A rat's innate gift

"So you won't have any time next week either?"

Ding Dang Ear counted on its slender claws, working things out for a long while before finally realizing, dejectedly, that its plans to do business with these young wizards were about to end before they had even begun.

In the end, it could not help checking once more. "No time on weekends, and no time on weekdays either?"

"It's really just that we've been a little too busy lately." Black Cat sat on the ground and shrugged, turning both paws upward in a comical gesture as he explained in a deeply troubled tone, "Didn't we tell you before that we planned to open a little shop on Pedestrian Street in Beta Town? Our club has just rented a place there, and we're getting it ready... We reckon we can open just before Christmas. So whenever we have time these days, we go over there to work."

"And finals are coming up. We have to spend our evenings in the library doing homework and reviewing our coursework," Xiao Xiao added, stressing, "This is Jiuyou Academy. Our grades are the only guarantee that we can stay here. There's no room for negotiation on that."

Watching Ding Dang Ear grow increasingly dejected, until even the whiskers at the corners of its mouth drooped, Black Cat naturally began to worry. He and Xiao Xiao only wanted to buy some time, not shut the door entirely on trading with the Clothed Rats.

"Of course, it's not as though we have absolutely no time." Black Cat coughed softly and gave Xiao Xiao a meaningful glance.

"Mm-hmm. Time is like water in a sponge. Give it a squeeze, and you can always get some out." Dr. Xiao chimed in beside him, agreeing while earnestly marking up his calendar,