Futile Devices Scans

In the infirmary, Doctor He used disinfectant to clean Xiao He’s wound.

“Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk, this will leave a scar. After work, go get a vaccine shot, got it?”

A long scratch ran across Xiao He’s cheek, narrowly missing his eye. The sting of the disinfectant made his eyes water, and he nodded slightly.

Doctor He, about fifty years old, was the zoo’s chief veterinarian. Although he shared the surname He, he had no relation to Xiao He. He liked well-behaved young people, so he treated Xiao He with particular kindness. After cleaning the wound, he even gave him a packet of dried small fish.

“Next time they scratch you again, use this to coax them.”

Xiao He went to the vaccination station for a shot, then went home with the dried fish tucked away.

…

For dinner, he cooked himself noodles with vegetables. On the balcony hung his washed, faded jeans and plain white shirt. The rented room was old and simple, yet clean and tidy.

After eating, he sat under the lamp and diligently worked on practice exercises until late at night. Only then, yawning, did he close the thick workbook and carefully place the packet of dried fish on top of it.

…

Early the next morning, he was awakened by strange crunch-crunch sounds. Opening his eyes, he saw several dusty-gray stray cats sitting on his desk, greedily chewing the dried fish. The window beside them had been blown open by the wind, lightly knocking against the frame.

Xiao He threw off the covers and jumped up. The stray cats immediately grabbed the remaining dried fish and fled out the window. He was a step too slow and failed to save even a single piece.

…

Left with no choice, he went to the market and bought a bag of fresh small fish. He pan-fried a portion and brought it to the zoo.

After confirming with his senior that feeding was allowed, he crouched in the open space of the Pallas’s cat enclosure, puckered his lips, and made the same sound as Doctor He:

“Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk—”

Dong Dong and Luo Luo were the first to run over, burying themselves into his arms and each snatching a small fried fish from his hands. Seeing no danger, the other Pallas’s cats raised their fluffy tails high and trotted over unsteadily.

Ma Ma hid behind a tree, observing for quite some time. Watching the others eat and scramble for food, it could not resist any longer and cautiously approached.

Xiao He noticed it and smiled faintly, picking up a small fish and offering it forward. Ma Ma sniffed it twice before opening its mouth to take it.

“Roar—!”

Liu Liusuddenly burst out with a loud cry. Ma Ma trembled, yet still held the fish in its mouth. Liu Liu rushed over, grabbed it by the scruff of the neck, and once again “rescued” it in the same familiar way.

Apparently finding nothing wrong, Ma Ma began crunching away noisily, oil smearing all over its face. Liu Liu, meanwhile, crouched on the tree trunk, facing downward, locking eyes with Xiao He. There was still wariness in its gaze, its fluffy tail striking the trunk with sharp snapping sounds.

Xiao He raised his arm high and offered it a small fish as well.

“Roar—!” Get lost!

…

From his already tight living expenses, Xiao He squeezed out a little money to fry small fish once a week, quickly winning over most of the Pallas’s cats.

On this particular day, he stood in the middle of the grass holding a lunchbox, like the old baboon lifting Simba in The Lion King, revered by all, surrounded by the cats. Dong Dong and Luo Luo even stood on his shoulders, one on each side, like his loyal guardians—proud and dignified.

Only Liu Liu remained perched high atop the tree, holding Ma Ma in its mouth, watching him.

Ma Ma stared wide-eyed at the dried fish, drooling with hunger, letting out pitiful whimpers. The moment Liu Liu loosened its grip, Ma Ma leapt down from the tree and scampered up Xiao He’s pant leg, climbing onto his back in a flash.

After feeding all the Pallas’s cats, Xiao He, as usual, held up the last piece of dried fish—but Liu Liu simply turned around, presenting him with its fluffy, round backside.

Xiao He laughed. “You won’t eat this, but isn’t the daily feed also given by me? You can’t possibly refuse that too, can you?”

As soon as he said it, he froze for a moment.

…

After several days of careful observation, Xiao He checked the surveillance footage of the enclosure—and was shocked to discover that Liu Liu truly did not eat the food provided by the zoo.

Every day, it would quietly linger near the ventilation ducts, sometimes catching passing mice, sometimes digging in the soil for insects or geckos. It always appeared solitary, but whenever anyone bullied Ma Ma or the other younger Pallas’s cats, it would immediately rush in and fight them off, acting as the enforcer of order within the enclosure.

Xiao He reported this to his senior, who was surprised.

“When it first arrived, it used to eat.”

“Why did it come here in the first place?”

“Someone found it badly injured, with one foreleg fractured, and sent it here,” the senior recalled carefully. “We put a cast on it before, so it couldn’t climb trees or rocks, and it would crawl over to the food bowl to eat a little every day. But now that you mention it… ever since the cast was removed, I haven’t personally seen it come to eat anymore.”

“I also noticed something else,” Xiao He said cautiously. “It wants to get out, so every night it secretly goes to bite the metal bars of the ventilation opening.”

The two of them went together to check the ventilation outlet.

What they found was an unmoved iron grate—without even a single gap bitten through—along with several patches of blood and half a broken tooth lodged between the bars.

“…This is bad. It’s a bit foolish, isn’t it?” the senior said.

“We need to catch it and check its teeth…” Xiao He nodded.

“Yes.”

But what sounded simple was incredibly difficult in practice.

Inside the enclosure, the senior carried a cat carrier while Xiao He swung a long-handled net. The two of them struggled for an entire afternoon, yet achieved nothing.

Liu Liu seemed to have ears all over its body. Even when dozing, it remained on extreme alert. No matter which angle they approached from, it would detect them instantly and vanish without a trace in the blink of an eye.

The two of them climbed the rock formations, then the trees, then waded into the pond, then sprinted around the grass in circles.

“Ow—ah, I can’t go on, my waist…” the senior groaned, setting down the cat carrier.

Xiao He was also slightly out of breath. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm. “Senior, this isn’t working. I have an idea.”

So the long-handled net was passed to the senior, while Xiao He ran to Doctor He and returned with two ready-made dried fish.

“Didn’t you say Liu Liu doesn’t eat this?” the senior asked curiously.

“It’s not for coaxing Liu Liu.” Xiao He turned toward Ma Ma, who was washing its face by the pond. “Ma Ma! Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk…”

Ma Ma raised its tail happily and came over, devouring the dried fish in big bites. Just as it was about to flick its tail and leave, Xiao He grabbed it.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao He pulled out a piece of sterile gauze and began—rubbing its butt!

Though Ma Ma didn’t understand what was happening, it instinctively sensed ill intent from the human behind it. It immediately rolled around, shrieking, struggling desperately to save its dignity—and its fur.

“Meow-ow! Meow-ow-ow-ow!”

A dark shadow suddenly appeared atop the rock formation, lunging straight toward Xiao He!

“Now!” Xiao He shouted.

The senior immediately dropped the net, capturing Liu Liu, Xiao He, and Ma Ma all at once. Xiao He fell to the ground along with the two Pallas’s cats. Ma Ma panicked, frantically clawing at the net in an attempt to escape, while Liu Liu, brimming with killing intent, pounced onto Xiao He’s arm, biting and kicking with ferocious intensity.

The senior rushed forward, grabbed Liu Liu by the scruff, and swiftly stuffed it into the cat carrier. Only then was Ma Ma released from the net, circling anxiously around Liu Liu’s cage, crying out in distress.

Xiao He lowered his head to look at his arm—there was a small patch of blood staining his sterile suit.

“You’ve been bitten?” the senior exclaimed.

Xiao He reached out and touched it, puzzled. “No… it’s blood from its teeth.”

From the stain, he picked out half of a small, broken tooth.

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