Fifteen Cats

After soothing the cat-eared girl's emotions, Shuo Yu began to clear the daily energy from her monthly pass.

First, she recalled the exploration robot and collected a batch of materials.

Then she headed to the research room, taking the time to seriously explore this new feature for the first time.

The research room seemed to be an upgrade from the previous blueprints, encompassing a wide range of categories: resources, storage, power, clothing, furniture, machinery...

Almost anything that could be crafted was included.

In the past few days, Shuo Yu hadn't had the time to explore thoroughly, so she had randomly selected a few basic research projects like outdoor tables and chairs, sun umbrellas, folding chairs, and wooden cat bowls.

Once these were researched, she immediately crafted several to decorate the beach, adding to the environment.

These were the kind of items that might not be necessary for the cats, but humans felt they should have.

Today, Shuo Yu finally took the time to review the research list carefully.

She realized that the more complex and essential projects required a significant investment of Cat Coins and materials upfront.

After careful planning, Shuo Yu decided to upgrade the exploration robot first.

Its most recent collection list included:

[Red Berries x12, Mushroom Clusters x3, Catnip x5, Wood x18, Rainleaf x1, Stones x7, Flint x2...]

While the variety was decent, these were all surface-level resources easily found on land.

She figured that if she sent the cats to explore the island, they might bring back the same items.

Using the valuable mechanical core for such basic tasks felt like a waste, so Shuo Yu wanted to research a mining function to advance from the Stone Age to the Iron Age.

After setting everything up, she still had plenty of energy left.

Since catnip could activate the cats' abilities, it might become a necessary part of their diet in the future.

With that in mind, Shuo Yu used the remaining energy to clear four more plots of land next to the previous farm rows.

When her energy was nearly depleted, Shuo Yu noticed that the cat-eared girl had left the medical station and returned to her bedroom.

Politely, she moved the camera view outside the bedroom door, mimicking a knock with a "knock, knock, knock" sound. "Mianmian, can I come in?"

After getting permission, she switched the view to the room.

On the screen, the girl was sitting on the windowsill, staring at the moon. The moonlight illuminated her delicate features, making the cat-eared girl even more beautiful and captivating.

"Why are you sitting on the windowsill? It's dangerous." Seeing that she seemed to have something on her mind, Shuo Yu selected the character on the screen and asked with a smile, "If you don't feel like sleeping, how about going night fishing with me, Mianmian?"

Although there were no interaction cards to simulate an immersive date, that didn't stop her from making a verbal invitation.

As the cats' affection levels increased, the game became more engaging.

Shuo Yu had recently noticed that the cats in her safe zone were more obedient and responsive to her.

"Sure." The girl pulled her tail inside, gracefully jumping down from the windowsill.

The soft thud of her small shoes hitting the floor echoed crisply.

To be honest, Ji Mianmian hadn't fully shaken off the disappointment of not being able to awaken her ability.

But with this beautiful woman by her side, going out to feel the sea breeze, breathe fresh air, and clear her mind didn't sound bad.

The two of them each took a fishing rod.

Shuo Yu, with her transparent hand, seemed to have some sort of cheat code—catching fish every half-minute, even pulling up seaweed when there were no fish.

Meanwhile, Ji Mianmian's line remained still the entire time. It seemed like Shuo Yu had taken all the luck for the night.

What was supposed to be a comforting outing for the cat-eared girl had turned into a one-sided display of skill. Shuo Yu wasn't sure how to feel.

She awkwardly put down her fishing rod and gently touched the cat ears on Ji Mianmian's head. "The game's mechanics make me catch something every time. It's no fun. I'd rather watch you fish."

The feeling of being accommodated and favored was truly wonderful. Hearing the woman's slightly wistful tone, Ji Mianmian couldn't help but laugh.

She reeled in her line, which had lost its bait to a fish, and added a bit more meat. "If you're not happy with something on Cat Island, you can report it to 001."

Shuo Yu clapped her hands, "Oh! I haven't checked the trade shop today!"

"Then you should go now." Fishing without success was boring, so Ji Mianmian began reeling in her line.

"No rush, no rush." Shuo Yu sipped her hot cocoa, smiling warmly. "We're already here, so it would be a shame to leave without catching anything. You keep fishing; I'll stay with you."

Although the girl on the screen didn't respond, happy little expressions kept popping up above her head, letting Shuo Yu know she had made the right choice.

True to her word, Shuo Yu stayed until Ji Mianmian finally caught her first horse mackerel of the night.

After escorting the cat-eared girl back to her cabin, Shuo Yu leisurely moved the camera view to the trade shop.

The white cat, 001, floated in the air, seriously reading a book made of clouds.

Seeing Shuo Yu approach, 001 patted the cloud in front of him, which quickly dispersed into the wind.

"Good evening, meow. The items on display are today's new arrivals. Feel free to browse, meow!"

The trade shop refreshed four items daily—two were basic materials, and two were random items or equipment.

Browsing the shop was part of Shuo Yu's daily routine.

She had been eyeing a fireplace from a few days ago but couldn't justify spending Cat Gems on it.

After greeting 001, Shuo Yu first bought out the day's basic materials: [Silkworm Silk x4], [Silver Ore x3].

She hadn't yet gathered all the materials needed to craft equipment from the pearls she had received from the [Pearl Fishing Card] last time.

Today's luck was good; both materials were useful.

Then, she rubbed her hands together and focused on the items in the shop's center, covered by black velvet cloth. Based on her experience, items she had seen before wouldn't be covered.

So today's items were all new.

Shuo Yu first revealed the smaller item.

[Pirate's Treasure Chest (588 Cat Coins):

A chest made of wrought iron and oak that had drifted on a ship for decades. Its owner is unknown, and its contents have long been emptied.

Endless waves eventually brought it to Cat Island, where 001 thoroughly cleaned and repaired it before adding it to the inventory.]

Shuo Yu loved the octopus-wrapped wrought iron decoration on the top of the chest and immediately bought it.

The second, larger item was revealed to be a spinning wheel!

Spinning, weaving, and making new clothes for Mianmian—this path unfolded in Shuo Yu's mind.

Her eyes glimmered with determination to purchase it.

But before she did, Shuo Yu decided it was necessary to negotiate with 001 first.

"It's just an old spinning wheel, and you're asking for 30 Cat Gems? The game's already been delisted, and you're still charging that much?"

Her flurry of arguments left 001 momentarily stunned.

The white cat hesitated, "What do you think is a fair price, meow?"

Silently thanking Mianmian for the tip, Shuo Yu realized she had never considered that the trade shop was run by 001.

If it could serve as the game's customer service, it must be highly intelligent—maybe even controlled by a real person. Surely it could understand the concept of bargaining.

Shuo Yu pushed her luck. "At that price, it should at least come with cotton or ramie fibers to spin into thread. If not, you could bundle it with a loom and charge 38 Cat Gems. I'd buy that."

001 looked conflicted, repeatedly raising and lowering its head.

Shuo Yu continued to play hardball, even pretending to drag the black velvet cloth back over the item. "Anyway, I'm not willing to spend Cat Gems on just a spinning wheel. I'll wait until a loom is unlocked."

Seeing her look away, acting like she was no longer interested, 001 panicked, its paws frantically moving through the air. "Okay, we can bundle it with a loom, meow! And I'll unlock cotton seeds for you, too—how about 48 Cat Gems? Is that too much, meow?"

Having successfully bargained with the cat, Shuo Yu smiled with satisfaction. "Deal."

^

The next morning, around 11 AM, Shuo Yu was in her gym, exercising with Cat Island Diary open on her phone. Suddenly, she heard a rapid knock on the door.

She wiped the light sweat from her neck and waved to the little character on the screen. "Mianmian, I'll see you later. Someone's here."

Quickly changing into something presentable, Shuo Yu knew without looking through the peephole that it was Shen Zhiyin—and that she had brought someone with her.

If it had been just her, she wouldn't have bothered knocking and would have simply entered with the passcode.

Of the few friends close enough to drop by unannounced, only Shen Zhiyin would knock as if she were trying to break down the door.

Opening the door, Shuo Yu immediately looked past Shen Zhiyin to see Xiaoka standing there, holding several shopping bags.

Shen Zhiyin grinned and winked at Shuo Yu. "Shuo Yu, I've got a meet-and-greet tonight to introduce you to my friends—the beautiful model! You absolutely have to come!"

Seeing Shuo Yu's indifferent expression, she quickly shifted to an annoyed tone, "You didn't forget, did you? I reminded you yesterday!"

Shuo Yu broke eye contact with Xiaoka, their subtle power struggle momentarily paused. "I didn't forget. Just make sure to call me when it's time."

She had agreed to join this gathering when she first returned to Yunxi City, but the preparation for the trendsetting street block had delayed it by a few days.

Shen Zhiyin had mentioned it again yesterday, and Shuo Yu assumed the party would be in at least another day. She hadn't expected her friend to be so eager.

With their evening plans settled, the two women outside continued to stare at her, making no move to leave.

Shuo Yu crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe, chuckling as she asked, "Anything else?"

Shen Zhiyin immediately raised the grocery bags in her hand, smiling brightly. "We're planning to cook lunch at home. We've already bought everything, so why don't you join us?"