Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 404: The Foundation of an Empire

While the Dessert Route crew scrambled to make amends for their earlier blunders, the mayor smiled and handed a document to Nancy.

"Ms. Nancy, this is the partnership agreement regarding your assistance in discovering and surveying the gold mine. Please, take a look."

Nancy took the contract, her eyes widening as she scanned the details.

It didn't just establish her as a Strategic Resource Exploration Expert with a generous annual salary; more importantly, it included a profit-sharing clause based on the mine's yearly output.

This wasn't just a single gold bar. This was an entire treasury.

She did a quick mental calculation. The dividends alone would bring in at least five million dollars in steady annual income. While the initial setup costs for a mine were high, the long-term profits were staggering. A massive wave of relief and security washed over her.

Nancy gripped the contract tight. It felt as if a massive weight had finally been lifted from her shoulders.

With the revenue from Happy Bites dog food and the gold mine coming in, the loans for the Loren Zoo expansion could be paid off much sooner than expected. Nancy began to think even bigger. She didn't just want to expand the zoo; she wanted to build an entire Loren Zoo City.

The contract was meticulously drafted, including an entire page of provisions dedicated to the welfare of the gerbil exploration team.

It detailed daily nut rations, a variety of fruits and vegetables, and even designated sand-bath areas. What touched Nancy most was that the officials had found new nesting grounds for the gerbils who hated the gold dust. Several stable, sheltered burrows from the initial geological survey had been repurposed into five-star staff dormitories for the rodents.

Nancy signed her name without a moment’s hesitation.

Next, she gathered the members of the gerbil family to show them their new home. The little creatures were thrilled with the property. Once they were settled, Nancy carefully spread the contract out on the sand.

Using a harmless red ink made from natural berries, she gently pressed each gerbil's front paw into the pigment. The little animals couldn't read the fine print, but they understood the gravity of the ritual. One by one, they stepped forward to press their tiny paw prints onto the designated lines, leaving behind a series of adorable, flower-shaped marks.

"We’re official government explorers now!"

"Free food and housing! No more worrying about empty bellies!"

The gerbils chattered excitedly, their furry faces bright with hope for the future.

The filming cycle for a short drama was naturally tight, but with the double compensation for lost time paid out by the Dessert Route crew, the production was suddenly flush with cash. This unexpected windfall covered all their costs and gave the entire operation room to breathe.

In a sense, their rivals were effectively paying the salaries and funding the production of Sanddune.

Meanwhile, the once-arrogant Dessert Route crew was forced to pull every string and pay massive desert construction fees just to be allowed back on the dunes. Even then, they were only permitted to film after the Sicily crew finished for the day.

The people who had threatened to clear the area were now relegated to acting as underlings, waiting for the Sicily crew to give them the nod.

To make matters worse, in a desperate bid to help the Sicily team wrap up sooner, the Dessert Route crew was essentially acting as free labor. Their lighting technicians were ordered to adjust reflectors for Sanddune, and their stagehands were drenched in sweat while hauling Sicily’s equipment and props across the sand.

The A-list lead actors sat in their luxury trailers, watching their own staff slave away for the competition. Their expressions were grim. The entire crew spent most of the day in a state of forced idleness that felt more like a prison sentence.

"Look at how pathetic they are," the lead actress muttered, glancing at Sicily’s humble vans and simple folding chairs. "They don't even have a decent rest area. I have no idea where they get the nerve to challenge us."

The lead actor let out a cold, smug laugh. He leaned in, lowering his voice.

"Let them enjoy it while it lasts. We aren't just going to accept this loss."

His eyes gleamed with malice as he looked at the actress. "I’ve already spoken with Morten at Starlight Investments, their biggest backer. I offered to endorse their high-end beverage line for free for a year. The only condition was that he pulls all funding from this production immediately."

He could already see the end of the game. "Without their primary financier, let’s see how they manage the rest of the shoot."