Chapter 54

Ye Xiu Lan recalled the engagement banquet he had once attended.

Upper circles have always been smaller the higher you go; for the Ye family, they had cooperated with the Song and Huo families, so as the current president of the Ye Group, Ye Xiu Lan received their invitation.

Although it was the engagement banquet of Song Han's eldest son, Song Ya, Ye Xiu Lan also prepared a great gift, but he did not expect that the excitement of this engagement banquet would far exceed imagination.

At the engagement scene, under everyone's gaze, the originally playing sweet video turned into a small film of Song Xi's older cousin, with explicit content directly shoved in their faces, clearly showing the two entwined faces; even more shocking was that the female party was actually a cousin from the Huo family.

How can a single chaotic word be said!

The engagement banquet was completely ruined, even implicating the relationship between the Song and Huo families; afterward, the so-called promising young master of the Song family had his reputation completely ruined, and the Huo family young lady went abroad for further studies that very day.

In the business world, Ye Xiu Lan had met the other party before; he could only say, hearing is believing, seeing is real. Song Sheng Ming, who could be called a Midas touch, was not as his reputation suggested; instead, he had an indescribable eeriness—his success did not rely on ability but on strong intuition, or more bluntly, on luck.

Later, after the engagement banquet incident, Song Sheng Ming's luck took a sharp downturn, as if the luck he had squandered earlier came back to bite him; he became extraordinarily unlucky, his career suffered setbacks and sank, and even his parents went bankrupt together. At the same time, the eldest son of the Song family, Song Han, issued a statement severing relations.

Outside opinions were varied, but overall a conclusion was drawn: certainly, Song Shu's family had done something unworthy toward Song Han; otherwise, given Song Han's refined character, he would not have acted so decisively.

Afterwards, Ye Xiu Lan faintly heard some rumors.

Regarding the sudden falling out between blood brothers, the melodramatic plot of being drenched in dog blood aroused great curiosity; many in the circle discussed it, and a piece of news also spread: Song Shu did not know where he had sought an evil daoist, secretly draining the Song family's fortune; fortunately, the Song family discovered it in time and narrowly escaped disaster, but the damaged relationship wanting to return to the past is nothing short of a daydream!

Evidence is that the Song family's sole heir, Song Xi, suddenly began frequently entering and leaving the company; his previous bad luck seemed to have vanished overnight, and he fortunately discovered several stars with extremely good luck, and the company's development became even more thriving.

Ye Xiu Lan had once thought this was just a rumor, but when he actually encountered it, his firm materialist belief suddenly wavered.

He pondered for a moment, then casually said a few words: "These matters, just listen to them."

Ye Yi Lin: "Wow!"

From her expression one could tell she didn't believe it but was still quite curious; beside her, Da Jin Mao also came over, his big head resting on the little girl's leg; Ye Xiu Lan glanced at him, a hint of deep thought appearing in his eyes.

Immediately, Da Jin Mao curled the corners of his mouth and laughed foolishly; Ye Xiu Lan frowned, feeling as if the previous sensation had been an illusion.

Da Jin Mao secretly thought: Grandson, your grandfather I once didn't believe either, until I personally experienced this.

Half a month ago, he was still a person; after finishing work, he walked his beloved dog outside, suddenly a feeling of unease arose, then the world spun, and when he woke up, he found his hands had turned into a pair of furry paws.

The world had changed; the surroundings were enormous, he had four legs, and had become a dog.

He even saw himself lying on the bed, unconscious.

Now hearing such a miraculous matter, how could he not be excited; if this were true, wouldn't he have hope to figure everything out and return to his own body?!

Grandson, make your grandfather proud!

Unfortunately, just as he finished cheering up, he discovered Ye Xiu Lan had said "just listen to it."

Ye Yi Lin: "Brother, I think it's very possible; isn't there a saying, 'wind does not rise from a hollow hole,' meaning there must be some cause?"

Da Jin Mao's eyes lit up with a gleam, he smacked his lips: "Grandfather's great grandson, you're not as adaptable as the little granddaughter?!"

Ye Xiu Lan's gaze shifted slightly, part of his attention on the eager Da Jin Mao, part on his younger sister: "How do you think about it?"

Ye Yi Lin timidly pointed at her fingers, steeled herself and said: "Actually, I originally didn't believe these things either, but the emperor green bracelet worth eighty million that Song Xi gave to Aunt Ling is not fake, and his fawning attitude is also not fake!"

Seeing her brother frown, Ye Yi Lin hurriedly explained: "Although Aunt Ling is the person in charge of pet adoption, she actually has another identity!"

When talking about this, Ye Yi Lin became enthusiastic and gave a popular science explanation: "She is a big internet celebrity streamer with nearly hundreds of millions of online fans; she differs from others, Aunt Ling has a special ability—she can communicate with animals!"

"Many cases are those she discovered and assisted the police in solving; she is exceptionally outstanding, possibly even one of Jing Shi's Top Ten Youth this year!"

Ye Xiu Lan was startled, subconsciously glanced at Da Jin Mao, but Ye Yi Lin thought he didn't believe her, and her competitive spirit instantly flared up: "Previously, the eldest daughter of the Ren family, Ren Ya Qi, was a regular guest in Aunt Ling's live stream, and so was Song Xi!"

Ye Yi Lin slapped her thigh, suddenly recalling: "Not long ago, Song Xi rewarded several tens of millions; you say, could this be related?" Knowing, her monthly living expenses are only a few million, Song Xi would never be able to pull out that amount unless, there is Uncle Song backing him from behind!

The following words Ye Xiu Lan no longer cared much about; he cared about Ling Yue's special ability; after pondering for a moment, the man pinched his finger joints and said: "She can communicate with animals?"

"Of course!"

"Woof woof woof!"

Da Jin Mao suddenly barked loudly, interrupting the two's conversation, appearing excited and thrilled, his fur flying everywhere.

How could he not be excited? No wonder that little girl at the dinner table earlier had a subtle gaze; originally she could understand its words, wuu wuu wuu this old man finally has hope!

Jin Mao happily thought the truth was revealed, seeing both people staring at him, he instantly became displeased and barked loudly: "What are you two standing there for? Hurry up and invite the person back, this old man finally has hope!"

At this moment, it seemed as if they truly understood its words, Ye Xiu Lan suddenly spoke: "If there is an opportunity, invite her to come home for a visit; I want to consult on a matter."

Ye Yi Lin: "Ah?"

She didn't understand, but under the threatening gaze of her older brother, she instantly felt in her heart: "Okay, I'll make an appointment with Aunt Ling when I have time."

Ye Xiu Lan stared fixedly at her, making Ye Yi Lin feel uneasy in her heart: "How, how?"

Had she just said something wrong? No, she hadn't. QAQ

Ye Xiu Lan: "Not 'if there is time,' but 'must.'"

The man lowered the corners of his eyes, his dark pupils deep, saying while transferring money: "This is the consultation fee, remember to contact as soon as possible."

Ye Yi Lin opened her phone, took a close look, wow, twenty million!

From childhood to adulthood, she had never handled such a large sum of cash; gripping her phone, she nodded vigorously: "Brother, rest assured, I will definitely complete the task!"

Beside the golden monkey, he couldn't help but nod: "Still, the granddaughter is reliable."

Ye Xiu Lan withdrew his gaze without a trace; as his guess became more certain, he couldn't help but furrow his brows, secretly pondering, who exactly is it?

On the first day Ling Yue received the huge sum, she headed straight for the Capital Zoo.

After not seeing each other for a few days, this place's gate could catch sparrows; let alone people, even the small animals in the zoo were listless, as if they knew the zoo had already gone bankrupt.

In fact, they truly did know; Ling Yue looked at the listless tiger brothers and asked: "What's wrong with you?"

The big tiger looked at her and then lowered his head: "Wuu wuu wuu the zoo is going bankrupt, we will also have to separate!"

Ling Yue furrowed her brows tightly, still not having said anything, when Xiao Liu eagerly approached: "Miss Ling, Director Zhao knows of your intention and will come over immediately!"

Ling Yue: "No need, I'll go see him myself; then we can talk in detail."

At the same time, Zhao Fang, whose hair had turned white from worry, did not go home; he feared he could not restrain himself and would directly pick up a knife.

All is over; the painstakingly accumulated huge family business, all gone because of a pig teammate, he was so angry he wanted to divorce his wife! Now the zoo is a hot potato, hoping it can recover? Bullshit!

Because of it, he has been throwing tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands into it every day, seeing no return at all; knowing it's like pouring water into sand, yet what can he do? A person can go hungry a few meals and not die, but an animal going hungry a few meals is a life!

Therefore, when he learned someone wanted to take over the zoo, Zhao Fang's whole spirit lifted; he urged anxiously: "What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and take me!"

No matter who it is, finally someone is inquiring about this huge zoo—we won't have to be eaten alive by these animals. To Zhao Fang, it's practically a great bodhisattva who saves from suffering!

Until he saw the visitor, his face turned deathly pale as paper, and he stammered, 'Ling, Ling Yue?'

His tone rose slightly, as if he could hardly believe it.

Ling Yue's expression was blank: 'Boss Zhao, when discussing business, you must never let personal feelings get in the way.'

Zhao Fang shuddered violently: 'Yes, yes, yes! You're absolutely right!'

Saying this, he bowed humbly, his fawning fully on display.

Half an hour later, Zhao Fang forced a smile as he left the door, still holding a freshly printed contract. His heart ached, making him gasp—truly harsh. He had thought Ling Yue was naive and could be persuaded a bit more, but he hadn't expected her to come prepared, hitting exactly his psychological price point, not a cent more or less.

What could he do? For Zhao Fang now, Ling Yue was his last lifeline.

Zhao Fang wiped his face and glanced at a group of jittery subordinates, surely here to probe the news that the zoo was about to change hands.

Thinking about the unpaid wages—another sum of money—he wiped his face and snapped, 'What are you looking at? Scram, all of you, disperse!'

Ling Yue spoke up: 'If I'm not mistaken, the zoo is now mine. Clear the wages you owe, and from now on I'll take over the zoo.'

Zhao Fang immediately nodded and bowed, daring not to disobey.

As for the anger in his chest, he turned his head to look at the panicked staff; he took the money and left, and the fate of those workers was easy to imagine.

Unexpectedly, Ling Yue directly named the panda house keeper: 'Yuan Yuan.'

'Director.' Yuan Yuan reacted swiftly; although she was uncertain about the future, she now knew the zoo was changing hands and who the true owner was.

Ling Yue: 'From now on you will be the zoo's team leader, responsible for inspecting the animals' safety facilities and managing personnel.'

In the crowd, Xiao Liu listened, unable to keep his eyes from lighting up—what about him? Unexpectedly, Ling Yue seemed to have forgotten him, assigning people one by one; those who had once worked at the zoo for a period, no one knew their abilities better than she did.

Those with connections but no ability to even earn a meal were kicked out, while the capable were brought in; this major reshuffle freed up many positions.

Xiao Liu's initial hope turned to disappointment, when suddenly he heard Ling Yue's voice: 'Starting today, the zoo will raise salaries—each person gets 5,000 per month, but you must work hard; there will be monthly evaluations. If you slack off, the animals will know, I will know, and you will know the consequences.'

Everyone who had just gotten excited couldn't help but shudder; Ling Yue regarded the scene with scrutiny, her peripheral vision falling on Xiao Liu—aside from Xiao Yuan, she thought the only decent person was Xiao Liu.

However, he was still a bit unseasoned; after a few more days of tempering, a place would naturally await him.

'All right, you can go back to caring for the animals; replenish the reduced food supplies.'

'Xiao Yuan.' She called out to him alone.

'Director.' Yuan Yuan, who had just been promoted to minor supervisor, pushed up her glasses, stood up immediately, and upon hearing her instruction said: 'The zoo lacks positions; post recruitment information online, with you in charge of evaluation—can you handle it?'

Yuan Yuan was overjoyed; she too was a top graduate from Capital University, not someone forced like Ling Yue to come here out of necessity, but because she loved pandas and came to the zoo for recruitment—anyway, her family's wealth meant she wasn't overly constrained, yet who wouldn't want to achieve something noteworthy!

'Director, I will definitely accomplish it!' She smiled so hard her eyes nearly narrowed into slits—management, she was especially good at it!

Ling Yue also smiled: 'Do well, and you'll get a raise.'

Having said that, she prepared to go to the panda house, not knowing how Tuan Tuan was doing now; as she turned, a voice exploded behind her: 'Director Zhao.'

The visitor was a middle‑aged man, tall and sturdy, with a somewhat fierce visage, his voice like a great bell—Ling Yue found it hard to ignore.

Evidently, he didn't know the zoo had changed hands; he glanced warmly at Zhao Fang, who upon seeing him broke out in a cold sweat: 'You… you…'

Because he was so nervous, his speech stumbled.

The man chuckled: 'How about it? After a few days without seeing you, Director Zhao, you're already in this state—what do you think of the business we discussed earlier?'

How is it? Not how!

He truly hadn't expected this person to be so bold; in that moment he deeply regretted having harbored greed, wondering what would happen if others found out…

Zhao Fang put on a bitter face: 'Really, it's a hassle for Boss Li to make a trip; let's just forget about that previous matter.'

He thought his words were already polite, but he didn't realize the other side had come prepared; upon hearing that, his face darkened instantly, and he said in a sinister tone: 'Director Zhao, what kind of reasoning is this? Initially you were the one who came to us, and now what do you mean?'

Zhao Fang dared not speak plainly, only saying: 'What… what do you mean? No meaning—I'm no longer the zoo director, so don't come looking for me, don't come looking for me!'

Before he could finish speaking, he was already running, his legs trembling.

His frightened appearance drew many sideways glances; knowing the inside story, could Zhao Fang not be afraid? It's said the hard fear the fierce, the fierce fear the reckless—and this man before him is exactly the reckless type!

He too was bewitched, actually thinking of that foolish move—knowing that every animal in the zoo is a state‑protected species, illegal trade is forbidden!

Zhao Fang kept praying in his heart: now that the zoo has changed hands, if anyone comes looking, let them go to Ling Yue—please, don't come to me! Thinking this, he felt rather pleased, preparing to hum a little tune on his way home while continuing to pursue his divorce.

He had no intention of revealing even half a word about this large sum of money he had just obtained.

But how could he know that Ling Yue, after paying the money, had someone send the contract and payment receipt to Zhao Fang's wife's home via same‑city delivery?

The two were a match made in heaven; Zhao Fang's wife also planned to divorce her husband, knowing the zoo was now a money pit—only expenses, no income—and scheming that when disaster struck they'd each go their own way; now that she learned it had been sold, she was overjoyed beyond restraint.

Upon hearing Zhao Fang's plan, she immediately flared up: 'Damn it, Zhao Fang, you think I'm easy to bully? Unless that money is split half‑and‑half with me, don't even dream of it!'

Zhao Fang stared wide‑eyed in shock, unable to comprehend it no matter how hard he tried.

Seeing his foolish expression, Zhao Fang's wife laughed, grateful for the divorce cooling‑off period—this month gave her plenty of time to rake in a tidy sum!

In the end, the couple faced each other in court; the split huge sum also attracted attention, and Zhao Fang, hoping to make a comeback, was swindled out of everything by con artists—once a ruthless boss, now even odd jobs won't take him, and he can only make a living by begging.

In the end, he still didn't understand how he had fallen to this point.

Returning to the matter at hand, on Ling Yue's side, Mr. Li learned that the zoo had a new director, and his kindly gaze fell on Ling Yue as he enthusiastically introduced himself: 'I am Li Jiang, the Jiang of the great rivers south and north, and I am currently the person in charge of the Champion Circus.'

No sooner had his words finished than Ling Yue heard exclamations all around.

'Champion Circus? I actually got to see the boss?'

'Wow, the Champion Circus was just in Suzhou‑Hangzhou a few days ago—how did it suddenly come to Jing Shi?'

'Could they be coming to Jing Shi to perform? I love their trained little animals—they're amazing!'

'I like the brown bear hero, but I heard it might be sick—I don't know if I'll get to see it.'

The man, sharp‑eared and clear‑eyed, obviously heard them, and said with a smile: 'The circus has only just arrived in Jing Shi; indeed we are preparing a new round of performances, right here in Jing Shi.'

'As for the animals in the circus, they are well cared for by us; I believe you'll be able to see them soon!'

Hearing this, Ling Yue frowned slightly—since he was the circus troupe leader, what was he doing here?

Li Jiang laughed, showing no interest in the previous matter, and turned his gaze to the zoo's animals, a hint of regret flickering in his eyes.

Afterward, he truly wandered about the zoo like a sightseeing tourist, strolling aimlessly.

Ling Yue didn't let her guard down, still remembering how Zhao Fang's expression had changed dramatically when the person arrived, feeling guilty, as if she had some weakness grasped in someone's hand.

The visitor means no good.

She narrowed her eyes, watching the man's disappearing back.

Ling Yue raised her hand to shoulder height; not far away, the little crow immediately flapped its wings, a pair of tiny claws scratching each other, and slowly landed on her arm.

"Master." It lightly pecked at Ling Yue's hair, then rubbed against her: "Is there something you need?"

Ling Yue familiarly stroked the little crow's nape: "I have a task for you; you can bring some underlings if you like—follow that man from earlier and see what he does afterward, and whether there's anything suspicious."

Ling Yue's expression grew grave as she continued: "The key is whether his expression while looking at the zoo's animals seems off."

Ling Yue pondered left and right; in the whole zoo, only these animals were valuable, and the circus, being another place where animals gather, made it hard for her not to connect the two.

The little crow heard this and thought it very simple, puffed out its chest, and proudly said: "Master, you can rest easy—it's a trivial matter!"

The little crow spread its wings and flew high, under the astonished gazes of the crowd, toward where Li Jiang had disappeared; it soon caught up, mainly because he kept stopping and going, as if he were in high spirits.

The little crow tilted its head, folded its wings, and landed on a fixed pillar; there were far too many small birds like it around, and the man didn't even glance at it.

Soon, the little crow noticed something was off.

Li Jiang happened to walk into the tiger enclosure; the tiger brothers, as the kings of the mountain, hadn't eaten or drunk their fill for days, but today they had finally had their fill and were leisurely patrolling their territory, strolling about, in high spirits.

They heard from the keeper that the zoo had a new owner, extraordinarily wealthy, and they finally no longer had to live in fear.

The youngest tiger brother lay by the river, drinking water, and said: "This is the life we tigers ought to have!"

Stretching its body, the little cat flicked its tail. JPG

Big Tiger rolled on the grass, then swiftly got up, shook off his body, revealing his sturdy physique and muscle lines; suddenly he sensed someone watching him, quickly lifted his head—if he hadn't looked, he wouldn't have known, but upon looking, he was startled!

"Holy shit, it's that bastard!"

The other brothers followed suit, raising their heads, perking up their ears like radar, their tails twitching warily, presenting a posture of facing a great enemy, leaving the little crow bewildered.

Beady eyes like mung beans shifted, landing on Li Jiang's face, catching his blatant smile, his gaze greedy: "What a pity……"

"With such sturdy tiger brothers, if we got them into the circus… what a sensation that would be……"

The little crow vaguely heard those words, and the tiger brothers, terrified, leapt up onto Tiger Mountain in a flash, hiding in the cave.

"What a pervert! We've had eight lifetimes of bad luck—how did he even set his sights on us?!"

"Waaah, being a tiger is miserable enough; the zoo offers good food and drink—who'd want to go to the circus?!"

The youngest tiger brother, bewildered, heard the eldest and second brothers' words and couldn't help but become curious: "Circus? What's a circus?"

Big Tiger sighed: "The story still needs to be told from a few days ago——"

At noon, Big Tiger picked a shady spot to nap, little knowing he'd overhear the zoo director Zhao Fang and the man talking; although their voices were low, he strained his ears and could still hear clearly.

The other party wanted to purchase the zoo's tigers!

Between the lines, he was clearly referring to their tiger brothers.

It had heard from the old monkey on Monkey Mountain that the circus was no place for animals—you had to jump through fire hoops, perform acrobatics, work twenty hours a day out of twenty-four!

After hearing that, the brothers wished they could huddle together; having spent a long time in the zoo, they knew just how terrifying the humans who came to gawk at them could be.

They would build huge cages to lock them up; though they looked scrawny and small, they would use all kinds of mysterious tricks, and the tigers stood no chance against them—QAQ

So even though they knew they were safe now, they still remained wary of that person deep down.

The tigers had fled, and the disappointed Li Jiang shook his head; just one day—if he had come earlier today, he would definitely have been able to smuggle these tigers out!

Upon hearing that the zoo also had pandas, Li Jiang felt a flicker of temptation but restrained himself; this one was a heavyweight, not easily moved.

The greedy gaze returned to Tiger Mountain; on one side, the little crow spread its wings and flew high, leaving a few underlings to keep watching him, while it itself went back to tell Ling Yue: "Master, you were absolutely right—this person is definitely trouble!"

Ling Yue blinked in surprise; the little crow perched on her shoulder pressed close to her ear and vividly relayed what the tigers had said.

Ling Yue's eyes sank: "Privately buying and selling state-protected animals is absolutely illegal and criminal!"

She only regretted that she had no evidence; otherwise, she would definitely have reported him!

"Little crow, keep letting your underlings tail him, see what he's up to—there's pay, pet food, or fresh meat, take your pick."

Upon hearing that, the little crow's small eyes lit up intensely: "Or should I come along too?"

Seeing Ling Yue look over, it let out a raucous laugh: "I'm not after the reward; it's just that my sense of justice as Little Crow is overwhelmingly strong—Master, rest assured, with me, the justice-bringer Little Crow, on the case, the culprit won't get a chance!"

Ling Yue: "……"

"Do you think I believe you?"

Little crow: "Hehehe~"

After seeing off the hungry little crow, Ling Yue went alone to the panda enclosure; here, Yuan Yuan was still the keeper, with no visitors, and Roundy remained in his usual lazy sprawl, lying on his back on a smooth large stone, spread out like a black-and-white pancake.

However, according to Ling Yue's observation, the whole panda seemed a bit smaller.

Evidently, there had been no slackening at all these days.

Upon hearing footsteps, Roundy's ears twitched; keeper Yuan Yuan felt a bit embarrassed but couldn't help saying, "Roundy, quick, look—who's come to see you?"

"Roundy."

As soon as the words fell, the formerly lazy panda executed a swift roll, its huge eyes shining like a searchlight; upon seeing Ling Yue, it sprang up and dashed over without pause, crying: "Yee-yee-yee~"

"Oh Great Demon King, you've finally come to see me!"

The giant panda clung to Ling Yue's legs, sobbing out "Yee-yee-yee~"

Yuan Yuan beside them stared wide-eyed in shock, doubting her own eyes—could this still be the Xiao Zuzong she attended to?

Usually stingy with its gaze, the giant panda before Ling Yue was nothing less than an oversized black-and-white fluffball of clinginess, its fuzzy head constantly rubbing against her, leaving Ling Yue somewhat overwhelmed as she half‑crouched.

"Do you miss me, Roundy?" she said, ruffling the panda's big head; in an instant, Roundy's semi‑round ears wiggled adorably: "I miss… you~"

Roundy struggled to lift its paws, its big eyes fixed on her: "Great Demon King, do you want me or not? I train every day—don't believe me? Feel for yourself!"