Chapter 402 - 217: The Rampaging Crimson Flame Frenzied Lion
Chapter 402: Chapter 217: The Rampaging Crimson Flame Frenzied Lion
He carried a slightly worn black backpack and stood near a few of the bolder tourists who were still filming with their phones. He neither fled in terror like most people, nor did he film excitedly like the few.
He just stood there, head tilted slightly up, watching the lion furiously roaring and ramming against the glass wall inside. His face was devoid of expression.
No fear, no surprise, not even any curiosity.
Only a calm that bordered on numbness.
However, just as Yang Qi’s gaze fell upon him and began to study him closely—
The man in the baseball cap, as if he had eyes in the back of his head or a beast’s intuition for being watched, suddenly whipped his head around!
His eyes, like a pair of cold, venomous snakes, instantly locked onto Yang Qi a few meters away.
His gaze was grim and sharp, carrying a cold indifference to life and the instant wariness of being watched.
Their eyes met.
...
Yang Qi reacted quickly. His expression instantly switched to the same anxious, professional look as the other guards. His gaze didn’t linger or betray anything unusual. He naturally looked away, as if he were just casually scanning the crowd. Then he immediately turned to continue directing the other tourists, shouting.
"This way, move this way! Don’t stop."
The whole process was fluid and natural, without a single flaw.
The man in the baseball cap’s cold gaze lingered on Yang Qi for a moment. He seemed to be assessing whether Yang Qi, in his observer’s vest, was just another one of the frantic staff members.
He then retracted his gaze. After one last look at Xiong Ba, who was still roaring madly inside the glass enclosure, his lips seemed to twitch slightly. He turned, joined the last group of evacuating tourists, and quickly left the area, soon disappearing into the crowd flowing toward the main path.
And the very next moment, just as he turned to leave and his figure disappeared around the corner of the tourist path...
Inside the glass enclosure, Xiong Ba’s roars came to an abrupt halt.
He stopped ramming the glass. His massive body still trembled slightly with rage, his heavy breaths heaving like a bellows. His amber eyes were fixed on the direction the man had disappeared, full of unwillingness and ferocity.
But the frenzied, relentless killing intent that had been locked onto its target receded like the tide.
Then, he let out a low growl, his voice laced with exhaustion and lingering anger. He slowly turned and, with a somewhat staggering gait, walked back to the tall rock where he usually liked to rest and lay down.
His eyes remained warily fixed on the glass wall, his nostrils flaring from time to time as if searching the air for the scent of the one he hated to the bone.
The sudden crisis was temporarily resolved with the target’s departure.
But the panic and unease lingering in the air, the faint white scratches left on the glass by the lion’s claws, and the heart-stopping echo of the roars all testified to what had just happened.
The tourists who had already left Lion Mountain were still shaken. Under the comfort of the security guards and other staff who had rushed over, they gradually calmed down, but the sounds of discussion and fearful sobbing were still audible.
Yang Qi watched Xiong Ba’s calming form, his expression turning serious.
He pressed the button on his walkie-talkie. "Control center, Xiong Ba at Lion Mountain has calmed down and returned to his resting spot. His mood is still volatile. I recommend temporarily closing the Lion Mountain exhibit for a safety assessment and increasing patrols in the vicinity. The tourists have been mostly evacuated, with no injuries."
"Control center, copy that!"
Ending the call, Yang Qi didn’t linger. He walked quickly to a relatively secluded corner, took out his phone, and dialed Jiang Kai’s number.
The call connected quickly. Jiang Kai’s voice was clearly urgent. "Xiao Yang? What’s going on at Lion Mountain? I just got a report that Xiong Ba went crazy and was ramming the wall?"
"Director, Xiong Ba didn’t go crazy for no reason."
Yang Qi lowered his voice, speaking quickly. "He was identifying the ’killer’."
"Killer?"
Jiang Kai’s voice shot up. "What killer? Who was killed?"
"The specific details aren’t clear yet."
Yang Qi spoke rapidly. "This is just a rough conclusion I’ve drawn from analyzing Xiong Ba’s behavior and seeing who he was staring at while he was roaring. The moment that tourist left, Xiong Ba calmed down. That’s definitely not a coincidence!"
"A tourist? What did he look like? Did you get a clear look?" Jiang Kai’s breathing was noticeably heavier, but he didn’t question Yang Qi’s judgment.
"I got a clear look. Male, around forty, round chin, wearing a black baseball cap and a dark gray sweatsuit, carrying a black backpack. His features are very distinct."
Yang Qi recounted clearly, "He should have just left the Lion Mountain area. He might still be in the park."
"Good! I’ll have people look for him right away. Pull the surveillance footage, find him!" Jiang Kai’s voice was harsh.
The king lion going mad and attacking the glass wall was a major safety hazard. It had to be investigated thoroughly!
"Director!"
Yang Qi immediately cut in, his tone serious. "Absolutely do not send anyone to tail him up close. That man is extremely vigilant! I only looked at him for less than three seconds, and he sensed it immediately and turned to look at me. His eyes... he’s not an ordinary person. Sending guards after him will just tip him off."
On the other end of the line, Jiang Kai’s breathing hitched. He seemed stunned by the detail that Yang Qi had been noticed in less than three seconds.
After a few seconds of silence, his voice was much lower when he spoke again. "I understand... You mean find him using the surveillance cameras?"
"Yes."
Yang Qi confirmed. "Check all the surveillance cameras around Lion Mountain, especially in the ten minutes before and after Xiong Ba started roaring. Focus on finding this man in the baseball cap and black backpack. Locate him, but don’t spook him. I suspect he’s not an ordinary tourist."
Jiang Kai sucked in a sharp breath. "You’re saying..."
"It’s just a suspicion." Yang Qi didn’t state it as a certainty. "Let’s find him first."
"Okay!"
Jiang Kai didn’t ask any more questions. "I’ll notify the surveillance room right now. Give me his description in detail one more time."
Yang Qi repeated the description of the man in the baseball cap and hung up the phone.
He stood where he was, looking toward Lion Mountain.
Although Xiong Ba had already lain down, the keepers and technicians had arrived and were now outside the exhibit, anxiously observing and assessing the situation.
A temporary cordon had also been set up at the exhibit entrance, barring tourists from approaching.
About ten-some minutes later, Yang Qi’s phone vibrated.
It was a WeChat message from Jiang Kai. An image.
Yang Qi tapped it open and zoomed in.
The image was a screenshot from a surveillance video. The resolution wasn’t particularly high, but it was clear enough to make out the man’s face.
It was the man in the baseball cap!