Cat 83: Night Shift
by CristaeChapter 83: Night Shift
[“Wanna Be Human” Livestream Chat:]
“Ahhh, damn, the kitten’s first-person view almost sent me jumping off the wall! Dr. Peng is terrifying! Is he good or not?!”
“Hard to say, up to this point in the instance, players always get animal perspectives. Dr. Peng only shows up when he’s giving the animals a checkup—he rarely appears. Usually, players have pretty good luck and don’t get dragged in for an exam.”
“The little cat went through so much for this mission; don’t tell me he’ll fail at the last second because Dr. Peng refuses?”
“Is Dr. Peng really a good person? He’s creepy as hell. Does anyone know why his face is covered in blood? And that smile—flash of bright white teeth—scared me to death!”
“How is that scary? I think it’s just right. That’s the vibe a horror game should have. I love seeing players look completely shocked.”
“Shame the kitten looks calm as ever.”
“No way, he definitely got scared! Look, he doesn’t even answer Dr. Peng.”
“Hahaha! I’m dying—bet the little cat never expected Dr. Peng to show up with a bloody face before nightfall.”
Yan Jiyun had indeed been startled, but then he recalled that the mission was simply to find Dr. Peng and hand over the wolf cub for treatment.
Seeing Yan Jiyun silent, Dr. Peng asked again, “Is an animal injured?”
To complete the mission, Yan Jiyun pretended he knew nothing. “Yes, the little wolf is hurt. Could you take a look at it for me?”
Dr. Peng pulled the door open and let him in. “Alright, bring it inside.”
Returning to the clinic, Yan Jiyun saw blood all over the floor and hesitated at the threshold.
Dr. Peng ducked into the back and returned with a large towel. “The little wolf looks a bit hypothermic. Wrap it in this first.” Noticing the mess, he added with a smile, “Sorry for the fright. I was just prepping a blood pack for a doctor next door when a little animal tore the bag—splashed blood all over me. Didn’t scare you, did I?”
Yan Jiyun kept up his honest, unassuming act in front of Dr. Peng. “I was so scared just now I could barely speak.”
Dr. Peng chuckled at the truth. “That’s being a vet for you—always unexpected trouble.”
After a quick wash of his hands and face at the sink, he called someone else to clean up before starting the cub’s checkup.
The cub wasn’t just hypothermic; it had broken a front and a hind leg, and monkey scratches crisscrossed its body. Monkey claws carried bacteria, too. Dr. Peng dried the cub’s fur to preserve its body heat, then cleaned its wounds. Seeing the leg injuries were serious, he took x-rays before setting both limbs and placing them in casts.
While Dr. Peng worked, Yan Jiyun saw his side mission reward display on the system—a few seconds after the countdown ended, a delayed pop-up notified him the quest was complete. It almost seemed like the system was doubting his string of successes with side missions.
Playing sore loser, are you, system?
Yan Jiyun didn’t trigger any special events for the moment. He stayed in the infirmary with the cub, watching it nap after Dr. Peng had fed it anti-inflammatories.
He even checked the cub’s belly after it fell asleep. Normal breathing caused its abdomen to rise and fall, confirming things were okay.
The little one was utterly oblivious to danger, sleeping without a care in the world.
Dr. Peng seemed reliable—different from the other NPCs, who always seemed eager to get rid of new keepers, each with problems enough to circle the globe.
Satisfied that the cub was all right, Yan Jiyun asked, “Dr. Peng, will the cub be staying here? Is there someone who looks after it at night?”
He felt the wolf area was no place for an injured cub: full of aggressors, plus a player likely to harm it. After seeing the wolf player’s behavior, it was clear the cub would not be safe if it returned.
He’d met Dr. Peng twice, and both times the man acted in the animals’ best interest—no freakish behavior. Then again, the blood on the man’s face and all over the floor was suspicious. The cleaners were brisk and showed no reaction—unusual, since well-written NPCs should at least comment on the blood while cleaning. Surely they’d mention how hard it was to get out?
Or maybe he was overthinking. Dr. Peng was a vet, after all; anything might happen, and cleaners saw it all the time.
“That’s nothing to worry about. The cub needs to be monitored overnight. It’s barely more than a month old—its immunity isn’t great, and today it was bitten by monkeys. I’ll schedule a nurse to keep an eye on it, and we have a doctor on the night shift. Any problem tonight, we’ll handle it right away.”
“Then I’m relieved,” Yan Jiyun replied.
[“Wanna Be Human” Livestream Chat:]
“Don’t leave the cub in the clinic! It’s dangerous at night!”
“But the kitten doesn’t know that—by normal logic, the vet is the best place for an injured cub. The kitten is a keeper, after all, not a vet. Anyway, the cub was meant to die—the wolf player attacking during the handoff was doing their task, too.”
“Isn’t the wolf player’s job to help the cub? I thought someone said so before.”
“Tasks differ between players. He’s a low-ranking wolf—if he wants points, he has to be top wolf. Otherwise, he can’t stand out. He needs to rule the pack to survive the instance, so if he can’t help, he’ll kill the cub and trigger a fight for dominance—fishing in troubled waters.”
“But why can’t the cub stay in the clinic? I thought Dr. Peng was nice—gentle with the animals, gentle when he talks.”
“No one’s ever played the human route here, so we don’t know what Dr. Peng will do. I kind of want to find out myself.”
Yan Jiyun was clueless about the audience’s speculation. Even if he could see the chat, he wouldn’t see these spoilery messages.
With his mission over and the cub in Dr. Peng’s care, Yan Jiyun left the infirmary and headed straight to the cafeteria. It was mealtime—and if he was late, he’d probably find nothing edible.
The ladies’ bicycle was still parked outside; of all the electric scooters, not a one remained. Bike it was.
Yan Jiyun reasonably suspected the system had removed them after seeing him cycle like mad.
As he set his foot on the pedal, the system chimed in.
[Operating hours for Xianghe Zoo’s first day have ended! Calculating each player’s popularity points.]
Yan Jiyun ignored the leaderboard and hurried inside for dinner.
He saw that dinner hours were posted: 17:00–17:30.
So dinner lasted only thirty minutes—absurd, considering how normal lunchtime was.
If he’d waited another half hour, he’d go hungry tonight.
He couldn’t afford to be hungry; he needed food to deal with whatever came next.
At the counter, he cautiously chose food he could stomach. Only after he started eating did Yan Jiyun finally check his ranking.
It was the usual: he was still stuck at the bottom, pretty much unchanged since his post-nap glance. Catching up seemed hard—unless he returned to cat form and resumed playing with toys in the leopard area.
Then the system fell utterly silent. No new rules.
He scrolled through the public channel. Aside from popularity rankings, nothing else was posted.
Not a single notification of any player completing a side mission.
Yan Jiyun suspected the system was holding back on a major twist, something that would terrify everyone. After all, it had been twelve hours since they’d entered, and no one had yet triggered a “main quest.”
Or maybe someone did, and the system just didn’t announce it.
This run seemed especially invested in keeping players’ identities protected.
Was the system actively trying to prevent players from guessing one another? Why?
Yan Jiyun mused as he finished his meal.
Most of the diners were keepers—neither Old Man Man nor Jiang Meiying was around, meaning their associated quests were done; they’d, in essence, logged out. Still, Yan Jiyun spotted the two keepers who had doubted him earlier; they were together, looking surprised to see him alive.
The cafeteria was a pretty safe spot. With everyone focused on eating, Yan Jiyun finished quickly and prepared to leave—only to sense something was off around him.
Suddenly, the nearly full hall had shrunk to a third—most keepers had eaten faster than he had and already left, as though hurrying off on urgent business.
As a forcefully inserted player, Yan Jiyun had no NPC work schedule; he had no idea what they needed to do, but it couldn’t be ordinary work—this was a horror game after all.
He followed protocol, cleaned his tray, and hurried after the two keepers who always spoke ill of him behind his back.
Oddly, both NPCs headed straight for their dorms. He did the same, slipping into his room to quietly observe from the doorway.
Once the keepers entered their rooms, they didn’t emerge again. What was going on?
He hadn’t seen any dorm rules posted downstairs. Maybe his onboarding had been so rushed, he missed the employee handbook.
He saw more keepers rushing toward the dorms, and as 5:30pm neared, they only became more frantic—almost as if something were chasing them.
He’d made note of the room numbers of the two who talked about him. Before 5:30, Yan Jiyun knocked on their door.
A keeper named Ah Qiang, with a dark mole near his upper lip, opened up looking less than pleased.
“What are you doing?” Ah Qiang grumbled. “Why aren’t you in your own room at this hour?”
No one slaps a smiling face. Yan Jiyun grinned. “Ah Qiang, I came to borrow a cigarette and a lighter. Left mine in the cafeteria and, well… can’t exactly go out now. Figured I’d ask if you had some spares, otherwise I won’t survive the night.”
Another keeper, shirtless in the background, called out, “You newbies all have the night shift on your first day, and you still have time to smoke?”
Yan Jiyun laughed. “You caught me—never had a night shift before and just wanted your advice. When I get paid, I’ll buy you each a pack of Chunghwa.”
He’d smelled smoke on them before and knew they were both heavy smokers. The fact that they wore only entry-level uniforms suggested they’d failed to be promoted, likely resenting how he’d gotten his advanced keeper uniform on day one.
If a higher-up came asking for help, they’d feel flattered—Yan Jiyun played to that perfectly, and, judging by their reactions, he had an eighty percent chance of prying information from them.
Turns out, newbie keepers did have to work the night shift—meaning, maybe not all would survive the night.
Yan Jiyun had no idea what “night shift” meant in a zoo context. With how dreadful the keepers seemed of the night, and the high pay, he deduced this was a lethal profession.
Ah Qiang glanced both ways but never let Yan Jiyun into the room.
Yan Jiyun breathed easier.
Ah Qiang lowered his voice, “The night shift here isn’t what you’re used to. The animals get weird at night. Really weird! Just super dangerous. Best thing is to find a safe spot, hide out, then do a quick patrol at dawn. The manager won’t care then. Survive, and you’ll pass probation. Boss will even bump your pay or give you a bonus.”
Yan Jiyun nodded, “Thanks for the tip, Qiang.”
Ah Sen inside the room handed over a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. “Here. Don’t forget to buy me Chunghwa when you get paid.”
Yan Jiyun nodded, “Thanks, Sen.”
He hoped for more, but once Ah Sen gave him the items, he shut the door.
As Yan Jiyun turned to leave, he overheard Ah Qiang whisper to Ah Sen, “Why’d you give him smokes and a lighter? You’re sending him to die.”
Yan Jiyun: ???
Ah Sen snorted, “Call it a farewell gift. Fragile as he looks, he won’t make it past midnight. You were no better, telling him to hide—no rookie finds a good hiding place on their first night shift.”
Ah Qiang laughed, “That’s just to give him hope. If he lives, I’ll have another pack of Chunghwa. If not—well, it wasn’t meant for him.”
Yan Jiyun: ???
Seriously, these two were something else!
Thank goodness he hadn’t walked far or he’d have missed a golden piece of gossip. Good thing these two were not only fond of mockery, but also lived together.
Yan Jiyun checked the current instance time: 17:29:09.
He made it back to his own dorm in the final few seconds.
Collapsing into a chair, he shut his eyes and mulled over what Ah Qiang and Ah Sen had let slip.
First: Newbie keepers must work the night shift.
Second: It’s a high-risk job.
Third: Smoking is forbidden when on shift.
Fourth: Hiding is useless.
Fifth: It lasts until dawn.
When 17:30 arrived, the radio he’d kept waterproof and by his side all day fell silent—no task from a supervisor yet.
Maybe no tasks were assigned?
Just then, someone knocked on his door.
Yan Jiyun started so violently he nearly jumped; he patted his chest to calm down.
He barely knew anyone here, and the two keepers he knew were already out. Who could be looking for him?
He retrieved his trusty stick, gripping it as he cracked the door open.
“It’s me, Xiao Jiang—Dr. Peng.”
Yan Jiyun quietly set down the stick behind the door. “Dr. Peng, what brings you here?”
“I saw you enter your dorm and thought I’d say hello. I remembered you’re on night shift tonight, right?”
Yan Jiyun nodded, wondering if every employee just intuitively knew.
Feigning confusion, he scratched his head. “I have no idea how to manage night duty.”
Dr. Peng replied, “As it happens, I’m scheduled for night shift too. Let me get my things, and we can head out together.”
An NPC invitation—Yan Jiyun quickly weighed Dr. Peng’s trustworthiness.
Dr. Peng had checked on the parrot, gave the injured wolf cub treatment—both were fine afterward.
While those didn’t prove his character, Dr. Peng so far had done nothing questionable. He only hoped it wasn’t another ploy like Old Man Man or Jiang Meiying; their jobs weren’t even at odds, so who knew what the system wanted to do with Dr. Peng’s character. Still, best to keep observing.
“Sure, you can show me the ropes. First time for me.”
“Alright, I’ll be right out.”
After agreeing on departure, Yan Jiyun returned to his room to prepare.
The stick was essential; the lighter might be, too.
He double-checked his inventory—he’d likely need some tools tonight.
When Dr. Peng emerged, Yan Jiyun saw he wasn’t wearing his lab coat, but coveralls like Yan Jiyun’s, though his were navy blue.
Yan Jiyun’s heart leapt. “Dr. Peng, aren’t you working in the clinic tonight?”
Dr. Peng answered, “You’re new, so you may not know the rules. Every employee has to do night duty each month, even the vets. Don’t worry—my patrol is just to check up on animals that are hurt, sick, or recently released, and make some notes on their nighttime behavior.”
Yan Jiyun feigned understanding. “I see.”
Dr. Peng’s explanation made sense—after illnesses were treated, the pet hospital always checked in on his “shovel officer.” So the zoo was just as responsible. Still, Dr. Peng remained a question mark; maybe he was even the quest-giver.
Just then, the clock struck six.
Yan Jiyun heard the entire staff dorm building’s locks engage.
Six p.m. was a crucial hour.
The system soon confirmed his guess.
[[Public Chat] Zoo rules lifted; all players may now move freely.]
[[Public Chat] All players must return to their residential areas before opening the next day.]
[Begin patrol at 18:00; patrol ends at 5:00 the next morning.]
[Staff night shift: Complete the assigned checkpoint patrol. Try to survive until dawn. Have a pleasant shift.]
Yan Jiyun: …
Oh, sure. “Have a pleasant shift.”
What’s a checkpoint patrol?
[Patrol the flamingo area by 19:00.]
Yan Jiyun: …
Dr. Peng spoke up: “Xiao Jiang, let’s go—flamingo area first.”
Yan Jiyun had no choice but to follow.
Although, he couldn’t help but notice—why wasn’t the mission tied to Dr. Peng?
Was Dr. Peng not an important NPC?
In other instances he’d surely have gotten a “protect Dr. Peng” mission by now, just as the day’s missions had always focused on NPCs. Why did Dr. Peng suddenly turn invisible to the system?
He’d have to search Dr. Peng’s office for clues sometime; there were too many oddities about this NPC.
Almost a whole day gone and he still hadn’t pinpointed the crisis of this game.
At least now, with all players free to move, he could become a cat whenever he wanted, no longer limited by “cross-posting” restrictions—a small blessing.
But why release players at this moment?
The two of them set off before night fell, heading from admin to the flamingo enclosure.
Inside, a stunning flock of fire-colored birds met their eyes.
Yan Jiyun’s flamingo knowledge came from brief zoo visits. By day, they slept, preened, bathed; at night, they ate—that was normal flamingo behavior.
But these flamingos weren’t right. They pecked and struck at each other with their wings—was it fighting?
Dr. Peng set down his kit and ran over. “No fighting! You just brawled a few days ago!”
Yan Jiyun: … Wasn’t Dr. Peng supposed to be shunned by animals? Wouldn’t charging in just rile them up further?
[Side Mission: Protect Dr. Peng.]
[Main Mission One: Resolve Xianghe Zoo’s first crisis.]
[“Wanna Be Human” Livestream Chat:]
“So Dr. Peng needs to be protected by a player? Has anyone ever done this route before? I don’t get it—what does it mean? Isn’t there only one main quest? I’m so confused, can an expert explain?”