I raise furry animals and fly them to my motherland.

Chapter 169 Grave Robbers

[We've found a big guy who's injured!]

The serval stopped the car, its amber eyes filled with anxiety. [A camel with two humps on its back has injured its front leg and is crashing into the fence near the hospital construction site!]

Wild Bactrian camels?

Xu Ying's heart tightened.

The Bactrian camel of Xizhou is an extremely endangered species, even rarer than the giant panda. How could it have appeared alone near the rescue station?
She climbed onto the back of the motorcycle. "Let's go, let's go back and check!"

The serval nimbly jumped onto the car.

The motorcycle bumped along the rough, gravel road.

Ten minutes later, Xu Ying saw the enormous thing—

An adult male Bactrian camel, over two meters tall at the shoulder, with dark brown fur covered in sand.

It was violently ramming its body against the iron fence surrounding the hospital construction area, making a chilling thud.

A gruesome wound on the left foreleg of the Bactrian camel continued to ooze blood as it moved.

[It has been ramming like this for ten minutes.]
The little sand cat, nestled to one side watching the camels, paced anxiously in circles. [We dared not approach, fearing it would be stressed.]
Xu Ying nodded, slowly walked towards the camel, and said softly in a soothing voice, "What trouble have you encountered?"

[I am an animal rescuer who specializes in rescuing animals. I can understand animals. Can you tell me about your difficulties?]

I will do my best to help you.
Upon hearing this, the Bactrian camel looked at Xu Ying with its large, dark eyes, appearing pitiful and helpless.

[A masked man...diggered a hole...took things away...and made me carry them.]
[I escaped; my companions were kidnapped!]
"Is someone digging for something in the desert?"

Xu Ying wondered, "Are they tomb raiders?"

The Bactrian camel let out a deep grunt, seemingly indicating its approval.

Xu Ying's heart raced. The vast, historically rich desert was dotted with numerous ancient city ruins, some discovered and some yet to be found.

The theft of cultural relics has always been a persistent problem.

Camels have excellent memories, especially excelling in desert survival. They can remember water sources and routes dozens of kilometers away and still find them years later. They can also recognize their companions, keepers, and even be wary of those who have harmed them. Furthermore, they remember the locations of predators or dangerous areas and actively avoid them.

Camels have a clever brain; their brain structure supports long-term memory, helping them survive in harsh environments.

If the Bactrian camel really did go to the tomb-robbing site, then finding those tomb-robbing villains wouldn't be difficult!

Xu Ying first disinfected and bandaged the camel's wounds.

The setting sun dyed the desert a golden red, and the hot wind swept the fine sand across Xu Ying's cheeks.

She knelt beside the injured camel and gently stroked its trembling front legs.

"Don't be afraid, it will be over soon."

She spoke softly as she took out iodine from her medical kit.

The camel gave a low groan, its wet eyes reflecting her image. Perhaps sensing Xu Ying's reliability, it surprisingly did not struggle.

As the cotton ball soaked in medicine was applied to the wound, the camel's muscles tensed sharply, and its breathing became heavy. Xu Ying steadied its leg with her other hand. "Bear with it." Her movements were quick and gentle; the iodine foamed up on the wound, washing away the sand and blood.

As she was being bandaged, the camel suddenly lowered its head and nuzzled her shoulder, its rough fur brushing against the side of her neck, as if it were thanking her.

After tightening the last loop of gauze, Xu Ying patted its sturdy neck: "You've worked hard, holding on for so long."

The camel nuzzled against her palm.

"Can you take me to where those guys dug the hole?"

Xu Ying asked. The Bactrian camel used its trunk to indicate its wound:
[Sure, but only after my leg injury heals.]
Xu Ying pondered for a moment, "It's alright, you can rest and recover at the shelter. Just give me the general directions."

After communicating with the Bactrian camel, Xu Ying named it Shanfeng (Mountain Peak).

On the third day, Xu Ying got up early to prepare his expedition equipment: plenty of water, GPS, camera, satellite phone, and a sturdy old-fashioned compass.

When she entered the enclosure, she was surprised to find that Shanfeng was already able to stand and walk, and his wounds were healing at an astonishing speed.

Shanfeng saw her and nodded: [Station Chief Xu, I'm ready!]
"Do you want to go today?" she asked the camel.

The mountain peak bent its long neck and gently pushed her backpack with its head, clearly indicating its agreement.

I'm in a hurry to find my friend.
Camels are highly social animals, and their companions are like comrades-in-arms to them. When separated from their companions, they will show obvious separation anxiety.

Xu Ying rode his motorcycle and slowly made his way into the desert, using a long rope to pull the mountain peak along.

At first, the camel walked very slowly, but as it went deeper into the desert, it seemed to become more and more energetic, occasionally tilting its head back to sniff the air and guide its way.

Two hours later, they arrived at an area that Xu Ying had never set foot in before.

The sand dunes here have bizarre shapes, appearing as if they were sculpted by an invisible hand, displaying wavy patterns.

The mountain peak suddenly stopped and emitted an uneasy groan.

"A dangerous smell here."

Xu Ying turned off the engine, got out of the car, and took out binoculars from his backpack.

Scanning her surroundings, she noticed something unusual about the side of a mountain peak about 500 meters away—the sand was a noticeably darker color than the surrounding sand, as if it had been disturbed.

She approached cautiously, but the mountain peaks gripped her clothes, preventing her from moving forward.

“It’s alright, I’ll go take a look,” she reassured, but the camel’s eyes were full of vigilance.

As the distance shortened, Xu Ying's heart beat faster and faster.

It was indeed a man-made hole, about one meter square, with footprints and cigarette butts scattered around it.

The entrance was roughly covered with planks and canvas, but one corner had collapsed, revealing the dark entrance.

"My God!" She covered her mouth in surprise; this was definitely a tomb raiding scene!

Xu Ying took out her camera and began taking photos as evidence, while simultaneously observing her surroundings for any signs of thieves. The desert was eerily silent, with only the faint sound of the hot wind rustling through the sand.

She hesitated whether she should approach the cave entrance to investigate, but the mountain suddenly emitted a sharp warning sound, and she pressed her ears back against her head.

Xu Ying immediately lowered her body—she had learned to trust the instincts of animals.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, the roar of an engine could be heard in the distance.

Xu Ying quickly pulled Shan Feng to hide behind a sand dune and peered through a gap.

An unlicensed SUV drove up and stopped near the cave entrance.

Three men got off the bus, two of them carrying bulging backpacks.

"Hurry, go down one more time before the wind picks up."

A man wearing a baseball cap is speaking.

His voice was hoarse, "The boss said there's something else on the east wall."

“This place is really eerie,” another skinny man complained. “Yesterday, Old Ma said he heard someone crying down there, and he was so scared he dropped all his tools.”

"Shut up! This job will be enough for you to live on for half a year," the man in the baseball cap snapped.