Chapter 112 - The Five Senses

Zhen Shi Jin abruptly opened his eyes, and the daylight was already bright.

It was the second day, and it seemed that he had not completely lost his sight. However, all he could clearly make out were the vague surroundings, large furniture pieces, and curtains.

Something seemed to be missing.

Zhen Shi Jin couldn't quite put his finger on it at first, but he still found it hard to believe when he fumbled for the phone by the bedside, held it up to his eyes, and saw that it read 8:18.

How could he have slept until now? According to his body clock and heightened sense of danger, even with Lezi around, providing an inexplicable sense of comfort, it was impossible for him to sleep through to this hour without noticing any sounds or movements.

At this thought, Zhen Shi Jin's actions paused abruptly.

"…Good morning," he whispered softly.

As expected, there was no response.

He snapped his fingers, clapped his hands, and finally turned on his phone to play music, gradually increasing the volume.

Given the volume of his phone, he was completely deaf to anything below sixty decibels, and only faintly heard sounds above eighty decibels.

Chen Shijin pulled at the corners of his mouth. No wonder he had just woken up; with his current hearing, he would need someone to shout directly in his ear to understand them.

So on the first day, his vision had plummeted to its lowest point, and on the second, his hearing followed suit.

Sighing softly, Chen Shijin got out of bed and, fumbling around, dressed himself. He began contemplating the potential life-threatening dangers that came with losing his hearing.

He decided against going to the breakfast stall for noodles and steamed buns that morning. A packet of sour cabbage ramen and a sausage would suffice.

Chen Shijin grabbed a pack of instant noodles and a sausage, making his way to the kitchen, where the countertop appeared blurry to him.

Fortunately, he could still see if he bent down and focused.

Then, Chen Shijin discovered one of the hazards of being deaf—

He couldn't hear the boiling water bubbling, the sound of the gas turning on, or the flames igniting. As a result, he hesitated when placing the noodles into the pot and, predictably, got scalded by the hot, splashing water.

Yet, he stood his ground without moving.

A slight burn on his hand was insignificant, but in the kitchen, where slips and accidents were common, a misplaced knife, scalding hot water from a boiling pot, or an open gas stove could easily turn into a fatal mishap if one was too nervous.

He stood calmly and steadily, sensing when the noodles were cooked before turning off the stove. Only then did he shake his hand free of the heat and bend down to inspect the pot and noodles before transferring them to a bowl.

Le Feng was standing by the kitchen door, watching him — a rather uncool and awkward sight.

At that moment, he genuinely wanted to say, "Let me take you out for a feast," but ultimately held back.

Damn these promises and respect; sometimes, they were utterly useless and only served to upset people.

So Le Zi decided not to bother watching anymore and transformed himself into the sleek, black-furred Lezi Meow.

Of course, it was frustrating not to be able to lend a hand, but for now, being a cat would have to do.

"Meow! Give me a bite!"

Chen Shijin paused with the noodles in his hand, seemingly having heard a cat's cry.

Bowing his head, he spotted a dark object rolling by his feet, with tiny white paws scratching at his pant leg.

Then, a louder meow echoed in his ear.

"Tsuk! Can you hear me? Give me a bite, meow!"

Chen Shijin heard it but was not bothered; instead, a smile graced his face.

Indeed, fun and games were more enjoyable when they didn't take human form. Anything else was preferable to being human.

"Becoming a cat means you'll have to settle for instant noodles with me. I don't have any delicious treats for you these few days. But once we're out, I'll treat you to a feast from a gourmet cookbook."

Chen Shijin reached out to stroke the cat's head, confirming its sleek and smooth fur, which was delightful to touch.

His mood significantly improved as a result.

Thus, the man and the cat slurped their noodles contentedly. Although the meal wasn't a grand feast, in the tranquility of the small cabin, it sufficed for both of them.

Midway through eating, Chen Shijin suddenly wrinkled his nose.

He seemed to detect an odd scent in the air.

With no visible abnormalities and no faint sounds to be heard, his sense of smell was unusually keen at this moment.

He quickly stood up and headed for the kitchen, recalling that he had already turned off the gas stove. So why would there be the smell of gas and burnt food in his home?

"Meow-ow."

Lezi the cat followed closely behind him, finding nothing amiss in the kitchen. But soon, its deep blue feline eyes took on a chilling glint as it glanced upward.

At that moment, Chen Shijin had thoroughly inspected the gas connections in the kitchen and sniffed the odor.

Convinced that the smell of gas and burning did not originate from his own home, he also lifted his head due to his heightened olfactory senses. The scent seemed to be coming from upstairs.

"...Not good."

A cold smile crept across Chen Shijin's face the instant he concluded that there might be a fire upstairs.

It appeared that this was the consequence of his staying at home and not going out for work.

Sure enough, this world wouldn't let him stay at home for seven days. A fire was enough to force him out swiftly.

Chen Shijin checked his pocket, ensuring the hundred yuan he earned from working was still there. He then swiftly grabbed a backpack, stuffed it with instant noodles and sausages, took a large gulp of cold water, and finally opened the bag, "Hurry up and jump in. The floor above will explode soon. At worst, the flames will reach our place. There's no way we can stay here doing nothing today."

Lezi leaped nimbly into the backpack, but still managed to expose most of its body and rest its head on Chen Shijin's shoulder.

"Meow-ow!"

Don't worry, if you ever feel like giving up, just meow, and King Lezi will gut all your foes.

Chen Shijin chuckled, stroking the cat's head. After some thought, he entered the bathroom to dampen a towel, which he placed over his head, and moistened the sleeves of his coat to cover his mouth and nose. With his belongings on his back, he rushed downstairs.

He lived on the seventh floor of an apartment building, so he didn't need to wait for the elevator.

However, as he opened his door, his neighbors in the same unit did the same, and screams of panic came from upstairs.

Before Chen Shijin could make out what was being shouted from above, a massive explosion shook the building along with a deafening roar.

Even Chen Shijin's exceptional hearing couldn't withstand the colossal blast, causing his ears to ring. He could sense that his own closed door had been shattered by the impact.

"Meow! Meow! Meow!" Run, run, run, run!

Chen Jinkun felt the forceful paws pounding on his shoulder, struggling to see through the dense smoke that surrounded him.

The smoke from upstairs had already spread downward, now filling the entire hallway. He covered his nose and mouth, crouching low as he blindly felt his way towards the stairs.

It was fortunate that he wasn't entirely deaf and blind, and that the fire started on the eighth floor, not the sixth. Otherwise, with his current half-disabled state, it would be nearly impossible for him to escape this disastrous inferno.

Feeling his way, he located the staircase and began descending, holding onto the railing for support.

At that moment, the corridor was also filled with thick smoke, but it grew less dense as they descended.

By the time Chen Shijin reached the sixth floor, he let out a slight sigh of relief, only to be forcefully pushed from behind.

Thankfully, Chen Jin's hands had been gripping the railing tightly all along; otherwise, that push would likely have sent him tumbling down the stairway.

Chen's golden eyes snapped back, his expression icy.

Unfortunately, his vision was blurred, preventing him from distinguishing the gender of those standing behind him.

Nonetheless, he swiftly identified his target.

"Meow-ooww!!"

"Ahh! Why is this damn cat scratching me?!" a man cried, clutching his hand.

Chen Shijin reached out to pat the cat's head.

Then, he turned to the towering, indistinct figure and asked, "Sir, why did you push me just now?"

The man's face paled at the accusation, immediately denying it. "Don't go spreading lies! I didn't push you! With such intense flames, thick smoke, and a crowd pressing against each other, accidental bumps and shoves are inevitable. It's not right for you to falsely accuse me of pushing you."

"Oh, I see! You're trying to shift the blame onto me, aren't you? Your cat scratched me, and you're afraid of compensation, so you're accusing me?!"

The man grew more animated and louder with each word, but Chen Shijin could only watch his moving lips and fingers, vaguely aware of the heated argument. He had no interest in engaging further; arguing with such a person would be futile. It was better to seize the opportunity to escape the perilous area.

Chen Shi Jin turned around and continued descending the stairs while holding onto the railing, his abrupt action causing the still-ranting man's face to flush red with rage.

"What's wrong with you! I wasn't finished talking yet! What's that expression on your face?! How dare you ignore me?!"

The man strode down the stairs aggressively, swiftly catching up to Chen Shi Jin and attempting to grab his backpack.

However, the black cat peering out from the backpack glared at him with an intimidating gaze, its sharp claws raised in front of the man, preventing him from making a move despite two attempts. Ultimately, he could only glare at Chen Shi Jin and the black cat behind him with an extremely sinister look, puffing and panting without saying a word.

Afterward, the man followed closely behind Chen Shi Jin, observing him with a dark, menacing gaze.

Gradually, the man noticed that the arrogant youngster carrying a cat seemed somewhat abnormal.

With each step down the staircase, he moved exceptionally slowly, gripping the railing tightly. Rather than looking down the stairs, it appeared as if he was feeling his way down cautiously.

Moreover, this young man seemed indifferent to the screams from upstairs and the conversations of those around him. He frequently tilted his head and paused, as if... as if he were deaf and blind.

The man slowly curved the corners of his mouth into a malicious smile. With a casual tone, he asked behind Chen Shi Jin, "Young man, are your... eyes and ears not quite functioning properly?"

Chen Shijin, who was still descending the stairs, offered no response.

The man's malicious grin grew more pronounced. Ignoring the black cat's meows and low growls of warning, he raised his voice.

"So you really are a deaf mute, huh?"

"And blind too, it seems? You're quite the... unfortunate soul!"

With those last four words, the man's face twisted into something demonic. He stomped with all his might on Chen Shijin's back!

If that kick landed, the damned young pretty boy and his even more damned black cat would tumble down the stairs!

The man could already envision the delightful scene of both human and feline screaming in agony. His face broke into an uncontrollable grin.

But that smile froze on his face for just two seconds before transforming into sheer terror. A blood-curdling scream escaped him as he lost control and tumbled downward!

"Aaaahhhhh—"

Damned, damned, damned! How could that wimp have suddenly dodged?!

Didn't he fail to hear a single word from him? !

Didn't he see how the man stumbled and had to feel his way down the stairs? !

How could he have dodged so swiftly just as that foot was about to touch him? ! Dodged? !

Chen Shijin was now leaning against the wall, his body still slightly tense and quivering, but he stood upright, stroking the cat with one hand while expressionlessly watching the towering figure crash down the stairs.

"Well done. I'll reward you with a dried fish later."

Of course, he wasn't oblivious to the danger behind him. Judging from the man's demeanor, he clearly harbored ill intentions.

Initially, he planned on taking the kick head-on and then grabbing the man's leg to throw him down or beat him up. After all, he couldn't accurately predict the timing of the attack and had been on the defensive.

But the increasingly heavy pats from Lezi Cat on his shoulder sparked an idea in him.

His sight and hearing might be impaired, but his sense of touch was still intact.

Thus, at the moment Lezi Cat slapped him forcefully, he immediately sidestepped.

Observing the individual stumble and roll down the stairs instead of harming him, one couldn't help but feel refreshed.

When Chen Shijin cautiously made his way to the first floor, amidst the billowing smoke from the building, he received food, towels, and water from well-wishers. He exhaled in relief.

The morning had passed smoothly.

But what unknown dangers awaited him in the afternoon?

As he nibbled on bread, he watched the firefighters rush about, extinguishing the flames upstairs with their hoses.

In the afternoon, the property manager approached him apologetically,

"Sir, your house is uninhabitable now. Would you like to stay at a neighbor's place for the next couple of days? Or perhaps in one of the model homes in the neighborhood?"

Chen Shijin responded, "....What did you say? I can't hear you clearly."