Chapter 34: Pointer (1)
34 – Pointer (1)
Dong Jun’s cat is named Zhi Zhen.
His own WeChat name is “A Happy Zhi Zhen.”
What would his crush think upon seeing his WeChat name?
Lin Xun: “”
He probably didn’t even count as a person in his crush’s eyes anymore. This Zhi Zhen would never be happy again.
Lin Xun: “What a coincidence.”
His crush said, “Perhaps you two are fated.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the white cat stretched out its front paw toward Lin Xun, as if trying to reach his clothes.
—A graceful cat’s paw, with a very pink, crystal-clear paw pad.
Lin Xun grasped its paw.
—It stretched its other paw toward Lin Xun as well.
Dong Jun: “It wants to climb onto you.”
“Huh?” Lin Xun moved closer to Dong Jun.
Zhi Zhen leaned half its body toward him.
Dong Jun picked up the cat and handed it to Lin Xun. As Lin Xun took it, his hand brushed against Dong Jun’s forearm. Through the thin layer of the shirt, there was a fleeting warmth. The warmth from the cat soon replaced it, but Lin Xun still pursed his lips slightly unnaturally.
The cat wasn’t fat—it had a well-proportioned figure, looking noble and aloof. But when held in his arms, it was unexpectedly very well-behaved.
Lin Xun stroked its fur and felt the joy of having a cat.
After staying in his arms for five minutes, the cat began to struggle gently. Lin Xun placed it on the floor, and it gracefully jumped onto the sofa.
Dong Jun said, “Would you like to sit for a while?”
Lin Xun: “Sure.”
The weather wasn’t good today—a gray, overcast sky. But the room’s lighting control system was perfect, casting a warm glow in the living room.
Lin Xun looked around.
The style was very minimalist and open, dominated by black and white, with few decorations. Glass curtain walls separated the staircase and other rooms.
Of course, the house was quite large. From the outside, it appeared to have three floors. Besides the main villa, there were smaller structures like garages on the wings.
A smart robot glided over silently. Its base had wheels, and its overall appearance resembled a white, short cabinet with a head.
Dong Jun opened the cabinet door: “I don’t think you like tea.”
He handed Lin Xun a glass of iced milk.
Lin Xun: “Indeed.”
The cup emitted a faint chill, and as soon as it came into contact with the outside air, a thin layer of condensation formed. Lin Xun held the cup in his hands, finding it very comfortable—he didn’t particularly like hot drinks.
The cat scratched the sofa a few times, then jumped onto the glass coffee table in front of them. It licked its paws a few times, sat down in a very elegant posture, and watched them with its icy blue, translucent eyes.
Dong Jun said, “It’s easy to care for. Cat food and other necessities are already prepared. You can take them with you.”
Then, he looked at Lin Xun again: “Actually, you could leave Zhi Zhen at home, but its temper worsens when it doesn’t see people.”
Listening to Dong Jun’s description, Lin Xun smiled and reached out to stroke Zhi Zhen’s head.
Then, he glanced around the large, empty room and asked, “Do you live here alone?”
Dong Jun: “Yes.”
“I thought…” Lin Xun said, “At least there would be a housekeeper or something.”
Dong Jun replied, “The smart system can handle everything.”
Lin Xun: “That’s true.”
Nowadays, smart systems, combined with robots, are already very powerful. Especially since Dong Jun is the founder of Galaxy, his home must be filled with many black technologies that haven’t been officially released yet.
He imagined a scene.
At nine in the evening, Dong Jun returned here from Galaxy—he crossed the courtyard to the room, where the lights automatically turned on one by one. Finally, he arrived at a certain room on the third floor, a glass-walled space reflecting the night outside, mysterious—and then the male god began tonight’s programming.
This scene, no matter how you thought about it, was beautiful and perfectly suited the male god’s aura.
Dong Jun: “What are you thinking about?”
Lin Xun snapped back to reality, realizing he had been lost in thought, and felt slightly embarrassed.
He said, “I was wondering what you do after work hours.”
Dong Jun: “Actually, it’s not much different from during work hours.”
Lin Xun: “…I thought so.”
Dong Jun: “How is the new programmer?”
“Pretty good,” Lin Xun said, “much more skilled than me.”
Dong Jun smiled.
Lin Xun: “I don’t know why I’m so bad at programming.”
Dong Jun: “If you spent your time practicing programming instead of algorithms, I’d think you were wasting your talent.”
Lin Xun: “But I…”
He didn’t know what to say for a moment—he couldn’t exactly say he was jealous.
Just then, Dong Jun said, “Just focus on designing. If there’s something you can’t implement, you can ask me.”
Lin Xun: “Okay.”
They casually discussed the project’s new progress and Zhi Zhen’s habits.
“It doesn’t have a habit of stepping on keyboards, so it shouldn’t disturb your work.” As Dong Jun said this, Zhi Zhen happened to crawl into his arms. Holding the cat, Dong Jun seemed gentler than usual.
“But at night, it likes to sleep on the bed,” Dong Jun added. “If you don’t like that, you can keep it in the living room.”
Lin Xun: “It’s fine.”
He didn’t dislike small animals to begin with—in fact, he really wanted to have one—so of course he wouldn’t refuse Zhi Zhen sleeping on the bed. Besides, who would dare to lock Dong Jun’s cat in the living room?
Dong Jun: “That’s good.”
Zhi Zhen suddenly let out a “meow.”
Outside the window, the sound of pattering rain began.
It had been overcast all morning, and now it was finally raining.
Lin Xun checked the time: “When is your flight?”
“In the afternoon,” Dong Jun replied. “You can wait for the rain to stop before leaving.”
“Better not,” Lin Xun thought for a moment. “I don’t know how long it’ll last… I’d be disturbing you.”
“It’s fine,” Dong Jun said calmly. “There aren’t many guests here.”
Lin Xun: “Then I’m honored.”
He stayed a little longer, and when it was finally time to leave, Dong Jun fetched an umbrella.
Lin Xun’s car automatically drove over, and the trunk popped open.
Cat food, snacks, litter, bowls—the things a cat needed weren’t too many.
Lin Xun: “Does it need toys?”
Dong Jun: “It’s quite quiet and prefers being with people.”
Lin Xun picked up Zhi Zhen. The cat wasn’t heavy and felt soft in his arms.
Dong Jun held the umbrella over Lin Xun from behind.
It was a black umbrella with a lead-gray handle, held by Dong Jun. The edge of the umbrella rested lightly above the car roof, allowing Lin Xun to place himself and Zhi Zhen safely inside without getting wet.
After settling in with the cat, Lin Xun fastened his seatbelt and rolled down the window: “See you in ten days.”
“Okay.” Dong Jun’s gaze shifted from Zhi Zhen in the passenger seat to Lin Xun. “I’ll come pick up Zhi Zhen.”
“When are you usually free? I’ll send you a video.”
Dong Jun: “Your morning, my evening, or the other way around.”
Lin Xun smiled: “Alright, see you then.”
Dong Jun: “Goodbye.”
Zhi Zhen tilted her head toward Dong Jun outside the car window and meowed, “Meow.”
The window closed, and the Automated Driving System began working, smoothly driving away from the area.
Lin Xun looked back, watching the slowly closing iron gate blur Dong Jun’s figure.
Fifteen minutes later, the car left the area, and Lin Xun felt as if he had returned to the modern city from the mountains.
He gazed at the lakeside villa district, shrouded in rain and mist—the place seemed like a dream.
Zhi Zhen seemed to finally realize what had happened, hopping onto the back seat in a few quick leaps and meowing anxiously toward it.
Lin Xun picked her up and placed her on his lap, stroking her fur.
“Good girl,” he said to Zhi Zhen. “You’ll be staying with me these next few days.”
Zhi Zhen let out a soft “meow.”
Lin Xun picked up this beautiful white cat—white short-haired cats often have oddly shaped faces, but she was exceptionally pretty, especially with her ice-blue eyes, which made the program interface around her appear clear and elegant.
He checked Zhi Zhen’s belly—she was a little male cat.
After checking, he set the cat down.
…
Zhi Zhen seemed a bit down, nestling motionless in his arms.
Lin Xun held the cat—the same cat Dong Jun had once held—and felt his life had once again been elevated. He decided not to dwell on the fact that he shared a name with the cat.
The car drove all the way back to Chaoyang Community, but near the flower bed in the complex, Lin Xun spotted a person.
—Xiao Xiao.
She was slender, wearing a black dress with her hair down, holding a red umbrella, seemingly lost in thought as she stared at the roses in the flower bed.
Lin Xun input an instruction, and the car stopped in front of Xiao Xiao.
“Xiao Xiao?” he said. “What’s wrong?”
Xiao Xiao turned around, her expression tinged with melancholy and confusion, but she quickly snapped out of it and smiled at him. “It’s nothing, I just came out for a walk.”
Lin Xun checked the time. “Did you take leave?”
Xiao Xiao shook her head. “I don’t want to go anymore.”
Lin Xun asked, “What happened?”
Xiao Xiao smiled again, her demeanor shy but stubborn. “I asked the policewoman, and she said my dad would get at most five years. When he gets out, he’ll come looking for us again. I want to earn money quickly and take my mom somewhere else.”
Lin Xun replied, “…That’s understandable.”
He didn’t agree with dropping out of school, but under these circumstances, he could understand.
However, for a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl, he wasn’t sure how she could establish herself in society.
He asked Xiao Xiao, “What do you plan to do?”
Xiao Xiao pursed her lips and said, “I can sing… I sing quite well. I signed up for an online program.”
Lin Xun asked, “Have you studied singing?”
Xiao Xiao shook her head, then lowered her eyes, avoiding his gaze. “Maybe it’s a natural talent.”
In that instant, Lin Xun recalled the description of the side quest he had received the day before.
“One night, Xiao Xiao suddenly gained a special ability.”
He said, “Is the program safe?”
Xiao Xiao replied, “…I don’t know.”
“You can send me the information, and I’ll help you check it out,” Lin Xun said, looking at her. “Or I can go with you. It might not be safe for a girl to go alone.”
Xiao Xiao’s eyes lit up. She bit her lip and said, “Thank you…”
“It’s no trouble,” Lin Xun smiled. “Go back to your room now, and be careful not to catch a cold.”
Xiao Xiao nodded, said goodbye to him, and walked toward Area B with her umbrella.
Lin Xun watched her retreating figure, confirming that her program interface was empty.
That man had already been arrested, and the demon seed on him had been cleared by him. What else could happen to her? —Even prompting the system to specifically issue a warning: “Mission dangerous, please be cautious.”
—So, regardless of the reason, he absolutely had to follow that program.
After watching Xiaoxiao return, he finally went back to his residence.
Zhi Zhen encountered collective attention.
Wang Anquan clicked his tongue in admiration of Dong Jun’s decision to foster the cat here. His words were far from humane, and Lin Xun let them go in one ear and out the other, pretending not to hear.
This Zhi Zhen adapted well to the environment. After walking around the room, it perched high on the back of the sofa, looking more like a native resident than the four of them.
—And indeed, as Dong Jun had said, the cat’s habits were ideal: it didn’t chew on wires, didn’t step on keyboards, only quietly allowed itself to be petted, and meowed when hungry—truly the perfect pet for every programmer.
The day quickly passed in work. When it was time to sleep at night, Lin Xun naturally carried Zhi Zhen to his room and took another pillow from the cabinet.
Zhi Zhen was extremely perceptive. It jumped onto the pillow, curled up, and seemed ready to sleep.
Lin Xun pondered over algorithms for a while longer before lying down on the bed.
Zhi Zhen appeared to have already fallen asleep.
Lin Xun wanted to pet it but was afraid of waking it up, hesitating for a full minute.
A minute later, he suddenly furrowed his brows—it was clearly there in the afternoon.
—Zhi Zhen, where is your program window?