Survival Instinct Overflowing

Originally, Oaks's plan was to take Zhang back to treat his wounds and, at most, help him find a place to stay—a small favor for this unlucky kid who was three-quarters of a fellow countryman.

As for Goose, keeping her at home not only provided a lethal guardian for the house but also served as the perfect cover for his own orange cat form.

Although he now possessed the strength to deal with the vast majority of threats and could begin the next phase of his plan, the identity he had worked so hard to cultivate was still lacking.

It was still a bit too early for his abilities to be exposed.

He shouldn't have been getting involved with ordinary people in the first place; that was a large part of why he had turned down such generous research offers.

Yet, he never expected that once Goose opened her mouth...

"Emerald Dream" plant shop.

The shop door remained closed, a "Closed" sign hanging in the window.

Oaks had originally intended to relax and enjoy a pleasant birthday today; he had even planned to head to Chinatown on 8th Avenue to indulge in some authentic Chinese food.

But now, looking at Zhang, who was still unconscious on the sofa, he was troubled.

What to do? He didn't know how to perform memory modification.

Kill him to keep him quiet?

When Zhang groggily opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Oaks staring straight at him, a flash of murderous intent seemingly crossing his eyes.

"Ah! Great Hero... Master... No, Immortal, spare my life!"

The overwhelming instinct for survival instantly cleared Zhang's muddled head. He tumbled off the sofa in a clumsy heap, barely managing to avoid face-planting on the floor.

Not daring to even let out a scream, Zhang immediately transitioned into a full kowtow:

"Immortal! Zhang Shuren is willing to serve you, and I will never breathe a word about the existence of you... er, and your spirit pet! If I break this oath, may I be struck by lightning!"

"..."

Oaks was left stunned by Zhang's performance, and it took a moment before he rubbed his temples, caught between laughter and tears.

"Enough, you've read too many xianxia novels, haven't you? What immortals and spirit pets... get up, I wasn't going to kill you."

No, you definitely thought about it!

Zhang wailed internally. What immortal? That's just a survival tactic... that was clearly a demon lord and his demonic pet!

"Uh... thank you, Immortal, for sparing my life!"

Foreign countries are so dangerous... but at least I kept my life.

Zhang felt bitter inside. First, he got beaten up just for watching the commotion, and then he saw...

Hm?

Zhang stroked his chin, lost in thought. Come to think of it, it wasn't entirely unacceptable.

"Any thoughts?"

Oaks was a bit surprised. This guy seemed to have calmed down immediately?

Was the younger generation these days this accepting of anomalous phenomena?

"Ah, Immo..."

"You'd better just call me Mr. Oaks. After all, unlike some stuck-up guy, I don't need others to constantly emphasize my academic credentials."

Oaks looked at the bewildered Zhang and smiled, extending his right hand.

"You are currently in my shop, which is also my home. Let me reintroduce myself: I am Oaks Lin, Chinese name Lin Xingye, a PhD in Biology from Cornell University, and the owner of this plant shop, 'Emerald Dream'."

"Ah... Dr. Lin!"

Zhang froze for a second before bolting up from the sofa. The previous incident was already pushed to the back of his mind, replaced by excitement and respect.

He hurriedly gripped Oaks's extended right hand with both of his, his words tumbling out in an excited, incoherent mess:

"I should have recognized you sooner! You're the genius biologist who single-handedly propelled the Cornell University biology department into the top three in the nation two years ago—

You're only 23! Only three years older than me. At 23, I don't even know if I'll successfully graduate with my master's..."

"Uh, am I really that famous?"

Oaks scratched his head. He had been out of school for two years; how did a student from a different university know him?

"You're ethnic Chinese!"

"...Alright, a 20-year-old graduate student, and from Columbia no less. You're not exactly an average student yourself, and for an international student, your English is surprisingly good."

Shrugging, Oaks pulled his hand away from Zhang's grip and gave a light cough.

"Anyway, just now, you saw some special things. What are your thoughts?"

Zhang shivered. His reverence for his senior was instantly shattered by the cold reality—the Dr. Lin in front of him wasn't just a simple biology PhD.

Wait, biology...

"So that's it!"

Zhang's eyes widened, a look of sudden realization dawning on his face:

"That big orange cat, is it your creation? Are you conducting research into biological modification?"

"Uh... you could say that, I suppose. I enjoyed reading the Classic of Mountains and Seas when I was a child."

Oaks's lips curled slightly; this was the benefit of having a status.

If the Mystic Society were to trigger unnecessary panic and speculation, then matters within the realm of science were far easier to accept—especially when the person in question was an intellectual.

"Truly... a shocking achievement!"

Zhang grew excited:

"Lin... er, Mr. Oaks, I also enjoyed reading Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio when I was a child—and I just remembered, back in my hometown, there are many strange legends too!"

"Strange legends?"

Oaks rubbed his chin. No wonder this guy had such a high level of acceptance, but Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio? Are you serious?

"That's right, my hometown is in Hunan, and my alma mater is Hunan University—I was sent by my university on a government scholarship to study for my master's at Columbia University."

Speaking of this, Zhang looked a bit proud; after all, a government-sponsored international student of this caliber was not something an ordinary straight-A student could achieve.

However, once he thought of the identity of the person before him, he gave a light cough and calmed down:

"My major is in the Department of Environmental Science, but I also have a lot of research into veterinary medicine.

Because I really love cats and dogs as pets, but I couldn't keep any while I was in school, so that's why..."

Smiling sheepishly, Zhang put on a mysterious expression:

"Mr. Oaks, in my hometown of Hunan, there are legends of an extraordinary person who attained immortality... It is said that he built a powerful organization that has been passed down for thousands of years, and many historical events are related to him!

So, regarding cat demons... er, modified creatures or whatever, it's just a drizzle!"

"..."

Oaks did not just listen to it like a joke and let it pass.

Hunan, a powerful organization passed down for thousands of years, an immortal extraordinary person...

Why did it feel so similar to a promotional video he had seen before he transmigrated?

Well, at least this troublesome guy wouldn't have any psychological barriers now.

And this guy isn't just a cat person; he likes dogs too?

But for the sake of safety...

"Hmm, Zhang, I'll just call you that, is that alright?"

Seeing Zhang nod repeatedly, Oaks smiled:

"Goose, that is the big orange cat, well, she is very important to my research, so I hope that before I make it public, the news won't leak out from your end, hmm?"

"No problem! That goes without saying!" Zhang swore an oath.

"Very well, then since that's the case, we can consider ourselves fated.

You don't need to go out and look for a place to stay; just live here with me."

Oaks pointed upstairs:

"There is an independent two-bedroom suite on the second floor. That's where I lived when I was a child, so you can stay there."

"Ah, Mr. Oaks, that's too much trouble for you..."

Zhang had just started to politely decline when he saw Goose sauntering over. He quietly wiped the sweat from his brow:

"Then, the rent..."

"Help me look after the shop when you don't have classes to offset the rent. I'll provide meals, and the salary won't be lower than what you'd earn working part-time at school.

Your student visa doesn't allow you to work off-campus, but here, no one will come to check on you."

"Deal!"