This is a bizarre rule, isn't it? It's supposed to grant me many children and good fortune

Chapter 172 Petting the Cat in the Garden

Vassim, Evelyn, and Anna slowly opened their eyes, and the eerie black shadows that filled the surroundings quietly disappeared into the darkness.

As the lights came on one by one, the outline of the cafeteria became clear again.

The other trainee guards gradually came to their senses, but some suddenly realized that their colleagues had disappeared.

Several suppressed gasps rang out, tinged with heaviness and sorrow.

But this panic didn't last long, and they soon began looking for new partners.

After all, the deceased are gone, and the living must still fight for a chance to survive.

Everyone silently finished the remaining food on their plates, then got up and left the cafeteria to return to their respective dormitories.

Lin Feng unlocked the door to room 107 with his key, and the first thing he did was lean over and look under the bed—

The empty, dimly lit concrete floor came into view, with nothing unusual about it.

He slowly straightened up and breathed a sigh of relief.

........................

As night deepened, Lin Feng lay on the narrow single bed, his mind as clear as day.

He repeatedly considered how to use tomorrow's rare day off to further strengthen his relationship with Leng Meng.

Several feasible options emerged in my mind, were compared and eliminated, and finally a clear and reliable plan took shape.

Lin Feng closed his eyes and fell asleep peacefully.

At 6:30 a.m. the next morning, the shrill alarm clock shattered the peace.

Lin Feng opened his eyes almost at the same time the bell rang.

A sweet female voice announced over the loudspeaker outside the corridor: "Today's weather: sunny."

Lin Feng rolled out of bed, walked to the window, and pulled back the heavy curtains.

The morning light streamed into the room without obstruction, and the sky outside the window was a clear, bright blue, exactly as predicted on the radio.

Wasim, while putting on his uniform jacket, turned his head sleepily:

"Brother Lin Feng, aren't you supposed to be off today? Why are you up so early?"

"I can't sleep," Lin Feng said calmly, straightening his collar. "I was thinking of going to feed the stray cats in the yard as soon as possible."

Wasim opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Lin Feng quickly washed up, changed into civilian clothes, bought a can of dried fish at the convenience store, and then walked out of the D prison area to the walkway next to the central garden.

—This is the only way Leng Meng can take from the staff dormitory to the cafeteria.

A few clumps of late-blooming chrysanthemums held up their pale golden outlines in the morning dew, while only a few scattered withered flowers remained on the rose trellis, trembling gently in the cool breeze.

But the aster in the corner was blooming quietly, its small blue-purple flowers clustered together like mist, shimmering with a hazy halo in the gradually brightening morning light.

Lin Feng sat down on the stone steps beside the path and activated "Call of the Wild". A moment later, a dark shadow darted out from the flower bushes. It was a stray cat with a jet-black body and eyes as clear as amber.

The black cat arched its back warily, its whiskers trembling slightly, until Lin Feng picked up a small dried fish and handed it to it. Only then did it hesitate, approach carefully, pick it up, and squat down at his feet to wolf it down.

Lin Feng sat down on the stone steps and gently stroked the black cat's back with his fingertips.

Out of the corner of his eye, he kept glancing towards the staff dormitory area. After waiting for about four or five minutes, he saw a graceful figure walking briskly towards them.

Leng Meng was still wearing her crisp military green uniform, her military boots making a crisp "tap-tap" sound on the stone pavement. Her long hair was neatly tied back, revealing her sharp jawline, but there was still a trace of weariness in her eyes.

Leng Meng was walking straight ahead without looking to the side, but when her gaze swept over the edge of the garden, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

She saw Lin Feng squatting there, gently combing the fur on the back of a black cat with his fingertips.

The morning light slanted down onto his lowered profile, and also onto the cat, which was entirely black except for its golden eyes.

The corners of her mouth unconsciously curved into a slight smile.

"You finally got a day off today, why are you up so early?" Leng Meng walked over, her voice softening.

Lin Feng raised his head, a natural smile appearing on his face, his fingertips still gently scratching the black cat's chin:

"I couldn't sleep, so I got up and went for a walk. Yesterday, when I passed by the garden, I saw a few stray cats here. Since I was off today, I brought some food to feed them."

Lin Feng spoke casually, but his gaze secretly locked onto Leng Meng, and he secretly activated his "Desire Insight" skill.

An invisible wave touched Leng Meng.

Soon, the screen of "Desire Insight" unfolded before my eyes:

Ever since Lin Feng cleaned my right ear, my poor left ear has felt empty for quite a while. I strongly hope that both ear canals can receive equal care, ideally—both at the same time.

In addition, due to prolonged wear of hard-soled military boots, my foot muscles are severely strained, accompanied by soreness and stinging. I'm also looking forward to receiving a high-quality treatment and massage.

Lin Feng couldn't help but smile to himself.

The deputy warden, a man of great stature, is only looking forward to such trivial matters.

However, this just happened to be right in his line of fire.

Today, I have to find an opportunity for her to experience what it means to be "shocked by a top-notch technician".

………………

Leng Meng's voice rang out again, her gaze falling on his hand stroking the cat: "I didn't expect you to be so kind-hearted!"

[Ding! Leng Meng's favorability +5]

Current favorability rating: 65/100

Lin Feng was stunned for a moment—wait, I actually gained 5 points of affection by petting a cat?!

He then mentioned that he has always loved small animals and has a dog named Didi at home.

Mentioning Dian Dian naturally brings to mind thoughts of my two wives at home.

Leng Meng nodded: "Actually, I used to have an American Shorthair cat, and it was very affectionate."

"But later, prison affairs became increasingly demanding, and I often didn't return to the dormitory until late at night, so I didn't even have time to feed them..."

"One morning when I woke up, it was gone."

A hint of melancholy flashed across her eyes as she said this.

"Perhaps it just couldn't wait and wanted to go out and see a bigger world first," Lin Feng said gently. "Being remembered by you is already a very good thing for it!"

Leng Meng paused slightly, then quickly suppressed the fleeting emotion in her eyes: "Thank you."

Lin Feng quickly waved his hand, then seemed to remember something, revealing a slightly puzzled expression:

"By the way, Deputy Warden, I've been having some work-related questions lately and would like to ask you for advice... When would be a convenient time for you today?"

Leng Meng hesitated for a moment, then glanced at her watch: "Let's have lunch first. Come to my dorm and find me. I have an hour to rest at noon, which should be enough time to talk."

"Okay, thank you, Deputy Warden!" Lin Feng replied immediately, his eyes brightening slightly.

An hour was enough for him to accurately put into practice the two "desires" he had just "discovered".

Leng Meng turned and left, the sound of her military boots stepping on the stone pavement gradually fading into the distance.

The black cat at his feet had finished eating the dried fish and was rubbing its head against his palm, making a soft "purring" sound.

Lin Feng patted the black cat's head and whispered, "Go."

He then stood up and walked towards the cafeteria...