Chapter 3: Save It!
Filled with anxiety, Su Wudeng scooped up the four dying kittens. “Exit!” she commanded.
The landscape distorted instantly, and in the blink of an eye, she was back inside her pet shop.
“System, is there any way to save them?” Su Wudeng asked, sprinting across the room.
[Endangered species detected in Host’s possession. Shop equipment has been automatically activated.]
Su Wudeng breathed a sigh of relief and rushed over to the medical examination table, which had suddenly lit up in the corner. She carefully placed the Snow Crystal Cats onto it, and their test results immediately flashed across the screen:
[Warning: Severe fever, bacterial infection, dehydration, and malnutrition. Immediate treatment is recommended.]
Reading the list of complications broke Su Wudeng’s heart. It was just as she had feared; the kittens had been abandoned, which was why they were in such terrible shape.
Unfortunately, the device had only activated the diagnostic platform and nothing else.
“Does the system have any medicine?” she asked urgently.
[Apologies. Your current Hope Value is insufficient, and the medical module cannot be unlocked.]
Hope Value could only be earned by helping pets find the right owners. Since she didn’t have any right now, she couldn’t rely on the system for help.
Su Wudeng rushed over to her own medicine cabinet and began rummaging through it, but every single bottle was labeled “For Adult Use.” She scratched her head in pure frustration. None of these could be used on such tiny kittens. What was she supposed to do?
Then, she froze.
Wait.
“The grocery store next door!” Su Wudeng gasped.
That was Coco’s family store. Maybe they had something she could use.
She quickly transferred the kittens into the incubator and dashed out the door.
“Uncle Lan!” Su Wudeng shouted, spotting the burly man. “Pets—no, do you have any medicine for children? The kind with the absolute minimum side effects?”
With real pets virtually extinct, ordinary citizens obviously wouldn’t carry animal medication. Her only hope was to find a mild infant medication and dilute it tenfold just to keep the kittens alive.
Uncle Lan looked at her in surprise. “What’s wrong? Did you find an abandoned baby? You need to take them to the hospital!”
Su Wudeng would have loved to do that, but there wasn’t a hospital nearby. The closest one was an hour away, and who knew if the kittens would survive the trip?
“It’s not a child, it’s a real pet,” Su Wudeng explained rapidly. “But I don’t have any veterinary medicine. I was thinking of diluting some infant medication to see if it works. I have to try.”
Uncle Lan froze, his eyes wide. “A real pet? Are you dreaming? Where on earth would you find a real pet?”
He stared at Su Wudeng with deep suspicion. Has this girl lost her mind? Or is she just cracking under pressure?
He knew she ran the pet shop next door and that business hadn’t just been slow lately—it had been abysmal. He genuinely worried that the stress had triggered a mental breakdown. Real pets were practically mythical creatures at this point; how could a failing little shop like hers get ahold of one?
But Su Wudeng was practically vibrating with anxiety. “Uncle Lan, please, can we skip the questions? Do you have the medicine or not? It’s an emergency!”
Infected by her sheer panic, Uncle Lan quickly began tearing through his shelves. “Alright, alright, don’t panic. Ah, found it! But I’m coming with you to take a look. I used to do wilderness survival, so I know a bit of first aid.”
He still suspected she might be hallucinating. The pressure of living in this concrete jungle was enough to break anyone, and he couldn’t let a young girl do something reckless with medication. He needed to see it for himself.
Su Wudeng’s eyes lit up. “That’s even better. Let’s go, Uncle Lan!”
“Dad? What’s going on?” a small, sleepy voice piped up. Coco walked out, rubbing her eyes.
Uncle Lan remembered his daughter and scooped her up into his arms. “Come on, sweetie, you’re coming with Dad.” He didn’t want to leave her home alone.
The three of them hurried back to the pet shop. The moment Uncle Lan and Coco stepped inside and saw the incubator, they froze in absolute shock.
“My God… this is…” Uncle Lan stared at the Snow Crystal Cats, entirely incredulous.
Coco’s eyes went wide. She clapped her hands over her mouth and whispered, “Real kittens!”
Uncle Lan stammered, completely lost for words. “You… you were actually telling the truth?”
Coco’s sleepiness vanished instantly. Her big eyes blinked as she stepped closer to the incubator, staring at the four tiny Snow Crystal Cats in sheer wonder.
Uncle Lan finally snapped out of it. “Where did you even get these? No, wait, that doesn’t matter right now.” He rushed to the incubator. “Let me take a look.”
His hand trembled as he reached inside, and a visible shiver ran down his spine the moment his fingertips brushed against a kitten’s warm body. “This temperature… this texture… it’s too real,” he muttered.
He carefully evaluated each kitten, gently opening their mouths to check their oral cavities and feeling their bellies and limbs.
Uncle Lan frowned. “This is definitely a high-fever bacterial infection. We can use this medication, but the dosage has to be incredibly small.” He turned to Su Wudeng, his expression grave. “Since there’s no pet medicine available, we’ll have to crush the human pills and dissolve them in water to dilute the dose as much as possible.” His voice shook slightly as he added, “Let’s just hope these little guys are fighters.”
Su Wudeng nodded. She knew it was their only shot.
Working quickly, they crushed the medicine, dissolved it in water, and drew up about one milliliter into a syringe.
Coco watched the entire process with bated breath, gripping the hem of Su Wudeng’s shirt. “Big sis, they’re going to be okay, right?” she whispered.
Su Wudeng gently stroked Coco’s hair. “Yes, they’re going to be just fine.”
She carefully picked up the syringe, nudged the first kitten’s mouth open, and slowly administered the liquid. The tiny creature was so starved that it mistook the medicine for milk, eagerly smacking its lips and swallowing greedily. Its innocent, desperate hunger broke everyone’s hearts.
Uncle Lan’s expression softened completely. “Oh, look at that. This little one is so smart, it knows we’re trying to help.” His voice naturally dropped to a gentle coo as he wiped away a stray drop of medicine from the kitten’s chin. “Hang in there, little cub. There are a lot of people waiting for you to get better.”
The kitten stared up at Su Wudeng with its large blue eyes, seemingly wanting more. It was so hungry that its little tongue kept licking the tip of the syringe.
Su Wudeng successfully finished the oral dose and prepared the anti-inflammatory medication. Unlike the first one, this had to be injected.
The little guy had no idea a needle was coming. As the metal gleamed under the shop lights, the kitten stared at it curiously and even reached out a tiny paw to swat at it.
Uncle Lan let out a soft laugh. “Enjoy the curiosity while it lasts, little buddy.”
Su Wudeng kept her hands steady. Holding her breath, she scruffed the back of the kitten’s neck and slowly pushed the needle in, terrified of hurting it.
The moment the needle pierced its skin, the kitten let out a sharp cry. “Meow—!”
Waaah, it hurts!
Coco immediately gripped the edge of the incubator, tears welling in her eyes. “Waaah, the poor kitten is hurting so much!” She began blowing soft puffs of air toward the incubator. “Blow away the pain! Don’t cry,” she comforted the kitten in a soothing, childish voice. “I’ve had shots before too, and the pain goes away really fast.”
Realizing it was in danger, the kitten clung tightly to Su Wudeng’s hand, sobbing softly. Su Wudeng quickly finished the injection, though the little creature kept up its dramatic whimpering.
“Alright, you little rascal, it’s all done. You’re okay.”
“Well,” Uncle Lan sighed, stepping back. “We’ve done all we can. Now it’s up to fate and a higher power.”
Coco panicked at his words. “Does that mean the kitten could still die?”
Uncle Lan gently patted Coco’s head. He was incredibly proud of how well-behaved she had been; she hadn’t run around or tried to grab the kittens, choosing instead to watch quietly as they administered emergency care.
Next, they repeated the process for the remaining three kittens. Su Wudeng then prepared some specialized milk and carefully fed each of them. Before long, all four kittens drifted off into a deep sleep.
Su Wudeng turned to Uncle Lan with profound gratitude. “Thank you so much, Uncle Lan. If you hadn’t brought that medicine, the consequences would have been unthinkable.”
Uncle Lan waved it off. “Ah, I just did what anyone would do. Whether they survive now depends entirely on their own strength.”
By now, it was the dead of night, and a profound silence settled over the shop, broken only by the low hum of the incubator. Su Wudeng’s legs were numb from squatting for so long. She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when she saw the gentle, captivated smile on Uncle Lan’s face as he watched the sleeping litter. Even Coco remained perfectly still, her large eyes blinking as she stared at the kittens. The father and daughter stood side by side, looking like they had been cast from the same mold.
Su Wudeng smiled to herself. It seemed these little creatures were universal heart-stealers, bridging any age gap.
Uncle Lan patted Coco’s head before lifting her into his arms. “Let’s go home, sweetie. Let’s not disturb their rest.”
Coco nodded reluctantly, stealing one last glance over his shoulder. “They’re so tiny and soft. I love them so much. Are they really real kittens, Dad?” she murmured, her small head nodding off against her father’s shoulder.
She poked her head up one last time to look at Su Wudeng. “Big sis, can I come see them every day? I promise I’ll be really good and won’t bother them.”
“Of course you can,” Su Wudeng replied warmly.
Coco smiled contentedly and closed her eyes.
Once they stepped out of the breeding room, Uncle Lan couldn’t help but whisper, “Where on earth did you find them? I never thought I’d see a real pet again!” Before Su Wudeng could answer, his face clouded over with worry. “If word gets out that you have real pets, it could be very dangerous.”
These were extinct creatures. If they suddenly reappeared in the world, someone would undoubtedly target her.
Seeing his genuine concern, Su Wudeng reassured him, “Don’t worry, Uncle Lan. I know what I’m doing.”
Her shop was bound to the system, making it an absolute fortress. As long as she was inside, she was completely safe. And even if she were outside, she could teleport back instantly.
Uncle Lan opened his mouth to press further, but ultimately just nodded. As long as she understood the gravity of the situation, it was fine. For a girl to bring back a whole litter of extinct pets, she must have a background or resources he couldn’t fathom. He had only pried because he was genuinely anxious for her safety, but strictly speaking, it was none of his business.
After Uncle Lan left, Su Wudeng realized how late it had gotten. She hurriedly ordered some takeout, checking on the incubator between bites of her food. The kittens were curled up in a tight, peaceful pile, their breathing steady.
“Their fevers are breaking, and their vitals are stabilizing,” she murmured, finally allowing herself to relax.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed. It was Su Yulan.
Oh, no. Su Wudeng winced, realizing she had completely botched her promise. She had told Yulan she would call her back after work, but she had been running ragged until now.
“Sis! Are you okay?” Yulan’s voice burst through the receiver, laced with panic. “Did something happen? I’ve been worried sick all day…”
“I’m perfectly fine, Yulan. I’m so sorry,” Su Wudeng explained immediately. “Things got incredibly hectic at the shop today, and it completely slipped my mind.”
Su Yulan let out a massive sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. Anyway, what was it that you wanted to tell me this morning?”
The night was perfectly still, leaving only the rhythmic hum of the incubator in the background. Su Wudeng looked at the kittens, her gaze softening.
“Yulan, I wanted to tell you that I’m not selling the shop anymore.”
“Also, Xiaowei didn’t give you the full story. She and her boyfriend were trying to pressure me into selling our mother’s shop to them for pennies. It wasn’t an act of kindness at all.”
“I don’t need a friend like that, and I won’t be speaking to her again.”
She paused, letting her tone soften. “Yulan, I know you have a brilliant future ahead of you. Focus your money and energy on yourself. Don’t worry about me.”
There was a long, heavy silence on the other end of the line. “I’m your sister,” Yulan finally whispered. “Fine. I won’t argue with you about this right now. Goodbye.”
Su Yulan hung up, her eyes stinging with tears. How could her sister push her away like that? She was working herself to the bone at the academy just so she could drag her sister out of this lower-tier sector one day, yet her sister seemed determined to cut ties.
“Yulan? What’s wrong?”
The voice of her roommate, Pei Xueqing, snapped her out of her thoughts.
“Nothing,” Su Yulan lied, forcing a smile.
Pei Xueqing gave her a skeptical look. “Are you sure? Finals are coming up fast. How’s your preparation going? My dad just managed to get ahold of a mid-grade spiritual plant called Star Soul Grass. It boosts mental power and increases your control over mechanical pets by ten percent.”
“Do you want one? I can ask my dad to buy an extra copy for you. Opportunities like this don’t come around often.”
Su Yulan froze. A spiritual plant? A mid-grade one at that? Something like that cost millions!
She instinctively wanted to nod, but stopped herself. If she spent that kind of money on a spiritual plant, what would happen to her sister? That money was supposed to be her sister’s safety net…
“No, thank you,” Su Yulan said, forcing her voice to remain steady as she shook her head.
Pei Xueqing looked at her in shock. “Seriously? This is an incredible find!”
“I’m sure.”
No matter how hard her sister tried to push her away, Su Yulan resolved that she would keep fighting her way back to her side, step by step.
