Chapter 5: Accommodation Crisis

Seeing that Tom was full, Li Huan rested for a while before settling the bill and leaving the restaurant with Tom.

The meal had been quite expensive—the cost of the whole chicken made into yellow braised chicken and the fish was exceptionally high. To save money, he had ordered the cheapest claypot rice.

The habit of frugality he had developed while working had become second nature, but when it came to feeding Tom, he always prioritized the best.

After all, Tom was his best asset, and with his childhood attachment, Li Huan couldn't let Tom suffer.

Tom, now full, was contently using a toothpick to clean his teeth and walking leisurely with his belongings.

Seeing Tom's cheerful demeanor reminded Li Huan of the journey they had taken to Nagazora City. At that time, they had passed the time by chatting—yes, chatting, with a cat.

As Tom's contract master, Li Huan understood Tom's actions and thoughts better than others.

Tom had signed the contract because, as a stray cat, he had heard a voice offering a life of good food and comfort in exchange for a little labor.

The allure of a better life led him to sign the contract.

Li Huan wasn't too surprised that Tom had been a stray cat.

In the episodic nature of *Tom and Jerry* Tom's role and status changed frequently.

One episode he was a house cat, the next he was a royal guard, and so on. It wasn't surprising to find a stray Tom in one of these parallel worlds.

He felt a small sense of pride being Tom's first owner, though he had to admit, the start had been tough—Tom had to walk twenty kilometers without food or water and had faced hardships before enjoying any comforts.

This showed that Li Huan, as a master, hadn't done a great job initially.

But now, things are different. He had money, a job, and even though it was just a janitor position, it was a formal job with potential employee housing.

Surely, they would get a good night's sleep tonight. Plus, with the system backing him, even though it often criticized him, it would step in when needed.

With this optimistic outlook, Li Huan took Tom to a pet store to buy a sleeping basket for cats, then hailed a taxi directly to Thousand Feathers Academy.

During the taxi ride, Li Huan chatted with the driver about what to expect from Thousand Feathers Academy.

He learned that Thousand Feathers Academy was a closed girls' school and the largest institution in Nagazora City.

The academy was like a mini-city, luxurious and grand. Employees, even janitors, had their own dormitories and rooms.

The working conditions were excellent: a strict nine-to-five schedule with no overtime, generous overtime pay if needed, eight days off a month, regular holidays, and even annual leave and salary increases for long-term employees.

Such benefits made jobs at Thousand Feathers Academy highly desirable in Nagazora City.

Li Huan was thrilled. It sounded like paradise!

Although he wasn't sure about the exact salary, it was unlikely to be less than what he made working elsewhere.

With such benefits, even being a janitor seemed appealing.

He decided to take Tom to Thousand Feathers Academy, stay in the employee dormitory, and start his new life as a janitor, hoping to climb up from this entry-level job.

Though it sounded like a fantasy, Li Huan believed that with Tom and the system's help, achieving promotion and success wasn't far-fetched.

Perhaps he could even find romance among the academy's many young ladies and achieve his dream of upward mobility.

However, about thirty minutes later...

"You must be mistaken." Li Huan, holding the basket, looked incredulously at the academy's administrator. "The employee dormitory is unavailable?"

The administrator glanced at Li Huan and casually responded, "Yes, for some reason, the sewer pipes exploded today. Although there were no casualties, the entire corridor of the dormitory is covered in waste. No one wants to stay there, and the area has been completely sealed off. Most of the staff have already moved to nearby hotels."

"In short, if you want to rest, you'll need to go to an external hotel." The administrator handed Li Huan a map. "Here, take this. Be careful not to get lost."

Li Huan stared blankly at the map. How could this happen? Arriving at a new job only to face a sewer explosion and housing crisis?

Tom, hearing this, shared the same stunned expression. The two looked at each other, both feeling a sense of frustration.

But Li Huan quickly composed himself. If that was the case, he'd go to a hotel. He took Tom to nearby hotels, but each one was fully booked.

Standing outside the last hotel, Li Huan gazed at the sky in dismay.

Was he really going to have to sleep on the ground tonight? This wasn't supposed to be part of the rags-to-riches story.

How could there be an accommodation crisis on the very first day?