Chapter 27: The Doctor Continues His Persuasion

The leader said, “Do you believe I could turn your life into a tragedy?”
With that, he shoved the slip between the doctor’s legs into the sofa. The doctor was utterly terrified; his head slowly turned from the blade to the leader’s face, and he forced a hideous smile, trembling all over.

Outside, a furtive Garfield cat was peering in, casting suspicious glances around.

Inside, the doctor was counting the money in the counter, while the two who had surrounded him earlier kept watch nearby. The leader stood stroking the cat, while the burly man with the machete gnawed at an apple he’d peeled himself, entertaining the hospital’s pet.

Having finished counting, the doctor hurried out, panting as he faced the leader.

“Brother,” the doctor said, “you gave me a thousand for the breeding fee. I’m returning it to you at triple the price now.”

The leader glanced at the pile of notes and coins, then at the doctor, then back at the money.

The doctor continued, “Oh, that’s one hundred and ninety-five. The remaining two thousand eight hundred and eighty-five, I’ll add you on WeChat. I—I’ll pay you in installments.”

The leader stared at the doctor, and once again the air grew tense and silent.

The doctor forced a smile: “Alipay works too.”

The leader picked up a few coins with a smile, then hurled them at the doctor, his expression twisting with fury as he threw, each coin accompanied by a growled, “Do you think we’re here to extort you? Is that it, is it?”

“No, no, of course not!” the doctor replied hastily.

The leader flung another coin. “So you think we’re extortionists? Shameless! My daughter was ruined, toyed with—do you think a bit of money is enough to make me turn a blind eye?”

The doctor shook his head urgently. “No, no, absolutely not.”

The leader pulled out the cleaver, aiming to hack at the bewildered dog lying nearby. The doctor was half-scared to death.

He rushed to intervene: “Don’t, please, brother, you’re like kin to me. This dog has been with me for over ten years. Can you bear it? Please, spare its life! Brother, you’re like family to me.”

The leader turned to him. “See, you care about this dog. That’s exactly how I feel about my daughter. Today, I want you to understand what it means to lose someone you love.”

He raised the cleaver, about to strike, but the doctor hurriedly grabbed him.

“Brother, please, listen to me! Don’t, please, brother.”

Just as the leader was about to bring the blade down, the wind chime above the door rang. A Garfield cat darted inside, glanced around, and meowed. The doctor quickly scooped it up into his arms, finally feeling a sense of relief.

He looked at the cat and murmured gently, “Why did you only just arrive?”

Then he turned to the leader, saying, “Brother, Paul is here.”

The leader handed the cleaver to his subordinate, staring incredulously at the Garfield cat.

“So there really is a Paul!” he exclaimed.

Meanwhile, the car from Store 444 had circled the block several times, but lost the trail here and could only proceed with a slow investigation. Inside, the doctor kept explaining.

“Actually, there’s something I’ve never quite dared to tell you. When Baby first arrived, she fell in love with a little wild cat. Their feelings were so touching, I was deeply moved. But then I realized I was far too naïve. Even when people fall in love and marry, they have to be well matched.”