Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 87: The Reconnaissance

Master Crow lowered his voice to a conspiratorial rasp. "There aren't any psycho keepers over there forcing parrots to sing on loop! As for those Call Ducks..." He gave an expansive flutter of his wings. "I just asked them one question: 'Do you want to keep crowding onto that pathetic patch of artificial turf where you can barely turn around, or do you want the natural lake at Loren Zoo? I told them that over there, they don't just get to swim—they have dedicated staff to preen their feathers and the water is filtered!"

Nancy gave him a firm thumbs-up. Master Crow was truly a master of the corporate "bait and switch," dangling the perfect carrot in front of every target.

"I even told the sick alpaca…" Master Crow stopped.

Nancy asked, "What did you say?"

Master Crow looked away and said, "Nothing much. Hurry up and take the camera off my neck. I got you some good stuff there!"

He had even told the sick little alpaca that Loren Zoo had the best, most beautiful vet in the world, and that she made the most delicious cookies...

Of course, he wasn't about to tell Nancy that part!

Nancy proceeded to strap a miniature camera onto the crow’s gold chain.

The Cuties Petting Zoo kept its windows open at night for ventilation, with all the animals confined to their cages. Only one janitor was hired to clean the premises. Master Crow had slipped in while the janitor wasn't looking and captured a goldmine of footage.

After connecting the camera's memory card to her phone and reviewing the files, a cold smile spread across Nancy’s face. "This is going to be fun."

She took a notebook and pen, her expression becoming serious. "We need to finalize the plan for the Saturday operation."

Master Crow tilted his head with an air of immense superiority. "Don't worry, I got you some awesome help. I got the boss of the underworld to help us!"

The... boss of the underworld?

Nancy’s eyes widened. Master Crow was even more resourceful than she had imagined!

The crow flicked his tail feathers. "Don't worry, just make sure you keep the cookies coming!"

Nancy nodded instantly. "Deal!"

Saturday morning arrived quickly, and the Summers villa was already a hive of activity. Makeup artists and photographers had arrived at the crack of dawn.

Ginnie sat before a vanity mirror, being pampered by two stylists while an assistant steamed her clothes. She leaned back in her plush chair, basking in the feeling of being the center of attention.

Her follower, Yolanda, stood nearby, her eyes filled with envy. "Ginnie, is that a celebrity makeup artist? He looks familiar—didn't he work on that award-winning actress?"

Ginnie chuckled. "Yes, actually. He’s not that expensive, though. Once this meeting with the celebrity investors is over, I’ll make that money back in minutes."

Just then, Jack walked in carrying a large bouquet.

"Congratulations on the new chapter of your career, Ginnie." He handed her the flowers, a warm smile on his face.

Ginnie hugged the bouquet and asked timidly, "Are you coming to the event today?"

"Of course." Jack nodded. "This is your first major business venture. How could I miss it?" He checked his watch. "I have a lecture this morning, but I’ll get there as soon as it’s over."

"It’s okay if you can’t make it," Ginnie replied with practiced sweetness.

Seeing her so understanding only made Jack feel more protective. "Ginnie, I’m going to make up for every bit of the twenty-two years we spent apart."

After delivering the flowers, Jack hurried out.

Ginnie watched his sharp, suited silhouette leave, her smile widening with a sense of triumph. As a criminal investigation expert, Jack frequently appeared in news segments, lectures, and interviews. His looks and intellect had earned him over a million followers on social media.

Jack had helped promote Ginnie’s livestream, and a video of the two siblings doing a trendy dance together had already surpassed half a million likes. Netizens were praising them as the "high-IQ, high-visual sibling duo," and Ginnie’s follower count had surged to 200,000.

Half an hour later, the makeup artist packed his tools. "Your makeup is finished. You have an excellent natural base."

Ginnie looked at her reflection—her "no-makeup" look was flawlessly executed. She felt as though she were walking on air.

The Cuties Petting Zoo was located on the fourth floor of the Newgen Industries Building.

Nancy, wearing a cap and mask, was currently standing in a blind spot near the commercial complex. She had just finished a major task with Master Crow and was preparing to make her exit.

Suddenly, Master Crow flapped his wings and landed in the greenery near her. "Miss Nancy, I found someone we know! It's the little girl we saved from the basement. The one that gave me that fancy earring and necklace."

Nancy stopped in her tracks. "Mandolin?"

The crow nodded. "Yep, that's her! She looks pissed and she's fighting a boy! Should we go and watch?"

Nancy’s heart tightened. Was Mandolin in trouble?

"Let’s go!"

Nancy followed the crow to the entrance of the cafe on the side of the plaza. There, she saw Mandolin clutching a tall boy by the collar, essentially pummeling him.

The boy was dressed as suspiciously as Nancy, wearing a baseball cap and a mask.

Nancy hurried over, arriving just in time to hear Mandolin shouting at the boy while shaking him: "If you’re short on money, tell the family! Why on earth did you agree to do an event for Ginnie’s zoo?!"

"I’m going to throttle you!"

The boy didn't fight back, only ducking and weaving. "Stop hitting me! Stop! They were offering way too much money to say no!"