Miraculously, the belt could manifest according to Yang Qi's will.
In the Cultivation Realm, it would naturally take the form of a storage pouch or an ancient-style sash.
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 for Spirit Beasts to store snacks, Elixir Pills, and various tools.
So, while the individual volume wasn't large, there were a lot of them!
Yang Qi gleefully accepted it.
Just like with the Basic Spirit Awakening Technique, both Magical Power and Spiritual Power could be used as a power source to operate this Storage Treasure.
With Bao Shun right there, Yang Qi restrained himself. He didn't manifest it, figuring it wasn't too late to do so once he got back to his place.
...
The work of a zookeeper was far more complex than Yang Qi had imagined.
Beyond the core tasks of preparing daily rations and feeding, the job also included the heavy labor of cleaning and regularly disinfecting enclosures, daily behavioral training, providing enrichment toys for the animals to alleviate boredom, and meticulous health observation and record-keeping.
The cleaning and behavioral training, in particular, required a great deal of time and patience.
However, since Yang Qi hadn't officially started yet, Master Bao simply walked him through the procedures and briefly explained the key points, without having him perform any of the tasks himself.
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 before going their separate ways.
Bao Shun had other duties to attend to, while Yang Qi returned to his living quarters.
Back in the quiet little villa, with a single thought, Yang Qi manifested the Hundred Pouches Belt.
A leather belt with a rather simple, old-fashioned design appeared!
He focused his mind and channeled 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 bit.
Seeing it was getting late, he used his phone to look up restaurants near the zoo that delivered. He carefully ordered eight hearty meat and vegetable dishes, scheduling the delivery for around eleven-thirty.
Just after ten o'clock, Gao Zhenyue called.
"Brother Qi, we're here!"
"You finally made it."
Yang Qi replied, then hung up and headed out, jogging to the entrance of the residential area.
In the distance, he saw Gao Zhenyue, Ye Haibing, Song Wan, and Qian Yu strolling toward him, carrying gift bags.
As soon as they got close, Ye Haibing—tall, skinny, and wearing black-framed glasses—shouted 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 regular guesthouse," Yang Qi said with a laugh, giving him a friendly punch before turning to the other two.
"Class President, Song Wan, welcome."
Qian Yu, who had shoulder-length hair and was dressed in simple athletic wear that gave her a sharp, dashing look, smiled and greeted him. "Yang Qi, congratulations on the new place."
Beside her, Song Wan, who was fair-skinned with a slightly round face and a sweet, charming style, also smiled sweetly. "Yang Qi, I hear the environment here is amazing. We can't wait to see it!"
"Yeah, yeah, lead the way!" Gao Zhenyue chimed in.
Resigned, Yang Qi had no choice but to lead them inside.
When the exquisite little building—with its white walls, gray tiles, private little courtyard, and a backdrop of green mountains—finally came into view, Ye Haibing's eyes went wide. He walked halfway around the fence, clicking his tongue in amazement.
"Holy crap! You call this 'regular'? This environment, this layout... Brother Qi, I'm jealous!"
Qian Yu and Song Wan couldn't help but marvel as well.
Qian Yu said, "These living conditions are incredible. They're more than just a step up from our company dorms."
Song Wan added, "It looks so comfortable. You must be really happy working here."
"What do you think?" Gao Zhenyue exclaimed, beaming as if it were his own place. "I wasn't kidding, was I? The photos don't do it justice at all!"
"Alright, you guys, stop teasing me. Come on, let's go inside."
Yang Qi ushered the four of them into the house and served them the drinks, snacks, and fruit he had prepared ahead of time.
The group had just sat down on the living room sofa when Xiaojiu, pitch-black from head to tail, padded in silently from the small door leading to the backyard, walking with an elegant feline grace.
"Wow! What a gorgeous cat!"
Song Wan's eyes lit up. She immediately bent down, extending her hand and cooed softly, "Here, kitty, come over here~"
Xiaojiu paused, his amber eyes glancing at Song Wan and then at Yang Qi, as if seeking permission.
Yang Qi smiled and nodded, and only then did he walk over slowly, his posture calm and composed.
"Everyone, this is Xiaojiu, my little companion."
Yang Qi introduced Xiaojiu and his four friends to each other. "Xiaojiu, these are my good friends: Gao Zhenyue, Ye Haibing, Qian Yu, and Song Wan."
"Haha."
Seeing how serious Yang Qi was, Ye Haibing couldn't help but laugh. "Brother Qi, you're really getting into the role, huh? We know you're a zookeeper now, but introducing us to a cat? He can't understand you."
"Xiaojiu can understand," Yang Qi said with a slight, confident smile.
Gao Zhenyue chimed in with timely astonishment. "Hey, you know what? Brother Qi, when I saw Xiaojiu yesterday, his leg was still bandaged. He didn't look this healthy, and his fur wasn't this glossy. How did he change so much overnight?"
"He just recovers quickly."
Yang Qi didn't elaborate on the Spirit Rice and Strengthening Pill, just glossing over the topic.
In reality, after eating the Spirit Rice, Xiaojiu's fur had developed a reddish tint within its blackness. It was now clear and glossy, shimmering like satin under the light, and his eyes had become even more lively and intelligent.
"He's so cute, so beautiful."
Song Wan held Xiaojiu in her arms, growing more fond of him with every pet. She couldn't get enough of his soft, silky fur and couldn't resist jokingly asking Yang Qi a question.
"Yang Qi, your Xiaojiu is just too cute. Can I have him? I promise I'll be super good to him!"
The words had barely left her mouth when Xiaojiu, who had been lazily dozing in her arms, snapped his eyes open. With a push of his legs, he deftly squirmed out of her embrace and leaped to the floor. He then let out a displeased "MROWL!" at Song Wan, his cry filled with protest.
He then turned, and with a light, precise leap, landed on Yang Qi's lap. After finding a comfortable spot to lie down, he even nuzzled his head against the back of Yang Qi's hand.
Song Wan's jaw dropped at the sight.
Qian Yu, Ye Haibing, and Gao Zhenyue were also quite surprised.
"He... he just... He can actually understand us?" Song Wan stared in astonishment at Xiaojiu, who now wore a smug look on his face as he lay 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.
"That's incredible..." Qian Yu and Song Wan exclaimed in unison.
"I don't believe it!"
Ye Haibing, still skeptical, decided to challenge him. "I'll believe it when... when he can bring me that pack of Snow Cakes!"
He pointed to a small, individually wrapped pack of Snow Cakes on the coffee table.
"That's an easy one."
Yang Qi chuckled, then looked down, pointed at the snack, and said to Xiaojiu, "Xiaojiu, bring this pack of Snow Cakes to this lazybones over here."
As he spoke, he pointed to Ye Haibing, who was sprawled out on the sofa.
"Meow~"
'Okay.'
Xiaojiu meowed in acknowledgment, hopped off Yang Qi's lap, and sauntered over to the coffee table. He bent down, precisely picked up the pack of Snow Cakes in his mouth, and then, under the stunned gazes of Gao Zhenyue, Qian Yu, Ye Haibing, and Song Wan, he walked right up to Ye Haibing and placed the snack on his lap.
After completing his task, Xiaojiu looked up, his expressive cat eyes clearly conveying the look of 'you foolish Two-legged Beast.' He shot Ye Haibing a disdainful glance before turning 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 he just... look down on me?"