Chapter 400 - 217: The Raging Crimson Flame Frenzied Lion
Chapter 400: Chapter 217: The Raging Crimson Flame Frenzied Lion
’It has to be at You Huang Creek!’
Yang Qi’s heart leaped with joy.
He took out a small piece of Vitality Nutrient Cream and tossed it to the Gray Magpie, which instinctively caught it in its claws.
"Thanks."
With that one word, Yang Qi turned and ran off.
...
You Huang Creek was located in the northwest corner of the Zoo, an area designed to mimic a mountain stream landscape. It featured winding paths, bamboo groves, rockeries, and several pools and waterfalls of varying sizes.
The scenery was tranquil and secluded, but because it was rather remote and required a bit of an uphill walk, there were relatively few visitors, even during the peak period of the National Day holiday.
Yang Qi sprinted all the way, ignoring the astonished gazes of the tourists he passed.
He rounded Swan Lake, cut through an Osmanthus Forest, and climbed a small slope. The stone monument for You Huang Creek appeared before him.
Just as he’d thought, the visitors here were sparse, with only a few couples and elderly people strolling leisurely about.
Yang Qi didn’t pause, continuing to run deeper into the area along the stone-paved path by the creek.
The sound of water grew louder.
Soon, he saw the small pool, which was partially hidden behind several clumps of dense Phoenix Tail Bamboo.
The pool wasn’t large. A rockery had been built against its inner side, and an artificial waterfall trickled down from the top, stirring up fine spray and a gentle SPLASHING sound on the water’s surface.
At the base of the rockery were several hollows and small caves carved out by the flowing water.
Yang Qi’s gaze locked onto the far-right side of the rockery, behind a stone hollow that was half-obscured by a clump of aquatic plants.
There, a small patch of khaki-colored fabric was faintly visible.
Immediately, Yang Qi lightened his steps, slowly approached, and circled around to the front of the stone hollow.
There, he saw a small, thin figure huddled in a damp corner of the hollow.
A blue-striped short-sleeved shirt, khaki shorts, and white sneakers caked with mud.
It was the lost boy!
His small face was deathly pale and covered in tear tracks. His eyes were red and swollen, and his lips were chapped and peeling from crying and dehydration. His body was still trembling slightly. He seemed to have cried himself out and was now just sobbing silently.
’Target confirmed.’
Yang Qi silently backed away, moving to the area outside the rockery. He keyed his walkie-talkie, his speech rapid yet clear.
"Control center, this is Yang Qi. I’ve found the missing child. The subject is at the You Huang Creek attraction, near the small pool by the bamboo forest on the back hill."
The people in the control center were overjoyed to hear the news.
"Copy that, copy that! Brother Qi, you’re amazing!"
"He’s at the small pool at You Huang Creek, right? We’ll notify security and the family right away!"
...
After ending the call, Yang Qi slowed his breathing and walked slowly back to the rockery.
"Hey, little guy?"
Yang Qi kept his voice soft and squatted down at the entrance of the hollow, careful not to get too close for fear of startling the boy.
The little boy flinched violently and raised his head in alarm. When he saw the uniform on Yang Qi, the fear in his eyes faded slightly, but he remained wary, shrinking back a little.
"Don’t be scared. I work at the Zoo, and I’m here to help you."
Yang Qi put on his kindest smile. "Your name is Tian Tian, right? Your mom and dad have been looking everywhere for you. They’re worried sick."
Perhaps the mention of "mom and dad" struck a chord. The boy’s tears welled up again. He pursed his lips and spoke in a small, nasal voice, "I... I can’t find my mommy... I was chasing a butterfly... and then... then I got lost... There’s no one here... I’m scared..."
"It’s okay, it’s okay. You’re found now."
Yang Qi slowly extended his hand. "Come on. I’ll take you to your mom, okay? She’s waiting for you just outside."
The boy looked at Yang Qi’s hand, then at his gentle face. He slowly nodded, reached out a grimy little hand, and gripped Yang Qi’s finger.
Yang Qi carefully lifted him out of the stone hollow and carried him outside, setting him down on a dry rock. He took an unopened bottle of mineral water from his waist pack, twisted it open, and handed it to him.
"Here, have some water first."
"Thank you, mister," the boy said softly. He took the bottle and began to drink in small sips, his emotions gradually stabilizing.
Yang Qi squatted beside him, offering comfort.
A few moments later, the sound of frantic footsteps and anxious shouts came from the distance.
"Tian Tian! Tian Tian, where are you?"
"Over there!"
"..."
The security guards and the child’s parents had arrived.
Soon, several guards, a woman in her thirties with a tear-streaked face and disheveled hair, and an equally frantic man rushed to the edge of the pool.
"Tian Tian!"
The woman spotted her son sitting on the rock, shrieked, and lunged forward. She swept the boy into a tight hug and burst into tears. "Where did you run off to? You scared Mommy to death."
The frantic look on the man’s face softened. He knelt down, stroking his son’s head over and over. "It’s okay, it’s okay. We found you, that’s all that matters. We found you..."
Seeing this, the security guards also breathed a sigh of relief.
Immediately after, they gave Yang Qi a thumbs-up.
Held in his mother’s arms, the boy let out a loud "WAAAH!", and mother and son dissolved into tears together.
The man, however, stood up and walked over to Yang Qi. He gripped his hand tightly, shaking it vigorously. "Thank you, thank you so much, my friend."
"Don’t mention it. It’s my job," Yang Qi said with a smile. "I’m just glad the boy is okay. You’ll have to keep a closer eye on him in the future. It gets crowded during the holidays."
"We will, we definitely will!" the man nodded repeatedly, a lingering fear still on his face.
At that moment, the mother, still holding her child, also came over and thanked him profusely.
Yang Qi offered them a few more words of comfort, then had the security guards escort the family to the visitor services center to handle the follow-up procedures and notify the police that the child had been found.
...
...
After the incident with the lost child, the National Day holiday finally seemed to get back on track.
The fourth and fifth days passed peacefully.
The animals seemed to have grown accustomed to the shoulder-to-shoulder clamor, and even the most timid antelopes could be seen calmly nibbling on their feed under the watchful eyes of the visitors.