In that toy store, there was an entire shelf of Keke Cat plushies. There were plenty of both large and small ones, as well as some keychains, pendants, stationery, and other related merchandise.

As the leader of the IP development and operations team... how could I possibly pass up such a great “restocking” opportunity?

Henry Clark walked straight into the toy store, heading directly for the shelf where Keke Cat was displayed.

However—

“Where’s Keke Cat?”

On the shelf in front of him, there wasn’t a single trace of Keke Cat!

It was filled with all sorts of unfamiliar dolls.

In an instant, Henry Clark felt a chill run down his spine.

A hard-to-describe sense of fear spread through his whole body.

It’s changed...

The dream had actually changed!

For more than twenty years, thousands of nights, every dream had always been exactly the same.

The children always fell at the same time and place...

The radio always played the same repeated news...

Even the leaves blown down by the wind would always land in the exact same spot, not a hair’s breadth off.

But now.

The toy store was still the same toy store.

The shelf was still the same shelf.

But all the Keke Cat plushies that should have been there were gone!

The sudden sense of unfamiliarity made Henry Clark feel almost suffocated:

“Is this still my dream?”

Henry Clark whipped around.

He found the shop assistant standing right behind him, smiling.

“Sir, is there anything I can help you with?”

“...I want to buy a Keke Cat plushie, the ones that used to be displayed here.”

“Keke Cat?”

The shop assistant tilted their head.

Looking puzzled:

“Sir, are you sure you’re not remembering wrong?”

“We’ve... never sold anything called Keke Cat in our store!”

Chapter 9 Change

“You’ve never heard of Keke Cat?”

“Never... never heard of it...”

The shop assistant scratched their head, looking completely lost:

“Sir, are you sure you got the name right? We have a full range of plushies here. How about you describe what it looks like, and I’ll help you find it!”

“Hmm...”

Henry Clark thought for a moment:

“Well, the cat’s expression is like this.”

Henry Clark made faces, imitating Keke Cat’s expression.

“Oh~~ oh!”

The shop assistant’s face instantly lit up with a smile:

“Hahaha, I know which one you mean, sir! We have it, we have it! The plushie you want is over here!”

He led Henry Clark to the very center of the store, to the most prominent and largest shelf:

“Look! They’re all right here!”

The dazzlingly lit shelf in front of him was at least a dozen layers high! Absolutely extravagant!

“Sir, this is the cat you were talking about, right?”

The shop assistant introduced with a smile:

“This is the best-selling product in our store! This cat has been popular for hundreds of years and is still extremely well-loved! But... you really did get the name wrong. This cat’s name is—”

“Yeah, I see it.”

At that moment, Henry Clark felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head.

Two huge speakers nearby were blasting some hypnotic music.

On the shelf, hundreds of identical cats stared straight at him...

On the sign in the middle, in huge letters, it read:

A century-long bestseller! The hit of the century—

【Rhine Cat】

……

……

The square in the early morning was already deserted.

All the surrounding shops had turned off their lights and closed for the night.

Only the tireless insects buzzed against the streetlights, and the mournful cicadas’ cries added a touch of tranquility to the sultry summer night.

Henry Clark sat on a bench, feeling as if this world didn’t belong to him.

So unfamiliar.

So out of place.

He opened his palm...

Inside, he held a Rhine Cat keychain.

He only had enough money to buy this.

This cat—every line, every detail, every accent—was exactly the same as the Keke Cat from his previous dreams.

The only difference was...

Its name had changed from Keke Cat to Rhine Cat.

“Why did it change?”

He couldn’t describe how he felt inside.

Afraid? Terrified?

Not really.

But there was a strange sense of being lost, a powerless feeling of no longer being in control.

He had always thought he was the god of his dreams, able to do whatever he wanted, with the whole dream world revolving around him.

But now...

He thought of the plot of “The Truman Show,” and felt like a caged doll.

Boom!!!!!!!

Boom!!!!!!!

Boom!!!!!!!

00:42—the world-devouring white light arrived right on time.

Burning everything to ashes.

……

……

Whoosh...

The night wind blew.

Henry Clark opened his eyes.

He saw the semi-transparent window curtain dancing wildly in the air.

“Forgot to close the window again...”

He wrapped the blanket tighter around himself, but still couldn’t block out the chill rising from his heart.

For a dream that never changes... change is the ultimate terror!

Henry Clark picked up his phone from the nightstand.

Dialed a number.

“Hello?”

“Ryan Hill, something’s happened.”

“What is it?” The voice on the other end instantly became alert.

“My dream... has changed.”

“...”

“...”

“That’s great!!”