Strange Life of a Cat

Zheng Tan had some memories of this person.

He had seen him around while hanging out here. Zheng Tan heard people address him as “Professor Ren”.

This professor Ren was one of the young overseas returnees that the department had hired last year, he was quite popular amongst the students, especially with the girls. Professor Ren was only a little over thirty, but his files were filled with glorious achievements and the golden title of being a returnee, otherwise the department wouldn’t have been so eager to hire him in the first place.

Speaking of which, this professor Ren’s research field was in the same direction as Papa Jiao. On some terms, their relationship was rather competitive. However, professor Ren was already a professor while Papa Jiao still carried the word “assistant”, this difference was relatively significant.

Professor Ren was one of the topics for conversation amongst the students with his London accent when he speaks English, his pretty handsome appearance, and his pretentious manner.

Zheng Tan, on the other hand, thought that this person was exceedingly phony. Just a single look at him made him feel uncomfortable.

After several encounters, Zheng Tan knew that this person treated students, teachers and higher officials with kindness and politeness. He appeared to be very gentleman-like, with many female students secretly praising professor Ren as being very chivalrous. Nevertheless, Zheng Tan felt that this person had some inexplicable hostility in his eyes when he looked at him. He initially thought that this person didn’t like cats and treated all cats like this, but this theory was later brushed aside by Zheng Tan. Even if this person didn’t like cats, he didn’t treat them with such malice.

This person shed his normal disguise when he was with cats, there was a coldness in the smile of his eyes. This made Zheng Tan feel extremely uneasy, constantly sensing that he had some evil calculations going on in his mind.

“Hi professor Ren!”

A few students walked past and greeted him.

Professor Ren responded with a smile.

Zheng Tan twitched his mouth in despise as he watched from the top of the tree. Just as he thought, this person had different emotions when he dealt with other people.

So f*cking fake!

Zheng Tan tried hard to recollect, making sure that he had no connections with this person before. Professor Ren had a house outside the campus so he didn’t live in the courtyards. Zheng Tan usually only come to the biology building to observe from the outside or to climb into Papa Jiao’s office for a nap, he had no other businesses here.

There were many teachers in the department that knew professor Jiao had a black cat, they often saw him riding home with his cat on the electric motorcycle. Besides, Zheng Tan didn’t cause any trouble when he was here, he was extremely well-behaved. Some students would occasionally even call him “Charcoal”, and definitely wouldn’t throw stones at him to scare him away. Only that professor Ren looked like he wanted to slaughter him.

‘This is so ridiculous, it’s not like I have taken your woman, do you really need to look at me like that?’

Deep in his thoughts, Zheng Tan suddenly heard someone calling his name, he turned and looked over.

“Charcoal, I didn’t think that you would be here!”

The oncoming person was Zhao Le, the daughter of Mr. Zhao Chang who was the CEO of Changwei Corporation. During the period of New Year’s celebration, although Mr. Zhao and Zhao Le didn’t visit in person, they sent people over to greet and gift them. After all, Mr. Zhao was way too occupied, and Zhao Le as a heiress of Changwei Corporation must have some necessary social events she needed to attend, they were both busy people.

The Jiaos were more than sufficient in their stock of snacks and fruits, Mama Jiao no longer needed to buy her own cosmetics. Every now and then, Zhao Le would send people over with gifts. Today was no exclusion, since Zhao Le had free time and didn’t have any class in the afternoon, she bought some things and headed to Jiao’s family home. Turns out, there were only Mama Jiao and her co-workers at home. She didn’t see Zheng Tan and it had became awkward for her to stay there, so she planned to pay a visit to Papa Jiao and ask how things were going for Zheng Tan as well as Papa Jiao and Yuan Zi’s company.

Papa Jiao and Mama Jiao didn’t reveal Zhao Le’s identity to the public, they only said that she was a child of a friend. However, Mama Jiao’s co-workers were still suspicious when they saw Zhao Le with so many snacks and imported cosmetics for Mama Jiao, but since the hostess didn’t want to tell they were in no position to ask.

Zhao Le didn’t think thought that she would meet Zhang Tan outside the biology buildings, but every time she saw Zheng Tan her mood lightened. She saw the person that stood not far from her, knowing that he was a teacher from assistant professor Jiao’s department. She casually him greeted despite not being on familiar terms with him.

Professor Ren’s smile was quite kind and amiable, “You’re not from our department, right?”

“Yeah, I am here to find someone.”

“Who’re you looking for? Do you need help?”

“No, it’s all right, thank you.” Zhao Le maintained the perfect smile, her expression was strange.

The smile on her face faded away as professor Ren entered the building and disappeared. She frowned and looked at Zheng Tan who was squatting up on the tree: “What did you do to piss him off?”

How the f*ck do I know! Zheng Tan tugged his ears, jumped off the tree and took a stretch.

“Let’s go and find Mr. Jiao together.” Zhao Le took a tote bag out from her bag, the bag had the logo of some brand of snacks. Zhao Le had always kept this tote folded inside the bag for unexpected needs, she didn’t think that it would now be in use.

Zheng Tan took a look at the bag that Zhao Le had opened, he shook his whiskers then stepped inside.

Zhao Le felt her hands suddenly sank down, almost dropping the bag.

“Have you gained some weight?” Zhao Le laughed.

Zheng Tan looked at himself, it couldn’t be? Although he had slacked off on exercising , but he’s definitely not someone you would call fat, it’s robust! Two days ago when he went over to Mr. Guo’s place to shoot the advertisement, Mr. Guo even praised him. He said that all the other cats had a thick layer of fat, only Zheng Tan could be considered as fit. Mr. Guo also made the cats at his shop exercise more, it’s already summer, they must lose some weight.

In spite of what Zheng Tan thought, Zhao Le continued carrying the bag inside the biology building and headed towards Papa Jiao’s office.

Papa Jiao was research academic literature and references on the computer in front of him, when he heard the door knock he answered: “Please come in.”

Seeing that Zhao Le had entered, Papa Jiao quickly rose up from his seat and greeted her. He pulled a clean chair out for Zhao Le, the other chairs had stuff placed on it before and hasn’t been wiped up. Miss Zhao was not like Su Qu, Yi Xin and other blokes, Papa Jiao habitually felt that he needed to be more respectful.

After inviting Zhao Le to seat, Papa Jiao immediately saw Zheng Tan coming out from the bag . He didn’t quite mind since his own family cat was a regular guest anyways, there was no need to comment.

Zhao Le and assistant professor Jiao discussed somethings, including the recent development of their company. Changwei Corporation and professor Jiao’s company didn’t have many connections and was not considered as competitors, so Zhao Le was quite willing to lend a hand.

While they chatted, Zheng Tan lied on a little stool and closed his eyes, his ears raised to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Papa Jiao and Yuanzi’s company had already got a foothold now and the prospect of development looked assuring. The graduation season was coming, with many of the graduates from this year already beginning to delve into job seeking. Recently Yuanzi and others had been poaching around every school of higher education, looking for talented people that they were lacking.

“Oh Mr. Jiao, how much do you know about that professor Ren Chong ?” Zhao Le asked abruptly.

When Zhao Le entered the building, she saw the resumes of each teacher on the first floor of the biology building and knew that he was the returnee professor that the department had hired.

To express their valued recognition of these newly-hired young returnee professors, the faculty had made a noticeboard specially to introduce them which was now hanging in the foyer of the first floor.

“Professor Ren?” Papa Jiao was surprised that Zhao Le would bring up this person, “I don’t know much about him…”

After Papa Jiao stated some of the details that he knew about professor Ren, Zhao Le and Zheng Tan became puzzled. It didn’t sound like there was any beef between them.

“Why did you ask, Miss Zhao, are you interested in professor Ren? He is quite popular amongst the girls in the department.” Papa Jiao jested.

Zhao Le didn’t break a smile. She was, after all, the daughter of Mr. Zhao from Changwei Corporation, her instincts were rather sharp on some things.

Shaking her head, Zhao Le answered: “I just saw professor Ren downstairs, Charcoal was up on the tree and professor Ren’s attitude to Zheng Tan….seemed not so positive.”

Papa Jiao looked at Zheng Tan in the eye when he heard this, “Did you provoke him?”

Zheng Tan casted a glance sideways at Papa Jiao, I really have no idea how I got on his nerves!

Papa Jiao couldn’t wrap his head around it, but thanked Zhao Le for her warnings anyhow.

Papa Jiao waited after Zhao Le had left then he poked Zheng Tan, “Next time you see professor Ren, get away from him. That person is not as friendly as he appears to be. If you don’t exercise caution, you might get dragged onto a lab bench and dissected by him. ”

Zheng Tan felt a chill running through his back, after listening to Papa Jiao’s words he recalled again the eyes of professor Ren, perhaps that Ren guy really had that intention.

For this petty little life, Zheng Tan decided to stick to Papa Jiao’s instructions, avoiding that pretentious Ren guy by all costs.

Six in the afternoon, Papa Jiao finished processing the matters at hand and took Zheng Tan home. As per usual, Zheng Tan crouched in the basket of Papa Jiao’s little electric motorcycle.

There were many teachers heading home at this time of the day, so there was a lot of traffic at the intersection. Arriving at the crossroad, Papa Jiao stopped and waited for the cars in front of him to turn.

While he was waiting, a titanium gray car stopped aside Papa Jiao’s motorcycle, it appeared to be waiting for the cars at the intersection to turn as well.

The window of the gray car lowered, revealing the person on the driver’s seat.

“Professor Ren.” Papa Jiao couldn’t pretend to not have seen him, so he nodded to him politely.

Professor Ren on the driver’s seat smiled and nodded his head too, his line of sight brushed over Zheng Tan who was inside the basket.

The cars at the intersection had all drove away and the titanium car beside them close the window and slowly drove into the distance.

Papa Jiao rode his motorcycle with confusion at heart, he had noticed it. It appears that Zhao Le was right, there was something…odd about professor Ren.

Assistant professor Jiao knew that professor Ren was hostile to himself. There was a title in the department to reward and support young teachers, after tossing back and forth, they finally narrowed it down to professor Ren and Papa Jiao. Judging by qualification, it’s obvious that professor Ren had a much greater advantage, since he was after all an “actual” professor. However, in the end after vigorous discussions between the officials in the faculty, it was eventually finalized with Papa Jiao getting it.

For this reason, every time Papa Jiao saw professor Ren in the faculty, he always felt that there’s a fakeness and malevolence to this person’s smile. In that flash of a second with that glance, Papa Jiao felt that Ren Chong’s hostility had strengthened and intermingled with something else. Papa Jiao couldn’t understand why, but anyhow it’s better not to let their family cat visit the department anymore. Who knows if that Ren Chong was a psychopath?

On the other end of the town, Ren Chong had arrived at the mansion he bought. After going inside, he picked up the telephone and rang a number. A short time later the receiver end picked up.

“How is your investigation going?” Ren Chong asked.

The person on the other end of the phone responded to Ren Chong with a briefing of five minutes. During that five minutes, Ren Chong didn’t make a single sound but his facial expression slowly grew gloomy. If the students from the biology department saw professor Ren now, their jaws would drop in shock. Who would have thought that the beaming and gentleman-like professor Ren would have such a dark and harsh expression.

Despite his complexion growing pale, his tone remained the same, waiting for the other side to finish before answering, “I understand, continue with your investigation.”

He hung up and sank into the sofa, contemplating about the things that had happened after returning to this country.

It was smooth and successful overall, until he met Jiao Ming Shen.

What good can Jiao Ming Shen do, he was just a native-bred minor assistant professor. He hadn’t even tested the depth of the water outside this country, how dare he think of himself as invincible with the support of some ignorant students ?

Huff!

If determining by values of qualification, how could a primitive like Jiao Ming Shen be better than him?! Those old fools in the department and those school officials who finalized it must be blind!

From the second that he lost the chance of getting that title, Ren Chong knew that his obstacle has appeared.

Before he had returned to the country, Ren Chong had encountered some people at a party. One of them studied some practices of prophecy and divination, although Ren Chong never believed in those stuff so he wasn’t paying attention to the words that this person said.

Since he had arrived at Chuhua University and lost his opportunity of getting that title, he had coincidentally seen assistant professor Jiao riding home with his black cat. From that moment, Ren Chong remembered what that person had said on the party, “If you decide to develop back in your home country, be careful about cats. They might be the biggest obstacles that stand in front of you.”

If you had told him that his biggest obstacle was a human, Ren Chong might slightly believe it, but it you say it was a cat, no way on earth would Ren Chong believe such a thing. Not only Ren Chong, those around him at the time was also disbelieved. Even the person himself was doubtful about the results he got and had apologized that it was a inability of his behalf, he hadn’t learnt it for long. Nobody took it seriously and treated it as joke.

However, now Ren Chong was forced to treat this matter seriously.

Ren Chong couldn’t believe the information that he had just heard.

Guess that’s why some many people said black cats were mysterious.

The head of the physics department, the wife of the dean, Ye He, who everyone intimately referred to as “Buddha”; the old professor Lan Su Tie who despite being retired still had great influences; the famous CEO of Changwei Corporation and his daughter Zhao Le…Those people all secretly and publicly lent a hand to Jiao Ming Shen, even if they didn’t on the surface who knows what goes on in the backstage. Sometimes a single sentence from some people was equivalent to years or even decades of someone else’s diligent work.

The important figure that played the role of bridge and ties in these relationships was, surprisingly, just a cat, an ordinary looking cat.

Although he hadn’t discovered how the cat and these people became associated, the fact was as it is, undeniable. And this was only what he had investigated up to this moment, as to those that were not yet uncovered, how many more people had connections with this cat? How many more people will support Jiao Ming Shen?

Ren Chong never thought that he would lose to a simpleton like Jiao Ming Shen. He heard that the department had already organized the agendas for Jiao Ming Shen to go abroad, after he leaves he would return without the word “assistant” in his title in at most a year.

Ren Chong , with all his heart, didn’t want Jiao Ming Shen to be so successful!

Now that cat was like a fish bone lodged across Ren Chong’s throat, Ren Chong desperately wants to remove it.

Somethings should be gotten rid of as soon as possible, the sooner the better.

Initially Ren Chong was prepared to take care of things with his own hands, but he had underestimated the influence of this cat. Who would have thought that a single cat could involve the interests of so many people.

Therefore, to be safe Ren Chong decided not to have a hand in this but to hire someone to do the work for him. Dealing with cats, there will always be professionals.

After some consideration, Ren Chong picked up the phone and dialed a number.