CH 123

As B Zone joined the Shui Jing Gong, Gray Rats Company also gained immense popularity, spreading like wildfire throughout the entire fleet, even more so than B Zone itself. After all, even before the merger of the two major bases, it had already garnered the attention of countless individuals. While everyone was surprised, they could still accept it. So when a group of mutant rats that was even more unconventional appeared, it instantly captured everyone’s attention.

As the two major bases were undergoing adjustments, many people were observing from a distance through telescopes. Therefore, those mutant rats waving small flags naturally entered the sight of onlookers.

Speaking of spending such a long time together in the same profession, they hadn’t really noticed that there were so many large mutant rats in the Shui Jing Gong fleet. Moreover, it’s likely that only a small fraction of them came out to greet with small flags. It’s hard to imagine just how many rats might be hidden within the Shui Jing Gong fleet!

“Oh my goodness! Are the people of the Shui Jing Gong that mentally strong?”

“I’m curious. With so many rats, won’t they spread diseases? And how do they manage to feed so many rats?”

“They’re even waving small flags! Are these all stuffed animals? They don’t look like mutant rats at all.”

“Aren’t the people from the Shui Jing Gong afraid that the mutant rats might suddenly go berserk? Group mutants can be terrifying; once they go mad, the entire group might be like locusts, devouring everything in their path!”

“Did you see that? There’s even someone crying because they had to change dorms and they even hug a rat. I’m speechless. Are they really that attached? Have they turned mutant rats into pets? They seem quite popular!”

Regarding this group of mutant rats, outsiders generally share a unanimous attitude of strong rejection and wariness. The fear of mutant creatures going berserk is one aspect, but another reason is that rats themselves aren’t very popular on the Cang Zhan Star, both in appearance and nature, they aren’t endearing.

Although the mutant rats from the Shui Jing Gong appear slightly cuter and more well-behaved, their mutant identity cannot be denied. Even if they wave small flags and seem to have established some sort of household services company, hardly anyone has any real expectations for them.

Even though people aren’t optimistic about Gray Rat Company, discussions about them never cease. As for why the Shui Jing Gong residents seem to like mutant rats so much, outsiders can only express their confusion.

The rats of Gray Rat Company clearly aren’t in a hurry to gain recognition from strangers. While strangers often mean potential customers, the rats are down-to-earth creatures, especially under the earnest guidance of the Rat Boss. They are determined to learn from Shu Shuishui, an outstanding representative among rodents.

The Rat Boss’s idea is that not every rodent needs to become like Shu Shuishui, but they should at least strive for self-reliance and benefit from the public. Only exceptional rodents can attract exceptional people, and only rodents who know how to conduct business can attract those who do the same – a natural match, setting an example for a couple of rats everywhere.

After some internal deliberation, the mutant rats resolved to manage Gray Rat Company earnestly, considering it a significant source of sustenance. Moreover, what the Rat Boss said was true – only outstanding Shu Shuishuis could attract outstanding Gu Langus.

With this determination in mind, the gray rats no longer hid all the time or restricted their activities to the night. When they encountered unfamiliar faces, they would even wave their paws to say hello. Though humans might look similar, their scents were fortunately distinct, making it easy to differentiate between them.

For the people from B Zone and the Shui Jing Gong, there might have been a slight awkwardness during their first meeting, but by the second day, everyone was freely discussing the topic of mutant rats. Unexpectedly, mutant rats had become a bridge for communication and integration between the two major bases, and the results were quite good.

The residents of the Shui Jing Gong genuinely recommended Gray Rat Company, with almost everyone becoming a mobile advertisement. Naturally, newcomers were immensely curious, leading to the first person to hire Gray Rat Company. They were pleasantly surprised as the rats, who had an obsession with cleanliness and wouldn’t even allow their own fur to touch the floor, excelled at cleaning rooms. The nooks and crannies that humans found inconvenient to clean were easily accessible to the rats with a little cloth. Moreover, the rat who took the job had just started working independently, not too long after reaching adulthood, and wasn’t particularly large in size.

At moments like this, onlookers couldn’t help but exclaim that it’s not just cats that are liquid; rats are too. No wonder it’s so difficult to prevent rats; they seem to slip through every crack and crevice, leaving one almost tempted to inspect every nook and cranny, even the gaps in the bed frame.

After completing the first job, the gray rat received their reward: two melon seeds. The gray rat happily held onto these two melon seeds, carefully placing them in a small pouch they had brought along. After securing the pouch, they even extended their paw to pat it, radiating an air of contentment.

This action left the person who had hired Gray Rat Company momentarily puzzled. Melon seeds were indeed considered scarce nowadays, but two seeds weren’t much to speak of; they were barely enough to fill a gap in one’s teeth. They hadn’t expected the gray rat to hold them in such high regard as if every grain of food was precious to them.

In that moment of the person’s bewilderment, the gray rat pulled out a small flag from the pouch. The person regained their composure and, after a brief understanding, learned that these small flags were the primary means of communication between gray rats and humans. They found it quite intriguing and wondered about the creative minds behind these expressions.

The gray rat unfurled the small flag, which had a few words written on it. It read, “If satisfied, please leave a good review. Thank you, mwah.”

This left the person with goosebumps and they declined the “mwah.” The person couldn’t help but think that the creator of such phrases must be someone with a penchant for being excessively cute. They wondered if there were many people with this style in the Shui Jing Gong. In fact, not only the newcomers from B Zone but even the Shui Jing Gong residents themselves had similar speculations. Most assumed that Shu Shuishui had written it, as he seemed to understand what the rats were thinking. However, no one had ever verified this.

With this kind of conversation style, it was unlikely anyone would connect it to Gu Langu. Even Shu Shuishui, who thought it might have been Nan Ge or Xie Feng’s work, couldn’t imagine Gu Langu, who was known for his profit-driven mindset, using such phrases.

In the midst of these beautiful misunderstandings, Gray Rat Company received their first positive review, and with their small pouch on their back, they happily headed home. One of the melon seeds was meant to be shared with their partner, while the other one was carefully hidden away. Once it sprouted and grew, they would have a bountiful harvest of melon seeds in the autumn!

The gray rats had clearly been influenced by Shu Shuishui, one by one becoming diligent and enthusiastic about cultivation. Compared to Shu Shuishui, the gray rats appeared more like field mice. After all, when they were in the valley, they had helped with farming, harvesting wheat, and picking rice.

As this was the first external order for the gray rats, it was also considered an internal business. Many people came to observe, including Shu Shuishui. One of the rats, ready to leave with its head held high and its pouch spotted Shu Shuishui and dashed to his feet.

Shu Shuishui had someone standing next to him, exuding a strong aura. The gray rat’s steps slowed slightly but it was too late to brake, and they stopped at the feet of the two.

Shu Shuishui bent down and patted the fluffy head of the gray rat. “Great job, keep it up! I’m waiting for you to become famous!”

The gray rat had initially been somewhat hesitant but, upon hearing this, their eyes lit up brightly as they looked at Shu Shuishui. Their eyes conveyed a clear message: “I believe in everything you say!”

The little rat turned back and took out their small pouch, then carefully pulled out the two melon seeds they had earned today. They held them in their paws and looked at them thoughtfully. After a moment’s hesitation, they picked the slightly larger, fuller one and lifted it, offering it to Shu Shuishui.

Shu Shuishui was momentarily surprised but opened his palm, allowing the gray rat to place the melon seed in it. Worried that Shu Shuishui might not understand, the gray rat made a few squeaking sounds.

After giving one seed, the gray rat then held out the other melon seed to Gu Langu.

It was clear that the rat intended to give away all of their earnings from today. One seed for Shu Shuishui and one for Gu Langu.

People around couldn’t help but be surprised. This rat seemed to understand social niceties quite well, giving both melon seeds to the individuals who had played a decisive role in the Shui Jing Gong.

Shu Shuishui looked at his hand holding the melon seed with some hesitation. The gray rat had worked hard for these, and he didn’t want to accept them. However, the gray rat explained that this was their first business transaction, and they wanted to give their meaningful earnings to meaningful people, which meant both he and Gu Langu were significant to the rat. This inexplicable symbolism made Shu Shuishui reluctant to refuse.

Faced with such a meaningful gift, Shu Shuishui eventually accepted it. As a token of gratitude, Shu Shuishui picked out a hazelnut from his spiritual storage and handed it to the gray rat. “This hazelnut is for you. I really like your melon seeds. Thank you.”

The gray rat was visibly thrilled, spinning in place before extending its paw to accept the hazelnut, curiously examining it.

Gu Langu’s eyes sparkled faintly. While others might not be aware, Shu Shuishui considered hazelnuts to be exceptionally rare. Especially these small-sized hazelnuts, which were in limited supply and were usually not taken out casually.

On the other hand, those fist-sized hazelnuts were once plentiful, and Shu Shuishui had gathered quite a few of them. Back in the valley, he had even planted a small patch of hazelnut trees before they left. However, the trees hadn’t matured by the time they departed, so the small hazelnuts were even more precious than the larger ones. This was Shu Shuishui – he had his own way of measuring the value of things, understanding what was precious, and how to exchange it.

Gu Langu also accepted the melon seed and then pulled out a sweet potato, offering it to the gray rat. The gray rat, filled with joy, spun in place holding both the hazelnut and the sweet potato for several rounds. Then, they took a few steps forward and affectionately rubbed their fluffy cheek against the pant legs of both Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu.

As for the sweet potato given by Gu Langu, it was Gulan Bone’s first “stash”, and it seemed clear that Gu Langu felt the need to keep pace with Shu Shuishui.

The gray rat happily packed the sweet potato and hazelnut into their small pouch, then shouldered it again, walking home with their head held high.

The onlookers couldn’t help but feel like they had just witnessed something special between Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu. Even though the two didn’t display any overt signs of intimacy, there was an unspoken understanding that made it difficult for outsiders to penetrate. It was as if they didn’t need to say anything; they simply understood each other’s thoughts, making it impossible for outsiders to intrude.

Nevertheless, no matter how you look at it, both of these individuals clearly held a high place in the gray rat’s heart. Otherwise, the gray rat wouldn’t have willingly given away the two melon seeds they had earned today, one for each. They indeed were the perfect pair, receiving identical gifts.

Onlookers marveled at the situation, while Gu Langu was taken aback. The rat hadn’t given him a gift; instead, it had handed over today’s profits. He wondered if the business deal today had somehow resulted in a loss.

Back in their dormitory, Gu Langu immediately took out the melon seed and examined it. He seemed close to framing it.

“Do you like melon seeds, Gu Gu? How about when we reach the northern hemisphere, we each plant our seed? You use your melon seed, and I’ll use mine to grow a field,” Shu Shuishui suggested while examining his own melon seed, imagining a sea of golden blooms.

“Sure,” Gu Langu replied, feeling a sense of balance in his heart. He realized that he hadn’t really incurred a loss. It was impossible when Shu Shuishui was around; he would never lose in this lifetime.