Chapter 3: Please Take Care of Him/Her

Lin Xiao pulled at the corners of her mouth somewhat awkwardly, clutching the little fellow in her arms tightly as she ducked into the bedroom behind.

Almost the moment she entered, the door to the small shop was violently pushed open.

The rickety door slammed against the back wall with a bang, bounced back, and struck the person entering with a loud thud.

But the man who entered didn't care at all.

With a coarse, loud voice, he bellowed, "Widow Yang, have you seen a skinny little girl and a little white thing?"

Before he could finish his sentence, he was met with a barrage of scolding from the proprietress.

"Who are you calling a widow? Who are you calling a widow? Yang the Second, I think you've forgotten your own surname."

"Just because you earned a bit of stinking money, you think you can act all high and mighty here?"

"Even your eldest brother has to call me 'Sister-in-law' when he sees me. Don't you know your own place?"

As she spoke, she grabbed Yang the Second by the collar and started dragging him out.

"Let's go! We have to go find your eldest brother today to settle this!"

The proprietress's aura was overbearing; Yang the Second immediately softened and hurriedly begged for mercy.

"Sister, I was wrong!"

"Just treat my foul mouth like it's nothing! You can hit me or scold me as you please. There's no need to trouble Big Brother with such a small matter."

The proprietress gave him a sidelong glance and snorted coldly before finally letting go of him with a look of disgust.

As if she had touched something filthy, she picked up a tissue from the table and began methodically wiping her fingers one by one.

Yang the Second approached with a grin. "Sister-in-law, you haven't answered my question from earlier."

The proprietress didn't even look at him, saying coldly, "Get lost, get lost! I didn't see anything!"

Yang the Second gave a fawning laugh and quickly retreated.

The moment he stepped out of the shop, his expression changed instantly.

"Pah! Stinking bitch! She really thinks she's something special."

Hearing the sound of a car starting and driving away outside, the proprietress sat leisurely in the shop. She glanced at the person standing at the bedroom door and gave a light snort.

"Oh, you finally decided to come out."

Lin Xiao held the little fellow in her arms, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Thank you!"

The smile on the proprietress's face was bright and flamboyant.

"Thank you for what? What's there to thank? I just can't stand watching those people engage in bullying and oppression every day; I just wanted to feel good about myself."

Having said that, she waved her hand dismissively.

"Alright, alright. You've finished your call, so just leave when you're ready. I don't want to get involved in that police business."

Lin Xiao knew that everyone had their own way of surviving.

Especially in a place like this.

Lin Xiao said nothing more, only offered her thanks once more before carefully walking out of the shop, cradling the little snow leopard in her arms.

The sky was darkening outside, and the surrounding dilapidated houses had become natural hiding places.

Lin Xiao quietly crouched inside a ruined house, silently waiting for the police to arrive.

In less than half an hour, the police arrived.

They even brought fully armed armed police.

Upon hearing that it was related to a poaching gang, the police leadership paid close attention and quickly issued orders, requiring all departments to cooperate fully and ensuring not a single poacher would be let go.

They even specifically provided experts related to snow leopards.

Because the police did not turn on their sirens, Lin Xiao only realized they had arrived when she heard the proprietress's voice.

"How should I know where she is?"

"She only made a phone call at my place. If you're looking for someone, you shouldn't come asking me."

After saying this, she ignored the officers standing outside and slammed the door shut right in front of them with a loud bang.

Lin Xiao walked out from behind the ruins and silently raised her hand, feeling somewhat awkward.

"Um, hello. I was the one who called the police."

As soon as Lin Xiao finished speaking, two middle-aged men standing behind the police immediately turned and walked toward her.

Their movements were even more decisive than the police.

Reaching Lin Xiao, they extended their hands. "Where is the cub?"

"Wu~"

Just then, perhaps because they were making too much noise, the little snow leopard, who had been sleeping comfortably, actually woke up.

She was wrapped tightly in the scarf; the little fellow's small head swayed left and right, but she couldn't break free.

Finding it somewhat amusing, Lin Xiao pulled down the scarf in her arms and pushed her arms forward.

"This is the snow leopard I rescued."

The little snow leopard was in a daze, not yet fully awake, and felt Lin Xiao pushing her outward.

Very unhappy, she extended her fleshy paws and patted Lin Xiao's arm.

Before he could react, his two front paws were suddenly gripped by a pair of large hands, and his body was suddenly lifted into the air.

He grabbed Lin Xiao's sweater in terror.

His claws hooked into the yarn.

Even though his four little paws had deformed the sweater on Lin Xiao's body, he still refused to let go.

Lin Xiao looked helpless and could only soothe him softly.

"Don't be afraid. They are all here to help you."

"I don't believe it!"

"Don't take me away, I don't want to go."

"They are all bad people! Bad people!"

The little fellow's four little paws scratched and clawed, making "wu wu wu" sounds, looking exceptionally pitiful.

Lin Xiao looked at the two experts before her with some embarrassment.

"He was frightened today, otherwise... maybe we could wait a bit?"

The two experts exchanged a glance and could only sigh silently.

They watched helplessly as the moment they let go, the little fellow in their arms slipped away like he had finally escaped a trap, quickly hiding between Lin Xiao's arms.

Lin Xiao patted his small head soothingly.

"We just need to do some basic checks. Otherwise, we'll have to ask you to come with us for a while, okay?"

Lin Xiao understood.

She had performed basic checks on wild animals she had rescued before.

These were purely health checks to understand their physical condition for better feeding and protection.

"This should be a wild snow leopard from the Helan Mountains area."

"I wonder which of the snow leopards we released gave birth to this cub."

As it turned out, in this world, had the snow leopards released into the Helan Mountains already become able to freely breed cubs?

Thinking of her past experience releasing snow leopards, Lin Xiao felt an even greater sense of closeness to the little fellow in her arms.

When they emerged from the examination center, the experts' attitude toward Lin Xiao was exceptionally kind.

To be honest, in all their years of animal protection, this was the first time they had seen someone earn such trust from an animal.

The expert walking in front turned around, and just as his gaze fell upon the little snow leopard, before he could say anything...

He saw the little fellow lifting his neck with extreme vigilance, looking as if he were ready to bolt at any second.

He was momentarily speechless.

"We have already contacted the Forestry and Grassland Bureau in the Helan Mountains. They will send specialized personnel to pick up the little guy."

"However, we might have to trouble you for a while."

Holding the little snow leopard, Lin Xiao shook her head repeatedly.

"It's no trouble, no trouble at all."

She felt immensely satisfied as she nudged the little fellow in her arms. How could protecting something so fluffy be considered a trouble?

And at this moment, Lin Xiao had completely forgotten that the variety show she had left somewhere was currently in a state of absolute chaos.

(End of Chapter)