Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 431: The Undersea Talent Market

"Got it!"

Samantha, the coast guard officer who had been accompanying her, saw Nancy hang up the phone and walked over. "Miss Nancy, are we heading back to port, or...?"

Nancy turned around, brushed the stray fry crumbs off her hands, and flashed a mysterious smile.

"We aren't heading back yet. Samantha, we need to make a trip to the undersea talent market first." She winked, emphasizing every word. "We are going to post bail for some octopus experts."

Samantha was completely lost. "The undersea talent market? ...Post... bail?"

…

After parting ways with the gulls and dolphins, Nancy had Samantha steer the boat to the nearest fishing pier. She wove through the noisy seafood market, eventually selecting five round-headed, medium-sized octopuses, each weighing about a few pounds.

With Samantha’s help, she found transparent plastic bins with lids to hold them and loaded them onto a small trolley to head toward the shore. Inside the bins, the seemingly silent octopuses were experiencing a mental storm.

"Five of us at once?! Does this human have that big of an appetite?"

"It's over. She's probably planning a massive banquet..."

"Don't panic! The moment that lid opens, we all bolt at once. There is no way the two of them can catch all five of us!"

"I am the biggest. I will use my tentacles to trip them first!"

The large octopus suggesting the escape had just nudged the lid open a crack when a hand firmly pressed it back down with a soft click. The octopus instantly retracted its limb, freezing in place and trying to look inconspicuous.

Nancy leaned down toward the crack in the lid, her voice dancing with amusement. "Don't be nervous. I didn't buy you to eat you. I need a favor, and once we are done, I'll take you right back home."

As she spoke, she pulled a few pre-selected, scrubbed-clean colorful shells from a plastic bag and gently slid them through the gap. The frantic movement inside the bin stopped instantly.

A few seconds later, a faint, rustling communication drifted out.

"You... you can understand us?"

"You really aren't going to eat us?"

With the gifts delivered, the octopuses, who had been full of bad intentions moments ago, became significantly friendlier. Octopuses are notoriously fastidious creatures. They use the siphons below their heads like faucets to wash themselves and are known to clean their dens, even maintaining specific middens or trash heaps outside their homes. They also prefer their live prey to be clean.

Nancy’s gift of pristine shells clearly struck a chord.

"This shell is so pretty and clean! I like this one!"

"What kind of help? Just so you know, we are very expensive!"

These large-headed creatures are incredibly intelligent. They can remember human faces, distinguish intent, and even return trust to friendly humans.

"Don't worry, you'll be well-compensated," Nancy said, lightly tapping the side of the bin. "And once the job is done, I guarantee I'll return you to the exact rock crevices you call home."

Deep inside the bin, several tentacles cautiously brushed the smooth shells, then tapped one another.

"...Fine. Let's hear it first."

…

Nancy brought her newly formed Octopus Detective Agency to the dock where the Seabed-173 was being kept. With the help of the coast guard, she located the two suspicious welding patterns her brother had marked. Then, she carefully opened the bins.

"Alright, everyone. Please feel this," she said, pointing to the minute textures on the metal. "Memorize this sensation."

"In a moment, we are going to a place with many ships. I need you to find patterns that feel exactly like these." Nancy lowered her voice as if sharing a fun secret. "Think of it as a human puzzle game. Whoever finds it first proves they are smarter than the most advanced human machines!"

The five octopuses took turns extending their tentacles, using their suction cups to meticulously perceive the cold metal ridges. Their limbs flowed over every protrusion and indentation as if memorizing a code only they could understand.

"Got it. Memorized. This is child's play!"

Next, Nancy and Samantha hauled the bins to the pier holding the impounded illegal vessels. Samantha checked in with the officer on duty. "Lewis, I've brought the experts for a trace comparison."

The officer, Lewis, nodded solemnly, a welcoming smile ready for the forensic trace experts he expected to see. Then, he watched five bulbous heads and a mass of writhing limbs emerge slowly from the bins.

Lewis’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. "...These are the... experts?"

He stood there, stunned, as the five octopuses were carefully lowered into the water. The experts stretched their bodies and swam toward different ships. They suctioned themselves to the hulls, crawling and exploring with fluid precision, their suckers cataloging every inch of the metal surfaces.

The professional yet bizarre sight left the veteran coast guard officers speechless, their hands frozen over their notebooks.