Chapter 26: There Really Is Half a Million?

"My surname is Qin. You can just call me Uncle Qin."

The man in tactical gear handed a vintage-looking flip phone to Xu Ying. "It’s the same—if you run into any danger again, you can use this to call for our help."

This young rescue worker was a rare talent indeed.

The soldiers surrounding the man widened their eyes in surprise upon hearing this. Officer Qin had actually told a girl he’d just met to call him "Uncle." They had never seen him this approachable before. He was like a completely different person compared to the "devil" who put them through grueling training every day!

Xu Ying took the flip phone from Officer Qin, feeling flattered. "Uncle Qin, I have one more piece of information to report! They have another accomplice who is still missing."

Officer Qin frowned and immediately turned to his assistant. "Go and interrogate the four suspects in the vehicle right now."

He then led a team of soldiers to search the surrounding area to see if the missing person had left any traces behind.

Seeing that everyone around her was busy, Xu Ying quietly leaned toward Chen Su and lowered her voice. "Big Brother Chen, if you catch a spy, can you earn a reward for the merit?"

She gave Chen Su a wink. Because Chen Su was so tall, Xu Ying had to stand on her tiptoes to whisper to him.

Observing this, Chen Su leaned down slightly. "Did you read online that spies are 'walking five-hundred-thousand-dollar checks'?"

Seeing the burning intensity in her eyes and her look of a little money-lover, he smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he patiently explained, "According to the 'Reward Measures,' the prize is divided into three tiers based on the significance of the intel, granting bonuses of 100,000 to 500,000, 50,000 to 100,000, and 10,000 to 50,000 respectively."

"Oh, so that’s how it works." A look of realization flickered in Xu Ying’s eyes. It wasn't based on the number of spies caught.

Xu Ying hadn't really expected to get the top-tier 500,000 reward, but even a few tens of thousands would be nice! Plus, she’d heard there were certificates or medals—honors that money couldn't buy. Thinking this, she felt quite satisfied.

"Wow, it looks like even though it was dangerous today, I can essentially count it as making ten thousand a day!"

She still needed quite a bit of investment to start growing vegetables at the rescue station. She also wanted to add some furniture and convenient daily necessities to the destitute station; it would cost a fair amount of money, so this spy-catching reward was truly a windfall from the heavens.

Xu Ying was already calculating how to use the bonus to improve the rescue station’s environment. "I could use the reward to buy a comfortable mattress, a refrigerator... And the rest can be saved up to buy an RV."

If she had an RV, it would be much more convenient to go out and rescue small animals!

Xu Ying’s bright, clear eyes were filled with longing; she felt full of energy.

Hearing Xu Ying’s hopeful words, Chen Su couldn't help but chuckle. This young woman was easily satisfied. He mimicked her earlier whispering posture and said in a low voice, "However, based on the current situation, it’s almost certain you’ll get that top-tier reward."

"F-five hundred thousand?"

Xu Ying froze, her speech becoming stuttered. As a veterinarian at a top-tier pet hospital, the money she had saved after working herself to the bone for years didn't even total five hundred thousand. Working in a big city meant higher wages, but the cost of living was equally high, making it difficult to save money. Between rent, utilities, food, and commuting, and needing to treat herself to good food when exhausted from overtime, the amount left over each month was minimal.

And now, she was being told she could get a 500,000 reward for this field trip?

Xu Ying was dizzy from such a massive "pie" falling from the sky, and she couldn't suppress her surprise. "Really?!"

"Look at the scale of the merit you've achieved. You took down four of them single-handedly, and given the threat level of their equipment..." He couldn't say too much more, so he told her to rest easy. "Just wait for my news. I will help you file the report with the higher-ups."

Xu Ying felt like she wanted to kowtow to the little animals right then and there. A massive sum of 500,000 was waving at her; she felt like she was dreaming. She was already thinking that once she got back, she would make sure to memorize every bounty notice issued by the Xizhou Provincial Police, work in collaboration with the small animals, and become a bounty hunter on the path to wealth!

Working within the system was supposed to be about job security and retirement benefits. But now, with the chance to strike it rich while earning merit, life had so much to look forward to!

Just as Xu Ying and Chen Su were whispering, Officer Qin strode over. The two immediately straightened up as if they had just seen their head teacher.

Xu Ying asked with concern, "Uncle Qin, have you found the whereabouts of the fifth bad guy?"

Officer Qin shook his head. "These four are tight-lipped. We need to take them back to the unit and use some special methods. I just hope it doesn't take too long before that person realizes something is wrong and escapes."

At that moment, the little sand cat in Xu Ying’s arms let out a "meow." *[Great Rescue Worker, before you came to save me, the fifth bad guy told his accomplices in the early morning that he was going to survey the area near where the sonic boom occurred yesterday.]*

*[Great worker, what is a sonic boom?]*

Upon hearing the little sand cat, Xu Ying became excited. "Uncle Qin, the fifth bad guy mentioned in the early hours of this morning that he was going to the location where the sonic boom occurred yesterday."

Officer Qin was stunned for a moment, then quickly turned to his assistant. "Go check where the base was test-flying new equipment yesterday! We’ll use those points to define a search radius and start hunting him down!"

After relaying this important lead to Officer Qin, Xu Ying explained the concept of a sonic boom to the sand cat. Because the desert management zone was vast and sparsely populated, many new, classified fighter jets and reconnaissance planes were test-flown there. These advanced aircraft often created shockwaves when breaking through the air at supersonic speeds, producing a massive roar—that was a sonic boom.

The little sand cat tilted its head, half-understanding. *[Wow, when I run really fast in the desert, there's a sound by my ears, too.]*

Xu Ying ruffled its fur. "Then our kitty is very impressive! Your running speed is just as fast as human high-tech!"

The little sand cat puffed out its chest, proud to be petted by Xu Ying.

The black-footed cat, watching the sand cat act so full of itself, shook its head helplessly and said to Xu Ying, *[Just keep spoiling it. It still has plenty of room for improvement.]*

"I'm not listening, I'm not listening." Xu Ying immediately covered the little sand cat’s ears. "The kid is still small; it needs positive reinforcement, and it really did a great job today!"

The black-footed cat clearly played the role of the aloof and strict mentor. Since it was playing the "bad cop," she would play the "good cop."

Chen Su, seeing Xu Ying chatting back and forth with the two meowing cats, felt his curiosity piqued. "Are you chatting with them? To me, their 'meows' only sound like variations in pitch and length. What does it sound like to you?"