Chapter 44: Another Windfall

"Yes, I just received it."

Yang Qi replied, then asked with a hint of confusion, "Brother Chen, how did you know?"

"I have some connections with the police."

Chen Hao was blunt, then chuckled. "Good, as long as it’s you. At first, I thought it was just someone with the same name. It was only when I heard they were a Zoo employee that I thought it might be you, Brother Yang."

"I just happened to be there," Yang Qi said with a calm smile.

"That’s still because you’re skilled, Brother Yang. If anyone else had been there, they would’ve just ended up as another body." Chen Hao’s tone was serious, getting straight to the point.

Yang Qi was startled. Chen Hao’s words clearly indicated he knew some inside details; it wasn’t as simple as just hearing about a Good Samaritan award.

It seemed Chen Hao’s connections at the police station were at least mid-level, high enough to access core information about the case, or maybe even higher.

As he was thinking, Chen Hao continued, "Here’s the thing. ’Hongyun’ has an annual social support fund for giving back to the community, specifically for rewarding and assisting individuals and groups who make positive contributions to society. As a ’Good Samaritan Hero,’ you, Brother Yang, happen to qualify. I can file an application for you. The reward isn’t too much, probably around five hundred thousand."

’Five hundred thousand isn’t much?’

Yang Qi quickly tried to refuse. "Brother Chen, there’s no need. Please give the money to someone who needs it more."

"Brother Yang, if you don’t take this money, then based on past years, it’ll most likely be divvied up by some people below me under trumped-up pretenses at the end of the year. It won’t end up in the hands of those who truly deserve it." Chen Hao remained brutally honest.

"..."

Yang Qi was left speechless.

’After a moment’s thought, he realized that turning down Chen Hao’s sincere and straightforward offer would just seem pretentious.’

"In that case, thank you, Brother Chen."

"What’s there to thank me for? I haven’t even properly thanked you for saving Qiqi yet."

Seizing the opportunity, Chen Hao extended an invitation. "Brother Yang, are you free tomorrow evening? Come over to my place for a simple meal. Let my wife and me thank you properly. Qiqi has been talking about her ’Uncle’ these past few days, saying she misses you."

Yang Qi thought for a moment before replying, "Alright, then. I’ll have to trouble you and your wife, Brother Chen."

"There you go again, always being so formal," Chen Hao said with a friendly laugh, the remark making them sound like old friends.

The two chatted for a few more moments before ending the call.

Yang Qi held his phone, lost in thought.

Chen Hao’s words conveyed a genuine sincerity, treating him not as an outsider but as a true friend he intended to get to know better.

He figured Chen Hao had probably also learned the gist of what he’d been up to at the Zoo and his trip into the mountains to find the clouded leopard, all through his network of connections.

The feeling of being watched was a bit strange, but the goodwill coming from the other side was undeniably real.

As he was lost in his reflections, he felt a soft touch against his leg and heard an urgent cry.

"MEOW~"

"MEOW MEOW!"

Xiaojiu and Ta Xue had run into the kitchen at some point. They flanked the still-steaming stove, their little heads raised and pink noses twitching nonstop, their two pairs of round eyes filled with longing.

’Smells so good.’

’Want to eat.’

’I wanna eat.’

...

It was the scent of the steamed Three-tailed Spirit Fish that had wafted out. The special aroma, rich with Spiritual Qi, was an unparalleled temptation for the two little ones with their keen sense of smell. It made the two little guys meow incessantly, the tips of their tails twitching with impatience.

"It’s almost ready, don’t be impatient."

Yang Qi snapped back to reality and replied with a smile.

He lifted the pot lid, and an even richer, fresher, and heart-stirring fragrance washed over him.

"MEOW~"

"MEOW MEOW!"

Smelling it, Xiaojiu and Ta Xue’s cries grew more urgent.

Yang Qi took a sniff himself, and his mouth began to water.

He picked up his chopsticks, plucked off a small piece of the snow-white fish, and tasted it. The meat was exceptionally tender and perfectly cooked.

’Perhaps this Spirit Fish is so extraordinary that a simple steaming is all it takes to unlock its full flavor and effects?’

Yang Qi pondered this as he turned off the stove.

Then, he took out the steamed half of the fish, placed it on a cutting board, and carefully removed the main bone.

Besides the main skeleton, the Spirit Fish’s flesh had no other fine bones.

He cut a large piece for each of the two little guys who were waiting with eager eyes.

After letting it cool slightly, Xiaojiu and Ta Xue eagerly buried their heads and started eating, completely ignoring the Spirit Rice Porridge.

Yang Qi ladled a bowl of Spirit Rice Porridge for himself and began to eat it with the delicious fish.

The texture of the fish was unparalleled—tender, smooth, and with an indescribable flavor, as if every bite contained the essence of life itself.

Once in his stomach, the fish meat melted with almost no chewing, transforming into gentle, pure balls of energy that quickly flowed through his limbs and torso, nourishing his body and bringing a warm, comfortable sensation.

Xiaojiu and Ta Xue gobbled down their portions in a flash. Then, they rushed back to Yang Qi’s feet, rubbing their heads against his pant legs and meowing nonstop.

’Delicious! Want more!’

’More, more!’

"Alright, alright, more it is."

Seeing their greedy looks, Yang Qi smiled and picked up the knife, about to cut some more.

Just then, Ta Xue suddenly swayed, then flopped limply onto the ground with a soft THUD, and stopped moving.

’What’s happening?’

Yang Qi jumped in fright, quickly put down the knife, and bent over to pick Ta Xue up for a careful examination.

The little one’s breathing was steady and its body was warm; it had simply fallen into a deep sleep. He could feel a significant amount of energy slowly circulating within its body.

’So it seems the energy from the Spirit Fish was too much for its small body to handle, and it needs to sleep to digest and absorb it all.’

*Phew...*

Yang Qi breathed a sigh of relief, put Ta Xue down, and checked on Xiaojiu.

Thankfully, Xiaojiu’s constitution was clearly much stronger than Ta Xue’s, probably because it had been eating Spirit Rice for a few days.

Seeing this, Yang Qi cut another small piece of fish for Xiaojiu and gave a warning.

"Eat slowly. If you can’t digest it, take a nap."

After speaking, he picked up the already sleeping Ta Xue and settled it into its soft little bed.

This time, after slowly finishing the second piece of fish, Xiaojiu didn’t ask for more. It hopped onto the sofa, found a comfortable spot, and lay down. As if drunk, it began to doze off, clearly focusing all its effort on digesting the energy in its body.

Yang Qi finished the rest of the Spirit Fish and washed the dishes.

Feeling the Spiritual Qi surging through his body, he didn’t delay. He immediately returned to his room, sat cross-legged on the Meditation Cushion, and circulated his Cultivation Technique to guide and absorb the pure energy.

Half an hour later, the energy in his body had been completely refined and absorbed.

His Magical Power had increased by about ten wisps.

It wasn’t a large amount, but Yang Qi could clearly feel that his physical constitution had been enhanced. He was filled with strength, and every movement seemed to hold a greater explosive power.

As for any improvement in his Spiritual Root’s aptitude, he couldn’t feel any obvious changes for the time being. This kind of fundamental transformation was likely a gradual process that required accumulation.

Remaining in a seated position, he quietly experienced the changes in his body for another moment before getting up, satisfied, ready to head out for a walk around the Zoo.

Just then, the phone he had left on the table suddenly rang.

Yang Qi picked it up and saw the name "Cheng Yao" flashing on the screen.

He had just pressed the answer button and hadn’t even had a chance to speak when Cheng Yao’s voice came from the other end.

"Yang Qi, are you free right now? Can you come to the Bird District? It seems like something’s wrong with Liang Zai."

’The one who loves to sing opera, one of the four big stars?’