Tama the Tabby Cat and the Green Snake / The Yuihama Center Welcomes a Green Snake as a New Friend

Although this Pet Center is named after her surname, it was actually built with Shirou's money and effort. Yuihama's family is just an ordinary middle-class family and can't help her much. If it were up to her, she would probably only be able to rent a shop and open a small veterinary clinic by now.

Therefore, whether it's the staff at the Pet Center, the ordinary pets, or the magical creatures here, they all benefit more from Shirou's kindness. Yuihama is just one of the doctors at the medical center, only with the additional title of director.

"Why do you all like Shirou so much?" Yuihama asked, looking at the little animals.

"Huh? It's because Shirou's eyes are so gentle. He doesn't use them like other humans do. No wonder he's the man I've chosen! If I were human, I would definitely make him my senior." The bluebird Bibi its wings and said, beeping.

The pink bird also said, "Yes, Shirou doesn't treat everyone as inferior beings, but as members of the family he lives with, so..."

"He doesn't discriminate against anyone, whether it's a stray cat, a stray dog, or a valuable pet, he treats them all equally. He probably treats even pandas the same way. I like Shirou for that." A crow said in a low voice.

"Hmm." The kittens and squirrels around them all nodded.

"No, no, putting everything else aside, how should I put it about pandas..." Yuihama somewhat uncertain dry laugh, after all, this is a world that values appearance.

Besides, this isn't a super famous zoo, so you don't qualify to adopt pandas here. Even if you did qualify, you couldn't afford to keep one; panda rental fees are the highest among all animals in the world.

Furthermore, buying and selling is prohibited; it can only be rented. Ownership still belongs to China. If such a panda-themed mythical beast is discovered, it can only belong to China.

"We prefer you, Yui, Yui that man. Of course, we have to admit that he's a warrior worth taking seriously." At that moment, four little wolfhound puppies came running over, wagging their tails. Although they were still puppies, they had a very arrogant expression.

"Haha, thank you." Yuihama looked at the four wolf-dog quadruplets and replied with a smile. When these four children were brought here, they were already severely injured, supposedly from fighting a ferocious phantom beast in the forest.

The wounds at the time could only be described as horrific; it took her a great deal of effort to save them.

"Well, Yuihama's eyes are so gentle, we all like you," said the blue-headed bird.

"Me too!" The other pets also came over, rubbing against and licking the woman to show their affection and fondness.

"Hahaha, it tickles, everyone, wait... don't lick there~!" Yuihama a group of pets, fell to the ground, and let out bursts of giggles.

At that moment, a red mountain bike roared smoothly, driven by a lean, red-haired man wearing sunglasses. He gripped the handlebars and sped along the mountain road, traversing barren peaks before coming to a stop. In the distance, some buildings and tall chimneys belching white smoke could be seen – a factory far from the city.

"Master, is this the place?" A Calico Cat, also wearing sunglasses, asked from the front seat.

"Yes, that's the place." Shirou took off his sunglasses, his Eagle Eye scanning the factory area, and nodded.

Besides the ordinary factory buildings, there was an abandoned factory building at the very back, which was now surrounded by a fence and guarded by a group of men in black, which was highly suspicious.

Inside this abandoned factory, the most ferocious creature isn't a lion or a tiger. It's a monster that even a middle-aged man couldn't tame with his eyes, but it's precisely because of this that it possesses true value.

Inside a high-hardness, specially tempered glass case, coiled a black-spotted blue snake. What made this snake unique was the pair of black antlers on its head, somewhat resembling deer antlers, which gave it a distinctively noble appearance.

Inside a specially tempered glass case with high hardness, a black-spotted blue snake coiled. Its body wasn't particularly thick, but it was over two meters long. It opened its mouth and breathed flames at the glass outside. Unfortunately, this glass was specially made, resistant to high temperatures and impacts, and even a sniper rifle couldn't easily penetrate it.

From the gaping maw of the dark blue snake, scorching crimson flames spewed forth, yet it crashed against the glass wall and could not budge an inch. It struggled incessantly, finally collapsing to the ground, its body curled up helplessly.

Standing outside the tempered glass case was the middle-aged man Yakuza Boss, followed by a group of Japanese men in black suits. Their faces were stained red by the rising and falling flames, and their eyes gleamed with the fire of desire.

"Haha, this is truly spectacular!"

"It can breathe fire and has horns on its head; it's practically a legendary dragon! Boss, the person offering the bounty says they'll pay US dollars 20 million. We've hit the jackpot this time, haven't we?"

"Hmph! Twenty million? We lost seven brothers along the way to catch it. Two of them are severely burned and are beyond saving. The other five are also in the hospital."

The bearded man who was leading the group spoke authoritatively, but then he changed his tune and laughed, saying, "Tell the buyer that we're not delivering this time. We'll auction it off in Macau the day after tomorrow! I'm going to make at least a hundred million from him!!!"

"Yes! Boss is brilliant!"

"Idiot! Dragons hold special significance for China. Even the dragon head severed from the Old Summer Palace was worth a fortune to send back home, let alone a real dragon. Of course, in reality, dragons have a profound influence on all Eastern Country, but everyone knows that the wealthiest people are in China these days! Call the biggest auction house in Macau and say we've caught a Chinese Dragon near East China Sea Huangwei Island."

"But... Boss, isn't this green snake a mutated grass snake caught at a temple in the mountains of Japan?" the young man under his command asked hesitantly.

The boss slapped the young man and yelled:

"Baka! Snakes can't talk. As long as we say they're from China, then they're from China! As long as I can make money, I'll say Japan is from China, I'll say it without hesitation!"

"Yes! Boss is wise!" the young man who had been hit said in a deep voice, covering his face.

"Don't worry, just do your job well! If you sell it for a good price, your bonuses will naturally be even higher!" The boss said, trying to appease his subordinates after beating them up.

"Yes!! Long live the boss!!!" the men in black around them shouted excitedly.

"Hahaha! That's it! All of you, perk up! You won't be treated badly if you work for me," the boss said, laughing loudly.

"Yes!! Long live the boss!!!" the men in black replied with exaggerated enthusiasm.

"Very good! Then I'll leave this place to the brothers! Here, this is for supper. Make sure you guard this place well." The boss took out his wallet from his pocket, pulled out several ten-thousand-yuan bills, and stuffed them into the hand of the captain of the men in black.

"Yes! Thank you, boss!" the men in black replied.

However, their smiles were destined not to last until tomorrow, as Shirou and Calico Cat had already quietly approached the factory from the other side of the hill.

Chapter 606 The Calico Cat Xiaoyu and the Green Snake

That night, the security captain assigned manpower according to the plan. First, the men in black, carrying stun batons for taming animals, were divided into four groups of two people each, who guarded the four iron gates of the factory. They were responsible for keeping watch and monitoring any movements outside, serving as the first line of defense.

Then inside the factory, four groups were also assigned at the entrance, two people per group, except that each person had a shotgun slung over their waist.

The captain himself brought a chair, sat down next to the tempered glass, and stood ready, guarding every corner.

However, most seemingly impenetrable fortifications are always breached from the inside.

After nightfall, all the other factory workers had already left, and the surroundings were pitch black. A van that could carry many people drove in from the bottom of the mountain road. It turned out that the deliveryman who had gone down the mountain to buy late-night snacks had returned.

"Here I am, guys! I've brought back the midnight snacks!"

"Oh, this is for the brothers outside, but let me take it to the captain inside first, then we'll eat." The errand boy hurried towards the door, calling out to the captain solicitously.

"Tch, bootlicker." The guard standing at the outer gate chuckled and cursed.

The door was pushed open, and the errand boy respectfully handed over a large bag, which was about 70% full of money meant for late-night snacks, including various snacks and a large bag of several hundred skewers of Skewers.

Meanwhile, the younger guys outside are armed with stun guns and fed only ordinary fast food—a blatant case of discrimination. But here, let's call it a class system. The juniors must obey the seniors who debuted earlier.

"Yes, thank you for your hard work." The captain nodded as he accepted the portions from the other members.

"Um... Captain?" The underling was a little stunned. He hadn't expected that after running errands for so long, all he got in return was this sentence.

"Hmm? Is there anything else?" the captain asked in a deep voice.

"Ah... no, it's nothing..." Hearing this tone, the younger brother didn't dare to say anything more.

The captain waved his hand and said, "Go back to your posts if there's nothing else to do. Keep a close eye on things outside, and let us know if anyone comes. Also, don't drink tonight. The boss will make arrangements after this shipment is delivered."

"Uh... ah... yes." The younger brother nodded blankly in agreement.

"Haha, you've tried to flatter me but failed miserably," the guard outside laughed, patting the stunned errand boy vigorously.

The deliveryman said, feeling wronged, "No... I drove over ten kilometers to buy these things... and I even paid for the gas..."

"Alright, here you go. A bento box is fine, it's better than going hungry." The guard snatched the small bag from the errand boy and began distributing it to everyone.

Just then, something fell in through the window.

"What's that sound?!" The black-clad guards on all four sides of the factory nervously drew their guns and pointed them into the shadows.

"Meow~!" At that moment, a meow came from the shadows, and a Calico Cat slowly walked out and ran towards the guards who were having a midnight snack.

"What's going on?!" The guard outside the door shouted when he heard the commotion.

"It's nothing, it's nothing, just a cat that crawled in. You guys keep watch," the person inside replied.

"Oh, it's just a stray cat." The guard outside shook his head and cursed under his breath. "It must be the smell of meat they were eating."

Inside the factory, a guard who was having a late-night snack waved his hand and said, "Go away, there's nothing for you to eat here, and this isn't a place for you. Otherwise, we'll feed you to the lions."

"Wait, let them see." Another guard laughed, grabbed the Calico Cat, and led it toward his companion at the other door.

"Haha, look closely, it's this little thing. Look how scared you were earlier."

"Meow!!!" The Calico Cat Xiaoyu suddenly jumped up, her thick, long tail wrapping around the face of one of the men in black. Then, she swung her claws left and right, taking down two men in black.

"Whoa! This cat-pawed man!"

Those outside, hearing the commotion inside, thought it was just a stray cat and couldn't possibly cause any problems, so they all shook their heads with smiles.

"Serves them right. Why are we stuck outside, sitting here in the wind, eating fast food, while they get to eat well?" the delivery guy muttered.

"Waaah!" The man in black, whose face was covered, couldn't breathe and fainted. The Calico Cat, Xiaoyu, turned around, dodged the man in black's hand, and then turned around to wrap her tail around the fourth man in black. In less than five minutes, Xiaoyu had taken care of half of the eight guards in the room.

The guards at the other gates, seeing this from afar and realizing they were being tossed around by a wild cat, all burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, what are you guys doing, huh!?"

At first, they thought it was just a scratch from a kitten that caused them to fall. But upon closer inspection, they discovered the wound was frighteningly deep, almost like a tiger or lion's scratch. Their teammate was truly incapacitated.

"Watch out! There's something wrong with this cat!" The other guards drew their guns, ready to fire, but the Calico Cat, Xiaoyu, kept sticking to the man in black. Fearing an accidental discharge, the guards could only hold back.

"Kill them! Do it right! Lynx! Watch out! Those pebbles that thing shoots hurt!" The glass tank rattled as it was hit. The green snake inside looked out, its mouth spewing flames, and shouted excitedly, sometimes with a hint of nervousness.

"Meow~! I'm not a lynx! Meow is my owner's cute house cat's woof~!" the Calico Cat retorted.

The Calico Cat spun 360 degrees in the air, bouncing like a ball, and flew towards the black-clad guards at the other side of the door, crashing into their heads and collapsing to the ground unconscious.

At this moment, the man in black captain, who was guarding the glass tank in the center of the room, stood up, drew his gun, and pointed it at the Calico Cat. He was a ruthless man, though not as terrifying as the boss, but to survive and be promoted under such a person, he had no choice but to be ruthless.

The underworld is inherently a lawless zone where rules are disregarded. However, in order to maintain order within the circle, new rules are established within the bounds of the lawless. But the rise of each new leader is often built on breaking the rules, so every time it inevitably stirs up a storm of bloodshed.

"Never mind that, fire! If anything goes wrong with the goods, the boss won't let us off the hook! Then nobody's going to survive!" the security captain ordered with a ferocious grin.

"Yes!" The two guards at the last door gritted their teeth and raised their pistols, only to be struck by two tranquilizer darts thrown from the air and fall to the ground as well.

At the same time, a masked man in a red and black bodysuit jumped down from the ceiling, landed behind the black-clad security captain, snatched the pistol from his hand, turned it upside down, and pointed it at his head.

"Who are you people?" The man in black captain asked, trying to appear calm as his hand, which was numb from the shock, reached behind his back for the communicator, but found nothing there.

Suddenly, the Calico Cat Xiaoyu appeared behind him, snatched the communicator attached to its back, and was now holding it in its mouth, squeezing it with its sharp teeth.

"This tastes awful, meow~! Ptooey, meow~!" Xiaoyu spat out the fragments of the communicator with disgust.

"Tama, stop biting, you'll get a stomachache." Shirou looked at his cat and complained, then calmly said to the man in black captain, "Give up, you're no match for us."

The black-clad security captain clearly didn't understand what Xiaoyu was saying, treating her like a well-trained cat. He looked at Shirou and said, "Young man, although you are very capable and have trained a powerful cat, do you understand whose territory this is? What you're doing isn't something that can be easily resolved. You truly don't know your place!"

Shirou said dismissively, "No, rather, you're the ones who's too audacious. You're just ordinary people, yet you dare to hunt dangerous mythical beasts for a little money. Do you think you can afford to risk your lives and your families for such a small amount? That's not something you can touch!"

Chapter 607 Yuihama Center Welcomes a New Partner: Blue Snake

The security captain sneered, "Heh, in our line of work, everything is risked with our lives. We've already put our heads on the line."

"Could you cooperate and release this green snake?" Shirou asked.

"Meow~!" The Calico Cat, Xiaoyu, brandished her claws menacingly.

"Hmph! It's no use talking to me. The remote control isn't with me, and nobody here can open this special glass tank. You've made a wasted trip," the security captain said with a deep laugh.

"Is that so!" Shirou tapped the security captain on the neck, and the man immediately passed out. It was unnecessary; Shirou was an expert at analyzing this type of equipment.

Shirou walked up to the glass tank. The blue snake inside had also witnessed the previous battle and was now curiously observing the young man.

"Are you alright? I'm Shirou, and this is Tama. Anyway, let's get you out of here first and heal your wounds. If you want to go back to your old life, we'll send you back. So don't be nervous, I'll release you now," Shirou said to the blue snake inside the glass enclosure.

"Human, can you understand me? You seem a bit different from those dark creatures from before, hmm? You seem slightly more handsome? Ugh? Could this feeling be..."

Shirou activated his Reinforcement Magic, analyzed the basic structure, modified it, and then manipulated the machine to lift the fiberglass lid. He smiled at the blue snake inside and said, "Alright, can you come out now?"

The green snake flicked its tongue, straightened its long body, and with a light leap, half of its body jumped out of the glass tank. Its tail was coiled on the glass tank, and its pair of emerald-gold vertical pupils were fixed on Shirou. It leaned forward and kept getting closer to Shirou, stopping only when its tongue was about to touch Shirou.

After a while, the green snake looked at the human in front of her and said, "Human? Your name is Shirou, right? I'm Little Qing. Did you come to take me away? You didn't come to sell me, nor to hurt me?"

"Yes, I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to protect you, Little Qing. Would you like to come with me?" Shirou asked with a gentle smile.

"Yes, since you say so, Shirou, then I will go with you. I will follow you wherever you go." The blue snake slid out of the glass tank, raised its head on the ground, and stood at the height of a girl who was about 1.56 meters tall. Like a well-bred young lady, it bowed its head and greeted Shirou.

At that moment, the Calico Cat Tama bristled on the ground and warned Shirou, "Meow!!! Shirou, this child is dangerous!"

"Alright, Tama, since the language can reach the other party, there won't be any problems." Shirou said with a smile, looking at the blue snake. In this world, he had taken in quite a few children to the greenhouse, some of whom were actually no less dangerous than the snake in front of him.

We got through it the same way back then, so as long as we can communicate verbally, many misunderstandings can be resolved. At most, some children might be a little naughty or willful. As long as their needs are met, there shouldn't be any danger.

However, he was clearly being too naive. Mythical beasts possess a certain level of intelligence, at least in many ways they are no less intelligent than humans. If some strange, love-struck individuals appear, they might have a unique pursuit of love.

The blue snake inherited the power of the legendary demon Kiyohime, possessing the genes of an Eastern Dragon species and the ability to breathe fire. However, she also has a more subtle ability: to see through lies. Therefore, she understands that everything Shirou said was true, and that he genuinely wanted to protect her.

"Is this a fateful encounter?" The green snake tilted her head, coiled her body, and leaned against Shirou's chest, sighing shyly. She felt that happiness had come too quickly; she had originally thought she would have to cultivate for a hundred years and transform into a human before she could find true love.

"No way, meow~!!" said Calico Cat, her fur standing on end.

Xiaoyu sensed that she had encountered an unprecedented formidable opponent this time.

Sizzle!!!

The sound of several cars screeching to a halt could be heard outside.

Even though the Calico Cat Xiaoyu destroyed the communicator, it seemed that the other side was in regular communication with the security captain. So as soon as they sensed something was wrong, the gang leader, who was resting, immediately called his men and rushed over.

"It seems there's no way to rescue these animals. Let's call the police later." Shirou glanced at the other animals in the warehouse and made a decision. He Projection images of mechanical discs that he threw towards the four doorways, and the discs, flashing red, stuck to the back of the doors.