Cathulhu Online, MUNYA!

Chapter 12 – Cat Dad’s Shamelessness

Xiaomao reluctantly accepted Liu Bei’s invitation. He got into the car and coughed, trying his best not to munya.

The driver and the black-suited man on the front seats were scar-faced middle-aged men, who seemed to be in a shady business. Xiaomao’s expression was stiff when he saw their faces through the rear mirror.

Liu Bei noticed Xiaomao’s expression. He teased him, “Don’t be afraid. They’re very kind uncles. They don’t bite.”

The driver looked at the rear mirror and beamed Xiaomao with a bright smile, showing his golden canine teeth, “We don’t bite. We only nibble.”

“…”

“Hahaha! Uncle Jian, don’t bully my friend. Oh, hey, bro. Here.”

Liu Bei tossed a box at Xiaomao. The latter caught it and looked at it.

It was a brand new box of iPhone 69.

“A gift from me. Didn’t they break your phone?”

“Isn’t this expensive, mun-*COUGH* *COUGH*! Excuse me. Isn’t this like… 15,000 RMB for the latest model?”

“Meh. My game guild can make that in minutes. You take it.”

“Err.”

“You helped me beat up two of those BT buffoons. You can take it as compensation for your trouble.”

Xiaomao was taken aback. He had only seen Liu Bei’s brutal side in his previous life, and he didn’t know that he could be this generous.

Since life gave him a lemon, he should ask life for tequila and salt.

“Thanks, mun-*COUGH* *COUGH*! By the way, what do you think about my medical fee?”

“Medical fee?”

“You see. I got hit hard by a metal pipe. My arm hurts, and I’m planning to go to a hospital later for a check-up. I think my arm is broken, munya.”

“… But you were okay back then.”

“OUCH! It hurts! The delayed pain is killing me, mu-*COUGH* *COUGH*!!” Xiaomao held his right arm and pretended to be in pain. He also struggled not to utter the MUNYA.

“Err, didn’t you get hit on your left arm?”

“… Oh, right. Thanks for the reminder, munya… OUCH! MY LEFT ARM! IT HURTS!”

“…”.

Liu Bei was astonished by the thickness of Xiaomao’s face. This new friend of his was too shameless.

The two middle-aged men burst into laughter. One of them wiped their tear, “Boss, this kid got the nerves of steel. AHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Xiaomao pursed his lips and tried to look as pitiful as possible. His puppy eyes reflected in the rear mirror, “But it really hurts back then, m-*COUGH* *COUGH*”

“TAHAHAHAHA!! Look at this guy!”

The driver also cackled. He stomped on the brake panel and almost hit the car in front of him.

Liu Bei sighed, “Friend, don’t be greedy. You’re not supposed to scam your friends.”

Xiaomao dryly laughed, “That was a prank. Don’t worry about the detail, but can I have some pocket money, please?”

“Am I your parent?! Why should I give you the money?”

“Because you’re richer than me, and we’re friends?”

“…”

Again, the two men in front were dying laughing.

“Forget it. Give back my phone. I changed my mind.”

Xiaomao immediately hid the phone in his shirt. He hugged it and shook his head, “Nope. You’ve given it to me. It’s mine now, mun-*COUGH* *COUGH*.”

“…”

The two adults laughed again. The driver held his stomach and hit the wheel several times as he couldn’t take it.

“Young master, this is the best friend you have ever had! DAHAHAHAHA!”

The uncle in the front passenger seat also couldn’t stop laughing, “He’s gold. He has my respect. HAHAHAHA!”

Liu Bei was speechless. He snorted and leaned back. He also pulled out his wallet from his pocket and gave Xiaomao a stack of cash, “Take it and stop pretending.”

“Thanks!”

Xiaomao took the cash and counted it. A hundred bills of 100 Yuan Notes made it 10,000 RMB.

That was enough for Xiaomao to last another month without relying on his parents’ allowance.

“Make sure to go see a doctor. Did you get Covid or something? You’ve been coughing.”

“…”

… 𝐟𝓇ℯ𝒆we𝒃𝘯𝒐νe𝑙.co𝚖

A few minutes later, Liu Bei’s men dropped off Xiaomao in front of Qin Yun’s Convenience Store and drove away.

In the car, the driver still chuckled as he found Xiaomao interesting.

Liu Bei was annoyed, “What’s so funny about him?”

“Isn’t he ballsy? Does he even know who you are?”

“Probably not. I never told anyone about my father.”

“Well, you should befriend him,” the driver smirked while the man on the front passenger seat still suffered from the aftereffect.

“Him? That greedy bastard? I gave him a gift, and he asked for more! He’s an ingrate!”

“That’s because he’s honest, young master.”

“Honest, my ass. He’s shameless, arrogant, stupid, and moronic! Why should I befriend a fool like him?”

“Do you think your henchmen at school dare to openly extort your money?”

“… They won’t. None of them has the guts to argue with me.”

“Is that so? Well, there’s a friend that’s gutsy enough to scam you, though.”

“And your point?”

“Young master. I’m in this business for decades. Do you know the most precious thing you can have?”

“…”

“An honest friend, young master.”

“I already have friends at school.”

“If you refer to the henchmen at school or your subordinates in the game, those are not your friends, young master. They’re leechers that pretend to be loyal. But when you’re down, they will step on you without hesitation.”

“…”

“Young master. People wear masks in society. They pretend, they act, they scheme behind our back, and they secretly do things to satisfy their selfish desire. You should know that best since you are running a game guild.”

“… Yeah. They do.”

“That’s my point, young master. Honest people are rarer than virgin school girls these days.”

“And you call that fool “Honest”? He’s a scammer!”

“Honest scammer if I must say. He’s na?ve, silly, and funny. But when it counts, he can be courageous… and ruthless.”

The driver glanced at his friend in the passenger seat. The latter passed his iPad, which displayed the image of a document.

“What’s this?”

“We asked the police to investigate your friend’s background and find out what he did. Look what we found.”

“…”

Liu Bei read the document in the image.

Xiaomao’s father was the Security Director of Pangu Incorporate while his mother was a refugee from another country. Their wealth and social status were above average.

“Obviously a low elite-class family. Otherwise, how could they afford the private school’s tuition fees?”

Liu Bei swiped the screen to read another page. The next page was the police’s investigation detail of Xiaomao.

There was nothing worthwhile. He was just another ordinary student with so-so grades.

But then, the police record interested Liu Bei.

“Excessive Violence Charge?”

The passenger-seat uncle added, “We’re surprised, too. If it wasn’t because of the mayor, that brat would have been charged with Excessive Violence.”

“Wasn’t it a self-defense?”

“The two guys that Miao Xiaomao knocked out are still in the hospital. The first guy’s nut busted so hard that the doctors had to cut it off to save his life. The other one got a concussion and a broken jaw. He’s now a sleeping prince.”

“Isn’t that a normal occurrence in fights? He might have attacked them too many times.”

“We have the CCTV camera footage from your school. He defeated those two men in two moves.”

“… Huh?”

“He defeated them in two punches, young master.”

“…”

“Again, this is advice from your senior. That brat might look like a na?ve scammer, but he’s a starving tiger in sheep’s clothing. This type of person is goofily honest in front of their friends. But in fights, they can be vicious. And that comes to our advantage, young master.”

“I’m listening.”

“Because he’s greedy, you can seduce and control him with wealth or woman. And because he’s dead honest and shameless, you can tell what he is thinking through his actions. Once he joins your game guild or becomes our brother, he will become a reliable comrade. You can also let him work as your bodyguard at school or train him as a hitman. Isn’t he better than those idiotic grunts that only know how to fight and bully the weak?”

Liu Bei widened his eyes and reread the report that the police station had sent them.

After rereading the detail three times, Liu Bei smirked, “You’re right, Uncle Jian. An honest and courageous scammer is better than pretentious leechers.”

…

Even though Xiaomao came to work late, Qin Yun didn’t mind. After all, Xiaomao was wrongly arrested by the police.

In the convenience store’s staff room, Qin Yun complained to his employee, “Don’t get involved in a fight. Haven’t I told you that?”

“But they’re armed, mu-*AHEM*.”

“Oh, never mind then,” Qin Yun coughed. “So, did you win?”

“Yes.”

“How many did you take down?”

“Two, mu-oof.”

“Were you harmed?”

“Only my phone is broken, munya.”

“Munya?”

“I-I mean, my phone costs money, mu-*COUGH*!”

“Good. Well done,” Qin Yun laughed and patted Xiaomao’s back. “Now, go back to your duties. I’m clocking off now. Also, the missing hours will add up to your pay cut!”

“Munyaaa,” Xiaomao cried.

…

After work, Xiaomao got home.

His parents didn’t wait for him. They were already asleep as it was midnight.

Xiaomao greeted the mama cat that he had picked up many months ago. He petted her, “Hi, mama cat, munya.”

Meo

The mama cat rubbed her body on Xiaomao’s leg, leaving her scent on him. As for Mu-Nyang, Nyanko, and Mir, they surrounded Xiaomao and stared at his face, greeting him with their eyes.

Xiaomao sat in front of them and petted everybody. Nyanko avoided Xiaomao’s hands, but Mir, Mu-Nyang, and Mama didn’t resist.

Mu-Nyang simply stared at Xiaomao’s face while the rest of them sniffed him as he carried a new scent from the police station and Liu Bei’s car.

“Have you all eaten, munya?”

Munya

Mew

Nya

Meo

The four reacted as soon as Xiaomao mentioned food.

Xiaomao sighed. He went to the kitchen and gave them dried cat food. Then, he took a bath and returned to his bedroom.

It was half past midnight.

Xiaomao was in his casual clothes. He got in the game capsule.

No cat got in his room this time. Xiaomao also wore new sets of clothes.

He sighed and closed his eyes to rest for a moment. However, the game screens were visible behind the eyelids.

Words and numbers on the status screen became clearer, but it was still hazy. It showed the symptom that his game character had integrated with his real body.

As soon as Xiaomao could read everything, the process would be completed. And Xiaomao would be able to import his real-life skills into the game. Vice Versa, every status attribute in-game would affect his real body!

Xiaomao bit his lower lips. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

‘My life is going to be complicated soon, but this is my choice. It’s too late to regret it now!’

He put on his game helmet and entered the game.

…

Ding

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