I raise furry animals and fly them to my motherland.

Chapter 319 Until death do we part
In the morning light, Xu Ying's hands were covered in blood, yet she remained as steady as a rock as she bandaged Bai He's wounds.

"Drones are strictly prohibited from being flown in desert protected areas without approval." Xu Ying's voice was low and restrained, but it couldn't hide the anger within.

When her fingertips touched the broken bone fragments of the white crane, her eyelashes trembled slightly, as if the pain had spread to her as well.

“Especially using drones to observe birds up close,” Xu Ying gritted her teeth, the gauze in her hand quickly turning red, “this is practically murder!”

Sunlight shone on her taut profile, revealing the tear tracks still wet at the corners of her eyes.

The white crane's severed limbs were a bloody mess, with the stark white bone fragments glaringly exposed to the air.

Xu Ying's voice began to tremble: "What's even more hateful is the perpetrator. How could he..."

The words caught in her throat, and she took a deep breath, “After using a drone to sever the white crane’s legs, not only did they not immediately contact the rescue station, but they also ran away!”

Qi Xiao helped her hand over tools from the medical kit, saying, "We must catch this selfish and cruel perpetrator and make him suffer the punishment he deserves."

[Ouch!] The white crane weakly touched Xu Ying's wrist with its beak, the icy touch sending a shiver down her spine.

Despite its severe injuries, its mutilated body stubbornly crawled toward the reeds.

I need to go home and bring food to my wife and children.
They're still hungry.
Despite its severe injuries, the white crane's long beak was still trying to pick up the small fish and shrimp that had slipped out of its mouth.

Xu Ying followed the white crane's gaze and faintly heard the chirping of fledglings coming from the reeds in the distance.

Her gaze fell on the shocking bloodstain on the ground—a trail of blood more than ten meters long that stretched from the lake shore to the sandy ground here.

At that moment, she understood everything: even after suffering such a severe injury, this white crane still remembered to bring food to its family, and used only half of its body to endure the excruciating pain and crawl such a long distance.

Qi Xiao silently walked towards the helicopter, retrieved a delicate little shovel, and squatted down.

He carefully scooped up the small fish and shrimp scattered around the white crane's beak, his movements gentle.

As he walked toward the reeds, he deliberately shuffled his feet, afraid of disturbing the white crane's family in the reeds.

Qi Xiao quietly placed the small fish and shrimp near the white crane's nest, then tiptoed away.

“Don’t worry,” Xu Ying said softly, gently smoothing the white crane’s ruffled feathers with her fingers. “We will take good care of your family.”

Her voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable firmness.

[Can you understand me?]
The white crane's weak voice was filled with disbelief and surprise. It raised its head, and a faint light shone in its obsidian-like eyes.

“Yes,” Xu Ying nodded, sunlight dancing in her hair. “I am a beast language master and the director of the desert animal rescue station.”

She pointed to a helicopter not far away, its "Furry Rescue Team" paw print logo gleaming on the fuselage. "Don't worry, I will definitely find the culprit who hurt you."

The white crane nodded gratefully, a single, glistening tear sliding down its cheek: "[Thank you.]"
Its voice was so weak it was almost inaudible.

"Would you like to come back to the hospital with us for treatment?" Xu Ying asked softly, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the medical kit. "We will do our best to help you recover."

Her gaze swept over the white crane's wounds, and she was already devising a treatment plan in her mind.

[Can it really be cured?] A glimmer of hope flashed in Baihe's eyes, but it quickly dimmed again.

It tried to move its crippled legs, and immediately trembled with pain. "You must be taken to the hospital immediately," Xu Ying said firmly, her voice filled with unwavering determination. "Based on the preliminary assessment, we can fit you with carbon fiber prostheses."

But suddenly, the white crane struggled to look at the reeds, its voice filled with anxiety, "What will happen to my family?"
It stretched its neck, trying to see what was happening deep in the reeds. [It must be hard for his wife to take care of three children alone.]
Xu Ying followed its gaze and saw the silhouette of a female crane faintly visible in the reeds, vigilantly guarding its nest.

Xu Ying's heart was suddenly gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

She recalled the unwavering nature of white cranes throughout their lives; even on the verge of death, this male crane's greatest concern was still ensuring his family's basic needs were met.

“Don’t worry,” she promised softly, her voice slightly choked with emotion, “we will bring your whole family to the hospital to take care of you.”

Thank you so much!
Tears welled up in the white crane's eyes. It finally relaxed and gently rested its head on Xu Ying's arm.

The roar of the helicopter rotors echoed through the desert. Xu Ying knelt by the cabin door, carefully placing the white crane on a specially made animal stretcher. Its feathers were soaked in blood, and its severed limbs were wrapped with temporary bandages to stop the bleeding, rising and falling weakly with its breathing.

Qi Xiao knelt on one knee to the side, his arm muscles tense, firmly holding the edge of the stretcher to prevent it from being injured by the turbulence during helicopter takeoff.

"Slow down," Xu Ying said softly, her fingers gently stroking the white crane's neck, feeling its cool body temperature and faint pulse.

Qi Xiao adjusted the stretcher's straps to ensure it wouldn't slip, then quickly got up and strode towards the cockpit.

He put on his headset, pressed the communication button, and spoke in a deep, clear voice: "Area control, Fox-One is requesting emergency flight clearance, mission code Alpha-9, Casualty transport."

A calm reply came from the other end of the radio: "Fox-One, flight path cleared, altitude limit 300 meters, wind speed suitable, takeoff cleared."

"Received." Qi Xiao replied briefly, then pushed the control stick, and the helicopter slowly took off.

Xu Ying quickly dialed Director Yi's communicator; the sound of propellers could be heard in the background.

"Director Yi, we are returning to base. An adult white crane is seriously injured. Its legs have been severed by the drone, and it has lost a lot of blood. It needs immediate surgery!"

She spoke quickly, but every word was clear and forceful.

Director Yi's calm voice came through the communicator: "I understand the situation. I'll make preparations immediately."

A while later, Director Yi replied:
"Three veterinarians and the operating room are ready, and the 3D-printed carbon fiber scaffold has also been deployed."

Xu Ying felt a little relieved.

Director Yi's voice remained calm. "Also, what about its family members?"

The Siberian crane is one of the crane species with the longest migration distances. They usually travel in family units, and the migration is long and arduous, generally exceeding 5,000 kilometers.

Xu Ying replied, "The female crane and the three chicks are still in the reeds. Qi Xiao has marked their location and will send a car to pick them up."

"Okay, come back as soon as possible, and be careful on the road."

After the communication ended, Xu Ying looked down at the white crane. Its eyes were half-closed and its beak was slightly open and closed, as if it was enduring pain.

She gently stroked its feathers and whispered, "Hang in there a little longer, we'll be at the hospital soon."

The helicopter swept across the desert and sped toward the furry animal hospital.

(End of this chapter)