Translator: CinderTL
Star City Academy.
Feng Qi, with Three-Tailed perched on his right shoulder, immediately drew the attention of many students as he entered the cafeteria.
While Star City Academy didn't explicitly prohibit students and teachers from keeping pets, it wasn't encouraged either. As a result, pet cats and dogs were rarely seen on campus.
After grabbing a tray, he headed to the buffet area to select his meal.
The sight of the abundant food made Three-Tailed's eyes widen. If Feng Qi hadn't laid down strict rules beforehand, the cat's unrestrained nature would have led him to pounce on the food immediately.
"Point to what you want, and I'll get it for you," Feng Qi said.
Three-Tailed nodded frantically, then extended his paw to point greedily at various dishes.
Following Three-Tailed's instructions, Feng Qi filled a tray with food and headed to a corner of the cafeteria.
Lin Ran and Mu Qing were already there.
Their eyes widened in surprise when they saw Three-Tailed perched on Feng Qi's shoulder.
"Brother Qi, when did you get a pet?" Lin Ran asked.
"A classmate from Star City No. 1 High School gave him to me," Feng Qi replied with a smile. "I'm keeping him to lift my spirits."
After settling into the seat next to Lin Ran and placing his tray down, Feng Qi patted Three-Tailed's head. "Eat up."
Hearing this, Three-Tailed pounced on the food like a hungry predator, devouring the contents of the tray in large bites.
"Brother Qi, pets kept at the academy require special registration. Have you gotten your pet license yet?" Lin Ran asked curiously.
Feng Qi paused, surprised. He hadn't even considered this.
Reluctant to bother Bai Fusheng again, he immediately asked, "How do I get a pet license?"
"I'll go with you after we finish eating," Lin Ran offered. "It's more complicated for students, but as a teacher, you should just need to fill out a form and follow the procedure."
Lin Ran turned to look at Three-Tailed. "Brother Qi, what breed of cat is this? It seems so intelligent. When you turned your head earlier, it actually gave you a disdainful look!"
Lin Ran reached out to pet Three-Tailed.
Three-Tailed immediately retreated a step, its expression wary.
"Such an adorable little cat! Now I want to get one too," Yang Xiaoxin at the next table chimed in, her eyes sparkling with interest.
The charming Three-Tailed had instantly become the center of attention.
Seemingly indifferent to the surrounding gazes, Three-Tailed lowered its head and continued devouring its food.
Seeing this, Feng Qi also began to eat heartily.
Soon, the plate was empty. Still not satisfied, Three-Tailed lunged at Mu Qing's plate, trying to snatch some food.
Mu Qing glanced up, her eyes meeting the cat's.
The Three-Tailed, who had been bouncing with excitement just moments before, froze in place, its fur standing on end.
Its instinctive sense of danger gave it the false impression that taking another step forward would mean instant death.
"Brother Qi, why is your cat's fur standing up like that?" Lin Ran asked curiously.
"It's nothing. This dumb cat does this sometimes," Brother Qi replied dismissively.
He glanced at Mu Qing, then back at the now-petrified Three-Tailed, and quickly understood what was happening.
Mu Qing's aura had clearly overwhelmed the Three-Tailed.
This made him even more curious about the rune crystal embedded in Mu Qing's body.
In the Dream Realm, even when captured by the Mist-Dyed, the Three-Tailed had never shown such terror.
Now, the Three-Tailed seemed completely suppressed by Mu Qing's aura, its entire body rigid.
Seeing this, Mu Qing grew curious as well and reached out to stroke the Three-Tailed's head.
Sensing Mu Qing's kindness, the Three-Tailed forced out a fawning expression, licking her hand obsequiously and even rolling over on the spot in a pathetic attempt to be cute.
Lin Ran, watching from the side, immediately reached out to pet it as well.
The Three-Tailed's expression instantly changed. It bared its teeth and retreated a step.
That cowardly Three-Tailed is such a wimp. We should just slaughter it and make soup. It's embarrassing to keep it around.
Ignoring the Narrator's snide remarks, Feng Qi picked up his tray and stood up, preparing to get more food.
"Three-Tailed!" he called out.
Hearing his shout, Three-Tailed immediately leaped from the table onto Feng Qi's shoulder.
The lunch lasted quite a while.
After finishing their meal, Feng Qi and Lin Ran left the Academy Cafeteria.
The two then headed straight for the Academy Administration Office.
The Academy Administration Office was located in an eight-story building south of the sports field.
Each floor housed several offices responsible for different administrative tasks, including pet registration.
After consulting the office directory on the lobby wall, Feng Qi and Lin Ran took the elevator to the fifth floor.
They arrived at Room 508, where a sign on the door read "Pet Registration Office."
Feng Qi knocked, and a young woman's voice called out from inside, "Come in."
He pushed open the door to reveal a room less than a hundred square meters in size.
A woman in a Star City Academy staff uniform was tending to a pet dog's wounds. She looked up as they entered.
Seeing Feng Qi, her expression immediately turned surprised.
"Are you Feng Qi?"
In response to her question, Feng Qi cradled Three-Tailed in his arms and smiled. "Hello, I'm Feng Qi, the teacher of Combat Class Three. I'd like to register my pet."
The woman glanced at the Three-Tailed in Feng Qi's arms, her curiosity piqued.
"What breed of cat is this?" she asked.
"I'm not sure. Probably a mixed breed," Feng Qi replied.
"Come here, let me take a look." The woman reached out to the Three-Tailed, her interest growing.
Seeing this, the Three-Tailed haughtily lifted its head, striking a pose of aloof indifference.
"Behave," Feng Qi warned.
Faced with Feng Qi's "threat," the Three-Tailed reluctantly leaped into the woman's arms.
After a thorough examination, the woman's expression turned puzzled.
"I can't identify this cat's breed either, Teacher Feng. Where did you get it?"
"A student gave it to me. He didn't mention the breed, just said its name is Three-Tailed."
"Understood. I'll record its characteristics and register it now."
The woman retrieved a device and scanned the Three-Tailed's appearance into the computer for registration.
Next, she took out a metal tag, laser-engraved the Three-Tailed's name onto it, and hung it around the cat's neck.
"Teacher Feng, your Three-Tailed has been registered. The fee is 13,500 yuan. Remember to pay the renewal fee every six months."
Without hesitation, Feng Qi scanned the QR code with his phone and made the payment.
He wasn't surprised that pet registration came with a fee.
On the way, Lin Ran had already explained the situation in detail.
The academy provided for its students and teachers, but their pets were not included.
Any expenses incurred by pets roaming the academy grounds—such as damage to lawns and vegetation, or meals at the Academy Cafeteria—had to be covered by the students or teachers themselves.
The semi-annual fee of 13,500 yuan was already a very low price.
This was one of the reasons why the academy discouraged students and teachers from keeping pets.
"Thank you for your help."
"You're welcome, Teacher Feng. Next, you'll need to take Three-Tailed to the Pet Shop at the academy's South Plaza for its latest vaccinations."
"Understood."
Teacher Feng took Three-Tailed from the woman and turned to leave the pet registration office with Lin Ran.
Following the procedure, they headed to the academy's South Plaza.
The South Plaza was a bustling commercial street.
It was currently break time, and the entire street was filled with students.
Shops lined both sides, selling everything imaginable except snacks and local delicacies.
Rumor had it that such shops had once existed, but they were all driven out of business by the Academy Cafeteria's 24-hour service.
(End of the Chapter)
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