Pet King

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The rain was sometimes heavy and sometimes lighter. It rained a full day and night and only stopped the next morning. It had people feeling upset. The pet store’s business report could also directly copy that of the previous day. There were unlikely to be new sales today. That would cause some headaches for Zhang Zian as well.

Even though there was rain, the environment was not cooling. The sky over the city was affected by the low air pressure. The air that lingered was hot, and the humidity was extremely high. There was no wind at all. It seemed like a tropical storm was brewing.

The day after the rain stopped, the thing Zhang Zian was most worried about had happened.

“Ah! It’s disgusting!”

“Gross! Why are so many caterpillars?”

“I’m going to vomit…”

Early in the morning, when he’d just raised the shutter door, he saw passersby complaining, especially young women. They walked around as if they were dancing—dancing around to avoid certain things. They were also screaming from time to time. There was no need to ask what their screams were for. It was definitely the hairy caterpillars that were falling on their bodies.

On the wall, on the ground, and on the trees, there were all kinds of caterpillars crawling everywhere. Looking at them gave everyone goosebumps.

In the summer, everyone liked to walk in the shade of the trees to avoid the sun. However, now, the shade had become a source of fear for people, and everyone tried to avoid it. As long as someone walked in the shade of the trees, they would almost certainly be caught up with some caterpillars.

Many people were not prepared for it. They went out for a while only to be hit hard by this. They had to go home and get their umbrellas before heading out again.

On the roads where there were cars, the caterpillars were turned into flat blobs of fluids. The stench of bodily fluids and internal organs attracted flies and ants to feast.

Not only on the ground, but also in the air, colorful butterflies and moths flew around. Although beautiful butterflies and moths were usually pleasing to the eye, the number of butterflies and moths now had reached the level of overwhelming. People with pollen allergies were suffering from the allergens on their bodies. They had somehow already managed to survive flower pollen from spring. Who would have thought that they would face a similar ordeal in summer?

They did not have enough time to prepare masks. They were sneezing, had runny noses and watery eyes, and some even had serious asthma attacks.

Cyclists, who felt many caterpillars falling on their bodies, had to constantly shake their clothes and slap them off…

Drivers were suddenly swarmed with moths and butterflies on the windshields of their cars…

The harsh horns and the sounds of brakes applied on the street were endless, and there were big and small traffic accidents on every street. This further led to even more serious traffic jams…

Fortunately, now that the primary school students had finished their final exams, there were fewer parents who needed to send their children to school in the morning. Otherwise, the parents who were worried because their children were late for school would make the situation even worse.

The leaves of the trees by the sides of the road had almost been eaten bald. With any slight vibration, strings of…yes, that’s right, strings of caterpillars would fall from the air…

Early in the morning, there were people waiting by cat lover Li’s snack shop. However, now, there was no one standing at the door. The other shops selling food and beverages in the vicinity had the same issue. No one was around. It was obvious that the caterpillars had affected everyone’s appetites.

Overnight, Binhai City had become highly chaotic, as if the impending doomsday had finally arrived.

Although Zhang Zian had guessed that the insect disaster might break out, he had not expected that the situation would be so serious. It seemed that…today’s business at his store was not going to be good again.

Not long after, the staff arrived at the pet shop on time with umbrellas.

“What the…? What is going on? Is the caterpillar alien invading the Earth?” Wang Qian cursed while shaking the caterpillars off the umbrella at the door. “We left the dormitory just for a little while and we thought we’d been teleported somewhere else!”

“Master, you have finally turned on the air conditioner. If, in this weather you’d still refused to turn it on, we would certainly have been roasted to death!” Li Kun said as he entered the store. He was surprised to find that the air conditioner was actually running. The store and the streets outside felt like two different worlds.

Zhang Zian, who had returned from Egypt, seemed to be heat-resistant. However, he could withstand the dry heat of the Egyptian desert, but not so much the humid heat that made people feel very restless.

Lu Yiyun and Jiang Feifei were afraid that the insects would fall on their bodies. Everyone was in long-sleeved trousers, plus a mask and hat. They were armed to the teeth.

“Both of you are going to take final exams soon?” Zhang Zian did not pick up on their conversations. “Over the next few days, just come in in the morning to help tidy up the place. Then you can go to school to prepare for the exam. Don’t fail and have to retake the exam.”

Both Wang Qian and Li Kun had about a year before graduation. Although they were reluctant, they still had to face the pressures of final exams.

He knew their nature. They did not enjoy reading books on a daily basis and chose to burn the midnight oil. Over the last few days, they had uploaded and forwarded various blessings and supernatural things among their online friends. They thought that by doing so, perhaps they could pass the test…

“I don’t have to. I only have to get my graduation certificate and I am done,” Jiang Feifei said and waved.

Jiang Feifei was in her fourth and final year. She had already completed her thesis and submitted it. It had been approved. She did not need to take any further test. However, she was worried about finding a job. She had sent her resume to various aquariums in major cities but gotten no response. However, she had gotten some from other fields of work. She was vexed over whether she wanted a job that she was interested in or a job that could support her family. This was also the trouble that many fresh graduates had.

Lu Yiyun neither had to worry about the final exam nor planned to stay alone in the rental house.

“Master, do you want to show me some of your magical powers and help us to get the answer to the final exam?” Wang Qian said with a bitter face. “So…we can stay in the store to give you a hand…”

“Do you think that, given the situation outside, there will be any business in the store these days? How can I do that without any business? To give you a salary to play games?” Zhang Zian glared as he looked out at the streets.

Once the insect disaster had broken out, the situation couldn’t be easily reversed. This kind of situation would definitely make everyone do everything possible to avoid going out. If one can take time off, one would take time off. If one couldn’t leave, one wouldn’t go shopping either.

Wang Qian and Li Kun could not find other excuses. They could only sigh.

“What is the situation at Binhai University?” Zhang Zian asked.

“There are not many trees at the university. The situation should be alright…”

“Shut up. I did not ask the both of you.”

When Wang Qian and Li Kun started to speak, they were interrupted by Zhang Zian. This was because he knew that the two of them were oblivious to the outside world and were glued to playing their games.

Jiang Feifei said, “The teaching area and the boys’ dormitory are still alright. However, there is a forest next to the girls’ dormitory… Very disgusting.”

In the past, there had been a lot of stray cats in the woods, and the girls who fed the cats also generated some resentment among their classmates.

Zhang Zian nodded and cleaned the store with them.

When they were almost finished, a figure suddenly appeared at the door.

Zhang Zian thought that he actually had a customer. Alas, once he had a clear look, he saw that it was only Grandma Gu.

Grandma Gu held a small umbrella and said with an anxious look, “Little Zhang Zian! What did you tell me about before? That thing that can cure the bugs? Ah! Look at me and my memory! Quick! Come to the office with me now!”

She said her piece in pieces, all while grabbing Zhang Zian by the wrist. She pulled him out of his store.