Working in a Zoo with Beast Taming System

"Go take a little nap."

"You have to help people in the mountains tonight. How can you do that if you don’t get some good rest?"

"If you’re not alert, you won’t be able to see things clearly!"

Yang Qi couldn’t say no to his concerned grandmother, so he returned to the room he’d had since childhood and actually did lie down for a nap that lasted over half an hour.

He woke up feeling refreshed and clear-headed. After washing up, he spent some time chatting with his grandmother in the house.

That afternoon, his grandmother excitedly dragged Yang Qi along to visit a few old neighbors they were close with.

At every stop, he was inevitably surrounded by the neighborhood elders, who showered him with praise.

"Oh, Xiaoqi’s back! You’re looking sharper than ever!"

"I heard you became an expert at the city Zoo? And you even help the police solve cases? That’s incredible!"

"My dear friend, your grandson is really something else! So dutiful and capable!"

...

His grandmother would humbly reply, "Oh, not at all," or "It’s just a job," but the smile never left her face. The crow’s feet by her eyes seemed to smooth out; she was clearly overjoyed.

Yang Qi stood by quietly, listening to the elders’ warm wishes and praise, a pleasant warmth spreading through his own heart.

4:00 PM.

Yang Qi said goodbye to his grandmother and took Xiaojiu, Bai Wan, Hu Zi, Leopard, and Ta Xue with him. He then drove to the intersection to meet up with Luo Kaifeng.

Luo Kaifeng was driving a police SUV.

One vehicle followed the other as they drove toward Dahe Town.

...

Dahe Town was about a half-hour’s drive from Ningshan County Town. It was a typical mountain town—small, with somewhat dated buildings.

Upon their arrival, Luo Kaifeng first took Yang Qi to the town’s Forestry Station to meet its director, Yu Bo.

Yu Bo was a man in his forties with tanned, weathered skin. One look was enough to tell he spent most of his time in the mountains.

He was extremely familiar with the situation and provided more details, including the yellow weasel’s likely range of activity and other subtle anomalies reported by the villagers.

Before long, it was time for dinner.

Luo Kaifeng warmly invited Yang Qi to eat in the cafeteria at the town’s police station.

He’d expected a simple working meal. But when he walked into a small private room in the cafeteria, he found a lavish spread already laid out. The table was laden with chicken, duck, fish, and meat, along with several local wild vegetable dishes.

In addition to Luo Kaifeng and Yu Bo, the station’s instructor was also present, along with Chief Chen Shuangquan and even a deputy town mayor who oversaw agriculture, forestry, and water resources.

Everyone rose to their feet to greet Yang Qi as he entered.

Chen Shuangquan was a hearty man. He gripped Yang Qi’s hand firmly. "Advisor Yang, we’ve been anxiously waiting for you! We’ve all heard tales of your work in the city. We’re so grateful you could come help us solve this huge problem!"

The deputy town mayor smiled and added his own words of welcome.

"That’s right, Advisor Yang. Ningshan County has limited financial resources, and Dahe Town is an especially poor mountain town. It’s next to impossible for us to invite outside experts for guidance."

"You’re one of Ningshan’s own, a local talent who’s come back to help without any thought of compensation. We will not forget this kindness."

"Whether this is successful or not, please accept this meal as a small token of our town’s appreciation. You must eat your fill."

Yang Qi quickly offered his humble thanks.

Since Yang Qi had to drive, no one pressed him to drink, but their enthusiasm didn’t wane in the slightest. They toasted him frequently, substituting tea for alcohol, and the atmosphere was exceptionally warm.

Throughout the meal, Chen Shuangquan’s eyes kept drifting toward Hu Zi and Leopard. The two dogs were lying quietly at Yang Qi’s feet, eating the special food he had brought for them. Chen Shuangquan’s gaze was filled with admiration and envy.

"Tsk. Just look at their build, their vitality..."

Chen Shuangquan couldn’t help but click his tongue in admiration. He said to Luo Kaifeng, "Lao Luo, your brigade’s Malinois seems a little lacking compared to these two, doesn’t it?"

"Chief Chen, don’t be so envious."

Luo Kaifeng laughed and teased him, "Our brigade only has that one precious K-9. If your station wants one, file an application. Or you could just train one yourselves."

"Sigh."

At these words, a pained look crossed Chen Shuangquan’s face. He sighed. "Don’t even mention it. We have a dog, sure, but can you even call it a K-9? It’s nothing more than a guard dog for the gate!"

"All it does is eat and sleep. If it barks twice at a stranger, that’s an over-the-top performance. There’s just no comparing it to Advisor Yang’s two dogs!"

"Hahaha."

His words made everyone at the table burst into laughter.

Yang Qi smiled as well and explained, "Chief Chen, Hu Zi and Leopard are retired, fully-trained police dogs. They have a solid foundation. Training an ordinary dog to this level takes a great deal of time and effort."

"That’s true, that’s true."

Chen Shuangquan nodded, then sighed again. "Training a K-9 on your own is so hard!"

"If it weren’t hard, they wouldn’t be called police dogs, would they?" Luo Kaifeng said with a laugh.

"SIGH!"

...

As they were laughing and talking, a young officer rushed into the private dining room. His face was etched with anxiety as he reported in a hushed but clear voice.

"Chief Chen, Instructor, we just got a call. It’s about Ma the Sixth’s family, on the west side of town. His nine-year-old son, Ma Jihui, went out to play this afternoon and hasn’t returned. It’s dark now and there’s still no sign of him. The family has searched all the places he usually goes but couldn’t find him. They’re worried there’s been an accident, so they finally called us."

"A child is missing?!"

The smiles on Chen Shuangquan’s and the instructor’s faces vanished instantly. They shot to their feet.

This was a serious matter. Not a moment could be wasted.

"Advisor Yang, Captain Luo, I’m so sorry, but we have to go deal with this right away!"

Chen Shuangquan hastily apologized to Yang Qi and Luo Kaifeng and turned to leave.

The instructor followed right behind him.

However, just as he reached the doorway, Chen Shuangquan stopped dead in his tracks.

As if a sudden thought struck him, he spun back around. His gaze was fixed intently on Yang Qi, then darted to Hu Zi and Leopard, who were still lying quietly at his feet. An expression of desperate hope spread across his face.

"Advisor Yang! This came up so suddenly, and we’re short on time... Look, could you... could you let these two police dogs of yours help find the boy?"