Thirty Cats

As a cat, Ji Mianmian didn't have much money in her pocket.

Although she managed to collect over a thousand Cat Coins by selling food wrappers to the recycling machine and collecting shells and crabs on the beach, she had never spent any of it. Apart from the times when she needed to visit No. 001, she had never even set foot in the trading shop, nor made any purchases.

At the moment, she sat by the window, sipping her flower tea in small, delicate gulps. Her cat ears twitched from time to time as she listened carefully to Shuo Yu's conversation with No. 001.

Shuo Yu got straight to the point. "No. 001, I have a question. Were Ji Mianmian's drawings created by AI, or did your company's artists make them?"

No. 001 blinked and glanced at the girl in the corner, responding firmly, "Of course, Ji Mianmian drew them herself, meow! Purely hand-drawn, with no AI involvement at all, meow!"

The confidence in its voice indicated that the drawings were likely created by an artist, then presented in the game through Ji Mianmian's character to boost her appeal.

Shuo Yu smiled when she heard this, amused by No. 001's unwavering conviction.

After a moment of consideration, she decided not to press further.

"Last time I asked you about the copyright of Ji Mianmian's drawings, you said there were no issues, and I could post them online. Well, now someone wants to collaborate commercially using one of her sketches. Is that possible?" Shuo Yu asked.

"Huh?"

"What?"

Both No. 001 and Ji Mianmian expressed their surprise simultaneously.

No. 001 didn't fully understand the human obsession with art or how drawings could make money. Meanwhile, Ji Mianmian's face lit up with joy, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"I posted her drawings on Weibo, and someone noticed one of her sketches. They want to negotiate a business deal..." Shuo Yu explained as her gaze shifted between No. 001 and Ji Mianmian.

"Since Mianmian isn't a famous artist, the offer is only 5,000 RMB, and it's a buyout. This means Mianmian won't be able to profit from the drawing in the future but will retain credit for it. What do you two think? Should we sign the deal?"

Ji Mianmian had never imagined that her casual drawings could generate income, and she eagerly looked to No. 001 for approval, her eyes pleading.

No. 001, however, was more conflicted. The halo above its head spun back and forth, casting a shadow on the ground, as if it were pacing while deep in thought.

The origins of Cat Island dated back to the year 2520 when No. 001, the first cat to evolve with intelligence on Earth, created the island. Its consciousness had traveled across time and space to 2020, where it tore open a dimensional rift and established a small sanctuary for stray cats in need of refuge.

The island was meant to provide food, catnip, and other resources for homeless, mistreated cats. But when No. 001 rescued the cats, it also had to strip away the malice and negative emotions attached to them—emotions that had often stemmed from humans or rival animals.

Unexpectedly, those negative emotions began to fester on the island, gradually growing into evil spirits that fed on the cats' own negative feelings, growing stronger in the process.

What started as No. 001's well-intentioned rescue effort had transformed into a breeding ground for the very beings it had sought to eliminate. The cats it wanted to protect had become prey.

Now, three years after the island's creation, its ecosystem was deteriorating, and even the basic food supply could no longer be sustained.

Out of desperation, No. 001 created Cat Island Diary, a simulation game designed to enlist the help of humans—the most intelligent species on Earth—to clear the evil spirits and save the cats.

The money people spent in the game was crucial, allowing No. 001 to buy supplies from the future to care for the cats and reward players.

However, to No. 001's dismay, Shuo Yu was the only player it had successfully recruited.

Despite being an advanced cat, No. 001 didn't fully understand human psychology, especially when it came to enticing players to spend money. Its initial efforts to mimic other mobile games by offering monthly passes and various packs had yielded only limited success. While Shuo Yu had initially spent money, she hadn't opened the recharge page in a while, leaving No. 001 to rely on its shop to sell her what it could.

As No. 001 hovered in front of Ji Mianmian, its thoughts were in turmoil.

It remembered when it had rescued this unusual cat about two months ago. The island's conditions had been growing increasingly dire, and No. 001 had stopped taking in new cats about a year after the project started to avoid causing more suffering.

But two months ago, Ji Mianmian, a cat who looked remarkably like a human, had been hit by a car, lying in a pool of blood, unconscious and at death's door. When No. 001's consciousness passed by overhead, it couldn't bear to leave her, so it brought her to Cat Island and used its energy to save her.

Since then, No. 001 had observed her from time to time and noticed that she was different from the other cats. Her cat ears and tail had grown gradually after being infused with cat power, and despite the harsh conditions, she had taken it upon herself to raise two orphaned kittens, even at the cost of her own well-being.

Now, things were even more unusual. Ji Mianmian had somehow bypassed the game's limitations to create revenue through her art.

Seeing No. 001's hesitation, Shuo Yu pressed on. "Of course, Ji Mianmian is a character in Cat Island Diary, so the copyright for her art belongs to you. If you're worried, I can give you the contact information, and you can handle the negotiations yourself. Either way, the money will be used to improve the cats' lives in the game. I won't pocket a single cent."

Hearing this, No. 001's tail perked up with delight.

She could have said that earlier! Establishing new cross-time connections was a hassle anyway.

The glowing white cat grinned, clearly pleased. "No need to go through all that trouble, meow! From now on, Shuo Yu will handle all of Ji Mianmian's art on her behalf. Just make sure to show me the final contract details, meow!"

No. 001's whiskers twitched adorably as it spoke.

Shuo Yu suspected that the game developers were aware of Ji Mianmian's artistic potential. However, if they had been the ones to negotiate directly with the clothing company, it would have turned into a paid collaboration, which would have been more complex. By letting her handle it, the process became much simpler.

No. 001 even opened a special window for Shuo Yu, allowing her to download Ji Mianmian's original drawings in digital format, so she could negotiate with Yu Jing directly.

Both parties were quick to act, and once the contract was signed, Yu Jing immediately transferred half of the payment.

Holding 2,500 yuan in her hands, Shuo Yu thought for a moment and used part of the money to buy a new house and a medical rescue station, though she didn't place them down just yet. She planned to wait until she had expanded her cat collection to 20 cats and unlocked the central forest area. Once that was done, she could build another safe zone there, so the cats wouldn't have to drag their sick bodies across the island.

After confirming with No. 001 that new feature packs would be available when the new map was unlocked, Shuo Yu used the remaining funds to renew her monthly pass for the next ten months.

She spent the last 1,000 yuan upgrading the existing safe zone.

Her exploration robot had discovered iron and copper deposits, and Shuo Yu used her stamina to gather enough metal to install a wind power system, automatic mining, metallurgy, and planting systems in the safe zone.

All her recent work had been driven by her desire to take a break.

After signing the agreement with Yu Jing, Shuo Yu kept her word—aside from going out to eat with Shen Zhiyin, she didn't leave the house, spending her days playing games.

Whenever her manager assigned her a new task, Shuo Yu would light an incense stick to attract spirits and lead her team of awakened cats to fight them off.

The cats' combat abilities generally fell into five categories: one reflecting damage, two for close combat, and two for ranged attacks.

In addition, about half of the cats had unique abilities.

[Worship Cat God]: When near No. 001, this ability boosts cat power production.

[Machine Spirit Uplift]: When near automated systems, this ability accelerates machine operations.

[Great Farmer]: When near farmland, this ability increases crop growth speed and yields.

Some abilities were combat-oriented, while others were focused on infrastructure, helping improve the safe zone.

Shuo Yu was thrilled to discover that unlike other games, this one didn't limit the number of cats that could be added to a battle team.

As her cat collection expanded, so did the number of cats she could summon during battles.

Watching nearly ten cats gang up on an evil spirit was immensely satisfying.

After logging in one day and petting all the cats, she switched perspectives to feed them, including those far off in the mines.

No. 001's voice suddenly echoed in her ear.

"Congratulations, player, for feeding the cats 100 times! You've completed the Gourmet Connoisseur achievement and unlocked the taste feature, meow!"