Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 134: The Persistent Holdout

The weasel sniffled as it chewed. "My name is Snowball. I used to live in a big house... My owner kept a lot of small animals, but he said I was too energetic and clingy. He thought I was a nuisance... so he threw me out."

Nancy understood immediately—it was another case of abandonment.

"I’ve been wandering for days, asking around. I heard there was a zoo here with a very kind director... so I wanted to find it."

Snowball curled into a ball in Nancy's arms. "But I scratched my leg on the iron fence while I was trying to squeeze through a hole..."

"I was so hungry, and I saw a mouse, so I chased it..."

"I didn't mean to barge into that big tiger’s territory. It scared me to death..."

Nancy gently stroked its head. "It’s okay, Snowball. This will be your new home from now on."

The weasel lifted its small face, bits of rice still clinging to its long whiskers. "Really?"

"Of course," Nancy smiled. "It’s very big here, and there are plenty of other animals. You can take your time getting to know them and make lots of friends."

Snowball’s eyes lit up. Once it finished eating, it clung to Nancy’s wrist, rubbing its soft fur against her skin while a satisfied purr vibrated in its throat. It seemed terrified that if she walked away, it would become a helpless stray all over again.

As the night deepened, Nancy gave Snowball’s head a final rub and spoke softly to Barry. "It’s getting late. I should take him back to the staff dormitory. I have to be up early tomorrow."

Barry nodded, his voice sounding particularly deep in the night air. "Alright. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Nancy said, her eyes curving as she stood up with the drowsy weasel in her arms. "Thanks for everything today!"

Her silhouette gradually faded into the shadows of the path leading to the dorms, her footsteps illuminated by fragments of moonlight.

Barry remained standing by the tent until she had completely merged with the night. He looked down and patted Star’s large, furry head, his tone laced with helpless amusement.

"Let’s go, you silly dog. You insisted on this 'lifestyle downgrade'—trading a mansion for a tent—and you’re actually happy about it."

He lifted the tent flap and glanced inside. "Well? Get in. Your Nancy-sister laid out the softest mat just for you."

Star let out an excited huff, his tail spinning like a propeller as he darted inside and expertly curled into a massive ball of fur in his designated spot.

Early the next morning, Nancy received a call from Captain Simmons.

"Ms. Nancy, are you free today? I need you to come with me to the Finance Department."

Captain Simmons’ voice was as crisp and decisive as ever. "We need to fill out the application materials for the animal commission project. Bring all the zoo's qualification documents."

He paused, a hint of a smile in his voice. "Also, I’m talking to the finance people about a special grant. I want to commission a set of gold medals as a 'bonus' for the little ones who helped with the last case."

As Nancy noted down the required documents, she couldn't help but admire Simmons' efficiency. He didn't just talk; he moved projects forward without hesitation.

She arrived at the Finance Department shortly after and met up with him to meticulously fill out several forms. Not long after she stepped out of the office, Captain Simmons emerged from a nearby conference room.

He shook his head, looking frustrated as he spoke to Nancy. "Director Roberts, the man I need to push the project forward, is stressed out over a major headache today. We’ll have to discuss the animal commission details next time."

"He mentioned they’ve hit a wall with a stubborn holdout in a recent redevelopment project."

Simmons frowned, his tone becoming more serious. "The offer is already up to three million, but the owner refuses to budge and won't let them demolish. The Director is losing sleep over it. That plot of land is in a critical location; if they can run the road through there, it saves a massive amount of engineering trouble. Director Roberts won't have the headspace to discuss our project until that's settled."

Nancy’s mind started racing, and she suddenly spoke up. "This holdout situation... I wonder if I might be able to help?"

Captain Simmons laughed. "What, are you going to send in the animal brigade to help with the demolition? We’d probably need a dinosaur for that."

Nancy laughed along but remained serious. "If we take this chance to let the other departments see what these animals can actually do, the project might move forward even faster."

She thought for a moment and continued, "Captain Simmons, I think I could have the animals sniff around and find out what that family is actually thinking—what kind of compensation they're really looking for."

"If their demands are truly delusional, we can advise Director Roberts to consider an alternative route sooner rather than later."

Captain Simmons nodded. "That’s a good line of thinking. I’ll go find out the specifics for you."

Jack’s earlier words, though bitter, hadn't been entirely wrong. The animal commission project involved multiple fields; it couldn't rely solely on police work, and they couldn't just leave Captain Simmons to do all the legwork alone.