Forest Ranger, starting from Picking Up a Lynx Girl
Chapter 487 - 443 Update and Replacement of Jiamu Gully's Pets

The cold war between Jinya and Little Jin started abruptly, and Chen Ying didn't notice it at first.

It wasn't until three days passed without Yin Li appearing, that Chen Ying prepared to take Qin Ruobai and the others to the next observation point and realized Little Jin had gone missing.

"What? It's been gone for two days and you didn't say a word to me?"

Chen Ying frowned, "Did you argue with Little Jin? Is its desire to stay at the Grand Canyon really that strong?"

"Who knows, perhaps there are attractive female cats there tempting it."

If that statement wasn't tinged with a bit of sarcasm, Chen Ying might have believed it.

Fortunately, Little Jin was quite reliable. Before they were set to leave, it returned and maintained its usual attitude towards Jinya.

From here, heading west, passing through Kekexili Lake, and then reaching the observation point at West Jinwu Lake. After staying there for two days, they'd move to the boundary camp to meet the expedition team.

They traveled with just one car all the way until Kekexili Lake, where another team of mountain patrol accompanied them to West Jinwu Lake.

They had good luck as the weather hadn't warmed up yet, making the ground fairly solid. And with Jinya and the others leading the way, though the pace was slow, they could avoid any unexpected trouble.

Earlier, they were worried about sandstorms, but the journey was smoother than expected, except for a strong wind on the night after leaving Zhuonai Lake. The wind wasn't as strong as imagined, and there wasn't a sandstorm.

"Dr. Chen, are you just leaving that brown bear there without caring?"

"What can be done? Even a skinny bear is bigger than us, and can't be pushed, simply can't. It has no real interest in the house, so I made a little step by the wall for it; a smart bear can climb out on its own."

The researcher wanted to ask what if it wasn't smart, but from Chen Ying's demeanor, it seemed he hadn't considered the bear's intelligence.

Thinking about it made sense—a young bear reaching deep into the territory without its mother's protection and not starving clearly isn't dumb.

Experience relates a lot to age; if it survives this summer, by winter, it'll be a bear with extensive survival experience.

They chatted along the way, and as the afternoon darkened, they finally saw the contours of Kekexili Lake.

A convoy of four cars and a large tent indicated mountain patrol members were ready and waiting.

Surprisingly, Yin Li was there too.

"Did you finish your business over there?"

"It's all sorted; the professor's two children returned from abroad. The surgery was successful, but due to the professor's age, recovery may require more time. He wouldn't let me stay further, so I came back on the day after he regained consciousness. I calculated I couldn't join your itinerary at Zhuonai Lake in time, and hence, waited here for you."

Seeing Yin Li, Qin Ruobai's spirits lifted significantly.

She softly asked about Yin Li's teacher's condition and sent him many photos of rare plants she found by the lake.

Chen Ying, with keen awareness, didn't play lighting assistant, greeted the patrol members, and advised the male researcher to sleep after some medication before eating.

"While taking samples along the way, he broke through ice with a step. His shoes got wet, and his pants soaked too. I assume he might catch a cold; extra ginger sugar tea can help ward off the chill and make him feel better."

The highland's altitude nearly reaches five thousand meters, and a severe cold could be fatal.

Luckily, after taking medicine, drinking tea, and taking a nap, his symptoms improved significantly the next day.

Yin Li took charge of escorting them through the subsequent journey, alongside the patrol team members, ensuring no worries if problems arose.

It was Chen Ying driving alone out of the uninhabited zone that worried people more.

"Don't worry about me; I'm pretty familiar with the roads here. From here to your protection station takes no more than a day. I'll leave tomorrow morning and arrive before nightfall."

He then patted Jinya's head, "If I run into trouble, I'll let Jinya go to your station and seek help."

Chen Ying prepared thoroughly, purchasing pet glow-in-the-dark harnesses online.

With these, Jinya heading to the rescue station won't be mistaken for a wild animal and forcibly rescued.

After leaving the uninhabited zone, Chen Ying would directly return to the first aid station. In a week, he'd first go back to Jiamu Gully, and later enter the area as per the Shennongjia research team's schedule.

Upon returning to the first aid station, he received a message and a photo.

It was sent by Professor Bai, regarding the two snakes, Bai the hedgehog, and the little flying squirrel he brought back from Ailao Mountain, which have now settled at Jiamu Gully First Aid Station.

Little Bai plays joyfully up and down the mountains daily, with its favorite activity being scaring the girls at the protection station.

It often hides behind pipes, inside desk drawers, or on restroom door frames, waiting to raise its head suddenly as people pass by.

Nine out of ten times, it succeeds.

Currently, colleagues at the protection station have a love-hate relationship with it.

This little one is clingy when it wants attention and knows how to bring a wild flower to please people. It doesn't hold back when scaring them, and thanks to everyone's strong nerves, it hasn't quite frightened anyone into illness yet.

Daqing is different. Right now, its interest in Xiao Hai has diminished; it enjoys waiting atop the tree at the protection station's entrance, eagerly awaiting food from the two-legged beasts.

It loves rabbits and chickens the most.

The two-legged beasts even skin them and remove the innards and big bones, making it easy for Daqing to eat.

Luckily, Little Bai and Daqing only play pranks and beg to the protection station colleagues—it hides out of sight when strangers approach.

This time, Professor Bai sent pictures of Little Hedgehog, which quietly found itself a partner and gave birth to a litter of hedgehog cubs.

The surprise was that Professor Bai hadn't even noticed its matchmaking until feelings off while making the sofa, uncovering four little cubs beneath the cushion.

Thankfully, he wasn't overweight, or the hedgehog cubs would have turned into prickly cookies.

(The photo is of European hedgehog juveniles)

Professor Bai wasn't fond of these little animals before, typically leaving the care up to the teacher's wife.

This time, nearly sitting on the little hedgehogs made him terrified and gave him some new feelings for the frightened cubs.

Little Sen and Ruan Mengmeng helped him make a little hedgehog villa specifically for the mother hedgehog to raise her cubs.

Bai the hedgehog's daily pastime became feeding its wife, then lying at the villa's entrance watching the cubs.

Aside from showing off his hedgehog villa and Bai the hedgehog's cubs, Professor Bai also inquired when Chen Ying planned to return.

He had heard from old friends that two Baihua animals were recently discovered at Shennongjia: a Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey and a white crow.

The white crow was photographed, but there was only a witness with no photo of the Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey.

Though Professor Bai is a veterinarian, he's well-connected and especially concerned about his favorite young protégé. Leisurely, he likes to ask friends in the circle about this scientific expedition.

The professor in charge of this expedition reached out upon hearing this, to provide first-hand information.

They extended a strong invitation to Chen Ying due to his natural attraction and affinity for animals, a skill less useful elsewhere, but enviable for those doing field research.

"The first team has completed most tasks, now awaiting the second team's entry. Your second team's mission is substantial, needing to stay about a month in the Primitive Forest. During this period, try collecting biological samples of Baihua animals."

Professor Bai voiced the news he gathered in a recording for Chen Ying, reminding him to bring Jinya and Little Jin back soon, then set off early to join the team.

Every field expedition intertwines danger with luck. If unfamiliar and non-compliant, big problems can arise.

Since the teacher says so, Chen Ying surely follows the advice.

Thus after tending to Er Niu and the two young Tibetan mastiffs, Chen Ying set off on the journey home with Jinya, Little Jin, and Little Lynx.