Chapter 180 - 162: Taming
A Female Single Claw Dragon charged ahead of the pack, but Qin Ziwen stepped back, hooked a leg out from under it, and sent it tumbling to the ground.
Seeing this, the two small Single Claw Dragons behind them tried to flee on their short little legs.
He caught up to them in just a few strides, grabbing one in each hand and lifting them from behind.
The Single Claw Dragons had no scales, only short, somewhat coarse feathers, similar to a bird’s.
Once caught, the young Single Claw Dragons struggled with all their might, but it was no use.
Qin Ziwu took out a burlap sack, gave it a shake to open the mouth, and tossed the young Single Claw Dragons inside.
After a quick tally, they had tossed a total of thirteen juveniles into the sack. In addition, six Female Single Claw Dragons remained.
They tied the Single Claw Dragons’ legs together with rope.
A Micro-sized Blank Expansion Card had appeared on the altar. After taking the Card, the group prepared to head back.
These captured Single Claw Dragons were live animals, and carrying them made travel difficult.
They needed to get them back as soon as possible.
They were retracing their steps and just about to enter the bottom of the rift valley when the Beaked Eagle flying overhead let out a piercing shriek.
"Wait."
Qin Ziwen called out, bringing the group to a halt. The Mongolian Horse behind him shook its head and stomped its hooves restlessly.
"Something’s up ahead."
Qin Ziwen drew his long-handled fork.
From the rear of the group, Du Yu planted his feet against the canyon walls, vaulted over everyone’s heads, and landed at the front of the narrow passage. "Sir, I’ll go scout ahead!"
"It’s gone."
Qin Ziwen said this because he had already heard the rhythmic sound of two feet, one after the other, receding into the distance.
The sound was familiar; it was the same kind of sound the Single Claw Dragons made when they ran. The sound of the Single Claw Dragons, however, was crisper, which was related to their weight.
The sound from outside the canyon was much heavier.
"Let’s go!"
Entering the rift valley, they looked to the left.
The dinosaur that had been lying in wait outside had long since disappeared around a bend, but the Beaked Eagle was circling in the sky not far away. It seemed to have locked onto the creature’s position.
"After it." ’Judging from the sound of its steps,’ Qin Ziwen thought, ’there’s only one, and it can’t be too large.’
The group gave chase in the direction the sound had gone, but the target’s footsteps grew ever more distant, fading quickly.
"Come back," Qin Ziwen said, waving to the Beaked Eagle.
The Beaked Eagle, already several hundred meters away, circled once before flying back toward them.
"Judging from the tracks in the sand, it’s a dinosaur similar to the Single Claw Dragon," Yang Cunshen concluded after squatting down to carefully observe the footprints. "However, based on the depth of the prints, it weighs at least five times more than a Single Claw Dragon."
Du Yu and Shi Hu also squatted down. After inspecting the area, they confirmed there was only one set of tracks, suggesting it was a solitary dinosaur.
"Judging by where it was hiding, I suspect it may have been stalking these Single Claw Dragons."
Wang Yun stood up. "A dinosaur of this size, living in the Gobi Desert, and so alert judging by its reaction... its intelligence might be quite high. I suspect it could be some kind of dromaeosaurid."
The group took a detour and emerged onto the surface of the Gobi Desert.
They returned to the Gated Community before noon.
The sight of them carrying dinosaurs, especially live ones, drew a crowd of onlooking adults and children.
The crowd was both excited and afraid. Qin Ziwen extended the Female Single Claw Dragon in his hands toward them.
A few of the children shrieked in terror and scattered like a flock of birds.
"Chairman." Wei Zhaohua and Zhao Pu were returning from outside with three other adults when they saw the Single Claw Dragons being carried back.
They cast a few curious glances at the creatures.
They had seen Single Claw Dragons the day before, so it wasn’t a particularly rare sight for them.
However, for the three people following them, it was their first time seeing a dinosaur—and a live one at that.
They found it incredibly novel, as if they were looking at some priceless treasure.
"Chairman."
"So this is a dinosaur! It looks like it has feathers. Can you use it for farming?"
"Back on Earth, a rich person would probably buy this as a pet. This little fella looks pretty rare."
After exchanging greetings, Qin Ziwen took the Single Claw Dragons upstairs to his apartment.
He first checked on the rabbits. They had all successfully given birth, and now twenty to thirty more baby rabbits were huddled next to their mothers in the animal pen.
Seeing someone approach, they snuggled in even tighter.
Qin Ziwen frowned at the sight. ’If I keep the Single Claw Dragons next to them, they might frighten the rabbits, especially the does that just gave birth.’
’Unless I get another animal pen.’
𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
Just as he was pondering this, there was a knock on the door.
It was Zou Jianghe. Having heard that Qin Ziwen had brought back some dinosaurs, he had come to pay a visit.
"I heard you caught a group of small dinosaurs. Are you selling?"
Qin Ziwen didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked at him and suddenly asked, "Do you have a building that can house dinosaurs?"
Zou Jianghe was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing. "As if."
After a few chuckles, he gave a dry laugh. "It’s not specifically for dinosaurs. It’s an Advanced Building for taming animals."
"It can tame animals? I suppose dinosaurs fall into the category of ’animals,’ right? This building of yours..." Qin Ziwen wasn’t sure how to react. Zou Jianghe’s building sounded pretty incredible.
Zou Jianghe said, "I might as well tell you. I’m planning to sell the tamed animals in the end anyway.
"My building just provides the platform. I still have to recruit trainers myself, and I have to catch the beasts to be tamed.
"And it’s not like you just lock a beast inside and it’s instantly tamed. There’s a success rate to think about.
"The fiercer the beast, the longer it takes to tame. Plus, I can’t handle anything too large at the moment.
"And there’s no point taming animals that are too small—they have no combat strength, and food is tight for everyone right now. Ugh, anyway, it’s a real hassle. There’s no hope of selling them in large quantities anytime soon. These are luxury items, so if I do sell them, they won’t be cheap.
"However, if you’re willing to invest, I can give you a one-third share of the fully-tamed adults."
When Qin Ziwen didn’t respond, Zou Jianghe quickly added, "One-third really isn’t a small cut! There are bound to be failures in the taming process; it’s not a one-hundred-percent success rate. Plus, I have to cover labor, and I’m responsible for all their food and care during the process. And I’m providing the building!"
Qin Ziwen asked, "This one-third you’re offering... is that one-third of the successfully tamed adults, or one-third of the total number I provide you?"
"Of the successfully tamed ones, of course," Zou Jianghe said.
Qin Ziwen made a gesture. "How about this. You can discuss it with my Liangcai."
Before the dumbfounded Zou Jianghe, Jia Liangcai stepped out from behind Qin Ziwen, bowed slightly, and made a welcoming gesture.
The two entered an adjacent room and closed the door.
Inside, the two engaged in a fierce war of words, their retorts sharp and relentless. An uninformed observer might have mistaken them for mortal enemies.
After a good while, the door opened. Zou Jianghe stepped out, his expression unchanged, but a closer look revealed his steps were somewhat unsteady.
He cupped his fist in salute to Qin Ziwen. "Chairman Qin, I look forward to our pleasant cooperation."
After Zou Jianghe had left, Jia Liangcai straightened his robes and walked over to Qin Ziwen. "My Lord, I have not failed you. Chairman Zou has agreed to give us half of the successfully tamed adults. He will also ensure the loyalty and stability of the beasts, and if any prove unstable later on, they will provide corrective training free of charge."
"So they can’t even guarantee the stability of the beasts they tame," Qin Ziwen said with a frown.
Jia Liangcai replied thoughtfully, "According to Zou Jianghe, the tamed beasts have stable temperaments and can understand simple commands, but they still retain their natural instincts. Behaviors such as fleeing or hesitating in battle may still occur."
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