I raise furry animals and fly them to my motherland.

Chapter 328 I Dedicate Oil to My Motherland

That evening, Xu Ying heard the sound of claws pounding on the door. When she opened the door to the rescue station, her breath caught in her throat.

Under the bright moonlight, dozens of pairs of gleaming beast eyes shimmered in the snow. Agile figures crouched or stood, their silver-gray fur adorned with black spots, resembling ink plum blossoms blooming in the snow.

Her mountain rescue station was surrounded by an entire snow leopard corps.

The male snow leopard at the front slowly stepped forward; it had a piece missing from its left ear, clearly indicating that it had been through a brutal battle.

"[Station Chief Xu,]" its voice was deep and firm, "[All the eighteen snow leopard families from the Western Mountains that could come have come.]"
Xu Ying's fingertips trembled slightly. She took a deep breath and recounted the cruel acts of the nobles of the Northern Desert Kingdom in hunting snow leopards, and explained in detail the dangers of cross-border operations.

We are not afraid.
We are not afraid!
[Don't be afraid!]
The low growls of the snow leopards echoed through the silent snow-covered mountains. The one-eared snow leopard approached Xu Ying, its icy blue eyes staring directly at her: "[Every snow leopard pelt hanging on the walls of the nobles of the Northern Desert Kingdom could be a long-lost brother of mine, or the mother of one of my cubs.]"
It turned to look at its people behind it, ["We live in comfort now, while our compatriots suffer in another place; it's truly heartbreaking."]
A young female leopard gently nuzzled Xu Ying's hand: [We wanted to bring them to see what a real home should be like—a snowfield where they can run freely, without worrying about being hunted, and...]
It paused, its tail rubbing against Xu Ying's trouser leg: [A human like you who would shed tears for us.]
Suddenly, the sound of wings piercing the night sky came from behind.

The golden eagle leader, leading his raptor squad, swooped down: [Run with confidence, snow leopard brothers! We'll scout out enemy positions for you and help you evade the hunters.]
Looking at the resolute figures under the moonlight, Xu Ying finally burst into tears. Trembling, she opened all the storage containers at the aid station: [Come on, eat and drink your fill.]
Her voice was already choked with emotion, "[I'm waiting for you all to come back safe and sound.]"
The snow leopards did not set off immediately.

They tacitly formed a circle, protecting Xu Ying in the center, and raised their heads to let out a long howl that reverberated through the valley.

This is the most solemn oath of the snow leopard clan, representing that not a single one will return unharmed.

The distant snow-capped peaks echoed with a thunderous roar, as if the entire Western Mountain range was bidding farewell to this special expeditionary force.

*
Five days later, the border was shrouded in morning mist.

After training with the assistance of Xu Ying and other staff members.

A "vanguard" of twelve Przewalski's horses stood in neat formation, followed by a professional convoy of animal protection organizations carrying medical equipment and supplies.

The Snow Leopard Commando members lay in ambush in the shadows of nearby rocks, while the Golden Eagle-led raptor reconnaissance team was already circling in the clouds, ready to act.

Xu Ying stood at the front of the group, attaching specially made positioning collars to each wild horse.

Her fingers were trembling slightly, but she still forced a smile: "I'm sorry, I can't go with you this time."

The lead wild horse lowered its head and gently nuzzled her shoulder: [Don't worry, you've taught us how to protect ourselves.]
It flicked its mane. [Besides, you have more important things to do—you need to prepare a new home big enough for us.]
The snow leopard leader leaped down from the rock: [When we bring back our brethren, you'd better prepare double the amount of jerky.]
It deliberately bared its fangs, but couldn't hide the tenderness in its eyes.

In the sky, the golden eagle let out a clear, resonant cry: [Let's go!]
Xu Ying stood there, watching this special "expeditionary force" gradually disappear into the distance. The sound of wild horses' hooves thundered, the snow leopard's figure disappeared into the morning mist, and the wings of birds of prey pierced the sky.

She touched the cool, dampness on her face and whispered, "They all have to come back safe and sound." The wind swept across the grassland, carrying a distant reply: [Station Chief Xu, we made a promise—]
*
The days of waiting for the "expeditionary force" to return were filled with anticipation, tension, and fulfillment.

That day, Xu Ying, who had just finished an operation, stood at the entrance of the fluffy animal hospital and stretched.

[Station Master Xu!!]
A hurried shout came from afar. Xu Ying looked up and saw the gerbil boss rushing towards her in a great hurry. The little guy was running too fast and tripped over a pebble, falling flat on his face with a "plop".

"What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?" Xu Ying quickly squatted down.

The gerbil elder, panting heavily, crawled to her feet, his little chest heaving: [Something terrible has happened! My cousins, while digging a new burrow to the northwest, have unearthed something incredible!]
Xu Ying frowned: "What is that?"

[A dark, sticky liquid,] the gerbil gestured with its paw, [seeping from the burrow wall, and it smells awful!]
It paced anxiously in circles, [Several cubs have fallen ill after coming into contact with it, coughing incessantly! The chieftain specifically sent me to ask for your help!]
"A black, viscous liquid?" Xu Ying's heart tightened. In this desert region, this could very well be...
"Take me to see!" She immediately turned around and rushed into the house, quickly packing up the first aid kit, and also specially packed a few sampling bottles and a portable pollutant detector.

After trekking for nearly two hours under the scorching sun with the gerbil leader, Xu Ying's forehead was covered in sweat, and her back was soaked through. But she didn't bother to wipe it away, and just followed closely behind the young guide.

"We're here!" The gerbil leader suddenly stopped in front of an inconspicuous sand dune. [The cave entrance was deliberately hidden behind that clump of camel thorns.]
Xu Ying crouched down and carefully examined the hole that the gerbil leader had pointed out. "Can we dig this hole open and take a look?" she asked.

The gerbil leader nodded vigorously: [Dig! We must dig!]
She immediately took out her phone and dialed Qi Xiao's number: "Boss Qi, I've found a suspicious source of pollution in the Northwest District. I need you to bring excavation equipment over."

In less than half an hour, Qi Xiao arrived with his engineering team in a flurry of activity.

With the roar of the excavator, the opening was quickly widened.

When they dug to a depth of about three meters, a pungent stench suddenly filled the air.

"Stop! Stop it now!"

Xu Ying shouted and rushed to the edge of the pit. He saw a thick, black liquid seeping out of the soil, glistening eerily under the blazing sun.

The gerbil leader darted onto Xu Ying's shoulder: [This is it!]
It angrily waved its little paws, ["My cousins ​​started losing fur and vomiting after they dug it up, and the little ones are coughing terribly!"]
Qi Xiao put on protective gloves and carefully dipped them into the black liquid.

He first rubbed it between his fingers, then brought it closer to smell it carefully, and his brows gradually relaxed: "It's crude oil."

A glint of light flashed in Qi Xiao's eyes, "Moreover, judging from the seepage, there is very likely an oil deposit below!"

(End of this chapter)