I raise furry animals and fly them to my motherland.

Chapter 280 Animal Kingdom Traffic Police

After these taimen emerged one after another, they gradually formed a school, and even their swimming postures became synchronized. They maintained their group formation by adjusting their body postures, much like a wolf pack hunting cooperatively.

Xu Ying gained a deep understanding of this group of "freshwater wolves".

However, she soon discovered that something else was being pushed up from the bottom of the lake!

Upon closer inspection, Xu Ying realized that what had been pushed ashore by the fish was actually a plastic barrier.

The plastic barrier was pushed under the ice layer where Xu Ying was, by the taimen's thrashing.

The lead taimen grandma spoke up: "[This board is already placed under the ice, and my children and grandchildren are currently supporting it from below.]"
[If the ice cracks, my son and grandson will hold you up with plastic sheets over your head, so don't worry.]
Beneath the ice, countless taimen, perched atop plastic boards, created a "temporary safe island" for Xu Ying.

The taimen is a large freshwater fish, with the largest weighing up to 50 kilograms, heavier than Xu Ying, and measuring one to four meters in length. So many large, thick-skinned fish were supporting the plastic sheet.

Xu Ying could feel the fragile ice beneath her becoming more solid.

It felt like something had gently bumped into her heart, leaving a warm and throbbing sensation.

For the first time, Xu Ying thought a group of fish was so cool!
She couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, you guys are so cool! You make me feel so safe!"

When Grandma Tailfish heard Xu Ying's praise, her tail practically flew to the sky.

Come on, chat with me for a bit. I'm so curious about your human world.
No need to worry about the ice cracking and falling into the water, Xu Ying immediately nodded: "Just ask me anything!"

The taimen pouted upwards: [Are there fish in that lake above us? What do they look like? Can they live to be 100 years old like us taimen?]
"That lake above my head?" Xu Ying looked up in confusion. Above her was a clear blue sky with fluffy white clouds. She quickly realized that the taimen mistook the sky for a lake.

The fish's perspective is quite interesting!

Xu Ying explained with a smile: "The sky is above us. There are no fish, but there are birds. Water vapor on the ground rises into the sky and forms rain."

[Oh, I see. I noticed it was raining occasionally above us, and I thought the lake above us was overflowing and splashing water on us.]
The taimen's tiny eyes held a huge question mark: [Then why do you two-legged creatures always stand by the water and do strange things? Are you performing some kind of mysterious ritual?]
Xu Ying quickly understood that it was referring to tourists taking photos by the lake: "This human behavior is called taking photos to check in."

"We humans have an instrument that can record and freeze the moment. We can print it out on small pieces of paper so that we can remember this moment forever."

The taimen kept asking a lot of questions, and Xu Ying patiently answered them all without getting annoyed.

[Then why don't you humans eat plankton and prefer to eat us big fish?]
Xu Ying scratched his head: "Because we have many vegetables on land, which taste better than plankton. Plankton is not even enough to fill our teeth, while big fish meat is much firmer."

The taimen seemed to understand, but not quite: [Oh, I see. Then when I'm about to die, I'm willing to give myself to you to eat.]
Xu Ying was taken aback by the taimen grandma's enthusiasm and selflessness, and quickly refused. "No, no, I don't really like eating fish."

Just then, a huge ripple spread across the lake, and a nearly two-meter-long, strong-looking taimen surfaced:

[Great-great-grandmother! We found the device that the two-legged creature was talking about!]
Xu Ying was immediately excited upon hearing this good news.

She first asked for the approximate location of the instrument so that the otter divers could get directly to the vicinity of the destination: "In which direction is the instrument approximately located?"

The taimen's head was facing northwest. [Swim in this direction until you reach that broken ice layer. There are many ice shards near that large ice layer; it's roughly in that location.]
At this point, Taisun the taimen said with difficulty, "[It's a bit far from where we are now; it's sunk to the bottom of the lake, and we can't move it.]"
"No problem, just send out the divers I hired!"

Xu Ying said in a pleading tone, "I need to ask three otters for help later. I need one of your members to be a guide and lead them to the location of the instrument."

"Is that acceptable to you?" She immediately added, "The otters won't compete with you for food; we already fed them when we were on the shore."

Grandma Tailubber was very satisfied with Xu Ying's companionship and generously said, "Of course, no problem! I can even have my children and grandchildren catch a few fish to treat them!"
[However, this only applies to today, because it's out of consideration for Station Master Xu.]
"Grandma is so generous!" Xu Ying was amused by Grandma Tailuo's words.

She used a walkie-talkie to signal Zhang Yongfeng on the shore: "Captain Zhang, we can send out the Otter Special Forces!"

"Okay, let's get started!"

Zhang Yongfeng received Xu Ying's signal and was thrilled; the instrument's location had been found!
The otter family of three had eaten and drunk their fill and were full of energy.

Upon receiving the signal to support Station Chief Xiao Xu, they climbed onto the ice with comical gait.

Unlike Xu Ying, who walked cautiously on the ice, the otter family of three glided across the ice like professional skaters, sliding a long distance on their bellies with incredible speed.

Xu Ying took out a brightly colored small flag from his pocket and waved it to point out the location of the instrument to the otters.

"Over there, in that direction!"

"You've gone too far! Brake!"

—"Stop! Stop!"

Xu Ying waved the small flag in her hand frantically, waving excitedly.

Hearing Xu Ying's shout, the three otters that had slipped off course quickly used their front and hind paws to brake, turning around and scrambling back onto the ice.

[Station Chief Xu, we saw a huge taimen blowing bubbles.]
Xu Ying breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes, yes, this is it!"

The scene of Xu Ying commanding the otter special forces was quite comical, which eased the tension among netizens.

[Station Chief Xu looks like an animal traffic cop!]

[I'm laughing so hard I'm dizzy! Xu Ying is practically swinging the flag around like a whirlwind.]

[A single operation like this, if done at the train station, could get two hundred taxis.]

The otter divers found the right diving spot.

Xu Ying spoke to the rescue team over the walkie-talkie: "We can send the program's drone to deliver ropes to the otters."

The drone used by the production team to deliver supplies was launched, and a long rope with a hook at one end was lowered into the air.

The otter family of three all looked up at the fallen rope, then looked in Xu Ying's direction, puzzled.

"When you go into the water later, the taimen will take you down to where the equipment is."

Like a worried parent, Xu Ying instructed, "You mustn't fight."

(End of this chapter)