With a pair of long-handled pliers in hand, Chu Tingwu enjoyed the treatment of an emperor on a night market stroll, where people cleared the way wherever she went.
The cats she "hired" acted like eunuchs from the East Factory, bullying their way through without restraint, and all of them were neutered.
When it was time to return to the palace, the feline entourage escorted Chu Tingwu to the street corner. Only after she rummaged through her pockets to confirm she had nothing left to give did they finally leave, disappointed.
On the way back, the young girls, though aware of Chu Xiao and Zhou Qiang's prowess, were more intrigued by Chu Tingwu and Shao Lingwu's "skills." The former seemed too complex to grasp or replicate, but the latter appeared to be practical skills one might encounter in daily life:
"We have huge rats here, some even bigger than small cats, and they're vicious. I've been bitten several times as a child. Sister, how do you catch them so accurately? Can it be learned through practice?"
After all, mastering this could be a useful skill.
Chu Tingwu knew that there were specialized rat-catching companies that relied on human effort and technique to capture rats, as some places couldn't use machines or trust cats.
However, she didn't know how to teach others.
Another child turned to Shao Lingwu: "Today's accounts were correct!"
Shao Lingwu: "Addition is something I can't get wrong ==."
The child shook their head: "No, it's just that whenever things get busy, money always seems to go missing. Maybe someone took it but didn't pay."
Even with payment voice notifications, delays sometimes occur, and by the time they realize someone hasn't paid, the person is already gone, making it impossible to chase after them.
So Shao Lingwu had Chu Tingwu patrol the entire night market, catching people. In a court setting, he might have made a decent censor job.
— If Chu Tingwu had stayed at the stall, she could have used her sense of smell to locate these people, but she had been out most of the day. Thus, Chu Tingwu was also surprised: "Can you remember all their voices?"
Shao Lingwu's hearing seemed exceptionally sharp; he had heard her conversation with Yue Miao from a distance the first time they met.
Shao Lingwu was puzzled: "Because different voices are really distinct."
In fact, when Chu Tingwu had heard someone fall into the water earlier, Shao Lingwu had caught it too, but: "I hadn't heard that kind of sound before, but I can remember it now."
The children, who had initially listened with eager eyes ("OvO"), soon turned apathetic ("=_="). Meanwhile, Zhou Qiang was discussing with Chu Xiao whether to develop a smart voice plugin related to payments.
Currently, payment software's voice plugins couldn't support the needs of night market vendors, but combining them with smart AI could boost efficiency.
Their discussion quickly shifted from smart payments to market accounting software, then to the software's operational model.
They considered making the smart payment feature free and charging for other aspects... Chu Tingwu overheard and mentioned that her company could handle the operations, and the plugin could be bundled with drones for distribution. Shao Lingwu looked around and raised his hand: "Then, I can help with voice debugging?"
Chu Tingwu was escorted to the dock by the director's team, and the three finally parted ways.
On the way back, Chu Xiao suddenly said: "I thought you'd just cover the money yourself."
Over time, everyone had noticed that Shao Lingwu had little concept of money.
In fact, his family had likely reduced his allowance compared to others in similar circumstances to cultivate his financial sense—Shao Lingwu once mentioned that his parents wanted him to figure out how to make money or save it himself, even suggesting he invest through their channels. But he spent all his money when he had it, whether it was three thousand or thirty thousand, and had no additional spending desires, leaving his family despairing.
"I'll hand the company over to a reliable manager in the future, so you can focus on your studies," his parents had said.
Shao Lingwu waved it off: "I just don't care much; I'm not stupid."
Tonight's money was earned by the children, not his. Replacing it wouldn't be his, and the children wouldn't be happy.
But every time Chu Tingwu caught someone who hadn't paid, the children laughed so joyfully... it made Shao Lingwu a bit envious.
Chu Xiao nodded, then reached out and pinched his companion's neck, saying ominously:
"Then why did you get that ridiculous package deal for your haircut today, and even get me a card? Was it because the card looked nice?"
Shao Lingwu: "..."
Shao Lingwu: "I'm sorry ==."
Chu Xiao didn't need to dye his hair often... well, he could use the card for others later.
-
Chu Tingwu sneezed.
The director's assistant quickly said: "Put on another coat; it's windy tonight."
Unlike usual, where they needed to blur faces, the director seemed eager to capitalize on Chu Tingwu's popularity, actively suggesting she could go live without needing to blur them—since they often appeared in related videos anyway.
Chu Tingwu, having been brought on board by them and sharing a history, didn't refuse to cooperate with the promotion.
Thus, not only did Chu Tingwu's personal account announce the live stream in advance, but the official account of "City Animals" also mentioned that a mysterious guest would join the shoot, so they would go live.
Equivalent to using two camera angles, they used a fixed camera to film those on the boat.
"City Animals" fans were already discussing in advance—
[Are they planning to film animals kept by celebrities? Indeed, this is the third season, and the first two seasons covered almost everything. To keep the project alive, they'd have to find a new angle.]
[Not really interested in celebrities... If it turns into a celebrity-focused show, I'll unsubscribe! I watch this for the animals and people!]
[Actually, the focus of this documentary isn't the animals; it's "in the city," and cities exist because of people. The director seems to want to make a humanistic documentary, showing changes from the animals' perspective and how they coexist with humans—but really, it's about how humans should treat these animals. I hope they don't shift focus, but if the director wants to make quick money to continue his passion project, inviting a few celebrities is okay, just don't overdo it!]
[By the way, where is the director's team now?]
[Probably in Sangcheng; they mentioned going out to sea earlier, and the assistant posted a lot of photos from the sea.]
[Sangcheng...]
[Huh? Sangcheng?]
[It feels like Sangcheng has been appearing a lot lately. Did I just see it mentioned in some live stream?]
As the fans discussed, the scheduled live stream time arrived. Qiao, who usually conducted interviews in the documentary, appeared on screen, but the camera quickly shifted elsewhere, with Qiao starting to explain their current filming content.
[So this episode's theme is seagulls!]
"Yes," Qiao smiled, "While locals might be more familiar with seagulls, we thought the relationship between sailors and seagulls might be even closer. During a month-long non-stop coastal sailing race, seagulls are their close comrades."
Many people are unfamiliar with sailing sports, which is still a niche activity in the country, and seagulls are equally alien to those who haven't seen the sea. No matter how many times they appear on screen, it's different from experiencing them firsthand.
The director chose this project and animal because they are "uncommon."
During the live stream, Chu Tingwu quietly operated the drone, staying hidden among the staff—this time, the live stream's focus wasn't just the filming content but alsoῳ*Ɩdetails on how the post-production team works:
"We've already filmed the daytime footage, so this time we're choosing nighttime filming to show you the sea at night."
"During the race, the crew also needs to live at sea, spending long nights—"
This time, in return for their previous favor, in addition to the fixed camera positions, they also used Chu Tingwu's company's unmanned flying spheres to capture the night sky, resulting in better effects, clearer and more stable footage. After the live broadcast, they would also run a soft advertisement.
At first, fans were puzzled about who the special guest was, but soon they were immersed in the live broadcast content and forgot about the unintroduced "guest" until the crew started talking about life on the boat and explained how the vessel maintained stability in the waves.
Qiao looked around: "A sailboat... it really seems too small. Why can some people complete a circumnavigation or continental voyage with just one sailboat?"
The crew member chuckled: "Don't think that because Sangcheng is far away now, we're actually still in the coastal waters. And our boat maintains stability through its keel, like a roly-poly on the sea. It looks like it's swaying with the waves, but it hasn't reached the critical point of flipping over. Even if the mast touches the surface of the sea, the boat can right itself."
Just like Chu Tingwu experienced today—though the boat they used was smaller and couldn't go far out to sea, it was easier to right itself.
As his voice trailed off, the sailboat suddenly swayed violently. A seabird that had been dozing on the mast flapped its wings and flew up, circling the white sail once before landing back down.
The staff members were a bit scared, but the crew member remained calm, telling them to stay in their current positions and not move around, while they adjusted the boat's direction.
It was at this moment that Chu Tingwu started her live broadcast.
As a premium signed user, the website not only promoted her live broadcast to her fans but also randomly sent notifications to some new users with low followings.
In the shot, the view circled the boat, overlooking the sea surface under the moonlight, then zoomed in on Chu Tingwu. Everyone was busy, and Chu Tingwu didn't interrupt, but as the boat swayed left and right, the other camera operators were in a mess—
They all wore life jackets, but the filming equipment couldn't fall into the water. Even though they were pulling hard, it looked like it was about to slide to the right.
A strong wind had picked up at night.
The boat, on the verge of capsizing, slowly righted itself. Chu Tingwu suddenly grabbed the loose camera and leaped to the left side of the boat.
Under her feet came a silent vibration that ordinary people couldn't feel in the violent swaying, and the boat jerked left and right before stabilizing.
She jumped back down, and the staff members wiped their sweat: "Um, actually, we can protect the equipment, you really didn't need to—"
It felt more dangerous than sliding down!
Chu Tingwu explained: "The deck is slanted, so I couldn't stand still."
And with only the width of a palm on the boat's edge, it looked dangerous, but she could ensure she stood very steady, even helping to provide weight to stabilize the boat.
But with this lift and drop, the viewers on the other side of the lens noticed the strange change in perspective and the people in the conversation:
[What just happened? Did a seagull snatch the camera?]
[If a seagull did take it, that would be great! If it could fly with the seagull, it would definitely become a classic shot!]
[Speaking of which, I think I saw a video today of something flying with a seagull. Are these new drones that advanced now?]
No, no seagull could carry such a heavy machine!
But filming on the boat was indeed challenging, as the rocking of the boat caused the waves to quickly come crashing in.
In everyone's perception, the night sea always seems calm, but in reality, there's no difference between night and day, except that people are tired and want to rest.
After hearing their stories about night sailing, Chu Tingwu became more curious about "single-handed coastal navigation," as there was a similar competition nearby recently. On multi-person boats, there's a captain in control, a helmsman steering, a mainsail trimmer controlling the mainsail, a foredeck hand managing the spinnaker, and a jib trimmer controlling the jib, yet it still seems so perilous.
So, with a boat of the same size, but only one person, and no shore support or any assistance, how do those single-handed competitors manage to complete their tasks smoothly?
Chu Tingwu, despite having cat-like abilities, knew that even with such abilities, her advantage at sea was much smaller than on land. The sea treats cats and humans equally; to survive, one must rely on individual qualities and on-the-spot reactions to the maritime challenges.
Her fans were also discussing this, and gradually, fans of "Animals" also noticed Chu Tingwu. Some even hopped between the two live broadcasts, waiting for Qiao to introduce Chu Tingwu's identity.
This is also a very familiar content creator to us. Users of Fenghua Network should have heard of her. Chu Tingwu is not only a cat blogger but also a highly respected extreme sports enthusiast... Of course, compared to challenging limits, she's more known for her love of sports and her passion for new experiences.
"She not only has outstanding athletic talent, but during her wildlife-related live broadcasts, she also demonstrated extraordinary hearing. It's probably true that talent leads to passion, right, Chu Tingwu?"
Chu Tingwu nodded: "Yes, I can hear someone calling for help right now."
Qiao looked at Chu Tingwu.
Chu Tingwu looked at Qiao.
Chu Tingwu: "?"
Qiao: Wait, are you serious?
The sailboat turned around, and the captain said: "Sorry, we just received news that someone took a small boat out at night and got stranded at the cliffside. The coordinates aren't far, and any nearby boats can... Uh, what's wrong?"
Qiao: "It's nothing."
It's just that those poor stranded folks might get live-streamed to the whole internet.
-
The stranded individuals were rescued first by the maritime police, and the sailboat only approached from a distance. Qiao was also very curious and asked Chu Tingwu: "Can you hear what they're saying?"
The wind scattered her voice, and the sound of the waves was louder than the seagulls'. After listening for a while, Chu Tingwu repeated: "After their motorboat broke down, they swam to the cliffside. Just as they sent out a message, their phone stopped working, so while waiting for rescue, they kept trying to climb up by rock climbing."
It was unclear whether they were carefree or just "brave," but from falling into the water to being rescued, these few people didn't get hurt, at most just a bit cold. However, during their self-attempted "rock climbing," they ended up cutting their hands and gloriously turned themselves into casualties.
Qiao: "=="
Can she really hear that?
This kind of hearing made her view Chu Tingwu as a "rare species," definitely surpassing human limits. Although she knew some people were just naturally gifted, she still couldn't help thinking: Would she hear my private conversations?
It feels like there's no privacy at all.
The captain, however, was quite curious: "With this ability, you'd be quite suitable for sailing."
Even with electronic aids, human abilities are very important in sailing. Sharper hearing could help Chu Tingwu avoid storms and waves.
Qiao laughed: "With her abilities, she'd be good at any sport—"
Chu Tingwu: "No."
Chu Tingwu said: "But I'm not good at sailing, so going out to sea is more interesting than on land."
Being good leads to passion.
But if the advantage is reduced and the field is unfamiliar, yet one can still feel the excitement... then "being good" is just opening a window for Chu Tingwu, allowing her to discover that what she likes isn't just what she's good at, but also the challenges of what she's not good at.
Chu Tingwu pondered.
She couldn't stay on the boat overnight, and after an hour of filming, she disembarked but didn't immediately return. Instead, she said goodbye to the filming crew and bought some related equipment.
The live broadcast remained open during this time, and while the audience was originally preparing to go to bed, they noticed that the UP master seemed to be fiddling with something else.
Finally, Chu Tingwu contacted her fellow night owls and, through Shao Lingwu, got the phone number of a car rental company, renting a single-person sailboat.
The audience: "???"
UP explained, "Because this spot is definitely unavailable for rent, but I still have classes tomorrow, and I only have time in the evening, so I had to find some less formal companies."
But how did your friend get the contact information of these less formal companies, and it seems like they're quite familiar with them?
And are you planning to go out to sea at this time?
Not exactly.
Chu Tingwu merely arranged for a sailboat, using the little knowledge she had learned in the morning and just now, slowly steering the boat to the cliff where someone had been stranded earlier.
This cliff protruded slightly below, providing a platform for the stranded person to stand on. The pitch-black sea water pounded against the rock wall, revealing a smooth crystalline surface.
Chu Tingwu moved her equipment to the platform below the cliff and looked up.
At this moment, Shao Lingwu and the others also clicked into her live stream—
They had originally booked a hotel with a better view of the sea, planning to watch the sunrise in the morning... Although they could also see it from the training camp, it seemed different when viewed from outside.
Perhaps the difference lay in spending extra money.
But at this moment, all three were staring at the screen.
Shao Lingwu: "She can't be..."
Zhou Qiang's tablet displayed Chu Tingwu's personal account interface: "She's going to climb, isn't she?"
Yes.
On this ordinary night, Chu Tingwu, fully equipped, began "leading climbing" on this seaside cliff without any protection from others, under conditions where visibility was poor at night.
—Only she knew that she had the confidence to be "protected," and even if she fell onto the rocks in mid-air, she could rely on her reaction speed to minimize injuries.
Moreover, Chu Tingwu had been thinking before: I want to live-stream extreme sports because I have an advantage and enjoy doing it.
She could share the thrill of the sport with the people on the other side of the screen.
She could showcase her hidden, almost inhuman side in front of the camera.
But she had never taken action... Perhaps she was still hesitating in her heart, or maybe she was worried that this "specialty" might not be accepted.
But sometimes, the decision to start is made in an instant.
Perhaps it was just this ordinary moment.
Everything began.
-
The audience called the police.
Although they often joked, "Chu Tingwu must be a rebellious kid at school who gives her teachers a headache," they never expected this "rebellion" to come back and hit them.
Many viewers in the live stream had watched Chu Tingwu grow from the beginning of her broadcasts, regarding her as if she were their own child, knowing her excellence and extraordinariness, and also knowing that she often took on "extreme" challenges. But that didn't mean they could watch her put herself in danger.
"Leading climbing," as the name suggests, is when an excellent climber attempts a climbing route that has never been successfully climbed before. Such routes are often difficult to rate, and they are inevitably wild climbs.
Many climbers cannot resist the temptation of "leading climbing," as it is the path to becoming the first.
But most leading climbs also have protective measures—such as others providing hanging protection or setting up safety nets below.
In the real wilderness, with only rudimentary tools (and those used for hammering rather than self-protection), and in low visibility late at night!
Some even frantically called the system, asking it to manage Chu Tingwu:
Stop filming your video!
Not only are you filming, but you're using a dual-camera setup—what does that mean?
In the hotel, as Chu Tingwu's climbing height increased, the three companions also held their breath.
The cliff sloped towards the sea, and Chu Tingwu could only stabilize herself by fixing three points. If she fell, she would grab nothing, and there would be no support to stabilize her.
And the previous nails hammered in couldn't be sure if they were sturdy. Rocks slid down, and Zhou Qiang could hear her own heartbeat.
She had never understood extreme sports before—it was far from her life, and she might never participate in such activities. But when she saw Chu Tingwu climbing, she suddenly realized:
"A new..."
Shao Lingwu: "What?"
"I really envy her," she said. "No one can resist a new future. When she climbs up, does her mood feel like a researcher discovering new experimental results? Even though the rock wall has always been there, and the new formulas and research results are too, when she successfully climbs up, everything will be different."
To the world, it's still just a rock wall, but in the lens, Chu Tingwu's eyes, in the darkness, seemed to absorb the surrounding light, clear as glass, only gazing at the top.
When the maritime police went out to sea for the second time and arrived at the familiar cliff, the powerful floodlight on the boat projected a bright white circle onto the cliff wall. The circle slowly moved upward, scanning past the nail points and ropes, finally moving to the top of the cliff—
Chu Tingwu, with a safety rope tied around her waist, sat on the edge of the cliff, fully illuminated by the light.
She tilted her head slightly, and her pupils, at this moment, seemed to be illuminated into a dazzling gold.
