Cat 97: Rescuing the Animal Bodies
by CristaeChapter 97: Rescuing the Animal Bodies
The black panther was never easy to find. The fact that it was confined here confirmed its relationship with Dr. Zhou. It should have followed Dr. Zhou of its own accord—given Dr. Zhou’s slender build, he’d never have managed to carry a panther himself.
Does the black panther really possess human consciousness? It knew to help Yan Jiyun find a cell signal and to locate different hiding spots.
Yesterday, it helped him search for a signal—that was in fact for Dr. Peng’s benefit, putting it on the opposite side from Dr. Zhou. So why did the black panther do that? What purpose did it serve?
Yan Jiyun approached the cage and asked Dr. Zhou, “Why did you lock it up? Isn’t it your brother?”
Dr. Zhou sighed. “It’s my brother’s consciousness transferred into its mind. Sometimes, it is my brother, but sometimes it’s not. He hasn’t fully received the entirety of his human consciousness.”
“So, you mean to say, it still retains its animal nature, and the human consciousness hasn’t been completely projected onto it.”
Dr. Zhou nodded. “Yes. It reacts when it sees me, and it would never attack me. It understands what I say—at those times, it’s my brother. In the zoo, it would never let strangers get near.”
Yan Jiyun could tell Dr. Zhou wasn’t lying; his interactions with the black panther matched this exactly. The panther was intelligent and skilled at hiding.
Yan Jiyun now thought that yesterday, when it carried the cell phone, it was trying to help him—not Dr. Peng. Maybe it only vaguely understood what a phone was, associating it with hazy memories. What’s more, it disappeared as soon as Dr. Peng was about to regain consciousness.
The black panther had intentionally avoided Dr. Peng.
Dr. Zhou added regretfully, “But I’ve never seen him get close to a keeper like this—you’re the first. I trust his instincts: you’re someone who can be relied on.”
Yan Jiyun opened the cage and reached out to stroke the panther’s neck. “Dr. Zhou, how do you know whether a human consciousness has been successfully projected onto an animal?”
Dr. Zhou watched Yan Jiyun’s hand, busy petting the animal. “If the transfer is successful, their initial intelligence is about that of a seven- or eight-year-old child. Dogs, for instance, need training to understand human speech; these animals do not. They comprehend most words. At the same time, they retain their species’ instincts, because their bodies are still animal—instincts can’t be changed.”
In other words, they possessed a fuzzy human consciousness, but not a human soul: a dual consciousness—human thought layered onto innate animal instinct, creating a new sort of psyche.
The panther emerged from the cage and stood up, placing its huge paw on Yan Jiyun’s back. Yan Jiyun crouched; the paw dropped lightly onto his head, and then he gave it a gentle squeeze.
He felt a twinge of envy—if only his own paws could be this broad and sturdy; he’d be able to pummel whoever he pleased.
Their friendly interaction made Dr. Zhou look on enviously, eyes growing moist. He too wished for his brother to pat him on the head with such a paw.
Yan Jiyun now understood: he’d uncovered all the zoo’s deepest secrets. The only thing left was to rescue these people.
He asked Dr. Zhou, “How can we save them?”
[“Want to Be Human”] Livestream:
“Yeah, how do we save them? I’ve been thinking—Little Cat found the true main quest, and the system has issued three storyline missions in a row. Does that mean if he completes this last one, the game is over?”
“Turns out the black panther is Dr. Zhou’s brother? Satisfied! I’ve seen the big secret now. Honestly, it feels like a whole different instance.”
“A five-day instance and he’s discovered the truth in less than two. Is there anything left to play? Surely, it’ll end right away.”
“You all give this player too much credit. He just got lucky. Main Quest Three is about rescuing the black panther and the others, but you’ve forgotten: the panther is fused to its original body. Remember, when Gorilla Tata died, his physical body died too. And have you thought about why the lab is set inside the zoo?”
“Why?”
“Because the body and the conscious animal can’t be too far apart. If the distance is exceeded, the body dies—unless the consciousness returns.”
“But the consciousness can’t go back, can it? They were already at death’s door, or in a vegetative state.”
“That’s why, even if the player has gotten this far, the mission can’t actually be completed; right now, everything’s stacked against them. There are only two of them and a single panther.”
But Yan Jiyun didn’t see it that way. Dr. Zhou couldn’t possibly have no backup plan.
If the whole zoo was fitted with tranquilizer mist, it meant he was thinking far ahead, more than most.
Dr. Zhou also knew the situation was dire. He opened his laptop for Yan Jiyun, displaying feeds of every section of the B2 level.
Dr. Peng, the old professor, and the outraged researchers—most were now under Dr. Peng’s control. Other than the few staff assigned to watch over the patients, everyone else had been “sent” away. Dr. Peng relished being in command, talking to the old professor every so often.
Dr. Zhou pointed to a nearby remote control. “With the press of this red button, the ventilation will stop and a mist of sedatives will be released—not much, just enough to knock out any large, uncontrollable animal. But it only lasts fifteen minutes. We’re short-handed, and there’s no way to move all the patients and animals in just fifteen minutes.”
Yan Jiyun suggested, “Would it be enough to just get Orange, the wolf family, Kaiser, Xixi, and the brown bear out?”
Dr. Zhou indicated some younger researchers on the screen. “These ones can help us. But you have to remember: the patients and their animal bodies can’t be too far apart. The biggest problem is, I don’t know where the animal bodies are.”
Yan Jiyun suddenly understood why the medical wing was built at the zoo’s very center.
He went on, “How about this? I’ll go outside and try to find Orange and the others; you and your people move the patients—we’ll meet at a set time and place. It’ll be dark soon, so we can move quickly.”
“Do you have a map of the zoo?” Yan Jiyun asked.
Dr. Zhou shook his head. “No, but I can draw one for you.”
He found a blank sheet of paper and sketched out the zoo: east, south, west, and north gates, each with the corresponding animal houses clearly marked.
“We’ll need a vehicle or two to move everyone, right?” Yan Jiyun said.
“We have some. There are always backup vehicles parked at the exit,” Dr. Zhou replied.
Once they confirmed the time and place, Yan Jiyun asked, “After we get them out, where will you take them?”
Dr. Zhou let out a breath. “Last year, I bought a nearly bankrupt zoo. I’ll take them there to live out the rest of their days.”
Yan Jiyun asked nothing further. Though there were three days left in the instance, he knew that once the panther and the others were out, his part would be done.
The zoo had always been at risk—a group of “special animals” out of place was a ticking time bomb. That was the true threat lurking in the zoo.
This instance was different from all the rest. Here, the ending was predetermined. If he failed the task, all the patients and “special animals” would be exposed; if he succeeded, their fates wouldn’t really improve—they’d simply scrape by at another zoo.
No matter how he looked at it, he disliked both outcomes.
“To save animals who are different”—could Dr. Zhou’s approach truly solve the crisis at hand?
“Any other ideas?” Dr. Zhou asked, noticing Yan Jiyun’s silence.
Yan Jiyun pointed to the black panther sprawled on the floor. “I want to take your brother with me to look for Orange and the others. He’s got a better nose than I do.”
Dr. Zhou refused outright. “No. I went through so much to get my brother back, I can’t risk anything happening to him now. He’s my brother, not just an animal!”
Yan Jiyun didn’t want to argue. “Why not ask him what he thinks?”
Dr. Zhou looked at his brother, whose tail was flicking against the floor. He knew what that meant. Squatting in front of the panther, he asked, “Bro, do you want to help Jiang You?”
Yan Jiyun thought Dr. Zhou was pretty reasonable, actually asking his brother’s opinion.
The panther couldn’t speak, but its body language gave the answer. It got up and stood by Yan Jiyun’s side.
It really was the most coveted test subject—the panther understood human speech.
Dr. Zhou sighed and relented, “Fine, but you both must be careful. The moment things look bad, hide somewhere safe, or find your way to where my surveillance cameras reach—I’ll trigger the tranquilizer mist again. I’ll also have Xiao Xi and the others keep stalling Peng Yu and Professor Fang, keeping them penned up in B2. You’ll have thirty minutes to get the other animals out. Remember, the tranquilizer only works for fifteen minutes—after that, everyone wakes up.”
“Understood. I’ll do my best to finish in half an hour.”
Dr. Zhou handed him the hastily drawn map. “I’ve marked the locations with red—those are the areas I can monitor. After you free Orange and the others, signal me from there.”
Carrying the map, Yan Jiyun left with the panther via the way they had arrived, Dr. Zhou seeing them off anxiously at the exit.
As the door closed, Yan Jiyun saw the black panther look back. He watched the straight-backed figure disappear down the hall.
Yan Jiyun patted the back of the panther’s neck. “I just realized—I never asked what your name is.”
The black panther looked up at him, and Yan Jiyun understood at once. “Then I’ll just keep calling you Soy Sauce.”
The panther: “…”
The sky was gloomy, as if rain were imminent.
Right on cue, the system informed all players it was the end of the work day.
At this hour yesterday, he’d have been on his way to dinner, but he wasn’t hungry now; the moment the task ended, he’d be out of the instance and home to eat.
Now he could return to cat form without losing popularity points, so it was safe to change back.
He remembered Dr. Peng had ordered all the animals be sent to the rescue center, so his first step was to disguise himself.
“Soy Sauce, can you smell where Orange and the others are?”
The panther understood and led Yan Jiyun toward the rescue center.
With the sky darkening, the panther was almost invisible unless you looked closely. Yan Jiyun realized they both needed to stick to the shadows.
A good habit to have.
The panther crept through the woods toward the rescue center, while Yan Jiyun, dressed as a doctor, passed easily among staff without raising suspicion.
He wasn’t sure what kind of mission other players faced on the second night, but he noticed that keepers who’d hidden away quickly the previous evening were now out on patrol, flashlights in hand, after dinner.
Yan Jiyun hid with the panther nearby, letting A-Qiang and A-Sen pass first, and overheard them grumbling about the new patrol orders.
A-Sen: “Why are we all dragged out for night duty? Rotten luck.”
A-Qiang: “The supervisor said some keepers have been stealing animals at night to sell. We have to keep an eye out. Big zoo, short on staff.”
A-Sen: “But when’s there ever been a theft around here?”
A-Qiang: “The timid starve and the bold get fat. Someone was stealing before the animal riot; after that, the thieves seemed to vanish—dead, for all I know. With the riot settled, the thieves have crawled back out.”
A-Sen: “Mm, mm.”
Yan Jiyun: …
He got it now—under normal circumstances, players would have faced a “keeper stealing animals” quest tonight. They might’ve run into the thieves.
A-Qiang and A-Sen did seem a bit suspicious—appearing more than expected.
But he had his own, more pressing mission; the theft would have to wait.
When the two keepers were out of range, Yan Jiyun and the panther continued toward the rescue center.
His disguise would last as long as he wasn’t pursued or unmasked by NPCs.
Soon, the rescue center came into view.
Yan Jiyun and the panther both heard animals pounding against cages.
Dr. Peng assumed Dr. Zhou had no more outside help, and perhaps believed the animals were too large to be moved, hence left them where they were—careless, or calculated indifference.
Yan Jiyun suspected Dr. Peng was getting cocky.
If there were no guards, things would be easier.
Yan Jiyun and the panther crept closer to the pavilion holding Orange, their nose for scent guiding them to a window.
Dr. Peng hadn’t gotten too arrogant—Orange and several large animals were locked in an old exhibition pavilion, no longer open to the public. Rows of cages were set inside, with guards posted inside and out, and several keepers preparing food for the animals.
Dr. Peng had gotten all his info from Professor Fang. Aside from Xixi the parrot and the black panther, they were all accounted for.
Rescuing all the animals would be no easy feat.
The keepers and guards weren’t fools—they knew exactly why Dr. Peng wanted them stationed here: to make sure every animal stayed in place.
Yan Jiyun also noticed that just as he and the panther had settled in to observe, a new group arrived—all in white lab coats, carrying medical kits, here to draw blood from the animals.
Didn’t they do that yesterday? Why again?
If Dr. Zhou experimented to bring his brother back, Dr. Peng was the type to use animals merely as tools for research—for profit and reputation. The contrast between the two motives was stark.
Of course, Dr. Zhou’s work was also controversial—experiments blending animals and humans.
Yan Jiyun stayed put, deciding to wait until the staff let their guard down before making his move. First, he needed a vehicle—there were too many animals, and without a riot as cover, leading a herd of great beasts out would make him a blatant target.
Where to find a vehicle?
He asked the panther, “Do you know where I can get a truck big enough for all these animals?” The panther didn’t fully understand, but pointed toward a small truck by the gate. “A big truck like that.”
The panther, lying on the window ledge beside him, turned and headed toward the rescue center.
Yan Jiyun remembered the parking lot nearby. “That’s it—the parking lot, yes?”
The panther flicked its tail, confirming.
Its human awareness was indeed strong—on a scale of one to ten, at least a solid six. It knew what a truck was.
Yan Jiyun felt the panther’s human consciousness had gotten even stronger since they’d first met—its behavior closely tracked his own.
Could it be learning from him?
For now, the priority was the truck—there’d be time for reflection later.
Dr. Zhou’s vehicles would be used for transporting the patients’ real bodies; he’d use the truck to gather the panther, Orange, and the others, then rendezvous and extract everyone from the zoo in tandem.
The parking lot was about five hundred meters from the rescue center; the panther could leap it in moments, but Yan Jiyun would need to run. He stripped off his lab coat and hid it behind the pavilion, planning to retrieve it after getting the vehicle.
Just as they neared the lot, the two keepers from earlier came running back in a panic from the opposite direction.
“Damn, I thought the riot problem was solved! Why’s there a big white tiger out?”
“How should I know? Must be because you had your eye on that parrot and messed with its toys.”
“I just wanted to take the parrot back to its exhibit—who’d guess it would bolt?”
Yan Jiyun and the panther ducked into the trees just in time to see a huge white tiger bounding their way, a cursing parrot in hot pursuit.
“Idiot! Idiot! Everyone who tries to catch me is a big idiot!”
“Get lost!”
“I’ll kill you!”
That familiar shape and goofy face—it had to be the player in the white tiger’s body. Anyone who hadn’t seen the workday end might think the tiger was suffering another fit.
The parrot’s voice was equally recognizable—biting and relentless, masterfully delivered. A gaming prodigy, no doubt.
Yan Jiyun realized the white tiger was a player and figured—this was his free quest time now. Should he include him in the plan?
With the two keepers fleeing, the white tiger player, clearly adept at feline senses after two days, tracked Yan Jiyun and the panther by smell.
The panther nearly lashed out before Yan Jiyun restrained him—though the white tiger flattened some saplings in its zeal.
Feigning ignorance, Yan Jiyun snapped, “Baiyun, get back to your enclosure! What are you doing out?”
He said this, but lost no time racing for the parking lot.
The white tiger and parrot, unsure what was happening, followed at a run.
Xixi perched immediately on Yan Jiyun’s shoulder, claws gripping tight. Thankfully, his uniform was tough enough to handle it.
Meng Changsheng was startled to see the panther—the keeper was on good terms with the panther, apparently. Did every animal have to compete for his affection?
Where were they off to?
Yan Jiyun soon spotted the truck in the parking lot; it fit the task perfectly.
Turning his back to the white tiger, he pretended to fumble for keys—really, it was just his tool. One click and the lock snapped open. Props to the tool—it doubled as a car key.
The panther leaped deftly from the driver’s seat to the passenger side. Xixi perched on the seat back, still chattering away.
“Go, go, go!”
“Dodge, dodge, dodge!”
“Open fire!”
Yan Jiyun suspected Xixi’s gaming memories were bleeding into “real life”—an internet addict through and through.
He gently pinched Xixi’s beak. “All right, that’s enough. Quiet time.”
He figured the parrot could understand. As soon as he let go, Xixi tucked his head under a wing. “Ah.”
Yan Jiyun nearly burst out laughing as he started the truck.
The white tiger hovered in front, unsure if it should get in—the keeper plus panther combination was baffling.
Yan Jiyun barked, “What are you waiting for? Hop in!”
Meng Changsheng, seeing the front seats full, bounded easily into the cargo area and lay low to avoid attention.
Only after the truck started moving did he realize the gravity of the situation—his current quest was “find the zoo animal thieves.” Could Jiang You be the very keeper stealing animals?
If so, he had walked straight into trouble.
Now what? Should he bail out?
Before Meng Changsheng could untangle his thoughts, the truck came to a halt.
Yan Jiyun’s voice reached the cargo hold: “Soy Sauce, Xixi, Baiyun—stay quiet and stay put. If I need your help, I’ll whistle. For now, follow my lead.”
Meng Changsheng, though still confused, nodded that big striped head. He’d always trusted the keeper’s reliability, and his gut said the keeper was up to something good.
Yesterday he’d even received a mission from this “keeper”—never considering for a moment that Yan Jiyun wasn’t an NPC.
Meanwhile, Yan Jiyun listened for movement in the pavilion. In the time it took to get the truck, the doctors drawing blood for samples were still there, puzzling over how to draw from the tigers and such.
Leaving the truck, Yan Jiyun retrieved his lab coat and mask, fixing the badge he’d “borrowed” from Dr. Zhou’s office to his collar.
He stood at the pavilion door, took a deep breath, and entered, maintaining a natural composure. The guards were vigilant but not overly strict; he slipped inside.
Inside, keepers were holding Orange down and struggling to draw blood. They couldn’t use anesthetic, so they were at their wits’ end.
Yan Jiyun walked up. “Hello, Dr. Peng asked me to help with the blood draws.”
The doctors didn’t question his identity, and with Yan Jiyun present, the tiger quickly quieted.
One doctor, who’d been struggling, said, “Great, we couldn’t hold him still.”
Yan Jiyun moved in. “I’ve always done Orange’s checkups. He’s not afraid of me. You all just step back from the cage.”
They gave him room.
Yan Jiyun knelt level with Orange, who regarded him warily. In a low voice, he said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to rescue you. Please cooperate.” When Orange didn’t respond, Yan Jiyun added, “Boss Gu?”
The once-mighty CEO’s tiger body went momentarily rigid: “……”