"That female clouded leopard was illegally smuggled over from Nanyun Province."
"The man we arrested, Dong Riqi, you might have heard of him. He's one of the top ten richest men in Donghua City."
"This guy saw those rich sheikhs in the Middle East keeping cheetahs, tigers, and lions as pets and wanted to follow the trend. He thought it was the only way to look impressive."
"But he thought ordinary tigers and lions were too tacky. A rare and beautiful beast like the clouded leopard was more his style."
Sun Zhenghong paused, his tone laced with sarcasm as he continued, "Dong Riqi wanted to go through legal channels at first, but clouded leopards are too rare, and they're mainly found in the Southwest. His reach wasn't long enough, so he ended up getting crooked ideas and had someone poach one for him."
"But he never expected that the one they captured was a pregnant female clouded leopard!"
"Not long after being secretly kept at the manor, the mother gave birth to a litter of two cubs. But she might have been injured or stressed during the capture and transport. One of the cubs died right after birth, leaving only one survivor."
"Privately keeping a Class I nationally protected animal—and a clouded leopard at that—is a crime serious enough to land him in a world of trouble."
Sun Zhenghong continued, "Dong Riqi knew how serious this was before he was arrested. To try and get a shorter prison sentence, he had someone sedate the mother leopard and dump her in the mountains behind the manor, hoping to eliminate all evidence."
"But for all his scheming, he forgot the clouded leopard cub was still in a hidden room in the manor!"
"The mother leopard has a strong constitution. After the sedative wore off, she recovered in the mountains for two days, then found her way back driven by maternal instinct. That's what led to the scene just now."
"That bastard nearly got us all killed!"
Sun Zhenghong gritted his teeth in frustration.
Dong Riqi had hidden the clouded leopard's existence, and when the economic crimes investigators found the cub, they mistook it for a "Clouded Cat."
If it weren't for Yang Qi...
WHOOSH!
Sun Zhenghong let out a long breath, evening his breathing.
After hearing the whole story, Yang Qi was at a loss for words for a moment and could only remark, "These rich folks really know how to live on the edge."
For the sake of so-called "face" and a desire for novelty, they not only broke the law but nearly caused a tragedy.
His expression quickly turned serious. He looked at Sun Zhenghong and said, "Captain Sun, I understand the situation. But the safety of an adult clouded leopard and a cub is at stake. The cub, in particular, has been hand-raised, so its ability to survive in the wild is likely poor."
"I need to return to the Zoo immediately and report this emergency to my superiors."
"Understood."
Sun Zhenghong nodded. "The follow-up search and taking statements here will still take some time. I'll have someone drive you back."
He also knew that when it came to searching for and rescuing clouded leopards, the Zoo was the professional organization for the job.
Considering the manor's remote location made it hard to get a cab, Yang Qi didn't refuse the kind offer. He said his thanks, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Captain Sun."
"We're the ones who should be thanking you."
Sun Zhenghong clapped Yang Qi earnestly on the arm and said sincerely, "Once the follow-up to this case is settled, our Economic Crimes Division will treat you to a meal to properly thank you for your help today."
"Captain Sun, you're too kind. Really, there's no need." Yang Qi quickly waved his hands in refusal.
But Sun Zhenghong didn't say any more. He turned and called over a young police officer, ordering, "Xiaozhang, drive Keeper Yang back to Donghua Wildlife Park. Make sure he gets there safely."
"Yes, Captain!"
Officer Xiaozhang stood at attention and replied, then smiled at Yang Qi. "Keeper Yang, this way, please."
"Thank you, Officer Zhang."
Yang Qi said his thanks, bid farewell to Sun Zhenghong, and left the villa, riding in the police car all the way back to the Zoo.
The police car drove directly to the administration building at the Zoo.
As soon as Yang Qi got out of the car, he headed straight for the office of Jiang Kai, the Minister of the Animal Management Department. He didn't even bother knocking and pushed the door right open.
Jiang Kai was reading a document. Seeing Yang Qi burst in so frantically, he asked in surprise, "Xiao Yang? Didn't you take the day off? Why are you back so soon?"
"Minister Jiang, there's an emergency!"
Speaking rapidly, Yang Qi gave a concise summary of the whole affair: how he had gone to the Public Security Bureau on an errand, run into Sun Zhenghong, been invited to the manor to rescue a "Clouded Cat," only to be attacked by a mother clouded leopard fiercely protecting her cub, and everything he had learned about the situation from Sun Zhenghong.
"What?! A clouded leopard!?"
After hearing the story, Jiang Kai shot up from his chair with a WHOOSH, his face a mask of astonishment. "Xiao Yang, are you sure? A real clouded leopard? You weren't seeing things?"
"I'm positive! Absolutely! Captain Sun and all his officers saw it with their own eyes! That speed, that size, those markings—it was definitely an adult clouded leopard! And there's a cub, a few months old!"
Yang Qi replied with conviction, "Minister Jiang, I'm not worried about the mother. She should be able to survive in the wild. It's the cub I'm worried about!"
"This cub has been kept in captivity at the manor since birth. Now it's suddenly been taken into the deep mountains by its mother. It lacks essential survival skills. I'm afraid…"
"I know, I get it!"
Jiang Kai raised a hand to cut him off, his expression having turned extremely grave.
He immediately pulled out his phone and, while dialing, said to Yang Qi, "Come on, you're coming with me to see the director. We'll report this in person!"
When the call connected, Jiang Kai asked directly, "Director, are you in your office? ... Good! I have an extremely urgent matter to report to you, concerning a Class I nationally protected animal, a clouded leopard! Yes, a clouded leopard… Okay, Yang Qi and I are coming over right now!"
Hanging up, Jiang Kai gestured to Yang Qi. The two of them practically jogged out the door and hurried toward Director Huang Zhongmu's office.
Just as they pushed open the door to Huang Zhongmu's office, they saw that besides Huang Zhongmu, there was also a middle-aged woman in her fifties, wearing glasses and slightly heavyset.
The moment she saw Jiang Kai and Yang Qi enter, she immediately stood up from the sofa, her gaze fixed directly on Yang Qi as she jumped in with a question.
"Xiao Yang, Minister Jiang was unclear on the phone. Did you really encounter a clouded leopard? Are you sure it was a clouded leopard? A live one?"
"Yes, Director Cheng, it's absolutely true!"
Yang Qi recognized her. She was the Zoo's Director of Conservation and Research, a renowned Animal Expert named Cheng Xiaoou. She was also the aunt of Cheng Yao from the marketing department.
'It seems Ma Jun wasn't the only one with connections at Donghua Wildlife Park. And Cheng Yao won't be the last.'
Taking a deep breath, Yang Qi composed himself and recounted the entire story again, clearly and quickly: how he had encountered the clouded leopard at the manor, the perilous situation, and everything he'd learned from Sun Zhenghong about the origins of the mother and cub.
The moment his voice fell, Director Cheng Xiaoou turned to Huang Zhongmu, her tone urgent and resolute.
"Director, that cub has almost no chance of survival in the wild!"
"We must organize a team to go into the mountains and find them immediately. The cub, especially, must be brought back to the park as soon as possible for rescue and adaptive care!"