Chapter 2

Xiao Guo's clients are mostly from Chu Hua University, and doing business with teachers and students in a university is not easy. Food safety and quality issues are most likely to be exposed here.

Those who spend their days in the laboratory, facing tedious experimental data and equipment, sometimes find a bit of fun for themselves. For example, they might suddenly decide to take a bus to the snack alley to buy a bowl of red oil hot dry noodles, then bring it back to the laboratory to test whether there is Sudan red in the red oil, whether there is aflatoxin in the sesame paste, and whether the E. coli levels are超标.

Therefore, to do business with university teachers and students and maintain a good reputation, one needs to ensure consistent high quality.

But because of this, Xiao Guo's store has built a solid reputation, gained popularity, and accumulated funds. They have taken over several surrounding stores, merged with his brother's pet clinic and his own pet supplies store, and established the "Ming Ming So" pet center.

This is what Zheng Tan knows about Xiao Guo. Overall, Zheng Tan thinks Xiao Guo is a decent person, smart, and good at making money, and he is not a bad person, at least he is good to animals.

After Xiao Guo left, the Jiao family did not mention anything about the cat food commercial. After dinner, Jiao Yuan and Gu Yuzi went to their respective rooms to do homework, and Jiao's mother went to the gym to learn dancing with some friends.

Zheng Tan entered the master bedroom, closed the door, and locked it. In the bedroom, Jiao's father was already sitting at the desk waiting.

Jiao's father was already used to Zheng Tan's series of actions after entering the room. He didn't even look up, and after Zheng Tan jumped onto the table, Jiao's father closed the file in his hand.

"Xiao Guo came over today to talk about shooting a cat food commercial. I didn't agree immediately; I want to see what you think." Jiao's father said, handing a document to Zheng Tan.

The document detailed the cat food commercial that Xiao Guo proposed today, as well as the subsequent situations and benefit analysis based on what Xiao Guo said.

Zheng Tan took a look. It was a type of cat food produced by Xiao Guo's own company, which many cat owners in the campus buy. The price is relatively cheap, convenient, and can withstand quality testing. Xiao Guo had originally planned to promote this cat food, but the SARS outbreak ruined the plan. Now, after a long recovery, he is preparing to restart the plan. However, the funds are tight due to the establishment of the pet center, so he is more eager to make money through this cat food.

Although pet food commercials are rarely seen on TV in mainland China, Zheng Tan learned after coming here that there is a demand for pet food, and there are many potential customers. With economic development, the pace of urban life is getting faster, and people don't have time to take care of themselves, let alone pets. Even if they want to keep a cat, they have to figure out how to do it.

Zheng Tan doesn't have much of a business mind, both in the past and now, but he believes that if this is done well, it can indeed make some money.

Zheng Tan doesn't eat cat food; he eats the same food as the Jiao family. Since becoming a cat, Zheng Tan is most grateful for his strong stomach. Moreover, shooting a commercial doesn't necessarily mean eating cat food.

To be honest, shooting a simple commercial is not a big deal for Zheng Tan. After all, it's just a pet food commercial. According to the document, the initial dissemination will be through the internet. If the effect is significant, there will definitely be more to follow.

This first commercial will be simple, just a test. The reason Xiao Guo approached Zheng Tan is clear to him. With tight funds, any savings are welcome. Foreigners spent tons of food to shoot "Cats & Dogs," and although Xiao Guo's test commercial is much smaller in scale, it will still consume some. Of course, this is for other cats; Zheng Tan is different.

Zheng Tan was pondering the pros and cons of the document when Jiao's father said, "You don't have to decide immediately. I told Xiao Guo we'll reply within three days."

Hearing that he had three days to consider, Zheng Tan was no longer in a hurry. Given his current identity, he needed to think carefully.

Just as he put down the document, Zheng Tan heard someone knocking, not on the bedroom door, but on the front door.

Jiao's father got up to open the door, and Zheng Tan didn't go over immediately but listened to the sounds in the living room.

The voice belonged to the otaku living across the hall, a faculty family member whose parents are both teachers at the university. The guy almost always stays at home, usually wearing T-shirts with patterns of StarCraft, Spider-Man, Star Wars, and even SpongeBob. He washes his clothes once a week, even in the summer, and Zheng Tan wonders if his clothes might grow mushrooms after a week.

The guy seemed a bit embarrassed. Zheng Tan jumped off the desk, went to the door, and peeked out. The guy was holding a box of takeout in one hand and scratching his head with the other.

"Brother Jiao, I need to borrow your cat. The rats in my place are almost geniuses; none of the traps I bought caught any. I've been worried sick these past few days. When would be a good time, uh, could I, you know, borrow the cat?"

Zheng Tan looked down on him. He vividly remembered that last month, this guy boasted to Jiao Yuan that he didn't have a single rat, but the next day, Zheng Tan heard him wailing about his internet cable being chewed through. He bought sticky traps and mousetraps, trying almost everything except rat poison. Zheng Tan wondered if the rats in the university were particularly smart.

However, Zheng Tan also thought that since he became a cat, he hadn't caught any rats. There were no rats at the Jiao family's place, and Zheng Tan wasn't sure if it was because of him. But if he were to catch a rat now, he wouldn't know where to start. It's not that he's afraid; he caught rats in middle school to scare the girls in his class, but cats and humans are different.

Zheng Tan looked down at his cat paws, feeling quite troubled.

Jiao's father had already finished talking to the guy, closed the door, and walked back to the room, waving at Zheng Tan, "Can you catch rats?"

Zheng Tan remained silent and didn't move.

After a while, Jiao's father said, "Let's go, let's give it a try."

Try? Where to try? How to try? Zheng Tan was puzzled.

Jiao's father took the keys, grabbed a bag, and called Jiao Yuan to go out. They left the faculty compound, and as they followed a familiar path, Zheng Tan had a rough idea of where they were going, but he wasn't sure how they would test it. His strength is greater than that of an average cat, and Zheng Tan feels he can get even stronger, possibly approaching the strength of an average adult in a year or two.

However, being strong doesn't mean he can catch rats. Since he doesn't particularly like cats, Zheng Tan doesn't know how normal cats catch rats and hasn't paid attention to it.

As they were thinking, the small electric scooter arrived at their destination—Chu Hua University's Life Sciences College.

As an associate professor at Chu Hua University's Life Sciences College, Jiao's father spends most of his daytime here, except for meals at home.

After parking the scooter, Jiao's father shook the bag, and Zheng Tan pursed his lips and jumped in. The life sciences building is not a place where a cat can wander freely; it would be bad if he were seen.

Then, Associate Professor Jiao carried the bag with the cat and walked into the main entrance of the life sciences building, calmly greeting people coming and going. By the time they reached the stairs, there were few people around, as most preferred the elevator.

Zheng Tan poked his head out of the bag to look around. It was 7 PM, and there were still many people in the life sciences building. The lights in various laboratories were on, and Zheng Tan could see the UV sterilization lights in the clean rooms through the windows by the stairs.

When Zheng Tan was first brought here by Jiao Yuan, he was very nervous, but after a few times, he became calm. He is grateful that the family that adopted him is not a bunch of mad scientists.

Jiao's father's office is on the second floor, an independent office. He is one of the few associate professors at Chu Hua University's Life Sciences College to have an independent office. When Jiao's mother is busy, Jiao Yuan and the others come here to do homework or take a nap. Sometimes Zheng Tan comes along, but always secretly, either hiding in a backpack or wrapped in clothes.

Jiao's father took a set of keys from his office and carried Zheng Tan up to the fourth floor. The fourth floor, in the corner, is rarely visited, and Zheng Tan had never been there before.

In the quiet hallway, Jiao's father's footsteps were particularly clear. The motion-activated lights came on, and Zheng Tan saw the signs on the doors of the surrounding rooms.

No wonder there were few people; this area is mostly used for storing goods, equipment, and chemicals. However, ...

Zheng Tan moved his nose and smelled the scent of some living beings.

Jiao's father stopped at the room at the far end, took out the key, and opened the door.

As soon as the door opened, a squeaking sound was heard.

Even in the dim light, Zheng Tan could clearly see the layout inside.

There were a few empty cages on one side, and the cages for the white mice were in the inner room. Near the door, there was a small experimental table and shelves.

Jiao's father turned on the light, placed the bag on the table, and said to Zheng Tan, "Wait here for a moment, don't run around. Don't touch anything in the lab; there are many chemicals."

Jiao's father then took off his lab coat from the rack, put on gloves from a drawer, and went into the inner room. A moment later, he came out with a cage containing five white mice.