-70- More Lu Kai than Lu Kai
The cat cafe where Lu Kai was "retreating" was located in the old industrial zone of Barracuda Bay, over twenty kilometers from the city. It wasn't far, but it wasn't close, either, but it certainly wasn't in the city, barely meeting the criteria for seclusion. Lu's mother hailed a taxi, dumped Zhao Jinghuan's electric bike in the trunk, and the two of them headed for the cat cafe where Lu Kai was staying. Lu Kai's mother closed her eyes to rest, but the murderous aura she exuded didn't diminish at all; instead, it seemed to be gathering strength. Zhao Jinghuan suddenly remembered scenes in martial arts dramas where masters silently prepare their sword energy before launching a move. She imagined that when Lu Kai's mother struck, it would be a devastating blow. Perhaps what Lu Kai needed right now wasn't seclusion. It was refuge. The taxi dropped them off at the entrance of the old industrial zone. As soon as Zhao Jinghuan got out, she texted Lu Kai, telling him his aunt was furious and to prepare himself. Lu Kai clearly didn't take it seriously at first. After Zhao Jinghuan and Lu Kai's mother entered the industrial zone, he ran to the cat cafe entrance to greet them, smiling broadly. However, seeing his mother's "dragon-like, tiger-like gait" from a distance, he seemed to sense a distant threat. About 50 meters from where his mother and Zhao Jinghuan reached the entrance, he suddenly turned and slipped back into the cat cafe. Zhao Jinghuan and Lu Kai's mother entered the cat cafe and peered through the fence at the reception desk. It was much larger than your average cat cafe. Beyond the storefront at the back, you could see a large courtyard filled with cats and a slide and swing outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. Lu Kai, wearing an apron, stood by the glass window, holding a cat, pretending to be busy. Lu Kai's mother smiled and waved him out. Lu Kai, in return, pointed at the cat in his arms, indicating that he was busy. The two stood at a distance for a moment, and then Lu Kai's mother turned to the receptionist, asking, "Can we go in?" The receptionist seemed oblivious, assuming they were just ordinary customers. She picked up the menu and introduced them to a set meal with cat strips and a ticket. Lu Kai's mother smiled and said, "Big cities are different. Even if you beat your son, you still have to buy a ticket." The clerk seemed not to hear Lu Kai's mother's words and continued his enthusiastic salesmanship. Lu Kai's mother smiled and bought a set of tickets for her and Zhao Jinghuan. When she turned back, Lu Kai had already turned and fled to the back yard. Lu Kai's mother was not in a hurry. She slowly washed her hands, slowly put on her shoe covers, and then slowly led Zhao Jinghuan into the venue. Once inside, she did not rush to chase Lu Kai. Instead, she found a seat near the back door and played with the cat that came to her. Lu Kai waited outside the yard for a long time, his face alert...
The cat cafe where Lu Kai is "secluded" is located in the old industrial area of Saury Bay, more than 20 kilometers away from the urban area. It is neither far nor near, but it is definitely not in the urban area, which barely meets the standards of seclusion.
Lu Ma called a taxi, threw Zhao Jinghuan's electric bike into the trunk, and the two of them headed towards the cat cafe where Lu Kai was.
Lu Kai's mother closed her eyes as she rested, but the murderous aura she exuded didn't diminish at all; instead, it seemed to be gathering strength. Zhao Jinghuan suddenly thought of the scenes in martial arts dramas where masters silently gathered their sword energy before launching a move. She imagined that when Lu Kai's mother made her move, it would be a groundbreaking blow.
What Lu Kai needs at this moment may not be seclusion.
But to seek refuge.
The taxi dropped them off at the entrance of the Laoye Industrial Park. As soon as Zhao Jinghuan got off the car, she sent a message to Lu Kaifa, telling him that her aunt was very angry and she should be prepared.
Lu Kai obviously didn't take it seriously at first. After Zhao Jinghuan and Lu Kai's mother entered the industrial park, he ran to the door of the cat cafe to greet them with a smile.
However, seeing his mother's "dragon-like and tiger-like steps" from a distance, he seemed to sense the murderous aura from afar. When his mother and Zhao Jinghuan were about 50 meters away from the door, he suddenly turned his head and went back to the cat cafe.
Zhao Jinghuan and Lu Kai's mother entered the cat cafe and looked inside through the fence at the front desk. It was much larger than ordinary cat cafes. In addition to the storefront at the back, you could also see a large yard full of cats and slides and swings outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Lu Kai, wearing an apron, stood in front of the glass window, holding the cat, pretending to be busy with something. Lu Kai's mother smiled and waved at Lu Kai, asking him to come out.
Lu Kai also pointed at the cat in his arms with a forced smile, indicating that he was busy.
The two of them stood facing each other from a distance for a while, and then Lu Kai's mother turned around and asked the girl at the front desk, "Can we go in?"
The girl at the front desk seemed not to react and thought they were just ordinary customers. She picked up the menu and introduced the cat strips and ticket package to them.
Lu Kai's mother smiled and said, "Big cities are different. You have to buy a ticket to beat your son."
The clerk seemed to have missed Lu Kai's mother's words and continued to enthusiastically sell her. Lu Kai's mother smiled and bought a package for her and Zhao Jinghuan. When she turned back, Lu Kai had already fled to the backyard. Lu Kai's mother was not in a hurry. She slowly washed her hands, slowly put on her shoe covers, and then slowly led Zhao Jinghuan into the venue.
After entering, she didn't rush to chase Lu Kai. Instead, she found a seat near the back door and then played with the cat that came over to her. Lu Kai waited outside the yard for a long time with a vigilant look on his face, but he couldn't stay home forever. After about twenty minutes, he thought his mother's anger should have subsided, so he cautiously returned.
Pushing the door open, his mother waved calmly at him. Lu Kai glanced at Zhao Jinghuan sheepishly, as if asking her to assess the situation. Zhao Jinghuan also felt that the murderous aura on Lu's mother had faded considerably, so he nodded at Lu Kai, indicating that there was probably a high probability. If she said it, if you carefully analyze it, you can probably vaguely confirm that he is likely to be able to come through. This actually shows that Zhao Jinghuan hasn't watched enough martial arts films. The master's murderous aura has faded, not because his killing intent has dissipated, but because it has been contained in his sword.
Lu Kai walked over with a smile on his face and called out obediently, "Mother."
Mother immediately stood up and without warning drew her sword... no, without warning she swung her arm and slapped him twice.
The two slaps were so sharp and fast that not only did Lu Kai who was being slapped and Zhao Jinghuan who was watching, but even the cats wandering around did not react. Upon hearing the noise, they all looked up at the same time, looking for the "thunder" that came from somewhere.
Lu's mother's voice was quiet, but her back teeth were clenched tighter than an expansion screw. "Lu Kai, you want to die! You're happy because you scared your mother to death, right?"
…………
Mother Lu was not a person who held grudges. After beating him and venting her anger, she let it go. She took the cat strips and went to the backyard, leaving her eldest son Lu Kai, whose cheeks were swollen and he looked fatter, to be alone with Zhao Jinghuan.
Lu Kai disappeared for more than two months without any news. Zhao Jinghuan was a little angry with him, but seeing Lu Kai looking so pitiful and applying an ice pack to his face, her heartache overshadowed her anger.
The two of them sat down in a corner of the room. Zhao Jinghuan asked him why he came to the cat cafe. Lu Kai was a little embarrassed. "I was thinking of going into seclusion for a while. The other day, Ji Anya said it would be nice to rent a small courtyard in the village. I searched for small courtyards online and found this cat cafe. I saw that the location was remote and quiet, and there were dormitories with food and accommodation. I didn't have to pay for rent, and I could even make some money. So I came here."
Zhao Jinghuan asked, "What are you thinking about during your retreat? Are you thinking about the company's future plans?"
Lu Kai said, "There's really no need to plan. Our business model is simple: find a product that can be our main focus and go for it. We already have the channels and experience; the most important thing is that product. I've actually considered going to trade shows like HEC, like I did before, to find designers who are just starting out and looking for collaborations, just like we did with Dorasi. But the industry landscape is different now than it was five or six years ago. It's hard for individual designers to get into trade shows, and the ones we see are actually already established studios."
Zhao Jinghuan asked him what to do. Lu Kai said mysteriously, "Have you ever heard of the idiom 'darkness under the lamp'?"
Zhao Jinghuan said that wasn't an idiom. Lu Kai continued, "It just suddenly occurred to me that I've been looking for a designer while I can't find one. I've been hoping to find a capable designer to work with, but I've forgotten that I was the one who created the hit product. But to help a friend realize his dream, and..." Lu Kai felt like he should use an idiom to make the sentence more powerful. "And... and..." He frowned, realizing he couldn't think of any suitable idioms. "And he delayed his own designer."
Zhao Jinghuan said, "So you're in seclusion here because you actually want to design a product."
Lu Kai nodded: "Yes, I am thinking of a breaking point.
"Zhao Jinghuan asked him, have you figured it out?
"No. I cleaned out the cat litter."
Lu Kai said, "I thought I'd figure it out quickly, but on my first day here, I knew I was in the right place. I had a vague feeling that the idea that could change everything was permeating the air of this cat cafe. It was almost as creative as the one I put on my stuffed dog's crotch the year I graduated from college."
Zhao Jinghuan corrected him: "It's a chicken head."
Lu Kai waved his hand. "Ah, we're all adults," he sighed. "My thinking may not be as sharp as it was right after graduating from college. I clearly feel that there's only a thin layer of window paper between me and that idea that will sell again, but I can't break through it no matter what." He suddenly looked at Zhao Jinghuan. "If I can't figure it out, I'm afraid I can only rely on you. Why don't you try to design an image?"
Zhao Jinghuan shook her head repeatedly: "I'm not as good as..." She was about to say that she was not as good as the evening breeze, but she stopped herself and said, "I'm not as good as a tomato."
Lu Kai shook his head and said that Zhao Jinghuan underestimated herself: "You are the one who designed the backflip statue."
Zhao Jinghuan didn't find this example convincing at all.
The two of them fell silent, each lost in thought as they faced each other. Zhao Jinghuan rubbed Garfield, the cat that had jumped into her arms. It was as if she had suddenly connected with Lu Kai. She also seemed to sense the idea that could change everything, permeating the air of the cat cafe.
But unlike Lu Kai, she could break the blurry window paper with just a light poke.
Zhao Jinghuan's back straightened subconsciously, as if the spiritual energy of heaven and earth poured into her body, bringing her into a new realm.
However, after realizing what that idea was, she suddenly felt a little ashamed. Lu Kai noticed her strangeness, looked up at her, and asked her if she had thought of anything.
Zhao Jinghuan quickly shook her head in denial, but Lu Kai saw through her immediately: "No, you must have thought of something. Come on, tell me, tell me now. Don't be shy. Even if this idea doesn't sound like it will take off, there's no harm in speaking it out."
Zhao Jinghuan doesn't think that this idea won't be a big hit. It's even a direction that has been verified by the market and is sure to sell well.
However, perhaps because he had been with Lu Kai for too long and had been assimilated by him, the idea that appeared in Zhao Jinghuan's mind was something that Lu Kai had not thought of, but was too much like Lu Kai's idea.
Zhao Jinghuan thought about it, so at this moment, she was actually more Lu Kai than Lu Kai.
Lu Kai urged her: "Hey, tell me, tell me, what are you embarrassed about?"
Zhao Jinghuan kept shaking her head, but in the end, she couldn't stand Lu Kai's request. She blushed and said with shame, "Well, it's nothing, it's just... have you ever... ever thought about..."
She took a deep breath and said, "Have you ever thought about giving the cat a chirp..."
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