At Zane's words, the black cat seemed to understand. It opened its mouth, but didn't dare make a sound.
Though Zane's expression was gentle, the cat still felt a chill and instinctively stepped back.
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. (This person isn't bad—he's a good guy. He's here to help my friend.)"
KK, who had been tending to the injured kitten, noticed the black cat and quickly explained.
Hearing KK's words, the black cat eased up a little, though it continued to stare at Zane without moving.
Zane carefully lifted the kitten from the box, making sure not to touch its injured leg.
The little one was incredibly well-behaved, resting quietly in his arms. It let out two soft meows, almost as if it were expressing trust and comfort.
Clearly, it had complete faith in whoever KK brought back.
Zane stood up, intending to call a vet—but then remembered he didn't have a phone, nor did he know any vet numbers.
Still, that wasn't a big deal. He recalled seeing a public phone booth on the way here. As for a number, he could ask KK back at the video store.
Carrying the kitten, Zane turned to leave. The black cat, wanting to follow, called out to another kitten that had just returned, seeming to pass along the situation, then nimbly followed after him.
...
Soon after, Zane got the vet's number from KK and made the call. Then he waited quietly.
The veterinary staff responded quickly. Not long after, a man and woman arrived. After confirming the situation, they gave the kitten basic emergency treatment on the spot.
While treating it, the woman asked Zane for the details. When she heard about KK's efforts, she immediately decided the treatment would be free of charge.
The male vet had no objections. He also felt moved by the story—and let's be honest, stories like this were great publicity for the clinic.
Zane didn't mind at all.
The two vets said they'd take the kitten back for further treatment. As for accompanying it, KK immediately volunteered.
In New Eridu, Bangboo had rights equal to—or sometimes even beyond—those of regular citizens. There wasn't really a difference. Zane wasn't the least bit worried.
KK was simple, not stupid.
After the group left, Zane found himself alone in the alley again.
He glanced at the little black cat still lingering in the corner, then turned and headed off to meet Zhu Yuan.
The black cat didn't follow. It knew the injured kitten had received help and returned the way it came, ready to wait for others and report the situation.
...
"Eh? The video store manager's not back yet?"
With her hands on her hips, Zhu Yuan looked at No. 18 behind the counter with a helpless expression.
"No. 18, where did Belle and Wise go? And what about Eous, Panta and No. 6? None of them are here?"
Zane walked over to the counter and asked, hoping to get some idea when the others might return.
He couldn't leave Zhu Yuan waiting indefinitely.
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. (I don't know. The three of them left together, but Eous seemed really anxious.)"
No. 18 wasn't sure what had happened. All it saw was Belle and Wise leaving with the other three early in the morning. Panta had even been carried off in Belle's arms—it was a little jealous, honestly.
"I see…"
Realizing No. 18 didn't know either, Zane didn't press further. Instead, he looked over at Zhu Yuan, who was flipping through old videotapes curiously.
"Are you sure you've got time? If this delays anything, I can always stop by the Public Security Bureau later."
"No worries! I stayed late yesterday and finished everything for today. If anything urgent comes up, the senior officers will handle it."
Zhu Yuan smiled and waved off his concern.
"Oh, right. I was curious—those guys said you could play with fire. What was that about?"
She put the tape down, her eyes sparkling with interest.
"Oh, that? Just a little magic trick."
Zane smiled as he casually explained.
Zhu Yuan's eyes lit up.
"Like one of those magicians from the documentaries? I didn't know you could do stuff like that! I've always wanted to see one—there's a magic show downtown, but I never had the chance to go!"
Hearing that, Zane didn't mind granting her a little wish. He raised his hand and gave a small gesture.
In an instant, a small flame bloomed to life.
Zhu Yuan's eyes widened. She could feel the heat—it was definitely real. And yet... she'd been watching closely and hadn't noticed a single trick.
She remembered that stage magicians used science and props to create illusions. But Zane's fire had appeared with just a wave of his hand—no signs, no prep, just... fire.
"H-How did you do that?"
Zane chuckled as he let the flame settle into his palm, then closed his hand around it.
"Trade secret."
When he opened his hand again, a delicate, crystalline flower of ice shimmered in his palm.
Zhu Yuan couldn't help but gape.
"That's amazing!"
She clapped her hands excitedly. Even the customers in the video store turned to look, gasping at what they saw.
"Here. It's yours."
Zane offered the ice flower to Zhu Yuan. She blinked in surprise.
"For me?"
When he nodded, she carefully accepted the icy blossom. Feeling the chill through her fingers, she lit up with joy.
This wasn't a magic trick—it was actual magic.
"Thank you."
A gift this pretty and mysterious? No wonder it charmed her instantly.
Surrounded by murmurs of admiration, Zane glanced at his own hand.
Maybe when he had some spare time... becoming a magician wouldn't be such a bad gig?
With skills like his, he'd probably be really popular.
After all, his "magic" wasn't an illusion—it was the real deal.
...
Meanwhile, Belle and Wise were browsing a Bangboo parts shop near Lumina Square.
"Bro! After running all over town, we finally found this part—it wasn't easy!"
Belle clutched a box tightly. Inside were the Bangboo parts she and Wise had spent all morning tracking down.
"Alright, let's hurry back. We can't leave Master Enzo waiting. And who knows how Panta's doing now..."
Wise paid the shopkeeper, then turned to Belle.
"Yeah... Zane just asked us to look after Panta, and now this happens. If anything really goes wrong, I don't think I could face him."
Belle nodded, worry etched into her face.
Panta had been playing with Eous earlier that morning, seemingly fine. But then, all of a sudden, it shut down—completely unresponsive.
They'd rushed it to Master Enzo, but after examining it for a long while, he couldn't figure out what went wrong. His best guess was a faulty part.