Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 401 The Cat's Feast
The next morning, the courtyard of Zhanghe Police Station became very lively.

As the morning mist was dispelled by the sunlight, the temperature rose rapidly. Even the annoying wind quietly disappeared; today was a rare day of fine weather.

Countless cats appeared from all directions, some having spent the night in various corners of the police station, while others rushed over only at dawn. But these guys all had the same goal today: to enjoy the sumptuous meal promised by their boss.

The cats, who were strangers before, now looked at each other with perfect harmony. They frolicked and played, groomed each other, and napped, each one thoroughly enjoying themselves. Occasionally, however, one cat would get annoyed by a particularly mischievous one and unleash a furious paw attack, drawing meows of delight from the onlookers. But the battle soon engulfed an innocent bystander, who, enraged by the sudden attack, joined the fray, escalating the conflict further.

Then more cats were caught up in the fray, joining the battle one by one.

In no time, the once peaceful courtyard became a chaotic mess. Parkour, fighting, meowing, searching for a safe haven—the noise of all sorts of cats was enough to make anyone's head spin.

"Go!"

Zheng Mingxing chased a cat that had somehow sneaked into his office out, and when he turned around, he saw Nie Guoqiang grabbing a cat by the scruff of its neck with both hands and throwing them roughly into the corridor.

The three cats exchanged glances, a hint of schadenfreude in their expressions: "Oh, bro, you got thrown out too?" Ignoring the two humans who showed no respect for cats, the three cats huddled together, meowed twice, and then strolled side by side into the yard.

"This commotion is getting a bit much for me!"

Zheng Mingxing rubbed his temples, realizing for the first time that having too many cats wasn't necessarily a good thing. If only these cats were all obedient and well-behaved, things would be fine, but these guys, relying on Mimi's support, were running rampant in the police station.

"Hehe... You didn't say that last night at the scene. You said that the cats were a good thing for the police station and could even help solve cases, becoming a unique skill of our Zhanghe Police Station."

Nie Guoqiang chuckled and deliberately picked on Zheng Mingxing's shortcomings.

The main problem is that Zheng Mingxing's expression changes too quickly. Yesterday he was a cat lover, but today he looks disgusted.

"But I never expected that they would be so disobedient without Mimi!"

Zheng Mingxing gave a wry smile.

Nie Guoqiang turned to look at the other offices, where everyone was impatiently shooing away the cats. These guys were quite resourceful, trying to squeeze into any available space. Chu Ting, having momentarily forgotten to close the door to the monitoring room, was now screaming angrily inside. Nie Guoqiang didn't want to know exactly what state the cats had caused inside, but judging from Chu Ting's voice, this girl was going to have a very unlucky day.

Everyone says cats are very curious, and this time Nie Guoqiang truly witnessed it firsthand.

A black cat, with an audacity that seemed to have found its way into the ventilation duct, somehow managed to squeeze in. No one knows how it navigated the duct, but it eventually jumped down from the air vent of the temporary guardhouse.

Liu Shuangquan, who was on duty in the temporary guard room, was dozing off when he was suddenly awakened by a loud crash. Opening his eyes, he saw a drunkard who had been fighting being knocked to the ground by a cat.

Liu Shuangquan watched speechlessly as the cat pawed and ran around on the ground, crashing into the iron stool with a loud bang. But the iron door of the guardhouse was locked, and after its frantic rampage, it had nowhere to escape. Finally, it trembled and curled up in a corner, motionless.

As for the guy who was already rolling his eyes after being hit by the cat, Liu Shuangquan still had to figure out a way to deal with him himself...

"Where's Mimi? She needs to control these guys!"

Liu Shuangquan rubbed his temples, feeling utterly exhausted. He had been on duty since yesterday morning, and although he was incredibly sleepy, he had to force himself to stay awake and get this troublesome person out of the room.

"Ow~"

Lin Ge was awakened by a commotion, completely unaware that in just over half an hour, his underlings had become the police station's public enemy.

When he couldn't sleep any longer due to the shouting and cursing, he went outside and saw Xie Lili wielding a broom, chasing the cats away in a chaotic frenzy. She was wearing a wrinkled police uniform, covered in large clumps of cat hair. Clearly, some clever cat had found a perfect little nest last night. Unfortunately, the uniform couldn't withstand the commotion; the cat hair embedded in the fabric was impossible to remove quickly.

"I hate cats the most!"

Xie Lili fumed, finding it hard to imagine how she could possibly perform her duties and be scrutinized by the public while wearing such a police uniform. This uniform failed to project the dignity and bearing of a police officer; it would only become fodder for gossip and ridicule among the neighbors.

"What are you looking at! Mimi, you're the same!"

Seeing Lin Ge looking at her innocently, Xie Lili immediately turned her anger towards him.

A broom, wielding a spear-like weapon, was pointed at Lin Ge as she said, "I'm warning you, get these guys out of here right now! I acknowledge their contributions, but the police station really can't withstand their antics! You bastard, you're sleeping soundly, but Chu Ting is about to cry looking at the ghost-like monitoring room!"

"None of my business!"

Lin Ge shamelessly shirked responsibility, refusing to acknowledge that he, as the leader, was responsible for what the cats had done.

More importantly, aren't these guys a little too quick to turn their backs on us? I worked so hard to help them solve a cold case and catch a murderer yesterday, and they've already turned their backs on me after just one night?

Lin Ge grumbled unhappily, wondering what these guys had done to deserve such wrath, and strolled leisurely around the police station.

As a result... the more they walked, the more awkward it became.

At the front desk of the police station's service hall, various documents and papers were scattered all over the floor, some of which were torn into pieces and scattered everywhere.

Nie Guoqiang's office was covered in limescale, and an overturned teacup lay on the desk. The unlucky Nie Guoqiang rubbed his back while mopping the floor, and glared helplessly at Lin Ge peeking in through the doorway.

Zheng Mingxing's office next door looked relatively intact, since he had a habit of tidying up his files, putting things away, and locking the door before leaving get off work. However, the two succulent plants that used to sit on the floor outside his office had been destroyed and cut into pieces.

Although the corridor outside had been cleaned, Lin Ge could still smell cat poop. It seemed that some unhygienic bastard dared to urinate and defecate anywhere in the police station; this must have been the stupid thing done by a pet cat that only uses cat litter.

Looking at the other people's rooms, there were also many signs of damage. Even Beibei's doghouse was a complete mess. The dog food and water bowl in the corner had all been tasted by the cat, and there were even a few cat hairs floating in the water bowl. In addition, Beibei's favorite soft cushions and chew toys had all been destroyed. Only Beibei herself escaped unscathed because she was locked in a cage, but she was now huddled in a corner of the cage, trembling with fear.

Seeing Lingo approach, it barked twice at him pitifully. It also turned its head away, refusing to be touched by Lingo's outstretched, friendly paw.

The more Lin Ge looked, the more uneasy he felt; the further he walked, the more depressed he became. He realized for the first time just how much destructive power a hundred or two hundred cats could cause together. They say many hands make light work, but when a bunch of cats got together, their audacity was truly astounding!
Seeing the guys at the police station cleaning up the mess with grumpy expressions, Lin Ge didn't dare stay there any longer.

The weather's nice right now, so moving the gathering from the police station compound to the park won't be a problem. We definitely can't let our underlings continue to get in these guys' way; whatever happens later, we'll wait until they calm down first.

So Lin Ge returned to the police station courtyard and, seeing these guys pretending to be well-behaved while dozing and playing around, quickly gave a whistle and took them all away.

It has to be said that these guys are quite obedient in front of Lingo.

Regardless of what lay behind them, all the cats scrambled to their feet as soon as Lin Ge called. Lin Ge led the way out of the yard, followed by the other cats. Amidst the curious and surprised gazes of passersby, the group of cats arrived at a large square not far from the side of Youcheng Elementary School.

Several elderly people who had gotten up early to practice Tai Chi sword were so surprised to see so many cats approaching that they forgot their sword movements. A few other people exercising nearby also looked like they had just learned something new and hurriedly made way for the cats. Finding a huge, lush green pagoda pine tree that looked like a giant umbrella, Lin Ge stopped under the tree.

When the cats that had followed stopped, they all stopped as well. Some lazily lay down on the spot, while others curiously looked around at their surroundings. But most of them obediently squatted down and patiently waited for Lin Ge's command.

It must be said that, apart from causing trouble for those around them when Ringo can't see or is unaware, these cats are actually quite nice.

More than a hundred cats walked along, and not a single one fell behind. Of course, there were fewer cats on site than last night; perhaps some were busy with other things, or they overslept and couldn't make it, or maybe some silly cats got lost...

In short, Lino wouldn't be surprised if something happened to a cat, such a wondrous creature. He couldn't possibly watch over them every second like a nanny; he could only hope they weren't too stupid.

"Mimi, is she here?"

Li Siyu followed along, carrying two large plastic bags, looking somewhat weary. The bags contained gifts she had prepared early the previous day, which she had initially thought would take a few days to use. However, the cats had solved the case in just one day. Therefore, many items were still en route, forcing Li Siyu to ride her bike to a nearby pet store to buy more, just enough to supply one or two hundred cats.

"Just leave it here, I can't lift it anyway."

Sun Chang, also carrying two bags of cat treats, was equally out of breath. She didn't understand why she, a police dog handler, had to get involved in taking care of cats. The only reason she wouldn't do this job was because she and Li Siyu were best friends; otherwise, she would never have done it!

Seeing that Lin Ge did not object, the two women quickly opened the bag and took out all kinds of cat food inside.

Besides regular cat food, she also bought cat treats, canned cat food, dried fish, and seafood pouches. In addition, Li Siyu bought two trays of disposable plastic bowls, placed them separately on the steps next to her, and then poured food into the bowls one by one.

"Meow!"

"Meow!"

Smelling the cat food, the cats excitedly gathered around Li Siyu and Sun Chang. The two girls were soon completely surrounded by all sorts of cats, and Sun Chang complained and grumbled, but her lips seemed to be blooming with a smile.

OMG! Being surrounded by so many cats and being cuddled by them feels so amazing!

The variety of cats, their diverse meows, and their various endearing and affectionate gestures melted the hearts of the two girls. Cats are so cute; how could they hold a grudge over the smallest mistakes they accidentally made?
Just moments ago, Sun Chang was complaining with Jiang Yiyi about the cat's misdeeds at the police station, but now he has quickly betrayed the organization.

Seeing the little gluttons burying their heads in the bowls and gobbling down the food, Sun Chang and Li Siyu quickly sped up the process of pouring the food. After all, there were a couple hundred cats here; if they were slow, wouldn't it be pitiful for the cats at the back to keep drooling?
At this moment, several kind-hearted old ladies also rushed over, helping the two women while asking what this strange thing was.
Li Siyu certainly couldn't say it was her own cat's army, so she could only awkwardly explain that her cat had invited friends over to play, and as their cat owner, she had to come and serve them. As for whether these old people believed her or not, she didn't care.

"Your cat is really good at making friends! But if it does this a few times, young lady, won't you go bankrupt?"

The old lady was speechless.

Li Siyu didn't dare tell the old lady that Mimi's salary was actually much higher than hers. She was currently just a temporary worker at the police station earning minimum wage, while Mimi, due to several meritorious service awards and honors, already had a considerable salary and bonuses. Plus, it received substantial bonuses for each meritorious service, so this amount of money was nothing to Mimi. It could easily afford even a simple banquet, let alone several more extravagant ones.

A cat's feast is more casual and simpler than humans imagine. Plenty of food, a safe environment, pleasant sunshine, and a large group of companions—that's enough for a cat.

Moreover, Lin Ge didn't care about rules or order, nor did he set a time for the event to end. Whether it was the underlings who had made contributions or other cats attracted by the commotion, Lin Ge treated everyone equally.

Once the cats had eaten their fill and were tired of playing, they decided to leave, and Lingo didn't stop them; his main concern was freedom.

However, these cats were all more sensible than Lin Ge had expected. When they left, they would all come over to say goodbye to Lin Ge, and some would even lower their heads and rub against Lin Ge, leaving Lin Ge's scent on themselves.

In this way, when you encounter other cats in the future, you can tell whether they are one of your own just by their scent.

Or, if two cats are fighting over food, they can sniff each other to see if they recognize the other as an enemy.

Or perhaps a cat was being bullied by other stray cats, and while fleeing, it encountered another cat passing by with the same scent of Ringo. Maybe the two could then team up to fight off the bullying cat. Ringo's understanding of these things was rather rudimentary, as he still largely thought like a human. But judging from the scene, it seemed these cats treated this step as a ritual or a way of joining their group. The recruitment efforts of the day before yesterday and the hard work of yesterday hadn't convinced all the cats to be truly loyal to Ringo, but today's delicious meal had made them all submit. Why not submit to their cat leader who consistently provided them with delicious food?

Cats are indeed foodies, and that's no exaggeration.

One cat after another took turns tilting their heads and rubbing against Lin Ge's neck and shoulders, making all the fur on that spot stand on end. But thinking of the ceremony in martial arts novels where the Beggars' Sect kowtows to its new leader, Lin Ge could only helplessly endure it.

There's even more to it than that with so many cats taking turns, Lin Ge wouldn't be able to rest for hours. Only when a cat in line suddenly gets hungry and runs off to find food or plays around can Lin Ge get a short break.

The only two staff members on site, Li Siyu and Sun Chang, were also busy from beginning to end.

The main problem was that these cats ate a lot, especially some of the orange tabby cats and the stray cats who had lived a harsh life. They had probably never had fresh, delicious food that was also palatable to cats in their lives, so they were wolfing down their food with incredible greed. They practically wanted to stick their heads into the bowls, and even if there was only one or two pieces left, they would greedily roll them up with their tongues and eat them. Because of this, Li Siyu and Sun Chang had to frequently refill their food supply, and the four large bags they had painstakingly carried over were quickly emptied.

Sun Chang had no choice but to ask Meimei for help. Upon learning that there was such an interesting thing happening here, Meimei readily agreed and rushed over with food to pet the cat... no, to provide support!
Li Siyu doesn't have that many close friends; the few she's close to are mostly policewomen from the local police station. And right now, they're all busy catching up on work they've missed these past few days, with no time to breathe.

Soon, about twenty minutes later, Meimei was hurriedly brought over by the driver.

But as soon as the driver appeared, a large group of cats scattered in fright. These guys were all Huang Qi's nemesis; they saw Huang Qi as if he were a terrifying demon.

Meimei didn't hesitate and chased Huangqi away without a second thought.

After much patient coaxing, the runaway cats finally cautiously returned. Some of the cats that had initially left to roam freely even got hungry again after wandering around for a while and came back to join the feast.

The three girls walked back and forth, petting the cat and buying more cat food, then teased Lin Ge, who looked like a tool anchor, and began to whisper among themselves.

"Your police station has arrested another criminal?"

"He's not just a criminal, he's the murderer who brutally killed a police officer's family member more than ten years ago! But in the end, God had eyes, and he was arrested by the victim's husband himself."

"Yes! Uncle Qian Wei has finally avenged his wife. It's just a pity that he was also seriously injured by the criminals this time. Sun Chang and I have made an appointment to visit him in the hospital after this is over!"

"He arrested them himself? That's impressive. If only he hadn't been injured, that would have been the perfect ending."

"Hehe... Actually, it wouldn't be perfect even if Qian Wei hadn't been injured! Because besides him, there was another person who was injured last night."

"Shut up! Zhang Ke just got an electric shock!"

"I'm talking about Zhao Zhigang..."

(End of this chapter)