Against the Algorithm

Chapter 6: The Guardian and the Claim

Summary: Tong Yao's first official day on the job at ZGDX begins with the arrival of her not-so-little shadow—Da Bing, her massive, judgmental, thirty-five-pound Siberian cat who wastes no time asserting dominance. With a flick of his tail and a single icy glare, Da Bing becomes both mascot and menace, unbothered by the chaos he causes.

Notes:

Author's Note: Furry Shenanigans

(See the end of the chapter for Author's Note.)

Chapter Six

A couple of days later, Yao stood in front of the ZGDX base, shifting slightly as she adjusted the weight of Da Bing's carrier in her hands. The cool morning air brushed against her as she exhaled softly, her nerves settling into something steadier, something more certain than before.

She was here.

Dressed in fitted black jeans, her black, red, and white ZGDX sweater hanging slightly loose over her frame, her platinum silver hair neatly braided down her back, she looked every bit the part of someone who belonged to the team now. Her bag was slung over her shoulder, her laptop and notes packed inside, but the most noticeable thing? The large carrier she was holding. Inside, Da Bing, her massive Siberian cat, sat comfortably, his thick fur fluffed up as his blue eyes blinked at her lazily, already used to being transported in his personal space.

Yao swallowed, adjusting her grip before reaching up and pressing the doorbell. A faint buzz rang from inside, and for a few seconds, everything was quiet.

Then—

The door swung open, and standing there, looking far too awake for this early in the day, was Yue.

Yue, who immediately grinned the second he saw her. "Oh ho, look who's official now," he teased, leaning against the doorway. His eyes flickered over her outfit, to the bag on her shoulder, and finally to the large carrier in her hands. His smirk widened. "And you actually brought him."

Yao, slightly flustered, nodded. "I—I said I would."

Yue peeked down at the carrier. "Damn, he really is huge."

Da Bing, utterly unbothered, flicked his tail inside the carrier, giving Yue a slow, lazy blink before settling back into his fluffy mass.

Yue let out a low whistle. "Alright, come on in, before Cheng sees this and thinks you're trying to move in already."

Yao, mortified, scowled at him before stepping inside. And as she crossed the threshold, the feeling she had before, the quiet, unspoken sense of belonging, only deepened.

The moment Yao stepped into the ZGDX base and carefully set Da Bing's carrier down, she took a deep breath before unzipping the door.

Then—

A massive, fluffy, thick-furred Siberian cat stepped out, his large paws making no sound against the floor as he stretched fully, his body lengthening in an almost unnatural way.

And the room froze.

Lao Mao, who had been mid-sip of his drink, nearly choked. "What the hell is that?!"

"I...I think that that is Da Bing." muttered Lao K with wide eyes as he eyed the largest domestic cat he has ever seen in his life.

Pang, standing beside him, let out a low whistle. "No way that's a cat."