Chapter 322: Chapter 321: I’m Here to Make an Arrest

The most striking thing was the gaze of the female crane, gentle yet wary, occasionally lowering her head to tidy her partner’s feathers with her beak.

Looking at the three little chicks, they were absolutely adorable! Their gray fluff made them look like three chubby little ducklings, wobbling as they walked. One little fellow tried to hop over to the food bowl but ended up falling on its bottom, causing the other two to tumble over as well, turning into a rolling bundle of fluff.

"Don’t be fooled by how clumsy they are now; in three months, they’ll be able to fly," Su Xiao said with a smile. "By the time they’re about half a year old, they’ll gradually shed their gray fluff and grow the same white feathers as their parents, turning into elegant little cranes!"

Xu Ying gestured for silence: "Shh, don’t call them clumsy to their faces, they can understand~"

Su Xiao quickly fell silent, glancing apologetically at the crane family.

The female crane saw Xu Ying and bent her long neck, giving her a solemn bow. She gently shook her snowy feathers, speaking softly: [Little Xu Station Chief, we truly owe you so much.

[If it weren’t for you, the Bai He family might have...]

Her voice choked a little, [You’ve given him a second life.]

Xu Ying squatted down, gently stroking the feathers of the male crane on the sickbed, her eyes slightly reddened. "It’s my fault for not protecting you better."

In spring, the Bai He returned to the north, not expecting to spend a lifetime here.

This adult male crane could no longer make long-distance treks, and it would take about a month before he could walk on the ground and then begin to adapt to his prosthetic, which would take another six months of adjustment.

Fortunately, the Bai He’s lifespan is quite long compared to other animals, averaging over thirty years, and in captivity, it can reach forty to fifty years. This adult male crane still has much of his life left to begin anew.

Her fingers gently touched the bandage on the male crane’s leg, her voice filled with self-blame.

The male crane on the sickbed struggled to lift his head, gently touching the back of Xu Ying’s hand with his beak: [This isn’t your fault, Little Xu Station Chief.]

His gaze was firm yet gentle, [It’s those wicked people who were so despicable.]

The three little cranes hopped over, chirping: [Daddy will get better!]

[Station Chief Xu is the best!]

[We’ll always be together!]

Xu Ying took a deep breath, wiped away her tears, and solemnly promised the male crane, "I promise to find out who was behind hurting you!" 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Her gaze swept over every Bai He in the room, "And I’ll protect your family too."

The female crane lowered her head again, her snowy feathers glistening in the sunlight: [We trust you.]

The three little cranes imitated their mother, awkwardly lowering their fluffy little heads. The male crane on the sickbed let out a clear call: [Thank you.]

Xu Ying gently stroked the feathers of the Bai He on the sickbed, speaking softly, "Do you remember what the person who flew the drone looked like?"

The Bai He’s gaze flickered with a hint of fear, quivering slightly as he recalled: [After that dreadful machine severed my leg, I was in so much pain I nearly passed out... but in my daze, I saw a young man approaching.]

He paused, [He was wearing heavy boots, making a crunching sound on the sand as he walked. He squatted down to check my injuries, and once he realized how severely hurt I was, he quickly left with his drone in a panic.]

[I remember clearly...]

The Bai He suddenly lifted his head, [He had a round, green stone hanging from his neck, swaying conspicuously in the sunlight as he leaned over.]

"A green round stone?" Xu Ying’s eyes lit up, immediately pulling out her phone to search for an image, "Does it look like this?" She clicked on a picture of the Jade Peaceful Coin.

The Bai He flapped his wings excitedly: [Yes, yes, that’s it!]

[And also...] He tilted his head, continuing to recall, [He wore something shiny in his left ear, more dazzling than dewdrops.]

"Is it this?" Xu Ying showed him a picture of diamond earrings.

The Bai He nodded repeatedly: [Exactly the same!]

Xu Ying quickly jotted down the crucial information: "Height taller than the reed bed by half a head... so about 175 cm. Short hair..." She pensively bit the pen cap, "Seems like he’s a young man who pays attention to his appearance."

Closing her notebook, Xu Ying gently patted the Bai He on the head, "The clues you provided are very important. Take care and heal, I will find this person."

As she left the ward, her gaze grew determined. With these features—Jade Peaceful Coin, diamond earrings, a short-haired male about 175 cm tall, the search range has been greatly narrowed.

Now, it’s time to start the "hunt."

After lunch.

As the sun blazed down, Chen Su’s police car rolled over the desert road, kicking up fine dust.

Xu Ying sat in the back seat with an animal carrier full of sand rats, ten fluffy little heads crowding together at the air vents, looking around.

Qi Xiao’s hand rested on the car window, his sharp gaze scanning each suspicious trace along the way.

"This time, we need a grid search," Xu Ying gently stroked the head of the Sand Rat Boss, "We need to find more witnesses."

As the car wheels crunched over gravel, she looked out the window—the wetland was gradually appearing in the mist.

As soon as the car stopped, the sand rat task force eagerly jumped out of the cage. Like trained scouts, they quickly dispersed into the reed bed.

Xu Ying squatted down, gently tapping the ground with her fingertips: "Remember, especially look for little animals that witnessed the drone."

Half an hour later, the Sand Rat Boss hurried back with intelligence.

Droplets were still clinging to his whiskers, [Little Xu Station Chief, I found out!]

He gestured excitedly, [My distant relative saw the man with the jade pendant. He was so frightened after realizing the trouble he caused, he turned pale and stumbled onto a red motorcycle to escape!]

Xu Ying frowned: "Did he take the drone with him? Didn’t leave any evidence?"

The Sand Rat Boss shook his head, [My cousin said he stuffed all the drone wreckage into a backpack, not even leaving a single propeller.]

Xu Ying translated the Sand Rat Boss’s words for Qi Xiao and Chen Su.

Chen Su said coldly, "That drone’s model is..."

Qi Xiao’s eyes sharpened, "A German-made octocopter drone, with a camera gimbal model." His deep voice carried suppressed anger.

"Such imported equipment requires registration and filing." Chen Su slightly frowned, his long lashes casting shadows under his eyes. "The suspect wouldn’t dare to discard the evidence nearby and would most likely deal with it at home."

Xu Ying pressed her lips together, a hint of urgency flashing in her eyes: "Then we’ll inquire along the southeast direction."

From noon until dusk, they questioned along the desert road.

Suddenly, Xu Ying sat upright, her amber eyes reflecting the distant lights: "We’re getting closer to the Desert Scenic Area resort."