[They...they blew up the warm stone cave where I'd lived for years just to build that noisy cement pool!]
My home is gone!
[This has forced me to move! I've come to this godforsaken place, and I don't even have a decent place to live!]
It grew increasingly agitated, its tail slapping irritably against the rocks: "I dare not go down the mountain! I've heard there are herds of wild elephants with long trunks and thick legs; one stomp from them could inflict internal injuries on me!"
It turns out to be a giant python who was a "holdout" whose home was forcibly demolished, who was displaced, and who dared not come down the mountain!
Xia Zhining had a better idea of what was going on; it seemed there was room for negotiation on this "business."
Reticulated pythons are undoubtedly the dominant species in their own territories, but being forced into an unfamiliar environment can indeed cause them some "acclimatization problems," making them more prone to anxiety and restlessness.
Xia Zhining saw this and offered her terms: "I can give you as much top-quality succulent as you want."
"But we need you to do us a favor first. Once you do it, the meat will be paid immediately."
The reticulated python's massive head slowly approached, its cold scales almost touching Xia Zhining's cheek.
Xia Zhining's heart pounded, but she forced herself not to back down.
She knew that when a python first encounters a stranger, it will gently touch the other person with its head to "get acquainted" with them; this is a signal of curiosity rather than an immediate attack.
[Help? What kind of help?]
Xia Zhining took a deep breath and said clearly, "One of our partners is trapped in the drug dealers' hideout in the mountains. We'd like to ask you... to steal him out."
The reticulated python's massive head froze, a clear look of confusion flashing in its bright yellow vertical pupils: [Stealing...stealing people?]
"right!"
Xia Zhining gestured, "It'll be a piece of cake for you. All you have to do is find him, use your best method to roll him up, and then take him away from there quickly."
"This job must be as natural to you as eating and drinking, right?"
The reticulated python's body structure is a marvel of bioengineering!
With hundreds of vertebrae throughout its body, it can wrap around, secure, and carry prey like the most dexterous rope, and then move at astonishing speeds through complex terrain.
This is a living, silent, and highly efficient "biological transport machine".
The reticulated python processed the information: [Drug dealers? Those two-legged creatures on the mountain who spend their days wielding those dark iron bars, randomly setting fires and blasting rocks, and leaving me homeless?]
"It's them!" Xia Zhining nodded vigorously. "Do you want to teach them a lesson? To take back your territory?"
"Of course I want to!" the reticulated python's tone suddenly turned cold. "And I heard when I was a kid that they not only destroy animal homes... but they also capture us, skin us alive, and sell us!"
Luxury handbags made of python skin are a favorite among many wealthy people.
In the eyes of drug dealers, even a terrifying jungle python is nothing more than a valuable piece of hide, a commodity that can be bought and sold.
So, I'll help you with this!
The reticulated python finally nodded its heavy head, but didn't forget its core demand: "However, I want lots and lots of meat, enough to form a small mountain!"
"Deal!" Xia Zhining reached out her small hand and gently touched its cool muzzle.
An incredible "strategic partnership" between humans and snakes was thus formed.
The reticulated python raised its head, gazing towards the deep mountains: [No problem, leave it to me. That area used to be my territory; I know it very well!]
Xia Zhining immediately arranged for Boss Ya's operation: "Ya Ya, quick! Go find that undercover agent named Knife and tell him our plan, but be sure to avoid other drug dealers!"
Boss Crow accepted the order and once again transformed into a black arrow that blended into the night, heading straight for the drug dealers' lair on the mountain.
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