September 5th, Thursday.
Overcast.
Chen Yuan was sleeping soundly when a phone call jolted him awake. Still groggy, he reached out and answered it. "Hello, who is this?"
"Brother Yuan, you're still asleep? We've gone to the rescue station to wait for you." Zhang Hao's voice sounded distant, as though it came from another world, yet in that instant it yanked Chen Yuan out of his dreams.
He gave a violent start and instantly woke up. "Alright, alright, I'll be right there."
After hanging up, he swiftly got out of bed, dressed, washed up, and woke Cola, who was sleeping like the dead.
"This dumb dog. Can't you wake up before me even once?" Chen Yuan muttered, pushing open the door.
"Awoo..."
Still muddled, Cola trailed behind him, swaying from side to side, its mouth opening and closing as though it hovered on the border between wakefulness and sleep.
"Spark."
The Sparkling Flying Cat had been awakened by the commotion from man and pet. It squinted at them, but the boundless drowsiness swallowed it up again.
It instinctively shifted positions, curled itself into a tight ball against the carpet, and fell back into a deep sleep.
Chen Yuan took Spark and Cola and sped all the way to the wildlife rescue station.
A few days ago, he had promised Song Guohao that he would help guide his former colleagues. The time had been set for this morning.
"I'm not late, am I?" Seeing Zhang Hao already waiting at the entrance, Chen Yuan hurried over.
"Perfect timing. We only just arrived too." Zhang Hao shook his head and stepped aside. "Let's head in first."
In the broad open space inside the rescue station, Song Guohao and another former colleague had been waiting eagerly.
After some polite conversation, Song Guohao pointed at