Chapter 5: The Endangered Animal—A Chinese Tiger Cub Stolen

Wang Wei carried the tiger cub on his back, weaving through the dense forest—a place notorious for causing even the most experienced to lose their way. Most who entered would spend hours before finding an exit. As the forest ranger of this area, Wang Wei was intimately familiar with its treacherous terrain.

“Stop right there!” Jiang Cha pursued relentlessly, closing in on the man. Unexpectedly, Wang Wei abruptly changed direction, plunging deeper into the thicket.

“Jiang Cha!” Song Bo caught up from behind, gripping her arm tightly.

“You’re just in time. Hurry and catch up with him!” Jiang Cha panted heavily, her frail body—always weak and often hungry—struggling to keep up, her vision swimming with spots.

Song Bo glanced toward Wang Wei’s fleeing path, his eyes darkening. Noticing Jiang Cha’s pale complexion, he hoisted her into his arms without hesitation.

“What are you doing? Put me down! Go after him! That man has the tiger cub—he must have stolen it!” Jiang Cha struggled to leap free, but Song Bo tightened his hold, firmly restraining her slight frame.

“This forest isn’t ordinary. There’s toxic miasma inside. If we go further, we’ll both die,” he warned.

“But...” Jiang Cha shrank back at Song Bo’s cold words. She was fortunate; they had yet to reach the poisoned zone.

“Don’t worry. Let’s return and wait. I know who that man is. He’ll definitely come home tonight. We’ll stake out then.”

Jiang Cha’s brow furrowed. “How do you know him? Is he from our village? I’ve never seen him.”

Song Bo remained silent. That man was not only from their village but also held a certain connection to Jiang Cha.

A low growl echoed nearby. A massive tiger concealed behind a tree locked its fierce gaze on them.

Jiang Cha felt a sharp stare pierce her; her legs weakened. Could it be the parent coming to confront them?

The tiger’s fur was a golden hue, streaked with black stripes, white patches evident along its cheeks and throat, measuring nearly two and a half meters in length. Despite its relatively small size, the bared teeth left no doubt in Jiang Cha’s mind—it could tear her apart in an instant.

Yet, this cub wasn’t stolen by them. Why target them?

Song Bo carefully observed the tiger, eyes unblinking. Jiang Cha knew that when encountering large wild animals outdoors, one must not turn and run. Two legs could not outrun four. Surviving without immediate attack was sheer luck.

“A South China tiger? Could it be its cub that was taken?” Song Bo’s voice was low, brows furrowed. He had assumed it was a common tiger, but now he feared they had alerted an expert group.

“What’s a South China tiger? Is that a breed?” Jiang Cha marveled at her own composure, managing to converse under such stress.

Song Bo whispered, “It’s an endangered species. There are barely over a thousand left in existence.”

Just over a thousand. What did that mean? Worldwide, only a little more than a thousand remained. One wrong move could lead to extinction.

“Cunning humans stole my son, yet they act like the victims,” a voice of rage echoed clearly between them and the tiger.

The distance was close enough for Jiang Cha to hear the South China tiger’s angry words. She couldn’t stand the injustice—her good deeds misunderstood.

“Your son wasn’t taken by us. We’re here to help find him. But there’s toxic miasma inside. My friend suggested we return and plan carefully,” Song Bo covered Jiang Cha’s mouth, alarmed at the loud declaration. Did she not realize such volume could provoke the tiger?

Unexpectedly, the South China tiger seemed to understand Jiang Cha’s intent and roared twice more. Song Bo, an animal scientist unfamiliar with this rare endangered wild species, couldn’t interpret the meaning.

Jiang Cha shrugged off Song Bo’s hand, stood, and smiled warmly at the tiger.

“Yes, rest assured. We will help find your son. We mean no harm. Please be kind to us, Mimi.”

“Mimi?” Song Bo twitched at the corner of his mouth. Calling such a massive tiger “Mimi”?

To Song Bo’s astonishment, the tiger slowly emerged from behind the tree and gently rubbed against Jiang Cha’s arm. Had he hallucinated from some fungal toxin? How could he witness such a bizarre scene?

“Human, you must help me find my son. He’s young, prone to illness, and won’t survive long without his mother’s milk,” the South China tiger choked with emotion. Through their brief exchange, Jiang Cha learned the tigress was over ten years old. Her previous cubs had died for various reasons. She had thought she would never have another child, yet fate had granted her one more.

Jiang Cha patted her chest confidently. “Leave it to me. I promise to bring the wrongdoers to justice and return your cub safely.”

On the way back to the village, Jiang Cha tried repeatedly to ignore Song Bo’s intense, probing gaze. She expected him to question her but to her surprise, even upon reaching the village gate, he remained silent.

She didn’t dwell on it. She wasn’t afraid of others knowing about her unique gift—after all, no one else understood animal speech. How she explained it was her affair alone.

Jiang Cha followed Song Bo to Wanwan Zhong’s house and found a hidden spot to wait. The area was thick with trees, making concealment effortless.

“Why come to Wanwan’s place? Are you secretly in love with her?” Jiang Cha’s pragmatic mind could conjure no other explanation.

Song Bo rolled his eyes, his handsome face cracking with exasperation.

“The person who stole the tiger cub is Wanwan’s uncle.”

“What?!” Jiang Cha gasped, but Song Bo quickly silenced her.

“How could it be her uncle? Isn’t her family upright and respectable?”

It turned out Wanwan’s uncle was the black sheep of the Zhong family. Wang Wei had been a small-time troublemaker, over thirty years old with no steady job, living off his sister. Wanwan’s mother was equally foolish—willingly enabling her wayward son, even helping him find jobs and arrange blind dates. Most of the family’s money went to support him.

Ironically, Wanwan’s husband, Tianyu Zhong, bore no complaints; the couple funneled their funds to Wang Wei.

Jiang Cha clicked her tongue in disbelief—truly, the world was full of wonders. This family was nothing if not peculiar.

They waited until deep into the night. Jiang Cha was covered in mosquito bites, each one swollen and itching fiercely. Just as she was about to lose her temper, a shadowy figure sneaked through the gate.

Squinting, Jiang Cha saw the person carrying a sack on his back, wearing a hat.

It was the very man she had chased earlier.

Her fury surged, longing to confront him and reclaim the tiger cub.

Song Bo gently grasped her arm, shaking his head to caution against rash action.

The man glanced back repeatedly as he quietly opened the door and slipped inside.

The pitch-black room suddenly brightened with the flicker of candlelight.