Chapter 50

Ling Yue was very much looking forward to it.

Here, they don't just train dogs and cats that want to be independent; there are also some small animals that will be adopted out later, and they have this or that disability. If they want to leave the stray animal shelter's care and fully integrate into another family, they will definitely have to make an effort.

Basic training is essential.

Ling Yue walked and introduced: "Here we have special courses for cats and dogs to develop their strengths. Cats are independent, good at jumping and climbing, and are quite curious, so they easily break their owners' cosmetics or other things. I know some poop‑scoopers may not mind, but when they break something valuable they might hurt the pet themselves."

"Here we specially train, guiding cats to change their bad habits and restrain themselves."

Hearing this, the cat was a little unhappy. It was the belle of the whole cattery, lightly jumping onto the prepared cabinet, its fluffy big tail sweeping away a large array of bottles: "Cats are so pretty, how could they deliberately cause destruction?"

"It was clearly the tail that moved first!"

Ling Yue rubbed her forehead, what a little troublemaker!

"Doctor Ling, come quick!" the tame cats called her. When Ling Yue looked over, they tip‑toed in a cat‑like gait, their fluffy, furry bodies weaving through the bottles and jars, or simply going around, and proudly said to Ling Yue: "We've learned! These are just trivial things!"

Ling Yue felt greatly relieved, then glanced aside—Wang Yanyan's eyes widened, she almost wanted to fling herself onto the pile, yet the cosmetics arranged like a Bagua formation remained utterly untouched!

Ling Yue continued: "As for dogs, they need to learn human society's rules; some dogs are nicknamed 'let go, no hands', so they especially need training."

On the training field, a purebred Husky had something to say: "That's because we haven't trained enough!"

Seeing Ling Yue look over, it grew even prouder: "We Huskies are born to run and train; our ancestors all lived in icy snowlands, free and easy. Letting us survive in the city, with no suitable temperature and insufficient exercise, of course we'll become depressed and wreck the house, letting go, no hands."

The speaking Husky felt wronged; they really felt so unjustly treated!

Ling Yue lightly coughed: "Then in the future I'll help you find adopters with big yards?"

The Husky shook its head; behind it, two Huskies that looked almost identical howled: "No, no!"

Ling Yue glanced and knew at once: these were the three Husky brothers from the stray animal rescue base—Qi Qi, Guai Guai, and Xiu Xiu.

The three Husky brothers stared at Ling Yue, eager to try: "We're ready to work. Don't let humans adopt us; staying here in the base with our friends is just fine."

Ling Yue looked at them and couldn't help wondering: "Work? What kind of work?"

Several Huskies shook their heads, cleverly saying: "We've already checked out—there are several ski training grounds in Jing Shi; help us ask, we want to go work there!"

Guai Guai added: "We can pull sleds!"

Xiu Xiu: "We're strong, we look good—there'll definitely be humans who'll buy our services!"

Ling Yue blinked, looking at the three dogs: "You really are a little clever devil!"

The Husky wagged its tail, pulled back its lips into a smile, very pleased: "We think so too."

……

Wang Yanyan couldn't understand animal speech, but that didn't mean she couldn't see; from Ling Yue's frozen expression she could tell something had happened to her.

Wang Yanyan quietly stepped back half a pace; she'd better keep her distance, lest she get caught in the crossfire.

What Ling Yue brought her to was merely the outer perimeter; in the core area, a crowd of cats and dogs formed a encircling ring, inside which it seemed like a drill was underway, with animals continually letting out cries of astonishment.

"Wow, our cat boss is still the most handsome—he succeeded right away!"

"Our Gua Gua the Dog King isn't far behind either—he can also find things!"

"I don't care, cats are the strongest!"

"Nonsense, dogs are the best!"

The scene became somewhat chaotic for a moment.

Before things could develop into a disaster, Ling Yue appeared, with Wang Yanyan closely following behind; when she saw the situation clearly, she instinctively looked up at the sky—it wasn't even dark yet, how had she started day‑dreaming?

Who would have thought she'd witness such a fantastical scene? Here, a room was reproduced one‑to‑one, a corpse lay on the ground; Wang Yanyan shuddered, looked closer and realized it was actually a clothed mannequin.

Huang Ju lowered its head, the blossoming mangosteen paws fiddling with the phone on the ground; Wang Yanyan watched, growing more astonished, she raised her hand and only managed to scoop up a palmful of cold sweat.

A muffled voice squeezed out of the throat: "It, it… what is it doing⊙﹏⊙?"

Ling Yue: "Dial."

Huang Ju extended its paw and lightly flicked—once it swiped open the screen, the difficult mangosteen paw tapped here and there; beside it was the timing trainer, who pressed pause at the moment it hit the emergency button.

The trainer went from shock to habit: "Excellent, Huang Ju did really well this time!"

On the other side, Gua Gua wasn't doing so well.

Seeing the fallen mannequin, it huffed and puffed as it dragged the blanket over and covered it, earnestly tugging at the corners.

Ling Yue: "What are you doing?"

Gua Gua opened its clear dog eyes and earnestly said: "The owner is asleep on the ground; I'm covering her with a blanket so she won't get cold."

Ling Yue was momentarily speechless.

After composing herself, she asked it: "Do you know what kind of training this is?"

Gua Gua looked at her innocently; Ling Yue: "First aid?"

"If the owner encounters an emergency and you can't leave the room, you must learn how to use electronic devices to call for help; if that really isn't possible, you can only resort to the most primitive method—shout loudly!"

In this evaluation, Huang Ju passed, Gua Gua failed; while the other small animals were calling for rescue, here Gua Gua, from falling to being buried, was only a Gua Gua's distance away.

The dogs hung their heads, as if they themselves had lost, while the cats were lively and vivid, full of spirit.

These little animals were more like innocent children.

Wang Yanyan stared at Gua Gua, unable to look away; her heart felt as if a hundred cat claws were scratching, making her terribly itchy.

She suddenly thought of a method and asked Ling Yue: "How many cats here need to live independently?"

Ling Yue looked at her, her gaze sweeping twice: "The first batch to finish training is the cat‑worker squad, about a dozen or so. What's up, do you have something?"

Wang Yanyan's brows lit up with joy: "Work? You're saying these cats are to work?"

Ling Yue nodded; the next moment she heard Wang Yanyan's unrestrained delight: "Miss Ling, why not let them work at my shop?"

Before Ling Yue could ask, she hurried on: "I have a shop under me; lately the rat infestation has been rampant—cats aren't the natural enemies of mice? If we invite these little staff over, they'll surely be a great help!"

She spoke with conviction, her gaze fixed on Huang Ju the whole time.

By a twist of fate, the first order was thus opened.

Ling Yue gave her a deep look, said nothing—this time the squad leader she brought was precisely the Huang Ju she liked; it could be considered… a little surprise?

Gua Gua's last day staying here was spent happily, but when it was time to leave, the cats and dogs were reluctant to see it go.

"Big Brother Gua Gua, you've found your owner—don't forget us!"

"Gua Gua, big brother, you're really lucky—I'm sticking close, hoping to share some good fortune!"

Who knows who said it, but in the final half minute the stray base's small animals swarmed over; even the one‑eared Labrador was squeezed out of shape, yet its mouth corners turned up, it grinned like a little sun, especially happy.

"Click—"

Ling Yue took out her phone, captured this moment, forever freezing it in a photo, celebrating the Stray Animal Rescue Base's first little dog going home!

In the car, Gua Gua's gaze wandered among the seeing‑off cats and dogs, then it suddenly slumped down, saying: "No Huang Ju."

It knew Huang Ju surely disliked it, but in Gua Gua's heart, the place where its owner is, is its home.

The car went farther and farther, until only a tiny black dot remained; after Gua Gua disappeared, the cats and dogs felt low, unwilling to train, so Ling Yue didn't let them continue, giving them a half‑day rest, to resume tomorrow.

Ling Yue squatted in front of the cat house, separated by a small iron net; Huang Ju stepped over lightly and gracefully, meeting her gaze: "Did Gua Gua leave?"

Ling Yue nodded: "I think Gua Gua is a bit sad; just now it was asking where its best friend Huang Ju went."

Huang Ju snorted, lowering its head as if admiring the cement floor: "No way! That silly dog spends all day counting time with its paws, waiting for its owner to come pick it up."

It spoke heatedly: "Really stupid, not afraid the owner will sell it again. I don't have such a foolish friend!"

"Really?"

"If we don't see each other this time, we might never meet again."

Huang Ju stiffly turned: "You, you're talking nonsense!"

It got so excited the fur on its back stood up, wobbling like a golden cat ball, making fingers itch. Ling Yue couldn't resist rubbing its head: "Fake, fake."

She suddenly changed the subject: "I have something to tell you—the Cat Cat Work First Small Team has received an order!"

"Tomorrow you'll lead the team to work—good luck!"

Huang Ju seemed a bit absent‑minded, nodding without seeing Ling Yue's suppressed smile; the circling crows flapped their wings overhead as it sighed helplessly: "The owner is again coaxing the poor cats."

Ling Yue retorted: "Nonsense!"

Perhaps the first order went smoothly, the Stray Animal Rescue Base gradually got on track, many adopters came, and Xu Guang and the others were busier than ever.

Looking at the bustling base, Xu Guang felt pleased, increasingly convinced that his original decision had been good; otherwise, even if the base stayed in his hands for a hundred years, it would still be as it was.

Back to the matter. Ling Yue stayed at the base until late; when she returned, it was already evening.

Ling Yue didn't go home but drove to the police station; just as she parked, she saw a shift‑changing police squad gathered in small groups, which made the team leader Lin Shaoze stand out even more—upright like stars surrounding the moon, dazzling and eye‑catching.

Ling Yue's gaze sharpened, she lowered her eyes, and the moment she met the dog's eyes, Da Hei barked immediately; the whole dog seemed ready to leap, its fluffy big tail wagging like an unstoppable electric motor.

It charged toward Ling Yue.

"You guys, come look."

"It's the owner, the owner's come to pick me up home!"

The one holding it was Cheng Ziming; a tug on the leash sent a sudden huge force pulling him forward, he staggered and almost fell.

"Oh, Da Hei's getting stronger!", Cheng Ziming exclaimed, but didn't respond.

He turned his head, noticing his companions' gazes, all fixed stupidly in one direction.

Cheng Ziming also looked that way.

The sun set westward, countless streams of rosy light shifting across the sky; Ling Yue stood not far away, wearing a pearl‑white windbreaker, her loose black hair dyed with the glow, a pretty girl making a beautiful scene.

Da Hei had already darted over, excitedly circling its owner, whining nonstop.

Ling Yue rubbed its head: "Good Da Hei~"

She didn't rush off, lifting her long eyelashes, aiming straight at Lin Shaoze: "Captain Lin, do you have time lately? I'd like to treat you to a meal and ask you something."

Lin Shaoze looked at her and said lightly: "I'll treat you; I happen to have other matters, we can talk together."

Ling Yue's eyes flickered as she took in the man's cold, hard contours, wondering what the matter was.

Hearing the whole process, Cheng Ziming couldn't help but smirk with a strange smile, not yet having spoken.

A companion slapped his head and said: "Oh captain, I suddenly remembered I left clothes at home—I'm heading back first!"

"Ah, I suddenly feel unwell, captain I'm going." The person clutched their stomach and vanished in a blink.

"Captain, I have a date with my girlfriend to go shopping, I won't hold you up."

Cheng Ziming: "……"

Nonsense, all the male members of the Criminal Police Brigade are single dogs—where did you get a girlfriend?

All the previous excuses having been used up, it was his turn; Lin Shaoze smiled slightly: "What's your excuse?"

Cheng Ziming steeled himself, closed his eyes, and said directly: "Captain, my boyfriend got lost—I need to go pick him up."

"Cough cough cough!" Upon hearing that excuse, Ling Yue burst out laughing, staring at Cheng Ziming as if she wanted to sink into the ground, her eyes saying: "If you're going to make something up, make it heartfelt."

"Boyfriend?"

It wasn't her saying it—Cheng Ziming's single‑dog aura was impossible to hide.

Moonlit night, a barbecue stall.

On the blazing hot iron plate, the moment squid was covered, it hissed; after sprinkling the secret spices, the aroma instantly spread.

The boss turned, skillfully grabbed a handful of skewers, placed them on the charcoal grill, whirling like a tornado; the golden skewers hissed oil.

All kinds of flavors gathered; the night breeze carried them for miles, the scent made Da Hei lift its head, nostrils flaring, as it discerned: "Fresh lamb, plus seafood giant squid! So fragrant!"

Da Hei opened its mouth, staring at the boss constantly flipping skewers—actually, it was the skewers in his hand, drool dripping from the corner of its mouth.

As for the owner, there was no time to attend to it.

Ling Yue looked at the man beside the small table; the stall's big lamp shone brightly, lighting his face, while under the table a pair of long legs seemed to have nowhere to go.

Lin Shaoze: "How? Strange?"

Ling Yue nodded: "Indeed, I didn't expect it; I always felt someone like him didn't belong here."

Lin Shaoze rolled up his sleeves, skillfully summoned the waiter, placed the order, and didn't forget to ask her preference.

Finally, they said: "This barbecue place tastes good, the ingredients are also fresh, you can try it, only for this season."

Beside, Dahei perked up its ears, wanting to join in: "Yes yes yes, the lamb smells good, no, it's fresh, Master I want to eat."

Ling Yue curled her lips in a smile, Dahei interrupted, and she no longer dwelled on this, getting straight to the point.

"Zoo?" the man beside the small table said in a low, hoarse voice, as if lifting his eyes, a ripple spreading in the depths of his dark eyes, "You want to buy the already bankrupt Capital Zoo?"

Ling Yue's eyes flashed with surprise: "Already bankrupt? So fast?"

Lin Shaoze looked at her, already understanding her meaning.

If I'm not mistaken, Ling Yue's former employer was the Capital Zoo, and she actually wants to take it back on contract.

To be frank, the Capital Zoo really proves Ling Yue's saying: whoever touches it suffers misfortune—first the zoo had problems, then the animals had problems, finally the brown bear escaped; no matter how well Boss Zhao Fang marketed it, it was of no avail.

No one dares to come anymore.

This time it's the brown bear; next time maybe they'll have to swap in a python.

Now Zhao Fang has gone completely bankrupt; according to what Lin Shaoze knows, the zoo has become a hot potato, no one wants to take it, fearing bad luck will transfer to themselves.

After all, after repeated problems, some consider it unlucky. Moreover, there are indeed many zoos in Jing Shi now; the Capital Zoo's advantages are merely its large size and long history.

Lin Shaoze: "How did you come up with this idea?"

Ling Yue: "Hobby."

If we talk about the beginning, she merely had this idea in mind, feeling nothing special about animals and such; but as time went on, she instead formed the plan to delve deeply into this field, and besides, Tuan Tuan is waiting for her in the zoo, the wish of the Kung Fu Panda has only just begun.

Ling Yue felt that even for Tuan Tuan's sake, she could not give up.

Originally, upon hearing of the bankruptcy, she was a bit anxious, but after Lin Shaoze's explanation, Ling Yue understood that the zoo really couldn't be sold off quickly.

A waft of fragrance blew over; arriving at the barbecue stall, how could one not eat barbecue?

Ling Yue waved her hand, telling the boss: "Boss, add twenty more skewers—ten squid iron plate grilled, ten lamb skewers, and one bottle of beer."