Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 122: Lightning Raid

"I saw everything when I was tailing that old coot last night!" the snake added proudly.

"Good job!" Nancy tapped its head lightly before quickly exchanging a sharp look with Simon.

Simon caught her drift instantly. He moved silently to the side of the door, dropping into a slight crouch, his muscles coiled like a stalking leopard, waiting for the exact moment the door would swing open.

Nancy held her breath. Following the water snake's precise instructions, her slender fingers moved with speed and accuracy on the mechanism’s dial. Three turns right, two turns left, and a firm flip upward!

"If you so much as step a foot in here, these treasures are—" Canine’s arrogant threat cut off abruptly.

With a soft click, the heavy hidden door—the barrier he considered his ultimate shield—slid open. Intense light flooded into the chamber, instantly illuminating Canine’s contorted, shocked face.

He froze as he stared at the police officers standing in the threshold. His pupils dilated in pure terror. "No... that’s impossible! How... how could you possibly know?!"

In a state of extreme shock, he instinctively grabbed the most valuable item within reach—a dragon-patterned disc—and held it hysterically over his head. "Stay back! One more step and I’ll shatter it!"

But before he could finish the sentence, Simon, who had been lying in wait, burst into the room like a lightning bolt! His silhouette was a blur the moment the door began to move.

With a swift, lethal grapple, Simon’s hand clamped onto Canine’s wrist with surgical precision. He twisted and pressed down in one fluid motion—the action was so fast it left an afterimage.

A dull crack was followed by a sharp scream. Canine was slammed face-first into the dirt, his joints locked in a hold that made resistance impossible. Simultaneously, Simon’s other hand securely caught the millennial jade disc, holding it steady and unharmed.

He looked down at the neutralized Canine, his gaze cold as a blade.

Nancy peeked around the doorframe then, wagging a finger at the man pinned to the floor with a slight curve to her lips. "You put a little too much faith in your ancestors, didn't you?"

The siblings had worked in perfect synchronization; the entire takedown had occurred in the blink of an eye.

Townsville Headquarters.

Jack stood before a massive electronic screen, his suit impeccable. Although the fatigue from pulling an all-nighter showed beneath his eyes, his expression carried a renewed spark of confidence. He was currently briefing Captain Simmons and several other department heads.

"Gentlemen," Jack said, operating the computer to bring up several blurry but identifiable photos of cultural relics. "Through my investigation last night and the mobilization of various resources, I have finally achieved a major breakthrough!"

He paused for effect, ensuring he had everyone's full attention.

"Through an informant, I made contact with several influential collectors. After some difficult negotiations and tracking," he glossed over the finer details, "I obtained a piece of extremely valuable intelligence."

A screenshot of a WhatsApp chat and a blurry exterior photo of a warehouse appeared on the screen.

"According to my source, a batch of 'freshly dug' artifacts—meaning newly unearthed relics—has been circulating for price quotes in secret. The characteristics, specifically the early-period motifs, align perfectly with the shipwreck tomb in the Ninesmokes River!"

Jack zoomed in on the blurry warehouse photo.

"More importantly, we have identified a suspected location for their next transaction: an abandoned seafood cold storage facility in the neighboring city of Seaville! The targets are extremely cautious, and the transaction time keeps changing, but I have already scouted the perimeter."

Jack’s face flushed with excitement as he spoke. "If we deploy correctly, we have a perfect opportunity to catch them red-handed during their next transfer!"

His tone was fervent, carrying a desperate edge of someone staking everything on one play. "Captain Simmons, I request the immediate mobilization of fifty elite officers to conduct 24-hour surveillance on that warehouse! Furthermore, we need a strike team of at least two hundred officers, equipped with the latest gear and multiple contingency plans, to conduct a full-scale sweep!"

He concluded firmly, "This operation must be flawless. We will use overwhelming force to crush these social parasites once and for all!"

As Captain Simmons listened to the report, his furrowed brow finally smoothed out. He tapped his fingers twice on the desk. "Very good. The reaction speed and investigative direction are spot on this time. You’re finally showing the professional standard I expect of you."

Simmons picked up his tea for a sip, his tone holding a long-absent note of praise. "What’s even more commendable is that this wasn't even your case, yet you spent the night researching it. That level of responsibility deserves recognition. We'll proceed with your plan. Mobilize the—"

Before Simmons could finish, the heavy soundproof door to the command center swung open with a loud thud.

Everyone reflexively turned their heads. Nancy was the first to walk in. She had her cat carrier on her back, with a crow and a cockatiel perched on her left and right shoulders respectively. She looked like a college student returning from a weekend hike—a stark contrast to the serious atmosphere of the boardroom.

Following closely behind her was Simon.