Su Muzhi stood nervously at the entrance of the rescue station, waiting for the person to arrive. At some point, Heizi flew onto her shoulder, tilted his head, and said,
[Susu, I heard from my disciple that you and Old Chen had a huge fight yesterday. They said it got so bad you almost started throwing punches.]
Su Muzhi frowned after listening.
“Where did you hear such ridiculous rumors? We’re perfectly fine. We didn’t argue at all.”
Heizi blinked in confusion.
[My good disciple Xiao Lü told me. Besides, I saw Old Chen rushing down the mountain this morning with a long face. Aren’t you two usually together?]
Su Muzhi silently added another label to Xiao Lü in her mind:
Loves exaggerating.
She gently tapped Heizi on the head and gave him a warning in advance.
“It’s nothing. A fan is coming to visit today. Station Chief Chen didn’t want to receive the guest, so he went down the mountain to find Veterinarian Huang.”
The moment Heizi heard the word “fan,” his black eyes lit up. He bounced excitedly on Su Muzhi’s shoulder.
[A fan? They’re here to see me? Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I should’ve gotten myself looking presentable!]
Afraid that the visitor might hurt Heizi, Su Muzhi hurriedly poured cold water on his excitement. At the same time, she didn’t dare tell him the truth outright, worried he’d impulsively do something reckless, so she made up a small lie.
“Don’t get so excited. They’re actually here for Princess Chang. They think she’s the rescue station’s biggest celebrity. You could call them her die-hard fan. They don’t really like you… in fact, they dislike you a little.”
[Hmph! Someone could actually have such terrible taste? They just haven’t seen how amazing I am yet! I’ll definitely perform well later and turn them into my die-hard fan!]
Su Muzhi hadn’t expected her words to have the exact opposite effect—they had only motivated Heizi even more.
Rubbing her temples, she realized that not only would she have to think on her feet later, she’d also have to find a way to protect Heizi.
Speak of the devil…
A pure black SUV pulled up outside the rescue station, and a tall, burly man stepped out.
Su Muzhi quickly walked over with a smile.
She discreetly sized him up. The man in the surveillance footage had been tall and slender, while the man before her had a noticeable beer belly.
She was certain this wasn’t the same person from the video.
At the same time, the man was looking her over as well. A trace of disdain flashed through his eyes, though his tone sounded sincere.
“You’re Susu, right? I’m a fan of your rescue station. My name is Zhan Tengshi.”
Su Muzhi smiled and shook his hand.
“Hello, Mr. Zhan. The newly rescued eagle owl suddenly developed complications yesterday, so our station chief took it down the mountain for treatment. Unfortunately, you probably won’t be able to see it today.”
A shadow flickered across Zhan Tengshi’s eyes.
His suspicions deepened, but he merely replied that it wasn’t a problem.
The moment Heizi saw Zhan Tengshi, he sensed something unusual about him.
Gone was his usual playful behavior. Instead, he shrank quietly on Su Muzhi’s shoulder, silently observing everything.
Finally finding an opportunity, while Zhan Tengshi walked ahead, Heizi lightly pecked Su Muzhi’s ear and whispered,
[Something’s wrong with this guy. Be careful.]
Su Muzhi gave him a reassuring look before stepping forward to introduce the animals one by one.
However, Zhan Tengshi barely paid attention to any of them.
Instead, his gaze kept drifting toward Su Muzhi.
She could clearly feel that sticky, disgusting stare.
Smiling, she tried to change the subject.
“Mr. Zhan, what made you like these little animals?”
Instead of answering, he asked her in return,
“What about you? Why do you like them? Is that why you chose to work here?”
“Me? I wouldn’t say I particularly love them. I just needed a job to make a living. But over time… they’ve gradually come to feel like my friends.”
Since she still couldn’t determine whether the man before her was friend or foe, Su Muzhi carefully weighed every word she spoke.
Zhan Tengshi, however, laughed as though he’d heard the funniest joke imaginable.
His face was filled with ridicule, and his voice dripped with contempt.
“Miss Su, I agree with the first half of what you said. But as for the second half… I’m afraid I simply can’t agree.
“When all’s said and done, these animals are nothing more than beasts. They’re fine as tools to make money, but treating them as friends?
“I only have two words for that:
‘Utter stupidity.'”
Now that Zhan Tengshi had shown his true colors, Su Muzhi saw no reason to remain polite.
“Mr. Zhan, that’s a bit harsh. But unfortunately, our little rescue station is far too small to accommodate someone as distinguished as you.”
Zhan Tengshi remained standing where he was, laughing arrogantly.
“Miss Su, stop pretending. We both know perfectly well why I came today.
“‘Sudden complications?’ That eagle owl was probably dead from the very beginning.”
Lighting a cigarette, he continued,
“But that’s not the only reason I’m here.
“You’ve heard the saying, ‘A bird chooses the tree it perches on,’ haven’t you?
“A young, capable woman like you is wasting her talent in a tiny place like this.
“Every day is the same boring routine. Surrounded by the stench of animals. Earning a pitiful salary.
“You can already see exactly how the rest of your life will play out.
“Isn’t it a shame to waste the best years of your life here?”
Su Muzhi’s expression turned guarded.
She instinctively took several steps back, putting what she considered a safe distance between them.
“What? Trying to recruit me?”
Zhan Tengshi nodded and stepped closer.
The previously timid Heizi suddenly gathered his courage and launched himself toward the man’s face.
[Susu, don’t be afraid! I’ll protect you!]
But Zhan Tengshi dodged with surprising agility.
Watching Heizi fly away until he became nothing more than a tiny black dot, he cursed,
“Damn beast.”
His mood was thoroughly ruined, and he no longer had any patience.
Getting straight to the point, he said,
“That’s right. We want to recruit you.
“We’re willing to offer you a salary of no less than ten thousand yuan a month.
“But we have one condition.”
He pointed toward the direction Heizi had flown.
“You’ll need to bring that beast with you…
“…and the livestream account you’ve built.”
He pulled a business card from his pocket and placed it on a nearby rock.
“There’s no need to answer me right away.
“Take your time and think it over.
“When you’ve made up your mind, contact the person listed on the card.”
With that, he turned and left.
Watching his figure gradually disappear, Su Muzhi unconsciously picked up the business card.
At the very top were five bold characters:
Wish Animal Zoo
Heizi, who had flown away moments earlier, returned to her shoulder.
Seeing Su Muzhi staring blankly at the card, he hurriedly tried to persuade her.
[Susu, you’re not actually tempted, are you? That guy is obviously bad news! Don’t let him fool you!]
Su Muzhi remained silent.
She had already made her decision.
She slipped the card into her pocket and sent Chen Zhiye a message.
Come back. I’ve confirmed it. He’s not from Wish Animal Zoo—we’ve been looking in the wrong direction.
Also… I may need to take a long leave of absence.