Why She Took the Old Path, and the Trio Under Scrutiny / The "Weirdo" Group Welcomes a New Member

As soon as she finished speaking, Pardofelis, who had been walking briskly, suddenly exerted force under her feet and darted out like a nimble cat, dodging pedestrians while heading straight for the next fork in the road.

"!"

Pardofelis's sudden action startled Swire, who was following behind her, and she chased after her without thinking.

However, on this street where there was still a relatively large flow of people in the morning, she couldn't be as agile as Pardofelis. So when she rushed to the fork in the road, the person had already disappeared without a trace.

"Hateful,"

Staring at the street where her destination was no longer in sight, Swire couldn't help but punch the wall next to her, saying in frustration.

"She ran away? Did she realize something?" A moment later, Hoshiguma, who had caught up, looked at Swire, whose expression was not good, and asked.

"Yes, she must know I know about her theft. Otherwise, she wouldn't react like this." After hearing Hoshiguma's words, Swire nodded slightly and said with certainty.

Although Swire didn't understand how her knowledge had been exposed, she was quite certain that the guy knew based on Pardofelis's "fleeing" reaction earlier.

Of course, it's possible that he felt guilty, but in the little tiger's opinion, that possibility was too small... After all, if he ran away simply because he felt guilty, wouldn't that directly tell others that he had a problem?

"The strength and agility with which they subdued the criminals... definitely warrants a thorough investigation." Standing to the side, Chen glanced thoughtfully at the aimless, narrow street before him and murmured.

Although she and Hoshiguma were far behind, they still managed to see Pardofelis's agile movements.

If Chen originally wanted to investigate Pardofelis because he trusted his colleague (Char Siu Cat)'s intuition and speculation, now it is because he himself has developed doubts and interest.

"Call..."

After a moment, Swire slowly suppressed her resentment, exhaled a breath of stale air, and then turned to her two friends and colleagues beside her, saying, "Let's go. Continuing to stand here is just a waste of time and has no other value."

"Hmm, shall we continue making visits, Old Chen?"

Upon hearing this, Hoshiguma nodded slightly, then, as if remembering something, turned her gaze to Ch'en, the leader of the special operations team.

As she finished speaking, Swire, who was standing to the side, also turned her gaze over, waiting for someone's reply.

Although the little tiger has her own ambitions and some resentment, it is a fact that Ch'en is now her team leader, and it is necessary to follow the "superior's" arrangements in action.

"Let's try a different area and double-check."

When asked by his two colleagues, Chen thought for a moment and then said...

It's no wonder Chen is wary in this regard; she knows very well what the slums are like and has suffered losses there before... So, just in case, she plans to double-check.

This is to ensure that officers investigating later will not face such great risks or encounter any problems.

"Hmm." ×2

On the other side--

Following the path, she ran all the way to another street. After confirming that Swire wasn't following, Pardofelis patted her chest and stopped, saying:

"Wow, that was close! Luckily I ran fast. I'll never bring Canned Food and make you run so far to find something to eat again."

"Meow!"

Upon hearing this, the Canned Food, perched on Pardofelis's shoulder, protested loudly in dissatisfaction.

"It's no use protesting. If they figure this out, what if they just ambush me next time!" As she spoke, Pardofelis couldn't help but reach out and pinch the chubby cheeks of the Canned Food.

"Meow!"

"Alright, alright, let's put this aside for now. Let's take care of something else first, and once that's resolved, we'll leave as soon as possible." As soon as she finished speaking, Pardofelis seemed to be guided by something, turned around, and disappeared into a small path, leaving the area.

As for what kind of business it was, it was catching thieves, of course.

Just before, when Pardofelis was being chased by Swire and was running away, she accidentally bumped into someone, or rather, she was deliberately bumped into... At the time, she was distracted and focused on what was behind her, so even though she tried her best to dodge, she couldn't avoid grazing the other person.

Why was the cat so sure the other person did it on purpose? Because her wallet was gone, and not only that, the person who bumped into her was a familiar face—a certain purple-haired Cautus.

At the time, she was afraid that Swire and the others might still be secretly following her, so Pardofelis didn't make a fuss about it on the spot. But now that she was sure she had completely shaken them off, she planned to go back and chase after them.

After all, unless she did it willingly, no one could take the money away from the cat!

Besides this reason, curiosity also played a role.

At this moment, both Pardofelis and Senti, who shared her sentiments, were curious as to why Rope, who had just received a large sum of money not long ago, had started to go down the same old path again so soon.

P. S.: My writing skills are back! But only one update today, two updates tomorrow.

Chapter 28 The Reasons for Going Down the Same Old Path and the Trio Being Targeted

"Call..."

Rope rushed into the deserted alley she had chosen beforehand, and only stopped after confirming that no one was chasing her.

Having learned from the previous experience, this time, after successfully Rope, he didn't linger around the scene of the crime. Instead, he ran a long way before stopping.

To be Rope, even if I ran this far, I probably would still be caught if I ran into that weirdo again. But, well, no one can always be unlucky...

Last time I tried to steal something, I ran into a weirdo. I can't afford to run into another one this time, can I?

"Phew... cough, I'm exhausted."

After resting for a while and recovering, Rope muttered something under his breath before reaching into his pocket to pull out his "spoils of war."

"This wallet looks much better than the last one... It's a pity I can't keep it." Looking at the cute light purple wallet with a cat's head printed on it, and then thinking about the other one she was carrying, Rope couldn't help but mutter to herself.

After venting his frustrations, Rope finally opened his wallet to check his haul.

Just then, a helpless sigh suddenly rang out in the deserted, quiet alley.

"Oh dear, after all those turns, it's been quite a search!"

"!"

The sudden sound of a woman's voice made An Rope pause in his movements, his heart skipped a beat, and he knew something was wrong.

Just as she was about to toss her wallet aside and make a hasty escape, the figure that suddenly appeared before her eyes thwarted her plan, or rather, her anticipated action.

"Hmm... let me think, is it called 'Rope'?"

Looking at An Rope, who was smiling but secretly extremely wary, like a frightened rabbit ready to run away at any moment, Pardofelis gently stroked her chin and said.

"Haha, no... I don't have a name."

Upon hearing this, Rope was startled again, then chuckled in response. Although she didn't know how the person in front of her knew her name, she had no intention of acknowledging him.

Not only did she have no intention of admitting guilt, Rope was also frantically searching and thinking about her next escape route. Although she was incredibly unlucky to be caught a second time, she definitely didn't want to go to jail if she could.

Although they provide food and lodging, the constant ideological education is incredibly annoying...

"Lying won't work; we already know your name."

After hearing Rope's sophistry, Pardofelis shrugged and continued, "I have a few questions for you. If you answer honestly, we can let this matter go."

"What... is it?"

"Let's get this straight, I don't know anything about those important, confidential matters... After all, I'm just a nobody." With that, Rope shrugged helplessly at Pardofelis in front of him.

Honestly, Rope had originally planned a frantic escape, but who knew things would take such a turn, and now there's actually a sliver of a chance to confront them head-on.

"Don't worry, it's nothing serious that would make things difficult for you."

Pardofelis paused to organize her thoughts before asking, "I'm just curious, didn't you just make so much money before? Why did you suddenly go back to your old ways?"

"!"

Upon hearing this, Rope, though outwardly expressionless, was surprised for the third time in such a short time. At the same time, her vigilance towards the seemingly harmless Feline reached its peak.

"... What else could it be? The money was stolen. This place is such a mixed bag, isn't it normal for someone to rob someone?" As he said this, Rope couldn't help but curl his lip, looking completely indifferent.

Don't be fooled by Rope's nonchalant attitude in front of Pardofelis now... she was heartbroken about this a few days ago. After all, no one can remain calm and resentful when they lose their food and livelihood.

Even Rope, who had been working in this city for a long time and had witnessed all sorts of things, was no exception.

"..."

Upon hearing this answer, before Pardofelis could say anything more, Senti, who had been "peeping" from the back, couldn't help but say:

'Who dares to steal what I gave them! Pardofelis, summon me here right now!'

' Senti, don't panic. If you suddenly appear, it will definitely scare this ordinary guy, Rope. Let us handle this...'

After hearing Senti's words, in order to avoid trouble, Pardofelis quickly reassured herself.

"..."

Looking at the person in front of him who had suddenly fallen into a daze after hearing his answer, Rope for a moment, weighed the pros and cons, suppressed his urge to run away, and then cautiously asked, "Um... sir, are you finished asking your questions?"

Rope's cautious words brought Pardofelis back to her senses. Then, remembering the results of her conversation with Senti, she took a few steps forward, patted someone on the shoulder, and said earnestly:

"So, young lady, come work for us! We'll provide food, lodging, and wages!"

"!?"

On the other side of the slum--

"Old Chen, can you feel it?"

Hoshiguma, who was walking at the back of the group, seemed to have noticed something and spoke to her two colleagues with a calm expression.

"Yes, I sensed it. We've been watched ever since we entered this area. We just don't know what their purpose is yet." Upon hearing this, Chen lowered his voice without turning his head and remained calm.

"However, just to be safe, let's not split up this time."

"Okay, so what are the next steps?"

Although Swire could roughly guess what Chen would do next, just in case, she still lowered her voice and asked again.

"Continue the investigation as planned, and see what these guys who are targeting us are really after." As he finished speaking, Chen looked at the street in front of him, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes again, as if he were thinking about something.

"The identities of those people are almost confirmed; they should be police officers. We..."

"Wait for the right moment to act... drive them out; these kinds of people aren't welcome here."

P. S.: There was another update this morning, which counts as yesterday's. I'll continue writing today's update tonight... I did write one last night, but the quality wasn't great, and I didn't have the energy to revise it, so I didn't post it. I'll revise the other one properly later and then update.

Finally, the cat got a little brother (or sister).

Chapter 29 The "Weirdo" Group Gains a New Member

"!?"

"Eh... no... why?"

Pardofelis's sudden invitation completely stunned Rope, who couldn't even maintain her usual "frivolous" smile.

"There's no need for a reason for this, but if you insist on asking for one, it's probably because I see you have exceptional talent and want to mentor you?" Pardofelis thought for a moment before answering Rope's question.

Of course, the reasons given by Maomao above cannot be considered lies, but they are not entirely unfounded either. Putting aside other factors, without Senti's promises or agreements, she simply couldn't be bothered to bring anyone along...

After all, having to consider other people besides yourself is a really troublesome thing.

"Huh? I'm exceptionally talented...? Are you kidding me!?" Pardofelis's words successfully turned Rope into astonishment.

To be honest, Miss Purple Rabbit never thought she had anything extraordinary about her that would be considered a special talent by others.

"Of course, would I lie to you?"

Meow~

No sooner had Pardofelis finished speaking than she, who had been rummaging through the Canned Food behind her, couldn't help but pop her head out and let out a soft cry of agreement.

"... Can I refuse?"

Looking at the smiling face and the cat in front of him, which held an undeniable air of authority, Rope silent for a moment before tentatively speaking.

Upon hearing this, Pardofelis lightly flicked her long tail and then replied "righteously":

"Of course... no way! If you follow me, you won't lose out, and you'll even make money!"

He glanced at the resolute Pardofelis before him, then Rope his eyes to hide the "scheming" in them, and sighed helplessly, spreading his hands:

"Sigh... alright, alright, I admit defeat this time... May I ask how this gentleman is addressed? Here, this is your wallet."

After saying that, Miss Purple Rabbit very sensibly handed over her wallet and money to Pardofelis with both hands.