There was no big feast.

Feng Yi had only used that as a temporary excuse to smooth over the awkward situation earlier.

But he knew very well that something had indeed changed.

He had eaten a huge basin of noodle soup and ten plus-sized steamed buns in the morning, yet when he left Little Phoenix Mountain before noon, the feeling of hunger was already becoming more and more pronounced.

Fortunately, he had prepared plenty of food before going up the mountain yesterday. Because he had been preoccupied and tense the entire time, he had little appetite, and more than half the food remained.

“Mister, I’m going to eat something in the car,” Feng Yi said.

“Go ahead, as long as it’s not instant noodles or durian, that sort of thing. Be careful not to choke.”

The driver drove out of the Little Phoenix Mountain Conservation Area, but the image of the King Rat Snake swallowing the frog was still in his mind, and he couldn’t help but talk about it.

“We have a saying back in my hometown: ‘One Rat Snake on the beam, two hundred rats dead in a year’! I don’t know which of the two big Rat Snakes this saying refers to, but compared to the slender Black-browed Rat Snake, the King Rat Snake, with its thick and sturdy build, looks like it can eat more. Looking at the appetite of those King Rat Snakes in the conservation area, I reckon the number of rats they eat in a year is definitely more, not less! Look at them, so robust and arrogant!”

“Am I right?” the driver asked Feng Yi.

“Right!” Feng Yi nodded. “A bunch of gluttons!”

Feng Yi finished the food in his bag while in the car and had another proper meal when he arrived at the airport.

He couldn’t bring much of the gear he bought at the outdoor store onto the plane, so he packed it up and express mailed it back.

Previously, not knowing when he would finish his business, he hadn’t booked a return ticket. He bought today’s ticket on the spot, and by the time he returned to Rongcheng, he hit the evening rush hour.

Sitting in the taxi, Feng Yi regretted not just squeezing onto the subway.

Outside the window, the rush hour traffic on the elevated highway was jammed into a long snake…

Pah!

Snake, what snake!

Feng Yi was in a bit of denial right now. He didn’t want to mention any topic related to snakes, so he simply looked away, refusing to pay attention to that long line on the elevated road. Rubbing his forehead, he opened his phone to check the pushed news notifications.

By the time he got home, it was completely dark. Exhaustion hit him; Feng Yi ordered takeout for four people, ate hurriedly, washed up, and went to sleep. He simply tidied up the takeout trash and set it aside, planning to sort it for recycling tomorrow.

In the middle of the night, most residents in the community were asleep.

A rat crawled from the balcony of the neighboring unit toward Feng Yi’s side. Just as it was about to reach the balcony, it suddenly stopped, sniffing the scent in the air.

In the air, there was the tempting aroma of food.

But there was also a scent that made it instinctively fearful.

After hesitating for a long while, it finally turned around and crawled down the outer wall.

Feng Yi had strange dreams all night, but he couldn’t remember anything when he woke up.

After disposing of yesterday’s trash, he carefully inspected the house. He found no traces of rats or any cockroaches.

He was relieved.

After breakfast, Feng Yi called the old butler.

This time, the old butler initiated a video call directly.

Feng Yi answered, “I came back from Little Phoenix Mountain last night. I’ve been to the ancestral home, and I’ve signed the family register.”

“I know. The money will be transferred to your account shortly.”

On the other side of the video, the old butler’s expression was different from when they first met.

On the day of their first meeting, although the old butler spoke politely, there was a sense of detachment. Now, however, the look in his eyes as he watched Feng Yi through the camera was like looking at a kitten that had just opened its eyes, gentler.

Being stared at with such a gaze made Feng Yi feel weird, but hearing that a hundred million would soon be deposited into his account made him happy. Of course, not ecstatic. He had many doubts that needed resolving.

“I… I feel like I’ve changed somewhat,” Feng Yi said.

“Scared?” The butler smiled kindly.

“Not exactly. Just… not used to it.” Feng Yi didn’t know how to describe the feeling. Instinct told him this change was beneficial for survival, an advantage, an evolution. But this change also made him uneasy.

“Life, isn’t it too boring to be the same as everyone else?” the butler said.

Feng Yi wiped his face and asked, “Am I still human now?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t you be? You can view this as being a human who has taken a different evolutionary path.”

“Are you one too?” Feng Yi asked.

“I am different from you.”

That was a subtle answer. Seeing the butler unwilling to say more, Feng Yi didn’t pursue it; he would figure it out eventually.

“Then, what is your view on snakes?” Feng Yi asked.

“What is a human’s view on monkeys? No, they don’t even count as monkeys. They are merely pets, or food,” the butler said indifferently.

“…Eating snakes is forbidden now,” Feng Yi reminded him.

“Of course, law-abiding citizens.” The butler flipped through a document at hand. “Aside from that one hundred million, the inheritance Ms. Feng left you also includes real estate, stocks, funds, and the like. I will manage them for you first. These are secondary; your main energy now should be focused on your own changes. In the coming period, your body will undergo some small changes. Once these changes are complete, everything Ms. Feng left you will be handed over to you.”

Feng Yi’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. “‘Small’ changes?”

Real estate and stocks were attractive, but relatively speaking, Feng Yi was more concerned about the “small changes” the old butler mentioned.

Money and property, he could earn himself; he would earn as much as his ability allowed. He wasn’t that obsessed with being a billionaire. If he lacked ability, giving him more money wouldn’t help him keep it. If he had the ability, he could achieve it himself without handouts.

But “small changes” concerned his own body and were beyond his control!

The old butler’s smile widened slightly as he reassured him, “Don’t worry, just some small changes. If you pay attention, others won’t notice. You can call me if there are changes.”

Thinking for a moment, the old butler added, “Remember to wear a mask when going out.”

With that, he disconnected the call.

Feng Yi pondered the old butler’s words.

Summarizing the meaning of those last sentences:

First, the changes wouldn’t be drastic; with a little cover-up, others wouldn’t notice, and it wouldn’t affect daily life.

Second, those “small changes” could likely be solved by wearing a mask. Could it be… teeth?

“At least I’m still human!”

Knowing he hadn’t turned into some strange creature, Feng Yi let out a huge sigh of relief.

The one hundred million promised by the old butler arrived in his account before dark that evening.

With this huge sum, Feng Yi didn’t need to rack his brains on how to make money. He could buy several of the luxury cars he used to envy and drive them in rotation. But Feng Yi didn’t plan to do so.

After returning thirty million to the old butler, he didn’t touch the remaining money for the time being. The studio had disbanded, and he was currently unemployed; he needed to think about what to do in the future and make a plan. Who knew what else was in that inheritance, or if it could guarantee his future life? Rather than fantasizing about things he hadn’t gotten yet, Feng Yi trusted what he earned himself more.

But there was no rush. The old butler said he would undergo some small changes in the coming period. He needed to figure out exactly what kind of “small” changes they were first.

Opening his phone, he scrolled through the community owner group chat.

The community had organized rat extermination starting the afternoon before last, but it was hard to deal with the rats that had already run into residents’ homes.

The property management office had bought a lot of sticky rat boards for owners to take and use if needed.

However, when Feng Yi opened the owner group, he saw an owner complaining:

“I got sticky rat boards from property management last week. They’re amazing! Stuck my whole family, just didn’t stick a single rat!”

“A rat got into my house again yesterday. I don’t know where it drilled in from. It was huge! What did it grow up eating? Did hormones work overtime on it?!”

“High energy warning! [Video] It can actually pry open the screen window! If it can’t chew through, it pries it open! Is it about to become a spirit (Yaoguai)?!”

“Actually, these big rats have infiltrated human society for so long that they can understand some speech. That’s why the old folks always say to keep your voice down or not speak when setting traps for rats. If they hear you, they won’t take the bait.”

“So, what do we do now?! They’re a nuisance! A nuisance in every sense of the word!! The ceiling of urban nuisance combat power; no other creature can surpass them!!!”

The owner group had been in a near-manic state during this time.

While watching, Feng Yi received a message from Wu Ji.

Wu Ji: [How did you sleep last night? Everyone says last night was the worst night for the rats.]

Feng Yi: [Slept very well. Slept straight through till dawn.]

Wu Ji: [Goodbye emoji]

NOTES

Black-browed Rat Snake (Elaphe taeniura): Another common large snake in China, distinguished here from the King Rat Snake (Elaphe carinata) by its slender build.

“Yaoguai” / Become a Spirit: In Chinese folklore, animals that live long or show unusual intelligence are said to be “becoming spirits” or “becoming refined” (cheng jing).