"Teacher Liu, please don’t go to any special trouble for me."

Yang Qi politely declined. "This is my first time at Yongcheng Zoo. I’d like to just walk around, take a look at your enclosure designs and the animals’ condition, and learn a thing or two. If you have time and it’s convenient, you can just be my guide. If you’re busy, don’t worry about me."

"I’m not busy, not at all."

Xiaoliu said quickly, "Expert Yang, you’re too kind. Just call me Xiaoliu. It’s my honor to be your guide. Our zoo has its own unique features. I’ll show you around right now!"

And so, with Xiaoliu as his enthusiastic guide, Yang Qi spent the morning touring a large portion of Yongcheng Zoo.

Yongcheng Zoo was built by the sea, and some of its exhibits had a distinct oceanic flair. It also boasted a wide variety of animals, and the management seemed well-organized.

Yang Qi found it all fascinating, occasionally discussing ideas about animal husbandry and enrichment with Xiaoliu, who learned a great deal from the exchange.

When noon came, Xiaoliu took Yang Qi to the zoo’s staff cafeteria to try the employee meals. The food wasn’t half bad.

After the meal, Xiaoliu escorted Yang Qi to the on-site guesthouse used for hosting visiting experts.

The room was clean and tidy, and fully equipped.

Yang Qi thanked Xiaoliu and closed the door. He first sent messages to Jiang Kai and Mei Ying at Donghua Zoo, briefly reporting that the initial cause of "Dawei’s" situation had been determined and that he was coordinating a solution.

Then, he sat cross-legged on the floor and took a Qi Condensing Pill to recover the Magical Power he had expended that morning. As he did, he mentally ran through the possible upcoming scenarios and planned his responses.

...

Around 3:00 PM, the landline in the room started ringing.

Yang Qi picked it up. It was Lu Gangsheng.

"Expert Yang, did you get some rest?"

Lu Gangsheng’s voice sounded a bit tired, but it also carried a trace of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted.

"Just fine, Director Lu. Do you have an update?" Yang Qi asked, sensing the difference in his tone.

"We got the cubs back!"

Lu Gangsheng said, "Nanling Zoo agreed to our request for an emergency negotiation. They’ve temporarily suspended the exchange agreement and are transporting the two cubs back. The transport vehicle is already on the road and should arrive by evening."

"That fast?"

Yang Qi was surprised. That was far more efficient than he’d expected. "Director Lu, that’s incredible! I can’t believe you pulled it off!"

On the other end of the line, however, Lu Gangsheng gave a wry laugh, his tone turning conflicted.

"Expert Yang, don’t praise me just yet. The cubs are coming back, but they’re bringing trouble with them."

"Oh? What kind of trouble?" Yang Qi asked.

"Vice Director Yu Xiulian from Nanling Zoo, the one in charge of the exchange, is personally leading the team. She’s coming along with the transport truck!"

Lu Gangsheng sighed. "Vice Director Yu is a well-known expert in our field. Her personality... well, she’s a stickler for details. She doesn’t understand our sudden request to halt the exchange and bring the cubs back. In fact, she’s rather indignant about it."

"She said on the phone that she’s coming to see for herself just what sort of ’monumental crisis’ we’re having that would make us demand the return of animals we’ve already traded. And what’s more..."

He paused and lowered his voice. "And she explicitly stated that she wants to meet you—the ’Expert Yang’ who ’supposedly’ can talk to tigers and pinpointed the root of the problem."

"She said if it turns out ’Dawei’s’ problem isn’t what you claim, or if your ’treatment’ is ineffective and the cubs were hauled all the way back for nothing, she... she won’t let it go. She’ll probably make some noise about it in the industry."

The implication was clear: Vice Director Yu of Nanling Zoo was coming to hold them accountable and conduct an on-site verification.

If Yang Qi succeeded, it would be a win for everyone.

But if he failed, both Yang Qi and Yongcheng Zoo would likely face criticism and pressure.

"Rest assured, Director Lu."

Yang Qi’s voice was calm as he replied, "As long as the cubs get back safely and ’Dawei’ sees them, I can practically guarantee his problem will be solved."

"As for Vice Director Yu... if she wants to watch, let her. Actions speak louder than words."

Hearing Yang Qi’s confident reply, Lu Gangsheng’s anxiety eased a little. "I hope so. Expert Yang, we’re counting on you. When the cubs arrive this evening, after we get them settled, we’ll arrange for ’Dawei’ to meet them. Vice Director Yu and her team will also be present."

"Okay, no problem," Yang Qi replied.

...

The cubs returned even faster than expected.

Shortly before 5:00 PM, a professional animal transport vehicle marked with the Nanling Zoo logo slowly drove into Yongcheng Zoo, heading directly for the service road near the large carnivore area.

After receiving a message from Lu Gangsheng, Yang Qi immediately hurried over from the guesthouse.

A crowd had already gathered by the transport vehicle. Besides Lu Gangsheng and several staff members and Veterinarians from Yongcheng Zoo, there were a few unfamiliar faces, who must have been the people from Nanling Zoo who came with the truck.

Leading them was a sharp, competent-looking middle-aged woman who appeared to be in her fifties.

She had a neat, ear-length bob, stood around five feet seven inches tall, and had a ramrod-straight posture.

At the moment, her brow was slightly furrowed as she sized up the two special transport cages being unloaded from the truck.

Inside the cages, two small Northeast Tigers, about three or four months old with bright fur and round heads, were whimpering uneasily and pawing at the cage walls.

Lu Gangsheng was talking to this woman when he saw Yang Qi approaching and quickly waved him over.

"Expert Yang, over here!"

Hearing this, the short-haired woman immediately turned her head and locked her eyes on the approaching Yang Qi.

She looked him up and down, her gaze lingering for a moment on his overly young face, and her brow seemed to furrow even more tightly.

As Yang Qi approached, she questioned him directly.

"So you’re the ’Expert Yang’ who declared that the male tiger, ’Dawei’, was refusing to eat because he wanted to see his cubs?"

She put a slight emphasis on the two words "Expert Yang," her eyes full of scrutiny, as if trying to find some flaw in the young man’s face.

A man in his early thirties standing beside her, wearing glasses and a Nanling Zoo uniform, caught sight of Yang Qi.

Seeing a face so much younger—and frankly, far more handsome—than his own, a look of undisguised shock and jealousy flashed across his features, and he couldn’t stop himself from muttering under his breath.

His voice wasn’t loud, but everyone present heard it clearly.

"What the hell... Can just anyone call themselves an ’expert’ these days? Director Lu must be desperate, clutching at straws."