Working in a Zoo with Beast Taming System

Although Yang Qi was the most suitable candidate, the matter was too risky. He was just a zookeeper; even with his impressive skills, he wouldn't be permitted to act as the "bait."

Truthfully, Yang Qi was far more valuable than the poachers they were trying to catch.

If anything happened to him, even a captain like Cheng Wenming would lose his job.

For this reason, even though Yang Qi was eager to be directly involved in the operation, he understood Cheng Wenming's concerns.

After all, he was not a police officer.

...

Over the next few days, Donghua Zoo appeared calm on the surface, but an undercurrent was surging within.

The little lion cub was officially named "Stone."

The name signified the hope that he would be as tough and tenacious as a stone.

It was a common name, unlikely to draw any unwanted connections.

"Stone" was moved to the Zoo's relatively secluded, but not completely enclosed, nursery observation area.

This place was originally used for observing newborn or newly introduced cubs, complete with indoor incubators and an outdoor activity area.

It was located in the northeast corner of the park, near the logistics area. Visitors could watch from a distance through a glass curtain wall, but were not allowed to get close to feed or interact with the animals.

The arrangement was perfectly logical, satisfying the need for public display while simplifying management and security.

As the primary temporary caretaker, Yang Qi had a new task added to his daily schedule: visiting the nursery observation area at set times to care for, accompany, and train "Stone."

To outsiders, this looked like a sign of his competence and how much he was valued.

Cheng Wenming and Deng Lei moved quickly on their end.

Many new faces appeared inside and outside the Zoo.

Some were plainclothes officers disguised as janitors or gardeners, and some were new security guards.

An inescapable net of surveillance and hidden lookouts was set up around the veterinary hospital and the nursery observation area.

The technical investigation department also set up points on the periphery to monitor for possible rogue radio signals.

The economic crimes division began to weave a wide net, tracking financial flows.

Yang Qi's life became even more packed.

Each morning after finishing his cultivation, he would handle his routine duties with the gray wolves and little raccoons. Around noon and in the afternoon, he would go to spend time with "Stone" for basic acclimation training. In the evening, he would resume his cultivation and studies, occasionally interacting with his Guardian Beasts.

Although his contribution point income had dropped due to the decrease in mosquitoes, he continued with the daily lottery draw. Every little bit helped, after all.

"Stone's" recovery was very fast.

With ample nutrition, meticulous care, and the occasional Strengthening Pill from Yang Qi, the little cub was growing visibly sturdier.

His sprains and scrapes healed, his fur became shiny, and the fear in his eyes was replaced by the curiosity and playfulness unique to a young cub.

His reliance on Yang Qi grew daily, to the point where he wouldn't leave his side. The moment Yang Qi left his sight, he would whimper restlessly and look around.

This afternoon, Yang Qi had just finished a round of simple command training with "Stone"—mainly establishing basic obedience commands like "sit" and "come"—and was now sunbathing with him in the outdoor activity area.

The little guy was tired from playing. He lay at Yang Qi's feet, hugging his calf while dozing off, a comfortable purring sound coming from his throat.

While stroking "Stone's" head intermittently, Yang Qi casually scanned his surroundings.

Through the glass curtain wall, he could see a few scattered visitors pointing and staring from a distance, curiously watching the rare lion cub.

Farther away, the "gardener" trimming the bushes, the "janitor" pushing a cleaning cart, and the "tourists" resting in a nearby pavilion were all performing their duties.

But Yang Qi could feel that a part of their attention, however faint, was always directed this way.

Just then, a special button-sized communicator in his pocket produced three extremely faint vibrations.

This was the signal agreed upon with Deng Lei, meaning, 'We have a situation, be alert.'

Yang Qi's expression didn't change. He continued to leisurely stroke "Stone," but he had already quietly activated his Earth Listening Technique, his ears capturing the subtle sounds within a hundred-meter radius.

The sound of the wind, the chatter of tourists, the calls of animals...

And, farther away, in the bushes near the outer fence of the nursery observation area, came an extremely faint rustling of leaves and branches—different from the sound of the natural wind—along with fragments of a conversation almost drowned out by the ambient noise.

"...Is that the one?"

"Yes, the chip's signal was last located around here before it disappeared... It's very weak now, but I can confirm it's inside."

"Damn it, how did someone find it? And it was even sent to the Zoo?"

"Who knows... We have to find a way to confirm if it's the 'goods,' then see if we can get it out..."

"Too many people and prying eyes here, it's not a good place to make a move. Let's case the joint first, figure out the routine..."

"..."

The voices were intermittent and quickly faded, as if they had finished their brief observation and quietly retreated.

'The fish has taken the bait!'

Yang Qi showed no unusual reaction. He stayed with "Stone" for a while longer, leaving the nursery observation area as usual only when the next zookeeper arrived for their shift.

When he returned to the office, Deng Lei was already waiting there, his expression grim.

"Captain Deng, did you find something?" Yang Qi asked.

"Two new faces were loitering around the perimeter of the observation area for over twenty minutes, using a device disguised as a cell phone to scan for signals."

"Tech investigation captured a weak, directional radio frequency signal that matched the characteristic frequency of the target chip."

"We have men on them. The license plate is from out of town—a fake. They're being tracked now."

Deng Lei spoke quickly, "Advisor Yang, it seems your judgment was completely correct. 'Stone' is their 'goods,' and they're getting anxious. They've already started coming for him."

"Next, they might try to contact someone on the inside or look for a security flaw."

Yang Qi stroked his chin, thinking it over. "How's the internal investigation at the Zoo coming along?"