Yang Qi didn’t say anything.
He knew Jiang Kai was telling the truth.
Yang Qi was just a zookeeper. Even with the title of "Special Advisor to the Municipal Bureau," he was essentially a temporary contractor.
If he died, the county and the city would hold people accountable. There would be disciplinary actions and compensation where due, but that would be the extent of it.
But Professor Zhou, Senior Engineer Li, and the others were different.
They were top experts in their respective fields, leaders of national-level projects. Any one of them was a figure who could rally countless supporters in the academic world with a single call.
If any one of them was lost in Cangshan, no one—from the top down, from the municipal bureau to the county bureau to the forestry department—would be getting off easy.
Glancing at the closed conference room door, Yang Qi didn’t feel it was unfair. Instead, a sense of absurd calm washed over him.
Xiaoxu had wanted to kill him not because he was Yang Qi, but because Yang Qi might disrupt the poaching organization’s operation.
And the reason those leaders were so tense wasn’t because of him, Yang Qi, but because Professor Zhou and the others had almost been dragged into it.
Sometimes, the rules by which the world operated were just that simple and blunt.
"The noodles are ready. Come and get some."
Uncle Cai’s voice rang out.
The old Forest Patrol Officer had somehow procured three cups of instant noodles. He had already added hot water, and the lids were held down by forks, steam wafting from the gaps.
"Thanks, Uncle Cai." Yang Qi took a cup, peeled back the paper lid, and a cloud of white steam rushed into his face.
Braised Beef flavor.
A familiar taste, a source of cheap calories.
The three of them sat on a long bench in the hallway of the county public security bureau, holding their noodle cups and starting to slurp them down.
The four dogs lay quietly, their noses twitching occasionally at the aroma, but they were well-trained and didn’t beg or fight for the food.
...
「Half an hour later.」
Two beams of light cut through the night outside the county public security bureau compound as a white minibus and a black SUV pulled to a steady stop.
Huang Zhongmu was the first to get out. His hair was impeccably combed, but the dark circles under his eyes and his slightly wrinkled collar revealed that he, too, had been urgently roused from sleep.
Following close behind was the Head of Security, Zhao Dalong. He wore his usual cold, hard expression, though his movements as he exited the vehicle were more hurried than usual.
Chen Ze got out of the driver’s seat. He wasn’t in uniform but civilian clothes, yet he held his back ramrod straight.
"Director." Jiang Kai immediately stood up.
"Old Jiang, thanks for your hard work."
Huang Zhongmu walked over quickly, shook Jiang Kai’s hand, then turned to Yang Qi. He looked him up and down, and his expression only relaxed after confirming there were no obvious injuries.
"Xiao Yang, all that matters is that you’re alright."
"Thank you, Director. I’m sorry to make you come all this way in the middle of the night," Yang Qi said gratefully.
"Nonsense! One of the Zoo’s own almost got into serious trouble out here. How could I, the director, possibly sleep?"
Huang Zhongmu waved his hand dismissively, then looked at Uncle Cai and said seriously, "Master Cai, thank you for your hard work as well. We’ll talk about what happened in the mountains in detail later."
"You’re too kind, Director Huang. It was my duty," Uncle Cai said with a good-natured smile.
Zhao Dalong walked up to Yang Qi. He didn’t speak, just clapped him firmly on the shoulder.
"That kid Chen Ze finally did something right."
Zhao Dalong’s voice was low and held the distinct crispness of a soldier. "If he hadn’t taught you those combat techniques, today would have been a very close call."
Standing nearby, Chen Ze gave a wry smile upon hearing this. "Boss Zhao, Brother Qi is a martial arts genius. I only taught him for a few days before he learned everything I had to offer."
He looked at Yang Qi with admiration in his eyes. "I realized it when we were sparring—Brother Qi’s reflexes are incredibly fast. I could break down a move three times, and he’d be able to perform it better than me. Seriously, no exaggeration. If Brother Qi had joined the army ten years earlier, he’d be at least a combat instructor for a special forces unit by now."
"You’re exaggerating."
Yang Qi smiled. "It’s because Brother Chen is a good teacher that I know a few moves."
Chen Ze went "Tsk," but the corners of his mouth curled up into a smile.
After a few brief pleasantries, Huang Zhongmu’s smile vanished. He asked seriously, "Are Professor Zhou and the others still inside?"
"Yes, they’re in a meeting with the county leaders and people from the municipal bureau," Jiang Kai replied.
"I need to go in and say hello, thank Professor Zhou and his team in person for supporting our Zoo’s work, and explain the situation," Huang Zhongmu said, adjusting his collar. "You all wait in the car. I’ll be right back."
He strode toward the conference room.
Zhao Dalong stayed behind with Chen Ze to help get Yang Qi, Jiang Kai, Uncle Cai, and the four dogs onto the bus.
Before boarding the minibus, Yang Qi glanced back.
At the end of the hallway, the light in the conference room was still on. Through the frosted glass, he could see figures moving about inside, and the sound of ringing phones rose and fell incessantly.
He withdrew his gaze and ducked into the vehicle.
About fifteen minutes later, Huang Zhongmu came out of the building.
A few people followed him: Professor Zhou, Senior Engineer Li, and a bureau director.
Professor Zhou’s steps were a bit hurried. His eyes scanned the courtyard and quickly locked onto Yang Qi, who had just gotten out of the vehicle again.
"Advisor Yang!"
He walked over quickly, extended both hands, and gripped Yang Qi’s firmly.
"About tonight..."
Professor Zhou opened his mouth, seeming to have a thousand things to say, but it all came down to one sentence.
"Take care."
Yang Qi looked at him.
The old professor’s glasses reflected the lamplight, obscuring his eyes, but the strength of his grip conveyed a torrent of emotions.
Lingering fear, gratitude, guilt, and a trace of respect he couldn’t put into words.
"Professor Zhou, you take care as well."
Yang Qi said earnestly, "Regarding the mountain, when you get back, please continue to do what must be done. Cangshan needs real, scientific conservation, not the covetous eyes of poachers."
Professor Zhou nodded emphatically.
He then proactively took out his phone and exchanged contact information with Yang Qi.
Senior Engineer Li also came over. He didn’t shake hands, but instead took his business card from his pocket and offered it to Yang Qi with both hands.
"Advisor Yang, if you ever come to the Provincial Capital, you must contact me." His voice was a little hoarse. "Thank you for tonight."
"I will."
Yang Qi took it and put it in his pocket.
The bureau director said a few perfunctory words, things like "Thank you for your cooperation" and "We’ll be in touch if we need anything else," to which Yang Qi agreed.
After bidding farewell to them, Yang Qi got back in the vehicle.
...
By the time they returned to the Zoo, the sky was already showing the first light of dawn.
The minibus drove through the park’s familiar electronic gate. The security guard on duty recognized the vehicle and raised the barrier arm early.
The tires made a soft hissing sound as they rolled over the damp concrete of the morning road.
Huang Zhongmu turned around from the front seat, looked at Yang Qi in the back, and spoke very softly.
"Xiao Yang, don’t come to work today. Take a day off."
He paused, then added, "This isn’t a discussion, it’s an order. Old Li is watching Big Flower, and I’ve already arranged for people to cover your shifts for the Gray Wolf and the raccoons. Go home and get some sleep. We can talk after you’ve recovered."
Jiang Kai also nodded. "Listen to the director. Anyone would need time to process what happened last night."
Yang Qi didn’t refuse.
"Thank you, Director. Thank you, Chief."
The vehicle stopped at the entrance to the staff residential area.
Yang Qi took Bai Wan and Leopard, said goodbye to Huang Zhongmu and Jiang Kai, and returned to his dorm by the mountain. He opened the courtyard gate and went inside the house.
Xiaojiu, Hu Zi, and Liu Fu, who had stayed at home, heard the commotion and came out from their respective nests and perches to greet him.
Meow~
[Master is back.]
Xiaojiu meowed happily, rushing to Yang Qi’s feet and rubbing against him.
Woof~
Hu Zi let out a steady bark.
Liu Fu let out a cry.
"Woof woof~"
Bai Wan barked.
[There was a bad man in the mountains tonight who wanted to hurt Master.]
[Master defeated him.]
Woof woof~
Leopard barked along.
[That’s because Master didn’t bring me.]
[If I were there, that bad man wouldn’t have even gotten close to Master.]
Meow~
[You two are useless.]
Xiaojiu meowed in dissatisfaction.
[Master, take me with you next time.]
Leopard, unconvinced, barked again.
[I told you, I wasn’t there!]
"Alright, alright, don’t fight. You’re all partners."
Yang Qi stroked the furry little ones, placating them with a smile.
Huang Zhongmu and Jiang Kai thought he was in shock from the attack and needed time to recover.
In reality, Yang Qi wasn’t fazed in the slightest.
’If I had gone into the mountains alone and run into someone like Xiaoxu, he would have become the first recipient of my Corpse Transformation Talisman!’