Chapter 136: Chapter 126: Inviting Me to Be the Vice Director?

Xiaojiu stared straight ahead.

Only when she was back at Yang Qi’s side did she meow twice and rub against his leg.

The others who saw this roared with laughter.

...

Wang Mengguo, Xiao Jun, and the others still had a ton of work to do—crime scene investigation, evidence collection, and personnel interrogation—so Yang Qi didn’t bother them further and took his leave.

A police officer drove him back to the defunct factory that had served as their assembly point, where he switched back to his own SUV.

The night was deep, and all was silent.

Yang Qi drove his four little heroes, who had performed great deeds, smoothly along the road back to the zoo.

He glanced in the rearview mirror at the back seat. Hu Zi, Leopard, and Bai Wan were still lying there calmly, their gazes occasionally and alertly scanning the world outside the windows.

Xiaojiu, meanwhile, was curled up in the passenger seat, licking her paws and grooming her fur.

"How are you all feeling, comrades?"

Yang Qi activated the Basic Spirit Communication Technique and asked softly, "Xiaojiu, is your nose still bothering you?"

"Meow~"

Xiaojiu stopped what she was doing, raised her head, and looked at Yang Qi with her jade-green eyes, her tone relaxed.

[It’s fine now. Getting out and breathing some fresh air helped a lot.]

[It’s just that first whiff... it really got to me, meow.]

"WOOF!"

Hearing this, Leopard chimed in excitedly from the back seat.

[I heard what those Two-legged Beasts were saying!]

[Sister Jiu was the ’star performer’ tonight, she’s amazing!]

[They said they couldn’t have acted without the footage Sister Jiu captured.]

[Sister Jiu is the best!]

"Meow~"

Hearing this, Xiaojiu lazily flicked her tail, her tone carrying a hint of casual modesty.

[Just a routine operation. Nothing to make a fuss about.]

"WOOF! WOOF!"

Leopard clearly didn’t agree with Xiaojiu’s "modesty" and continued to marvel. Then, he turned his head to ask the dog beside him, Hu Zi.

[Brother Hu, Brother Hu, you heard them too, right?]

[Don’t you think Sister Jiu is amazing?]

"Woof."

Hu Zi gave a steady nod and replied calmly.

[Sister Jiu is indeed amazing. Her reconnaissance skills are incredible.]

Hearing Hu Zi’s approval, Leopard got even more worked up. He nuzzled Hu Zi, then, remembering something, looked toward Bai Wan.

[Brother Wan, Brother Wan, you did a great job too!]

[I heard the Two-legged Beasts say you found four hidden drug stashes!]

[Faster and more accurate than many others of our kind!]

At this, Bai Wan’s ears twitched. He lifted his head, a flicker of barely perceptible pride in his eyes.

[It was alright.]

"WOOF~ WOOF!"

Hearing that, Leopard immediately went over and nuzzled Bai Wan.

[Brother Wan, you’re so cool! I only found two hiding spots.]

[What about you, Brother Hu? How many did you find?]

[It’s just us here, come on, tell us!]

"Woof~"

Hu Zi gave a calm response.

[It was alright. A few more than you.]

"WOOF WOOF!"

[How many is that?]

[Be specific! Three? Four?]

Leopard pressed on relentlessly.

Hu Zi shot him a glance, then ignored him, closing his eyes to feign sleep.

"WOOF WOOF!"

[Come on, tell me, Brother Hu!]

[Don’t go to sleep!]

Leopard was persistent, nagging Hu Zi without end.

Listening to the three in the back seat having their "post-battle debrief" and "credit-claiming session," Yang Qi couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle.

Outside the window, the city lights twinkled in the distance under the deep night sky.

The SUV, carrying a carload of "heroes," drove smoothly through the night, heading toward the zoo.

...

It was nearly two in the morning by the time they returned to the small villa by the mountain at the zoo.

Despite being on high alert for most of the night, Yang Qi didn’t feel the slightest bit tired.

So, he cooked a pot of Spirit Rice Porridge as a late-night snack for himself and his little heroes.

The warm porridge not only chased away the late-night chill but also soothed the tension and excitement from the operation.

Bai Wan, Hu Zi, and Leopard ate with great satisfaction. Xiaojiu also sipped elegantly, her jade-green eyes narrowed in enjoyment.

Ta Xue joined in, mooching a meal, her tail wagging contentedly.

After the snack, Yang Qi went upstairs, sat cross-legged on the Meditation Cushion, and circulated the Great Derivation Spirit-Controlling Technique to regulate his breathing, focus his mind, and sort out the slightly turbulent Magical Power within him.

Afterwards, he took two Qi Condensing Pills to restore his spent Magical Power.

His turbulent emotions gradually calmed down.

...

「Early the next morning.」

Yang Qi stopped his cultivation and stood up, feeling refreshed and full of energy.

He first went to the backyard, skillfully packed up the Demon Extermination Array equipment that had been running all night, and took stock of his earnings.

His total contribution points had just barely broken nine hundred.

Yang Qi decisively started the lottery draws.

The first four draws yielded [Low-Grade Spirit Rice], [Strengthening Pill], [Qi Condensing Pill], and [Low-Grade Spirit Rice].

They were all just restocks of daily consumables—ordinary, but practical.

The fifth draw.

[Congratulations, Host, you have drawn a prize: Tier One High-Grade Invisibility Talisman]

’An Invisibility Talisman?’

Yang Qi was stunned for a moment, then a flash of pleasant surprise appeared in his eyes.

’This is great stuff!’

It wasn’t permanent invisibility, just a Tier One High-Grade talisman with a limited duration—the system description said ten minutes. Its effects were likely limited, too; it could probably be nullified by powerful cultivators or special detection methods.

But at a critical moment, it would be an excellent tool for surprise attacks, infiltration, or escape!

’Besides, where would you even find other powerful cultivators in this world?’

"Keep drawing!"

The sixth and seventh draws both yielded [Low-grade Spirit Stone].

One was water-attribute and one was metal-attribute. Better than nothing.

The eighth draw.

[Congratulations, Host, you have drawn a prize: Mid-grade Spirit Stone (Wood Attribute)]

’Another Mid-grade Spirit Stone, and it’s even wood-attribute!’

Yang Qi’s heart leaped with joy.

Including the previous water, fire, and earth stones, he now had four of the Five Elements Mid-grade Spirit Stones.

He only needed the final metal-attribute stone to complete the set.

Once he had them, he could replace the stones in his Five Elements Spirit Gathering Array, and his cultivation efficiency would surely skyrocket again!

The last one, the ninth draw.

[Congratulations, Host, you have drawn a prize: Tier One High-Grade Invisibility Talisman] 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Another Invisibility Talisman!

"Not bad, not bad."

Yang Qi satisfyingly placed the two newly acquired Invisibility Talismans into his Hundred Pouches Belt.

He went downstairs to prepare breakfast for Xiaojiu, Bai Wan, Hu Zi, Leopard, and Ta Xue, who were already waiting by their food bowls. After watching them eat heartily, he changed into his work clothes and went out to start a new day of feeding.

...

For the next two days, life returned to its usual peaceful rhythm.

Feeding, cleaning, cultivating—it was a simple but fulfilling routine.

On this day, at a little past ten in the morning, the sun was shining brightly.

Yang Qi had just finished cleaning the wolf enclosure. As he put his tools back on the cart and was about to head to the lynx area, he saw two men and a woman walking toward him on the main path outside the enclosure.

All three were dressed in well-fitting business attire and had a capable air about them.

The man in the lead was about forty, slightly overweight, with a kind face. He wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and the corners of his mouth were habitually turned up, giving him a shrewd yet approachable look.

The man and woman with him were younger, looking like assistants or subordinates.

The three of them walked straight up to Yang Qi.

The smile on the lead man’s face grew wider. He proactively extended his hand, his tone enthusiastic but measured.

"Advisor Yang, hello. I apologize for the intrusion."

"I am Ye Junfang, the director of the public relations department for the Mingguang Zoo. These are my colleagues. Might we have a few minutes of your time?"

’Mingguang Zoo?’

Yang Qi thought for a moment and recalled that it was a zoo in the neighboring Yongliang City, west of Donghua.

But unlike Donghua and Red Star, this one was a private zoo!

"Hello, Minister Ye."

Yang Qi calmly shook his hand, then pulled his own back. He started walking as he asked, "What can I do for you, Minister Ye? Please, speak freely."

Ye Junfang glanced around. There happened to be no tourists nearby.

He didn’t seem to mind Yang Qi’s attitude and matched his pace.

"Well, our boss is a great admirer of your abilities in animal communication and behavior analysis, Advisor Yang. He would like to hire you as the deputy director of our zoo."

Ye Junfang didn’t waste any time and got straight to the point.

’Hire me as deputy director?’

Yang Qi’s heart skipped a beat.

He didn’t want to admit it, but he was indeed tempted.

After his trip to the Provincial Capital, Yang Qi had basically confirmed the system’s mechanics.

That is, as long as it was a zoo, regardless of whether it was private or public, it was considered part of the "Beast Taming Sect"!

And in the Beast Taming Sect’s hierarchy, a deputy director was an "Elder"!