Chapter 544 - 250: The Academician’s Final Step
Chapter 544: Chapter 250: The Academician’s Final Step
Wild South China Tigers. Of course they existed.
Not only did they exist, he even knew one, and they were on pretty good terms.
The mother tiger with her cubs on Cangshan.
But could he say anything?
If he went public, the mother tiger and her cubs would never know a day of peace again.
Countless research teams, explorers, media outlets, and even poachers with ulterior motives would swarm Cangshan like sharks that had smelled blood.
Even with the protective Array around Cangshan, it wouldn’t be enough to stop them.
But this was about his teacher’s chance to become an academician, her lifelong dream...
Wait!
Suddenly, an idea struck Yang Qi.
’I can’t expose the mother tiger and her cubs, but she did tell me about an old, solitary South China Tiger living deep in the mountains of Hanxi Province.’
’What if I could "discover" and announce the clue about that old tiger in a plausible way?’
’It would validate my teacher’s theory, fill the void in the country’s records of Wild South China Tigers, help her become an academician, and all without exposing the mother tiger and cubs on Cangshan.’
The thought spread through Yang Qi’s mind like wildfire.
As his thoughts raced, Fang Rong was still lamenting, "There’s a high probability they exist. After all, in a mountain forest that vast, there are bound to be corners untouched by humans. But who knows where? Without exact coordinates or video evidence, it’s all just empty talk."
"Yeah, it’s like finding a needle in a haystack."
Yang Fan agreed. "Think of how many infrared cameras have been set up over the years. The number of valuable recordings is next to none."
"I know where one is," Yang Qi interjected naturally.
As soon as the words left his mouth, the living room fell silent.
The expressions on Fang Rong, Yang Fan, and Xia Xiaomin’s faces froze. They all whipped their heads toward Yang Qi, a look of stunned disbelief on their faces.
Even Teacher Song Chunfang, who had been rocking gently, stopped and stared in a daze at her youngest Disciple.
Even the eldest senior brother, who had been calm and composed the entire time, sat up a little straighter, his gaze turning sharp and focused.
"What?"
Fang Rong was the first to react, her voice cracking with excitement. "Junior Brother, you... what did you say? You know where to find a Wild South China Tiger?"
"Junior Brother, that’s not something you can just joke about! Do you have proof?" Yang Fan asked urgently.
"..."
Meeting their scorching, doubtful, yet hopeful gazes, Yang Qi remained calm. He organized his thoughts and began to speak in a reminiscent, narrative tone.
"Before the new year, I was invited by the Yuanzhou City Public Security Bureau to assist with a case. During the investigation, we needed to search in the mountains, so we left the Yuanzhou City District and went deep into the primitive mountain forest at the border of Handong and Hanxi provinces."
He paused, his eyes sweeping over everyone, and continued, "After the case was closed, we headed back. In the car on the way home, Xiaojiu told me it had smelled a scent in the mountains that was just like Great King’s."
Yang Qi looked at Song Chunfang.
"Great King is a Northeast Tiger at the Donghua Zoo. Xiaojiu wanders around the Zoo every day, so it’s very familiar with the smell of a tiger. It said the scent was almost identical to Great King’s, but more primitive, more terrifying."
He stopped there.
The living room was deathly silent.
Fang Rong, Yang Fan, Xia Xiaomin, and the others all held their breath, staring at Yang Qi without blinking, their faces a mixture of shock and an almost suffocating anticipation.
Even Teacher Song Chunfang’s hand, which was gripping the edge of her blanket, tightened unconsciously.
The eldest senior brother’s gaze was as deep as a tranquil pool.
A scent very similar to a Northeast Tiger’s, but more primitive, more terrifying...
Deep in the primitive mountain forest on the border of Handong and Hanxi...
When these keywords were combined, the answer was practically screaming at them.
What else could it be but a Wild South China Tiger?
"Are... are you saying... that Xiaojiu smelled what might be the scent of a Wild South China Tiger in that forest?"
Fang Rong’s voice trembled, and she spoke each word slowly and heavily.
Yang Qi nodded slowly, his tone certain. "Yes. Xiaojiu has never been wrong about this kind of thing. It was sure that it was the scent of a large feline—very faint, but definitely there."
"Moreover, based on the direction it indicated and the route we were taking at the time, I deduced that the source of the scent was likely in a remote, uninhabited area deep in the mountains on the Hanxi Province side."
Hanxi Province.
It matched one of the regions where his teacher had theorized the South China Tigers might still exist!
"Oh... oh my god..." Xia Xiaomin covered her mouth.
Yang Fan shot to his feet and paced back and forth a couple of times, his face flushing with excitement.
"We have a lead! We really have a lead! Hanxi Province... the border region... a primitive forest... the scent of a large feline... This... this is huge!"
Teacher Song Chunfang leaned back in her rocking chair, her chest rising and falling gently. She looked at Yang Qi with a complex expression—shock, disbelief, and, above all, the light of a hope that had lain dormant for years, now suddenly rekindled.
The eldest senior brother slowly lifted his teacup, took a sip, and set it down. His calm voice cut through the slightly out-of-control excitement in the living room.
"Junior Brother, this is no small matter. Are you certain that cat... Xiaojiu... that its judgment is reliable?"
"You have to understand, this concerns our teacher’s academic reputation, not to mention the immense resources and international attention that could follow."
"I’m certain!"