Chapter 4: Moving into the Research Institute

Xie Feng, the director of the variety show, nearly went mad when he learned that someone had gone missing.

No wonder, even when it was time for the guests to assemble, people were still missing after waiting and waiting.

It wasn't until Xie Feng sent someone to ask around that he realized Lin Xiao had disappeared!

"How is it possible for her to be gone?"

"A living, breathing person—how could she disappear right under the camera's nose?"

As Xie Feng questioned them in a fit of rage, the cameraman below didn't dare say a single word.

Especially the one who had been following Lin Xiao.

He kept his head low, cowering in the crowd, not daring to make a sound.

Before the filming began, Lin Xiao's manager, Xu Chengfei, had specifically sought him out.

He had given him a sum of money and told him to find every way possible to give Lin Xiao less screen time, creating an image of Lin Xiao trying every trick in the book to slack off during the show.

Word was that Lin Xiao had offended Xu Chengfei before the filming, so he was determined to teach her a lesson.

Furthermore, the variety show Xie Feng was directing this time was being broadcast to the public via live stream.

Xu Chengfei had only requested a reduction in Lin Xiao's screen time without affecting the overall quality of the show, so the cameraman had agreed.

But no one expected that Lin Xiao would disappear for only a few minutes on camera, only to go completely missing!

Just as he was feeling guilty, Xie Feng's questioning voice rang in his ears.

"Where is Lin Xiao's cameraman?"

Xie Feng's brow was furrowed deeply, his expression extremely serious. "Others might not know, but surely he does?"

As his voice fell, the assistant director of the production crew chimed in, "It seems Xiao Liu was the one following Lin Xiao today."

The assistant director tilted his head, scanning the crowd before quickly locking onto his target.

"Xiao Liu, you were following Lin Xiao today, right?"

As soon as the voice dropped, the surrounding gazes quickly turned toward him.

The cameraman's scalp felt numb. He could only endure the collective stares and recount everything that happened before Lin Xiao's disappearance in detail.

"I don't know. She told me to move the camera away herself. By the time I realized there was no sound and went to look, Lin Xiao had already vanished."

"I thought she had something to do and was intentionally shaking me off, so I came back first. It wasn't until just now that I realized Lin Xiao was missing."

Xie Feng stared at him for a long time, making the cameraman break into a cold sweat. Only then did that intensely heavy gaze move away from the top of his head.

"Where did she disappear?" Xie Feng asked coldly.

Xiao Liu didn't dare delay. He immediately led the surrounding people to the last place he had seen Lin Xiao.

There was a large, weathered rock here, nearly two meters high.

Xiao Liu pointed to the rock. "Right there. Not long after she went behind the rock, the sound stopped."

Xie Feng walked around the rock twice with a solemn expression.

The volume of this rock was massive; it could easily hide four or five people.

But using the rock as cover to silently lead an adult away—wasn't that a bit strange?

Xie Feng organized the crew members to conduct a dispersed search around the rock.

Suddenly, a sharp cry of alarm rang out, "Director Xie, come look quickly!"

Xie Feng turned around abruptly and rushed toward the direction of the voice.

Just as he rounded the stone pillar, his footsteps came to a sudden halt.

Right in front of the assistant director, an adult snow leopard lay in a pool of blood, its eyes tightly shut.

Xie Feng was completely stunned.

This... this is...

After a long while, Xie Feng's exceptionally heavy voice rang out across the scene.

"Call the police."

Hearing these words, the color instantly drained from Xiao Liu's face.

Xie Feng raised his eyes and gave him a cold look, uttering the words he least wanted to hear.

"Xiao Liu, you stay here with me to meet the police."

Without waiting for him to answer, Xie Feng turned and walked back with a cold face.

The moment they brushed past each other, Xie Feng's low, serious warning rang in his ear.

"You'd better watch yourself!"

Xiao Liu's step faltered abruptly.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

The director really had found out after all.

No matter how much they agonized, Lin Xiao was completely unaware.

Because at this very moment, Lin Xiao was lying on a bed, petting the little snow leopard curled in her arms with a look of pure satisfaction.

In truth, the experts had specially prepared small cages for the little snow leopard's daily life.

But no matter how they persuaded it or tried to tempt it with food, it was of no use.

The little fellow's four tiny paws were gripped tightly onto Lin Xiao's sweater, refusing to let go.

Left with no choice, Lin Xiao could only say sorry to the experts with a bit of embarrassment.

"The little guy is too sensitive right now. Let's try again in a couple of days."

Watching Lin Xiao's words, which sounded as if they were family, everyone felt incredibly sour.

Clearly, they—the animal protection experts and researchers—were supposed to be her best friends.

Why did they feel like outsiders now?

But looking at the little snow leopard lying obediently in Lin Xiao's arms, and then seeing how the little leopard looked at them as if it wanted to run as far away as possible...

"Sour" wasn't a strong enough word to describe it.

Just what kind of magic spell had Lin Xiao cast on the little guy to make the cub refuse to leave her side for even a second?

The researchers were both jealous and heartbroken, but they still arranged a dormitory for her.

When Lin Xiao used to work as a forest ranger, she would often go into the deep mountains for ten days or half a month at a time.

She had no habit of using her phone.

She had no idea that the production crew was searching for her to the point of madness.

It wasn't until around ten o'clock at night, when the researcher on duty received a call from the police and came looking for her, that Lin Xiao realized the production crew had already called the police.

"Sorry for the trouble."

The researcher waved his hands repeatedly. "It was just passing on a message. When you have time, you should call your manager back so they don't wait anxiously."

Call back...

Speaking of which, Lin Xiao suddenly remembered that they seemed to have handed their phones over to the production crew before filming started.

She looked at the researcher's phone somewhat sheepishly. "Could I borrow your phone for a moment? I don't think I brought mine."

"Sure, sure!"

He handed the phone over.

He couldn't help but rub his hands together, looking at her with anticipation.

"I heard the little snow leopard is with you. Can I take a look?"

He Xiaolin was a staff member who had just been hired by the research institute this month.

He had chosen the animal protection major precisely because he loved all kinds of small animals.

So, as soon as he heard a snow leopard had arrived at the institute, he sought out four or five people in a row and finally managed to swap his duty shift to tonight.

Contrary to his expectant excitement, Lin Xiao nodded extremely calmly.

"Sure!"

This was already the sixth person to run over today!

Before He Xiaolin could even process how easily he had been granted permission, he felt Lin Xiao pull something out from her arms!

He instinctively looked down and was caught off guard by a pair of drowsy blue eyes.

In an instant, he felt his arms go stiff.

Holy crap!

It's a snow leopard cub!

And a live one!

Heaven knows that for inexperienced researchers like them, it was rare to truly touch a national-level protected animal.

But now... the little guy was right before his eyes.

Before Lin Xiao could even speak, she saw He Xiaolin's eyes light up as he looked at the little fellow in her arms with an excited expression.

She couldn't help but click her tongue lightly.

Well, the little guy has gained another fanboy!

But it was also very normal.

After all, who could refuse such a cute, fluffy cub!

(End of Chapter)