"If you dare to make false accusations again, I will immediately report your words and actions to the investigation coordination team and our country's foreign affairs department!"
A triple blow! Every sentence hits the nail on the head!
The anger on the foreign expert's face was instantly replaced by astonishment and a hint of panic.
He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to refute, but when his gaze fell upon the phone in the lawyer's hand, which already had a recording prompt, and upon seeing An He's fearless eyes, he ultimately dared not utter another word.
His face flushed red and then turned pale. In the end, he just glared at her fiercely and shut his mouth in a huff.
He turned around and walked quickly back to his team's circle, as if trying to escape the embarrassing situation that had instantly put him in such a predicament.
Experts from other countries around them silently lowered their heads, pretending not to see anything.
Xia Zhining calmly tightened the zipper of her winter coat.
Round one, a complete victory.
Now, it's time to get to work.
Anhe watched Xia Zhining calmly handle the conflict from behind and couldn't help but exclaim "Wow!" in his heart.
This young girl, though young, has a remarkable presence and sharp mind; she's truly impressive.
Xia Zhining ignored the gazes behind her. She crouched down, put on gloves, and carefully examined the penguin and seal carcasses with a magnifying glass.
As she looked at it, her brows furrowed.
“No,” she said, pointing to the mud and sand clinging to the webbed feet of several penguins and a distinctive dark red algae. “Look at this.”
"The penguins near Hope Bay mostly have gray shell fragments and a yellowish-green ice algae stuck to their feet."
“I’ve seen this dark red algae and this fine black sand in previous research reports. It’s more like a feature found in a few specific bays near Elephant Island in the southeast.”
The research team members were filled with awe. Expert Xia had done his homework so thoroughly; he had even read the research report.
Xia Zhining examined another small seal: "The wear and tear on its teeth and the types of fish bones remaining in its stomach do not match the diet of local seals."
She stood up, brushed the ice shards off her hands, and said in a serious tone, "These animals may not have been killed here, but were transported from elsewhere and deliberately dumped here to stage a crime scene."
The research team members looked at each other in bewilderment; this discovery completely changed the nature of the event.
“We need to figure out,” Xia Zhining said, her gaze sweeping across the ice field, “where exactly they came from.”
"With such a large group going missing, their families and other members of their community will definitely notice and become anxious."
"Find witnesses!" one team member blurted out, "Animal witnesses!"
“Yes,” Xia Zhining nodded, “Are there any residents around here who live there year-round, have a wide range of activities, and have good eyesight?”
"Yes!" Anhe immediately remembered, pointing to a small, snow-covered rocky island in the distance.
"Over there! That's the albatross' breeding grounds! Those big birds fly high and see far, circling over the bay almost all day long. They might have seen something!"
Soon, the small boat carried them closer to the island.
Before even logging in, you can hear a cacophony of "gaa ...
As they carefully climbed onto the rocks, the sight before them made Xia Zhining hold her breath.
The hillsides were covered with fluffy, grayish "chubby babies"!
It is an albatross chick.
They were all plump, like hairy glutinous rice balls, squatting in their simple nests.
Some were pecking at their parents' feathers, some were clumsily flapping their tiny wings that hadn't fully grown their flight feathers yet, and others were gently pecking at each other with their beaks while fighting over fish, making dissatisfied humming noises.
Adult albatrosses, on the other hand, act like flustered parents, flitting between nests, feeding, grooming, and keeping watch.
The entire breeding ground was noisy and messy, yet full of vibrant charm.
Xia Zhining couldn't help but smile. This was practically an island of fluffy, chubby little creatures!
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