novelraw Chapter 160
Chapter 160
Chapter 160: Legal Identity
There was the sound of rushing water coming from the kitchen.
Xia Li returned to his room and sat down at his computer, typing away on the keyboard.
Wuqi, unwelcome by Little Cotton and afraid to provoke Lucia, coupled with the low temperature that discouraged him from going out, simply strolled into Xia Li’s room to supervise him.
『In my time, computers were still those bulky ones with roller balls under the mouse… Now computer equipment has evolved to this. 』
Wuqi leaped with all four limbs, agilely jumping onto Xia Li’s desk.
He sat in front of the screen, gazing at the characters appearing one by one on the computer, attempting to read a complete sentence.
While Xia Li wasn’t particularly averse to others watching him write, having this cat’s head right in front of him was too obstructive.
He picked Wuqi up by the scruff of his neck and placed him to the side.
“You’re blocking me.” 『What are you doing?』
Wuqi watched for a long time, finally realizing his brother was writing a novel, and exclaimed in surprise.
『Isn’t a computer for playing games?』
“Modern office work is all done on computers, you can even work on a phone.” Xia Li casually explained.
He didn’t have much common ground with this old cat from the last century.
Wuqi lived as a human for eighteen years, and a cat for twenty-one…
Adding it up, this guy was almost 40 years old.
『Indeed, I’m a man left behind by the times. 』
Wuqi sighed deeply, crossed his front paws, and simply lay down on the desk.
Seeing him so dejected, Xia Li stopped typing after finishing a sentence.
“What was it like in your time?”
『You mean the other world?』
The old cat raised his eyes, that half-black, half-white cat head always amused Xia Li.
“I’m talking about when you were human.”
『Oh, that time…』
Wuqi fell into reminiscence, the expression on his face seemed like a smile, yet there was a hint of bitterness.
『I don’t remember it very clearly. My memories as a cat have overwritten my previous memories. I only remember having a “28 Big Bar” bicycle, my family was relatively well off. Around the year 2000, they bought me a computer. My favorite game was Meteor Butterfly Sword.
You haven’t heard of Meteor Butterfly Sword, have you? It was even before World of Warcraft was released in China…
Right, I think I transmigrated not long after World of Warcraft was released. I remember making plans with my friends to go to an internet cafe to play this game, but when I woke up the next day, I had become a cat. 』
After finishing, Wuqi laughed heartily a couple of times.
Over the years, he had long grown accustomed to this body. Now, recalling his days as a human, though he felt some emotion, those regrets were already in the past for him.
Xia Li moved the mouse and silently searched for the release date of World of Warcraft in China.
2005…
That is to say, Wuqi transmigrated sometime between 2005 and 2008.
He should be a post-80s generation, born in the late 80s.
Compared to Xia Li, who was born in the early 2000s, there was indeed a generation gap between them.
“Have you ever thought about going back to take a look?”
Xia Li closed the webpage and suddenly asked this question.
He had disappeared from Earth for seven days before, and Mrs. Fang had been like an ant on a hot pan, nagging about him not contacting his family.
And Wuqi…
Had disappeared from Earth for a full twenty-one years.
In China, a person missing for four years can be declared dead. His twenty-one years were enough to have his household registration canceled.
As for whether Wuqi had any relatives…
Xia Li didn’t ask this question casually.
『I can’t remember where I was from anymore…
But it definitely wasn’t Sichuan Province. You guys eat spicy food here, we didn’t eat much spicy food there. The accents are also different, it doesn’t sound like my hometown dialect. 』
“Tell me some keywords, I’ll help you check.”
Xia Li opened the search interface, still prepared to help Wuqi out.
Eighteen years away from Earth, plus three years as a cat on Earth…
A total of twenty-one years, his relatives and friends should still be around.
『Forget it…』
Wuqi shook his head.
『Just consider me dead. 』
Having said this, he didn’t continue.
Actually, after regaining his freedom the night before last, Wuqi had tried to search for the direction of his home.
But after searching all night, he looked at his elongated shadow under the streetlights and stopped.
He didn’t dare to face that reality…
Whether his parents had waited for him for over twenty years, or whether they had already passed away, it was a destined tragic ending.
So, Wuqi felt there was no need to open those old wounds.
Anyway, he couldn’t turn back into a human. He might as well live out this life as a cat.
Putting aside all worries…
Just consider him dead.
『Have you finished recording today’s video? I’m going out. 』
Stretching languidly in front of Xia Li, Wuqi stepped on Xia Li’s leg and jumped down, not forgetting to wag his tail at him before leaving.
“Leaving already?”
『Going out for some fresh air. 』
“Need some tissues? I’ll wipe your tears for you.”
『Screw you!!』
Wuqi swatted Xia Li’s leg with his paw.
Now Wuqi was certain, this Brave Hero was indeed a schemer.
Those humans on Azure Continent must have some special fetish to summon such a scheming guy to save their world.
“Anyway, if you need anything, you can tell me, I’ll help you.”
Xia Li continued to type on the keyboard without changing his expression, writing another paragraph.
Wuqi watched him with deep eyes.
After a moment, he sighed silently.
『No wonder they say you can be a Brave Hero…』
“Huh?”
『It’s nothing. 』
『If I have any difficulties, I’ll definitely come to you. I’m already depending on you anyway. To use the jargon, you’re still my ‘Master’, ‘Owner’ hehe~』
Xia Li got goosebumps from hearing those awkward ‘Master’ sounds.
If Wuqi were a female cat, Xia Li could barely imagine him as a catgirl.
Unfortunately, he was male.
The only image that came to Xia Li’s mind was a muscular, bearded cat bro.
◈◈◈
Not a master at all.
『Right, 』
As he was leaving, Wuqi stood at the door, remembering something, and turned back to ask Xia Li.
『If your partner is a dragon… how is she going to survive in this society?』
Recalling how Xia Li had previously asked him if the pet hospital could detect dragon blood, Wuqi could somewhat guess that his brother’s girlfriend didn’t have an identity in this society.
Without an ID card, it was already extremely difficult in the early 2000s, let alone in this rapidly developing modern society, it was even more challenging.
“I will protect her.”
Xia Li hesitated for a while before answering with these few words.
『And then what?』 Wuqi asked again.
Xia Li couldn’t answer this time.
And then what…
And then there was nothing.
Aside from a promise, it seemed he couldn’t offer anything.
He had neither the ability nor the money, even giving Lucia a peaceful and stable life was a luxury.
Although they had only been back on Earth for over a month, Xia Li kept telling himself that there was no rush, rushing wouldn’t solve anything.
But in reality, Xia Li was very anxious.
“I’m currently trying to find ways to gather magic power. Once I have enough magic power stored to cast fourth-tier magic, there will be many solutions.”
Fourth-tier magic was a watershed moment, allowing control over a person’s body and consciousness.
The weaker a human’s willpower, the easier it was to control them.
And for modern people who grew up in a greenhouse and were accustomed to the comforts of society, it was very easy to control them.
『You’re planning to use magic to solve the problem?』
“I haven’t decided yet.”
『This loophole will be discovered sooner or later… and it will be even worse when it is. 』
“If there’s really no other way, then I can only do that.”
Xia Li paused and glanced at Lucia, who was reading and practicing calligraphy in the living room.
“She likes it here, she really wants to integrate into society. I can’t let her be an unregistered resident forever.” Xia Li whispered.
Last time, he had told Lucia that she wouldn’t be accepted by society. Lucia had prepared herself mentally, and Xia Li had also prepared himself.
But who wouldn’t yearn for a more stable and beautiful life?
Xia Li never ignored this issue for a moment.
Wuqi looked at Xia Li’s helpless expression.
Instinctively, from the moment Xia Li showed him enough kindness and willingness to help, Wuqi also wanted to help this lost young man.
『Do you know about the ‘Family Reunion Visa’?』 Wuqi asked.
“What visa?”
『I’m not entirely sure, I overheard customers talking about it when I was the director of the pet hospital…
It’s basically, a foreigner marries a Chinese citizen, in order to reunite the family or something, China can provide a permanent residence permit, as well as an ID card. 』
『China’s ID card control is very strict. Without any family history and no matching DNA in the database, it’s very difficult to obtain an ID card under these circumstances. So, this ‘Family Reunion Visa’ policy should be the only legal opportunity for you. 』
Hearing this, Xia Li immediately clicked open a webpage and started searching.
There was indeed such a visa.
If they used magic to solve the problem later, although they could also get an ID card, as Wuqi said, there would be a high risk.
Once they were found out, they would face more than just imprisonment.
『This visa thing might work, but it’s quite troublesome. You have to find a way to get your girlfriend abroad first.
Find a small country with less strict controls, then use some connections, or have enough money…』
Wuqi stopped there.
Xia Li grew up in the modern era, he definitely understood modern rules better than Wuqi, a human from the last century.
『Dragon Sister also looks quite mixed-race, I think it’s feasible. 』
With that said, Wuqi left Xia Li to ponder on his own, while he patted his butt and left.
『The little female cat outside is calling for me, see you tomorrow, brother!』
The cow cat’s figure quickly disappeared into the living room.
Seeing Wuqi leave, Lucia, who was writing at her desk, slowly raised her body and glanced towards Xia Li’s room.
“Xia Li, do you want sweet pepper fried meat for lunch?”
“Yeah, I do.”
Xia Li was preoccupied with his thoughts.
The only legal opportunity…
Wuqi’s previous words lingered in his ears for a long time.
With such an opportunity, he definitely wouldn’t miss it.
It’s just… how could he carry out the two steps Wuqi mentioned?
Just the first step, getting Lucia abroad, was already a dead end.
It was the same problem, without an ID card, she couldn’t buy plane or bus tickets.
If they had to smuggle her out, it would be better to use magic…
Speaking of magic…
Two-way teleportation magic could send Lucia to a place she had never been before.
However, this magic required people on both sides to cast it simultaneously in order to open the portal.
Lucia could use magic on Earth now because her body could store magic power, but Xia Li couldn’t.
Xia Li knew magic, but he didn’t have magic power, so this was another obstacle.
Perhaps, a two-way teleportation scroll from Azure Continent could solve this problem.
The situation had fallen into a vicious cycle.
“Buzz—”
Just as Xia Li was deep in thought, his phone’s vibration interrupted his train of thought.
Looking up, he saw it was a message from Mrs. Fang.
“Xia Li, Xia Li,”
The evil dragon had somehow arrived in front of Xia Li, her small hand waving in his face.
“Do you want sweet pepper fried meat?”
“I want to eat sweet evil dragon fried meat.”
Xia Li pulled the stinky dragon over and kissed her.
The stinky dragon whimpered twice, her cheeks flushed.
“Then go and cut the meat, my knife skills are bad, the meat I cut is all bumpy…”