Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 698 Cat Matchmaker

No one except the police officers and the distraught zoo staff knew what happened that night.

The residents of Zhangzhou, who live in the city, had no idea what incredible things had happened under the cover of night that day.

Some of them may have even brushed past the leopard on their way home, but they had no idea that they had missed an adventure that resembled a fairy tale or a horror movie.

Even during the daytime, Li Yiduo checked the surveillance footage along the route from the zoo to the police station, but he couldn't find a trace of the leopard.

This most powerful predator in the wild also demonstrates incredible stealth capabilities in the city, rendering high-tech devices like surveillance cameras helpless against it.

The driver who almost hit it got increasingly uneasy after returning home. He checked his dashcam footage carefully and discovered the astonishing fact that he had nearly hit a large leopard.

He shared the news with acquaintances, only to be laughed at and told he must have been dreaming. Even the low-resolution video was dismissed as either a composite or just some large dog that looked like a leopard.

In short, how could there be leopards in the city, right? The only leopard in Zhangzhou is in the zoo, and you can see it right now if you want to.

I heard that the zoo, worried that the leopard was too lonely, got it a kitten as a companion. The fact that a cat and a leopard lived together in the leopard's enclosure even made the Zhangzhou news and appeared in online videos a few days later; however, everyone just considered it a silly thing to do at the zoo, completely unaware of the many fascinating things that happened behind the scenes. Everyone saw the zoo adding many cameras and renovating the leopard enclosure, only concerned with criticizing the zoo for wasting money, little knowing what happened that night.
They had no idea how terrified the police station felt when they saw there were no traces of leopards along the route from the zoo to the station.

Fortunately, it was a well-behaved leopard; if it had been some other predator...

God knows what terrible things might happen.

Tang Li kept her promise to Lin Ge and sent Xiao Lai back three days later.

But this shameless woman then stole Xiaoxi away as well. Her excuse was that the leopard had become very irritable without its companion, so she begged for another cat to keep it company.

As for why the zoo doesn't get its own cat or something...

Tang Li poured out her grievances to Li Siyu.

"Of course we don't want to keep bothering you! But we have no choice! The other cat we found was already scared to death before it even got close to the leopard's cage; as soon as we put it in, it ran away like a rabbit, trying to bury itself in the ground to hide. How can a cat like that live with a leopard? So your cat is much bolder. Can you believe it? It even went to nibble on the leopard's breasts! And with it around, the leopard has been much more well-behaved lately..."

At this point, Tang Li said to Li Siyu with a wronged expression, "Because of what happened that day, the zoo is currently undergoing a major overhaul, and even I was fined two hundred yuan. Uncle Li, who is in charge of maintaining the cages in the zoo, almost got fired! It was only because the director insisted that the bastard was sent to another place. In short, we really can't let it continue to cause trouble this time, so I can only trouble myself to occasionally bring a cat from your place to keep it company for a couple of days. Don't be unhappy about it! For this new ancestor, the zoo is providing it with food on par with a leopard!"

Tang Li held out a hand.

"Fifty yuan a day for food! Do you understand what that means? Even if you buy the best kitten food and canned cat food on the market, it's enough to stuff the little guy!"

"Ha ha……"

Li Siyu gave a dry laugh, unable to respond to this boast.

Fifty yuan a day for food is indeed a bit excessive. There are more than a dozen cats in the cattery. Wouldn't that cost five or six hundred yuan a day? Even if Mimi's salary is higher and I add some money myself, I still can't afford to feed them!

Even the cats kept in their own villa don't meet this standard of food.

So, sending a kitten to the zoo for two days is considered a blessing? It's just that this cat is the only one that isn't afraid of leopards and even dares to bully them like big cats. Other cats can only dream of such a blessing.

"The story of the leopard keeping a cat as a pet was on the news a few days ago. I got some exposure because of it, and my salary increased by 300 yuan; the zoo also hyped up the topic, and their visitor traffic has increased a lot recently."

At this point, Tang Li couldn't help but laugh.

No one in the world dislikes a pay rise.

The leopard incident gradually faded away. Lin Ge returned to his normal life. Apart from the fact that the seven little ones had become six, and that they would disappear every few days in completely different ways, which made him a little awkward, nothing else went wrong.

Then, Lin Ge discovered something that surprised him quite a bit.

Zhao Zhigang seems to have... taken a liking to Tang Li!

After the Zhangzhou Zoo was completed, the local police station assigned one officer and one auxiliary police officer to patrol there every day. Frankly, it wasn't an easy job. All police officers are well aware of the high visitor volume and complex situations at amusement parks. The kinds of troubles encountered there are actually more complicated than working at the police station. Often, they encounter unreasonable people who cut in line, sneak in without tickets, or cause all sorts of trouble.

It's summer vacation, the peak season for zoo visitors. The huge number of visitors brings more disputes, and in densely populated areas, efficiency is paramount; restoring smooth traffic is the top priority. Therefore, even when the other party is being unreasonable, the police can only patiently persuade them, rather than simply sending them to the mediation room for a slow, peaceful resolution as is usually the case. Occasionally, they have to use soft language and plead, even when their unreasonable demands are met.

In short, being on duty in such a place was something that none of the officers at the police station were very willing to do, and in the end, they just arranged for people to take turns on duty.

However, in the past few days, Zhao Zhigang has insisted on going there to stand guard every day!

Lin Ge didn't pay much attention at first, until one day he discovered that Zhao Zhigang had actually replaced Tang Li and come to the cat shelter to catch Xiao Duo and run away. Only then did he realize what this guy's purpose was.

Actually, Tang Li had a boyfriend before, who was said to be handsome and have a good job. However, Li Siyu found out that the two had broken up before summer vacation. The reason was that her boyfriend disliked Tang Li's job, saying it was dirty and tiring, and didn't look good to others. To put it nicely, she worked at a zoo; to put it bluntly, she spent all day shoveling animal poop and brushing their fur. From an appearance standpoint, it was more suitable for older women, so her boyfriend repeatedly asked Tang Li to quit her job.

But she came to work at the zoo precisely because she loves animals! She can tolerate even the leopard that's always thinking about escaping and causing her trouble, so how could she abandon her hobby just because of whether the job sounds good or not?

The two argued about this many times, and finally chose to break up peacefully the day before Jin Qianbao escaped from prison.

It was precisely because of this incident that she was not focused enough for those two days and failed to discover the leopard's ambition and its escape.

The reason Tang Li told Li Siyu about this was because when she came to return the cat, she happened to see her ex-boyfriend walking by intimately with a beautiful girl. After that, she burst into tears and threw herself into Li Siyu's arms.

They've only been broken up for a few days! And he's already so close to another girl! Who would believe he didn't cheat beforehand?
In short, poor Tang Li had been in a terrible mood these past few days, and even with Li Siyu's comfort, she still appeared depressed and lost. So one day, while helping to maintain order at the zoo entrance, she got into a conflict with an older woman who cut in line.

That day, Zhao Zhigang was on duty at the zoo entrance, and it was he who helped Tang Li resolve this dispute. The price he paid was that the old lady pointed her finger at him and cursed his ancestors for eight generations.

Feeling bad about it, Tang Li treated Zhao Zhigang to a drink, and that's how the two got to know each other.

When Zhao Zhigang learned that Tang Li didn't have a boyfriend, he was overjoyed.

You know, while Tang Li might not be as beautiful as some of her female colleagues at the police station, she's still at least an 80 out of 100! Plus, she's hardworking, down-to-earth, kind, and has a great personality! In Zhao Zhigang's eyes, isn't she a better match for him than the hot-tempered Jiang Yiyi, the ruthless Sun Chang, and Li Siyu, who's protected by Mimi? Being a police officer is inherently tough, and what's most needed is understanding and support from family. Isn't a girlfriend with a good personality more important than anything else?
So Zhao Zhigang decisively took advantage of the situation and struck first, trying to get closer to Tang Li during her emotional lull.

The two even have things in common!
The cat from Zhanghe Police Station and the leopard from Zhangzhou Zoo, living together—isn't that a very meaningful arrangement? Although the leopard changes roommates every few days, which seems a bit scummy, isn't this the perfect opportunity to criticize scumbags?
Zhao Zhigang felt that this marriage was a gift from God!

So it's understandable that he's been unusually excited these past few days. "I can't compare to my brother in anything, whether it's fighting, being a policeman, or dealing with people and things—I'm not as solid as him! So this is currently my only chance to surpass him; I want to get married before him!"

Zhao Zhigang revealed his wolfish ambition, arrogantly laughing at Lin Ge, "I'll get married before him and have children before him! Then he'll have to give my kids New Year's money and pocket money. Let's see how I squeeze him dry!"

"By the time he has children, he'll still have to pay back all that money!"

Lin Ge glanced at Zhao Zhigang speechlessly.

But then again, the Zhao brothers, Zhao Zhigao and Zhao Zhigang, are indeed at the age where they should be anxious to get married.

Especially Zhao Zhigao, who's several years older than Zhao Zhigang! If he doesn't get married soon, it'll be even harder for him to find a suitable partner later. I wonder if he'll be more proactive if Zhao Zhigang gets a girlfriend this time.

Lin Ge did indeed have a good impression of Tang Li. She was a reliable person and certainly suitable to be a wife. After all, if she could persevere with her work at the zoo, managing household chores would be a piece of cake for her.
So although he despised Zhao Zhigang, Lin Ge still offered his blessings to the two of them in this matter.

We had previously decided against sending the seven kittens to the Golden Leopard Resort for a vacation to broaden their horizons, lest they become too wild or encounter some bad things. But considering Zhao Zhigang's pitiful state, we'll let the matchmakers be patient and cooperate with him for a few more days.

After agreeing to Zhao Zhigang's request, Lin Ge didn't concern himself with the matter much. He heard that Zhao Zhigang had even sought help from Sun Chang and Li Siyu because of this; he wondered what those two women would do to him.

Anyway, it has nothing to do with me!

Lingo yawned and then ignored it, only coming over to check on Beibei's condition.

It has to be said that the leopard is an incredible creature. Just by appearing once and leaving its scent, no dog in the vicinity dared to bother it. This time, Lin Ge couldn't even find a single dog daring to roam outside within a radius of several hundred meters. Even the pet dogs in the nearby residential areas, who usually couldn't wait to go out, all preferred to stay at home and wreak havoc rather than step outside.

However, the cats under Lingo's command did not seem to be so afraid of the leopard.

Perhaps because they belong to the same cat family, although most of them fled in confusion and scattered like birds and beasts that night, they still obediently returned to find Lingo to claim their reward, and even looked around curiously, wanting to see the leopard one more time.

These guys are both cowardly and curious.

Beibei's estrus cycle has gradually ended, and it's now in the late estrus stage, as Sun Chang mentioned, and it will hardly emit any female pheromones anymore. Its mood has also improved a lot, but unfortunately, it's still not allowed to leave its cage.

While Sun Chang was busy, Lin Ge kept Bei Bei company. Occasionally, the little hawksbill turtle would also come over, and it had a good relationship with Bei Bei as well.

Time passed little by little, and by the time Beibei recovered and was allowed to go out again; and because Sun Chang felt sorry for it, he no longer kept it locked up at night, August had quietly arrived.

The weather suddenly turned hot, and even the big trees couldn't withstand the scorching sun, their leaves wilting.

Even crouching in the shade under a tree, Lingo, as a cat, still felt hot. Not sweating is convenient in some ways, but terrible in others. Plus, his fur makes him much less efficient at dissipating heat than a human.

So every day during the day, Lin Ge would bring his family to occupy the rest area in the service hall.

It's undoubtedly more comfortable to enjoy the air conditioning here, and the passing crowds can also broaden the seven kids' horizons.

Sometimes the underlings would come over, and at those times, the service hall would be filled with dozens of cats crouching, lying down, and hiding, so densely packed that people were afraid to come in. Of course, once you get used to it, you'll naturally feel at ease, since cats are generally not considered a threat from a human perspective. If it were dogs, let alone dozens, even just two or three daring to wander around here would have already flooded the police station's complaint mailbox with letters of complaint.

In short, cats are treated much better than dogs in this respect.

Even though some elderly people questioned whether the cat was clean or had parasites, the police officers on duty at the station would only offer kind words of advice, and would never chase Lin Ge away.

"Mimi! Come with me to work!"

Nie Guoqiang returned alive, and he seemed much stronger than before. Since the weather improved, his leg problems had become less frequent; now he was full of energy and eager to catch up on all the work he had missed.

"What is it that needs my help now? Don't bother me with trivial matters while I'm enjoying the air conditioning!"

Lin Ge poked his head out from behind a chair in the rest area, twitched his ear in annoyance, and glared at Nie Guoqiang. With the air conditioning so nice and comfortable, who wanted to go out in the sun with him!

"You caught a cold from sitting in the air conditioner, your nose is running, why don't you move around a bit?"

Nie Guoqiang didn't tolerate Lin Ge's behavior and went straight over to grab Lin Ge by the back of the neck and lift him up.

Upon arriving at the automatic doors of the service hall, a wave of heat rushed into the room as the doors opened by themselves. Lin Ge shivered from the sudden temperature change, then sniffed hard to hold back the snot that was about to spill out.

cold?

It doesn’t exist!

Of course, it's fine to go out and move around! I've been in an air-conditioned room for too long, and my limbs feel a bit weak, and my appetite has decreased a lot.

Lin Ge sensed something was wrong with his body, so he acquiesced to Nie Guoqiang's actions.

He got into the police car, an old Santana with the windows down and no air conditioning on. Once inside, Lin Ge felt the car was very stuffy, but for some reason, his discomfort lessened, and his energy quickly returned.

"Where are you going?"

As Nie Guoqiang started the car, Lin Ge noticed that the police car was heading in an unfamiliar direction.

This is the old town area, with a complex terrain and architecture, and mostly inhabited by elderly people. Such places have an air of gloom and a deathly atmosphere that's hard to describe, which is why Lin Ge generally avoids coming here.

It was only then that Lin Ge learned that Nie Guoqiang's purpose in coming here was to cooperate with the local community to visit and care for the elderly residents.

After all, the weather is hot, and even young people can't stand the temperature, so it's even more unbearable for the elderly. Most of the elderly living here have children who don't live nearby, or have poor relationships with their children, so they need the police station and community to strengthen their care and support even more. The heat can kill people; this is no joke. If an elderly person in poor health is unwilling to buy air conditioning or a fan, who knows when they might die in bed without being discovered?

Therefore, at this time, the community needs to cooperate with the police station to conduct frequent visits and provide some level of support. Providing subsidies to families in need and purchasing appliances for families receiving the "Five Guarantees" (a government-provided social welfare program for the elderly, disabled, and orphans) are things that must be done as soon as possible.

Of course, you'll occasionally encounter old hands who sell the items donated by the community for money. There's not much you can do about these people, since charity isn't something you can profit from.

All I can say is that your life is still in your own hands.

(End of this chapter)