Strange Life of a Cat
Chapter 333 - Chapter 333 Chapter 326 Looking for Trouble Blocking Disaster

Chapter 333: Chapter 326: Looking for Trouble? Blocking Disaster Chapter 333: Chapter 326: Looking for Trouble? Blocking Disaster Actually, Zheng Tan had smelled that uncomfortable odor as soon as he entered, slightly stronger than the one in Boss Cai’s rest room, and the source of the smell was the highly tense cleaner. Looking at the cleaner’s nails, Zheng Tan wasn’t sure if this great aunt knew she was in a very dangerous situation.

Apart from cleaning tools, the restaurant issued uniforms and shoes to all cleaners, so those who were working would leave their own clothes in the locker, from which Zheng Tan could smell an even stronger odor. Of course, it was only relatively stronger and might not be discernible by human sense of smell.

Zheng Tan couldn’t possibly explain all these details to Boss Cai but by now, Boss Cai had realized there might be something wrong with the bottle of cleaner, so he had quickly taken action.

In the afternoon, “Shiwei” restaurant was closed, the main door tightly shut. People passing by could hear sounds of knocking and the operation of an electric drill inside. Seeing the renovation sign hung outside, people didn’t think much of it–many restaurants renovate on weekdays to better profit over the weekend.

Inside “Shiwei”, work was indeed underway–Boss Cai had noticed some minor repairs that were needed and the layout needed some adjustments. After all, different places had different customs, and it was a good occasion to sort everything out. His resting room was the main focus of the refurbishment and had to be thoroughly cleaned and renovated.

Zheng Tan didn’t go back that afternoon; instead, he stayed and watched Boss Cai getting help from others.

When Boss Cai held the test results, his hand trembled; seeing those several highly toxic heavy metals made him panic, and the results indicated that the cleaner contained some insecticides.

Nowadays, many people who grow vegetables don’t use those heavy metal-containing pesticides–many countries had even reduced or stopped using them. But some places still used them. How the insecticide ended up in the cleaner’s own cleaner bottle, even the cleaner herself didn’t know.

“If someone really wanted to harm you, they wouldn’t be using this cleaner. The toxicity is much lower with it, and its effect here is slow. If the intent was to cause harm, it’s better to spray the pesticide directly,” said a friend who helped Boss Cai with the tests.

According to that cleaner, she thought Boss Cai was a good person, and she felt guilty for having taken small advantages secretly. While cleaning, she even scrubbed the boss’s dusty computer keyboard vigorously. That was also why Zheng Tan avoided Boss Cai’s hand, because it had a bit of that odor.

Imagine if the cleaner used in this place was replaced with the odorless kind of pesticide, then everyday objects Boss Cai came in contact with such as the computer, keyboard, desk, sofa, windows, and so forth would be covered with “poison.” Living in such a room for a long time would make anyone shudder.

“Don’t worry, it might be an accident. However, you better check this out thoroughly just to be on the safe side. If it truly were an accident, it’s just unfortunate for you this year, Boss Cai–it’s your zodiac year, right?”

The man mentioned it casually, without expecting Boss Cai to nod seriously.

The other person opened his mouth but ended up being silent. Even though he often joked about being particularly unlucky during one’s zodiac year, he didn’t actually believe it, as nothing significant had happened during his own. However, it was a different story with Boss Cai–running into such an incident was unimaginable, but fortunately, it was discovered before it escalated.

Before the rest room was completely cleaned and renovated, Boss Cai temporarily set up another room on the second floor of “Shiwei”, waiting till the rest room was fixed and aired out before removing the temporary partition.

As for investigating the incident, Boss Cai didn’t have much influence in Chuhua City; he didn’t have strong local connections. If he really wanted to delve deep into some matters, tapping into local resources was best.

Therefore, Boss Cai went to find Ye Hao.

Since Chairman Shu had specifically asked him as a favor, Ye Hao naturally gave some face. Besides, this was just a minor help and wouldn’t cost much trouble.

Zheng Tan knew the outcome a week later, just like what Boss Cai’s friend had said, it truly was an accident.

The cleaner originated from the suburbs, and her family worked in a cleaning product manufacturing factory–they received large bottles of cleaning agents during the New Year to save money, they would even use a spray bottle to decant and dilute some before use. Next to her house, someone had rented a plot to plant and grow flowers, and the pesticides belonged to that person. However, after a snow disaster caused substantial losses this year, that person decided not to plant flowers anymore and had locked up after moving some belongings.

During the New Year holidays, the cleaner’s home was bustling. The adults overlooked many areas, and some children found several bottles near the flower beds. Coincidentally, there was a small plastic factory that produced spray bottles nearby, and everyone’s bottles looked similar. The children, unaware, thought they had found cleaning agents similar to those at home because of the color and took them back, spraying some around since the substances didn’t have a strong odor, no one paid much attention.

Losing interest, the children left the bottles on the table. Later, someone mistook them for the household cleaning agents, wanting to free up a few bottles to store other things, so they poured everything into one big bottle to use whenever needed. The adults were so busy then that the children were left to handle this task, not noticing the difference in viscosity between the insecticide and the household cleaners. They poured it directly into the large undiluted container and then went off to play.

Because of this, from that time on, the cleaner’s household was using a cleaning agent mixed with the insecticide. Although the toxicity of the mixed insecticide was much reduced, the toxicity was much higher where the child had sprayed it around the room, especially in the room where the cleaner lived.

This was a process of chronic poisoning. Ordinary breathing and skin contact could poison them, but during the process, the cleaner didn’t notice, or perhaps ignored some symptoms of poisoning.

A while after the New Year, the cleaner came to the city, bringing two bottles of the mixed cleaning agent. He worked at “Shiwei” for a while because his family was sick and money was tight, so he took an interest in the cleaning agents provided by the restaurant, which cost several tens of yuan per bottle. It wasn’t long before Zheng Tan found out about this.

Insecticides and rat poisons were topics once covered by Mr. Jiao in a “lesson” for Zheng Tan. The mention of a dead rat by Feng Baikin that day reminded Zheng Tan of a memory from years ago, allowing him to instantly recognize the threat the moment he was climbing through the window, though he wasn’t initially sure exactly what it was. After all, there are many types of insecticides and rat poisons that might look and smell similar, but a cat’s sense of smell could still discern the differences.

Once Ye Hao knew the truth, he remarked to Boss Cai, feeling emotional, “Trouble always seems to find that guy, the trouble magnet.”

The “that guy” and “trouble magnet” Ye Hao mentioned were clearly referring to Zheng Tan. Of course, Ye Hao might not have said these things if Zheng Tan had been present, but he wasn’t there at the time.

Boss Cai didn’t think it was Zheng Tan’s fault, considering the incident an accident. If it had happened to him, he would just have to chalk it up to bad luck. Even if the poison used in his own break room wasn’t very potent, what about if it had been longer exposure? Who could guarantee no harm would come from it? Moreover, he ran a food business, which fears poison connections the most, as even a small issue could affect the whole business.

“It’s not causing trouble, it’s averting disaster,” said Boss Cai.

Reflecting on past incidents, Ye Hao had to admit, it really felt that way. Ever since “Shiwei” had opened, that cat hadn’t visited “Triumph” for a long time. Maybe it’d be good to have the cat over once in a while to keep potential disasters at bay.

Zheng Tan had no idea that Ye Hao thought this way. After the incident at Boss Cai’s, Zheng Tan’s visits had also become much less frequent. He used to swing by every other day to snag a meal, but now it was down to once a week. It wasn’t that Zheng Tan feared lingering toxicity at Boss Cai’s; he knew from Boss Cai’s testing friend that the break room’s toxicity was actually not significant. The smell just reminded Zheng Tan of some unsavory things and made him feel threatened. Now, his reduced visits were due to the cramped and cluttered space at Boss Cai’s, which made dining uncomfortable.

Every time Boss Cai saw Zheng Tan, he was very welcoming, always making sure to have a meal ready for him. Boss Cai felt much more at ease with the cat around.

The cleaner was terminated from his job, but seeing his family suffering from chronic poisoning and facing substantial medical expenses, Boss Cai didn’t deduct any wages and didn’t pursue compensation. The cleaner also knew what to say and what not to say, and after leaving, he wouldn’t mention the incident at “Shiwei” to anyone. If it had been Ye Hao, he certainly wouldn’t have let it go so easily, even though it was just an accident.

That day, after hanging around with Mr. Jiao at the cafeteria for two days and lounging at Jiao Wei’s restaurant for three days, Zheng Tan wanted a change of pace and went to “Shiwei”. After eating, he didn’t stay long and planned to sneak home to browse online threads where netizens were ranting about a celebrity named Zhao who had been jailed right before the New Year. No one called him “Gongzi” anymore, now he was labeled a “hypocrite.” Due the snowstorm earlier, people’s attention had been elsewhere, but as soon as it passed, a few of Zhao’s detractors started making waves again. When bored, Zheng Tan would also watch the drama unfold.

Zheng Tan had barely taken a few steps when he was called out to again, but this time it wasn’t Feng Baikin; it was Ermao, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.

Ermao had officially become a father on New Year’s Day, finally having the daughter he had hoped for. Because she was born on New Year’s Day, her nickname was Yuan Yuan. Some even joked about the father-daughter pair, one named Ermao and the other Er Yuan; adding a “money” character might make the price tenfold.

Ermao was in the area to distribute invitation cards for his daughter’s hundred-day celebration, personally visiting several households. He had also delivered invitations to Wei Leng and Mr. Jiao’s places. He had just come from “Triumph” and bought some food knowing that “Shiwei” had good food but rarely visited. Seizing the rare opportunity, he bought some to take and share with the old lady by the lakeside villa, his great aunt, who, despite her age, still had quite an appetite.

“Black Coal, come on, let’s go see the great aunt together,” Ermao said as he got into the car, waving at Zheng Tan.

Zheng Tan hesitated. He wasn’t keen on facing the old woman, but the ride with Ermao offered a chance to check on Tiger, who hadn’t been seen much since losing a fight to Huasheng Tang a few days ago. According to Feng Baikin, Tiger’s injuries were more serious this time and he would likely need more time to recover at home. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you’re welcome to visit Qidian (NovelFire.net) to cast your votes and support. Mobile users, please read on m.NovelFire.net.)