Chapter 18: Sheriff Sandcat Captured

Xu Ying’s heart sank as she listened to the contents of the phone call. Oh no, had her 032 Rescue Station been robbed?

Qi Xiao, holding the little fennec fox, felt a wave of concern upon hearing the news. "Should we head back to the 032 Rescue Station first to check on things?"

"I'll go with you."

Qi Xiao’s gaze swept over the supplies stockpiled at the 028 Rescue Station. "I’ll help you transport some supplies over as well; these are all things they withheld from you."

Xu Ying felt that she had already imposed enough on Qi Xiao by having him deliver the milk bottles and formula earlier.

Noticing her hesitation, Qi Xiao said, "If there’s an emergency, having an extra pair of hands will help."

Qi Xiao was tall and broad-shouldered with a narrow waist and well-defined muscles. Standing beside him, he felt like three men combined, radiating a sense of absolute security.

Prioritizing the urgency of the situation, Xu Ying stopped declining. "Then, thank you for the trouble."

"Qi Xiao, thank you so much for today."

Xu Ying patted her chest, assuring him, "If your ranch encounters any tricky problems in the future, feel free to come to me. Although I’ve just graduated, I’m not bragging, but my professional skills as a veterinarian are top-notch."

Infected by the confident and bright smile on Xu Ying’s face, Qi Xiao’s cold, phoenix-like eyes softened with a hint of amusement, curving slightly. "Mm, I believe you."

"You look very reliable."

Receiving the affirmation in Qi Xiao’s eyes, Xu Ying blinked. Did he say that to comfort her because he noticed the many comments in the live stream questioning her due to her age and appearance? How incredibly heartwarming!

Xu Ying’s live stream had been interrupted when the call came in. She posted a video of the fennec fox cubs running and playing, thanked the concerned netizens in the caption, and announced her future daily live stream schedule before immediately setting out to pack her things to return to the 032 Rescue Station.

Glancing back at the five little foxes in the station, she knew she would have to keep caring for them until she could find their mother. Although it meant five more little mouths to feed, Xu Ying was more than happy to do it! However, she feared that if she spent too much time with them, she would grow attached and find it heartbreaking to return them to their mother. What a sweet dilemma!

Xu Ying crouched down and instructed the kits, "My darlings, wander around here for a bit to digest your meal. We’ll be heading back to the 032 Rescue Station together soon."

The fox cubs' eyes lit up at her words, filled with anticipation.

[Wow, we’re going to live in Sister’s nest!]
[Yay! I don’t like this rescue station; it smells like those two bad people. Finally, we can move out~]
[I’m so curious about what Sister’s dormitory looks like. How is it different from this station?]

Xu Ying and Qi Xiao selected some essential daily supplies, packed them into crates, and strapped them onto Qi Xiao’s motorcycle. The 028 Rescue Station had fuel for the bikes, so Xu Ying filled the tank. Once everything was packed, the two set off on their respective motorcycles—one carrying the supplies, the other the pet carrier—speeding toward the 032 Rescue Station.

They arrived within an hour. A jeep was already parked near the 032 station.

Hearing the roar of the motorcycle engines, a thin, elderly man in a dark blue jacket stepped out of the jeep. This was the superior of the original body, Director Yi, Yi Yuanzhou. He was fifty-two years old and had reportedly dedicated thirty years to working in the desert.

To be honest, Xu Ying felt a bit nervous about meeting her superior. However, as soon as Director Yi stepped out of the car, she noticed him carrying a bag of bubble tea as he walked toward her. Seeing the logo of a well-known brand, she was stunned. How on earth did this old man get hold of that in this desolate wasteland?

"Comrade Xu Ying. I heard that you young people love bubble tea, so I brought some for you."

Director Yi’s plain, weathered face held a look of sincere apology that was truly touching. "It was my professional negligence that allowed you to suffer such excessive bullying from your colleagues. It is my failure, and I apologize."

"I am already applying for station subsidies and compensation for you; it is currently going through the approval process."

Director Yi had learned that Xu Ying had been abandoned in the desert by the Tan siblings and had nearly lost her life, and he felt deeply responsible. There were already so few young people willing to work in the desert; if incidents like this weren't handled strictly, it would easily discourage the next generation. When their generation of old-timers could no longer work, who would be left to carry the torch?

Xu Ying accepted the insulated bag and found that it was still cold.

Director Yi gestured for her to drink. "Hurry and try it. I didn't know which flavor you liked, so I had the clerk make the two most popular ones for young people."

Xu Ying couldn't help but ask, "Director, thank you. Where did you buy this? It looks like it was just made."

Director Yi laughed sheepishly. "I’ve been at a conference in another province. I bought it in the city today before catching the military transport plane back. I figured if I added enough ice packs, it would still be drinkable."

Xu Ying was stunned. This was the most incredible delivery she had ever received—it had arrived via a military transport plane! The desert had a military airfield, and if superiors traveled for work, they usually flew from there. Seeing Director Yi’s humble attire, she felt a pang of heartache mixed with gratitude. My goodness, she had finally met a reasonable leader; she could truly feel his sincerity.

If it had been the eccentric leaders she had encountered in her past professional life, their first reaction to any trouble would have been to threaten the victim into silence. An apology from a superior would have been impossible.

Xu Ying tried to offer one of the drinks to Director Yi, but he waved it away. "You young people enjoy it. I’m old, so I only drink red date and goji berry tea."

After saying this, Director Yi reached out to Qi Xiao, who was standing beside Xu Ying. "Comrade Qi Xiao, we meet again. Thank you so much for helping our rescue station so many times."

Qi Xiao smiled shyly. "You're welcome."

Xu Ying blinked. So they were old acquaintances! She handed a bubble tea to Qi Xiao and then turned her gaze toward the door of the 032 Rescue Station. "Director Yi, have you checked the situation inside the station yet?"

The rescue station was essentially a flat-roofed iron structure, and its exterior looked extremely crude.

"Not yet," Director Yi shook his head. "I was afraid of potential danger, so I waited in the car for you to arrive."

Qi Xiao took down a long, wrapped bundle from the back of his motorcycle. "Let’s go. We’ll head over together."

Qi Xiao walked in the lead, unwrapping the package as he went. It turned out to be an alloy bow and arrow.

With a creak, the slightly ajar door of the rescue station was pushed open. The station was bare; aside from a bed, a storage cabinet, and a wobbly table, there was nothing.

Qi Xiao frowned. "It seems the thieves emptied your whole station."

Xu Ying scratched her head, embarrassed. "No, it doesn't look like anything was stolen. My rescue station has always had this 'destitute' style." The original owner had lacked even basic supplies; there had been no resources to furnish the station.

Suddenly, Xu Ying stiffened. She saw messy footprints on the floor and a patch of blood! There were human boot prints and plum-blossom-shaped paw prints that looked like they had been left by a cat.

Qi Xiao and Director Yi clearly noticed it too, their expressions turning grave in an instant.

A system notification rang in Xu Ying’s mind: [A sand cat came to the rescue station for help, but was abducted by suspicious individuals. Please initiate a rescue mission, Host!]