Animal Detective

Chapter 172: Breakdown

By the crocodile pool.

Manager Yang Daoqiang lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "Officer, I got up this morning and checked last night’s surveillance footage. Yang Huixia was completely normal."

"Look, I even logged her activity times—when she did her patrols, when she went to sleep."

As he spoke, he pulled out a small notebook and opened it for Shen Xin to see.

Shen Xin broke out in a sweat, glancing quickly at the notes before hastily saying, "Manager Yang, you don’t have to do all this. We’re just conducting a routine investigation."

’He’s acting like some kind of underground intelligence operative.’

The key thing was, he was the manager and Yang Huixia was his employee. Acting like this could affect her job in the future.

How was she supposed to get along with her colleagues after this?

"I get it, I get it." Yang Daoqiang wore an expression that said ’I understand completely,’ then lowered his voice again. "Officer, you’re here to investigate her husband’s disappearance, aren’t you?"

"I asked our boss. He said Yang Huixia’s husband mysteriously disappeared two years ago."

He held up two fingers, a look of grim sympathy on his face. "He’s got to be dead, right? Maybe she’s the one who killed him."

"Don’t jump to conclusions. There’s no evidence of that."

Shen Xin said hurriedly. The case wasn’t solved yet.

"I get it, I get it." Yang Daoqiang still had that ’I understand completely’ look on his face and made a zipping motion across his lips.

He stayed quiet for less than five seconds before adding, "Officer, don’t tell me she killed her husband, dismembered the body, and then fed the remains to the crocodiles!"

He shuddered. "Why else would you be so focused on these two crocodiles?"

Shen Xin silently rolled his eyes.

’Dude, with an imagination like that, maybe you should be the detective.’

"That’s not it. We’re just doing a routine investigation," Shen Xin said, patting his shoulder.

"I get it, I get it."

Yang Daoqiang said hurriedly.

’What is it that you get?!’

Shen Xin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. When the keeper, Fu Jinbiao, brought over a bucket of frozen chicken carcasses, he climbed over the railing and jumped down into the crocodile pool.

He had told Yang Daoqiang he might have to come by often and would help feed the animals for free.

The manager didn’t ask why, just offered his full cooperation.

’Feels like this guy has a serious crime-solving addiction.’

Following Fu Jinbiao’s instructions, Shen Xin took a wooden stick and tapped it on the concrete ground.

Hearing the sound, the two crocodiles that had been hiding in the water immediately surfaced.

The female crocodile still had two bars of Affinity above her head.

Shen Xin tapped the stick and backed away, luring the two crocodiles out of the pool before he began to feed them.

The frozen chicken carcasses were mostly bone and clearly not very filling. Despite being fed yesterday, the two crocodiles were hungry again today. The female was a bit greedy and crawled straight toward Shen Xin.

Shen Xin suppressed his fear and let her approach.

’Two bars of Affinity should be fine.’

Sure enough, even when she was only half a meter away, she simply opened her mouth and waited to be fed.

The other crocodile, the male, watched from a safe distance.

Shen Xin tossed one to him first, then picked up another, plucked up his courage, and placed it in the female’s mouth.

She swallowed it in one gulp.

Steeling himself, Shen Xin slowly reached out, preparing to pat the crocodile’s snout.

’So what if it’s a crocodile? With this Affinity level, I can still pet it.’

But the instant his hand was about to touch her nose, she suddenly snapped her jaws shut.

Shen Xin reflexively snatched his hand back and bolted in terror.

He ran to the edge of the pool, then turned his head and saw that the female crocodile had only closed her mouth, making no further movements.

Above the pool, Yang Daoqiang and Fu Jinbiao were stony-faced, struggling to hold back their laughter.

Shen Xin felt a headache coming on.

This creature was really different from a cat or a dog.

Even when cats and dogs went wild, a person could handle it.

But if a crocodile went wild, bit your arm, and did a death roll, that arm would be gone.

Shen Xin didn’t dare test his luck again and just obediently fed the rest of the bucket of frozen chicken carcasses to the two crocodiles.

The male still wasn’t full.

It took another whole bucket before they were satisfied.

Shen Xin noticed that the female crocodile’s Affinity had increased by one bar.

It always rose quickly at the beginning.

An icon had also appeared over the male crocodile.

’There’s progress, but it’s a little slow.’

’If I keep cultivating it slowly like this, I might not even reach the second stage within a month.’

It was impossible to interact with them like cats, dogs, or parrots.

The risk was too great.

And that matchmaking method Broo suggested didn’t seem workable either.

This pair lived together day in and day out; what need was there for him to interfere?

Shen Xin climbed out of the crocodile pool. That was all he could do with the crocodiles for today.

He went to feed other animals.

For example, the pony.

The park had a six-year-old pony, a common Shetland pony.

Horses are generally intelligent animals that are close to humans and capable of affection.

Ponies were no different—they were clever and nimble, and some people were even said to keep them as pets.

This pony was a palomino color, with a particularly long mane.

According to Yang Daoqiang, it was an old veteran of the park and loved interacting with children.

The park also offered pony rides around a track.

This little guy was much friendlier than the crocodiles. Shen Xin entered the paddock and approached the pony, whose name was Shitou.

It was a stallion, and it noticed Shen Xin right away, trotting over to sniff at his pant leg.

Shen Xin offered it a carrot, and immediately, an Affinity icon appeared above its head.

’Now this is a born people-pleaser.’

’Too bad it’s a short-leg. If it were a tall, strapping horse, a couple of laps should be enough to rapidly increase its Affinity.’

Just as he was thinking this, an employee ran over from a distance and told Yang Daoqiang that Yang Huixia was arguing with a tourist.

Shen Xin followed them to see what was happening.

There weren’t many visitors today, but the park wasn’t large, so the argument had drawn a crowd.

Yang Huixia was arguing with a couple who had a young boy with them.

When they arrived, the boy’s mother was aggressively shouting that she was going to call the police.

Yang Daoqiang immediately turned to look at Shen Xin.

The police were right here, after all.

Since the manager was looking at him, what else could Shen Xin do?

One look at the monkey clinging to Yang Huixia’s leg and Shen Xin guessed what had happened. He walked over, intercepted the mother, and identified himself.

"You’re a cop?"

She eyed him suspiciously, her gaze falling on his rubber boots.

"Of course."

Shen Xin showed his badge.

The mother was still skeptical, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it. She pulled her son forward and pointed at his arm. "Officer, look at this! The monkey scratched my son! It’s bleeding! What if it leaves a scar?"

Shen Xin glanced at it.

There were indeed two marks, oozing slightly with blood. Claiming it would leave a scar was a bit of an exaggeration.

The boy was chubby and wore an unconcerned expression.

"And her."

The mother pointed at Yang Huixia and yelled, "She actually said it has nothing to do with her! She claimed my son kicked that damned monkey first and that’s why he got scratched. My son is so well-behaved, why would he kick a monkey?"

"And what’s with her attitude? My son is the one who’s hurt, and she hasn’t even apologized."

Yang Huixia retorted, "I did apologize."

"You call that an apology? With that dead-fish face? Who are you trying to intimidate with that look?!" the mother immediately shot back.

"Alright!"

Shen Xin held up a hand to interrupt her, pointing to a nearby security camera. "Ma’am, the park has surveillance cameras. If you have any doubts, we can review the footage. As for your son’s injury, let’s get it taken care of."

"If you’re still not satisfied, you can negotiate a resolution with the park management. Look, everyone is watching. Let’s take care of the child first."

Yang Daoqiang immediately stepped forward and said the park had a medical office.

The boy’s father also began to persuade his wife.

She finally relented. But as she was about to leave, she suddenly pointed at Yang Huixia and cursed, "You look like a mother yourself. How do you usually teach your child? To shirk responsibility?"

"Don’t say any more."

Her husband hurriedly tried to stop her.

Yang Huixia’s expression changed drastically. She pointed at the woman and snarled, "You say that one more fucking time."

Her colleagues on either side quickly grabbed her.

The mother was stunned for a moment, then shot back, "Watch your filthy mouth! And was I wrong? Look at you! It’s clearly your fault, yet you have the nerve to deny it. What good habits could your child possibly learn from you?"

"Ma’am, you need to calm down."

Shen Xin immediately stepped between them and rebuked her.

’She’s crossed a line!’

Held back by her colleagues, Yang Huixia pointed at the other woman, her lips trembling with rage.

She suddenly let out a piercing scream.

Then she sank to the ground, clutching her head and screaming again and again, as if trying to vent all the pent-up frustration and resentment in her heart.

Everyone around was startled.

After a few screams, Yang Huixia abruptly looked up, tears welling in her eyes. She pointed at Shen Xin and cried, "I’ve said it a hundred times, a hundred times! What more do you people want?!"

"I didn’t kill him! He was my husband! I loved him! Why would I kill him?!"

"Why don’t any of you believe me?!"

She stared intently at Shen Xin, her voice a loud accusation.

Shen Xin froze, watching the emotionally shattered Yang Huixia, speechless for a long time.