(Quick Transmigration) Even If You Become an Animal, You Still Have to Serve an Iron Rice Bowl - Chapter 9

Xing Lu’s pale face appeared on the video call, her head wrapped in a white bandage.

She first called out, “Captain Qin,” and then said, “I know Zhang Jibo the best. Let me talk to him. Maybe I can get him to speak.”

Qin Yan fell into deep thought, then nodded after a moment.

Xing Lu thanked him and looked at Shen Qiu, who was trying to push his head under the video screen, and called out to Yang Yue.

“Earlier, Qiuqiu got kicked by Zhang Jibo. I’m worried he might have internal injuries. Could you take him to the hospital for a checkup for me?”

Both Qin Yan and Yang Yue were startled upon hearing this.

Qin Yan picked up Shen Qiu and gently felt his abdomen.

“Meow!” Shen Qiu was startled by the touch.

To be honest, if Xing Lu hadn’t brought it up, he wouldn’t have noticed anything. But after hearing her mention it, he could feel a sharp pain on his lower chest. He guessed it might be a rib injury.

Qin Yan’s brows furrowed after examining him for awhile.

“Yang Yue, take Qiuqiu to the animal hospital first. Give me your phone.”

After Shen Qiu heard this, he immediately objected. How could it be done like this?

Immediately, he clung onto Qin Yan’s arm with his paws and refused to let go.

“Meow meow meow!”

Anyway, he’d waited this long already. It doesn’t matter if it’s delayed a little more. Let him stay and listen to the interrogation first!

Somehow, Qin Yan understood the meaning behind his meowing. For once, his usually stoic face couldn’t help but smile as he scratched Shen Qiu’s head.

“I can’t tell if you’re curious about the case or just curious about everything in general. Even injured, you still want to listen to the interrogation. You’re similar to us.”

After Shen Qiu heard this, his ears perked up, his gaze darting around.

This was a habit from his previous life as a narcotics officer. Unless he was completely incapacitated and unable to move, listening to the interrogation was a must.

Even after becoming a cat in this life, he couldn’t shake off this instinct which made Qin Yan suspect something was off.

Still, at most, he just thought the cat was unusually smart and didn’t have any overly fantastical ideas. 

With Shen Qiu’s large chicken drumstick in one hand and the cat in the other, the three of them headed for the interrogation room.

Qin Yan warned in advance, “As soon as it’s over, we’re going straight to the hospital. Got it?”

Shen Qiu flicked his ears and bit into the chicken drumstick with a soft “owu.”

Inside, Zhang Jibo had already finished his instant noodles. Lao San stood behind the table with his eyes wide open, panting heavily and looking quite angry. 

“Captain.”

He turned his head upon hearing the noise. 

“This guy still won’t say a word, not even a sound!”

Qin Yan waved him off and took the phone.

Xing Lu was still lying on the hospital bed and waiting. She opened her eyes upon hearing the noise.

“Zhang Jibo.”

She shouted, her voice trembling slightly from the digital static on the phone, causing Zhang Jibo to pause and look up.

He stared directly at Xing Lu on the phone screen. 

“Sister Zhaodi was your only family, so I asked a friend to bring her ashes here for you to see. Once I’m back from the hospital, I’ll arrange her burial.”

Yang Yue then took out a black urn and, with permission, placed it in front of him.

“Do you remember our childhood? Sister Zhaodi was only twelve years older than us, but she did all the heavy and dirty work since we were young. She raised us with great care and hardship.”

She reminisced about the difficult days back in their hometown.

Although life had been tough, their whole family was united, which ultimately made them miss those moments immensely. 

Zhang Jibo’s expression changed slightly and he lowered his head.

“But Zhang Jibo, when exactly did you become like this? I heard you’re even using drugs now. Was it because I wouldn’t give you money, so you went to Sister Zhaodi instead and ended up killing her?”

“Zhang Jibo, don’t you fear Sister Zhaodi coming back to find you in the middle of your dreams?

“How could you be so heartless!”

Zhang Jibo’s body shuddered.

Shen Qiu squinted his eyes.

Everyone present couldn’t help but feel moved by Xing Lu’s words. If Zhang Jibo still didn’t react, then he really wasn’t human.

Thankfully, Zhang Jibo still retained a shred of humanity. Xing Lu’s words transported Zhang Jibo back to their carefree childhood.

Suddenly, he cradled his head and cried out in pain.

“Sister, I have wronged you!”

He cried into his arms for a while, then raised his head to reveal eyes that were swollen like walnuts.

Looking at Xing Lu, a flash of regret crossed his eyes. 

“I wronged my sister… and you. From now on, I’ll do better.”

Then he turned to Qin Yan.

“Officer, I’ll confess.”

From Zhang Jibo’s mouth, they finally learned the full story.

Zhang Jibo had started using drugs since he arrived in Haishi, but it wasn’t a deliberate choice.

As Yang Yue had mentioned earlier, during the year of his college entrance exam, Zhang Jibo had started gambling with delinquents.

The Zhang family didn’t have enough money for him to gamble with, and the delinquents had trapped him in a cycle of debt. By the time he left his hometown, he already owed a considerable amount of high-interest debt. 

He thought he could escape by leaving his hometown but unexpectedly, those people chased him to Haishi, forcing him to pay back the money. 

If he couldn’t pay, they would take his legs instead. 

Zhang Jibo didn’t dare tell his family but desperate to survive, he began helping those people sell drugs. 

However, how could one sell such things without using them oneself? A month later, he couldn’t resist the temptation and in his rented room, he took drugs for the first time. From then on, he fell into an irrevocable abyss. 

Zhang Jibo expressed deep regret regarding this part. 

But Shen Qiu scoffed inwardly.

No one knew better than a narcotics officer just how dangerous drugs were.

In his past life, Shen Qiu had confiscated thousands of kilos of drugs. Everyone who was caught would say they regretted it. But if given a second chance, how many would truly choose differently?

Most of the people who walked down this path, apart from those who were forced, would have a fleeting moment of regret while sitting in the interrogation chair. Once they were there, they would wonder why they weren’t more cautious. 

Shen Qiu impatiently scratched his ears with his paw, his tail flicking back and forth.

“What about the Heaven and Earth Club? Do you know anyone inside?”

Zhang Jibo shook his head. “I’ve only heard of that club, but I’ve never been there, and I don’t know anyone inside.”

Lao San furrowed his brow. “Are you sure?”

Zhang Jibo nodded. “But before I decided to kidnap Xing Lu, someone had approached me and told me I could do whatever I wanted. Someone would help. I…I really don’t have any money left. I just wanted money to leave Haishi. I never meant to hurt my sister nor did I want to hurt Xing Lu either.”

Everyone in the room, including Shen Qiu, rolled their eyes hard.

After Zhang Jibo began talking, the interrogation wrapped up quickly.

But disappointingly, he didn’t know much.

His supply was always dropped off at a fixed time in an alley trash heap. Then he’d get a message telling him to go pick it up.

Qin Yan tried calling the number, but it was out of service.

It was likely that these people changed their numbers every month. 

As for the new type of drug, Zhang Jibo knew even less.

“I just picked up the goods according to the schedule. I don’t know if it’s new or not. But lately, the taste is definitely better than before.”

“Sometimes, I use it and don’t come back to my senses for hours.”

“It probably started about half a month ago.”

The above was all Zhang Jibo’s words. 

Apart from it, there were no clues at all about the Heaven and Earth Club.

After leaving the rest of the work to Lao San, Qin Yan carried Shen Qiu out of the room, followed by Yang Yue. 

“Take Qiuqiu to the hospital first,” he said, checking his watch. “Try to be back before the meeting at nine.” 

Yang Yue stood straight. “Yes, sir!”

Since the interrogation was over and there was nothing else pressing at the police station, Shen Qiu jumped down from Qin Yan’s arms and headed for the door on his own.

When Yang Yue didn’t follow right away, he tilted his head at her to signal her.

“Meow?” Are we going or not? It actually hurts a bit.

Both Qin Yan and Yang Yue found it somewhat amusing. 

“Qiuqiu, this little guy is really clever. I don’t even know how his brain developed like that. The police dogs in the bureau don’t have his level of intelligence.” 

Qin Yan squinted his eyes thoughtfully and waved her off. “Hurry up and go.”

There was a pet hospital just a block away from the police station and Yang Yue took Shen Qiu there so the doctor could examine him. 

“How did he get hurt?” the doctor asked, pressing gently on Shen Qiu’s abdomen.

Yang Yue was a bit anxious. “He got kicked. Is it serious?”

The doctor shook his head. “It feels like a fracture, but we’ll need a CT scan to confirm. Should we proceed?”

Yang Yue said immediately. “Yes, let’s do it!”

The CT scan results reached the same conclusion as the consultation. There was a fracture. Fortunately, it wasn’t very serious. 

“There are no fractures and no internal bleeding. Thankfully, there’s no need for surgery. It just needs to be stabilized.”

“When you go back, keep him in a crate or small room. Don’t let him jump around. After about a month of rest, he should recover.”

Besides the fracture, there were visible bruises on his abdomen from the kick.

After his fur was shaved, a large mark was revealed, which made Yang Yue feel distressed. 

“Qiuqiu, does it hurt? If I had known you were this badly hurt, I wouldn’t have let you run around.”

Throughout the whole process, Shen Qiu was as quiet as a chicken. He then let out a sneeze and patted her hand with his paw. 

“Meow~” It’s alright. Don’t worry about it. I’ve been through worse in my past life. This is nothing.

After letting the doctor stabilize him with a board and wrap him in gauze over and over again, Shen Qiu remained silent throughout. This made the doctors and nurses marvel in admiration. 

“Miss Yang, your cat is really well-behaved. I’ve been in this field for years and never seen one this cooperative. He doesn’t struggle at all during injections or blood tests, just lets you do whatever you want.”

The nurse couldn’t help but fondly rub Shen Qiu’s head again and again.

After being praised, Shen Qiu didn’t mind her petting and proudly lifted his head. 

“Meow~” Of course. I’m a future police cat, not your average feline.

“He really seems to understand what we’re saying! So cute!”

After the bandaging was completed and asking the doctor about care instructions, Yang Yue finally left with Shen Qiu under the reluctant gazes of the entire staff.

Since he couldn’t move around recklessly, Shen Qiu didn’t insist on walking by himself and lay obediently in Yang Yue’s arms.

Back at the station, Yang Yue kept praising how obedient and sensible he was.

Qin Yan glanced at the proud big cat and felt a thought becoming stronger. 

But he wasn’t in a hurry… he needed to wait a little longer.

Since Xing Lu was hospitalized for a concussion and Shen Qiu was adamant about not returning home, Qin Yan did something unprecedented and decided to allow Shen Qiu to stay.

Shen Qiu once again took up residence at the police station.

He slept in the Criminal Investigation Division’s dorm and ran to the training grounds at dawn. However, he knew he was injured so he simply crouched on the rooftop to watch the group of police dogs train. 

When he was hungry, he’d visit Chef Zheng in the kitchen for food.¹

This three-point routine meant that he was almost fully recovered after a month of recuperation.

Meanwhile, Xing Lu was also discharged from the hospital.

During dinner that evening, Yang Yue mentioned her discharge while looking at Shen Qiu’s face with a look full of regret. 

“Qiuqiu has been with us a whole month, and I’ve gotten used to him being here. Just thinking about the fact that he needs to go back in a couple of days makes me a bit reluctant.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Qiu nearly spilled his bowl of meat.

He licked his lips, suddenly feeling a bit anxious.

It had taken him so much effort to settle down at the police station. He didn’t want to go back.

Not that he didn’t like Xing Lu, it’s just… he was destined to be a police cat! If he left now, he’d only end up coming back later. Going back and forth might make Xing Lu sad so it was better to make the decision early. 

But… there still wasn’t even a shadow of a police cat position!

He lost his appetite and started pacing in circles.

Everyone else also sighed heavily.

Only Qin Yan looked at Shen Qiu, then suddenly hurried to finish his meal.

Then he bent down and scooped Shen Qiu into his arms.

“I’m going to talk to the chief.”

~~~

^{1. [I think this is a different chef than before. Back in chapter 3, it was 邓师傅 (dèng shīfu) but right now, he mentioned 郑师傅 (zhèng shīfu) which is a completely different character. I’m assuming they have different chefs on shift.]↩}

T/N: I hope it’s finally happening! After 9 chapters, will we finally have a police cat Shen Qiu?! Also, I hope Zhang Jibo gets the punishment he deserves and truly turns over a new leaf while staying far FAR away from Xing Lu. 

On a side note, I just realized some of my chapters start with “Chapter x:” and some of them don’t. I promise I’ll go back and fix it. If you see any other errors, let me know in the Discord or just leave a comment… I promise I do proofread as best as I can but I don’t have an editor orz

3.2k characters to 2.3k words | Translation Time: 3 hours