NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Being a Little Cautious Isn't a Bad Thing
Li Yuqing looked at Zeng Shen and then at the little black kitten with big, adorable eyes in his arms, and an instant affection welled up in her voice.
"Class Rep, is this your cat? It's so cute."
"Yeah, I just adopted it," Zeng Shen nodded.
The girl in front of him, wearing a white dress that draped lightly from her waist like a waterfall over her long, fair legs, was his university classmate, Li Yuqing.
During their university days, Zeng Shen was the class representative.
Meanwhile, Li Yuqing was a fantasy figure for many male students and one of the two reigning campus beauties for three consecutive years.
Rumor had it that her family was quite wealthy, yet she remained low-key and diligent, showing a subtle interest in Zeng Shen during college.
Zeng Shen hadn't expected to run into her in a park store while out looking for work.
Moreover, in the future, she would become a necromancer deity, and according to the system, a rather powerful one.
"I see."
Li Yuqing nodded, reaching out to pet the little black cat.
However, the kitten slipped from Zeng Shen's hands, hiding behind his legs and warily eyeing the woman in front.
"It seems a bit shy," Zeng Shen said.
"It seems so," Li Yuqing withdrew her hand awkwardly and then asked, "Shen, how's the job search going?"
"No luck so far."
"If it doesn't work out, why not try my media company?" A hint of expectation flashed in Li Yuqing's eyes.
Social media had been quite popular in recent years. Zeng Shen had dabbled in it during school, collecting a lot of material and learning to edit videos for online posting, earning a few hundred extra each month.
Of course, when the apocalypse strikes in a year, who would work then? But how would one eat without working?
"Is it flexible?"
Zeng Shen asked.
As long as the job offered high flexibility and could cover monthly expenses, he wasn't picky about what he did.
After all, the catastrophe was coming in a year, rendering money useless when everything could be acquired for free.
But right now, he was nearly broke.
Rent was due each month, and he urgently needed a stable income to cover expenses for the year. His parents were farmers in the countryside and couldn't support him for a year.
As for taking out loans, thinking the apocalypse was inevitable, the world was not a novel.
This world had strict loan reviews, requiring at least six months of stable work income and collateral.
Even with that, Zeng Shen didn't want to borrow.
He worried that if the apocalypse didn't come, he'd be saddled with a massive debt.
"Media work is very flexible. You did it in school too. I need someone to collect, record, or stage videos for editing," Li Yuqing smiled.
"Back to my roots, huh? Okay, how much are you offering?" Zeng Shen asked.
"A base of ten thousand, with commission on top. How does that sound?"
"Wow, Boss, I'll do whatever you need."
"Ha-ha," Li Yuqing chuckled softly, her white dress lightly fluttering, appearing as soft as silk in the sunlight, tempting one to touch.
"Alright then, I want you to meet me tomorrow at 1 PM at the office building's 13th floor, opposite the back entrance of the pedestrian street where you live. Look for a room with a wooden sign that says 'Brotherhood Studio'."
"Yes, Boss."
Zeng Shen playfully saluted with a hand to his temple.
"See you tomorrow, then. I have something else to attend to," Li Yuqing smiled brightly, as if she had accomplished something significant, and gracefully turned to leave.
[Congratulations to the host for outwitting the necromancer deity, successfully fending her off and protecting your follower, earning 1000 survival points.]
"Uh..."
Hearing the system prompt in his mind, Zeng Shen was momentarily stunned.
Alright, if you say so.
He walked into the store, bought a few packs of fish sausages, and after scanning the code at the self-service machine, he returned to the stone bench with the little black cat. He tore open a sausage pack and placed a small sausage on the bench.
The little black cat sniffed the sausage, took a tentative bite, and then began to eat heartily.
"Ha-ha, it seems you really like these fish sausages."
Watching the kitten eat so adorably, Zeng Shen couldn't help but smile with joy.
The little black cat seemed to understand him, looking up and meowing in response. Suddenly, a white light emerged from the kitten and flowed into Zeng Shen.
[Congratulations, host: Your general believer has become a true believer after being fed by you, earning 1000 survival points.]
A big question mark appeared over Zeng Shen's head.
"You can do that?"
After the kitten finished the sausage, Zeng Shen squinted playfully, "Do you have other siblings? Take me to them."
"Meow."
The little black cat seemed to understand. It jumped off the bench and ran towards the park's back gate.
Being his believer seemed to make the kitten understand him better, so Zeng Shen quickly followed.
Behind the park was a large abandoned hospital, home to many stray cats, and Zeng Shen suspected it was the home of the kitten's siblings.
Soon, the cat led the way, and Zeng Shen followed.
Just as they reached the park's entrance, an urgent voice sounded in Zeng Shen's mind, accompanied by a purple-red panel with flashing red text.
[Warning: One more step and you will face the attack of a ferocious Tier 3 Hellhound. With your current strength, such an attack will be catastrophic, threatening both you and your follower with certain death. Avoid and leave immediately.]
Seeing the system's warning, Zeng Shen grew serious, half-squatting to pick up the kitten about to dart through the park's back gate.
A loud bark suddenly echoed towards them.
A small chow chow, slightly bigger than the kitten, with dirty gray fur, unsure if lost or abandoned, rushed in front of them, barking incessantly.
As the chow chow appeared, the system's urgent warning blared in Zeng Shen's mind even more frantically.
[Warning! Warning! Host has encountered a Tier 3 Hellhound. Evade immediately.]
Zeng Shen looked at the small chow chow, barely half a meter tall, and after confirming there were no other stray dogs, he was speechless.
This little puppy was supposed to be the ferocious Tier 3 Hellhound?
"Go away, back to where you came from."
Zeng Shen waved his hand, picked up the frightened kitten, and walked forward.
The chow chow, ignored by Zeng Shen, crouched slightly, seemingly preparing to bark louder, asserting its territorial claim.
But in the next moment, a fish sausage landed at its feet.
The aroma of the sausage silenced the chow chow, who grabbed it, looking up at Zeng Shen's retreating figure with shining almond eyes, as if trying to remember him forever.
[Congratulations, host. The Tier 3 Hellhound has taken a liking to you, crisis averted, and survival points +100.]
"Huh, you can earn 100 survival points like that?"
Suddenly gaining 100 survival points, Zeng Shen perked up, turning to look at the chow chow, who had finished the sausage and was staring at him with bright eyes.
"Alright, I'll give you another sausage, and you give me another 100 points."
With a thought, Zeng Shen pulled another sausage from his inventory and tossed it.
"Woof~ Woof"
The chow chow barked happily and started eating the sausage.
Soon, the chow chow finished the sausage and looked expectantly at Zeng Shen, seemingly still hungry.
"Why no 100 points this time? Wasn't it enough?"
Frowning in confusion, Zeng Shen threw another sausage.
The chow chow ate, and he continued throwing.
Before long, the entire pack of sausages was gone.
But still, no survival points.
"Darn, it must be that you only get points the first time you gain this dumb dog's favor," Zeng Shen concluded, turning away with the kitten towards the abandoned hospital.
Meanwhile, as he walked, he thought, "If I care about this chow chow anymore, I'm the real dog."
The chow chow, full and happy from Zeng Shen's feeding, watched him turn to leave and eagerly followed.
[Congratulations, host, for acquiring the Tier 3 Hellhound as a pet mount, survival points +1000, true believer +1, faith +1.]
Hearing the system announce, Zeng Shen paused, looking down at the chow chow who had contributed a thousand survival points and become a true believer.
He suddenly felt that being a little cautious wasn't such a bad thing.
"Eye of Insight."