Beginner Tutorial

Zhang Zian stared at the screen curiously; he wanted to know what was so special about this game.

[Navigation Elf]: You can capture real or virtual pets in this game, and even mythical creatures can be pocketed and become your faithful partners.

[Game Hints]: Beginner Tutorial: Capturing a real pet.

[Game Hints]: The name of the game is <Pet Hunter>. The pets that are captured in the Beginner Tutorial are limited to regular pets such as cats, fishes, birds, and so on. Capturing insects, like ants and cockroaches, will not be counted as completing the task.

[Game Hints]: The rear camera is being turned on...

The game started up the rear camera on his phone, which was similar to a normal camera phone. There was a translucent ball at the bottom of the screen with "Capture" written on it.

[Game Hints]: Keep the camera focused on the pet you want to capture and click "Capture."

Zhang Zian smiled. It turned out to just be taking a picture of the pet, not a real capture. The game was too easy.

If it was a while back, any of the pets in his store could have helped him complete the task, but now…

"Yes!" He had thought of a good idea.

He jumped off the couch, hurried up the stairs, and took his laptop out of his suitcase.

He turned the computer on and connected to the internet. After opening the search engine and selecting "Image," he searched for "Cat."

A pile of cat pictures appeared on the screen.

He enlarged one of them, held his phone and focused on it, and then clicked "Capture."

[Game Hints]: Capture failed!

[Navigation Elf]: Please capture a real pet!

He patted his head regretfully, as he had forgotten that the game had one-to-one customer service rather than a stupid computer program. It wasn’t easy to deceive.

Looking at his watch, Zhang Zian found out that it was already past nine o’clock in the morning.

"Oh, let me just go to the notary’s office now to submit some paperwork. Maybe I will meet some real pets along the way!"

Locking all the doors, Zhang Zian got on a bus heading to the nearest notary’s office.

He had no problems in the notary’s office, as he had all the materials ready.

After finishing up in the notary’s office, he went to the Trade and Industry Bureau and Housing Authority to handle the business license and property transfer.

Other than there being too many customers and not enough staff, it could be considered that he got things done pretty smoothly.

It was about two o’clock now, and Zhang Zian had to grab something to eat.

Ready to leave after having a quick bite at a bistro, he noticed a pale-yellow stray cat, back hunched like a thief, jumping over the wall.

"Don’t run! It’s you!"

He quickly took out his phone, started up the game, entered the interface, and clicked "Capture." But that cat ran away so fast he only caught some cat hair.

[Game Hints]: Capture failed!

[Navigation Elf]: Hunting target meets the task requirement! Keep it up!

Chase! He had eaten too much for lunch; now it was time to digest!

This stray cat must have had extensive experience tracking and evading the staff of the homeless-animal shelters. The cat soon realized someone was running after him, so he immediately sneered and chose places that were difficult to walk through, like dilapidated housing, the flea market, and construction sites.

Like Mr. Shan Tianfang’s storytelling during on morning radio, this stray cat could "Jump up and down through the river and ocean and step on the feet of tall buildings." It could "Jump across the walls and run over the roof, the same as it walked on the ground!" Unbelievable!

Zhang Zian was worn out. How could someone with two legs run as fast as something with four legs! Plus that cat with four legs didn’t use ordinary paths!

Damn it! If the beginner tutorial was this troublesome, how difficult would the formal tasks be?

It could also be blamed on his lack of exercise, as he was now totally exhausted!

Click! Click!

He was running after the cat, holding his phone and looking for an opportunity to take a picture. Passersby all looked at him uncomprehendingly.

At this moment, the stray cat sprang up and then landed on the ground. Zhang Zian seized the opportunity to capture it completely onto the screen from behind, and then immediately clicked the "Capture" button.

"Did I complete the task?" he stopped and said to himself, wiping the sweat off his face at the same time.

[Game Hints]: Capture failed!

[Navigation Elf]: Must be a frontal HD photo!

"…" Now that put Zhang Zian in a bad mood!

F*ck! This cat ran so fast. How could I take a frontal HD photo?

[Navigation Elf]: The best military action is to defeat the enemy with strategy, followed by diplomacy, then by force, and finally by siege.

[Navigation Elf]: You can change your strategy by not just chasing it, but also using something to attract your target.

Zhang Zian paused momentarily and thought that was right. Why didn’t he think of that?

The stray cat saw Zhang Zian was not running after it, so the cat squatted down next to the wall to rest, its stomach going up and down.

Zhang Zian thought that, since it was a stray cat appearing near a bistro, it might be hungry now. Why not use food to attract it?

Anyway, he would not give up after chasing the cat for so long!

He found a nearby store and bought a can of sardines.

He got out of the store after checking out and found that the stray cat was still there, staring at him from the distance.

He pretended to have lost interest in it, not even looking at it.

He used the direction of the wind to find a corner of the alley, opened the can, and put it down on the ground. He then hid himself in another corner, ready to take photos.

Five minutes passed, and then ten minutes...

The aroma of sardines was blown into the end of the alley.

However, the stray cat hadn’t come over yet.

Zhang Zian remained calm, as he was aware that stray animals were very alert and not easily tricked.

Now what he needed was patience, a lot of patience!

He had nothing to lose since he had just had lunch and was feeling neither hungry nor thirsty. He had plenty of time to waste.

Finally, the temptation of food beat the cat’s alertness.

A pale-yellow cat's paw was the first out of the corner, trying to get the can. But the can was a little too far away, and the cat's paw was not long enough.

The stray cat couldn't help itself anymore and jumped out all of a sudden, its two front paws already on the can.

At the same time, the well-prepared Zhang Zian jumped out from the other side, accurately capturing the front of the cat on the screen, and then immediately clicked the "Capture" button.

Click!

[Navigation Elf]: Congratulations! Goal reached!

[Game Hints]: Captured! Nulla Luctus Felis!

[Navigation Elf]: You can now take your pet home!

Zhang Zian put down his phone, satisfied, but found, to his surprise, that the can was still in place, and the stray cat had disappeared!