The moment Chen Zhiyu appeared, especially seeing the compound bow in the woman’s hand.
Ansheng looked panicked, quickly flying off the adult Yangtze Crocodile and ran to Ah Qing.
The last time he saw a similar compound bow was when Ansheng ventured deep into the mountains in his previous life searching for old tea tree seeds.
That kind of short compound bow, modified with a pulley system, didn’t need to be fully drawn to unleash incredible power.
Paired with arrowheads made from powder metallurgy, a single shot could blow the head off a black bear, making it definitively a prohibited item in Xia Country.
Judging from Chen Zhiyu’s wish, Ansheng knew she had once seen a supersized crocodile in the river.
Now suddenly hearing of a group of crocodiles causing trouble in Pet Paradise, Chen Zhiyu must be in emergency mode, and Ansheng had no intention of clashing with compound bow arrows.
"Miss! Stay calm and don’t move, we’re coming to rescue you right away!"
With Chen Zhiyu came more than a dozen security guards holding steel forks, shouting to Yu Xueqing while also pulling out a special fishing net to catch the crocodiles.
"Wait! Everyone, hold on a minute!"
The security team consisted of strong young men, and their aggressive demeanor nearly scared the already timid Yu Xueqing into cowering.
But seeing those people holding steel forks glinting in the cold light and riot shields, Yu Xueqing was startled, and hurriedly stopped the bear-like security guards:
"They’re just a bunch of Yangtze Crocodiles, an animal that could miss six consecutive bites on prey in shallow water. Calm down, they are, after all, a nationally protected species."
When Chen Zhiyu, full of killing intent and holding a hunting bow, jumped out from the stairwell, the Yangtze Crocodiles were so scared they wet themselves.
They weren’t purebred wild Yangtze Crocodiles but escaped ones from a farm closure.
Knowing the pain of human repercussions, they didn’t struggle or resist at all when caught by Yu Xueqing, even showing slight hope for food.
But Chen Zhiyu was terrifying, exuding a real murderous aura.
The moment the Yangtze Crocodiles saw her, each one turned over, showing their bellies and playing dead.
Now, they worried more about being served as lunch than hoping for a meal.
Well... when Yangtze Crocodile meat was at its highest price, it sold for 400 yuan per catty.
Low in fat, low in cholesterol, high in protein, and suitable for fitness enthusiasts, it also contains numerous trace elements that boost immunity and blood oxygen absorption over time.
......
When Chen Zhiyu hit the first floor lobby, she immediately saw Yu Xueqing and the group of Yangtze Crocodiles playing dead behind her, her expression froze, and her eye visibly twitched.
She saw a customer with a fox pet blocking the hunter-formed security team, educating them on how incompetent the Yangtze Crocodiles were at hunting.
In deep waters, Yangtze Crocodiles are apex predators against fish, shrimp, and crabs, capable of crushing things with a bite force of over 100 pounds, even snails.
But in shallow waters and on land, their hunting abilities are, while existent, truly unimpressive compared to Xia Country’s national-level protected "little failures."
Seeing the intruders were merely a few farmed Yangtze Crocodiles, Chen Zhiyu felt a weight lift from her heart.
Her tension stemmed from spotting a dragon-shaped figure in the Changle River during overtime, which she estimated to be six or seven meters long.
Estuarine Crocodile!
With her knowledge, Chen Zhiyu instantly recognized the shadow lurking in the river as a crocodile!
Moreover, to grow that large, it had to be an Estuarine Crocodile capable of crossing seas!
Soon after spotting the Estuarine Crocodile, security officials locked down Changping Mountain, claiming three fishermen drowned in the Changle River near Changping Mountain.
This led to a prolonged mountain closure, with forest rangers and security officials unable to locate the Estuarine Crocodile.
This weighed heavily on Chen Zhiyu’s heart, prompting her to enhance the defenses of Changping Pet Paradise.
Changping Mountain Pet Hospital, crucial for the livelihood of the Chen village, could not afford any mishaps.
"Stop everyone!"
Arriving at the scene and realizing it was just a farce, Chen Zhiyu’s tense expression eased as she relaxed and intervened.
"Boss!"
The Chen hunter-formed security team looked at Chen Zhiyu with a hunting bow in hand, called out to her.
She nodded lightly, then approached, focusing on the limp Yangtze Crocodiles feigning death, making them stiffen as if really dead, showing convincing rigor mortis.
Her hands stained with the blood of fierce beasts, her aura was imposing, and the Yangtze Crocodiles were genuinely terrified.
"I’m Chen Zhiyu, the administrator of Pet Paradise, and I sincerely apologize...."
After scaring the Yangtze Crocodiles into truly wetting themselves and dispelling any fear of the Estuarine Crocodile, she apologetically turned to Yu Xueqing: "Our staff lacked sufficient training and didn’t know someone would keep crocodiles as pets, unnecessarily disturbing our guests and their pets."
"Please allow us to host you for a meal on the second floor, to offer our apologies on behalf of Changping Mountain Pet Paradise."
"Oh, no, no." Yu Xueqing waved her hands in surprise at the suggestion and said, "Besides, those crocodiles aren’t my pets."
"I found them in the bushes, and they said they were hungry. I assumed they were fostered pets of your Pet Paradise, so I took them..."
Chen Zhiyu was very courteous, immediately apologizing to Yu Xueqing and her pet, offering to host a meal to make amends.
This sincere chain of apologies left Yu Xueqing, a student, feeling overwhelmed and at a loss.
She didn’t feel particularly startled; the security guards, though shouting, were simply concerned about getting bitten themselves.
Yu Xueqing had just overheard them calling Chen Zhiyu "boss."
It was a minor incident, really, and since the Pet Paradise boss had personally come to apologize, Yu Xueqing felt quite flustered.
"You found them in the bushes?"
Chen Zhiyu was taken aback, eyeing the security team and reception desk staff sharply.
The security team leader felt a pang of fear, a cold sweat breaking on his forehead as he hurriedly explained:
"The riverside area should have been sealed off; no one could’ve gotten through the electric grid..."
"If there truly is one, it must have either dug a tunnel or waltzed through the front gate."
"Don’t worry, boss, I’ll check the surveillance now, ensuring no such event occurred."
Chen Zhiyu frowned deeply, but with guests present, she refrained from chastising anyone, simply instructing the security team leader to investigate the situation thoroughly.
Setting up an electric grid by the river was dubious, and she had invested a lot for it.
If this was an accident, fine.
But if someone was embezzling from her, she wouldn’t hesitate to host a family conference in the clan’s ancestral hall, expelling those engaging in shady dealings.
Without saying a word, Chen Zhiyu led Yu Xueqing and Ansheng to the second floor to take their seats.