Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 242: The Accidental Embrace

"One move and he's down! That leg sweep was more textbook than my brother's, and he's been training in martial arts for three years!"

"Employee of the Year goes to the giraffe! Dancing one minute, catching crooks the next!"

"Record it, quick! This is definitely going to trend!"

Barry stepped forward with practiced efficiency. With a brutal grappling maneuver, he pinned the masked man firmly to the ground. Nancy quickly retrieved the stolen phones from the thief's pockets and returned them to the frantic owners who had just caught up.

"Beautifully done!" Nancy smiled, giving the tall giraffe a big thumbs up.

The giraffe proudly arched its long neck, its tail swishing in happy circles as it uttered a newly learned idiom: "Piece of cake."

Seeing this, the shorter giraffe grew anxious, eager to show off its own "leg sweep" skills. It mimicked its companion and swung its leg, but its aim was off—the long limb swept directly toward Nancy and Barry while they were talking!

Barry's reflexes were lightning-fast. The moment they lost their balance, he pulled Nancy tightly into his embrace, spinning so that he took the brunt of the fall. They tumbled together onto the soft grass.

The thief, seeing Barry momentarily preoccupied, thought he saw an opening. He scrambled up on all fours, desperate to flee!

"Star!"

Even as he lay on the ground, arm still shielding Nancy in his chest, Barry's voice remained steady and commanding. The order was like a trigger being pulled.

The wolfdog, which had been standing by a few paces away, lunged like an arrow from a bow, its gray silhouette a blur of speed. It lunged forward and clamped its jaws precisely onto the thief's pant leg, the powerful momentum slamming the man back onto the ground!

Star pinned the thief down with his front paws, a threatening low growl vibrating in his throat. The man froze completely, not daring to move an inch.

The surrounding tourists, having witnessed this spectacular show, hoisted their phones high.

"My god! A Snow Leopard Officer and a Cat Officer catching thieves with a K9!"

"You couldn't even write this into a TV drama!"

"Today's ticket was worth every penny!"

"Who's playing the snow leopard? He's way too handsome!"

"Did you see them hugging?! They're so sweet! I'm totally shipping them!"

Nancy's ears burned at the teasing from the crowd, but Barry remained composed. He used one hand to help her up and casually brushed a few stray blades of grass from her hair.

Meanwhile, Star watched Barry carefully helping Nancy to her feet, his tail wagging like a propeller.

"They hugged! They actually hugged!"

"Hehehe!"

Star's saliva dripped steadily as he rhythmically kneaded his front paw in excitement—unfortunately, he was kneading it right into the thief's chest. The masked man, his face covered in dog drool and enduring the "paws of love," rolled his eyes in agony, his voice weak as he begged for help.

"Help... me..."

"Stop shipping them... is no one going to check on me...?"

"Thieves have lives too..."

At the zoo entrance.

A sudden cry rang out from the crowd: "Oh no! My phone is gone!"

A female tourist frantically rifled through her backpack. "It was just in my pocket! It must have been stolen!"

A noisy debate immediately broke out among the bystanders.

"What's with the security here?"

"Getting robbed even with the police on site?"

The officer on duty explained patiently, "Everyone, please remain calm. We are already tracking the—"

"Is 'tracking' all you can say?" a young man grumbled.

"It's the same excuse every time! How dismissive!" an older woman added.

Just as the tension began to peak, Nancy's clear voice rang out from nearby.

"Don't worry, everyone! The thieves have been caught!"

The crowd turned to see Barry striding toward them, escorting the masked man. Right behind him, four plainclothes officers emerged from different directions with the other accomplices, holding the recovered stolen goods.

Most striking of all were the small parrots following the police, flapping their wings and loudly claiming credit:

"We caught them! We caught them!"

"Bad guys! Nowhere to run!"

The scene fell silent for a beat before erupting into thunderous applause and cheers. The young man who had been complaining scratched his head sheepishly, and the lady laughed as she clapped.

"Incredible! I haven't even entered the park and I've already seen a police blockbuster!"

"These parrots are divine!"

"This ticket is a steal! You buy a pass and get a live broadcast of a crime being solved!"

The tourists in line raised their phones, and the nervous atmosphere was instantly replaced by excited chatter. The two officers looked at the string of suspects in disbelief.

"A mobile theft ring we've been tracking for a month... wiped out just like that?"

A plainclothes officer patted his colleague on the shoulder with a grin. "Loren Zoo, 'The House of Animal Detectives.' It certainly lives up to the reputation!"

The young officer's eyes shone as he lowered his voice. "Chief, how about we set up a permanent station here? With this kind of case-solving efficiency, our year-end evaluation would be legendary!"