I Overhear Animals' Thoughts to Feed My Family

Chapter 118: Chapter 117: Taking the Initiative

Zhao Wendong’s heart skipped a beat. He realized this must be the family of the farm stockman who’d been killed by the tiger. He’d heard about it from Zhou Mancang but didn’t know the details. He never imagined the tiger had actually bitten the man’s head off. ’That goddamn man-eating tiger is too vicious! Why didn’t it just drag the whole body away? It’s just trying to be disgusting!’

Liu Haisheng’s face was bright red. He had already sent the guard platoon into the mountains twice and had even enlisted the help of nearby Hunters. They had expended significant food and manpower in two major efforts, but not only had the costs been high, they hadn’t even caught a glimpse of the tiger. The farm’s grain stores were also extremely tight now. He truly wanted to help but lacked the means; he couldn’t spare the men to go up the mountain and try again. Yet, facing the family, he couldn’t bring himself to say they were giving up.

”Ma’am, it’s not that we haven’t looked, it’s that we just can’t find him. The mountains are vast and the forests are dense; even our soldiers are helpless. Ma’am, I understand how you feel. Why not... hold the burial first? It’s been so many days. I’m afraid even if we find what’s left...”

”Goddammit! This cursed man-eating tiger! I swear I’ll kill it!”

Liu Haisheng ended up blurting out a curse, unable to continue. But his meaning was clear: if they found the body now, there would likely be nothing left but bone fragments. At these words, the woman and her children began to cry again.

Just then, Chen Baoguo returned after escorting Lin Zhiyin home. Seeing the scene, he immediately understood what was happening and chimed in to help console them, his own face etched with worry.

”Ma’am, I led the search twice myself, and we even brought Hunters to help. We followed the tracks, but they all led to dead ends. That tiger is clever; we can’t even catch its shadow!”

The woman cried until she had no strength left, her body going limp as she collapsed to the ground. Her two children stayed by her side, one on her left and one on her right. The faces of the three were masks of pure despair.

”SOB... That damn tiger! It wants to destroy our whole family! My husband was eaten by a tiger, and we can’t even find his body... He’ll have to be a ghost with only a head! The pillar of our family is gone. How are we supposed to live now!”

Listening to the woman’s wails and looking at the two helpless children, Liu Haisheng’s fists clenched and unclenched over and over. He desperately wanted to do more to help this poor family, but he was completely out of options.

”I have a way to find that tiger!”

Suddenly, Zhao Wendong, who had been standing off to the side, spoke up. The sobbing from the family on the ground ceased abruptly. Liu Haisheng whipped his head around to stare at Zhao Wendong.

”Really? Captain Zhao, this is no joking matter. How confident are you?”

Zhao Wendong thought for a moment before giving his answer.

”Ninety percent.”

Liu Haisheng’s lip curled in displeasure.

”Captain Zhao, you need to be responsible for your words. This isn’t the time for making baseless boasts. We organized twenty to thirty men to search the mountains twice and found nothing. On what grounds are you claiming ninety-percent certainty?”

”On the grounds that I bagged three wild boars and three roe deer in just a few days. And on the grounds that, a few days ago, I took a single boat out to sea and hauled in over four thousand jin of Hai Pangtou. Is that good enough for you?”

”What?”

”You were the one who caught those?”

Liu Haisheng and Chen Baoguo shouted in unison.

The biggest news circulating among the county’s various departments these days was about a farmer who’d achieved something incredible at sea. At first, everyone assumed it was just propaganda, exaggerating a catch of a few dozen jin. But then a truck had shown up with a real, honest-to-goodness load of fish. Even their farm had received a share, allowing the entire staff to enjoy a round of fish soup thanks to him.

If Zhao Wendong was really the one who caught all that fish, then they owed him a favor. It’s hard to refuse someone after you’ve eaten their food, after all. Liu Haisheng paced back and forth for a moment, then turned to Zhao Wendong.

”How can you prove it?”

’Getting rid of this man-eating tiger was something he now dreamed of day and night. The farm couldn’t even organize outdoor work details anymore. After killing one of their men and an ox, the tiger had gone on to another village and eaten a child. If they didn’t deal with it soon, his share of the blame would be immense.’

’If more and more people were killed by that tiger, their farm would be considered the source of the problem, the party with primary responsibility. They wouldn’t just be down a man and an ox; it would be like they had opened Pandora’s box and unleashed this man-eater upon the world.’

’Emotionally and politically, he could not bear those consequences. Finding and killing that tiger consumed his waking thoughts and sleeping dreams. He was so worried he could barely eat. On top of that, the farm now had to assign extra people to the night watch, which added a significant hidden burden and further strained their grain supply.’

”Proof?”

Hearing Liu Haisheng ask for proof, Zhao Wendong thought for a moment and smiled.

”Come outside with me, and you’ll see!”

Outside the house, a large brown horse was tethered near the door. Zhao Wendong went to the sleigh it was hitched to, opened a burlap sack, and revealed a spotted seal inside.

”I caught this along with the Hai Pangtou. The county took the fish, but I kept this. I was planning to give it to our farm.”

The moment Liu Haisheng saw the spotted seal, he was convinced. An ordinary person couldn’t possibly get their hands on something like that these days. Zhao Wendong wasn’t lying about being that amazing fisherman. However, Liu Haisheng didn’t respond to the offer to give it to the farm. ’Accepting gifts puts you in the giver’s debt,’ he thought. ’If I accept such a rare and valuable present, won’t I be obligated to do what he asks?’

”Captain Zhao encountered the tiger last night,” Chen Baoguo suddenly added. ”It raided Dahei Mountain Village and tried to break into the very house Captain Zhao was in. He fought off the man-eating beast all by himself.”

Liu Haisheng was stunned once again. He asked for a detailed account of what happened the previous night and then fell silent. ’Zhao Wendong isn’t offering his help for free,’ he mused. ’He wants to trade this favor for better treatment for his parents-in-law. On one side, I have a man-eating tiger. On the other, my principles.’ He was deeply conflicted.

”Director! Please, help us! Let this comrade try! SOB... My husband can’t be left as just a lonely head!”

The woman and her children began to cry once more. Liu Haisheng looked at them, and his resolve seemed to harden. He took a deep breath and turned to Zhao Wendong.

”Captain Zhao, are you really confident? Can you tell me your plan for finding that tiger?”

When Zhao Wendong didn’t answer, Liu Haisheng gritted his teeth and continued.

”If you truly have a way to find that tiger, Captain Zhao, we will give serious consideration to the matter you mentioned. After all, Lin Huaimin and his wife have performed very well since their arrival!”

In that instant, Liu Haisheng made his decision. The man-eating tiger had to be dealt with. If not, he’d suffer sleepless nights and possibly even face disciplinary action. As for his administrative principles, well, they could be flexible. ’As long as I maintain my bottom line and can face my own conscience, it will be fine.’

Zhao Wendong knew that by saying this, Liu Haisheng had already compromised. He would surely look after Lin Zhiyin’s parents in the future—as long as Zhao Wendong could really solve their man-eating tiger problem!

No longer keeping them in suspense, he whisked a padded quilt off a cage, brought it forward, and released the Golden Roc.

Xiaojin had been cooped up all day. The moment it was free, it spread its massive wings and launched into the air. It circled twice, crying out a few times, then dove back down to land steadily on the shaft of the sleigh. Zhao Wendong noticed its talons left deep scratches in the wood. ’I should sew some leather onto my shoulder when I get back,’ he thought, ’give Xiaojin a proper place to grip.’

”The mountains are vast and the forests are dense, making it hard for humans to find that tiger. But that doesn’t mean an animal can’t. My solution... is him!”

Zhao Wendong stroked Xiaojin’s body, smoothing its feathers as he spoke. The effect was utterly commanding.

Liu Haisheng and Chen Baoguo were completely stunned, staring dumbfounded at the enormous Golden Roc that had appeared from nowhere. Even the mother and her children stopped crying, their eyes wide as they gazed at the majestic Xiaojin. Zhou Mancang was filled with pride and admiration. Seeing his cousin conversing so confidently with the leaders, he couldn’t help but puff out his own chest.

”Good! It’s settled, then!”

Once his shock subsided, Liu Haisheng snapped his jaw shut and pumped a fist in excitement. His eyes, fixed on Xiaojin, were filled with joyous surprise.

’With eyes in the sky,’ he thought, ’let’s see you hide now, you damn man-eating tiger! We’re really coming for you this time!’