167 Chance Encounter and "Chance Encounter" (Explosive Update!)

"Yes, alright, record the video on camera, and then cut open that black bag to inspect it."

Team Leader She nodded immediately upon hearing this, and then began gesturing for the others to get to work.

Seeing this, Du Ruo also stepped closer. He was actually quite curious about what was inside. Ever since he had dispatched the two poachers, the little creature inside had not settled down for even a moment.

This aroused Du Ruo's curiosity; what kind of animal could be so fierce, and perhaps the reason those two poachers had resorted to murder was somehow connected to this little creature.

As the black bag was snipped open, a thick, heavy scent of blood mixed with a foul odor drifted out from within.

Once the bag was completely opened, its contents were fully revealed before everyone's eyes.

"Hiss... These two bastards, they really... No wonder they were willing to kill to silence witnesses."

With the bag opened, Team Leader She could not help drawing a sharp breath. He frequently hunted down poachers and had a relatively good understanding of these illicit trades, but seeing what was inside the bag made even him want to curse.

"Quickly call the wildlife protection department, and you guys grab the cages and rush these two lynxes off for medical treatment."

The most eye-catching creatures in the black bag were a large and a small lynx. The smaller one appeared to have been anesthetized, its tongue lolling out as it remained fast asleep.

Meanwhile, the larger one had its limbs bound with plastic zip ties and its muzzle sealed shut. The anesthesia had apparently worn off, and it was constantly writhing inside the cage, continuously slamming its head against the iron bars.

It did not stop even when its body was covered in injuries from the impacts; fur and blood from the lynx were smeared everywhere inside the cage. It was only when the black cloth was cut away and the larger lynx caught sight of the smaller one that it finally calmed down a fraction—at least, it stopped slamming itself against the bars.

Seeing this, Team Leader She hurriedly arranged for someone to make the call and simultaneously ordered men to carry the two cages out.

"These are lynxes, exceptionally ferocious, sometimes called little tigers. Their fur is extremely precious, and overseas, live specimens fetch astronomical prices. Those damned scoundrels, they'll do anything for money."

Team Leader She watched as two armed police officers carefully lifted the two cages and sprinted toward the outside before turning back to speak with Du Ruo.

"Would it be too slow for them to run out like this? Do I need to help? I can cover ground very quickly."

After a moment of hesitation, Du Ruo spoke up. Those two lynxes from earlier were quite pitiful, after all.

"No need. Once they go a bit further, an all-terrain vehicle will come to pick them up. Besides, the wildlife protection team is also bringing medication over, so no time will be lost."

Team Leader She shook his head, explaining the arrangements to Du Ruo. He then squatted back down beside the black canvas bag to inspect the other items while introducing them to Du Ruo:

"These are wild musk pods, harvested from wild musk deer. There are eight of them here, which means the perpetrators slaughtered eight precious, first-class protected animals."

Of course Du Ruo knew what musk was. On the market, wild musk was priced by the gram, and even unprocessed, its value far exceeded an equivalent weight in gold.

Next, Team Leader She introduced the remaining items in the black bag, which consisted of various animal pelts and precious body parts of wildlife.

Looking at the massive bag, one could easily imagine how unbridled these two men had been in the mountains, slaughtering countless protected creatures.

Protected animals are vital not merely because they are rare, but because their existence profoundly impacts the ecosystem. Such unbridled poaching inflicts unseen yet far-reaching devastation upon the natural balance.

Seeing all this, Du Ruo did not know what to say; he only pressed his lips together in silence. Initially, he had killed the two men because they were murderers.

Strictly speaking, they had no personal grievance with him, and when he was lying in the grass earlier, he had even wondered whether what he did was right. But now, it was clear that neither of these men was wrongly accused.

Du Ruo was not an extremist animal rights activist, but he loved nature. When he saw a clouded leopard eating a squirrel or a black bear feeding on a musk deer, he wouldn't interfere because that was simply the ecosystem at work. However, the actions of the two men before him crossed a line he could never accept.

"Master Du, how are you holding up? Are you injured?"

Just as the scene fell into a brief silence, Xing Anming's voice rang out from the distance. He had run all the way over, breathing heavily, his clothes soaked through with sweat. Catching sight of Du Ruo from afar, he immediately started asking questions.

"I'm fine, just waiting for you guys to arrive."

Du Ruo felt a genuine touch of warmth seeing Xing Anming so worried; Xing Anming was truly a good person worth befriending.

"As long as you're okay. Team Leader She, thank you for your hard work. The technical investigation comrades have all arrived, so I'll go arrange their tasks."

Xing Anming wiped away his sweat before beginning his handover with Team Leader She.

"Captain Xing, I'm a bit tired. Can I leave first, or do I need to stay and give a statement or record a deposition?"

Having witnessed the various illicit goods inside the massive bag, Du Ruo was in a rather low mood. Seeing Xing Anming getting busy, he posed the question, having no intention of lingering here with these people for no meaningful purpose.

"Oh right, take this—a power bank. You... if you're tired, head back to Gangzi Village first. I'll have someone give you a ride back. Just don't wander too far over the next few days, and try to keep your phone accessible. I'll arrange a time for the statement later."

Recalling the situation, Xing Anming pulled a power bank from his pocket and handed it to Du Ruo, arranging for someone to escort him out.

Du Ruo did not refuse, following the escort out of the forest. Passing by the spot where he had encountered the black bear, Du Ruo glanced over; there was only a patch of blood and some animal remains left. Presumably, with so many people around now, that black bear must have already departed.

By the time Du Ruo took a vehicle back to the small wooden cabin in Gangzi Village, nearly two hours had passed.

Feeling somewhat exhausted, Du Ruo grabbed his toiletries, headed down to the river to clean up thoroughly, and then called Xiang Yuanyuan to brief her on the situation. He downplayed the events significantly when speaking with Xiang Yuanyuan, focusing mainly on the black bear and casually mentioning that he had run into a couple of poachers, omitting the rest.

Once the video call ended, Du Ruo collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

As Du Ruo slept, his body emitted rhythmic, snoring sounds akin to a resting tiger. The noise was not harsh, fitting quite harmoniously into the ambiance of the small cabin nestled near the mountain forest.

Du Ruo slept straight through until nearly noon of the following day.

During that time, Uncle Xiong, knowing Du Ruo had returned, brought over some food and dishes. However, hearing the heavy snoring coming from inside the cabin, he decided not to disturb him and left with the meals.

"Ah～ A sleep like that feels amazing!"

Du Ruo sat up from the wooden bed and stretched, his bones cracking and popping like firecrackers for a good while before finally subsiding.

"Young man, you're awake! You sure slept deeply. Must've worn yourself out in the mountains these past few days. Come on, here's some food, dig in."

Just as Du Ruo pushed open the wooden door, Uncle Xiong appeared carrying a large basin. Without standing on ceremony, he handed the basin directly into Du Ruo's hands.

"Thanks, Uncle Xiong. I wasn't really tired out, but sleeping in the mountains isn't very comfortable, so I just happened to catch up on some good rest yesterday."

Du Ruo didn't stand on ceremony either; he took the bowl, picked up his chopsticks, and began to eat.

"Alright, go ahead and eat. I'll head back first. Just leave the bowl right there when you're done, I'll come pick it up when I have time."

Seeing Du Ruo eating with such relish, Uncle Xiong smiled and walked back toward his home.

"Take care on your way back, Uncle Xiong," Du Ruo called out, then continued devouring his meal in large mouthfuls while pulling a bottle of tiger bone wine from his backpack, happily eating and drinking.

With his stomach full and satisfied, Du Ruo took the rare opportunity to practice a set of boxing forms outside the cabin.

Having no immediate destination or tasks in mind, Du Ruo grabbed his phone and started walking up into the mountains.

Ever since arriving here, Du Ruo had grown increasingly fond of embracing nature. Interacting with people always stirred up emotional fluctuations within him, whereas in the mountains, his state of mind remained utterly tranquil.

"Rustle, rustle, rustle..."

As soon as Du Ruo entered the forest, he began jogging swiftly. After about ten minutes, he suddenly heard the sound of friction against tree bark. It was quite loud, and Du Ruo guessed a large animal must be rubbing itself against a tree. Instantly, his interest was piqued; as long as it wasn't a wild boar, he was eager to go and exchange pleasantries with whatever creature it was.

"Rustle—snap, snap!"

Advancing a bit further, the noise grew louder, interspersed with crisp cracking sounds that made Du Ruo subconsciously slow his pace.

"..."

Stepping out from behind a tree trunk, Du Ruo spotted an animal ahead, though at first glance, he found it rather familiar.

Standing beneath a tree opposite Du Ruo was a black bear. It was standing upright, rubbing its back against a massive tree trunk as if scratching an itch. With one paw, it was pressing down on a stick to crush open some spiny green chestnuts; whenever a chestnut popped out, the bear would pick it up, pop it into its mouth, and crunch down happily, thoroughly enjoying its meal.

"!!!"

At that moment, the black bear's snout twitched. Snapping out of its culinary bliss, it raised its head and locked eyes with Du Ruo standing right across from it.

"Plop..."

In a fraction of a second, the fresh chestnut the black bear was holding dropped straight to the ground. Reflexively, it stopped scratching its back, clamped its hind legs tightly together, and slapped both paws down to cover its groin.

"Oh, it's you. What brings you over to this side of the mountain?"

Du Ruo had only found it vaguely familiar at first, but seeing the black bear's defensive posture, he instantly remembered—this was none other than the alpha bear he had previously kicked in the crotch.

Speaking casually, Du Ruo took a couple of steps forward and looked up. It was a chestnut tree, and plenty of chestnuts had fallen onto the ground, presumably harvested by the bear after climbing up.

"Roar—"

The black bear let out a whimper, dropped onto all fours, and turned to flee, not even daring to roar loudly.

"Hey, don't run off. Go ahead and finish eating. Once you're full, we can spar a bit more. I promise I won't kick you down there this time."

Walking over, Du Ruo blocked the black bear's path and spoke in a negotiating tone.

To his surprise, the bear curled itself into a tight ball, shielding its chest and groin while looking up at Du Ruo with an expression of pure, pathetic resignation, as if to say: *Just beat me if you want.*

This left Du Ruo utterly speechless. He hadn't expected the bear to be such a coward, unwilling to put up any fight at all.

Meanwhile, down on the streets in a completely different neighborhood, Yellow-Hair and White-Hair had also run into each other.

Calling it a chance encounter wasn't quite accurate; to be precise, White-Hair had deliberately brought his crew over to block Yellow-Hair's path.

Accompanied by two beautiful women, Yellow-Hair had just stepped out of a Western restaurant. With his arms around both women, he strolled along while flirting with them.

"Yo, traded up for new ones again? Gotta hand it to you, the women you find always look high quality. How about sharing them with your buddy for a spin?"

White-Hair appeared from out of nowhere, followed closely by several of his underlings.

As White-Hair spoke, he spread his arms wide and swaggered side to side. As he closed the distance, noticing the two girls in Yellow-Hair's embrace, he even reached out to stroke one of their cheeks.

"Look, are you ever going to drop it? I've already told you, that demolition project is never going to be yours."

A dark expression crossed Yellow-Hair's face at White-Hair's gesture, but he managed to restrain himself. After speaking, seemingly to add weight to his words, he tacked on:

"Besides, I'm just lending my name to the project anyway; transferring it isn't something I get to call the shots on."

His tone sounded almost like he was backing down.