Amazingly, the belt could manifest according to Yang Qi's wishes.
In the Cultivation Realm, it would naturally take the form of a storage pouch or a classical-style belt.
But in a modern city, it had to be a leather belt!
The Hundred Pouches Belt had a total of one hundred "pouches," and each "pouch" had a volume of one cubic meter.
The purpose of this "belt" was originally to store snacks, Elixir Pills, and various tools for a Spirit Beast.
So, while the individual capacity wasn't large, there were a great number of them!
Yang Qi gleefully accepted it.
Like the Basic Spirit Awakening Technique, this Storage Treasure could be powered by either Magical Power or Spiritual Power.
With Bao Shun right there, Yang Qi resisted the urge to manifest it. It wouldn't be too late to do it when he got back to his place.
...
The work of a zookeeper at the Zoo was far more complex than Yang Qi had imagined.
Besides the core tasks of daily meal preparation and feeding, it also included the heavy labor of cleaning and regularly disinfecting enclosures, daily behavioral training, providing enrichment toys for the animals to relieve boredom, and meticulous health observation and record-keeping.
The cleaning and behavioral training, in particular, required a great deal of time and patience.
However, Yang Qi hadn't officially started his duties yet. Master Bao had just walked him through the procedures, briefly explaining the key points without having Yang Qi do any of the actual work.
Even so, by the time they had gone through all the procedures, it was already past nine in the morning.
The two of them had a quick breakfast at the cafeteria and then went their separate ways.
Bao Shun had other work to do, while Yang Qi returned to his own residence.
Back in the quiet little villa, with a thought, Yang Qi manifested the Hundred Pouches Belt.
A leather belt with a rather classic, simple design appeared!
He focused his mind, channeling his Spiritual Power. Soon, he was proficiently storing and retrieving small items like his phone, wallet, and keys.
He played around with it for a moment.
Seeing it was getting late, he used his phone to find a restaurant near the Zoo that delivered and carefully ordered eight hearty meat and vegetable dishes, scheduling the delivery for around eleven-thirty.
Just past ten o'clock, a call came from Gao Zhenyue.
"Brother Qi, we're here!"
"You guys finally made it."
Yang Qi replied, then hung up and jogged out to the entrance of the residential area.
From a distance, he could see Gao Zhenyue, Ye Haibing, Song Wan, and Qian Yu walking over slowly, gift bags in hand.
As they got closer, the tall, thin Ye Haibing, who wore black-framed glasses, exclaimed boisterously, "Brother Qi! Quick! Take us to see your 'grand lake-view villa'!"
"Get outta here. What grand villa? It's just a small building, like a common guesthouse," Yang Qi said with a laugh, giving him a friendly punch before turning to the other two women.
"Class President, Song Wan, welcome, welcome."
Qian Yu, who had shoulder-length hair and wore simple sportswear that gave her a sharp,飒爽 look, smiled and greeted him, "Yang Qi, congratulations on the new place."
Beside her, Song Wan, with her fair skin, slightly round face, and a sweet demeanor, also smiled sweetly. "Yang Qi, we heard this place is amazing. We can't wait to see it!"
"Yeah, yeah, lead the way!" Gao Zhenyue chimed in from the side.
Resigned, Yang Qi led them inside.
When the exquisite little building—with its white walls, gray tiles, a private little yard, and the green mountain at its back—actually appeared before them, Ye Haibing's eyes went wide. He walked halfway around the fence, clicking his tongue in admiration.
"Holy crap! You call this ordinary? This location, this layout… Brother Qi, I'm jealous!"
Qian Yu and Song Wan couldn't help but sigh in admiration as well.
Qian Yu commented, "These living quarters are really too nice. It's a whole other level compared to the ones at our company."
Song Wan added, "It looks so comfortable. You must be very happy working here."
"See?" Gao Zhenyue exclaimed, as if sharing in the glory. "I didn't lie to you, did I? Photos just can't capture the feel of the place!"
"Alright, stop teasing me. Come on, let's go inside."
Yang Qi invited the four inside and served them the drinks, snacks, and fruit he had prepared in advance.
Just as the group had settled onto the living room sofa, Xiaojiu, pitch-black from head to tail, entered silently through the small door leading to the backyard, walking with an elegant gait.
"Wow! What a beautiful kitty!"
Song Wan's eyes lit up. She immediately bent down, held out her hand, and called softly, "Here, kitty kitty, come here~"
Xiaojiu paused, its amber eyes glancing from Song Wan to Yang Qi, as if seeking permission.
Yang Qi smiled and nodded, and only then did it walk over slowly, its posture composed.
"Everyone, this is Xiaojiu, my little partner."
Yang Qi introduced Xiaojiu to his four friends and vice versa. "Xiaojiu, these are my good friends: Gao Zhenyue, Ye Haibing, Qian Yu, and Song Wan."
"Haha."
Ye Haibing couldn't help but laugh at Yang Qi's serious demeanor. "Brother Qi, do you have to be so into your role? We know you're a zookeeper now, but you're introducing us to a cat. It's not like it can understand you."
"Xiaojiu can understand," Yang Qi said with a small, confident smile.
Gao Zhenyue chimed in with timely surprise, "Hey, you know what! Brother Qi, when I saw Xiaojiu yesterday, its leg was bandaged, it didn't look this healthy, and its fur wasn't this glossy. How could it change so much overnight?"
"It just recovers quickly."
Yang Qi didn't elaborate on the Spirit Rice and Strengthening Pills, just glossing over the topic.
In reality, after eating the Spirit Rice, Xiaojiu's black fur now held a reddish sheen. It was glossy and sleek, smooth as satin under the light, and its eyes had become even more lively and intelligent.
"So cute, so beautiful."
Song Wan held Xiaojiu in her arms, liking it more and more as she petted it. She couldn't get enough of its soft, smooth fur and couldn't help but ask Yang Qi jokingly,
"Yang Qi, your Xiaojiu is too cute. Can you give it to me? I promise I'll be super good to it!"
The moment she finished speaking, Xiaojiu, who had been lazily feigning sleep in her arms, suddenly opened its eyes. With a push of its limbs, it agilely wriggled free and leaped out. After landing on the floor, it let out a dissatisfied "MROWL" at Song Wan, its voice filled with obvious protest.
Then it turned and, with a light, precise leap, landed on Yang Qi's lap. It found a comfortable spot, lay down, and even nuzzled its head against the back of Yang Qi's hand.
This scene made Song Wan's jaw drop.
Qian Yu, Ye Haibing, and Gao Zhenyue were also quite surprised.
"It... it just... It can really understand us?" Song Wan asked in astonishment, looking at the smug-looking Xiaojiu on Yang Qi's lap.
"Of course. Xiaojiu is very smart," Yang Qi said with a smile, gently stroking Xiaojiu's head.
"Meow~"
Xiaojiu let out a cooperative meow.
"Amazing..." Qian Yu and Song Wan exclaimed at the same time.
"I don't believe it!"
Ye Haibing was still skeptical and challenged him, "Unless... unless it can bring me that pack of Snow Cakes!"
He reached out and pointed to a small, individually wrapped pack of Snow Cakes on the coffee table.
"That's simple."
Yang Qi chuckled, looked down, pointed at the pack of Snow Cakes, and said to Xiaojiu, "Xiaojiu, take this pack of Snow Cakes to this lazybones here."
As he spoke, he pointed to Ye Haibing, who was sprawled on the sofa.
"Meow~"
'Okay.'
Xiaojiu leaped from Yang Qi's lap, walked calmly to the coffee table, bent its head, and precisely picked up the pack of Snow Cakes. Then, under the stunned gazes of Gao Zhenyue, Qian Yu, Ye Haibing, and Song Wan, it walked over to Ye Haibing and placed the Snow Cakes on his lap.
After doing all this, Xiaojiu raised its head. With its seemingly eloquent eyes, it clearly conveyed a look that said, "You foolish Two-legged Beast." It glanced at Ye Haibing with disdain before turning around and strutting proudly back to Yang Qi's side.
"..."
Ye Haibing held the pack of Snow Cakes, completely dumbfounded. He spoke in a daze.
"Did... did it just... look down on me?"