Sunlight broke through the clouds, and the morning light poured into the café through the glass window.
Pei Shiyi crossed his legs to avoid the sunlight. "Or a loan?"
This was the most practical modern solution he could think of.
With Pei Shiyi's reminder, Yolk’s eyes immediately lit up. "Boss! We can apply for subsidies! Last month, there was an incentive program for non-human self-employment organized by the Bureau of Anomalies. Participating in that program can get us subsidies and loans, and the procedures are much simpler than going through a bank. Oh, and there's also poverty relief! Poor demons can receive aid!"
The Bureau of Anomalies, formally known as the Bureau of Abnormal Phenomena Management, is responsible for all non-human entities and all events that cannot be explained by science. It also liaises with the human government, effectively overseeing all demons and spirits.
Feng Huang had repeatedly emphasized this point before he left, so Pei Shiyi had some understanding of the Bureau.
Pei Shiyi’s goodwill towards the Bureau immediately maxed out. Following Yolk’s guidance, he installed the Bureau’s app, found the self-employment incentive program, and clicked on it.
The program started last year, targeting non-human entrepreneurs, and offering a series of supportive measures: loans, subsidies, and even business guidance.
If Pei Shiyi could secure this subsidy, the cat café would be much more financially stable.
Pei Shiyi skimmed through the webpage, confirmed his eligibility, and registered for the incentive program. After filling out two forms, a dialog box popped up.
"Hello, your application has been successfully submitted and will be reviewed within two hours."
Now that the application was submitted, the plan to open the cat café was a sure thing. If Pei Shiyi could have backed out earlier, it was too late now. He calculated the three key elements of the cat café: cats, desserts, and ambiance.
Ambiance involved the décor, and designers and pastry chefs could be found online. But that raised the question: where to find the cats?
Pei Shiyi had never visited other cat cafés, but if the selling point was to relax and indulge in cat therapy, the café’s cats needed to be friendly and not skittish. Moreover, they shouldn’t be too young. From Pei Shiyi's perspective, the two kittens in the shop were too young. They had just learned to walk and were not in the best health, making them unsuitable for work.
The café needed cats that were beautiful, had good temperaments, and were adult cats. Where could he find so many cats that met these criteria in such a short time?
Pei Shiyi sighed, "Finding the right cats is tough."
Yolk cautiously suggested, "Actually, I have a friend... I can try messaging her to see if she’s willing to come. But Boss, my friend is rather aloof. She’s not the kind of cat that’s affectionate and cuddly, but she has a good temper and doesn’t mind humans."
Pei Shiyi said, "Go ahead and ask her. We can provide food and lodging, and although the salary might be low, I can offer guidance in cultivation."
Yolk was stunned, then excitedly said, "She will definitely come!"
He didn't know exactly what Pei Shiyi was, but given that Pei Shiyi could maintain a stable human form, his cultivation must be far superior to Yolk’s, who couldn’t even shape-shift. Moreover, very few powerful demons were willing to teach little demons. Most great demons either focused on their own descendants or lived solitary lives. Little demons like Yolk usually had to muddle through their cultivation on their own.
If the boss made cultivation guidance a benefit of working at the cat café, countless little demons would break down their door, even if there were no salary or food and lodging.
Yolk tapped its paws excitedly, unable to contain its enthusiasm.
"By the way," Pei Shiyi asked, "what kind of cat is your friend?"
Yolk replied, "A Linqing Lion Cat, a girl, named Yun Chao."
The Lion Cat, a precious breed that used to roam the high gates and deep courtyards of ancient times, is not as well-known today as the American Shorthair or British Shorthair, and certainly not as famous as the Ragamuffin, which is renowned for its beauty and often called a "walking renminbi."
However, the Lion Cat is actually just as beautiful as the Ragamuffin, with its fluffy, large ruff that makes people yearn for it. The most prized Lion Cats have pure white fur with odd-eyed gold and silver eyes, and Yolk's friend was just such a cat, with snow-white fur and heterochromatic eyes – one gold, one blue.
Yolk sat up and raised its front paws to illustrate, "Boss, although Yun Chao is aloof, she's really beautiful. She's this big! All fluff, her fur collar is this long, and her eyes are almond-shaped and odd-colored! Just place her here! No one can resist such a stunning cat."
Pei Shiyi had certainly seen Lion Cats before. His family used to have one, so he knew just how beautiful they were, sitting there as if they were a painting. If a pure white Lion Cat lay on a sofa or a soft couch piled with pillows and blankets, most people would choose to snuggle up with the cat for a wonderful time.
Imagining the scene, Pei Shiyi said, "No one can resist a beautiful creature."
He smiled slightly and leaned down to rub Yolk's little protruding belly, "But our manager Yolk is also very likable."
The feel was indeed quite peculiar.
Pei Shiyi pinched his fingers, finding Yolk's plump fat inexplicably soothing. He now had a good understanding of the popular cat-petting culture and could somewhat comprehend the kind of atmosphere customers hoped to experience in the café.
Yolk puffed out its chest, rubbed its chin against Pei Shiyi's hand proudly, and then strutted off to call Yun Chao with its tail high.
At this time, the application Pei Shiyi had submitted was approved, and a call came through to the phone number he had left.
"Hello, is this Mr. Pei Shiyi?"
A particularly gentle female voice came from the other end of the phone.
Pei Shiyi answered, "Yes, is this the Non-Governmental Bureau?"
The other party said, "Yes, your application has been approved. Could you come to our office to complete the procedures in the next couple of days? We will also verify your situation. If everything is in order, our assistance will be provided as quickly as possible."
Pei Shiyi: "Sure, I can come tomorrow."
"Alright, the Non-Governmental Bureau is open from 8 AM to 6 PM. Please bring the printed application to room 6607 on the sixty-sixth floor to complete the procedures."
Pei Shiyi hung up the phone just as Yolk came over with its phone in its mouth, so excited that its belly fat was shaking. "Boss, Yun Chao agreed. She can come the day after tomorrow."
So, the cat café would have two cats. If they couldn't recruit enough cats for now, he could open only the first floor and use the second floor as a resting area.
Pei Shiyi said, "Things are progressing smoothly. I just got a reply to my application as well. They'll verify the situation in a couple of days, and the funds should be approved. As for how things will go after opening... it shouldn't be too bad."
Yolk raised its tail high and praised, "It definitely won't be bad! With you as the boss, we won't have any trouble promoting! With you and Yun Chao standing at the entrance, customers will flock in!"
Yolk was genuinely excited. This shabby little cat café had always been its home, but it had struggled to stay afloat. Now, with a new boss, things seemed to be improving.
Pei Shiyi modestly said, "It's not that exaggerated... I'm not a peacock; I can't stand in front of the shop and fan out my feathers... I have to leave some business for other shops." Although he had some kinship with peacocks, fanning out his feathers was not something he could do.
Pei Shiyi was tall and slender, his figure looking a bit thin, which gave him a somewhat frail appearance. However, this frailty did not show in his looks. On the contrary, he had sharp eyebrows and phoenix eyes, and his entire being seemed to be bursting with vitality from deep within.
He was pleasing to the eye, and his exuberant liveliness made people feel refreshed just by looking at him.
Even from a cat's aesthetic point of view, Yolk found his looks impeccable.
In this society that idolizes beauty, having such a face was already a winning start!
____________
The next day, Pei Shiyi took the subway to the Bureau of Abnormal Phenomena Management.
The Bureau of Abnormal Phenomena Management had branches in various locations, but the headquarters happened to be in Yuchuan City, just one stop away from the cat café. The headquarters was hidden in an office building that looked like an ordinary twelve-story building from the outside, with the name "Zhangwei Group" on the door. Only non-human entities could see a line of golden characters under the Zhangwei Group sign, which read "Bureau of Abnormal Phenomena Management."
The entire building was shrouded in a magical array, undoubtedly concealing another world within. Just standing outside the main entrance, one could sense the vast spiritual energy flowing within the building, with a faint hint of moisture.
Pei Shiyi's gaze fell on the name of the group on the door—Zhangwei, the northernmost dwelling place of the mythical Zhulong.
He raised his eyebrows slightly, having an inkling of the true form of the bureau chief.
Pei Shiyi stood at the entrance for a moment. Just as he was about to enter, he heard steady footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw a tall man walking in the morning light, eyes slightly downcast, not paying any attention to where he was going. The man walked straight to the elevator, took out a card, and swiped it. The display above the elevator lit up, showing that the elevator was slowly descending.
His features were impeccably handsome, and his expression was one of an incomprehensible world-weariness.
Appreciating the beauty of the man's face, Pei Shiyi savored his expression for a moment—it was both melancholic and lethargic, as if he could hibernate right there if given a pillow. Despite his despondence, his good looks made it pleasing to the eye.
The man, sensing Pei Shiyi's gaze, lifted his eyes slightly to look at him as he entered the elevator. Perhaps Pei Shiyi's gaze was too intense, so the man looked at him again just before the elevator doors closed.
Pei Shiyi tapped his forehead, remembering he was here for business, and approached the front desk with his documents.
The two receptionists had their heads down since the man entered, but as Pei Shiyi walked up, they hastily put on sweet smiles. "Hello, this is Zhangwei Group. How can we help you?"
Judging by the man's card swipe, the elevator wasn't accessible to just anyone; it required authorization.
Pei Shiyi said, "I applied for the entrepreneurship incentive subsidy. Can you tell me how to get to the sixty-sixth floor?"
The receptionist quickly replied, "Is this your first time here? Please give me your ID card. After verification, you can enter the elevator."
Pei Shiyi handed over his ID card.
The receptionist took his ID, placed it on a card reader-like device, pressed a few buttons, and then returned the ID to Pei Shiyi. "Swipe your card in front of the elevator, and you can go straight to the floor by pressing the button."
Pei Shiyi, surprised by the use of high technology in a place full of gods and monsters, looked at the card reader a few more times before heading to the elevator.
Inside the elevator, he looked up and saw a sign with red letters on a white background: "Achieve harmonious coexistence between humans and non-humans, creating a better society together."
Pei Shiyi: "..."
To the outside world, the Zhangwei Group building had only twelve floors, but once inside the elevator, a row of buttons ranged from one to sixty-six.
The sixty-sixth floor, where Pei Shiyi was headed, was the top floor. The corridor had no "people," but the open offices emitted various auras—demons, ghosts, zombies, Buddhas, and more. The closed doors were sealed with enchantments, preventing any aura from leaking out.
The mingling auras made Pei Shiyi wrinkle his nose in discomfort.
He quickly found Office 07 and knocked before entering, only to be slightly taken aback—the man he had seen in the lobby was also in this office, accompanied by a listless exotic beast.
The beast resembled a leopard, but its features were somewhat human-like, with a pair of ears like those of an ox. Its radiant golden fur was covered in rose patterns, and its long tail coiled around its body several times. One eye was closed, the other open, giving it the appearance of having only one eye from a distance.
This was a Zhujian, a powerful exotic beast known for its strength and archery skills. When Pei Shiyi was young, many great demons around him kept a Zhujian as a pet, often enjoying the feel of its tail.
It was quite similar to how modern people kept cats, but the Zhu Jian was much more ferocious than a cat.
The man was talking with a young man in glasses at another desk.
Pei Shiyi glanced over and then looked away, taking his printed application to the desk labeled “Entrepreneurial Incentive Task Force.”
“Excuse me, I’m Pei Shiyi. I applied for the entrepreneurial incentive yesterday.”
Long Que, who had been watching the standoff between their boss and the head of the poverty alleviation team, suddenly heard a particularly clear voice. Turning his head to see who it was, his eyes lit up. The person was not only handsome but also had a very friendly demeanor.
Long Que said softly, “Hello, I’m Long Que. I’ve reviewed your application. You want to open a cat café and have encountered some issues with cash flow, right?”
Pei Shiyi replied, “Actually, there are also some problems with recruiting staff.”
Long Que asked, “You’re short on staff?”
Pei Shiyi said, “Also short on cats.”
Long Que was stunned, “...Short on cats?”
Pei Shiyi nodded, “The cats currently at the café all have spiritual abilities. If I bring in other cats, I’d prefer them to be spiritually awakened as well; otherwise, managing them separately in daily operations would be troublesome.”
This was what he had thought about last night. Both Yolk and Yun Chao were cat demons, so it seemed more appropriate to recruit other cat demons.
Long Que slapped his thigh, “That’s great! You can help us solve the employment difficulties of untransformed demons!”
“It’s such a coincidence. Our neighboring poverty alleviation team currently has a cat! Our boss was just discussing where to place it with the team leader. Now it’s settled; we’ll just assign it to you.”
Long Que pointed with his hand.
Pei Shiyi followed his gaze and saw that Long Que was pointing at the Zhu Jian lying on the ground!
Zhu Jian, with a human face and leopard body: “??”
How can you call him a cat just because he looks like a leopard?
Pei Shiyi, supporting his chin with one hand, walked around the Zhu Jian with great interest, finding Long Que’s suggestion brilliant.
The poverty alleviation team leader, adjusting his glasses, agreed, “Actually, it’s a good idea. What do you think, Director?”
The man’s eyes moved slightly. Instead of looking at Zhu Jian, he looked at Pei Shiyi. Perhaps because he was tired, his gaze was light and unfocused, as if it could drift away at any moment. “Not for now.”
Pei Shiyi was taken aback.
Long Que blurted out, “Why not, boss?”
The man stepped closer to Pei Shiyi. He was slightly taller than Pei Shiyi, his eyes slightly lowered, but his gaze was calm and not condescending. Pei Shiyi, not used to being so close to others, instinctively leaned back a bit.
The man, however, leaned in slightly, sniffing Pei Shiyi’s neck. Then he lifted his eyes and said coldly, “All non-humans with significant destructive abilities must be registered with the bureau, but I don’t recall anyone with your aura.”
Pei Shiyi got goosebumps from being sniffed and said through gritted teeth, “My apologies, I didn’t know the bureau director was a dog.”
For the winged tribe, intertwining necks is one of the most intimate gestures.
Unfortunately, Pei Shiyi’s original form was a long-haired flying creature.
The author has something to say: Director: I stepped on a landmine when I met my boyfriend for the first time (deep in thought...)
Shiyii could guess that the director is a Zhulong based on the “chapter tail,” but the director doesn’t know what species Shiyi is, so he hit a nerve the first time they met. Please forgive this poor guy.
Zhu Jian comes from the Classic of Mountains and Seas. For convenience, I made some private modifications (the book says Zhu Jian has only one eye, but I set it to have two, although one is always closed. Also, the original setting is a human head on a leopard body, which I found hard to grasp, so I simply changed it to a small leopard).
T/N: Dan Huang translates to Egg Yolk, but it was too much typing egg yolk and eggy my second choice was too girly so I'm sticking with Yolk which isn't wordy and more practical.
American Shorthair
British Shorthair
Lion Cat
Zhu Jian
Ragamuffin
Thanks for the update
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