Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 211: The Crow And The Marmot

Nancy immediately pulled out her phone and called her "ace reinforcement," Master Crow.

Lately, Master Crow's enthusiasm for solving crimes had reached an all-time high. After all, every closed case came with a generous "service fee." If things kept going this well, he might actually secure a permanent spot on the payroll—a true government-issued "iron rice bowl."

The call had barely connected when Master Crow's impatient caw erupted from the other end.

"What is it? An emergency order? That'll cost extra! ...Wait, poisoning?! Fine, fine, I'll take the job. I get the credit, but don't you dare skimp on the bonus!"

An hour later, Nancy was in the passenger seat of Simon's police cruiser, following the GPS signal to their destination. Also in the car was Hailey from the forensics department—a slightly shy young man with thick, black-rimmed glasses who was currently cradling a sampling kit as if it were made of glass.

Master Crow was already waiting for them, perched atop a roadside telephone pole. He was busy chatting with a few blackbirds, looking every bit the "big brother" of the local avian underworld.

As the cruiser pulled over, Master Crow dove down and hopped onto the hood, rapping his beak sharply against the windshield. Nancy rolled down the window, and he hopped inside without invitation.

He made himself at home on the passenger headrest, his beady black eyes scanning the team. He leaned in to inspect the sampling tubes in Hailey's hand and suddenly pointed a wing at them, cawing at Nancy. "These bottles look high-end! You've got so many—can I have one?"

"I could use it to hide my treasures!"

Great. His hoarding instinct was acting up again.

Hailey, having never seen anything like this, pushed up her glasses and whispered in awe, "What... what is he doing?"

Nancy gave Hailey an apologetic look. "He's asking if he can have one of those sampling tubes when you're done with them."

Master Crow really was a professional scavenger.

Hailey nodded blankly. "Sure... I guess..."

Master Crow hopped twice in delight and announced loudly to Nancy:

"This kid is alright! I officially approve his addition to the task force!"

Scanning the interior, Master Crow suddenly tilted his head and cawed, "Wait! Why am I the only one on field duty this time? Where are my squirrel and ermine detectors? Why didn't any of them show up?"

Nancy explained patiently, "This is a special case. It's a poisoning. The scene could be dangerous, and I can't risk the little ones accidentally eating something and getting sick."

Master Crow's feathers puffed out instantly in protest.

"What?! They're afraid of poison, but my life doesn't matter?! You're totally playing favorites!"

Nancy couldn't help but laugh, reaching out to smooth his feathers.

"Of course not! It's specifically because you're our 'Immortal King of Tolerance' that I called you~"

Crows are legendary omnivores. They aren't picky eaters; they'll sample carrion, wild berries, or trash without a second thought. Their livers can break down toxins that would be lethal to other animals. With their natural high tolerance, this mission was tailor-made for him.

Master Crow preened his feathers, satisfied. "That's more like it! At least you have good taste!"

An hour later, the car rolled into Bricksfield Village.

A peaceful, rustic scene unfolded before them: low brick houses, winding dirt paths, and lush vegetable patches dotted with roaming chickens and ducks.

Suddenly, a white silhouette glided down from the shade of a distant tree. It was the male Red-crowned crane. He pointed his beak toward an old well nearby.

"Boss, it's right there."

Hailey immediately grabbed the sampling kit and began professionally collecting the well water. Nancy, meanwhile, scouted the perimeter. Her gaze was caught by an inconspicuous dirt hole near the base of the well.

It was a marmot burrow, and there were fresh claw marks at the entrance.

"There's a marmot hole here?" Nancy's heart sank. "I wonder if the little guys down there have been poisoned too!"

Unfortunately, she didn't have any small animals with her who could squeeze inside to check. Master Crow, perched on her shoulder, peered down. "You aren't friends with them; you'll just scare them away~"

Nancy's eyes lit up. "Master Crow, could you get in touch with the sentries of the local marmot family?"

Crows and marmots might seem like an unlikely pair, but they are actually natural allies. In biology, they share a "vigilance commensalism" relationship. They share many common predators, but marmots have poor eyesight. When a crow sounds the alarm from the sky, the marmots grazing outside dive back into their burrows instantly. In exchange, crows act as the "janitors," picking up the scraps left behind by the marmots and keeping the burrow entrance clean.