Chapter 63

Du Laoban's heart lurched; his original full confidence, shaken by her certainty, was sliced by three-tenths in a swipe, leaving seven-tenths confidence in his own arrangements.

Ling Yue also had great confidence in herself.

She had waited a long time, finally found the evidence, and directly dialed the police; her emotionless eyes then glanced at Du Laoban.

A crowd mightily surged toward the Flower and Bird Market.

People follow the crowd, it's natural to join the excitement; even if they don't know what's going on, they can't help but follow and take a few looks. Among them, a large part were Du Laoban's neighbors, who basically didn't believe Ling Yue's words, and many scornful glances swept over her.

Ling Yue's keen senses picked up the rustling sound: "It's her, an internet celebrity who knows nothing, just trying to extort Old Du—Old Du's business is doing so well, how could he do something illegal!"

"Does she really think she can get money by framing people?"

"You haven't even said it yet, but there really is money! Once this blows up, they'll gain fame, get ads, sell products—who cares whether it's real or fake!"

"Heartless!"

Ling Yue brushed it all aside, her eyes downcast, her face showing no expression.

The quieter she became, the more the livestream's viewers felt the incident was serious.

【I've never seen the streamer this silent before; those people are making so much noise my ears hurt. If I weren't no longer on the scene, I'd definitely give them a piece of my mind!】

【What kind of people are they? Isn't the earlier incident with Little Fatty Chirp enough to slap them in the face?】

【Not enough, so the streamer really gave him a hard slap this time! Small animals are the purest; to provoke such a big reaction from Little Fatty Chirp, he must be an utterly wicked evildoer!】

【But there's no need to be so certain, is there?】

【As an old-timer who camps in the livestream, I have to say: I'm just a brainless fan of the streamer, and the streamer will never let us down!】

Before the camera, the closer they got to the shop, the bigger Little Fatty Chirp's reaction, showing how deep its psychological trauma runs.

Its body trembled so badly it could hardly hold shape, it couldn't make a sound, its head drooped listlessly, wanting to shrink into its feathers.

Feeling the faint tremor in her palm, Ling Yue cupped it with one hand, slipped in a small milk cake with the other, covered it, her delicate, attentive care finally easing the little dough ball in her palm.

Peeking through the gap in Ling Yue's palm, a pair of mung-bean-sized eyes darted about, letting out soft chirps; Ling Yue realized it was contacting its family.

The crow on Ling Yue's shoulder gathered with a few little crows, the crow cawed a few times, and Ling Yue knew how to proceed.

Inside the shop, seeing so many people's pet birds startled and frightened, the bolder ones imitated the canaries, peering through the crowd at Ling Yue.

The clear birdsong was pleasant to the ear, making the crow's harsh caw seem all the more jarring; someone frowned, upon seeing the crow shuddered, and bluntly said, what just happened will become an unforgettable shadow for them.

The crow itself felt no embarrassment at all; although completely black, lacking pretty patterns or a voice humans admire, it could still be confident! That confidence and pride were cultivated bit by bit by Ling Yue.

The crow flapped its wings and told the naive little birds: "Look, the very, very prettiest ahead is my master!"

"Wow~ beautiful!"

"More beautiful than the female stars I see on TV—will she really like us?"

The boldest canary struck a proud pose with wings akimbo: "She'll definitely like me—I'm the best-looking and best-singing little bird here, she'll definitely like me!"

"Tch! Not necessarily~"

Hearing the chaotic noise behind her, Ling Yue quickened her pace, fearing that if she continued she'd become the source of the birds' fighting.

The locked door was shoved open by Ling Yue in one push; beyond it lay a connected little courtyard, shocking everyone—including Du Laoban's neighbors, who after seven or eight years of acquaintance had thought the place was just a rented shop like theirs—how could this be, and how could there be a little courtyard in back!

In land‑precious Jing Shi, how much would such a detached little courtyard cost? In an instant, everyone knew the answer.

The neighbors who had firmly believed in him began to waver; once doubt is planted in the heart, it spreads like weeds, growing wildly.

Du Laoban himself turned slightly pale, clenched his fists tightly, yet no one showed even a hint of panic.

Impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

The more he said that, the more his heart wavered, because after Ling Yue entered, she never stopped walking, heading straight for the back courtyard.

If she weren't certain, how could she act so decisively, without a hint of hesitation?

Du Laoban told himself, "Don't. 52GGd. panic, stay calm—he still had other arrangements."

Ling Yue led the way, a crowd following behind; the tiger‑pattern parrot pair perched on the wall suddenly perked up, the male parrot Banban putting his wing around his mate: "Pretty, look quick—so many people!"

Just then, the two Rottweilers burst out, low‑growling at the crowd, dark‑red blood staining their muzzles; the vicious dogs exuded a shocking ferocity that made hearts pound.

Even the dogs' owner, Du Laoban, couldn't help but step back two paces; to have them guard the house, he had specially fetched raw meat and blood food—these two dogs are fierce, but once they're angry they recognize no kin.

The dogs were eager to try, tails lowered, assuming a standard attack stance.

Just then the police finally arrived, the leader being Ling Yue's acquaintance Lin Shaoze, dressed in the standard police uniform, surrounded by the crowd, emanating a cold aura that said "keep out".

At the sight of Ling Yue, it promptly faded away.

Lin Shaoze furrowed his brows: "Again… is it you?"

Ling Yue gave a helpless smile—could she have predicted this? Now wasn't the time for chat—she repeated what she'd said on the phone, emphasizing: "……I have solid evidence; the owner of this flower‑and‑bird market shop is guilty of illegally trading wildlife, and quite possibly not just once!"

At this moment, a team member spotted feathers beside the dogs' food bowl; he was a colleague Lin Shaoze had specially borrowed from the Forestry Bureau, and after careful identification he said with anguish: "This is a wild black stork! A nationally protected first‑class wildlife species!"

"How could it be here? It shouldn't be; black storks love damp environments, usually living in open forests or river valleys—this is a city full of skyscrapers, it simply wouldn't appear here!"

"Unless——"

He fixed his gaze on Ling Yue; the staffer who had thought this was just a routine case blurted: "Unless someone's poaching!"

As a Forestry Bureau employee who has devoted his life to protecting animals, seeing this scene, how could he not be moved? He wished to hack that beast‑less thing into pieces.

Ling Yue: "This is what I wanted to say; according to the information I've received, even more protected animals remain unsaved."

As she spoke, Lin Shaoze glanced at the crow that had followed them, seemingly just a casual look; Ling Yue knew clearly, and got straight to the point: "I suspect those animals are inside this very room."

"Woof woof woof!" Just then, the two Rottweilers suddenly went berserk—no one expected it—as they lunged forward, the crowd cried out in alarm.

Du Laoban took off running, while others puzzled: the Rottweiler clearly had a leash, yet the next moment the whole leash was pulled free—there was a leash all right, but nothing to anchor it!

The vicious dogs lunged, snarling; many already smelled their foul breath, the dogs were well‑fed and muscular, mouths full of sharp, gleaming white teeth.

Many shouted outright: "Holy shit, what's this leash even for? Does it look good?!"

"I fuck his grandpa, I'm scared of dogs!!"

That shout had already gone hoarse; in the panic everyone fell into a tangled heap,

Lin Shaoze led a group of police in the front row, they gripped batons, without a hint of hesitation.

The stream's viewers were stunned by this sudden turn of events, only reacting after a long while.

【Holy shit, those poaching dogs are worse than beasts!】

【Damn, what a genius, a natural-born idiot! Are these dog chains worn just to look good?】

Someone also recalled Ling Yue at the forefront, instantly tensing their hearts; they knew Ling Yue could communicate with animals, but these were two dogs drooling, eyes bloodshot, brimming with killing intent!

How can rabid dogs communicate!

【Streamer, run! Run!】

Ling Yue glanced at the screen, then looked at the two dogs; she not only didn't retreat half a step, but stepped forward, fully exposing herself to the vicious dogs' gaze. The dogs barked wildly, their teeth gnashing at the air, their bloodshot red eyes locking onto her instantly!

Everyone who saw this broke out in a cold sweat, many covering their eyes.

Lin Shaoze came running, his composed demeanor collapsing instantly; before he could utter a word, a clear, bright female voice rang out—it was Ling Yue.

She looked at the two dogs, her animal king aura at full blast: "Get lost!"

That moderate‑sized voice boomed like thunder in the dogs' ears; no matter how ferocious or crazy they were, how could they match the might of the king of beasts?

"Woouuu~"

"Wuuwuu Mom Mom I want to go home!"

The two vicious dogs tucked their tails and bolted, dashing into the house and never daring to come out; the dramatic reversal shocked everyone, some even rubbing their eyes in disbelief: "Really, really?!"

One sentence drove off the two vicious dogs!

In an instant, everyone's view of her changed; the first reaction after their tense nerves relaxed was a wave of weakness sweeping through their limbs, and with a thud many fell to their knees in fright.

The stream's viewers witnessed this, staring dumbstruck at Ling Yue, finally realizing just how strong her combat ability is.

【Streamer, you! Are! My! God!】

【Is it too late for me to kneel now? Do you think my kneeling posture is proper?】

【Gasping, streamer, I'm convinced—I really am!】

【I'll go print the streamer's photo right now, put it on my desk as an offering, burn three sticks of incense morning and night, may the streamer bless me! 【gesture】【gesture】】

Even though they were so ferocious their muscles seemed ready to burst, the vicious dogs, after Ling Yue's soft shout, tucked their tails and fled, looking abjectly pleading—someone caught the whole thing on video, the reversal was perfect!

Later that video went viral across the net; while viewers laughed hysterically, who could have guessed how perilous the situation had been?

Although Rottweilers aren't as ferocious as pit bulls or Tibetan mastiffs, when they go berserk they can still rip prey apart barehanded—humans can't resist, especially with two of them, the damage stacks!

Getting back to the point, those two dogs made Ling Yue famous in a single battle; seeing them hide inside the house, she furrowed her brows: "Come out."

The two dogs shrank back, took only a few steps, then collapsed outright; Ling Yue wrapped their leashes around a pillar, then turned to see Ya Ya leading the tiger‑pattern parrot Banban flying over.

While Ling Yue was communicating with it, the police entered the house; as soon as they went in, they furrowed their brows.

It wasn't because the scene was too gruesome—rather, it was too clean; the floor had not a single loose feather, all kinds of furniture were present, a gradual sense of everyday life, and by the door lay a big clump of white cotton with a few strips of cloth in the middle.

"This is—"

"A dog den." Boss Du knew he couldn't escape, but he wouldn't sit and wait for defeat; confident his design wouldn't be discovered, he went on to introduce: "Officers, this is my home; when I'm not opening the shop, I rest here."

"You'd better search well; there's no wild wildlife here. I've always obeyed the law, my shop does steady business—how could I possibly engage in that shady, dangerous trade?"

The Forestry Bureau staffer who recognized the black stork furrowed his brows: "If you truly obey the law, we wouldn't wrong an upstanding citizen!"

Having said that, they began the inspection.

As Ling Yue entered, the tiger‑pattern parrot Banban followed, flying past; it stared in shock at the drastically altered room, blinked its beak, and was speechless for a moment.

Ling Yue's heart sank: "What's wrong?"

The tiger‑pattern parrot Banban lowered its head: "I—I can't find the place I know; the room's completely changed!"

Ling Yue startled, suddenly realizing a question: "How long ago did you come here?"

Tiger‑pattern parrot Banban: "A year ago."

One year.

Over three hundred days—given Boss Du's previously cautious nature, how could he not move an inch, a sure‑thing matter, as if it were really about to take flight?

Ling Yue steadied herself; with her top‑tier sense of smell, the house's odor hit her—human scent, dog smell, plus an indescribable strange aroma that evoked warm, dry, fine feathers.

That must be the scent of birds, drifting in the house thread by thread.

Ling Yue could feel that the truth was just a step away.

At that moment, Boss Du approached: "I really haven't done anything illegal or criminal, and I don't know who told you to come slander me…"

He was deeply hurt; Ling Yue ignored him, sniffing around, while Boss Du's eyes flashed with mockery, unable to resist muttering: "Ignoring me? Sniffing all over like that, do you really think you're a dog?!"

Ling Yue's motion stalled—dog!

She laughed: "I'm not a dog, and you're not human!"

Boss Du exploded on the spot, his face turning ashen.

Hearing that, Lin Shaoze smirked slightly, then saw Ling Yue stride straight out of the room; before long, a wave‑like exclamation came from outside: "Hey, don't—"

Meeting again, Ling Yue led the two Rottweilers, the dogs trembling with fear; she lowered her gaze slightly: "Tell me, where does your owner keep the animals?"

Hearing her words, Boss Du's face filled with astonishment, then he reacted as if about to jump up!

His face almost split with laughter: "What are you doing? Those two smelly dogs just eat and sleep all day, and you're actually asking the dogs? My goodness—"

His voice cut off abruptly.

The two smelly dogs suddenly barked furiously at him; this person treats them poorly—irregular meals, no care—but dogs are feeling creatures too.

As for this owner, better to do without him!

As for where the animals are kept, they actually know!

The two Rottweilers barked at Ling Yue: "Behind the wardrobe, that whole wall is made of iron; inside the wardrobe's bottom there's a mechanism—I often see him go in and out, lugging things back and forth!"

"Wuuwuu I know which cabinet it is, I'll lead you there!" the other simply acted on it; when they're not frenzied, they're still pretty goofy.

Ling Yue grabbed a handful of dog food; it should help steady their nerves a bit.

Afterwards, she came to the wardrobe; the police officer who had inspected it several times was puzzled, while only Boss Du, who knew these arrangements, turned deathly pale and stared in shock at the guide dog, the stupid dog.

He simply couldn't believe that there actually existed a person who could communicate with animals in the world! Impossible!

Yet the fact lay before his eyes—the dog even jumped in and actively pressed the mechanism; he thought the Rottweiler was stupid, but others thought he was the stupid one!

From beneath the standing wardrobe came a "crack-crack" sound; Boss Du's body went limp and he knelt directly on the floor, crying out in pain.

From then on, the truth was revealed.

The onlookers gawked in shock as the police officer lifted out the cage, their feelings complex and indescribable.

Various raptors were near death; rare white egrets and kingfishers, most were various protected bird species, either beautiful or fierce; finally there were seven or eight plump chicks lying in a small cage, the fluffy puffballs leaving everyone dazed and confused.

Zhou Xiaozhao cradled the little plump chick in his palm; the trembling chick, upon seeing this scene, cried out in delight, while the droopy little chick family also looked at it happily, chirping.

"Trembling, how are you here?"

"Wuu wuu wuu, big brother, I'm so scared, so many people, so many people QAQ"

The autistic little plump chick was about to hide under its mother's belly, but it forgot that it is now a little round ball, grown up, and can no longer hide.

The little plump chick explained the whole story to them, basking in the admiring gazes of its family; suddenly, it gazed longingly at Zhou Xiaozhao, its tiny wings fluttering, it pecked at the heads of two little friends, then rubbed against Ling Yue's cheek.

This scene was faithfully recorded by the camera, and the livestream chat users exclaimed, "Special treatment!"

【Kids just peck at hair, when it's the streamer's turn it's a cheek rub—who would have thought it would be such a little plump chick!】

【Wuu wuu wuu, envious tears stream from my mouth; I also want to rub the streamer's face 【glutton】【glutton】】

This chat user received a flood of personal attacks: 【Want to rub the streamer's face? Do you have a little plump chick? Are you cute? Do you have it sweet? If not, just wait for your next life!】

The commenting chat user: 【QAQ】

The little plump chick didn't know its actions would provoke such a strong reaction; it rubbed against a few humans who had helped it, then voluntarily flew into the cage.

"Mom and Dad, I'm back!"

"Don't be afraid; these are good people who will take care of us and release us back home!"

"Is it still our original home?"

The system's mechanical voice sounded, and Ling Yue startled—it was the reward arriving.

She suddenly remembered something, took out paper and pen, wrote it down, and handed it to Lin Shaoze, who looked at her quizzically; Ling Yue said: "The little plump chick told me its hometown, which belongs to the Mianyun Mountain Range."

Lin Shaoze looked at her, and Ling Yue said: "Please, Captain Lin, when releasing them, place them in this area."

Lin Shaoze: "Just these?"

Ling Yue: "Um, is there anything else?"

Lin Shaoze's face grew grave: "We found a ledger in the secret room, recording eight years of the opposing party's trade in various bird species and buyers; Boss Du is merely one of the higher-ups in this poaching gang."

Ling Yue pressed her lips together, recalling what she had seen when she followed them down; actually, these birds were not the only harvest of this trip—there was also a batch of specimens that had not been removed.

Thinking of this, Ling Yue couldn't help but think of the plump chick family; a chill ran down her spine—the silver-throated long-tailed tit is a small animal that is difficult to keep and noisy, so Boss Du's purpose in capturing them was to produce a batch of specimens for buyers to admire.

Ten silver-throated long-tailed tits, perfect perfection.

The amount is not large, and for Boss Du it was even easier.

Sometimes, Ling Yue really wanted to cut open these people's chests to see whether their hearts were red or black!

She came to her senses, suppressed her emotions, looked again at Lin Shaoze, having already guessed his intention: "You want me to help you?"

The man's dark eyes were deep, his voice hoarse: "Yes."

"We have clues and the ledger, and we can interrogate Boss Du for more information, but based on what we've found here, we discovered this poaching gang is merely a small fry."

"They cooperate with a man named Muzi, who heads the northern region's largest poaching and distribution team; employers usually come from overseas, and they act as middlemen, providing employers with all the animals they need."

"The most important piece of information I know is that they have already arrived in Jing Shi."

"Is this laying everything out on the table?"

Ling Yue thought, looking at the other party, for those dead innocent animals: "I promise you, I'll get ready."

As she spoke, Ling Yue suddenly remembered something; she blinked and looked toward the ever‑watchful Master Jiang.

"Holy cow, the panda squad's martial arts livestream!"

Ling Yue rubbed her forehead; she had completely forgotten, recalling that she had just placed her phone with Master Jiang while speaking; Ling Yue breathed a sigh of relief, glad she was still in time.

At this moment, the livestream chat users who were staring wide‑eyed at Jiang Zhengping——

【……】

【So, did the streamer forget us?】