Chapter 1 The Development

Events unfolded as Feng Bujue had predicted; Widogast had indeed arrived.

As a self-proclaimed "infiltration master," he undoubtedly had a way of getting in. Let alone a dimly lit bar like this, even high-level security facilities were no match for Widogast's effortless entry and exit.

He could exploit his feline form to easily approach anyone and eavesdrop on their conversations.

He wouldn't be detected by anti-eavesdropping devices, nor would he be affected by jamming equipment. Most importantly… even if he were discovered, no one would make a fuss.

It's like the cliché we've seen in countless films – a guard hears a noise, nervously rushes over with his weapon, only to find a cat and say, "Oh, it's just a cat. Scared me." Then they assume everything is fine.

Imagine if that cat was the infiltrator.

In any case, Widogast smoothly infiltrated the bar and located Sam. Needless to say… he also noticed Brother Jue talking to him.

At that moment, a peculiar sensation rippled through Widogast's mind.

The brief encounter with Feng Bujue that evening had already sparked that feeling. And now, here and now… seeing this man again, Widogast's detective instincts told him that this Feng fellow was definitely hiding something.

On the other hand…

Feng Bujue had also spotted Widogast.

Two minutes after settling down at the bar, Brother Jue had focused his energy on observing his surroundings, and the one he was wary of… was Widogast.

As for the conversation with Sam, it didn't require much of his attention. For Brother Jue, who was accustomed to multitasking, handling this kind of "mutually distracted" conversation was a piece of cake.

Sam's intentions were blatantly obvious. He simply wanted to maintain this "chatting" state for a certain period to ensure the completeness of his alibi. Although Sam superficially tried to appear deeply and happily engaged in the conversation, his habit of glancing at his watch every five minutes betrayed the fact that his true focus lay elsewhere.

Feng Bujue saw through his act but didn't expose it. To complete the mission, Brother Jue needed the case to "happen" without it being "solved" too quickly. Therefore, the best approach was to subtly cooperate with Sam's actions while also guarding against Widogast, who might be there to monitor him.

"Sorry, Feng, I need to make a call."

Finally, three minutes before eleven o'clock, Sam uttered the line that Brother Jue had been waiting for.

"No problem, buddy, I'll be here. Not going anywhere." Feng Bujue replied casually, turning to the bartender. "Hey, Tang, another one of the same for me."

As he ordered the cocktail, Sam left his seat.

Generally, in a noisy environment like a bar, people who want to make a call go to the restroom because it's relatively quiet there. Sam was no exception. He reached into his pocket halfway to the restroom and pulled out his phone.

Widogast, who had been secretly monitoring for a long time, immediately emerged from a dark corner and cautiously followed.

Unexpectedly, just as Widogast crept up behind Sam…

"Heave-ho!"

Accompanied by a light shout, Widogast's limbs left the ground. When he realized what was happening, he was already in Feng Bujue's arms.

This is what you call… the praying mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Although Brother Jue had known Widogast's location for a while, he had no intention of acting until Sam left his seat. The reason was… he knew very well that even with the advantage of planning against someone unsuspecting, a guy like Widogast could only be captured by choosing an opportune moment.

If Brother Jue had acted as soon as he spotted Widogast, it would most likely have resulted in a futile effort, stirring up the cat without success.

Even now, Feng Bujue's success relied on environmental factors. He deliberately chose the moment when Widogast's attention was focused on Sam, and with the cover of various voices, footsteps, and music in the bar, he managed to grab him successfully.

"Little fella, this is not a place for you." Feng Bujue smiled as he picked up Widogast and turned to walk towards the bar's entrance.

Widogast's surprise lasted for about a second. In the next two seconds, he calmed down and came up with a countermeasure.

Three seconds later, Widogast suddenly exerted force. His body contracted and expanded like a spring, unleashing astonishing power, and he was about to jump out of Brother Jue's arms.

"Wow, wow, hold still, buddy." Unfortunately, Feng Bujue, who was prepared, calmly nipped Widogast's escape plan in the bud. "Don't be afraid. I'm just taking you back to your owner. It's dangerous for you to run around outside like this."

As he spoke, he reached the vicinity of the bar's door.

"Sir, you can't bring pets…" Coincidentally, a waiter saw Feng Bujue from afar and wanted to remind him that he couldn't bring a cat into the bar.

"Ah, you're just in time." Feng Bujue interrupted him directly, saying, "I just found this little guy near the restroom…" He paused. "If I'm not mistaken, this should be my friend's cat… My friend lives in room 0716, a young man surnamed Zuo. Could you please do me a favor and take the cat up there?"

Upon hearing this, the waiter thought for a couple of seconds and replied, "Oh… I see… Alright, sir, give him to me."

"You have to be careful. He's very strong. He almost ran away when I picked him up." Feng Bujue said as he handed the cat over. "No… wait, you can't hold a cat by the belly, you might hurt him. You have to do it like this, grab him by both armpits… yeah, yeah… pinch the joints, that way you can hold him firmly without hurting him."

And so, under Brother Jue's "guidance," the waiter took Widogast away.

From beginning to end, Feng Bujue's actions seemed very normal, the kind of behavior common among people who "like cats." Even if Widogast had doubts, he couldn't find anything particularly abnormal.

To put it bluntly – regarding the current situation, Widogast could at most interpret it as "bad luck," not enough to conclude that "this human is deliberately targeting me."

Of course, even if he thought of that conclusion, with the existing information, it would not be enough to "confirm" this speculation.