Universe Infinite Canteen

"Uh, what did you say?"

"I'm already doing better than them." The Ragdoll cat puffed out its chest proudly, "You saw my performance outside your restaurant earlier, didn't you? Just say how cute I was."

"It was... quite cute, but I don't understand," Ma Lu said, "didn't you express disdain for that sort of behavior?"

"At first, yes, but then I thought about it carefully, and isn't this the life I've been dreaming of?" The Ragdoll cat crossed its legs comfortably.

"In another realm, I was just a salaryman, toiling all year for a meager wage, played for a fool by my stupid boss, barely making enough money only to regularly pay alimony to my ex-wife. And now, look at me – I don't have to do anything. I just stretch lazily, act adorable, and there's a young woman hustling about, making money for me to spend."

"You've degenerated, my friend," Liliem interjected.

"Say what you will, my life now is so much better than before. I don't have to work at all. I just sit on the couch watching TV or bask in the sun on the balcony. Xiao Yan even takes me out on weekends, introduces me to her girlfriends. I have to admit, I'm starting to have feelings for her. Maybe one day we'll get married."

"I hate to burst your bubble, but you're just a cat," Ma Lu said.

"So what? I don't care if she's a Monkey, actually. Lately, I've been working hard at distinguishing your Monkeys' appearances, rebuilding my aesthetic standards, in preparation for my second marriage.

"I can't boast that I've completely mastered this skill, but I've certainly made considerable progress. In the Hupu Beauty PK, my accuracy rate has already exceeded 90%. The next step is to work on developing a physiological reaction to beauties. It's an essential part of a happy marriage."

"Sounds like a big project."

"It's not as difficult as it sounds; when we cats are in heat, we won't even spare a blanket."

"Alright, if you're enjoying life so much, why did you run away from home?"

At the mention of this, the Ragdoll cat's rear visibly tightened, "Because I sneakily checked Xiao Yan's phone and discovered she had made an appointment at the vet clinic for next week to neuter me."

"Wow, that's really..." Liliem gasped in astonishment.

"It's outrageous, right? That woman must be insane! Planning to neuter her fiancé. I love my little buddy; we've been together since I was born, always getting along well. I don't want to lose it. You're a man; you should understand," the Ragdoll cat looked at Ma Lu.

"I can understand why you'd run away from home," Ma Lu said. "So what are your plans now? Find a new owner?"

"I don't use the word 'owner.' I generally call them intermittent companion-type working Monkeys. Plus, I'm not planning on finding a new one, thank you. Xiao Yan and I, we're just experiencing some problems that most couples encounter. I plan to take a break from her for a while, let her cool down.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Once she realizes that neutering me is wrong, I'll give her another chance and return to her side."

"During this cool-off period, do you plan on being a stray cat?" Liliem asked.

"No, of course not. I've never been a stray in my entire life, not for a single day," said the Ragdoll cat, "After coming here, I met Xiao Yan right away and have been living with her. In short, I wouldn't go lowering myself to sleep in a residential area's green belt or rummage through trash for food like other stray cats."

"Where do you plan to stay then?"

The Ragdoll cat looked at Ma Lu, "A pigeon once told me if I ever had nowhere to go, I could come to you. It said you would welcome a small talking cat."

"I don't have any problem with talking kittens and I do sympathize with your situation, but this place is a restaurant, not a hotel," Ma Lu said, "I never planned on having other guests around, unless... "

"Unless what?"

"Unless you're willing to pay me in Star Currency. You can stay as long as you like then."

"I only have 20 Cat Coins on me, which I brought along when I left home, thinking of buying egg yolks to eat at the company building downstairs. My realm is just like yours, outside The Grand Alliance."

"Well, that's a bit of trouble..."

"Why is it trouble, aren't the little kitties here free of charge?"

"Not everything can be enjoyed for free."

The Ragdoll pointed at Liliem, "Then what about her, why can she stay in your store?"

"She's an employee here," Ma Lu said after a moment of thought, "How about this, if you're willing to work here, I could consider letting you stay for a while."

"Work?" The Ragdoll became alert upon hearing these two words.

"What can you do?"

"Play with yarn balls, poop by myself, act cute, cuddle..."

"I'm talking about your unique abilities, what is your core competency?"

"Talking."

"Besides talking?"

The Ragdoll thought for a moment, "I can also drive, smoke, drink, perm my hair, secretly download stuff online."

"Pass the seeds to me later," Ma Lu said, "But those skills are still not enough for you to stay. Right, you mentioned earlier that when you crossed over, you had a 'golden finger,' what's that?"

The Ragdoll seemed somewhat reluctant to discuss this topic; after Ma Lu pressed the question twice more, it finally spoke slowly, "I can... produce beverages."

"Produce beverages?" Ma Lu was intrigued, "How do you produce them?"

"Honestly, I don't even know if this counts as a 'golden finger.'" The Ragdoll said, "This ability is just too lame. I don't want to use it even once; it's too shameful for a cat."

"No worries," Ma Lu encouraged, "Perform it for me. My store is actually lacking a few beverages."

"No, let's not. You definitely won't want to drink it, although the taste isn't too bad."

Hearing this only peaked Ma Lu's interest further; more than one patron had inquired if the restaurant had any drinks or alcohol available during their meal.

In the past few days, Ma Lu had also been seriously considering whether to add a freezer to sell drinks, but hadn't decided what to sell.

Considering the daily earnings of Universe Infinite Canteen, Ma Lu wasn't too fond of ordinary beverages, and now his restaurant was slowly establishing an impression of novelty and deliciousness in the minds of customers; selling ordinary beverages seemed to clash with the ambiance of the place.

So Ma Lu said, "Just do it. If it turns out well, I'll definitely drink it; and if it's truly good, you'll be a member of the staff from now on."

"Well... okay then," the Ragdoll replied reluctantly, "I need a cup."

Ma Lu immediately took a freshly washed cup from the sterilizing cabinet and placed it in front of him, "What ingredients do you need, should I clear out the kitchen for you?"

"No need." The Ragdoll said to Liliem at the side, "Ma'am, could you please step aside?"

Waiting until Liliem had turned away, he took out his ding-ding, aimed at the cup, and started peeing into it; soon half a cup was filled. After finishing, he even shook it a couple of times before tucking his ding-ding back in and, facing Ma Lu, said, "Enjoy your drink."