She looked up.
“Based on the incident in the Coffee Community, the owner, staff, and monsters aren't the only ones in this dungeon.”
“There are also police and residents outside.”
“As well as those who were once so angry about losing their pets that they reported it to the police.”
Pei Tinglan stared at her, finally understanding what she was trying to say.
Cen Yao continued, “Ordinary civet cats have no way of asking the outside world for help.”
“They can't speak, nor can they use human communication devices.”
“Even if they escape to the main gate, they'll only be treated as runaway animals and dragged back.”
“But we are different. We are players.”
“We can think, we can exploit the rules, and we can use the communication devices that function normally in this world.”
She raised her wand, its tip pointing into the night.
“Combined with the fact that communication works normally here, as I mentioned earlier...”
“The live stream idea I brought up at the very beginning is actually feasible.”
Zhu Lingxi's eyes widened.
Pei Tinglan fell silent as well.
Cen Yao turned around, looking toward where the main gate stood during the day.
The darkness had swallowed the gate.
Yet, she could still visualize the dirt road leading into the forest just outside that heavy iron gate.
“Our main quest is to escape the Cat Cafe.”
“Since we can't open the gate from the inside...”
“We can only have it opened from the outside.”
The wind died down for a brief moment.
In the trio's live streams, the viewers—who had still been discussing how absurd it was to live stream inside a dungeon—were left completely dazed by this chain of deductions.
The bullet chat emptied for a split second.
Then, it exploded.
【Holy crap!】
【I'm getting goosebumps.】
【Is she trying to expose the coffee plantation so people on the outside will come and rescue these civet cats?】
【An unopenable gate from the inside, opened by people from the outside... This way of thinking is absolutely brilliant!】
【Wait, so the advantage for the civet cats during the day is public opinion, the police, and human rescue?】
【My brain couldn't keep up with Cen Yao's chain of deductions just now, but it feels like every single piece fits perfectly.】
【Is she really a rookie player?!】
【Why are Pei Tinglan and Zhu Lingxi silent? Did they also get dumbfounded?】
They indeed had.
Sitting in his wheelchair, Pei Tinglan, in a rare turn of events, didn't immediately utter a sarcastic remark.
He stared at the young girl before him.
The moonlight fell upon her body, her hat brim, and the wand she had yet to put away.
She had clearly just been furious over the tragic plight of those animal souls.
Yet, she hadn't let anger cloud her mind.
She had grasped every single detail.
The newspaper, the main gate, the owner, the communication, the difference in rules between day and night, and even the civet cats that had escaped their cages.
She had pulled out the tangled mess of clues, untangled them one by one, and in the shortest time possible, mapped out a path that could completely upend the entire dungeon.
Pei Tinglan suddenly felt that he might have truly underestimated her during the day.
This kitten wasn't stupid.
She had simply been suppressed too heavily by the dungeon during the day.
At night, Cen Yao's mind worked faster than anyone else's.
Zhu Lingxi was also looking at Cen Yao.
Her eyes reflected the faint glow of the magic circle, shining as if they held stars.
After a long pause, she spoke softly.
“Miss Cen.”
“You are truly amazing.”
Cen Yao was taken aback.
She had been so engrossed in her explanation that she only now realized she had spoken at such length in one breath.
Being praised so directly by Zhu Lingxi made her feel a little embarrassed instead.
“I-it's alright, I guess.”
She cleared her throat.
“It's just a normal analysis.”
But Zhu Lingxi was very serious.
“It's not just a normal analysis. It's because you didn't give up on them.”
Cen Yao paused.
Zhu Lingxi looked at the civet cats quietly surrounding the magic circle.
“Others would only think about how to clear the dungeon.”
“But you are thinking about how to bring them out with us.”
Cen Yao fell silent for a moment, then gently looked away.
“If I can save them, I might as well try.”
“Besides, I can't stand seeing things like this.”
She paused, then added, “And they aren't just animals in a dungeon.”
“They are living beings.”
“Even if they ultimately don't want to leave, or if the dungeon rules don't allow them to survive, at least... they should be given a chance to choose.”
Pei Tinglan lowered his eyes, his fingers unconsciously stroking the armrest of his wheelchair.
He didn't say anything.
However, the usual prickliness on his face was noticeably less cold.
After a while, he said, “We can try the live stream.”
Cen Yao turned to look at him.
Pei Tinglan looked up.
“But a dozen or so phones won't be enough.”
“If we're going to do this, let's do it big.”
“I used to have a team.”
“I have platform channels and a solid viewer base.”
“As long as the devices can connect to the outside network, I can make this live stream climb to the top of the trending lists in the shortest time possible.”
Cen Yao blinked.
Pei Tinglan curled his lips slightly.
“Don't look at me like that.”
“I'm not trying to help you.”
“I just hate it when people treat living things as tools for making money.”
His voice was cold, but as he finished speaking, his gaze drifted to a civet cat not far away that was licking its wounds.
Sensing his gaze, the cat raised its head and gave him a timid look.
Pei Tinglan immediately looked away, his expression turning even sourer.
“Also.”
“Since the owner is hiding, we'll have to find a way to force him out during tomorrow's live stream.”
Cen Yao smiled.
“Of course.”
“Without the lead actor, how can the trial begin?”
As soon as Cen Yao finished speaking, Pei Tinglan frowned.
He glanced at the office area hidden in the distant night, then swept his gaze over the faintly glowing patterns of the magic circle on the ground, as if he had finally remembered something.
“Wait, something's not right.”
“Why aren't you live streaming right now?”
“We're in our human forms now, so wouldn't it be much easier to move around?”
Cen Yao gave him a cool look.
“What do you think these magic circles are for?”
Pei Tinglan paused.
Cen Yao raised her wand and gently tapped the floating souls in the center of the magic circle.
“If we could live stream right now, I would have already done it.”
“Their souls are too weak. They need to nourish themselves in the magic circle first.”
These animal souls had been trapped in the dungeon for too long.
Some had died in cold, filthy cages; some had died under stun batons; others had died from prolonged illness and starvation.
And even longer ago, those cats and dogs had been dismembered, abused, abandoned, and buried in foul-smelling soil, unable to find peace even after death.
The fact that Zhu Lingxi could draw them here was already entirely due to their last lingering trace of resentment.
If they were forced to act now, let alone seek revenge, they would likely dissipate completely before dawn.
Cen Yao looked at the faint glimmers of soul light, her voice gradually softening.
“Only after they've recovered will they have the strength to avenge themselves.”
Pei Tinglan fell silent.
He looked at Cen Yao.
The moonlight fell on the edge of her hat brim, reflecting a cool, pale glow.
She truly wanted these lives—which had been trampled, tortured, and treated as mere production tools—to choose for themselves how to end all of this.
Pei Tinglan stared at her with a complex expression for a moment before speaking in a low voice.
“Alright.”
“Just let me know what you need me to do when the time comes.”
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