thirty meters from the north gate of the community.

Gu Yanchen continued, “Thanks, they all know Wuliang there. Just swipe my phone number for payment, and I’ll meet you back later.”

After hanging up on Gu Yanchen’s call, Shen Junci didn’t rush to leave. He filled in the gaps between the dominoes. The domino setup in front of him was now connected, looking quite impressive. With everything set up, Shen Junci flicked his fingers slightly, causing the first domino to topple.

This set off a chain reaction, with a series of clattering sounds as the dominoes fell one after another, causing a whole section to collapse. The small steel balls were pushed, sliding down the track, then bouncing off a seesaw, causing another group of dominoes to fall. The entire process was extremely satisfying to watch. However, just a few seconds later, before him lay a scene of complete devastation.

Shen Junci was very satisfied with the dominoes and swept them into the nearby backpack. After tidying up, he opened the opposite door. Wuliang was lying in front of the living room. Hearing the sound of the door lock, he quickly got up. Shen Junci walked over, and the dog wagged his tail, circling around Shen Junci, then rubbed his head against Shen Junci’s leg.

Shen Junci patted his head, put on the leash for the dog, and led him downstairs. The pet shop was not small. After handing Wuliang over to the clerk, Shen Junci sat in the waiting area on the first floor. His angle allowed him to see a display case of various pet cats, some with long fur, some with short fur, some sleeping, some playing with their companions, and even a Siamese cat, darting up and down the cat tree.

After about twenty minutes, Gu Yanchen arrived. He thanked Shen Junci again and then sat down in the chair next to him.

Shen Junci asked, “Why were you called to a meeting on the weekend?”

Gu Yanchen replied, “It’s about the bureau’s business. The Fourth Division received a report last night and found a female corpse.”

As he said this, he opened his phone and showed Shen Junci a video of the corpse discovered last night. The title was a bit sensational: “Ghost Incident in Penang”.

Shen Junci took the phone and watched the video. It was not very clear, but it could vaguely be seen that it was a long-buried corpse. The video finally focused on the corpse for a few seconds.

Shen Junci judged, “A saponified corpse.”

For a corpse to turn into this, it would take over a year. Discovering such a corpse in the city meant there had been a death or missing person case that hadn’t been solved.

Gu Yanchen said, “The Fourth Division wants to keep this case under wraps.”

Shen Junci deduced, “The Division wants to handle it themselves, afraid of stirring up other issues?” He paused and asked again, “Has the victim’s identity been confirmed?”

Gu Yanchen nodded, “Confirmed. This place belongs to a medium-sized electronics factory, officially known as the Penang Revival Electronics Factory, and the property belongs to wealthy businessman Zhang Xiaojie. Last summer, a female worker from the factory went missing and was treated as a missing person’s case at the time… But unexpectedly, now a corpse has been found not far from there. The family is in turmoil now. The Fourth Division probably doesn’t want the City Bureau to intervene. Director Ding wants to take over the case and transfer it to our Special Criminal Division, so he asked me to go over and discuss it.”

Shen Junci pondered, “I think I’ve heard of this factory.”

Gu Yanchen said, “The Revival Electronics Factory is famous nationwide. Although it’s not large in scale, its annual profits are very high. With over ten thousand female workers, it’s essentially a small kingdom of women. I looked up some information. Zhang Xiaojie, the owner, is a distinguished youth representative in the city. He once proposed in a media interview to weaken the individuality of workers in factory management and implement strict rules and regulations to maximize each worker’s value.”

Shen Junci recalled, “So that’s what he said? I remember netizens interpreted it as just trying to maximize the use of female workers.”

Gu Yanchen nodded, “The case of the missing female worker from a year ago was not thoroughly investigated. Despite many doubts, the workers continued to work…”

Every day delayed meant more losses. It’s not hard to guess that someone wanted to wrap up the case hastily, causing some obstruction. Now that a corpse had been found, the nature of the case had changed.

Shen Junci asked, “Can we take over this case?”

Gu Yanchen replied, “It’s still in a stalemate.”

In Penang, the City Bureau held the leadership position. Only major cases or cases that the divisions found difficult would be transferred. And the divisions also had the power to handle general criminal cases. If it were any other division that discovered such a malicious incident, it would probably have already reported to the City Bureau.

But the Fourth Division was a bit special. The director of this Fourth Division was named Zhao, who had been promoted by the Bureau Chief. This Director Zhao wasn’t very capable but was good at playing politics, pretending to be dumb when faced with a case and trying to smear everything. If they took over the case, it would definitely not be solved.

Now Director Ding wasn’t like the previous Bureau Chief, casually finding a reason to fool around. And Director Ding might take this case as a breakthrough, as a reason to investigate further.

After discussing the case, Shen Junci remembered something and asked again, “By the way, any news from An Nan?”

They were outside now, and he deliberately didn’t mention Ding Yueran’s name.

Gu Yanchen understood tacitly and shook his head, “Not yet. He disappeared after getting off the bus, like a mouse. No idea where he’s hiding.”

As they chatted, Wuliang finished his bath. The clerk brought him out, and the big dog, with his fur shining brightly, had a kingly demeanor. He lay on the grooming table nearby, getting his nails trimmed, and then began to be brushed and blow-dried. As noon approached, the pet shop staff also became busy. One of them took out a small kitten from a metal cage. It was a kitten that was only a few days old, palm-sized, held in the palm of the clerk’s hand, emitting soft meows.

Wuliang was suddenly startled by the sound, shook off the towel, and looked up at the kitten. The big dog looked focused, watching intently. Shen Junci and Gu Yanchen’s gaze also followed.

The kitten was still too small, its eyes barely open, covered in silver-gray fur, and its tail was shorter than a human’s fingers. It made soft meows. Shen Junci couldn’t help but get up and take a closer look. The clerk took a syringe and prepared warm goat’s milk to feed the kitten. The kitten smelled the milk and stretched out its pale pink claws, holding onto the syringe. It began to suckle with its eyes closed. The once deflated belly visibly began to swell.

After feeding for a while, when the clerk tried to withdraw the syringe, the kitten protested with meows and waved its small paws as if protesting. Shen Junci chuckled. This kitten was small but quite fierce when it came to milk. As the kitten continued to meow, its eyes opened, revealing deep blue eyes with large pupils, predominantly dark in color, resembling two shiny little gems.

The clerk couldn’t resist its persistence and fed it a few more mouthfuls. The kitten’s belly swelled even more, resembling a small water balloon.

After drinking a tube of goat’s milk, the clerk finally pulled the syringe out of its mouth, “You can’t eat anymore, you’ll burst.”

Then she placed the kitten on the fluffy cushion on the table. Having eaten and drunk their fill, the kitten stretched lazily, shook its short fur. Its soft little belly quivered with movement and breath. Then its gaze shifted downward, looking at Wuliang who was being groomed on the side. It was probably the first time the kitten had seen such a large dog since birth. It might have been scared, as it recoiled slightly, then bravely raised its small paw, “Meow, meow, meow!”

Wuliang: “…”

Gu Yanchen couldn’t help but find the kitten adorable and asked, “What breed is this cat?”

The clerk replied, “It’s a Silver Chinchilla Persian, ¹just born less than a month ago. The mother cat died in childbirth, so it’s a bit hard to handle.” Then she asked, “Interested? The price is not high, 1500, and we also provide cat food and litter.”

Gu Yanchen pointed to his Wuliang, “I’m too busy with work; having this dog is enough.”

The clerk persuaded him, “Caring for a cat isn’t troublesome. Once they grow up a bit, they can take care of themselves. No need for walks, just provide water and food, clean the litter every couple of days.”

Shen Junci listened on the side, feeling tempted. He reached out to tease the kitten, inserting his fingertip into the fur on its back. The feeling of soft fur was different from the cold sensation of corpses he usually dealt with, and different from the warmth of touching Wuliang. It was a healing and warm feeling, the soft fur enveloping his fingertips, the fluffy little creature moving slightly with each breath.

While Shen Junci was focused on the kitten, Gu Yanchen was watching him, “Do you like it?”

Shen Junci hesitated, “I just find it very cute.”

The kitten felt someone touching it, shook its fur, turned its head, and began to lick Shen Junci’s fingers. Shen Junci could feel the tiny spines on its tongue rubbing against his fingertips. It was a tingling sensation, making him feel itchy.

The clerk said, “This cat seems to have a connection with you. It’s not shy at all.”

At that moment, Shen Junci suddenly felt impulsive and asked Gu Yanchen, “Landlord, can I keep it?”

Sometimes landlords might mind if pets damage furniture.

Gu Yanchen said, “Of course you can. I still have 3000 left on my card; I’ll buy it for you.”

Shen Junci didn’t refuse, lowered his head, and picked up the kitten, “But I don’t know how to raise a kitten. Can I leave it here for a few months, and come back to pick it up when it’s three months old?”

The clerk said, “Of course, you can pay a deposit to reserve it first, then sign a fostering agreement. I’ll send you pictures of it every day.”

Gu Yanchen said, “That’s good. I can see that Wuliang likes this cat. When it grows up, it can be his wife.”

The clerk laughed, “This one’s a male too.”

Gu Yanchen said, “Anyway, different species, just keep them as companions.”

Shen Junci stared at the kitten, “Besides, I’m not expecting it to have babies. Gender is not a problem.”

Gu Yanchen’s gaze softened, “Gender is not a problem.”

—

Early Monday morning was the monthly morning meeting. The senior leaders of the City Bureau were present, mainly summarizing the progress of several recent cases. In comparison, the Special Criminal Division had the highest rate of solving cases. Recently, they had also solved a cremation case, and Director Ding spared no words in praising the work of the Special Criminal Division.

After the meeting, Director Ding kept Gu Yanchen behind and said, “Captain Gu, I know your team just solved a case. Normally, you should take a few days off, but as I mentioned to you the other day, I’ve requested the case from the Fourth Division. I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you with it.”

Since the discovery of the corpse, the responsibility had been pushed onto the Division by both the family and the factory. After the autopsy and several days of investigation, with no progress, the case had even stirred up controversy online. Finally, Director Ding had taken over the authority.

At this point, Director Ding quietly reminded Gu Yanchen, “Captain Gu, you know, many of the previous cases handled by the Division had issues. This case is like a gift; we need to make good use of it.”

Bringing up old issues openly wasn’t good, but this was an opportunity handed to them. If they handled it well, they could use it to intimidate the other divisions. Gu Yanchen understood. Many previous cases handled by the Division had problems, and this case was like a gift on a platter, needing to be utilized well.

Gu Yanchen said, “I understand. We’ll investigate this case thoroughly.”

Director Ding said, “Good, I’ll have my secretary send the relevant information to Bai Meng. Also, the corpse and files are at the Fourth Division. You should go over and conduct the take over.”

Gu Yanchen wasted no time, notified the medical examiner, and instructed Lu Ying to prepare the car for immediate departure.

A team of people arrived downstairs, boarded the seven-seater car, with some extra space. As usual, Shen Junci sat next to Gu Yanchen, and Bai Meng began briefing on the case. Last summer, a female worker from the Revival Electronics Factory went missing. Because her family had been urging her to return home for marriage, the Division treated it as a case of voluntary departure by the girl.

This incident had sparked controversy on the internet, and the girl’s family had also been subjected to online attacks. However, a few days ago, a female corpse was dug up at the rear construction site of the electronics factory. After verification, it was confirmed to be the missing female worker.

The journey wasn’t long. Just as Bai Meng finished explaining the basic situation, Lu Ying halted the car, “We’ve arrived at the Fourth Division.”