Chapter 148: I Want to See You
Ma Dapao jumped in shock when he heard this.
“Damn it! That bastard Xiong Tai came to see me today with a gift!”
The receptionist, Xiao Zhang, spoke weakly, “There seemed to be something alive in his sack. I tried to look, but he wouldn’t let me and waved me away.”
The room fell into dead silence. The air was so still that even the sound of a needle dropping could be heard.
Qi Yunlan was dumbfounded. Wait—let her process this…
So, Xiong Tai thought Black Sesame was just a stray cat, kidnapped it, and planned to give it as a gift to Boss Su to secure a cushy job?
Ma Dapao stood frozen for a full thirty seconds before slamming the table in regret. He apologized profusely,
“Boss, I was too impatient! I thought it was just a lousy sack with nothing valuable inside, and you don’t need anything anyway. I just wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible. I’m sorry, really sorry! I’ll go to the old station right now!”
Then, after a string of curses, he turned to rush out the door.
Su Tao stopped him. “If you go now, you’ll just end up getting yourself tied up! Sit down!”
She turned to Xiao Zhang. “Are you sure there was something alive in the sack?”
Xiao Zhang nodded vigorously and spoke cautiously. “I’m sure. Xiong Tai even threw it down hard, and whatever was inside struggled… Its size and shape looked just like…” She hesitated. “But there was no sound.”
Su Tao felt a sharp sting in her nose, her eyes burning with pain. She covered her mouth and took a long moment to compose herself.
She had raised Black Sesame since it was a tiny kitten, feeding it goat milk drop by drop, waking up every three to four hours at night to feed it.
At first, it couldn’t even urinate on its own—she had to use tissues to help it go, little by little.
Later, she spoiled it with the best food and drinks, letting it roam freely because she knew how much it loved to play outside.
Now, she was starting to blame herself. Had she been too indulgent? Too lenient? Was that why it had ended up in this situation?
Being thrown around, suffocated in a sack, treated like an object…
Xuedao, her other pet, leaped onto her lap and licked her face repeatedly in an attempt to comfort her.
Lin Fangzhi, seeing her reddened eyes, felt a crushing pain in his chest—so suffocating that he could barely breathe.
Su Tao finally regained her composure, but the atmosphere around her dropped. Those who knew her well could tell—she was on the verge of exploding.
Ma Dapao felt a little uneasy. “Boss…”
Su Tao ordered, “Go find Old Qi from the duty room and have him drive us to the old station tonight.”
Qi Yunlan reminded her, “Boss, Tan Yong is sending people to scout Panliu Mountain tonight.”
Su Tao said, “That’s fine. I’ll have Captain Lei and his team stand guard. Call me if anything happens. Dapao, take the kids home. It’s late—make sure they get back safely.”
Before leaving, she turned to Zheng Xing and said, “From now on, don’t bring them to Panliu Mountain to scavenge for food.”
Zheng Xing’s face fell, assuming she was driving them away. His heart sank into despair.
Not being able to scavenge at Panliu Mountain meant he would no longer have scraps of wilted vegetables or moldy bread to eat. He’d have to try his luck somewhere else.
But then, Su Tao continued, “From now on, I’ll have the kitchen pack up any leftover but clean food for you all. There will be food for you every day. Just ask Aunt Yu for it. But remember, Aunt Yu is deaf and mute, so be patient and polite when communicating with her. Understood?”
Zheng Xing’s eyes lit up with excitement. He immediately led the other three boys in bowing and repeatedly thanking Su Tao.
They would no longer have to dig through garbage for food! They could eat clean meals, and even his elderly grandmother wouldn’t have to starve anymore.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Zheng Xing stammered as he asked, copying Ma Dapao’s words,
“S-Su Boss, does Panliu Mountain need any extra workers? I don’t need any pay. My grandma always taught me to repay kindness. I can endure hardship—I can clean up trash, do any dirty or exhausting work.”
He spoke with passion and determination.
Su Tao, looking at his thin, bony frame, found herself momentarily speechless.
Ma Dapao quickly stepped in. “If we need help, we won’t hesitate to call you. Come on, get in the car. I’ll take you all home.”
Ten minutes later, Su Tao got into the car heading for the old station. Just as she closed the door, her communicator rang.
Seeing the familiar caller ID, she hesitated for a full minute before answering.
Gu Mingchi’s voice was as calm as ever, with a hint of that infuriating attitude:
“Boss Su, I heard your beloved cat is missing.”
Su Tao immediately thought of what Xiao Zhang had said, and her heart twisted in pain.
“Yeah, it’s lost. What, are you calling just to stab me in the chest again?”
Gu Mingchi caught the slight tremble in her voice and suddenly realized—she was genuinely upset and anxious. His tone softened.
“That’s not my intention. I called to lend you someone who might help you find it faster.”
“Who?”
“An ability user with the power of ‘time reversal.’ He can replay past events in any place he’s been, like rewinding a film.”
Su Tao didn’t hesitate. “Alright, thanks. Where is he?”
Even though they had already figured out who took Black Sesame, things could still change. Having someone with time-reversal abilities would significantly increase the chances of getting it back.
Gu Mingchi paused. “Boss Su, you don’t think I’d lend you someone for free, do you?”
Su Tao, already overwhelmed, snapped a little. “Can you just tell me what you want in one go? I’m exhausted. I don’t have the energy or patience to play guessing games. Deal?”
“I want to see you.”
Su Tao found him completely baffling.
“Gu Mingchi, are you joking? I really don’t get what goes on in your head. What’s the point of seeing me? And I’m at Panliu Mountain right now. Aren’t you afraid of making a long trip for nothing? I’m more worried that if you take off your glasses, you’ll ‘see’ me to death.”
Gu Mingchi: “…You’re overthinking it.”
“Then why do you want to see me? Tired of being online friends?”
Annoyed, Gu Mingchi cut to the chase. “Just say yes or no. If you agree, I’ll be waiting for you at the old station with the ability user.”
“You’re at the old station?”
Gu Mingchi replied, “Yeah. Lao Zhong is here too. We were supposed to head back to Dongyang today, but then we heard your cat went missing.”
Su Tao retorted, “You don’t have to keep reminding me that my cat is lost. Boss Gu, I’m honestly scared to meet you. I might not only fail to find my cat—I might disappear too.”
Gu Mingchi’s face darkened. “I wouldn’t do that. There’s nothing in it for me.”
“Meeting me doesn’t benefit you either. You’re way too unpredictable—I don’t dare take that gamble. Let’s skip the meeting for now. If I really can’t find my cat, I’ll reconsider. Bye.”
Gu Mingchi stared at his communicator, now disconnected, and turned to Zhong Gaoyi.
“Does she really not see that I’m basically lending her the guy for free?”
Zhong Gaoyi reminded him, “You literally just said it wasn’t free—you asked to meet her in exchange. If you want to help Boss Su, why not just say so directly?”
Gu Mingchi took a deep breath. “Saying it’s free makes it sound like I’m desperate to help her.”
Besides, he really did want to see her.
Zhong Gaoyi was speechless. He simply sat there in meditative silence.
The driver, oblivious to the tension, asked, “Boss Gu, are we heading back to Dongyang now?”
Gu Mingchi snapped, “Back to what? We’re waiting!”
…
Su Tao was utterly exhausted. She dozed off in the car for a bit but was soon jolted awake by a message on her communicator.
She opened it to find a message from Shi Zijin:
“We’re almost at Panliu Mountain, but we had to take a detour to the old station to pick someone up as a favor for a friend. We probably won’t arrive until tomorrow morning.”
