Wen Youning heard this and followed Qian Nuo through the staff entrance.
She asked, “Did the surveillance catch anyone suspicious?”
At that, Qian Nuo’s smile faltered.
“Not yet.
I’ve been checking footage starting from the very beginning of the breeding season,
combing through frame by frame, afraid to miss even the tiniest clue.
But there’s still nothing useful.”
Being thorough was good but the downside was painfully obvious: the process was too slow.
And she was doing it all alone.
Even with more eyes on it, it would take a while to get through everything.
“I’ll help you look,” Wen Youning said just as Qian Nuo opened the door where the mute swans were kept.
The two mute swans flapped their wings, trying to squeeze through gaps in the netting above.
The moment the door opened, they ran out without hesitation.
Qian Nuo stood in front, but the swans dodged around her,
one on each side, and headed straight for Wen Youning.
Wen Youning crouched down and opened her arms.
The two mute swans threw themselves into her embrace.
She gently stroked their backs, again and again.
“Don’t worry.
We’ll do everything we can to get your egg back.”
“Hoo!”
‘Bad people.
All of them are bad.’
‘Humans are all bad!’
‘Don’t trust them.’
…
“I’m here now.
You two should eat something and get some rest.
Maybe when you wake up, your egg will be back.”
The swans buried their heads into her arms,
their wings soft and fluffy like cotton trying to wrap around her as if to hold her tight.
To the two little creatures, Wen Youning was now the only one they could trust.
Everyone else had already been classified as “bad guys.”
Losing their egg was a devastating blow to the mute swans.
More accurately, it wasn’t lost it was taken right in front of them.
Mute swans can be aggressive, but only when humans don’t fight back.
If it came down to a real fight, humans would have the upper hand.
However, the swans weren’t hurt during the theft, which meant the culprit’s goal was clearly the egg they didn’t want to harm the birds.
Maybe they were afraid the swans getting injured would alert the keepers too early.
Stealing an egg that even the keepers didn’t know existed meant a much lower risk of getting caught.
Still holding the swans one in each arm Wen Youning stood up and said, “Where’s the surveillance room?”
Qian Nuo: “???”
Wait what?!
What are you doing?!
Adult mute swans are heavy they can weigh over twenty jin (more than 10 kg).
These two had clearly lost weight recently, but they still had to weigh around fifteen jin (~7.5 kg) each.
There was no way they’d gotten light enough to be carried one in each hand like that.
What kind of arm strength was that?!
Wow, didn’t expect Sister Wen to be this strong.
Over ten jin is easy, my six-month-old baby weighs about the same.
Is no one going to praise how well-behaved the swans are?
Being held and tucking their heads into her shoulder my goodness, the emotional punch is unreal.
……
“Can the knob-billed swans go into the monitoring room?”
Wen Youning asked cautiously before entering.
“Uh…” Qian Nuo thought about the regulations there wasn’t anything that said yes or no.
And since no one else was in there right now, she simply said, “Sure, go on in.”
If it’s not explicitly forbidden, then it’s allowed!
Wen Youning found a chair and sat down.
Qian Nuo quickly moved to bring over two more chairs, placing them on either side of Wen Youning.
“You can put the swans on the chairs.”
That way, they could stay close to her.
Wen Youning said, “Thank you.”
“No no no, I should be the one saying thank you.”
Qian Nuo pulled over another chair, intending to sit with them,
but as soon as the chair scraped the floor, the two swans simultaneously raised their heads and stared at her.
She silently dragged the chair further away.
Alright then.
Not sitting together it is.
The surveillance footage isn’t publicly accessible.
Wen Youning being here was because Qian Nuo had given her a backdoor entry.
So the surveillance footage wasn’t shown in the livestream either after all, it could capture tourists, and not showing it avoided unnecessary trouble.
Wen Youning and Qian Nuo each took a screen, starting from different timeframes.
The swans’ depression hadn’t come on suddenly.
It was a process and that made it difficult to determine exactly when the eggs had been stolen.
Wen Youning thought for a moment.
“Did the egg thief come at night or during the day?”
“Woo…”
‘Saw it when it was dark.’
“At night? Okay.”
Wen Youning filtered out the daytime footage.
“Did you see any stars or the moon that night?
Was there anything bright in the sky when you looked up?”
The swans nuzzled into her arm and nodded.
‘We saw them.’
“Skip over foggy and rainy days.”
The weather couldn’t be identified through the surveillance, so when they came across non-clear days, they fast-forwarded through them.
Qian Nuo was still going through hers bit by bit.
Wen Youning, on the other hand, had already made it past half a month’s worth of footage.
Following Wen Youning’s logic, Qian Nuo also began filtering her own set of surveillance videos.
Luckily, the aviary had experienced incidents before, so security was tight.
Surveillance footage was only saved for seven days, and anything older would be overwritten.
What they were reviewing now were clips manually saved by the staff in advance.
“There’s someone.”
Wen Youning’s hand paused on the progress bar.
She double-clicked to zoom in on the area.
“Where did they come from?”
The earlier footage hadn’t shown anyone entering the aviary.
But the cameras near Bear Ridge had captured someone.
The nighttime footage had night vision,
but the equipment wasn’t top-tier the images were as bright as daytime.
That person had climbed over the fence and left the aviary in the dead of night, seemingly on purpose to avoid the cameras.
“Ah! I found it!”
Qian Nuo had pulled up footage from farther out in the park,
and now there was a clearer outline of the person’s figure.
There are security guards who patrol at night.
Other than that, unless necessary, staff usually don’t wander outside after hours.
So anyone moving around at night like that was clearly being intentional.
“Woo!”
‘Bad guy!’
Small animals have incredibly sharp senses.
Seeing the thief from its own memory,
the knob-billed swan reacted intensely, letting out a loud cry and opening its beak as if to peck.
Wen Youning wrapped her arms around its neck and gently patted its head.
“Good bird, I know it was him.
Don’t attack the screen if the monitor breaks, it’ll be harder to find him.”
While comforting the swan, she started recording all footage where the person appeared.
Even if the image was blurry, whether due to a dirty lens or a fleeting shadow of someone passing by,
she saved them all.
Save first, sort out the clearer ones later.
Just in case any key footage was missed.
Wen Youning only stopped when her phone showed a memory full alert.
There were still photos to go through, and she said,
“Let’s go to Bear Ridge and see if they remember anything.”
“Huh? That’s an option?”
Qian Nuo had never considered that route.
Bear Ridge was kind of far, with Golden Monkey Mountain in between it and the aviary,
who would’ve thought the thief might have passed through that way?
“Black bears are very smart.
They just can’t recall specific dates,
but they should still recognize if someone looks familiar.”
Wen Youning put down the swan and brushed some fluff off her clothes.
“The thief had swan eggs on them, which means they probably smelled like the swans.
The bears might be able to detect that.”
She figured it was unlikely the thief stayed long near the bears,
considering how dangerous they are.
But clues come from all over.
If the bear could recall a feature from the thief’s clothing at that time,
the trip wouldn’t be for nothing.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Qian Nuo looked at the swans.
“You guys go back to the little garden first, okay?”
The swans couldn’t leave the aviary, let alone go near where the bears lived.
After she said that, Qian Nuo received two unfriendly stares.
Qian Nuo: “……”
Staring at me won’t change the fact that I can’t take you with us absolutely not!
If something happened along the way, she’d be done for.
“You two be good and wait at home.
We’ll just make a quick trip and be right back.”
Wen Youning hugged both swans, speaking gently like coaxing a toddler.
So gentle.
I also lower my voice when I talk to little animals.
Who could bear to talk loudly to such poor little fluffballs?
……
“Woo…”
The swans looked sad and low in energy, letting Wen Youning hold them without a fuss.
That’s how they were brought back to the garden
Wen Youning cradled them and soothed them the whole way.
“Alright, down you go.”
It seemed like they had come to an agreement.
When Wen Youning set them down, they didn’t try to follow her out.
“Woo!” Nian Nian looked up.
‘Come back soon.’
“Okay, I’ll come back right after we visit the bears.”
Wen Youning patted each of their heads.
“Go on, rest for a bit.”
Qian Nuo looked enviously at Wen Youning interacting with the swans.
She had taken care of them for so long, and not once had they let her hold them like that.
Some people are just naturally loved by animals can’t help it.
They’re just lucky.
The gate to the garden was closed.
Qian Nuo sighed.
“That person might as well have appeared out of thin air.
The surveillance footage catches them in bits and pieces, like a ghost.”
Their zoo had pretty tight security, and still this person managed to sneak in.
“Is there anywhere nearby that sells food?
Like the kind visitors can feed to the animals?”
Wen Youning was thinking since they were going to ask the bears for help, they shouldn’t show up empty-handed.
It would be better to bring something to eat.
“There isn’t.
Feeding the black bears is strictly forbidden.”
There were only a few animals in the park visitors were allowed to feed.
Too many people ignored the rules, refusing to buy the meat sold by the zoo and throwing in chips or bread instead.
The bears were on the verge of developing fatty liver.
So the zoo put a total ban on feeding them, and since then has strictly controlled feeding in all areas.
Qian Nuo said, “But I have fish in my dorm.
Caught them from the little pond in the garden.
Some died, so I stored them in the freezer thinking I’d eat them later.
Would those be okay?
Some are still fresh and not frozen yet.”
“That works.”
Bears are omnivores.
Wild black bears even catch fish on their own, so feeding them fish shouldn’t be a problem.
“Then let’s stop by my dorm first.”
Just as she was speaking, a very faint meow suddenly sounded in her ears.
Qian Nuo froze in her steps.
There shouldn’t be any stray cats in the Aviary Park they’re deadly to the low-flying birds kept indoors.
So…
Qian Nuo took out her phone, and sure enough,
the flashing screen showed the pink nose of her own little cat.
“What’s wrong, Huahua?
Missing mommy?”
Qian Nuo turned the camera toward herself.
“Teacher Wen, look this is my little orange cat.
Isn’t it super cute?
I picked it out right away from that whole litter.”
“It’s very smart.
I set up surveillance communication, and when it misses me, it paws at the camera to call me.”
Since Qian Nuo usually doesn’t go home, the zoo’s staff dormitory is basically her home.
The kitten is raised right there.
“Meow…”
The little orange cat was curled up in front of the surveillance camera.
Its mouth was slightly open, with some drool coming out of the corner.
The meow sounded muffled.
‘Uncomfortable.’
‘My throat hurts.’
‘Unwell… mommy, I don’t feel good…’
The little orange cat pawed at its own face and breathed heavily.
“It’s saying its throat hurts.”
Wen Youning frowned and brought the phone closer, observing the kitten’s condition.
“It looks like something is stuck in its throat.”
“Huh?”
Qian Nuo was still showing off how cute her baby was.
When she heard Wen Youning say that, for a second, a thought flashed through her mind .
how could that be?
But that thought vanished quickly.
Her hand holding the phone began to tremble.
Wen Youning said, “Lead the way.”
Qian Nuo immediately stopped talking to the kitten on the screen and rushed ahead in a panic.
How did she see that?
I didn’t notice anything stuck in the kitten’s throat.
I remember seeing a post online about a kitten having a heart attack, trying to contact its owner through the monitor.
The owner didn’t understand, and by the time they got home, the cat was already stiff.
Luckily Wen-jie noticed the signs this time.
If they’d strolled back slowly, this little orange one might not have made it.
Hurry up, ahhh, I’m so anxious watching this.
…
Fortunately, the staff dorm was inside the Aviary Park, not far at all.
They ran back, and Qian Nuo quickly entered the password.
Just as she stepped halfway in, she abruptly pulled back and moved aside.
Wen Youning stepped in and scooped up the kitten in one swift motion while it was still dazed from choking.
The little orange cat didn’t resist clearly it was already very distressed.
Wen Youning held the kitten and placed a fist under the hollow of its chest.
Then she pressed inward and upward quickly.
The little orange cat opened its mouth uncomfortably.
The baby obviously couldn’t escape from Wen Youning’s grip.
A few thin wheezing sounds came from its throat.
Then Wen Youning suddenly applied strong pressure.
The kitten opened its mouth wide a thumb-sized piece of cat food flew out.
“Meow-aow!”
The orange kitten finally let out a proper cry.
“Meow!”
The kitten struggled to run away.
But then it suddenly froze.
It dumbly licked its nose.
‘It… it doesn’t hurt anymore…’
Only now did the little orange cat react.
“Meow-woo.”
In an instant, its voice became soft and sweet.
It tilted its head and bumped into Wen Youning’s chest, kneading her shirt with its little paws.
‘I’m saved.’
‘Hello, human.’
‘You smell nice.’
‘I like you.’
Qian Nuo’s heart had jumped to her throat.
Seeing the little orange cat return to normal, she finally let out a heavy sigh of relief.
But seeing how it was now fawning and sticking to someone else, she fell silent again.
She never knew it was so clingy!
It was always her who took the initiative to hug it!
Qian Nuo knelt down on one knee beside them.
“Teacher Wen, is Huahua alright now?”
“Mm.”
Wen Youning held the orange cat’s paw.
“It probably ate too fast and choked on the kibble.
Next time, buy one of those slow-feeder bowls made for pets, or switch to smaller kibble.
This kind of eating is too dangerous.”
The tabby at home is furiously spamming the report button after watching this livestream.
Hahaha, the tabby: Are you still coming home for dinner tonight?
First time I’ve seen a cat nearly choke itself to death while eating.
…
Qian Nuo nodded repeatedly.
“Come here, let mommy hold you.”
But the little orange cat was fully focused on nuzzling Wen Youning, not even lifting its head.
“Huahua? Huahua?”
The orange cat pretended not to hear and tried even harder to burrow into Wen Youning’s arms.
Little Orange: Don’t call me Huahua, I don’t want big sis to misunderstand.
Hahahaha, Wen-jie is totally the irresistible pet magnet.
Qian Nuo slapped her own forehead.
Fine, fine it felt like the whole world’s pets had abandoned her.
Resigned, she got up with a sigh and went to clean out all the kibble from the automatic feeder.
She didn’t have any other kibble at home,
so she’d use fresh meat packs for now.
She definitely didn’t want to go through something like that again today.
If Wen Youning hadn’t been there,
even if she had realized Huahua was choking, she wouldn’t have known what to do.
Qian Nuo also cleaned up the kibble that had been coughed out onto the floor.
“Teacher Wen, can you teach me that method you just used to make her spit it up?
I want to learn it.”
Preventing choking is one thing.
But knowing how to rescue her pet is a must, too.
“That was the Heimlich maneuver.
Humans can use it when choking on food, too.”
Wen Youning spread her hand over the kitten’s back.
“In general, you press both fists below the chest cavity.
For a kitten, one fist is enough.”
Qian Nuo listened attentively, trying out the motion with her own clenched hand.
More or less got it.
“Will one box of fish be enough?”
Qian Nuo had quite a few empty boxes in her dorm, leftovers from bird food shipments.
Still in decent condition.
Too wasteful to throw away.
And they wouldn’t sell for much either, so she just kept them for reuse.
Since she was using them within the zoo, not taking them outside,
it wasn’t considered stealing zoo property.
“That’s enough.”
Wen Youning set the orange cat on the couch.
“How many black bears are there in Bear Ridge?”
“Five black bears, and one brown bear.
All kept together.”
Qian Nuo pulled out the box’s extendable handle.
“Alright, let’s go find the bears.”
“Meep,” the orange cat mewed softly, reaching its little paw out to try and pull Wen Youning back.
Wen Youning gently poked its paw pad.
“I’ve got something to do.
I’ll come play with you when I’m free.”
“Mrow…”
‘You have to remember to come, okay?’
“Mm.
I will.”
Qian Nuo stood with hands on her hips,
grumbling in her head: I’m your real owner!!!
Can’t even bear to watch this anymore.
She reached out her hand.
“Mommy’s leaving now.”
The orange cat, licking its paw, looked up and nuzzled her palm.
“Meow~”
Qian Nuo’s little bit of resentment vanished in an instant.
She gave the kitten two big smooches before finally dragging the box of fish out the door.
Bear Ridge was just a name.
In reality, it consisted of a semi-open outdoor area and a non-public indoor zone.
During the day, the bears were usually out in the semi-open part for visitors to see.
But since it was summer, even with the AC on full blast, it wasn’t possible to keep the open area cool.
So the black and brown bears mostly lazed around inside.
Unless someone waved food at them, they wouldn’t bother to come out.
Qian Nuo climbed up onto the platform and looked down at the black bears.
She handed the fish box to Wen Youning.
“You can feed them directly.
I’ll go tell Bear Ridge’s keeper.”
“Alright.”
To make it all seem official and not like a random tourist throwing food,
Qian Nuo had brought an extra staff vest and draped it over Wen Youning’s shoulders.
So that other visitors wouldn’t get the wrong idea and start tossing things in too.
Wen Youning tugged the vest around her shoulders.
Thin as it was, it was barely thicker than a sunshirt.
“Hi!
Good afternoon, everyone.”
There weren’t many people braving the blazing sun to come watch bears most were looking at the indoor animals.
Wen Youning waved toward the bears inside.
“Want some fish?”
The black bears, sprawled on their backs, dozing, heard the voice.
One of them tilted its head when it saw that the voice came from a human.
Everyone unconsciously drew closer and looked up at Wen Youning.
She put on gloves, picked up a grass carp, and held it up.
As soon as the still-drowsy black bear saw the fish, it perked up instantly.
“Roar!”
The one closest to her raised a paw.
‘I want it! I want it!’
Wen Youning tossed the fish in.
But the bear that had raised its paw was a bit too slow catching it.
The brown bear next to it leaned in, opened its mouth,
and chomped the fish in one go.
The black bear froze mid-paw-raise.
“Rooooar—!”
‘You didn’t even raise a paw, and you get to eat??’
The scolded brown bear covered its head in shame…
…while continuing to chew the fish.
Furious, the black bear swiped a massive paw at it.
“RAWR!”
Hahaha, the black bear is pissed.
Black bear: Today you will not get both the fish and the paw!
Would one bear paw be enough, my friend? If not, here—have two.