Chapter 328 I Donate Oil to the Motherland
That night, Xu Ying heard the sound of claws clapping at the door. When he opened the door of the rescue station, his breath froze instantly.
Under the bright moonlight, dozens of pairs of bright animal eyes flickered in the snow. Agile figures crouched or stood, their silver-grey fur dotted with black markings, like plum blossoms in full bloom amidst the snow.
Her snow mountain rescue station was surrounded by an entire Snow Leopard Army.
The male snow leopard in the front row walked slowly forward. A corner of its left ear was missing, and it was obvious that it had experienced a brutal battle.
[Stationmaster Xiao Xu,] its voice was low and firm, [All the eighteen snow leopard families in the Western Mountains who could come have come.]
Xu Ying's fingertips trembled slightly. She took a deep breath and recounted the brutal killings of snow leopards by the Mobei nobles, then detailed the dangers of cross-border operations.
[We are not afraid.]
[We are not afraid!]
[Don't be afraid!]
The snow leopards' growls echoed in the silent snowy mountains. The one-eared snow leopard walked up to Xu Ying, staring directly at her with its icy blue eyes: "Every snow leopard skin hanging on the wall of a noble in Mobei could be the remains of a lost brother of mine, or the mother of a cub."
It turned and looked at the tribe behind it, "Now we live in comfort, while our compatriots suffer in another place. This is really painful."
A young female leopard gently nuzzled the back of Xu Ying's hand. "We want to show them what a real home is like—a snowy plain where they can roam freely without worrying about being hunted, and..."
It paused, rubbing its tail against Xu Ying's trouser leg: [A human like you who would shed tears for us.]
Suddenly, the sound of wings breaking through the air was heard in the night sky.
The leader of the golden eagles circled down with their raptor team: "Run with confidence, snow leopard brothers! We will scout for you and help you avoid the hunters."
Xu Ying gazed at the determined figures in the moonlight, tears finally welling up in her eyes. Trembling, she opened all the storage areas at the aid station: "Come on, eat and drink your fill."
Her voice was choked with sobs. [I am waiting for you all to return safely.]
The snow leopards did not move immediately.
They formed a circle tacitly, protecting Xu Ying in the center, and raised their heads to let out a long roar that shook the valley.
This is the most solemn oath of the snow leopard clan, representing that no one will be left behind.
A rumbling echo came from the distant snow-capped peaks, as if the entire Western Hills were seeing off this special expeditionary force.
*
Five days later, the border was covered with morning fog.
After training with assistance from Xu Ying and other staff members.
The "advance team" consisting of twelve Przewalski's horses lined up in an orderly manner, and behind them was a professional convoy of animal protection organizations loaded with medical equipment and supplies.
Members of the Snow Leopard Commando were lurking in the shadows of nearby rocks, while a raptor reconnaissance team led by a golden eagle had already been circling in the clouds, on standby.
Xu Ying stood at the front of the team, tying a special positioning collar on each wild horse.
Her fingers were shaking slightly, but she still forced a smile: "Sorry, I can't go with you this time."
The leading wild horse lowered its head and gently nudged her shoulder: [Don't worry, you taught us how to protect ourselves.]
It shook its mane and said, "Besides, you have more important things to do—you have to prepare a new home that is big enough for us."
The Snow Leopard leader leaped down from the rock: [When we bring back our compatriots, you must prepare double the amount of jerky.]
It deliberately showed its fangs, but could not hide the tenderness in its eyes.
In the sky, a golden eagle let out a long, clear cry: [Let’s go!]
Xu Ying stood there, watching this special "expeditionary force" march further and further away. The hooves of wild horses thundered, the silhouettes of snow leopards disappeared into the morning mist, and the wings of birds of prey streaked across the sky.
She touched the cold wetness on her face and whispered, "Everyone must come back safely."
The wind swept across the grassland, carrying a distant response: [Stationmaster Xu, we have an agreement——]
*
The days of waiting for the return of the "Expeditionary Force" are full of anticipation, tension, and fulfillment.
That day, Xu Ying, who had just finished an operation, stood at the door of the Furry Animal Hospital and stretched.
[Webmaster Xiao Xu!!]
A quick cry came from a distance. Xu Ying looked up and saw the eldest gerbil running towards her in a hurry. The little guy was running too fast and accidentally tripped over a stone, falling hard with a "splat".
"What's wrong? Why are you so anxious?" Xu Ying quickly squatted down.
The old gerbil panted and crawled to her feet, his small chest heaving violently: [Something big has happened! My cousins were digging a new cave in the northwest and found something incredible!]
Xu Ying frowned: "What is it?"
[A dark, sticky liquid,] the gerbil boss gestured with his paw, [seeping out from the cave wall, the smell is choking!]
It paced anxiously, "Several pups have already fallen ill after exposure, coughing non-stop! The chief sent me specifically to ask for your help!"
"Black, sticky liquid?" Xu Ying's heart tightened. In this desert area, this is likely to be
"Take me to see it!" She immediately turned around and rushed into the house, quickly packed up the first aid kit, and also specially packed a few sampling bottles and a portable pollutant detector.
After trudging for nearly two hours under the scorching sun with the gerbil boss, Xu Ying's forehead was already covered with sweat, and her back was also soaked with sweat. But she didn't bother to wipe it off, and just followed the little guide who led the way.
"We're here!" The gerbil boss suddenly stopped in front of an inconspicuous sand dune. [It's behind that camel thorn bush. The cave entrance was hidden by us.]
Xu Ying squatted down and carefully examined the hole pointed out by the gerbil boss. "Can we dig this hole open and take a look?" she asked.
The gerbil boss nodded vigorously: [Dig! Must dig!]
She immediately took out her cell phone and called Qi Xiao: "Boss Qi, I found a suspicious pollution source in the northwest area. I need you to bring excavation equipment over."
In less than half an hour, Qi Xiao arrived with the engineering team in a hurry.
With the roar of the excavator, the entrance of the cave was quickly enlarged.
When digging to a depth of about three meters, a pungent odor suddenly filled the air.
"Stop! Stop now!"
Xu Ying yelled as he rushed to the edge of the pit. He saw a sticky black liquid oozing out of the soil, glistening with an eerie, oily sheen under the scorching sun.
The gerbil boss scurried onto Xu Ying's shoulder: [That's it!]
It waved its paws angrily. [My cousins started losing hair and vomiting after digging it up, and the little ones were coughing so hard!]
Qi Xiao put on protective gloves and carefully dipped some black liquid.
He first twisted it between his fingers, then leaned in to smell it carefully, his brows gradually relaxed: "It's crude oil."
A gleam of light flashed in Qi Xiao's eyes, "And judging from the seepage, there may be oil deposits underneath!"
(End of this chapter)
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