Chapter 167: Chapter 140: The Chubby Kid Is Not a Dream

Hearing someone call out to him, Yang Qi turned to look at the stopped police car.

Through the driver’s side window, he saw a round-faced male police officer in his mid-twenties looking at him with delighted surprise.

Yang Qi searched his memory and confirmed he didn’t recognize the man.

But guessing it was an officer from a nearby station responding to the call, he nodded as a form of greeting.

He then gestured for Bai Wan to continue tracking.

The man and dog quickly passed through the Zoo’s main gate, merging into the stream of people outside.

Ms. Zhou followed closely behind them.

Inside the police car, Wang Anjiu watched the departing figures of Yang Qi and Bai Wan, and spoke excitedly to an older, composed-looking officer of about fifty in the passenger seat.

"Sir, did you see? That was Yang Qi! The ’Druid’ from Donghua Zoo! I finally got to see him in person!"

"Wow, he’s even more handsome in person than in his photos. And his aura is amazing."

"And that dog with him must be the decorated ’Honorary Police Dog,’ Bai Wan. Look at that gaze, that posture... so impressive!"

"Alright, alright. Don’t make such a big deal out of it."

Though the older officer said this, a flash of curiosity crossed his eyes. He was more focused on the task at hand, however. "Come on, park the car. Let’s go to the visitor center to get the details."

"You got it!"

Wang Anjiu answered excitedly, restarted the car, and parked it smoothly in front of the visitor center.

The moment they got out of the car, He Ling, who had been waiting at the entrance, hurried over. She quickly summarized the situation: the details of the child’s disappearance, the surveillance footage showing he had left the Zoo, the fact that Yang Qi and Bai Wan had already set out to track him, and that Ms. Zhou had gone with them.

"What? Advisor Yang went out the main gate to find the child?"

Hearing this, Wang Anjiu was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up. He turned and spoke rapidly to the older officer. "Sir, you stay here and coordinate with Minister He for the follow-up. I’m going to catch up to Advisor Yang and the others. It’s complicated out there. With an officer on the scene, it’ll be easier if we need to check public surveillance or question passersby!"

Without waiting for the older officer’s approval, he took off running toward the Zoo’s main gate.

"That impulsive kid! Be tactful when you communicate with Advisor Yang, and don’t disturb his work!" the older officer shouted after him.

"Got it!"

Without looking back, Wang Anjiu raised a hand and waved, picking up his pace.

He burst out of the Zoo’s main gate, glanced left and right, and quickly spotted Yang Qi, Bai Wan, and Ms. Zhou on the sidewalk not far away.

He immediately quickened his pace to catch up.

"Advisor Yang, Advisor Yang."

After catching up, Wang Anjiu took a moment to catch his breath, trying to keep his tone professional and friendly. "I’m Officer Wang Anjiu from the local station, responding to the missing child report."

"Minister He filled me in. I’m here to assist. If you need anything coordinated, like checking surveillance from nearby shops or questioning people, just tell me!"

Yang Qi glanced at him and nodded. "Thanks for coming, Officer Wang. Right now, we’re just following Bai Wan’s nose."

"No trouble at all, it’s my duty."

Wang Anjiu quickly added, "Advisor Yang, you can just call me Xiaowang!"

As he spoke, he instinctively moved to walk slightly behind and to the side of Yang Qi, ensuring he wouldn’t interfere with Bai Wan’s work while remaining on standby.

Noticing Ms. Zhou beside them, her lips pressed into a thin line, he softened his voice to comfort her. "Ms. Zhou, please try not to worry. Advisor Yang and Bai Wan are experts. We’ll find your son as quickly as possible."

Ms. Zhou merely nodded, her full attention fixed on the path ahead and on Bai Wan.

Seeing this, Wang Anjiu took the hint and fell silent, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

Led by Bai Wan, the three of them covered a considerable distance, crossing bustling streets in a series of stops and starts.

Sometimes Bai Wan had to pause at intersections to carefully parse the direction of the scent; other times, he would press forward rapidly down a side street.

Ms. Zhou’s heart rose and fell with Bai Wan’s every pause and turn.

Finally, after they turned onto a relatively busy commercial street, Bai Wan came to a stop before the glass doors of a large fast-food restaurant.

It lifted its head and let out a single "WOOF!" toward the restaurant’s interior. The sound wasn’t loud, but it was clearly a signal, and its tail stopped wagging.

[He’s in there.]

"Found him."

As Yang Qi spoke, the three of them looked up simultaneously, peering through the bright glass windows into the restaurant.

The next moment—

"Xu Xiangyu!!"

A sharp cry, filled with anger, worry, residual fear, and immense relief, erupted from Ms. Zhou’s throat.

Inside the fast-food restaurant, in a booth not far from the entrance, sat a chubby, round-faced little boy. He was wearing a T-shirt that matched the jacket Ms. Zhou was holding.

He held a Coke in one hand and was reaching with the other for a French fry offered by two young women who looked like college students sitting across from him. He was eating with great relish, his little face smeared with ketchup.

Hearing that familiar, "murderous" roar, the chubby little boy, Xu Xiangyu, shuddered violently, nearly spilling his Coke.

He whipped his head toward the entrance. When he saw his mother’s familiar face, streaked with tears and contorted with fury, a buzzing filled his little head. He instantly knew he was in deep trouble.

It was an almost conditioned reflex. He shot up from his seat, forgetting all about the fries, and turned to flee deeper into the restaurant.

But how could a chubby six-year-old possibly outrun his furious, adrenaline-fueled mother?

Ms. Zhou had already stormed into the fast-food restaurant like a whirlwind. In a few strides, she caught up to her son, who hadn’t made it far, and seized him by the arm.