Cat 92: Promotion and Raise!

Chapter 92: Promotion and Raise!

After swatting the myna, Yan Jiyun immediately melted back into the darkness. The myna, merely perched by the window, shrieked and took flight, terrified by the sudden swat from some unknown animal.

The myna player, on edge, shouted, “Let’s get out of here, quick! Who knows what’s in there! Dammit, it even dared attack me!”

Yan Jiyun hadn’t expected that the black panther’s choice of hiding spot would bring him face-to-face with the trio of the orangutan, brown bear, and myna.

Humans instinctively fear the dark, and he had just exploited that, staying hidden as he reached out to startle the myna. He had only one goal: to prevent these three players from discovering his identity and to keep them as far away as possible.

If he reverted to human form in front of the trio, they would surely take an inconvenient interest in him.

The three players outside showed no sign of leaving; the orangutan was scratching letters into the dirt with a stick.

Orangutan player: Shouldn’t we check what’s inside?

Myna definitely didn’t want to go in. “Not necessary. Could be anything in there.”

The brown bear agreed with the orangutan; the myna didn’t, still shaken from just having its tail swatted, but with his companions bent on investigating, he had to go along.

The window of this cabin was tiny, just big enough for a black panther to squeeze through. The door was locked, so the only way in from outside was through the window. But uncertain what might be lurking below, none dared recklessly climb in. Instead, the orangutan and brown bear began to batter the door.

Their recklessness gave Yan Jiyun a start—he hadn’t scared them off but only piqued their curiosity. A miscalculation.

In fact, a brown bear’s sense of smell was even keener than a hound’s, but apparently this player couldn’t pick up the panther’s scent.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Yan Jiyun felt the entire wooden hut tremble, dust drifting down from above. He’d already escaped the fog of tranquilizer; he wasn’t about to choke on dust now. For the sake of his poor airways, he decided to leap out the window, lest the brown bear collapsed the place atop him.

The keepers’ huts in the zoo were all wooden—clearly not intended for players to hide in. Had they been, the system would have built them out of cement, not wood. This troll of a system, so intent on tripping up the players, wouldn’t provide that comfort—even these huts were traps, designed to kill by a thousand cuts.

The myna could only cheer from the sidelines: “Almost got it! Give it one more push, let’s see if it’ll come out!”

While their attention was on the door, Yan Jiyun quietly climbed onto the windowsill, ready to jump out.

A tree stood right in front of the window, conveniently blocking tonight’s glaringly bright moonlight.

If he didn’t leave now, his experience card time would be wasted.

Who knew where the black panther had gone.

Ever since waking, he’d heard only these three players—no other animal.

At last, the brown bear broke down the door.

The three players crowded the entrance, just as Yan Jiyun seized the chance to slip out the window, silent as a shadow, diving quickly into the tall grass and creeping away, low and fast.

The myna said, “Damn, it got away. Just a little animal, we don’t need to chase it.”

The brown bear heard the movement, but they made no move to pursue. NPCs were their main target anyway; Yan Jiyun, not playing a keeper, wasn’t worth the effort.

No sooner had Yan Jiyun snuck out than two large “lamps” jumped from a nearby tree.

The black panther.

The panther patted Yan Jiyun’s head, then crouched low, signaling for him to climb aboard.

Yan Jiyun understood instantly, leaping easily onto its back. The panther’s wounds had completely healed, not a trace left.

Clutching the panther’s neck with his claws, Yan Jiyun waited to see where it would take him.

Thankfully, the panther didn’t insist on carrying him by the scruff again—far too jostling and decidedly unpleasant when awake.

But riding on a black panther’s back felt undeniably cool!

If only there were a drone filming this moment—no doubt he’d look his most dashing, his coolest self.

Ride, Pipi Panther, ride!

[Be a Real Person] Livestream Chat:

“Damn, I want to ride a panther, too! Big black panther and little black cat—a combo so impossibly cute! System, wouldn’t you please let us see this scene from above? Too adorable, I can hardly take it!”

“I was just starting to analyze the plot when the sight of the big and small panther racing around nearly killed me. Too cute.”

“Has anyone tried first-person view yet? It’s so thrilling! The big panther’s perspective versus the little cat’s is totally different—faster, wider, more exciting! When the kitten jumps onboard, it’s heart-stopping. Twice, it almost fell off! Luckily, the panther slowed so it could latch on. I swear it’s more fun than any amusement park ride I’ve tried.”

“I gotta keep watching a while before discussing the story with you. So cool. I honestly feel like I’m going to take off!”

“Honestly, with all the new plot points, I can’t discuss much. Just gotta follow along with the kitten’s POV.”

“We could still compare it with how other players finished the scenario. I bet the kitten’s run will create a totally new ending.”

“Originally, all players just competed for rankings and spent nights searching for the animals’ agitation trigger. Some found the medical wing and caught the doctors experimenting. Others found the dangerous plant and solved the mystery late on the final day. The first three nights, most attention was on fighting the crazed animals. As for endings: band together with your animal allies and overthrow the rest, unite the players and animals to wipe out the keepers, or if well coordinated, just destroy the zoo. Only about three endings possible. No one has played as intricately as the kitten so far. It’s forging a new path.”

“Okay, the kitten and panther stopped. And now the panther’s led him straight to Dr. Peng. My god, Dr. Peng looks like he’s been through hell!”

The panther ran much faster than Yan Jiyun ever could, guiding him expertly through the forest, knowing the zoo’s every corner. In minutes, it brought him to Dr. Peng.

As mentioned in the commentary, Dr. Peng looked battered and miserable, his face bruised and swollen.

Yan Jiyun slid from the panther’s back to crouch beside the unconscious doctor.

Most likely, in his blind flight through the darkness, Peng had tumbled headlong into some disused animal enrichment structure.

It smelled musty, clearly uninhabited for some time.

A moldy zoo—high humidity, much like the southern cities in the real world, where rainy season brings endless damp, and even without rain, humidity alone ensures everything is musty.

Dr. Zhou’s people were still searching for Dr. Peng; just now, while coming this way, Yan Jiyun had seen the roads crawling with searchers.

Right now, Dr. Peng was on his own.

Yan Jiyun, relieved to find him still breathing and only unconscious, reached into the doctor’s pocket and retrieved the purple phone he’d been carrying.

No passcode—just a press and the screen lit up.

The same phone Dr. Peng had used before.

Yan Jiyun praised the panther, “You’re amazing. I’ve decided to give you an even better name.”

The panther, unperturbed, curled up under a tree, unconcerned with names.

He had three minutes left on his experience card; hopefully, Dr. Peng wouldn’t wake up in that time.

Yan Jiyun went straight to the phone’s messages—there was a stream of numbers, an unsent message below, data still sending—80% complete, but stuck. No network, no signal icon in the upper right.

Yes, this was the urgent message Dr. Peng had tried to send.

But Yan Jiyun couldn’t just wander about with a phone, nor could he carry it. He nudged the phone toward the panther and silently asked for help.

The panther looked at him, then hopped down from the tree, picked up the phone, and carried it around the area.

Yan Jiyun watched, struck by how purposeful the panther seemed, as if understanding what was needed.

There was, in fact, signal nearby.

The panther circled back, dropping the phone before him.

Now the data had reached 90%—Yan Jiyun nudged it to the panther again, and it looked at him helplessly.

After three rounds of this relay, the data finally sent, little by little.

97%—99%—100%!

Ding, sent!

At the exact moment the message sent, Yan Jiyun’s experience card expired, and he turned back into a human just as Dr. Peng began to stir.

Dr. Peng, clutching his aching head, looked up to see Yan Jiyun seated nearby and beamed with delight: “Xiao Jiang, thank you for saving me again!”

Yan Jiyun was about to say it wasn’t him, that it was the panther who’d found him, but even as he spoke the panther melted into the dark, vanishing with its merit unclaimed.

He forced a smile. “Don’t mention it. We’re colleagues, after all—helping each other in tough times is what we should do.”

[Congratulations! You have completed the side quest “Divert Dr. Zhou.” Dr. Peng has successfully sent his evidence to his superiors. Points will be awarded at the end of the instance.]

Yan Jiyun exhaled in relief—the damned chase was finally over. He’d nearly lost his life for it.

He truly had run all night; he was exhausted.

Not long after, another system prompt arrived.

[Congratulations! You have completed the side quest “Protect Dr. Peng.” You may choose a points reward or a rest-time reward. Points will be delivered at the end of the instance; rest time can only be used within the scenario, during which no NPC will disturb you.]

[You have three seconds to select a reward. Countdown begins—]

3 seconds—

2 seconds—

1 second—

Without hesitation, Yan Jiyun chose rest-time.

[You have selected the rest-time reward. Congratulations, you have earned 8 hours of uninterrupted rest.]

He was at his limit. Rest was everything—he could earn more points later.

Eight hours was enough!

The moment the quest ended, Dr. Peng’s phone chirped with a new message.

Dr. Peng checked it, his smile broadening: “Excellent! Deputy Director He will handle this right away; results should be in by this morning!”

Yan Jiyun caught a glimpse of the supervisor’s reply:

Deputy Director He: Xiao Peng, great job. I’ll convene a meeting to resolve this matter immediately!

Looks like his guess was right—Dr. Peng and Deputy Director He were indeed on the same team.

[Congratulations! You have resolved the zoo’s first crisis: “Agitated Animals.”]

So, the first crisis was the animal outbreaks.

But this was only the beginning—would there be a second? A third?

After all, the instance lasted five days.

With his phone restored, Dr. Peng summoned a zoo vehicle to pick them up.

Yan Jiyun slumped into a deluxe zoo executive patrol car—much nicer than the tourist tram. The seats were so comfortable, he almost wanted to sprawl out then and there.

Dr. Peng, meanwhile, was positively radiant.

Yan Jiyun could only prop himself up on the window and watch the world go by.

Dawn glowed on the horizon. All the drugged, unconscious animals had vanished—no wild critters darting about. The instance must have returned them all off-screen.

Yan Jiyun yawned deeply.

At five a.m. sharp, the system bombarded everyone with messages, as if freshly awakened and wide awake.

[All players, please return to your posts and prepare for a new day.]

[In last night’s free play, three players were beaten by even the baby animals, and have unfortunately lost their shot at being star animals. What a pity!]

[Please try harder next time~]

Yan Jiyun: …

Other Players: …

The zoo’s first crisis had been resolved. Most players now knew what it was, but not how it had been solved. Completely exhausted, most simply returned to their enclosures to sleep, putting on an occasional show for tourists between naps—catching up on the sleep they’d lost.

Yan Jiyun understood how hard it must have been for them to survive the night before.

When a sector’s animals turned violent, their first victims were always their own kind. Most players managed to avoid injury, which showed how seasoned they were—only true veterans would get out unscathed. Apart from a handful caught in the chaos, everyone prioritized survival.

This game really did want them dead.

Solving the zoo’s first crisis gave Yan Jiyun some insight into the structure of the scenario’s quests.

There were two distinct quest branches—one aligned with Dr. Zhou, the other with Dr. Peng. Each tasked with completely different objectives.

He now figured it was a factional struggle: one side with the director, the other with the deputy director.

Those siding with the director followed Dr. Zhou’s tasks; those with the deputy director, Dr. Peng’s.

A new day began. Morning light caught the fine fluff on Yan Jiyun’s face, glinting gold in the sun. He couldn’t help but yawn.

Dr. Peng, clutching his sore shoulder, opened the door for him with his uninjured hand. “Xiao Jiang, you’ve worked hard enough. Our shift’s over. Get some rest.”

The car dropped Yan Jiyun at the keepers’ dormitory.

With the first major quest done, what awaited Dr. Zhou’s team?

What judgment would the system pass?

Passing the rooms of the two pessimistic keepers, Yan Jiyun made a point of banging on their door.

Aqiang yanked it open, and seeing Yan Jiyun stared like he’d seen a ghost. Before he could say a word, Yan Jiyun shut the door in his face and turned the lock.

Eight hours of rest—plenty.

Sleep first. His mind could barely function.

[Rest time countdown: 7:55:22]

Last time he used it, he really hadn’t been disturbed at all—complete peace of mind.

As soon as his head hit the pillow, Yan Jiyun was out cold. Utterly spent.

While he slept, the system continued blaring out announcements as other players vied for the three ad spots, just as they had yesterday.

When he awoke, it was nearly noon—hunger roused him.

After washing up, Yan Jiyun found a brand new uniform in his wardrobe.

It looked familiar. The supervisor who’d interviewed him had worn this same outfit.

Now fully alert, he checked the system notifications and his own stats.

[Congratulations! Player has been promoted from Senior Keeper to Junior Administrator.]

[You have gained 10 subordinates.]

[Player: Yan Jiyun]

[Role Species: Black Panther]

[Animal Level: Junior Popular Animal]

[Living Area: Panther Enclosure]

[Human Role: Jiang You]

[Position: Keeper Group A Supervisor]

[Staff Level: Junior Administrator]

[Authorized animal types: All large animals in the zoo]

[Staff managed: 10]

So, after one night’s sleep, he’d been promoted to supervisor? Now he had management authority—ten NPCs who’d take orders from him?

[Be a Real Person] Livestream Chat:

“Holy crap, the kitten just took a nap and got promoted! Look at this rise up the corporate ladder! Meanwhile, three years at my job and still entry-level! If only I had the kitten’s hustle, I’d be CEO by now. You’re honestly our idol, respect!”

“This scenario can be played like that? The kitten must have uncovered the main plotline by now, right?”

“What? Isn’t the main line just resolving zoo crises? Did I miss something?”

“Another one not using their brain. The system’s quest prompts only show the superficial crises—the true main plot is the zoo’s deepest secret.”

“Wait, didn’t someone just say no one’s ever taken this route? How do you know about the zoo’s secret, then?”

“Clearly, that girl’s played this scenario less than me. I’ve been watching it for years. Moved to tears that finally someone’s nearing the secret—but shan’t spoil it for you.”

“Don’t! Tell us!”

Yan Jiyun reviewed his doubts and suspicions, then donned his new uniform. A fresh outfit always brightened one’s spirits.

If only the system would toss in a suite, maybe a sunlit little lounge chair—black, not garish yellow.

Dressed in his new gear, he headed to the cafeteria.

As soon as he entered, several gazes fell his way—all NPCs.

His new position would help him blend into the management ranks. Next step was to infiltrate, track clues, and uncover major events.

There was still much yet to explore.

Passing several NPCs, he heard them greet him as “Supervisor Jiang.”

He had to admit—it felt nice.

Would he soon get to bully others with his title?

Who’d have thought a game could let you savor the thrill of career advancement? All paid for by last night’s desperate run—never again, if he could help it.

He nodded cordially and joined the meal queue, where an NPC informed him, “Supervisor Jiang, please dine on the second floor.”

He nodded. “Such privileges?”

Just like the top-three animal players got ad slots, his promotion meant upgraded perks—even special meals in the cafeteria.

Upstairs, the chef greeted him—what would he like?

Yan Jiyun opted for fish, chicken breast, and beef.

“Braised fish? Spicy chicken? Poached beef?” the chef inquired.

The menu had him practically drooling, though he kept a calm front. “Just boiled, please, with rice. My stomach’s been off—nothing greasy, please.”

The chef beamed. “No problem, you eat like a cat—so little!”

Yan Jiyun: …

Nailed it. It was cat food.

The cafeteria buzzed with diners, and he saw several familiar faces.

Dr. Peng, his medical wing colleagues, and the ever relentless Dr. Zhou.

Wait—Dr. Zhou was fine?

Hadn’t he been caught?

How was he still standing? Who was backing him?

Dr. Peng spotted him. “Xiao Jiang, over here!”

Yan Jiyun gave in and joined Dr. Peng, curiosity gnawing at him: Dr. Zhou was definitely a key NPC, but villain or not was still undetermined.

Today, Dr. Peng radiated triumph.

First he congratulated Yan Jiyun on his promotion, then chatted about everything but the previous night’s data and samples.

Promotions he could understand; the system always covered its tracks. But the silence on the samples hinted at secrecy.

But why keep it secret?

All these NPCs had their own agendas—none were simple.

After Dr. Peng’s colleagues left, Yan Jiyun asked him, “How come Dr. Zhou’s okay?”

Dr. Peng, his back to Dr. Zhou, lowered his voice. “He’s hardly okay. He’s banned from all further zoo experiments—stripped of all duties, just a regular vet now.”

Yan Jiyun caught the underlying meaning. “So, you got promoted?”

Dr. Peng smiled. “A small matter, not worth mentioning.”

Now his nametag read: Peng Yu, Director of Medical Wing.

Strange—far too strange.

Just then, Dr. Zhou, standing behind Dr. Peng, gave Yan Jiyun a friendly smile—no trace of a man whose career had just ended.

The aromatic food reminded Yan Jiyun of his hunger; he decided to fill his stomach first.

Just as he finished his meal, his walkie-talkie crackled—a gentle voice on the other end.

“Supervisor Jiang, please come to a meeting on the third floor of the management center ten minutes from now.”

He was even getting paged by a secretary. He’d made it!

Dr. Peng stood as well. “Come, let’s go together.”

From behind, Dr. Zhou pushed back his chair.

For a moment, the cafeteria’s atmosphere grew tense.

Dr. Zhou smiled silently, then picked up his tray and left his seat. Looking back at Yan Jiyun, he said, “Don’t forget to come to my office for tea, Xiao Jiang.”

Temporary “Xiao Jiang” cursed under his breath: Dr. Zhou was as sly as ever!