Chapter 403 - 218: One-Stop Service
Chapter 403: Chapter 218: One-Stop Service
"That’s him!"
After sending a message to Jiang Kai, Yang Qi immediately called Deng Lei.
"Captain Deng, it’s me. It’s an emergency."
Yang Qi spoke quickly. "At the Zoo’s Lion Mountain. The male lion, Xiong Ba, just had an unusually violent outburst, and it was clearly aimed at a tourist. In my professional opinion, this person is extremely dangerous. He has a strong, malicious connection with animals, his behavior is erratic, and there’s a high chance he’s either carrying something dangerous or planning to cause trouble."
"The target just left Lion Mountain; his current heading is unknown. To prevent him from causing an uncontrollable incident in a public area, I need you to lock down the surrounding access roads immediately. I’ll work on tracking him and will provide you with real-time intel."
Yang Qi had deliberately emphasized "professional judgment," "public safety risk," and "real-time collaboration." This gave Deng Lei ample justification to act, while cleverly avoiding the procedural awkwardness of requesting an arrest without concrete evidence.
The sound of rushing wind on Deng Lei’s end of the line made it clear he was in a speeding vehicle.
"A violent outburst? Aimed at someone specific? Are you sure? All right, I trust your judgment!"
"We’re on patrol nearby; we can be at the Zoo within five minutes. Advisor Yang, you keep a tight watch on him and keep me updated."
"Understood."
Hanging up, Yang Qi hurried toward the surveillance center.
On the way, he reached out telepathically to his Guardian Beasts.
Instantly, several clear thoughts answered him across the distance.
Xiaojiu: [Master?]
Bai Wan: [WOOF! Master, do you need help?]
Leopard: [WOOF WOOF! Are we fighting?]
Hu Zi: [Master!]
Yang Qi sent a mental image back to them, sharing the appearance and approximate location of the man in the peaked cap.
’Watch for this man in a black hat and a black bag. The lion went crazy because of him. If you see him, do not approach. Just tell me his location. Be careful—he’s very dangerous and extremely alert.’
Xiaojiu: [Understood.]
Bai Wan: [Okay.]
Leopard: [Got it.]
Hu Zi: [Roger.]
The Guardian Beasts sprang into action.
...
When Yang Qi arrived at the surveillance center, Jiang Kai was staring at the screens in frustration.
"I lost him! He went into the nursery area north of the small bamboo grove. There are no cameras there!"
’North of the small bamboo grove?’
’The north side of the Zoo?’
’Is the target trying to escape into Cangshan?’
As Yang Qi was thinking, Jiang Kai suddenly remembered something and quickly pulled up a file on the internal system.
"Xiao Yang, look at this. I just remembered, Xiong Ba’s file is a bit special."
Xiong Ba’s information appeared on the screen.
Yang Qi’s gaze swept over it, and the key information jumped out at him:
[Xiong Ba. Originally from: Fun Wild Animal Park, Hengzhou City (privately owned, now defunct). Reason for transfer: The original park owner died in an accident five years ago (accidental drowning). The park subsequently closed due to mismanagement, and some of its animals were transferred to our Zoo.]
’A private zoo?’
’The owner died in an accident?’
"Regarding the ’accident’ involving Xiong Ba’s original owner, was there a detailed investigation at the time?" Yang Qi asked.
"Not sure. The local police station handled it. Their conclusion was that it was an accident."
Jiang Kai shook his head. "But when Xiong Ba was first transferred here, he was very unstable and aggressive. It took him a long time to adapt. I never expected him to react so violently today... Could it be that he recognized that person?"
"It’s probably more than just recognition."
Yang Qi mused, "That man might be one of the culprits behind the ’accident’ that killed Xiong Ba’s original owner. Xiong Ba must have remembered his scent or his face..."
With that, he picked up his phone and contacted Deng Lei.
"Captain Deng, new intel. The lion, Xiong Ba, originally belonged to a private, now-defunct zoo in Hengzhou. The original owner died in an ’accident’ five years ago. The target is likely connected to that old case—he might even be one of the killers. He’s most likely trying to escape toward the outskirts of Cangshan!"
"An old zoo case?"
Deng Lei’s voice grew tense. "Got it. We’re redeploying now. We’ll focus on locking down the northern and northwestern routes to Cangshan. What about you...?"
"I’m going after him!"
Yang Qi said quickly, "This probably isn’t his first time at the Zoo. He likely knows a secluded path to the north wall. We can’t let him slip into Cangshan under our noses."
"Be careful, then," Deng Lei said decisively.
"Xiao Yang, you have to be careful," Jiang Kai added.
"Understood."
Yang Qi nodded, left the surveillance room, and headed for the northwest corner.
As he ran, messages periodically came in from Xiaojiu, Bai Wan, Hu Zi, and Leopard.
When Yang Qi reached a thicket in the northwest corner, all he found were jumbled footprints on the ground and a patch of trampled bushes.
The man was already gone.
"Arf arf~"
[Master, the scent gets jumbled here, and then it goes east.]
Bai Wan barked in confusion.
’East?’
’Instead of north, he went east?’
To the east was the park’s interior—a high-traffic tourist area.
Yang Qi instantly understood. ’A clever bit of reverse psychology!’
He created a diversion, making it look like he was escaping toward Cangshan. He was banking on the common assumption that fugitives always flee to deserted areas. Instead, he planned to double back, blend into the crowd, and slip out through another exit.
"Captain Deng, the target may have thrown a feint. He’s doubled back east, intending to blend into the crowds in the main park area and leave through another exit. Keep an eye on the east and south gates," Yang Qi reported quickly into his phone.
"Roger! Sending more plainclothes officers to the east and south gates!"
...
Yang Qi turned and gave chase to the east.
Soon, a message came from Xiaojiu.
[In the alley behind the Panda Hall to the east. There’s a man in gray clothes moving fast. He took off his hat, but his backpack and build look right.]
’Took off his hat and changed his clothes?’
’So cunning!’
Yang Qi sprinted over. Sure enough, in the alley behind the Panda Hall, he saw a man in a plain gray shirt and no hat, carrying a backpack. He was walking quickly down a path that led to the children’s playground.
One look at his profile confirmed it: that was the target!
Yang Qi faltered for a second, then slowed his pace, deliberately looking away from the man.