Chapter 370: Famous
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Just like that day a few months ago, Zhang Zian dragged his luggage from a taxi and stood in front of the Amazing Fate Pet Shop. A notice paper was attached to the shutter door just like last time, but the content of the notice was not that the shop would be temporarily closed — the shop would be re-opened soon.
Because of the long journey, he was fatigued, and he yawned. He shuddered as the chilliness crawled into his collar. Within only a few days, the temperature of Binhai City had declined even more, making him miss the Los Angeles he had just left.
He tore off the paper, unlocked and pulled up the shutter door, and opened the glass door inside. He took a deep breath. There was no strange smell in the shop. It seemed like Wang Qian and Li Kun did clean up the shop as he had instructed.
The kittens in the shop heard the noise and surrounded him at the door. Their voices sounded energetic, so they were probably not starving. And the water in basins was very clear.
Zhang Zian pulled down the shutter door. It was getting late, so he wouldn’t open the shop for business today.
After opening his luggage, he collapsed on the recliner and didn’t feel like moving at all. An initial flight over ten hours long, a lot of waiting and an additional transfer flight had almost consumed all his energy. Richard flew onto the table, exhausted. It stood there and took a nap.
But Zhang Zian thought he should first release the five Ragdoll kittens and the elves from the game.
He turned on the electric heater, and then went to boil water. When the room had warmed up, he released the five Ragdoll kittens. They had arrived in a whole new environment, and compared to Los Angeles, it was damp and cold here, and a lot of unfamiliar, strange kittens were looking at them. They were a bit scared, curling together and whimpering.
Zhang Zian looked at each one about their status. They were quite healthy, and should adapt to the environment in one or two days.
Then, he released Galaxy, Old Time Tea, Fina, and Snowy Lionet from the game. Having slept in the game for a long time, the four of them seemed vigorous.
"Meow! We’re home!" Seeing it was in its familiar pet shop, Galaxy went to play with the kittens immediately.
Fina sniffed and was satisfied that the shop had not been invaded by strange cats during the time it was gone. It gently jumped on the cat tree and continued napping peacefully. Snowy Lionet followed it.
"Grandpa Tea, your tea." Zhang Zian handed it the freshly-brewed tea.
Old Time Tea narrowed its eyes cozily, "Thank you, Zian."
There was nothing more comfortable than having a cup of hot tea after a tiresome journey.
Finally, he targeted an empty space in the pet shop and released the Reincarnated Dog.
Putting away the phone, he found that a fully-grown German shepherd appeared there. It calmly inhaled a few breaths, trying to remember the smell of every elfin, kitten, and puppy.
Fina opened its eyes, and two green rays landed on the Reincarnated Dog. Although Old Time Tea seemed like it was drinking tea, with its state of mind, it didn’t need to cast a look on the dog anymore.
Zhang Zian introduced himself, "We’ve met before, but didn’t have time to introduce ourselves—my name is Zhang Zian, and this here is my pet shop."
He also introduced the other elves, "This is Fina, this is Old Time Tea, this is Snowy Lionet, and this is Richard. You know Galaxy, don’t you?"
Reincarnated Dog nodded, "I am pleased to meet everyone, I would also like to introduce myself, but unfortunately, I forget who I am..."
Zhang Zian was shocked. He could not help but look at Old Time Tea secretly. He remembered that when Old Time Tea arrived, it also claimed to have forgotten its name, but Old Time Tea apparently just did not want to mention its previous name. Was this the same case with the Reincarnated Dog?
However, the confusion in the eyes of the Reincarnated Dog indicated that it probably wasn’t lying.
"Then what do we call you? You should have a name, right? Otherwise, it will become inconvenient for us to communicate," said Zhang Zian.
It pondered for a moment, and said uncertainly, "Then... how about calling me Famous?"
"Famous?" Zhang Zian was not sure why it wanted such a name.
"Yes," it answered absent-mindedly.
"Famous, can I ask you a question?" Zhang Zian discussed with it.
Famous stuck out its tongue and licked its lips, "Wait a minute, do you have any wine here?"
"Wine? Uh... I think so. Do you want to drink wine?" Zhang Zian was surprised. What was going on? Was this dog a drunkard?
"I don’t know why, but I'm a bit thirsty and I don’t want to drink water...Do you have whiskey?" Famous licked its tongue faster and faster, as if it had a craving for alcohol.
"Would you like a bottle of ’82 Lafite?" said Zhang Zian sarcastically.
Famous seemed to have believed his words, "An 1882 Lafite?"
"How can I afford a bottle of 1882 Lafite?!" Zhang Zian stopped joking, "To be honest, I don’t have Lafite of any year or whiskey. I only have 2012 Great Wall Dry Red Wine and Red Star Erguotou. Would you like some?"
"That will do." It was a bit regretful, but Famous answered happily.
"Wait a second." Zhang Zian had to go upstairs and rummaged through the wine cabinet in his parents' bedroom.
In the past, when his father was alive, his father enjoyed drinking Erguotou alone. When family and relatives gathered for dinner on holidays, Zhang Zian would also drink a bit with his father, while his mother who seldom drank would sip a bit dry red wine.
He remembered there were a few bottles of wine remaining in the cabinet. He opened the cabinet. There they were.
Carrying a bottle of dry red wine and a bottle of Erguotou downstairs, he was now deeply suspicious of the dog's nationality. Was it from Russia, where the people, as rumor had it, would even drink alcohol-based body wash when they craved alcohol?
"Here. A 2012 Great Wall Dry Red Wine and Erguotou, which would you like to drink first?" Zhang Zian put two bottles of wine in front of it.
Famous carefully observed the two bottles. It sniffed close to the stoppers, and turned to look out of the window. "Night hasn’t come yet, so I’ll drink the dry red wine first. The degree seems to be lower."
Did it mean it would drink Erguotou at night?! Zhang Zian muttered to himself inside his heart. He opened the cork stopper with a corkscrew, brought it a tall glass, and was about to pour wine into the glass.
"Wait a second!" Famous reached over a forepaw, blocking his hand.
"What now?!" asked Zhang Zian somewhat impatiently.
Although saliva had been drooling from its mouth because of the bouquet, Famous insisted, "There is dust around the bottle mouth. Please use a napkin to wipe the bottle. Otherwise the taste will be compromised."
Does it really think I am a bartender?! complained Zhang Zian in his heart.
He had to fetch a disposable napkin and cleaned the area around the bottle mouth in front of it.
"Put your hand on the lower areas of the bottle, so that the heat of your palm won’t affect the temperature and quality of the wine as easily," instructed Famous.
It was just a bottle of 2012 Great Wall Dry Red Wine that cost a few dozen RMB! Do you really think it’s an 1882 Lafite? complained Zhang Zian secretly.
At this time, he could see the difference between it and Old Time Tea. Old Time Tea was not picky at all, whether it was the tea leaves, tea sets or the technique used to brew tea. Old Time Tea would settle for any kind of tea. But this Reincarnated Dog was as hypercritical as an aristocrat!
As it demanded, Zhang Zian held the bottom of the bottle, and poured the dark red liquid into the glass. He could smell the not-so-high-end bouquet of the wine.
Famous took a deep breath and reveled in the bouquet. Then it shouted when one-third of the glass was full, "Stop!"
"I will take care of the rest of the steps."
After letting the glass stay still for a while, it extended a front paw, put the wine glass between its toes, and shook the glass so that the bouquet of the wine could fully dissipate. Through the thin glass, it was carefully looking at the color of the wine. Then it put the glass in front of its nose and inhaled deeply. Its postures were standard, professional, and natural. It didn’t seem like it was pretending.
Finally, it stuck its tongue into the glass, rolled the wine up into its mouth and tasted the flavor delicately.
"... This wine is just so-so," it concluded.
"It’s not high-end wine!" Zhang Zian was really dumbfounded, "What do you expect from a 2012 dry red wine made in China?!"
He had been thinking that when he had a job and had saved some money, he would buy a bottle of genuine 82 Lafite—a 1982 Lafite, of course— for his parents at New Year’s, so that his parents, who hadn’t enjoyed much good wine in their lives, could have a taste of the top-notch foreign brand of wine. Unfortunately, ...
"Then I’ll have to settle for this wine. What was your question again?" Famous licked another mouthful of wine. Its flexible tongue didn’t miss any drop of the red liquid.
Zhang Zian was interrupted by it and almost had forgotten what he wanted to ask. He tried very hard to finally remember it.
"You said you can see the future?" He asked the question he was most concerned about.
"Just a little bit." Famous shook its head. "And it's so vague. I saw that I would go with you, so I chose to go with you."
"You said you knew Galaxy? In a black box?" Zhang Zian looked at Galaxy, who was playing hide and seek with the kittens at a distance, and he asked this lowering his voice.
"Yes, though I don’t understand what's going on." Famous put down the empty wine glass, indicating that Zhang Zian should pour more wine to one-third of the capacity of the cup.
"I went into the black box, where I got to know Galaxy, and spent a long time with it. We lived together, and we died together—it sounded like a dream, but I knew it was not a dream. After coming out of the black box, I... could see some vague and transient future." Although Famous loved drinking, it was not a heavy drinker, for it was talking coherently.
Zhang Zian gasped with surprise. That made sense why Famous could also see the future.
"You chose to follow me because you want to understand something. Can you tell me what it is?" he asked again after digesting its words for a moment.
Famous raised its eyes, which were a little bit red from of drinking. "I want to know who I am... In addition, I want to be an angel."
"An angel?" Zhang Zian thought he heard it wrong. That was an ambitious goal!
"Yes, an angel," Famous looked into the distance, "An angel like her, spending my life without regret."
"I hope you can succeed," said Zhang Zian without any anticipation. He had never heard of an angel who was an alcoholic.
Famous said confidently, "I will. Also, I want to eat steak, medium-well, when I drink red wine next time."
Another fastidious elfin! Zhang Zian was annoyed.