Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 219: The Midnight Ambush

Nancy crawled into the back seat of the car after finishing the distribution of meals to the animals. Seeing Simon ignoring his food and staring at his phone with a dark expression, she tilted her head curiously.

"Who are you messaging? What kind of grudge is this? You're typing so hard it looks like you're trying to crack the screen."

Simon immediately stowed his phone and cleared his throat. "It's nothing."

"I ran into a cyber-scammer."

"I was just giving him some much-needed educational reform."

As he spoke, the tips of his ears flushed an unnatural red. His narrow eyes remained lowered, lashes flickering rapidly. For a man who rarely lied, his attempts at an excuse were painfully obvious.

Nancy narrowed her eyes suspiciously but decided to focus on her food. As she sat there with her cheeks puffed out, mid-chew, her phone suddenly rang. It was Soren.

Huh? Why is that cranky old man calling me?

Ninety percent chance it's bad news.

Sure enough, as soon as the call connected, Soren's roar erupted from the other end.

"Nancy! How many times are you going to bring trouble to Townsville University!"

Nancy pulled the phone away from her ear. "What now?"

"Did you do something cruel to those Red-crowned cranes?"

Soren sounded frantic. "Tons of people took photos of that crane collapsing next to you today! They'd posted them all over the internet, accusing you of abusing a Class I protected species just for stage effect!"

Nancy's eyes widened, and her lunchbox nearly slipped from her lap. This was a bolt from the blue. She had gone out of her way to save the bird, and now someone was twisting the facts to pin this massive blame on her.

"Soren, do you really think I'd dare touch a Class I protected animal?"

Nancy sighed. Did he think she was in a hurry to trade her life for a prison sentence?

"Chancellor, I can't disclose the crane's condition yet. It's part of an ongoing police investigation."

Nancy was never one to care about online rumors. She replied nonchalantly, "Just wait for the official notice."

Soren nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. Wait for the notice?!

"Clueless netizens are swarming the university's social media pages! They're saying the school is using protected animals to show off and boost the vet department's reputation! The pressure is insane! Media outlets are calling me non-stop for a statement!"

Nancy chewed on a shrimp, her tone dismissive. "Oh, Soren, don't worry. Online drama comes in waves. Just hold the line for a bit."

"If you feel like the pressure is too much, just lie down."

"It increases the contact area with the ground."

Soren nearly choked on his own spit. "I need to give them a narrative!"

Nancy spoke rapidly, "Just tell the public the crane ingested an unknown substance in the wild and the symptoms only manifested at the event. It's already been handed over to the Municipal Wildlife Rescue Station."

"Anyway, I'm busy with big things. Stop calling. Bye now."

Soren, having never been brushed off so blatantly, was fuming. "What big thing" could you possibly be doing?!"

He had thought Nancy was a lifesaver when she replaced Ginnie for the speech, but she had just turned a mess into a catastrophe!

Click—

Nancy had already hung up.

The sky grew darker, and time ticked toward 2:00 AM. The village became deathly quiet, save for the chirping of crickets and the occasional bark of a distant dog. Two teams of officers were already in position on the outskirts of Bricksfield Village. In a village with so many small paths, they were now entirely dependent on the intel from the nocturnal animals.

1:55 AM.

Master Crow flew in with a report. The suspect, Raine, had left his house carrying a large backpack. He was heading southwest through a hidden bamboo thicket. Nancy immediately contacted the officers via radio to begin the encirclement.

She followed Simon toward the southwest. The bamboo forest was eerily silent, the only sound being Nancy's own racing heartbeat. Simon held her hand, guiding her over obstacles and whispering occasional reminders.

Suddenly, an owl let out a rhythmic "Hoot, hoot, hoot."

"I'm single! Looking for a mate!"

"Single owl seeking company! Inquire within ~~~"

Hearing the owl's call, Nancy's fear vanished instantly. She nearly snorted with laughter. At night, an owl's hooting was either a territorial claim—telling other birds to clear out—or a love song meant to show off its lung capacity to potential mates.

Then, the hooting changed to a sharp, alert tone.

"Master Crow, I see the other one!"

"He's on a motorcycle. Tall guy!"

An owl's night vision was higher definition than a top-tier camera. It brazenly broadcasted the criminal's movements, knowing humans couldn't understand.

"He's off the bike. He's got a rope in his hand."