SLLBTT Chapter 57
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
⋇⊶⊰Chapter 57⊱⊷⋇
The Snow Wolf King had seen almost every conceivable scene — except for this one, which was genuinely new to him.
The Snow Wolf King had to refuse, "I might not be suitable for such a department."
"Huh!" Big Orange Brother snorted from his nose, "Are you looking down on professionals in the X industry?"
"No, that's not the intention," the Snow Wolf King denied.
"Those in the service industry face too much discrimination," Big Orange Brother said with a touch of regret on his face, "but the ** Department is where handsome and X-capable men should go! It's a noble profession where you shine and bring happiness to others, benefiting society." Big Orange Brother spoke passionately, as if he was about to gather his whole family for a ** celebration the next moment.
The Snow Wolf King nodded repeatedly. "Big Orange Brother is making sense. However, I... I personally lack relevant experience."
"No problem," the thug leader said, "we have on-the-job training."
Big Orange Brother took out a cigarette case and a lighter, lit a cigarette, and said coldly, "This is not the place for you to haggle!"
Liu Jiao, puzzled and unfamiliar with **, still refused, "No, I can't agree."
"Tsk." Big Orange Brother sneered indifferently. "Jealous? That won't do!"
"Listening to Big Orange Brother, it seems that ** is a good thing. I shouldn't oppose it, but... I don't want to be separated from Xiao Baizi. If you insist on sending Xiao Baizi to **, then I want to contribute to society too!"
The Snow Wolf King stumbled. "No, no need for that—"
Liu Jiao firmly stated, "Wherever you go, I'm going with you."
Big Orange Brother nodded. "Cat demons' ** might be small, but their ambitions are grand!"
The Snow Wolf King had no interest in taking on this business. He could only say, "Are there no vacancies in your other departments? If we haven't performed well in our current roles, we can be reassigned to the ** Department later."
Big Orange Brother, exhaling smoke, retorted, "You're really picky!"
"Not at all," the Snow Wolf King replied, "We both have skills. Just look at my wife's martial arts. We're not ordinary little demons. We came here to seek fortune, not specifically for **."
The thug leader advised, "** can be very lucrative."
"** can earn more? It's usually a case of more work, more pay," the Snow Wolf King analyzed sensibly, "Working overtime every night throughout the year might not be enough to make big profits like partnering with a big shot for a lucrative deal."
The thug leader was at a loss for words, "Seems like that's true..."
Big Orange Brother sneered, "Quite ambitious, huh?"
With that, Big Orange Brother took a drag of his cigarette and took a while before saying, "Fine, since that's the case, I'll let you do something else. But don't disappoint me, or I'll send you to do the dirtiest work in the ** Department!"
After saying that, Big Orange Brother turned to someone and asked, "Are there any vacancies elsewhere recently?"
The assistant replied, "In the Film and Television Department, the henchmen and assistants of the Ragdoll Fairy had a car accident. It's a good opportunity for them to take over."
Big Orange Brother nodded and said, "Alright, you guys will go to the Film and Television Department. Keep an eye on the Ragdoll Fairy 24/7, serve him well in normal times, give him whatever he wants. But make sure he follows the company's schedule, got it?"
"Sure, sure," the Snow Wolf King and Liu Jiao replied eagerly, then followed the thug leader to the Film and Television Department.
On the way to the Film and Television Department, the Snow Wolf King took the opportunity to ask the thug leader, "Is the Ragdoll Fairy the lead actor in that 'Domineering Wolf King and Charming Cat Consort'?"
"Apart from him, which other Ragdoll Fairy is a big star?" the thug leader said proudly. "He's now the star performer and cash cow of our company!"
Liu Jiao, recalling the Ragdoll Fairy, exclaimed, "He's indeed a huge star!"
The thug leader, however, shrugged it off. "Tsk, what big star? He's just a pretty face with no acting skills, and his personality is lousy. I don't think he'll stay famous for long. Right now, he's in the limelight, so his annoying habits are tolerated. When he falls out of favor, he'll end up in the ** Department. Let's see if he'll still be arrogant then."
Liu Jiao hesitated for a moment.
The Snow Wolf King, however, said, "Then may I ask, what quirks does the Ragdoll Fairy have? Anything specific we need to be mindful of while serving him?"
The thug leader thought for a moment before answering, "If we talk about quirks, it's a laundry list, but summed up, he's delicate. Even the cat litter must have agarwood... and his digestive system is especially sensitive. He's picky about what he eats... quite annoying."
The Snow Wolf King nodded, and together with Liu Jiao, they arrived at the Film and Television Department. The assistant there said, "Keep it down, the Ragdoll Fairy is taking his nap."
Liu Jiao tiptoed into the rest area and indeed caught a whiff of agarwood fragrance. The surroundings were elegantly decorated. The Ragdoll Fairy slept on a comfortable large bed, with several pots of lush catnip by the bedside.
Exiting the room, Liu Jiao asked the assistant, "Why are there so many pots of catnip in the room?"
The assistant immediately replied in a nervous tone, "Don't touch any of the Ragdoll Fairy's ** cats. His stomach is delicate, and he needs to eat catnip regularly. Only this particular type, he won't touch anything else."
The Snow Wolf King inquired again, "Where can we get this special catnip?"
"I don't know. It's not really that special, just well-grown and with a suitable taste. I heard it can't be bought. A fan regularly sends it," the assistant answered. "It's a gift from a fan."
Liu Jiao said, "That fan is really considerate."
The assistant smiled. "Yes, the Ragdoll Fairy often says he worries that the fan might stop being a fan one day."
The Snow Wolf King said, "What's so special about this catnip? I'll go take a look." With that, he glanced at it again.
After inspecting, the Snow Wolf King returned. "I understand now."
"What do you understand?" The assistant and Liu Jiao both looked at the Snow Wolf King in confusion.
The Snow Wolf King didn't say anything but instead engaged in casual conversation with the assistant. Finding the Snow Wolf King handsome and well-spoken, the assistant thought highly of him and quickly became acquainted.
Seeing the assistant starting to relax, the Snow Wolf King inquired, "How long has the Ragdoll Fairy been working in the Film and Television Department?"
"Not long. He signed with the entertainment company just these past few months. Originally, he was a small internet celebrity."
Liu Jiao exclaimed in surprise, "No wonder I hadn't heard of him before. Suddenly, he's touted as the most beautiful cat in the North. I thought I was out of touch."
"It's all part of the marketing!" The assistant waved a hand. "A few months ago, the company promoted him like this to boost his image. But he is indeed beautiful, and that's when he truly gained popularity."
Liu Jiao nodded in a somewhat understanding manner.
The Snow Wolf King asked, "How did he get involved in the drama 'Domineering Wolf King and Charming Cat Consort'?"
"Ah? About that... the company planned to create a show to promote him. Haven't the Snow Wolf King's palace secrets been trending every day recently? So, they wanted to capitalize on the hot topic and make a Mary Sue movie."
"The Snow Wolf King's palace secrets?" Liu Jiao blinked repeatedly, "Trending?
"You didn't know yet?" the assistant exclaimed in surprise. "The Snow Leopard Jinx, the scheming consort Leng Jiao, the cannon fodder fox spirit Suisui... what a grand drama!"
Liu Jiao became more perplexed as he listened. "Why is Leng Jiao considered a scheming consort?"
"Leng Jiao has always kept a low profile, letting the snow leopard and the fox demons take the blame, plotting against the Queen Dowager. Now, he's seized power and become the Noble Consort. Isn't that scheming?"
Liu Jiao's mouth formed an "O," then asked, "Ah? Is that so?"
The Snow Wolf King cleared his throat twice and said, "Let's get back to the movie. How did a film shot a few months ago get released so quickly?"
"Isn't that our boss calling the shots here? We shot the movie casually, and it took just a month to film. There weren't many special effects for this costume drama, and post-production was quick. Big Orange Brother took the brothers to negotiate with the cinema, and the screening deal was settled in no time," the assistant explained. "When you negotiate with a knife in hand, it's rarely unsuccessful."
In fact, the Snow Wolf King felt a cheap vibe throughout the movie. The plot was riddled with mistakes, clearly not crafted with care. So, the Snow Wolf King was shocked to discover that Bai Lingling was the etiquette consultant for this film. An etiquette consultant for this movie? Was this a joke?
"It's a low-budget production," the Snow Wolf King nodded, expressing his doubts, "But how did they manage to get Lord Bai as the etiquette consultant? It must have been challenging to convince him, right?"
"I'm not sure," the assistant shrugged. "It seems like Lord Bai knew about the movie being made and volunteered to be our etiquette consultant. Maybe he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to criticize the Great King. After all, the Great King in the movie behaves like a fool."
The Snow Wolf King was truly powerless to refute. "Oh... that's also a possibility."
However, Liu Jiao said, "It's really strange, isn't it? Why would Lord Bai and the Great King not get along as brothers?"
"I heard they didn't have the same mother," the assistant mentioned.
"It's probably better not to speculate on palace affairs," the Snow Wolf King coughed twice and continued, "Did Lord Bai get along well with everyone when he was the etiquette consultant? I heard the Ragdoll Fairy is quite delicate. Did he offend Lord Bai?"
"Possibly offended him," the assistant whispered.
"Huh?" Liu Jiao said in surprise, "Why do you say that?"
The assistant whispered, "Lord Bai often had a stern face on set and constantly demanded changes to the Ragdoll Fairy's lines. It was irritating because just after memorizing the lines, the Ragdoll Fairy had to change them again, causing a lot of frustration."
Liu Jiao felt puzzled. "But Lord Bai isn't the scriptwriter, and he's not the director either. Can he just make changes like that?"
"Lord Bai is Lord Bai! Of course, if he says to change, you change!" the assistant said with wide eyes, "Who dares not to listen?"
"Oh..." Liu Jiao thought for a moment and said, "Maybe it's because the plot wasn't reasonable. It might not necessarily be directed at the Ragdoll Fairy."
"Right, let's forget about those things," the assistant said. "But during filming, the Ragdoll Fairy insisted on having a fish pond to play in. He liked playing with the fish in the pond. Who knew that one day, Lord Bai would put a man-eating fish in there! It almost scared the Ragdoll Fairy to death! You know, Ragdolls are very timid cats! Almost gave the Ragdoll Fairy a frightful illness!"
"No way!" Liu Jiao was also astonished. "Where did the man-eating fish come from?"
"I saw it at the time! That fish was huge, covered in spines on its back, and its mouth was exceptionally large, full of sharp teeth. It looked terrifying!" The assistant shuddered recalling the appearance of that fish.
Listening to this description, Liu Jiao also found it peculiar. "Is there really such a fish?"
The Snow Wolf King thought for a moment, picked up his phone, tapped a few times, and pulled up a picture. He handed it to the assistant and asked, "Is it this kind of fish?"
The assistant took a look and nodded, covering her mouth again. "Yes! That's the one!"
Liu Jiao also leaned over to see. On the image was a grotesque deep-sea fish with its mouth wide open, filled with sharp teeth, looking quite intimidating. Liu Jiao then said, "Is there really such a fish? Is it tasty?"
"Ugly-looking," the Snow Wolf King remarked, "but surprisingly delicious."
"Then it's not ugly at all."
Meanwhile, there was some activity from the Ragdoll Fairy's area as he started waking up. The assistant quickly left Liu Jiao and the Snow Wolf King, rushing to attend to him. Seeing the assistant leave, the Snow Wolf King turned to Liu Jiao and said, "I don't think Lord Bai intends to harm the Ragdoll Fairy. He likes him."
"What?" Liu Jiao said in surprise. "Then why did Lord Bai put this fish in the Ragdoll Fairy's pond?"
The Snow Wolf King explained, "This fish is called an anglerfish, also known as a deep-sea monkfish or a lanternfish."
"Hmm?" Liu Jiao was puzzled. "So what?"
"When the male anglerfish encounters a female he desires in the sea, he sacrifices himself, becoming a part of the female and never separating until death."
Liu Jiao furrowed his brow, seeming somewhat puzzled yet also as if he was beginning to understand.
"Do you get it now?" the Snow Wolf King asked. "Why I said Lord Bai sent this fish to the Ragdoll Fairy because he likes him?"
"I understand," Liu Jiao said. "You mentioned it's because it tastes good, right?"
"......"