Chapter 580: Bodies Not for Sale
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The serval had a red leather collar around its neck, attached to a thin metal chain. As it walked around inside the narrow cage, the chain rubbed against the iron cage with a loud sound, giving people goosebumps.
Gao Zhuo asked, "Manager Zhang, you know how strong the smell is. I haven't washed it since it killed the Pomeranian, and the entire villa is filled with its stench. You're capable of a lot of things. Can you give it a bath? I'm willing to pay more."
Since the wooden crate was opened, a strong urine smell had spread across the entire store. The source of the smell was this serval. Wild animals usually had heavier odors. The cat was in heat and peeing everywhere, so the urine smell was very strong. Plus, it hadn't been bathed for a long time, making the odor as insufferable as a chemical spill. Gao Zhuo and Lin Qi both covered their noses. Zhang Zian only frowned, as he was used to the odor from cleaning cat litter everyday.
Cat urine was used to divide territories. However, in Fina's eyes, this entire place was its territory and no intruders were allowed. The strong smell of urine warned Fina about the dangerous intruder. Without the iron cage, Fina might have already jumped at the serval.
Zhang Zian solemnly refused. "Cat washing is considered self-service in our store. We only offer the space, and then the customers have to do it themselves. In other words, our bodies are not for sale."
Gao Zhuo complained. "How dare you! Manager Zhang, since you know about servals so well, please help me!"
"No, no, listen to me." Zhang Zian interrupted him. "You said earlier, that after the serval killed the Pomeranian, it took the Pomeranian's body to your feet?"
"Yes." Gao Zhuo couldn't figure out why he was asking about this.
Zhang Zian pondered for a while, and then asked, "Does it eat raw food or cooked food?"
"Cooked. It never ate raw food." Gao Zhuo replied, "Before, I had wanted to prepare raw bones and meat for it because of information from the internet. I'm glad I haven't done it yet."
"It only killed the Pomeranian? Did it eat it?" Zhang Zian asked again.
"No! Absolute not! It just killed it. There wasn't that much blood, otherwise I would of had to get rid of it no matter what!" Gao Zhuo spoke with resolution, and his face turned white.
Zhang Zian roughly went over the process in which the serval killed the Pomeranian. In fact, it didn't bite the Pomeranian to death, but must have strangled the Pomeranian by choking its throat, like a cheetah hunting its prey.
"This proves that it's quite attached to you, trusts you, and likes you. That's why it handed the prey over," he explained. "Don't worry. You can wash it now, just as you washed it in the past."
Gao Zhuo waved his hands violently. "No, no way. The past is past. It was adorable in the past and not terrifying like this. Now, it screams for no reason, and almost makes me pee my pants."
"That's because it's in heat." Zhang Zian emphasized again. "If you want it to be as calm as before, you can try getting it sterilized by a vet."
Gao Zhuo sighed. "I've been to other pet shops, and the owners told me the same thing, to sterilize it through a vet. But...this...I've asked a few vets, and none of them were willing to do it. As for the reason...you know."
He wasn't being explicit, and Lin Qi didn't understand what he was saying. But Zhang Zian got it.
Servals were a species protected by trade treaties. They were equivalent to National Class II Protected Species, and were not allowed to be owned by individuals. Vets were not allowed to operate on servals without authorization. Otherwise, if they were reported, they could lose their vet license. No serious vet was willing to risk losing their job and decade-long education for this, which could cost their entire career.
Things didn't go well for Gao Zhuo in the other pet shops and animal clinics. Zhang Zian was his last resort. No matter what, a shower was needed to wash off its disgusting odor. Otherwise, nobody could stand to stay in the room with it.
No matter how hard he tried to persuade him, Zhang Zian would not agree, and told him to wash it himself.
"Ah woo!"
"Meow!"
The rivalry between the serval and Fina had escalated. Both cats saw the other as an opponent. They stared at each other and their growls became louder and louder. Their claws were extended, reflecting the bright light from the tiles on the floor.
Zhang Zian's phone suddenly rang. The caller display was Wang Qian.
After the phone was answered, Wang Qian asked anxiously, "Master, where are you? The kittens in the shop are being weird, and they're all running around wildly in panic, like flies without heads."
Zhang Zian knew that something like this might go wrong. The cats' hearing was sensitive. Maybe the kittens heard the hostile growls from Fina and were becoming anxious.
After responding half-heartedly, he hung up and was ready to send the guests away.
"Meow meow meow! Why is Your Majesty so furious? I heard that being angry gives you wrinkles." Snowy Lionet was as calm as usual. The serval's growls didn't seem to affect it at all.
"This wild creature dares to provoke me. If I surrender, how does it make felines look?" Fina didn't move its glare, and was still staring at the serval fiercely.
Snowy Lionet squinted at the serval with its flirty eyes, and smiled. "Don't be angry, Your Majesty! This is just a wild creature, why should Your Majesty bother? Since Your Majesty wants to teach it a lesson, I'd love to offer my humble help!"
"You?"
It was no wonder Fina doubted it. Snowy Lionet didn't look like a fighter at all. With its short legs, it may not even be able to reach Zhang Zian's knees when it jumped from the ground.
"Your Majesty, wisdom is the best weapon. Disabling the enemy without fighting is the wisest strategy. For such a wild creature, why would Your Majesty bother to handle it yourself? I'm not the best, but taking care of this one is a piece of cake." Snowy Lionet was full of confidence.
"You, the one standing on the side. Take the wild cat out." It ordered Zhang Zian with a bossy tone.
Zhang Zian heard its conversation with Fina. He actually wanted to warn Snowy Lionet. This serval was nothing like the bluffing Ashera cat last time. This was a real beast.
Snowy Lionet didn't care, and nagged him to hurry up and stop being hesitant like a girl.
Fina nodded at Zhang Zian, suggesting for him to obey it. It was ready to show the serval what it was capable of anyway, but couldn't do it if they were separated by the cage.
Zhang Zian braced himself and spoke to Gao Zhuo. "Open the cage."
Gao Zhuo was stunned. He looked around once again. "Manager Zhang, are you going to bathe it here?"
"Mind your own business. Open it as I told you."
"Fine, but be careful then!"
Gao Zhuo threw the key to Zhang Zian, and hid himself far away with Lin Qi.
The closer he got to the cage, the stronger the serval's odor became.
With an unsettled heart, Zhang Zian opened the lock with a loud click, grabbed the iron chain around the serval's neck, and pulled it out.