NOVPUBChapter 295 -295: Brother, Making Extra Money?
The Forest Protection Captain had been in the forest conservation field for twenty years, and it was the first time he had seen a lion pride only harm people’s hands and feet.
It wasn’t that the lions had suddenly become smarter, someone must have given them a tip.
Unlike the professors, the forest protection team members were all locals who firmly believed in certain legends. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝖈𝖔𝔪
When the team members moved those three people, the lions surrounded one of the female lions in the middle.
That male lion craftily sat next to her, pressing down on her tail, which almost provoked the female lion to kill her mate.
After the Forest Protection Team’s vehicle left, Professor Careyes glanced at Xilla but before she could speak, Ava came over and gently tapped her thigh.
“Ava, is that you, Ava?”
Professor Careyes knelt on one knee and carefully looked at the lion’s large head.
Ava had a scar at the corner of her eye, left from an injury she had sustained.
Careyes pressed her face against Ava’s, choking up for a while.
“Ava, I’m satisfied seeing you well. Go on, lead your pride and live well.”
Although the male lion was the leader, in reality, the female lions in the pride held the power.
Ava was the elder sister of the other two female lions and Xilla’s mother, holding an indisputable authority within the pride.
The male lion yawned nonchalantly.
Running around had made him hungry.
He yawned and whimpered playfully, another female lion called out to Xilla, and the two female lions stepped into the jungle to find food for the pride.
Chen Ying’s eye twitched watching this.
He knew that usually male lions enjoyed the fruits of the females’ labor and only protected them when absolutely necessary, but hearing and seeing it were different matters.
In Jiamu Gully, such male beasts would be beaten badly by the females.
Not hunting to provide but daring to enjoy the wives’ attending, maybe your skin is itching for a scratch?
But this was West Africa, a far cry from Jiamu Gully, his lion life depended on it.
Chen Ying watched the upset female lion, hesitating briefly before shamelessly sidling up to her.
“I’m sorry, stopping you earlier was my decision.”
The female lion turned away, presenting her backside to him.
“Look, if you had killed those people, they would have had an excuse to kill you. But by not killing, you can, well, you know.”
The male lion tilted his head to look at him, while the female lion pricked her ears and couldn’t help but swish her tail.
In places where law and morality are lacking, only the primitive laws of the jungle apply.
Chen Ying knew his actions were somewhat inappropriate, so he was whispering to the female lion behind the professor’s back.
While Ava and the professor were still bidding each other farewell, Chen Ying took the opportunity to move back to the vehicle and exchanged a glance with the driving assistant, climbing into the vehicle under the assistant’s scrutinizing gaze.
The professor quickly got on the vehicle, and they left the place.
By the time Xilla returned, Chen Ying was nowhere in sight.
Even the most delicious big antelope couldn’t attract Xilla, who stood on a tree stump, roaring in the direction where Chen Ying’s scent had vanished.
Chen sat in the vehicle, feeling as if he could hear the lion’s roar carried on the wind.
He looked back but saw nothing but the vast forest.
“Would you like to stay?” Professor Careyes took the opportunity to extend an invitation.
“No, I’m sorry Professor, maybe later, but not now; I still have research unfinished and some young ones waiting for my treatment back home.”
Professor Careyes laughed heartily.
“I’m very grateful for the help you’ve provided to my team. As a token of my gratitude, I’ll send you a small gift which you will receive when you get back.”
Professor Careyes’s crow’s feet deepened with her laugh as she discussed the recent fight with the poachers.
“Those guys are pitiful, but that’s no excuse for harming other creatures. Our research on the West African lions is just beginning, from understanding their pride size and range of activities to their diet and mating behaviors, all require scientific study.”
As she talked about her research, Careyes’s eyes sparkled.
“Chen, we need your help, and you can contact us anytime if you’re willing.”
Not only his medical skills but also his affinity for animals were something Professor Careyes had never seen.
It was fair to say that without Chen Ying’s help, it would have been impossible for Xilla to return to the forest so quickly.
“I’m glad you appreciate my help, Professor. If you need my help, feel free to email me anytime. As long as it’s feasible, I will not decline.”
Professor Careyes knew that national conditions differed and she couldn’t force him.
But as Chen had said, she could email him if necessary.
Furthermore, although she primarily studied lion prides, she also had classmates and friends who might be able to help Chen one day.
Friendship, after all, is built on mutual aid, not one-sided demands.
Back in the village, Chen Ying got out of the vehicle, seeing the members from the two senior vehicles also resting nearby.
He didn’t go over to chat, excusing himself to change clothes and headed straight to his room.
Professor Careyes seemed slightly annoyed and spoke a few words to the leading individual who immediately apologized.
“Listen, Chen isn’t what you think; he is a gentleman and a genuinely talented individual. You need to maintain respect for him.”
Seeing Professor Careyes’ stern expression, the leader immediately promised to heed the advice.
“This matter is not urgent. As far as I know, he is a member of a government agency in his country and cannot randomly accept tasks. So I will use Panthera’s channels to help you extend an invitation. You can also contact him yourselves.”
The leader thought for a moment, then agreed to Professor Careyes’ suggestion.
“This is not urgent, my suggestion is that you can first send an email, informing him of the situation to see if he is willing to accept your invitation.”
“Okay, thank you for your generous guidance, Professor. We will leave now. These are Chen’s reparations; I think he might not want to see us right now. Please express our apologies on our behalf and pass these on.”
Professor Careyes nodded and stepped aside to let them through.
Two cars quickly left, vanishing at the end of the dusty road.
When Chen Ying came out, the professor was analyzing with students and team members.
“Chen, this is the reparations those guys gave you, which I accepted on your behalf. It’s a rare piece of good equipment; I think you’ll need it.”
The box was opened, revealing a set of finely made surgical equipment designed specifically for animal heart surgery.
Chen Ying really couldn’t bring himself to refuse.
He had wanted a set of surgical tools like this for a long time.
Money was an issue, but access was an even bigger one.
Returning it was out of the question; he could only reluctantly accept it.
Chen Ying lovingly placed the instruments back in their spot and closed the box, trying to lift it.
It wasn’t heavy, just the size and weight of a small twenty-inch suitcase.
His flight was departing tomorrow at noon, so he needed to head to a hotel near the airport today.
The professor was too busy to take him personally, so he had his most reliable assistant drive Chen Ying to the airport.
The assistant was a man of few words, but he was dependable.
Upon getting out of the car, he said thank you to Chen Ying in slightly stilted French.
“Thank you for protecting them.”
Chen Ying understood his meaning and replied with a smile, “No, they protected themselves.”
The assistant smiled subtly, his white teeth flashing momentarily.
The atmosphere among the professor’s team was positive; if he ever built his own team, Chen Ying wanted it to be like the professor and his members, trusting and supporting each other.
After staying in a hotel for one night, when he arrived in the waiting room the next day to board his flight, he unexpectedly saw Ding Wen approaching him.
“Senior Brother Ding? Weren’t you going to that symposium? Still not heading back?”
“What nonsense are you talking about? I returned and then came out again.”
Ding Wen sat next to him, placing his hand on his shoulder and scrutinizing him as though he was observing a gorilla.
“Stop that, it gives me the creeps.”
Chen Ying brushed his hand off and carefully placed the box he was holding aside.
The box needed to be checked in for return, but he was a bit worried about the local airline and hadn’t yet decided how to handle his treasured items; he wasn’t in the mood for idle chatter with Senior Brother Ding.
Ding Wen’s envious gaze swept over the box.
Anyone practicing veterinary medicine would want the highest-end equipment.
Although the set wasn’t one of those super-expensive ones worth tens of millions, it was worth millions and was customized not available for purchase.
Only Junior Brother Chen, this lucky fellow, was unaware—truly enviable.
Ding Wen, familiar with the local conditions, took the initiative and checked in their luggage.
Perhaps because both were carrying Hua Country passports, or maybe due to the box’s discreetly luxurious family crest pattern, when they disembarked, Chen Ying didn’t care about anything else; he just wanted to make sure his baggage had returned with him.
Fortunately, the goddess of luck was on his side.
After rechecking the box, Chen Ying’s smile widened again.
Just then, his phone alerted him to a new email.
When he opened it, it was from Professor Everett. Two female lions had brought a young gazelle calf to their camp, dropped the prey, and after Female Lion Xilla checked each tent and confirmed Chen Ying was not there, she roared defiantly and left without looking back.
Professor Everett’s frustrated face appeared on camera.
“Chen, you’ve hurt me; next time, you need to teach me your needle technique exclusively. Also, I might visit your country soon for a forum exchange; I hope we can meet then.”
Chen Ying still had a positive impression of this gentleman.
The professor was more receptive to traditional medicine than expected, and he and his wife were genuinely protecting the lions.
After Ding Wen retrieved his luggage, he didn’t hurry to leave but rather, pulled Chen Ying to a nearby hotel to check in.
“What are you doing? I have to leave tonight; going back and forth wastes too much time.”
“What’s there to fear? Now that we’re back in our country, who could possibly kidnap and sell you?”
Ding Wen slapped Chen Ying’s shoulder, “I really have something to discuss with you; it’s inconvenient over the phone or email, so we need to talk face-to-face. If it’s not urgent, can you reschedule your flight?”
Chen Ying stared at him for several seconds, “You first tell me what’s going on, then I’ll decide whether to reschedule or not.”
“Making extra money, are you coming?” Ding Wen leaned in close to his ear and whispered mysteriously.
“Heh, no.”
To abandon his beloved animals for money? Please, Chen Ying isn’t that desperate for money.
