Cat 115: Forced to Change Clothes

Chapter 115 Forced to Change Clothes

Yan Jiyun fled under the gaze of all present.

On entering, he had immediately checked the map of the “Tiger Door” casino. He still wasn’t sure how many floors the building had, but, judging by real-world casinos, there must be at least a thousand gaming tables and hundreds of slot machines.

He could easily lose himself for a while among the slots, but the whole place was likely under constant surveillance, with the risk of being dragged back at any moment. Instead, he sprinted straight toward the grand staircase.

The other players began clapping as soon as he emerged—some even whistled.

“Beating an NPC, not bad!”

“Run, run! They’re coming!”

“Such a pity, I forgot to place a bet—if I’d bet on you, I’d have made a killing.”

The players understood far better than any NPC. When an NPC lost, they got vengeful and started trouble; over here, Yan Jiyun was the true victor in the final round, not Brother Ruan.

All Yan Jiyun wanted to do was roll his eyes at them. All these players cared about was the spectacle. As he rushed past, he shouted, “He’s after me now, but when I’m gone, you’re next. Don’t get too smug—better team up to take on the NPCs instead!”

A player yelled back, “You want us to take the hit for you?”

Yan Jiyun replied, “Believe it or not!”

No sooner had he spoken than Brother Ruan’s shout came echoing from not far off: “That kid owes me a life! Whoever helps me catch him gets a chip reward!”

Some players considered helping the NPC, but Yan Jiyun had a point: if you helped Ruan today, he might betray you tomorrow. Since Ruan’s credibility was shot, there was no trust in his promises—nobody really believed he’d award them chips.

Yan Jiyun was quick, but the entire casino was crawling with Ruan’s bodyguards. No sooner had he hit the stairs than two guards rushed to block his way.

Twisting and dodging, he barely evaded their strikes, grabbed a nearby trash bin and hurled it at one guard, then kicked the other down the stairs.

Meanwhile, Chu Mo, having been in the same game area from before, rolled up his sleeves. As another wave of bodyguards charged up, he followed Yan Jiyun to the second floor.

Right then, Yan Jiyun was already tangled up with another guard. Without any item bar, he couldn’t use equipment—this was real, hand-to-hand.

His fighting skills, however, were mediocre; a guard’s heavy punch came flying and would have broken his nose if he hadn’t jerked his torso back just in time.

At that moment, a hand yanked the pursuing guard away from behind, knuckles smashing the man’s temple; the guard staggered, then was kicked down the stairs.

Chu Mo, just arriving, called, “You looked so pitiful—thought I’d give you a hand.”

Yan Jiyun’s back was pressed to a wall padded with velvet. He’d been running for his life and felt a flood of relief—no way could he have dealt with so many guards on his own.

He managed a gasp: “Thanks.”

A temporary teammate wasn’t bad after all!

Chu Mo added, “Don’t forget to trade info. Not doing this for free!”

Yan Jiyun flashed an “OK” sign.

A group of guards surged their way. Chu Mo’s combat power was better than expected—he took down one after another.

Yan Jiyun kicked a guard in the chest, asking, “Why are you here?”

Chu Mo said, “Heard about it. The other doors might just be random challenges—this is the real casino, only place to earn points.”

So the Tiger Door was the main point-earning area—were the other doors even worth entering?

There were simply too many guards here; after all, this was Ruan’s home turf.

Chu Mo said, “Let’s switch doors—escape now and we can shake them.”

Yan Jiyun: “I haven’t been here long—how do we get out?”

Chu Mo shook his head. “Gotta find the Guide—he moves around, I have to catch him first.”

So Chu Mo was here to deliver an answer—what a guy.

With escape nearly impossible by fighting, Yan Jiyun thought of transforming into a cat to dodge. But there were too many guards; at least with Chu Mo, he had another target to split their attention.

Side by side, they took out the ones who came in close and dashed along the second-floor corridor, keeping a hundred-meter lead on the rest.

The casino was huge; though the guards came in waves, they still had to rely on their legs.

It was unrealistic to hope other players would help—without shared interests, nobody would risk themselves for another.

Yan Jiyun never anticipated Chu Mo stepping in; after they’d split at the city gates, he’d thought that would be it. But this championship world was smaller than it seemed.

Whatever the case, running still came first!

This was what he did best.

But the guards were chasing only him, not Chu Mo. “Go find the Guide. I’ll lead them on a chase. When you’re ready, call for me and I’ll join up!”

Chu Mo asked, “How will I tell you?”—since phones weren’t allowed. Best arcade game ever

Yan Jiyun replied, “If I’m hiding, just knock on doors or ask around for five or ten minutes—I’ll definitely show up. If I’m still running, just yell my name.”

Chu Mo gave an “OK” sign.

With that, Yan Jiyun broke away and sprinted up to the third floor.

It was quieter up here, probably VIP territory—would Ruan risk angering important guests?

Chu Mo watched as all the guards swarmed after Yan Jiyun, muttering, “Is he trying to ditch me?”

[Gou Yi Gou] live broadcast room:

“Hahahaha, so you finally realized it, Dog? He really does find you a bother, and here you go helping him and dragging trouble on yourself!”

“Yup, Dog, that’s the real issue: you’re getting in the way of him turning into a kitty to hide!”

“I didn’t even know players could transform into cats until today—that little black cat is just too cute. Anyway, Dog, I’m hopping over to the cat-boy’s stream for some prime cat action!”

“Wait for me! Dog, don’t take it personally; you just can’t shapeshift into a husky. Catboys are irresistible, slurp~”

“Wait, aren’t you guys the least bit curious about Dog finding the Guide? Count me in too!”

A chunk of Chu Mo’s viewers migrated to the [Want to Be Human] stream.

“Hehehe, here to watch the big kitty transformation!”

“Do it, do it! We’re waiting!”

“But he’s still running—I’m exhausted just watching in first-person!”

“I swear, catboy runs faster in human form than I ever could—he’s flying!”

“Run, catboy, run! Ruan can’t win so he’s calling in reinforcements, what a sore loser!”

“This was supposed to be a place for racking up points, and catboy didn’t even get much before being thrown out. What a shame.”

Yan Jiyun had no idea Chu Mo was sending so much traffic his way. On the third floor, there were plenty of rooms for hiding—just waiting for his experience card to expire so he could duck into a corner unseen.

VIP suites lined the hallway, each labeled and soundproofed, but none could mask a presence from Yan Jiyun; he could tell which rooms were empty with ease.

He figured the guards wouldn’t dare cause a huge scene up here either.

He tried a numbered VIP room—no sound within, so he was about to enter.

But the guards were closing in fast. Suddenly, a guard with a baton charged him.

Damn, they even had weapons.

With nothing but his limbs, fighting was a dead end.

He could only keep weaving his way through the labyrinthine corridors, keeping ahead by reflex.

Why did his luck always bring him repeated NPC chases? He was sick of it.

Were these guards all Olympic sprinters? Even with full speed, they wouldn’t give up.

After dodging into a third corner, he stopped by a door to catch his breath—when suddenly the door opened, and a strong hand pulled him inside.

Thinking it was another attack, he whirled, readying an elbow—only for the stranger to capture and restrain his hands, calmly pulling him in.

“It’s me, Qi Feng!”

Yan Jiyun had already caught the scent—but hadn’t expected the first to leave their group, Qi Feng, to be the one rescuing him.

A herd of guards thundered past outside.

Yan Jiyun obediently held still, waiting until they’d passed.

He was shocked Qi Feng was here. How did everyone seem to know to come to the Tiger Door?

When silence fell outside, Yan Jiyun finally examined the luxurious lounge.

“How come you’re all here?” He turned to face Qi Feng. “Someone downstairs even helped me out.”

“We’re all here looking for clues,” Qi Feng said. Their encounter was fate; this newcomer was more competent than he’d expected.

“Not here to earn points?” Yan Jiyun asked. He’d known every door contained clues, but most players downstairs seemed focused on points.

“You can earn points here, but so far only the Horse, Tiger, Dragon, and Rat Doors haven’t yielded clues.” Qi Feng saw no reason not to share with a promising newcomer—besides, only a minority knew this detail.

Yan Jiyun thought of the information card he’d found—“Rat King”—currently sitting in his temporary tool bar.

He asked, feigning nonchalance, “How many clues did you get?”

Qi Feng didn’t hide it. “I’ve cleared the Pig, Dog, Ox, Sheep, and Chicken Doors. Two info cards and three numbers.”

Yan Jiyun’s jaw almost dropped. No wonder he was a veteran; while he’d slept, the guy had finished five mini-instances.

He chose to be honest: “I only went through the Rat Door—got one card.”

Qi Feng was surprised. “Most come back empty-handed from the Rat Door. That clue is hard to get.”

Yan Jiyun remembered the yapping and nervous mice. He nodded gravely. “Definitely tough. So many rats.”

By now, more footsteps echoed outside—Ruan was having the guards search every suite, even risking the wrath of VIP members. He wasn’t about to let someone who cost him face leave alive.

The goons outside called, “Check everywhere—he could be hiding anywhere!”

Yan Jiyun glanced at Qi Feng.

Trust his luck—caught by his own “owner” at the worst moment. If Qi Feng had come a little later, he could have shifted into a cat and avoided this mess, sparing both of them.

Yan Jiyun scanned for a hiding place and noticed a man and a woman knocked out on the bed.

He gave Qi Feng a thumbs-up. “Impressive.”

He’d only thought to find an empty room; Qi Feng had gone a step further and claimed it by knocking out its occupants.

No sooner had he spoken than someone knocked on the door.

Qi Feng gestured at the bedroom; Yan Jiyun immediately understood, ducking inside with the unconscious couple. He tucked the man’s head beneath the covers and the woman’s hair over her shoulders—so from the outside, it would look like only a sleeping woman lay there.

Standing behind the door, he left a crack open so anyone peeking in would only see a feminine figure.

Qi Feng answered, removing his jacket to don a bathrobe, picking up a glass of red wine and adopting a look of cool annoyance.

“Is there a problem?” Qi Feng faced the guard with chilly disregard—a dramatic shift from how he treated allies (or cats).

In real life, there was little information about Qi Feng’s real work; he’d always guessed businessman, yet there was no air of commerce about him. After three years of infinite horror dungeons, Qi Feng’s temperament would have changed regardless.

“Sorry to disturb you, sir. Did you see a young man run in here?” the guard asked.

“So you search for someone and interrupt my evening?” Qi Feng pressed, brows furrowed.

The guard, deferential to a third-floor guest, explained, “I apologize. That person is a risk—we’re worried he could harm guests.”

Still, he tried to peek past Qi Feng before, squeezing into the open doorway.

He did spot a woman’s long hair under the comforter.

Qi Feng’s frown deepened. “My girlfriend’s sleeping. Do you expect to ogle her too? What’s your game?”

“Not at all, sir! I’m sorry, truly,” the guard stuttered, backing off.

“Then get lost! Or do I have to throw you out? Mess up my night again and I’m canceling my membership!”

Apologies poured forth, Qi Feng slammed the door shut.

Yan Jiyun struggled not to laugh. His “owner” could act as well as any movie king—he’d have to take notes, just in case he ever needed to play Boss Man in the future. Best arcade game ever

Once inside, he approached the outer room. “What now? Ruan’s after you. You need to get out.”

Yan Jiyun was frank: “Looking to try the next door for clues.”

Qi Feng shed the robe. “Same. Just about to go myself.” Quick reflexes and clear thinking—he was starting to see why this newbie stood out.

Yan Jiyun was just about to ask if Qi Feng wanted to team up when Chu Mo’s voice sounded from outside.

Thanks to Ruan’s livestream, his sharp hearing had no doubt been exposed—Qi Feng surely knew now, so there was no need to hide anything.

“I heard Chu Mo’s found the Guide. Are you moving?” Yan Jiyun asked.

“Let’s go.”

Yan Jiyun went to open the door, ready to sprint again—only to be pulled back by Qi Feng.

Qi Feng reminded him, “Change outfits. You stand out. With so many people, you’ll be exhausted trying to run all night.”

He was right—Yan Jiyun was in too much of a rush to think.

He rifled through the closet, finding only suits—no different from what he wore. “What, am I supposed to pose as the big-bellied balding guy?”

Qi Feng jerked his chin at the two on the bed.

Yan Jiyun followed his gaze, gestured to the woman and to himself. “Her? Me?”

Qi Feng coolly yanked the woman’s wig off. “Put on her clothes—you won’t be recognized so easily.”

Yan Jiyun: … Might as well turn into a cat.

But, in truth, he couldn’t transform for a while anyway—he’d just spent another ten minutes on his experience card.

Never mind. For safety’s sake, he could take a hit to his dignity; who’d pay attention to him, anyway?

Qi Feng was annoyingly earnest, sorting through women’s clothes as if he hadn’t a single sense of humor. Even in front of an “outsider,” he remained inscrutable and cold.

She had only two outfits—one a risque set, the other a knee-length dress.

The woman was fairly tall, but the dress was definitely short on him—he’d look much taller by comparison.

As a last-ditch protest, Yan Jiyun said, “Doesn’t there have to be another way?”

Qi Feng was deadly serious. “The item slots are locked—no invisibility cloak.”

Even props purchased beforehand were disabled; the game never intended them to be used in Angel City. Best arcade game ever

Gritting his teeth, Yan Jiyun stripped and squeezed into the dress—luckily, he was slim.

Neither was fazed by the changing; both simply worked—he shrugged out of his default attire and turned away.

Qi Feng, eyeing his back: “How’d you get hurt?”

The wound was still clear, with ointment messily smeared—he must’ve applied it himself.

“Scratched by a branch in the Devil Forest,” Yan Jiyun replied, slipping into the dress and turning his back. “A hand?”

Qi Feng carefully zipped him up, avoiding the injury: “Done.”

Quickly, Yan Jiyun donned the wig, checked in the mirror, and gave a spin. Not bad—he pulled it off.

Under Qi Feng’s eye, he slid on the heels—nearly toppled himself.

He couldn’t help complaining, “Being a pretty girl is real torment!”

The stream begged to differ.

[Want to Be Human] live broadcast room:

“Seriously, system? Just changing clothes, why pixelate the screen? Is there anything we VIPs can’t see?”

“What’s the number for the player’s livestream? Gotta switch to his channel and watch!”

“Level 5 big-shot streamer, username ‘Has Anyone Seen My Cat.’”

“Hahaha, don’t bother—I just checked, they’re blurred there too!”

“Ah, such a shame.”

Yan Jiyun checked the time—changing had eaten up several minutes. Still three left of his appointment with Chu Mo.

He couldn’t wait to get out; first thing after leaving Tiger Door, he’d ditch this skirt, which left his legs freezing.

Luckily, Qi Feng was used to chaos—his expression unaffected, he handed Yan Jiyun a purse and lipstick on the way to the door.

“You seem practiced,” Yan Jiyun commented.

“Three years in the game—gotta learn a lot.”

“You ever pass yourself off as a woman?”

“Never. Wouldn’t suit me.”

“…” So it suited him better?

He’d had enough of talking to his “owner.”

Breaking the lipstick in half, he dabbed on a bit—a faint blush on his lips brightened his face.

“Can you walk?” Qi Feng asked.

“Manageable.” He was past the point of worrying; right now, all that mattered was escaping.

Qi Feng held the door, grabbing the woman’s sunglasses and offering them: “Wear these. Your face is easy to spot.”

Yan Jiyun appreciated the gesture; so many players had seen his face on the livestream, he’d never live down this crossdressing debacle. He’d rather bury the memory if possible—never, ever would he show his face.

Trying his best to walk properly in heels, he tottered on tiptoe.

Qi Feng watched, concerned. “Want help?”

“Wouldn’t mind.”

Qi Feng naturally offered his elbow for support.

Though they’d interacted plenty before, being this close in human form was different. That arm, that build—so enviable.

Not bad at all. Reliable.

They made their way through the corridor and into the elevator during a guard’s check. From a distance, they overheard a guard murmuring, “That boss’s girl looked good, but a bit flat up top.”

“Different tastes—some like them big, some like them flat. So tall, must be a model. Heard most models have nothing up top.”

“Tsk, not much to grab.”

Yan Jiyun seethed inwardly: Just, just… shameless pervert!

If he wasn’t so constrained, he’d have punched the guy right there.

Reaching the elevator at last, he thought he could breathe easy—only to find White Shirt had joined them for the ride.

Why? Well, never mind—as long as he wasn’t recognized.

Should be safe…

Yan Jiyun subtly tucked his face behind Qi Feng’s arm for cover.

God, embarrassing.

Qi Feng, unfazed as always, led the way off the elevator onto the ground floor.

Arm in arm with Qi Feng, Yan Jiyun whispered, “Quick, quick, quick!”

Finding Chu Mo near the fifth row of slots, he noticed it was quiet, no players nearby.

Chu Mo eyed him up and down. “Excuse me, miss, but who are you?”

Yan Jiyun grabbed off the sunglasses, eyes blazing. “Better forget what you’ve seen—just take us to the Guide!”

He really hadn’t asked for this, okay?

Chu Mo sighed, “What a shame about the gender. Otherwise, I’d have chased you.”

Oh, now he dared to flirt?

Without hesitation, Yan Jiyun gave him a kick.

Qi Feng’s lips curled slightly—this new player really was lively.