Chapter 447: Chapter 416: The Times of That Generation Chapter 447: Chapter 416: The Times of That Generation The retirement performance issue had actually been on Xiao Guo’s mind for a while, but due to being busy, it hadn’t been initiated until now–the hot weather made it a good time to stay indoors and cool off, so he decided to lay out the plan.

The studio’s cats were indeed getting old. Even before the studio was established, they had already spent several years in the Pet Center. Some were adopted stray cats that had been abandoned during the pandemic. People were discarding even seemingly expensive breeds on the streets, and the lucky ones were picked up by Xiao Guo.

Among the cats about to perform in the retirement show, some had been raised in the studio from a young age, such as the American Shorthair cat “Prince.” There were also several long-haired cats, several years older than Zheng Tan’s age in cat years, with the oldest being over ten years old. They weren’t as strong as they were at their peak. Some had been strays and suffered from chronic illnesses. Although they received good care at the Pet Center, they were weaker compared to other cats of the same age.

Each filming session involved multiple takes of the same scene, especially now that the audience’s demand for quality had increased, making the shooting stricter. Even though the main characters in the videos were cats, the goal was to minimize mistakes and enhance the quality, thus increasing the workload for the participating cats and dogs. The Jiao family didn’t want Zheng Tan to participate for this reason: taking a stroll and participating in filming weren’t the same; the latter was too taxing in the short term. Even though Zheng Tan was less trouble than other cats, he still had to endure long sessions, and if necessary, travel as well.

Upon learning that Xiao Guo was planning a farewell video, Zheng Tan quickly made up his mind and decided to “retire” along with Prince and the others. After all, he had been visiting the Pet Center less frequently now, and Jiao Ma had long wished that Zheng Tan would free himself from these duties. They weren’t short on money–why keep finding more things to do? Moreover, “retiring” didn’t mean Zheng Tan wouldn’t visit anymore; he could still come over when he felt bored.

After finalizing the retirement of six cats and two dogs, Xiao Guo started prepping for the shooting.

Documenting the retirement of these six cats and two dogs wasn’t a task that could be completed in a day or two. Following Xiao Guo’s high standards and his desire to align with the seasons–shooting a bit in summer, at the end of summer and the start of fall, and during the autumn and winter seasons–it was destined to take even longer. The spring footage would be impossible to shoot, so Xiao Guo planned to augment it with clips from previous videos.

The video marking their retirement wasn’t finished until the end of the year. Meanwhile, Xiao Guo also produced some related souvenirs such as cushions, calendars, and postcards featuring these six cats and two dogs. Buyers at the Pet Center would receive some of these souvenirs with their purchases.

Before the video was released, including Zheng Tan, the six soon-to-retire cats and two dogs had fewer tasks but still participated in the filming, showing their presence even if it was just a cameo.

Some netizens and customers of the Pet Center noticed the change, but didn’t say much, akin to the way senior performers make way for the newer generation in show business. It was a similar sentiment here. Once Xiao Guo announced the retirement of the six cats online, it instantly caused a stir.

Regarding BlackC, many people were interested, and numerous inquiries came in about the other animals. Even the supporting characters had their fans.

“A farewell performance? No way!”

“Are BlackC and Prince and the others really old? Over ten years?”

“Normally, cats over seven or eight years old are considered old, and for dogs, it’s probably even less. From this perspective, they really are not young anymore. It’s good for them to retire and rest well, no need to keep taxing themselves.”

“Seven or eight years old counts as an old cat? Nonsense! My cat is twelve years old and still darts around the rooftops catching birds every day!”

“My cat is also fourteen, and just the other day, I saw it catching a mouse.”

…

But while everyone complained a bit, they still felt very sentimental. Many were long-time customers of the Pet Center and had fond memories of the initial batch of cats and dogs, including BlackC, from when the Pet Center rose to prominence in the market which hadn’t been as mature back then. They had brought much joy and benefits to many pet-owning families. In the blink of an eye, so many years had passed.

At their rise, mobile phones weren’t as popular, the internet wasn’t as pervasive, and the Pet Center was just a little-known small shop with basic equipment in the studio. Xiao Guo used to fret over the filming expenses of a few hundred yuan. Looking at it now, things have changed greatly.

In the closing video, some never-before-seen bloopers from the early years of filming were shown, featuring both images and videos of six cats and two dogs, including Zheng Tan. Although Zheng Tan rarely made mistakes in the early shootings, other cats and dogs did, and there were even scenes where Zheng Tan looked helplessly amused by the continuous mistakes of others, entertaining the audience.

On the screen, the cats played their roles according to the characters assigned to them, and the life-like segments revealed their true natures to everyone.

Some cats, with airs of aloofness, appeared like a noble alpine flower on distant snow mountains, unapproachable and regal, but in reality, you could hook them over with just a wave of a weed in front of them, turning them into goofballs in a second. Others looked genuinely guileless and amiable, but when you tried to get close and interact, you’d find that no amount of effort helped; they would instead stand high and watch you as if you were a fool.

Not every cat was like Huasheng Tang who aspired to be the top cat in their world, always starting fights outdoors, picking battles with bigger dogs after beating the big cats and small dogs and occasionally dragging home gifts like birds, grasshoppers, or fat mice. More often, the space where city pet cats roamed was much smaller and more confined to home.

The once “Prince” would, after eating in the morning, habitually jump onto the long wooden board wrapped in sisal rope and scratch from one end to the other, ignoring anyone who called it and concerned with nothing significant in its view after being fed. It would then find a comfortable spot to nap in the right posture. Now, after eating, it looked for a soft spot in the sun and dozed lightly with its eyes half-closed.

Among the two dogs, the golden retriever “Lord,” an old friend of Zheng Tan and multiple times winner at pet shows, still had its image on the packaging of some in-house dog food products. Previously, it would energetically run on the grass, leaping high to catch frisbees, but now it only grabbed its feeding bowl, unable to jump as before.

The other dog, even older than “Lord,” used to urinate along the way while being walked, leaving its “business card” through pheromones in the urine indicating its age, gender, and status. Upon spotting a suitable object, it would proudly lift one of its hind legs, urinate a few drops on the target, scratch the ground and growl dominantly before moving to the next marker, perhaps a straight tall tree or a roadside fire hydrant. Now, its walking demeanor has grown lazier, not marking as frequently or energetically as in its youth, and lacking the strength to lift its leg high, yet, if there were other younger male dogs around, it would still mark by lifting its leg high, proving itself still sharp.

Each cat or dog had its own story and life journey, and Xiao Guo incorporated his observations into the recap, inviting everyone to reflect on the changes and contributions of these eight animals from the beginning to the present. Of course, Xiao Guo also employed some artistic techniques to exaggerate and dramatize for better effect.

The final scene of the video was a long road, with Zheng Tan walking on it, stepping on the dry yellow falling plane tree leaves, gradually walking away.

The last scene was filmed by Xiao Guo at Chuhua University, with Zheng Tan walking on the main thoroughfare nearest the East District, lined with tall plane trees. During the shoot, Zheng Tan had an illusion that perhaps while walking on and on, he might truly age, although his human life combined with his cat life totaled only 30 years.

Everyone holds different iconoclastic figures or objects in their heart, irreplaceable in their thoughts, with discrepancies in views leading to heated debates over which “classic” is truly classic, sometimes settling through theoretical discussions followed by fists.

Their farewell performance also symbolized the end of an era. Just as fans chase celebrities whose presence marks an era, and when those celebrities bow out, a new era begins, drawing more newcomers into the fans’ view and replacing old, crude videos with more brilliantly produced broadcasts and videos, gradually replacing the old, fading images in memory.

However, after disappearing from the screen, human stars still get commemorated, have a massive base of fans who, years later, might reminisce and carry out interviews with the retired stars, reviving memories of past glories. But for cats, this scenario is rare; people say a decade changes humans, but for cats and dogs, a decade might be their lifetime.

No matter how much is said now or how many people on forums want to keep them, after all, they are not human, and their influence is limited. In a year or two, perhaps few will remember them. However, compared to dogs, cats might not mind as much.

As some used to say, in fact, many cats can instantly tell if you like or dislike them, but the thing is, they don’t care.

They do as they please, remaining indoors on rainy days and basking in the sun on sunny ones.

Whether in walled mansions, luxury villas, street alleys, warehouses, or even more ordinary homes, they moved about in their own way, just as they did hundreds of years ago, moving among scholars and beauties, traversing slums and affluent areas, passing by known and unknown alike, their relatively short lives nonetheless well spent.

Humans have their joys, cats have theirs, and life itself is joyous.

After the “retirement” curtain call, Xiao Guo hung a framed painting in his office, adorned with eight paw prints, two from dogs and six from cats. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to give it your recommendation or monthly vote at Qidian (wuxiaworld.site). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.wuxiaworld.site.)