The Cannon Fodder’s Survival Guide at the Noble Academy - Chapter 4

◎ I’m willing ◎

“What are you doing?!”

Antang shoved him aside a little roughly. He had originally intended to just push the boy away, but since the other party was still a kid, he softened his strength and only made him move a little.

He hugged Huahua tightly in his arms, like a mother hen protecting her chick, frowning unhappily:
“I heard everything. You want to take away her kittens? Dream on. Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you’re a child.”

The boy obviously panicked, his big eyes blinking. “We had… an agreement…”

Antang wasn’t about to pity him just because of his innocent look. Lately there had been too many cases of people abusing or stealing cats—age didn’t guarantee innocence.

This kid was completely unreasonable. Antang raised his voice:
“Who did you make an agreement with? A cat? Even if it could understand you, can you understand cat language? What makes you think it agreed?”

“Seriously, broad daylight and you’re talking nonsense.” Not wanting to argue with someone whose brain clearly wasn’t wired right, he turned to leave.

“Meow.”

Antang froze, lowering his head toward Huahua. Her mouth hadn’t moved.

“Meow-woo.”

He turned toward Little Gray beside them. Same thing—not a flicker of movement.

“Meow-woo-woo.”

Antang stiffly turned his body, staring at the boy whose lips were opening and closing.

“Meow,” he answered.

Realizing Antang could understand cat language, the boy grew excited, meowing non-stop, and Antang politely responded in kind.

So there they were: the two actual cats not opening their mouths, while two non-cats stood there meowing back and forth.

After several exchanges, Antang finally realized how absurd and surreal the whole scene was—enough to make a passerby call the police.

The sunlight quivered. With such strong evidence, it proved this boy really could “speak cat.” Which meant his so-called “agreement” with Huahua might actually be real.

Antang lowered his head, interrogating the calico in his arms.

Unexpectedly, the boy answered first. With each of his meows, Huahua and Little Gray would reply, and even the usually aloof Little Gray walked forward to rub against his hand.

From the boy-and-cat back-and-forth, Antang pieced it together: the boy had once seen Huahua rummaging through trash and later noticed her pregnant belly. So he struck a deal—he’d provide food, and in return Huahua would give him her kittens. More precisely, he would get to pick one or two of the best-looking ones to give away.

“Meow-woo?” Give them to who?

The boy looked up, brow faintly furrowed, and this time used human words:
“Brother.”

That made Antang look like the unreasonable one. Still using cat speech when the other had switched to human. His face flushed for a second, then quickly paled again. He spoke righteously:
“Oh.”

The boy: “…” He gave this strange person a glance, then lowered his head. Fine, whatever. After all, no one could be weirder than his brother.

“S-Sorry, I thought you were a cat thief.” Antang twisted his fingers, turning his head toward the trees. If it weren’t just the two of them here, he wouldn’t even know how to spit the words out.

The boy’s hand paused on the kitten. “It’s fine. You meant well.”

Antang exhaled, crouching down to set Huahua on the ground. “How old are you?”

“Fourteen.”

Antang nodded. Seeing how the boy kept gently petting the kittens, remembering how tender he had been earlier too, Antang silently cursed himself for having misjudged him so badly. “You really like cats. Then why not keep one yourself?”

The boy froze. Antang realized he’d said too much. These were strays—there were countless reasons one might not be able to keep them: illness, parasites, shedding, scratching, allergies, abandonment. And as just a kid, he surely had no say in the matter.

Unlike me, Antang thought wryly. My family’s all gone, I can do whatever I want. After I graduate, I’ll take every stray cat on campus with me. Not one left behind. Unless…

“Wanna be my little brother?”

“I want to make my brother happy.”

Their words overlapped almost at the same time, surprise flashing in both their eyes.

“Brother?”

“What did you say?” The boy’s eyes widened. “You want me to be what?”

Antang chuckled, then recovered:
“In this territory, I’m the Cat Boss.” He was confident in this. Since his first week at school, he’d been dealing with these cats. Back then, Little Gray had been stealing his sausages. Later, he became their leader.

Not that it was anything to brag about. Antang pulled his thoughts back and continued spinning tales:
“All the kittens here belong to me to raise. If you want to take one, you’ve got to acknowledge me as your big brother. Once you’re my little brother, you’ll be second-in-command here. Then you can take one.”

Pure nonsense he made up on the spot, just to tease this boy who looked like he carried a lot of stories.
“Being my little brother has plenty of perks, you know…”

But before he could elaborate, the school bell rang. His speech was cut off mid-sentence. He switched topics:
“Do you know how to get home?”

“Mm.”

Antang nodded and got up to leave. After a few steps, he paused, crouched again, and added:
“Baby kittens need their mother for at least a month before you can take one.”

The boy blinked twice.

Antang waved and walked away.

Only when his figure vanished around the corner did the boy stand up, still holding Huahua. Hesitant, he walked behind a tree—where a silent figure had been waiting.

The boy lifted the kitten up to show him.
“Brother, she’s so good and obedient. Her kittens will be too. Please, please help me keep them.”

Break time wasn’t long, and the woods were a distance from the classrooms. Antang hurried back, even running the last few steps, making it just as the bell rang.

But the moment he entered, the atmosphere felt wrong.

The noisy classroom had gone strangely quiet. People kept sneaking glances at him. Only after he sat down did the chatter resume, though softer than usual.

His deskmate was out sick, and since Antang didn’t have close friends in class, he had no one to ask.

What was wrong? Thinking it over, the only possible cause was Pei Chengrui. He’d only interacted with him today. Surely no one could have recognized him… right?

The thought made his heart skip. He checked his phone. Nothing. No one looking for him.

He’d completely forgotten about exchanging contact info. And who remembers a string of numbers after such a long conversation anyway? It wasn’t like he had a photographic memory.

Resolute, he decided to stay low: if the enemy doesn’t move, I don’t move. Study comes first—notes, tests, everything else can wait.

But trouble always finds him.

At lunchtime, not wanting to face the crowded cafeteria, he tore open a small bread roll at his desk.

“Which one of you is Antang?” a voice called from outside.

Two people stood at the door, backlit so he couldn’t see their faces clearly.

He blinked, looked around at the empty classroom, then got up and stepped outside, keeping an arm’s distance.
“I’m here.”

Even this close, he didn’t recognize them. Only vaguely remembered one of them being a hanger-on of the F4. He’d never spoken to them before.

The guy gave him a once-over and sneered.
“So you’re the one. Young Master Pei said you don’t check your phone, so we’re here to fetch you personally.”

“Fetch me for what?” Antang was baffled. Today had been surreal enough already. And now he was both tired and hungry. He just wanted to eat his bread.

The guy snapped, voice rising:
“How should I know? Maybe he wants us to beat you up.”

Antang blinked twice, then calmly walked back into the classroom. Under their death glares, he pulled out his phone, checked it carefully, then looked back with wide clear eyes.
“No messages.”

The guy frowned. “You’re Antang, right?”

“Uh-huh.” 100% genuine. Or not, depending on how you looked at it.

“Doesn’t matter if you got a message or not. We’re taking you.”

“….” Antang glanced at his test paper, then at the guy’s bulging muscles, then at his own skinny frame. Finally, seeing the guy’s patience wearing thin, he shoved the bread into his desk drawer and sighed.
“Fine. Where to? My test’s not finished, and I haven’t eaten yet.”

The test was just an excuse. He didn’t want to go. Who knew what they were planning? They looked like they were itching for a fight.

But with brute force glaring down at him, he knew when to fold.

They led him past the cafeteria and into a small side building. Antang’s steps grew heavier. His face turned solemn.
“Where exactly are you taking me? It’s nearly nap time, I want to go back and sleep.”

His mind buzzed with possibilities. Lips pressed tight, he suddenly stopped, then without waiting for an answer, spun around to run back toward the cafeteria.

And crashed headlong into someone. So hard he practically buried his whole face in the person’s chest.

“What are you doing?!”

“Young Master Roy, are you alright?”

He was yanked backward roughly, stumbling until another hand caught him.

“You crazy? I told you we’re going to that little house. You asked me a hundred times on the way. You think I’d eat you or what?!”

Antang seethed, face throbbing. Damn it, what had he even hit? Clutching his nose, despair welled up—was he going to be disfigured?
“If I die, will you still bother beating me?”

“You okay?! Idiot.” The guy almost jumped in frustration.

“You alright, classmate?”

Antang cracked one eye open. Golden hair glinted dazzlingly in the light, nearly blinding him.

His vision flickered, then focused on Roy Shelley’s striking face.

“Have I gone to heaven?” To die and not fall into hell?

Pain stabbed his nose, and bl00d dripped down.

Chaos ensued. Antang was sat upright on a leather sofa, posture stiff, while a doctor hooked him up to an IV drip.

He was clear-headed now. One glance at the dark-faced Pei Chengrui, another at Roy Shelley in fresh clothes, guilt pricked his chest.

Just now… hahaha… maybe he’d gone insane. He’d fainted straight into Roy Shelley’s arms, smearing bl00d all over his clothes.

“It’s nothing, just low bl00d sugar. In the future, eat properly, or this will keep happening. Weak body, fuzzy mind—you can’t handle knocks.”

Pei clicked his tongue. “Morshi can’t even keep one student fed?”

Antang lowered his head, silent.

Roy Shelley: “If you hadn’t dragged him here, he’d be eating right now.”

“I was calling him over to eat with us,” Pei retorted loudly. “What’s that supposed to mean, blaming me? He forgot to add me on his contacts, and I couldn’t even find him!”

Antang jolted. Oh right—he’d forgotten something. Before he could explain, Pei pressed on:
“Hey, will you be my little brother or not? Stick with me and you’ll live the good life.”

The words Antang wanted to say flew out of his head. He hurriedly nodded.
“I’m willing.”

“Good. Then add me right now.”