"WOOF WOOF WOOF!"
Bai Wan finally reacted, roaring in fury as it lunged forward to attack.
"Bai Wan, stay!"
Yang Qi barked the command, his body already in motion as he closed in.
Xiaoxu had just pushed himself halfway up from the ground when Yang Qi’s fist came smashing toward his face!
He hastily raised his arm to block—
BAM!
The sound of fist meeting forearm echoed dully through the woods.
Xiaoxu grunted, a flicker of disbelief in his eyes.
He was trained and quite skilled, but the power behind Yang Qi’s punch was astounding.
Before he could even steady himself from the impact, Yang Qi’s second strike arrived!
It was no longer simple punches and kicks, but a grappling lock from military CQC.
In just a few short seconds, they exchanged seven or eight blows, fists and feet flying.
Xiaoxu’s moves were sharp and vicious, a clear sign of professional combat training.
But Yang Qi was stronger, his reflexes were faster, and his control over his body was more precise.
In less than ten seconds.
With a CRACK, Xiaoxu’s right arm was twisted behind his back, and Yang Qi had him pinned firmly to the ground, unable to move.
"HUFF... HUFF..."
He gasped for air, his cheek pressed into the rough pile of fallen leaves. His eyes were still fierce, but he was powerless to resist.
Yang Qi didn’t ease up. He held Xiaoxu down with one hand while grabbing the vine that had tripped him earlier. He wrapped it around several times, tying Xiaoxu’s hands securely behind his back.
The entire process was clean and efficient.
Trussed up securely, Xiaoxu finally stopped struggling.
Lying on the ground, he turned his head to the side and stared at Yang Qi with a complex expression.
His gaze held the bitterness of defeat, the humiliation of being discovered, the despair of a failed mission, and a thread of deep confusion.
He couldn’t understand.
’Is this guy really a zookeeper?’
Yang Qi stood up, brushing the dirt and wood chips from his hands.
"I’m not going to ask who you are. The police will have plenty of questions for you."
"Bai Wan, watch him. If he dares to move, bite him."
"WOOF!"
Bai Wan let out a low growl and sat down next to Xiaoxu’s head, staring at him without blinking and letting out a continuous, threatening whimper from its throat.
Yang Qi walked a few steps away and crouched down where the dagger had fallen.
He didn’t touch it with his bare hands. Instead, he took out a leftover sample bag from his pocket, turned the opening inside out to use as a glove, and picked up the dagger from the leaf litter through the thin plastic film.
The dagger wasn’t large—about the length of his palm. It was double-edged with a blood groove, and its blade glinted coldly in the twilight.
Yang Qi brought it closer, examining the blade in the dim light, and then gave it a faint sniff.
A faint, bitter, almond-like scent wafted into his nostrils.
’Cyanide?’
’Or some kind of highly toxic alkaloid.’
Yang Qi’s expression darkened.
"Vicious," Yang Qi said calmly. "Going straight for the kill."
He then carefully sealed the dagger in the sample bag, put it inside a second bag to ensure it wouldn’t leak, and tucked it into the side pocket of his backpack.
Then, he walked back to Xiaoxu, bent down, and hauled the tightly bound man up from the ground as if lifting a sack of potatoes.
Xiaoxu grunted and staggered to his feet.
"Move."
Yang Qi shoved him forward. With Bai Wan leading the way, the two men and one dog headed toward the lights of the camp, disappearing into the deepening night.
...
Back at the camp, the fire was burning brightly.
Jiang Kai and Uncle Cai were discussing the route for their return trip tomorrow, while several experts sat around another fire, organizing their notes from the day.
The graduate students were boiling water or fiddling with equipment. The atmosphere was peaceful.
Footsteps emerged from the edge of the jungle.
Someone looked up instinctively.
Then, the disposable cup in his hand fell to the ground with a THUD. Hot water splashed onto his foot, but he didn’t even notice.
More people looked up.
In the next moment, everyone froze.
Illuminated by the firelight, Yang Qi’s figure appeared at the edge of the camp.
His expression was calm, his clothes smudged with dirt and wood chips in a few places. His right hand rested steadily on another person’s shoulder.
That person... the young man with his hands tied behind his back with vines, stumbling and dejected, was none other than the technician, Xiaoxu, who had been missing for nearly half an hour.
"What... What’s going on?!"
Professor Zhou was the first to react. He shot to his feet, his glasses askew, his face a mask of confusion and astonishment.
"Xiaoxu? Advisor Yang? What is this...?"
The middle-aged expert who had recommended Xiaoxu for the team was even more dumbfounded. He looked at the securely bound Xiaoxu, then at Yang Qi escorting him, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly, unable to form a complete sentence.
Yang Qi pushed Xiaoxu forward, positioning him in the brightest firelight, and said calmly,
"He tried to kill me."
The entire camp fell silent.
The next second, the crowd erupted.
"What?!"
"M-Murder?!"
"Advisor Yang, what are you saying?!"
"..."
Jiang Kai’s face changed dramatically. He rushed to Yang Qi’s side, looking him up and down. His voice cracked. "Xiao Yang, are you hurt? Where are you hurt? What happened?!"
"I’m not hurt." Yang Qi turned to the side to show him. "He attacked me in the woods. He’s trained in combat, but I trained in military grappling with Chen Ze for a while. He was no match for me."
He said it casually, but everyone could hear the life-and-death struggle behind his words.
Jiang Kai was still worried. He insisted on pulling Yang Qi’s arm and checking him from front to back, only relaxing slightly after confirming there were no signs of blood or injury.
He then turned to Xiaoxu, his gaze as sharp as a knife.
Uncle Cai pushed through the crowd as well, his rough hands gripping the leashes tightly. Sensing their master’s tension and anger, Dahuang and Big Black let out low, threatening whimpers at Xiaoxu.
A few of the more timid graduate students had already retreated to the edge of the tents, their faces filled with terror.
Professor Zhou’s face was ashen. He strode over to Xiaoxu and stared at the young man who had been with them for days, always appearing diligent and quiet. His voice trembled, "Who... Who are you?!"
Xiaoxu kept his head down and said nothing.
Yang Qi didn’t look at him. Instead, he took the double-sealed sample bag from his backpack’s side pocket and handed it to Jiang Kai.
"This is the weapon. It’s a dagger, and the blade is coated with poison. Smells like cyanide or something similar. I didn’t touch it directly; I sealed it in the sample bag."
"Poison?!"
Senior Engineer Li cried out, his skin crawling.