Chapter 625: Chapter 521: Operation Find the Tigress Begins

The little tiger no longer needs milk, but if it smells a good bottle of milk, having a few sips isn’t a problem.

It obediently lay in Chen Ying’s arms, gulping down from the specially-made bottle, its big eyes narrowed into slits, and its tail swaying contentedly.

Who would believe this isn’t a tiger-striped cat!

Just as the bottle was about to run out, Kelas returned with Meidi.

Even before getting close to the camp, Meidi exhibited unusual alertness and made threatening growling sounds.

Kelas didn’t understand why, but he also became vigilant and softly called out Chen Ying’s name.

“It’s okay, you guys come over, and remember to pick up Meidi, or it’ll get scared.”

Although forest cats are skilled hunters, bloodline suppression is no joke, even a little tiger is still a tiger.

When Kelas approached the car with the heavy Meidi, both he and the cat were shocked, and Meidi’s struggling motions jolted the dazed Kelas awake, prompting him to quickly stuff Meidi into the car and shut the door.

If he were to just let go, he might only meet Meidi in dreams for the rest of his life.

“Chen, where did you get this from?”

“What are you talking about, wasn’t it you who brought it over?”

“Me?” Kelas’s voice almost cracked, “Where would I find such a big cutie to bring over?”

What he didn’t say was, if he could get such a “tiger-striped”, would Meidi even matter?

The tiger cub appeared to have been wandering for quite some time, with its fur a bit matted. Don’t think short hair doesn’t tangle; it’s just easier to groom, but tangles will still form.

Evidently, the little one wasn’t ready to be independent from its mother, yet it found itself adrift without having learned how to groom itself, and was even eating scraps people left behind.

Its body, which should be plump and round, was pathetically thin, and just by touching it, you could feel its little ribs.

However, the fact that the tiger cub managed to survive up to now is partly due to its good genetics, but its alertness and intelligence played a major role.

After all, while the Tarim River Basin doesn’t have top-tier predators, it has a considerable number of Talimu wolves, and occasionally, migrating snow leopards.

Adult tigers might not fear wolves and leopards, but tiger cubs are seen as targets to eliminate by such creatures.

Chen Ying took the empty bottle from the tiger cub’s paws, placed it on the ground, then found a spare brush meant for Meidi to groom its fur, and used a towel to wipe off the mud and some unknown substances from Mao Mao’s fur.

The waiting time passed quickly, as the local animal rescue center’s team took over three hours to drive over.

Normally, Chen Ying would only need to send the rescued animal to the nearest protection station or Forestry and Grassland Bureau, but due to the special breed and discovery location, exceptions were made.

After receiving Chen Ying’s report, the other party repeatedly confirmed Chen Ying’s identity and the truth of his statements. Chen Ying even requested the local rescue center director’s contact on WeChat to send a video for proof.

In less than ten minutes, the director called back, saying he was coming over personally with a team, and asked Chen Ying to wait for their arrival.

Unbeknownst to Chen Ying, the domestic animal protection circles were abuzz with excitement.

“Did you hear? Chen Dade found a Xinjiang Tiger while passing by the Tarim River.”

“Hey, senior, did you hear? Chen Dade specifically went to the Tarim River to find a tiger, and he actually found one.”

“Teacher, Chen Dade went to tour the Tarim, and when he passed by the Tarim River, a striped tiger knelt before him, determined to be the supposedly extinct Xinjiang Tiger!”

…

The unreliable rumors grew even more exaggerated, almost turning into a tale of all beasts bowing to Chen Ying wherever he went.

From initially discovering the Huanan Tiger to previously finding the “Small One-Horned Rhinoceros,” many had already taken notice of him, and now, with the discovery of a supposedly extinct “Xinjiang Tiger,” several leading research teams began trying to recruit him through their channels.

Before the local rescue team arrived, Chen Ying received a call from his teacher, Professor Bai.

The main point was to caution him to hold back, no matter the discoveries, until he finished his studies and returned home.

Although Professor Bai was highly respected, his influence was largely confined to the veterinary field, and he couldn’t cover all bases nationwide.

Some local leaders and officials, for the sake of their achievements, could resort to any means. Despite the internet era making it less feasible to hide information like in the past, within the system, they might not boost him up, but they certainly had ways to drag him down.

Professor Bai supported Chen Ying’s pursuit of a doctoral degree abroad, hoping he could break free from his current circle and gain the power and means to control his destiny.

“Parents who love their children lay deep plans for their future,” and Professor Bai, who regarded Chen Ying as his own son, felt the same way.

The established schedule couldn’t really be delayed because of the tiger cub, so it had to be entrusted to a reliable organization.

Fortunately, during his time at the River Source, he had thoroughly researched the animal protection circles in the New Province due to issues in the Alkhan Mountain area. Although the rescue center here didn’t have outstanding achievements, it had a good reputation within the community and had been doing concrete work in recent years, making it reliable to entrust them with the tiger cub.

Late at night, around eleven, three vehicles pulled up next to Chen Ying’s car.

One of them was marked with the organization’s name, and another was a police car.