Beast Taming: I'm Really Just a Forest Ranger - Chapter 184 - 137: The Missing Little Taotao!

Chapter 184: Chapter 137: The Missing Little Taotao!

Given Chen Yuan’s current status and position, it’s indeed possible to accomplish this task by proposing it.

“And there’s one more crucial point,” Zhang Hao waved his finger, smiling as he spoke, “After confirming the racing route, we need to ensure the personal safety of the participants, right? To ensure the competition goes smoothly, we must temporarily drive away the nearby wild Pet Beasts.”

“To achieve this, only you, Yuan, can do it.”

After listening to this, Chen Yuan smiled, “If wild Pet Beasts cause interference, wouldn’t that make it more interesting and appealing to watch?”

“Hmm….” Zhang Hao rested his chin on one hand and thought seriously, “That seems reasonable, but there are too many uncertain factors. I estimate the higher-ups won’t approve it.”

Chen Yuan finally said, “Alright then, I’ll propose this idea when I have time, and whether to implement it will depend on the leaders’ thoughts.”

If this kind of competition could become a trademark, it would greatly benefit Xuanhe Village and nearby towns.

In the midst of their casual discussion, Zhang Hao’s phone suddenly rang. He swallowed a piece of fish fillet and answered the call, “Hello, Song…”

But his expression quickly turned grave, and he stopped chewing, his brows furrowed tightly.

After a while,

“Alright, I understand.”

Zhang Hao hung up the phone, facing several pairs of inquiring eyes. He took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice, “Little Taotao is missing.”

This statement hit like a stone causing waves, and everyone’s expressions changed drastically, quickly asking, “What’s going on?”

“How long has it been?”

“Are there any leads now?”

The lively, adorable, smart, and sensible Little Taotao was beloved by the entire village. Upon hearing this news, those present couldn’t sit still.

Zhang Hao’s gaze was solemn as he said slowly, “Song said that in the evening, Little Taotao hadn’t returned home for dinner. They called out several times in the village, but Little Taotao was nowhere to be seen. It was only then that Mrs. Li realized something was wrong.”

Children who grew up in the village often played together, but when it was mealtime, they would obediently return home.

Chen Yuan frowned and said, “I ran into Little Taotao when I came here this morning. Where was she last seen?”

“At the village entrance.” Zhang Hao answered at lightning speed, “Someone saw Little Taotao waiting for guests at the village entrance.”

After a pause, he said, “That’s all we know for now. The village chief and Song are already organizing manpower to search for Little Taotao.”

Chen Yuan nodded, “Let’s help too.”

Everyone was concerned about Little Taotao’s safety, hurriedly packed up things, and rushed back to Xuanhe Village.

It was already night, and the usually quiet Xuanhe Village was brightly lit. The villagers began searching from the last place Little Taotao was seen, spreading out in all directions.

But the dark night enveloped the earth, adding much difficulty to their search. With forests and mountains surrounding Xuanhe Village, the search was even harder.

“Woof woof woof!”

The Puppy Team joined the search operation, sniffing Little Taotao’s scent, wagging their tails, and leading teams of searchers to look for her everywhere.

“Cola, you help too.”

Cola’s sense of smell far surpassed the members of the Puppy Team. It wasn’t unfamiliar with Little Taotao’s scent. Lowering its body, nose to the ground, it immediately caught various scents.

Its task was straightforward: to sift through the myriad complex scents and pick out Little Taotao’s scent to track it down.

But relying solely on Cola wasn’t enough. Chen Yuan turned his head to Spark and said, “Spark, you let the Violent Cloud Sparrows help too.”

Though the Violent Cloud Sparrows had an average performance in the last rescue mission, they were familiar with the area and were famous on Sky Street. Their efficiency in finding people was higher than that of the villagers.

“Chirp~”

Spark flew up high, its orange-yellow figure streaking across the night sky, quickly disappearing from sight.

“Yuan, what do you think happened?” Zhang Hao walked up next to Chen Yuan, “Our Xuanhe Village can’t possibly have human traffickers, right?”

“Unlikely,” Chen Yuan shook his head.

The old man once told that indeed a few years back, human traffickers came to Xuanhe Village, but they were caught instantly and beaten up by the furious villagers, almost dying on the spot.

When the police arrived later, the elderly villagers over 80 collectively claimed responsibility for the assault, and the matter was left unsettled.

Human traffickers usually don’t target tight-knit remote villages; they also have to consider the risks.

“If it’s not human traffickers, then it must be…” Zhang Hao’s eyes focused, but he stopped halfway.

“Wild Pet Beasts.” Chen Yuan spoke, his brow slightly furrowed, “That’s what I’m worried about.”

Xuanhe Village is located deep in Qinling. The presence of wild Pet Beasts near the village isn’t unusual.

The Puppy Team usually gathers at the village entrance, actually serving as a warning to prevent wild Pet Beasts from sneaking into the village.

“Let’s help search first. Little Taotao will be fine,” Chen Yuan patted Zhang Hao’s shoulder, speaking in a deep voice.

“Alright.”

Under the command of the village chief and Song Guohao, searchers looked everywhere, covering all areas of Xuanhe Village, with barking sounds echoing constantly.

Though it was late at night, sporadic flames connected with each other, forming a winding, twisting fire dragon.

To prevent any accidents, searchers were organized into groups of four, each group accompanied by a member of the Puppy Team.

Chen Yuan, along with Cola and the returned Spark, searched independently.

Run Run Duck couldn’t help in such matters, so Chen Yuan sent it back to the farm first.

Spark flew freely in the air, its orange-yellow body flickering with flame stream, illuminating almost half of the night sky.

Occasionally, a wild Pet Beast would be startled, but seeing Spark in the sky, it would immediately tuck its tail and run away.