Zhang Shuguang secretly rubbed and poked the kitten here and there while mentally mapping out his plans.

He ended up listing a string of tasks, yet couldn’t recall a single one by the end.

He sighed, withdrawing his right hand, now sticky with black fur from petting.

Mental command: Phone, power on. After about ten seconds, he called out: Xiao Cai, Xiao Cai.

Xiao Cai: Master, I’m here.

The phone’s virtual panel lit up before Zhang Shuguang’s eyes, Xiao Cai’s chat bubble appearing simultaneously.

Zhang Shuguang: Can you switch to voice mode? It’s tiring watching you type all the time.

Xiao Cai: Certainly, Master. Which voice tone would you prefer? I have several options: gentle and soft, cool and sophisticated, cute and youthful, or charming and alluring…

Zhang Shuguang: Electronic voice. I want a standard male electronic voice.

Xiao Cai: …Alright, Master. Adjusting your voice settings now. Please wait.

Xiao Cai: “Master, is this voice quality to your liking?”

Though prepared, Zhang Shuguang still froze momentarily at the sudden appearance of another voice in his mind. He quickly regained his composure and responded softly.

“Alright. Open the memo app. I need to record something.”

Xiao Cai: “Understood, Master. Memo is now open. What would you like to record?”

Zhang Shuguang glanced at the time displayed in the upper right corner of his phone and began a brief diary entry.

“February 2, 2088. Weather: Clear. Day one in this alternate world. Current Earth time: 15:34 in Kyoto. Saved by Mang Jiu. Found an orphaned cat to adopt. Made fish jerky. Searched for edible spices and seasonings. Made fish jerky. Completed phone quest to find potatoes. Fed Mang Jiu.”

After silently reciting this in his mind, he saw the words appear on the screen and added, “Need to understand the various customs and rules within the tribe. Remaining in the Cliffside Tribe.”

Zhang Shuguang: “Close the memo. Xiao Cai, activate navigation mode. Search for nearby edible materials.”

Xiao Cai: “Understood, Master. Material navigation activated. Within 300 meters southwest of your location, there is an area emitting a fragrant scent. You may investigate.”

Zhang Shuguang: “Tree bark?”

Xiao Cai: “Yes, Master. The spices of this world.”

Spices? Zhang Shuguang thought of the assorted spices he used when stewing meat, and a slight headache came over him.

Before, when using spices, he’d simply buy pre-made blends or pre-ground powders from the spice shop. Now, he needed to find the most primitive form of spices, leaving him somewhat at a loss. Thankfully, he had Xiao Cai to help identify them; otherwise, he’d be completely clueless.

He glanced at the sleeping kitten, then at Mang Jiu, who was nearly finished deboning the fish. “I’d like to see if there’s anything else edible nearby,” he murmured.

Mang Jiu turned his head. “Food?”

“Ah, not necessarily food. I forgot in my haste earlier. A little one like him shouldn’t really be eating so much meat. He should be drinking milk instead.” He truly had forgotten—feeding grilled meat to such a newborn cub, whose teeth hadn’t even fully grown in yet, clearly wasn’t the best choice.

Mang Jiu glanced at the sleeping cub and asked, “You like cubs?”

Zhang Shuguang wasn’t sure why he asked that, but thinking of his own plans, he nodded and replied, “Of course. Cubs are so adorable—all fluffy and soft.”

Mang Jiu’s expression darkened instantly as he stared at him. “But you don’t like the hairless ones?”

Zhang Shuguang’s mind immediately conjured the image of a nest of slender, tangled snake hatchlings he’d once seen in the reptile house at the zoo. A shiver ran down his spine.

“I don’t like them.” His tone was firm, the smile vanishing from his lips.

Mang Jiu’s expression darkened further. He turned back and sliced the last piece of fish meat off with a bone knife.

Zhang Shuguang startled. He didn’t quite understand why this person had suddenly lost his temper. But then he remembered that many beastmen around here were likely hairless, so he quickly amended his words: “It’s not that I dislike them. It’s just that I tend to run cold, and having a furry little one would keep me warmer. Besides, didn’t you say they turn into children? I have no objections to children—I particularly like them, boys or girls.” After speaking, he noticed Mang Jiu’s face remained stiff, but his movements softened slightly. Could this man’s beast form be hairless? But he couldn’t ask that outright—they’d only known each other for a few hours.

“I was asking you earlier—can we go over there?” He wasn’t about to act recklessly in unfamiliar territory without knowing if it was safe. After all, the Vegetable Seeds app only provided material navigation, not safety guidance.

Relatively speaking, he trusted Mang Jiu’s beastman instincts more, which was why he’d asked.

“You’re not going to take care of him?” Mangzi pointed at the sleeping kitten.

Zhang Shuguang’s mouth twitched. He’d originally planned to go check things out himself and then have Mang Jiu look after the kitten.

Now it seemed like wishful thinking. Mang Jiu’s attitude clearly showed he didn’t want to take care of it. But then again, it wasn’t surprising—after all, it was Zhuang Shuguang who wanted to raise the kitten.

Just then, the little kitten woke from its nap.

It arched its back and stretched lazily, then looked around with perked-up ears. When its big eyes spotted Zhang Shuguang, they suddenly sparkled brighter.

It paddled its tiny legs twice, then propelled itself with its hind legs, landing directly on Zhang Shuguang’s lap. Its front paws rested on his wrist as it tilted its little head back and gave him a soft meow.

The sound was melodious and sweet, full of babyish charm.

Zhang Shuguang was instantly struck by its cuteness. He pulled it into his arms and bent down to plant a kiss on its fluffy head.

“Good boy, you like Uncle, right? Uncle likes you too.”

The kitten purred again, clinging to him.

Overwhelmed with joy, Zhang Shuguang completely forgot about his earlier plan to hunt for food.

“You really want to keep him,” Mang Jiu remarked suddenly, watching Zhang Shuguang cuddle and kiss the kitten.

Zhang Shuguang looked up at him, smiling warmly. “Yeah, if I could, I’d definitely raise him to be plump and round. Not like now, skinny as a rail, barely weighing anything.”

Mang Jiu stared at him for a moment before saying, “Let’s go back first. If you really want to keep him, I’ll talk to the chief and the shaman.”

Zhang Shuguang was thrilled. “Really? I can keep him?”

“Mhm.” Mang Jiu watched the joy sparkle in his eyes and nodded gently. “ I picked you up, and now you’ve picked him up. You can both live in my cave.”

Zhang Shuguang knew for certain: this man was good. Even if he wasn’t good with words and his expression remained cool.

He cradled the soft little body in his arms and retrieved the packet of shark meat he’d placed in the fire pit earlier. But when he unwrapped the leaves, instead of the fishy aroma he remembered, a faint, sour, putrid smell wafted up.

Zhang Shuguang froze. The kitten in his arms, startled by the stench, immediately burrowed its tiny head under his armpit.

“What the hell?” He crouched down, frowning as he fully unwrapped the leaf bundle. The stench intensified; standing so close, the fumes nearly knocked him off his feet. “This is poison gas!”

He’d never known that fresh fish meat, when roasted, could emit such a sour, putrid stench.

Was this the smell of shark?

He’d never eaten shark meat, so he couldn’t say for sure, but he knew this fish was definitely inedible. Forget anything else—the smell alone was unbearable.

Mang Jiu also frowned, but unlike Zhang Shuguang, he didn’t immediately dismiss the fish as inedible. Instead, he reached out and pinched a piece.

Zhang Shuguang rushed to stop him. “It’s hot!”

“It’s fine,” Mang Jiu shook his head, popping the piece into his mouth. He immediately grimaced and spat it out. “Tastes worse than rotten meat left out for days.”

Zhang Shuguang grimaced. He’d been about to pick up a piece himself, but seeing Mang Jiu’s reaction, he quickly tossed the two thin twigs he was holding.

“I thought such a big fish would taste great. What a waste.” He pursed his lips, glancing at the fish meat piled nearby.

He felt a twinge of regret about discarding it all, but it was inedible otherwise.

“Throw it into the pond. The fish will eat it,” Mang Jiu reminded him.

“Alright. When it rains, I’ll dig up some worms to fish with. Then I’ll salt the fish to make jerky—it’ll keep for ages.” Zhang Shuguang had already made up his mind: he would become Mang Jiu’s roommate.

When Mang Jiu went hunting, he’d handle preserving the meat and vegetables, ensuring everything needed for the winter was stockpiled before the cold arrived.

This thought made him even more eager to get some dried fish to take back.

With this in mind, Zhang Shuguang asked Mang Jiu, “Can I stay here overnight? I want to catch more fish to take back. Dried fish is best when baked over a fire.”

“You can’t stay overnight. Herds come out foraging at night, and without self-defense skills, you’d be in danger.” Mang Jiu glanced up at the sky, noticing the sun was nearly setting. He advised, “If you want to make dried fish, I can accompany you again. And if you need ingredients, I can help find them.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded in agreement. He wasn’t one to ignore sound advice. He held deep respect for this unfamiliar place and wouldn’t let a little advantage make him think he was some kind of savior.

Ignoring warnings never ends well, and he was particularly obedient and well-behaved.

Mang Jiu was pleased with his obedience. Rising, he wrapped the disassembled fish bones in shark skin and held them in his hand. “I’ll carry you.”

Zhang Shuguang glanced down at the kitten in his arms. After a moment’s thought, he said to Mang Jiu, “Wait a moment. I’ll make a net pouch from vines to carry the little one.”

The vine he’d used to carry the fish earlier had been washed clean. He threaded it back and forth a few times, quickly fashioning a simple pouch. Time was tight, so he didn’t weave it too finely. He took some of the grass the kitten had been sleeping on and placed it inside, then gently set the kitten inside.

“Stay still in there, little one. Uncle will take you home.”

The kitten curled up inside the pouch and watched him, meow~~

Zhang Shuguang hung the pouch around his neck with satisfaction, then extended his hand to Mang Jiu. “Come on, brave one.”

The more he did it, the thicker his skin grew.