Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 346 Escape

The third day of the Lunar New Year is an auspicious day, and there are no taboos regarding any activities.

Early in the morning, the mother tortoiseshell and the money tree disappeared without a trace, leaving Lin Ge alone at home to take care of the child.

As the three little guys grew older, they became increasingly mischievous and troublesome. Mainly, having spent so much time together, the three little rascals were no longer afraid of Lin Ge. The little hawksbill turtle was a bit better, but the little tabby and the snowclaw tabby, when they got naughty, completely disregarded Lin Ge's commands. Only when Lin Ge got angry and gave them a good beating would they behave for a while. But if Lin Ge let his guard down even slightly, the two rascals would run straight outside, clearly unwilling to stay at home.

That day, Li Yiduo and Li Siyu also went back to the police station for their shift. They spent the whole day together and surprisingly didn't encounter any police calls, which was quite lucky.

The relationship between the two progressed rapidly, and the teasing from everyone in the office made Li Siyu blush. It's just a pity that Li Yiduo has gone astray. The once aloof and handsome guy is now just like Zhu Jun, laughing and joking, completely ignoring his colleagues' teasing.

The fourth day of the Lunar New Year was another day of taking care of the kids.

For some reason, the mother hawksbill turtle and the money tree have been going out early and coming back late these past few days, so Lin Ge took the three little guys to Huang Qi's place and asked him to give them three free feline triple vaccines.

Meimei seemed to be in a pretty good mood, not as bad as Huangqi had described. But she absolutely couldn't mention the white cat; as soon as it was mentioned, Meimei would turn around and cause trouble for Huangqi, finding fault with everything she could to make things difficult for him.

Incidentally, Lin Ge saw the three newly neutered male dogs at the shop. They were all in good spirits, wearing Elizabethan collars and lying in their cages, meowing as soon as they saw Lin Ge, seemingly quite aggrieved.

Huang Qi had already planned to send them back to the villa tomorrow, and then bring three more cats over to continue playing with eggs. This guy seemed to treat it as a fun activity, his cheerful expression making Lin Ge's hair stand on end, especially when the rascal kept staring at his backside. Lin Ge was so scared he dared not stay near Huang Qi anymore. Finding a moment to give Huang Qi a good beating, he quickly led the three little guys and quietly slipped away.

And so, the day passed.

For the cat, the New Year seemed no different from any other day. The only difference was that the streets were a bit busier, and the police station was a bit busier than usual. Xie Hua, on duty, was pestered for most of the day by an old lady who had bought "Nine Walnuts" (a type of soda). The matter was only barely resolved when the old lady managed to get a free case of "Six Walnuts" from the small supermarket. Thirty yuan for two cases of drinks—the old woman's cheerful expression left Xie Hua utterly exasperated.

However, judging from the supermarket owner's nonchalant attitude, it seems... he didn't lose much on this deal.

Lin Ge found this quite interesting.

On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the mother hawksbill turtle and the money tree finally stayed indoors.

Lin Ge noticed some fresh wounds on the money tree, and the female hawksbill turtle also looked like it had been in a fight, with a small patch of fur missing from the tip of its tail. He wondered what the two of them had been up to these past two days, and why they hadn't even allowed Lin Ge to follow them, which puzzled him greatly.

However, both of them were big cats, so Lin Ge didn't need to worry about them. Lin Ge was finally able to have a day of peace without having to take care of the kids, so he hurriedly ran out of the police station and headed to Luo Jue's house.

But surprisingly, Luo Jue's door was closed.

Lin Ge called him and learned that he had just taken his mother to the hospital for a check-up that day. Regrettably, he couldn't wish the guy a Happy New Year, so Lin Ge continued wandering aimlessly. Then he saw a bus with the 'Zoo' stop written on it, and Lin Ge suddenly realized he hadn't seen the two little lynxes for a long time. He'd heard Nie Guoqiang say the zoo was under renovation, but he wondered what the current situation was.

Fortunately, the zoo wasn't too far away, and Lingo strolled there leisurely, arriving at his destination quickly.

The zoo is undergoing internal renovations and is not open to the public during this period. However, because of this, there is only one security guard at the gate, and Lin Ge easily slipped in.

During the Chinese New Year holiday, most zoo staff were on vacation, and renovation work had been suspended. However, many traces of construction could still be seen inside the park. There were mountains of various materials piled up at the main entrance, and there were also some landscape trees that were ready to be transplanted, which made Lin Ge wonder if there was a problem with planting trees in the middle of winter.

Furthermore, due to the weather and the lack of staff on duty, almost all the animals had been driven indoors, and the small gate leading to the yard was closed. Lin Ge could see the alpacas, antelopes, deer, and various small animals, all feeling extremely stifled inside. When they saw a cat roaming freely outside, they barked in discontent, making Lin Ge even more smug.

However, due to the Lunar New Year holiday, staff were on leave and took turns on duty, leading to a lapse in hygiene at the zoo and an unpleasant odor in the surrounding area. Lin Ge held his breath and quickened his pace, arriving at the enclosure where the lynx babies were kept.

Upon arriving, it was immediately apparent that part of the area had been renovated. Glass fences had been installed around some of the animal enclosures, completely separating them from visitors. This was naturally much safer than the previous wire mesh. However, this also meant less interaction between the animals and tourists. Lin Ge immediately spotted two small creatures sunbathing on a tree branch, their lazy demeanor enviable, and they had grown considerably larger than before.

"Whoa!"

Little Timid spotted Linko first and immediately barked excitedly. It quickly jumped down from the tree and approached Linko, barking at him through the glass wall, but then became frustrated because it couldn't reach him.

Little Muddlehead seemed to have become quite lazy. When it saw Lin Ge, it just lazily waved from afar before slowly climbing down from the tree. It pressed its head against the glass wall and looked at Lin Ge until Lin Ge also pressed the tip of its nose against the glass, only then did it show a satisfied expression.

"Whoa!"

Little Darling was still anxious, circling the glass wall several times but unable to find a way out, so she could only cry out to Lin Ge in frustration.

"Sigh! There's nothing I can do!"

Lin Ge sighed, feeling quite annoyed. The glass fence did increase security, but it also prevented him from getting close to the two little ones. He hadn't seen them for so many days, and being separated by glass like a prisoner was truly unsatisfying.

Looking up, he was relieved to see that the lynx enclosure was still covered by barbed wire, so it wasn't completely enclosed. Lin Ge then climbed a nearby tree, navigating the intertwined branches of several trees to reach the roof, where he crouched on the barbed wire.

The two lynxes quickly climbed up the tree in the yard and rushed to the base of the wire fence. They stretched out their claws through the mesh and scratched at Lin Ge, who reached out and touched them, which finally calmed them down a bit.

So for the entire morning, Lingo squatted on the wire mesh, talking to the two little guys, listening to their whimpering complaints and various antics.

It's clear that, aside from losing their freedom, the two little guys are doing quite well at the zoo. Compared to their thin and frail appearance when I first saw them, they're now plump and strong, resembling adult lynxes. Moreover, the two little ones aren't lonely, keeping each other company. After playing with Lin Ge for a while, they get bored and run down to roll and play in the dry grass. The timid one keeps climbing up and down trees, seemingly in a very good mood. The silly one stays by Lin Ge's side, enjoying the cool breeze and sunshine with him, and eventually, he even falls asleep on a treetop, leaving Lin Ge feeling both helpless and gratified.

In short... I brought them out of the deep mountains and traveled hundreds of kilometers to Zhangzhou City. Now that they seem to be doing well, I can rest assured.

After playing with the two little ones for a while and then letting them take a nap, Lin Ge finally turned his attention to the leopard enclosure across the street.

Surprisingly, the magical leopard didn't show up this time.

Lin Ge had been fortunate to have its help with the last case at the zoo, and he vividly remembered the creature's elusive nature. But this time, several hours had passed since Lin Ge arrived, and the leopard's cage remained completely still, which puzzled him greatly.

He jumped to the top of the leopard enclosure and looked down, but found nothing. If that guy wasn't an expert at hiding, he must be holed up indoors hibernating! Lin Ge was a little disappointed, but didn't dwell on it; they'd meet again many times in the future.

As afternoon approached, the yawning animal keepers began preparing food for the animals. Lin Ge decided not to disturb them any longer, and after saying goodbye to the two lynx cubs, he quietly left.

The two lynxes were used to Lingo's hurried comings and goings, and only let out two regretful and aggrieved cries before their attention was drawn to the young zookeeper who came over with a bucket.

"Tsk! Life locked in a cage! Although carefree, it's ultimately not suitable for me."

As Lin Ge left the zoo along the path, he glanced back and sighed, inexplicably feeling that his current lifestyle was pretty good, before strutting away with his tail between his legs.

He vaguely heard some exclamations halfway through, but he didn't take it seriously.

However, early the next morning, Lingo heard news that he could not believe.

The leopard has gone missing!
Disappearance, or perhaps a prison break, are both possibilities!
In short, when the zookeeper went to feed the leopard yesterday afternoon, he found it wasn't in its enclosure. After calling its name several times without response, he assumed it was just acting up again, hiding somewhere to scare people. However, when the zookeeper took over the shift that evening, he discovered the food in the leopard enclosure hadn't been touched at all—something impossible for an animal! They immediately searched the enclosure but couldn't find any trace of the leopard. They quickly called for more people to search the entire enclosure thoroughly, confirming that the leopard wasn't there. A gap had also appeared in the overhead wire fence, proving it had a way to escape. The entire zoo was in complete panic; the threat posed by an escaped predator was unimaginable. Especially during the Lunar New Year, if news broke of an escaped wild animal killing someone, Zhangzhou Zoo would be finished.

So the zoo management quickly summoned all the staff, whether they were on duty or resting, back to the zoo and searched the entire zoo thoroughly overnight.

However, even after thoroughly searching the entire park, no trace of the leopard could be found. Even all the park's surveillance cameras failed to detect anything unusual. Could it possibly be hiding from the cameras? Absolutely impossible!
Judging from the fact that this was likely caused by human intervention, the zoo had no choice but to call the police.

When a wild animal escapes or a protected animal is stolen, the city police naturally have to handle the matter. The city police dispatched a large number of people to search the vicinity and also checked all the surveillance footage around the zoo, but still could not find any trace of the leopard.

In this situation, we can either conclude that the leopard has the ability to disappear without a trace, or we can only conclude that it was taken away by someone.

During the Lunar New Year holiday, the entire Zhangzhou Municipal Bureau was bustling with activity.

However, a problem arose: the police dog squadron's dogs were rendered useless at the zoo. The presence of numerous ferocious beasts, their scent, and their threatening nature terrified the six police dogs from the Zhangzhou City Police Dog Squadron. While not to the point of running away in terror, they were timid and fearful, and thus disobeyed orders. After all, this was a biological instinct, and it couldn't be blamed on the dogs themselves, but it left Chen Song and Yuan Qu in a particularly awkward position.

Whether searching for objects or finding live animals, police dogs are indispensable. So, Li Mei had no choice but to call the Zhanghe Police Station to seek help from that incredible police cat.

"Huh? The leopard has gone missing?"

Lin Ge was stunned when he heard Nie Guoqiang's words.

After listening to Nie Guoqiang's account, Lin Ge's first reaction was that it was absolutely impossible! That leopard was the most cunning and intelligent Lin Ge had ever seen, second only to himself. How could such a creature, capable of subduing a criminal without being detected, be taken away by someone? Even if the suspect could evade all the surveillance cameras inside and outside the zoo, how could he possibly subdue such a large cat weighing seventy or eighty kilograms?

So Lin Ge's first reaction was still that the leopard was playing tricks on him again. He had expected that the glass fence wouldn't stop it. But the fact that it had exposed the secret passage puzzled him.

Without thinking twice, Lin Ge hurriedly followed Nie Guoqiang back to the zoo.

More than a dozen police cars were parked at the zoo entrance, creating an even more dramatic scene than when they arrested Xiao Yang and his gang. After all, Xiao Yang and his gang posed little threat to ordinary people, but who knew what a naive leopard might do?

Lin Ge quickly found a group of police dogs.

These guys were temporarily housed in the aviary, far away from the predator enclosure. But looking at these six cowardly good-for-nothings, Lin Ge was furious. They were such a disgrace to him as their leader, you bastards!
"Wang Woo!"

Upon seeing Lingo, both Qiqi and An'an wagged their tails excitedly, finally having a leader to back them up.

The two heroes looked extremely ashamed. As the only two dogs who still had any sense of shame, they felt very guilty about their defeat in battle today.

"Hehehe... Mimi, I still need to ask you for a favor."

Chen Song and Yu Rong stood awkwardly to one side, both looking utterly humiliated. The fact that the three of them, along with the six police dogs, had been abandoned at the aviary signified the city bureau's resigned attitude that they could no longer be expected to contribute anything.

"Forget it! It's normal to have this kind of experience the first time. You won't be scared after you get used to it a couple of times."

Lin Ge sighed and walked towards the animal enclosure.

"Wang!"

Quietly barked, indicating that it was very dangerous over there and that the boss should come back quickly.

"Useless trash, keep up!"

Lin Ge turned around and gave Jingjing a fierce glare, which immediately silenced her.

The six police dogs looked at each other, then at the police cat leader who was walking proudly at the front. After hesitating for a moment, they obediently followed.

The sense of security provided by their leader allowed them to temporarily ignore the terrifying odors emanating from their nostrils. The fear ingrained in their blood was masked by the courage and protection offered by the little police cat before them, allowing them to regain some semblance of normalcy.

Even so, finding the unique scent of a leopard in such an environment where the scents of countless wild beasts are mixed together is still an extremely difficult task for them.

The other police officers from the city bureau, busy with their work, frowned but remained silent when they saw the police dogs approaching again. Mainly, the police cat that had led the way was truly renowned, earning them far more trust than the others.

Moreover, police cats and dogs, with their keen sense of smell, are definitely more adept at finding animals and people than humans. The leopard has been missing for an unknown period, so finding it as soon as possible is crucial.

"Woo~"

Upon arriving at the animal park, Qiqi Guai Guai tucked its tail between its legs in fear, and its quiet steps slowed down. Even the most composed hero showed hesitation and vigilance.

Lin Ge didn't have time to comfort them, after all, they had to overcome this difficulty on their own.

He quickly arrived at the edge of the leopard enclosure, glanced at the two lynx cubs who were quite frightened by the large crowd and the commotion, and secretly watched them from inside the enclosure. He shook his head, signaling the two silly little creatures not to run out.

"Whoa!"

The eager little fool was pinned down by the timid little one, and let out a pitiful cry that attracted the attention of the police outside, who quickly shut up in fright.

Lin Ge ignored them and entered the leopard enclosure through the open door on the side. He closed his eyes and patiently sniffed the stench of the filthy old leopard's excrement and body odor to see if there was any unusual smell.

But as expected, there were no strangers' scents or traces in the leopard enclosure.

Adding to the fact that there was a hole at the top of the three-meter-high glass wall where it connected to the wire mesh roof, it was clear that only the leopard could have slipped out from there. Lin Ge climbed to the vicinity of the hole but didn't smell any strangers. The only traces of the leopard's various scents from its repeated entries and exits were the faint, distinct smells left behind. Clearly, in the days since the glass enclosure was installed, that bastard leopard had been happily darting in and out.

"So... it was discovered by someone with ulterior motives?"

Following the leopard's manner of emerging from the cave, Lin Ge leaped onto a nearby tree branch amidst the expectant gazes of the police. He then mimicked the leopard's scent trail, climbing from tree to tree, perfectly avoiding all the surveillance cameras below.

"So... your zoo's surveillance cameras are only used to monitor visitors? You've never considered the possibility that an animal might escape from a tree?"

Yang Ye looked speechlessly at the zoo leader, whose face was full of embarrassment.

"Who would have thought it could escape from its cage? And surely it wouldn't have stayed in the tree the whole way! Look how far apart those two trees are, unless it knew that this thing was a camera, why didn't it come down from below?"

The beer-bellied deputy director, sweating profusely, struggled to explain himself.

(End of this chapter)