Working in a Zoo with Beast Taming System

When Yang Qi drove home, he saw a young man in sunglasses, his hair slicked back with gel, standing outside the wall with his phone out, filming inside the yard.

He only stopped what he was doing and turned around when he heard the sound of a car engine.

Yang Qi raised an eyebrow when he got a clear look at the man.

Yang Bo.

They were the same age and from the same village, and they had gone to the same schools from elementary all the way through high school. In theory, even if they weren’t the kind of inseparable best friends, they should have been childhood buddies who knew each other inside and out.

But the reality was, the two of them had never gotten along, not since they were kids. It was as if their destinies were meant to clash—they simply couldn’t stand the sight of one another.

When they were little, they would get into fights. You’d throw a punch, I’d land a kick.

As they got older, it turned into a rivalry of trying to undermine one another, competing over grades, popularity, and who the teachers liked more.

It wasn’t until Yang Qi went to college in the city, and Yang Bo failed the entrance exams and returned home to take over his father’s auto repair shop, that their relationship eased up. With no chance to see each other day in and day out, things cooled down a bit.

But every time they ran into each other back home for the New Year, they couldn’t help but trade a few sarcastic, barbed comments.

...

When Yang Bo saw Yang Qi get out of the driver’s seat of the Wrangler, a smirk—not quite a real smile—laced with obvious scorn immediately appeared on his face.

He put his phone away, let out an exaggerated "Ooooh," and drew out the sound.

"Well, if it isn’t Brother Qi! Doing pretty well for yourself, driving a Wrangler now! This new model isn’t cheap. The daily rental fee must be pretty steep, right?"

His tone made it clear he was certain Yang Qi had rented the car.

Yang Qi closed the car door, his expression calm. He was long since immune to this level of provocation.

He glanced at Yang Bo and replied nonchalantly, "It’s alright. Just gets me from A to B. Can’t compare to you, Brother Bo. You’re the one driving a big G-Wagon."

Those words really struck a nerve with Yang Bo.

Last year, Yang Bo had somehow gotten his hands on an old Mercedes G-Class that had passed through who-knows-how-many owners. He had it repainted and refurbished, then brazenly claimed it was a new model, showing it off all over the county town and the village for a good while.

In the end, a knowledgeable visitor from out of town exposed him in public. He became a laughingstock, gaining quite the "reputation" in the small circles of the nearby towns and the county.

Normally, hearing something like that would have sent Yang Bo into a rage, and he would have started cursing and throwing all sorts of nasty insults back.

But today, Yang Bo’s reaction was completely unexpected.

The muscles in Yang Bo’s face twitched, but he quickly squeezed out a smile. He even adopted a "magnanimous" tone. "Well, a G-Wagon is a bit better than a Wrangler, that’s true. Brother Qi, you’ll have to keep working hard so you can drive a real G-Wagon one day. Alright, I won’t keep you from your lunch. See you around."

After saying his piece, he didn’t linger to argue further. He just turned, started whistling, and sauntered away.

No matter how you looked at it, his departing figure radiated the smug satisfaction of a successful scheme.

’Something’s up.’

Yang Qi watched Yang Bo’s retreating back, his eyes narrowing slightly.

’The guy’s acting incredibly strange today. Not only was he not provoked, but he seemed... expectant, like he was waiting for a good show to start?’

Yang Qi turned his head and looked toward his yard.

Xiaojiu was sitting by the door, looking out and waiting for Yang Qi to come inside.

Ta Xue was playfully chasing a leaf that was tumbling in the wind.

Bai Wan, Hu Zi, and Leopard were napping in the cool shade under the eaves. Everything seemed perfectly normal...

’Wait!’

Yang Qi’s gaze fell upon Ta Xue, who was pouncing on the leaf.

Its coat, covered in unique cloud-like patterns, and its nimble body were especially conspicuous in the sunlight.

He then recalled Yang Bo holding his phone, filming the yard just moments ago...

Yang Qi understood in an instant. The corner of his mouth lifted into a faint, knowing smile.

’I knew that guy was up to no good!’

Just as he was thinking, his grandmother came out of the house to greet him, her face full of anticipation. "Xiaoqi, you’re back? How did it go with the young lady? Did you get her contact information?"

Yang Qi went to support the old woman, and as they walked into the house, he told her the truth. "Grandma, she wasn’t interested in me. She felt my job and income were just average, probably not up to her expectations for the future. We can’t force these things, can we?"

The smile on his grandmother’s face froze for a second. Then, she muttered indignantly under her breath, "That girl’s standards are way too high. My grandson is such a good catch, and she’s not interested? Her head must be in the clouds!"

After complaining, she worried her grandson might be upset and quickly comforted him. "It’s alright, it’s alright. If she wasn’t interested, then she wasn’t interested. It’s her loss! We’ll find someone else. We’ll definitely find someone better!"

A warm feeling spread through Yang Qi’s chest. He smiled and reassured his grandmother, "Don’t worry, Grandma, I’m fine. Matters of the heart depend on fate. You can’t rush it."

Seeing that Yang Qi seemed genuinely composed and not at all heartbroken, his grandmother relaxed. She stopped fussing and instead called for him to help bring the dishes to the table.

Soon, a small square table was laden with a spread of delicious home-cooked food, and the grandmother and grandson sat down to eat.

The food was delicious, and the atmosphere was warm and cozy.

Yang Qi was enjoying this rare moment of family time when his ears suddenly twitched.

He immediately put down his chopsticks and said to his grandmother, "Grandma, I think I hear something outside. It might be work-related. I’m going out to take a look."

"Work? What kind of work could you have at home?" his grandmother asked, startled.

"Maybe it’s a coworker or someone from a partner company. They might have tracked me down here for something. I’ll go check. I’ll be right back."

Yang Qi made an excuse and, before his grandmother could ask any more questions, he was already up and walking quickly out the door.

Outside the gate, he opened the door to his SUV, pretending to grab something from inside. In reality, he retrieved several prepared certificates and documents from his Hundred Pouches Belt.

He had just gotten the items in his hands and hadn’t even had a chance to close the car door when three uniformed forest police officers walked up to him.