Chapter 520 - 246: The Self-Delivered "Hidden Mountain Beast
Chapter 520: Chapter 246: The Self-Delivered "Hidden Mountain Beast
Late at night, the streets of Yuanzhou City appeared deserted and silent under the glow of the streetlights.
Carrying Xiaojiu, Yang Qi walked out of the hospital, ready to hail a cab back to his hotel.
Suddenly, the phone in his pocket began to vibrate.
Yang Qi pulled it out and saw the caller ID: Yao Zhenwei.
When he answered, Yao Zhenwei’s slightly hoarse voice came through the line. "Advisor Yang, I hope I’m not disturbing you?"
"I was just about to head back to the hotel," Yang Qi replied. "Are you still busy, Director Yao?"
"No matter how busy I am, I had to make this call."
Yao Zhenwei’s tone grew serious. "Advisor Yang, words can’t express how grateful I am. For the Yuanzhou case to have concluded so successfully...
"All the children were rescued safely, the main criminal hideout was dismantled, the key suspects are in custody, and our side suffered zero casualties. Your and your partners’ contributions were decisive!"
"Especially pinpointing that dwarf in the end—that was all thanks to you."
"On behalf of the Yuanzhou City Bureau, and on behalf of the children’s families, I want to again express our most sincere gratitude!"
"Director Yao, you’re too kind."
Yang Qi said humbly, "I only did what I felt was right. I just happened to notice his breathing and heart rate seemed off. I thought it was suspicious, so I took a chance and tested my theory. Ultimately, the test results are what confirmed my suspicion. It was partly a gamble."
"No, no, no, it absolutely wasn’t by chance, and it certainly wasn’t a gamble!"
Yao Zhenwei’s tone was firm. "I was a frontline officer when I first joined the force. I’ve seen all kinds of disguises and unexpected situations, but for you to remain so calm and perceptive in such a chaotic and tense environment, when everyone’s attention was on the children, and still spot a criminal hiding in the crowd... that’s not just a skill, it’s a gift."
"That dwarf is very likely connected to ’Hawk’—the incredibly cunning middleman who’s given us the slip several times. He could be Hawk’s handler, or he could even be Hawk himself."
"If it weren’t for you, Advisor Yang, he would have definitely found a way to slip away. He might have even taken advantage of our distraction with the children to cause another disaster!"
Once the hospital examination was complete, the police took the man away immediately.
Yao Zhenwei had obviously obtained more information from the preliminary interrogation, giving him a clearer understanding of the man’s identity.
Yang Qi had anticipated as much, but hearing it confirmed still gave him pause.
After thanking him again, Yao Zhenwei remembered something.
"Oh, right, Advisor Yang. There’s something I’d like to discuss with you."
"You know how we confiscated over a hundred different birds from the villa’s annex? Some of them are protected species, and some have been trained."
"According to procedure, these birds should be handed over to a qualified institution for long-term care. And I was thinking... your Xianlai Zoo could use more animals, couldn’t it?"
"Besides, you’re the key contributor to this success. You found the lead, located their hideout, scouted the area, helped rescue all the children, ensured the police had zero casualties, and even rooted out the dwarf who was disguised as a child... Every single one of these accomplishments would have been impossible to pull off so perfectly without you!"
"So I’d like to go through official channels to transfer these birds to your Xianlai Zoo. Consider it a small token of gratitude from us at the Yuanzhou Police."
"You’re the only one I’d trust to take care of these trained birds. What do you think?"
Yang Qi’s interest was piqued.
He had already been planning to find the right moment to ask Yao Zhenwei about taking in those birds once everything was settled.
He hadn’t expected Yao Zhenwei to bring it up first, and with such sound and legitimate reasoning.
"Well..."
Yang Qi feigned hesitation. "Director Yao, won’t this be difficult for you? It’s no small matter, with so many birds, including protected species..."
"What’s difficult about it?"
Yao Zhenwei said cheerfully, "You’re the expert who was key to us cracking this case, and your zoo is fully licensed. It’s perfectly reasonable, logical, and legal for you to receive these confiscated birds!"
"As for the paperwork, I’ll have someone give the Forestry Bureau a heads-up to fast-track it. I guarantee there won’t be any issues."
"Many of these birds have been domesticated; they’ve lost their wild instincts, so releasing them would be a death sentence. If I hand them over to another organization, I’d worry they wouldn’t be cared for properly, or that something else would go wrong. With you, I have complete peace of mind!"
Since he’d put it that way, Yang Qi stopped protesting and spoke sincerely.
"Thank you for your trust, Director Yao. Xianlai will be sure to give them a good, stable home."
"Good, then it’s settled. Go to the municipal Forestry Bureau tomorrow to handle the paperwork. I’ll have someone call ahead," Yao Zhenwei concluded.
After hanging up, a slight smile touched Yang Qi’s lips.
This trip to Yuanzhou had its twists and turns, but the rewards had far exceeded his expectations.
Not only had he helped rescue the children and take down a criminal gang, but he had also unexpectedly acquired over a hundred birds.
More importantly, the abilities that Xiaojiu and Qi Zai had demonstrated during the incident would undoubtedly solidify his status as a "specialist" within the police system, making future collaborations much smoother.
「Back at the hotel.」
Yang Qi called Feng Jianye, who was holding down the fort at Xianlai. He informed him that a batch of over a hundred birds—including parrots, mynas, crows, and ravens, some trained and others protected—would be arriving at Xianlai tomorrow. He instructed Feng Jianye to gather a team, clear out suitable enclosures, and prepare for their reception, quarantine, and initial housing.
Feng Jianye was stunned silent for several seconds on the other end of the line before he finally answered in astonishment, "Director, didn’t you go to Yuanzhou to help the police? How... how did you end up with over a hundred birds? What... what’s going on?"
Yang Qi explained briefly, saying only that the police had confiscated a batch of birds connected to the case, and that they had approved the transfer to Xianlai as a thank-you.