Chapter 328: Chapter 327: I Offer Oil for My Country

On that night, Xu Ying heard the sound of paws hitting the door. When she opened the door of the rescue station, her breath caught instantly—

Under the clear moonlight, dozens of gleaming beast eyes shimmered in the snow. Agile figures either squatted or stood, their silver-grey fur adorned with black spots, resembling ink-blossomed plums blooming in the snow.

Her Snow Mountain Rescue Station was unexpectedly surrounded by an entire Snow Leopard Army.

The male snow leopard at the forefront slowly stepped forward. Its left ear was missing a corner, a clear sign of having been through a brutal battle.

[Little Xu Station Chief,] its voice was deep and resolute, [all 18 snow leopard families from the West Mountain Range, those who could come, have come.]

Xu Ying’s fingertips trembled slightly. She took a deep breath and recounted the cruel acts of Desert North Country’s nobles hunting snow leopards in detail, along with the dangers of cross-border operations.

[We are not afraid.]

[We are not afraid!]

[Not afraid!]

The low roars of the snow leopards rose and fell, echoing in the silent snow mountain. The snow leopard with the missing ear walked up to Xu Ying, its ice-blue eyes staring straight into hers: [Every snow leopard skin hanging on the walls of Desert North Country’s nobles could be my lost brother, or a mother to some cub.]

It turned to look at the group behind it, [Now we live in comfort, yet our kin suffer elsewhere, which is truly distressing.]

A young female leopard gently nudged the back of Xu Ying’s hand: [We want to show them, what a real home should be like—a snow plain where they can run free without fear of hunters, and...] 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

It paused, its tail brushing against Xu Ying’s pants hem: [Humans like you who would shed tears for us.]

The sound of wings slicing through the air suddenly came from the night sky.

The Golden Eagle Leader descended with the raptor team circling above: [Run freely, snow leopard brothers! We will scout for danger and help you avoid the hunters’ pursuit.]

Xu Ying looked at the determined figures under the moonlight, and finally, tears filled her eyes. She trembled as she opened all the warehouses of the rescue station: [Come now, eat your fill...]

Her voice was already choking up, [I want you all... to come back safely.]

But the snow leopards did not immediately set off.

In unison, they formed a circle, protecting Xu Ying in the center, raising their heads and letting out a long howl that echoed through the valleys.

This was the snow leopard clan’s most solemn vow, representing their promise to return without losing a single member.

A distant rumbling came from the snow-capped peaks, as if the entire West Mountain was sending off this special expeditionary army.

*

Five days later, morning fog enveloped the border.

After Xu Ying and the other staff members assisted in the training.

A "vanguard" of twelve Przewalski’s Wild Horses formed a neat line-up, with a specialized convoy of animal protection organizations following behind, loaded with medical equipment and supplies.

Members of the Snow Leopard Assault Team lay in ambush in the shadows of nearby rocks, while the raptor reconnaissance team led by the Golden Eagle was already circling in the clouds, ready to spring into action.

Standing at the forefront, Xu Ying fastened a specially-made locator collar on each horse.

Her fingers trembled slightly, yet she still managed to maintain a smile: "I’m sorry, I can’t go with you this time."

The lead horse lowered its head and gently nudged her shoulder: [Don’t worry, you taught us how to protect ourselves.]

It shook its mane, [Besides, you have more important things to do—you’ll need to prepare a new home big enough for us.]

The snow leopard leader jumped down from a rock: [When we bring back our kin, you’ll need to prepare twice the amount of jerky.]

It deliberately revealed its fangs, but couldn’t hide the gentleness in its eyes.

In the sky, the Golden Eagle let out a clear and long cry: [Set off!]

Xu Ying stood in place, watching this special "expeditionary army" gradually move away. The hooves of the horses sounded like thunder, the figures of the snow leopards vanished into the morning mist, and the wings of the raptors sliced through the sky.

She touched the cold dampness on her face and softly said, "Make sure you all come back safely...."

The wind swept across the prairie, bringing a distant response: [Little Xu Station Chief, we’ve promised—]

*

The days of waiting for the "expeditionary army" to return were filled with anticipation, tension, and fulfillment.

That day, after finishing a surgery, Xu Ying stood at the entrance of the Fluffy Animal Hospital, stretching leisurely.

[Little Xu Station Chief!!]

An urgent shout came from afar. Xu Ying looked up to see the Sand Rat Boss scurrying toward her anxiously. The little guy was running so fast that he accidentally tripped over a pebble and fell flat, face first, into the sand with a solid thud.

"What’s wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?" Xu Ying quickly squatted down.

The Sand Rat Boss laboriously crawled to her feet, panting heavily, chest heaving: [Something big has happened! My cousin tribe found something unbelievable while digging a new burrow northwest!]

Xu Ying frowned: "What did they find?"

[A black, sticky liquid,] the Sand Rat Boss gestured with its paws, [seeping from the walls of the burrow, and the smell is very strong!]

It anxiously circled in place, [Several pups have fallen sick after coming into contact with it, coughing nonstop! The chief sent me specifically to get your help!]

"Black... sticky liquid?" Xu Ying’s heart tensed up. In this desert area, it was likely...

"Take me to see it!" She immediately turned and rushed inside, quickly packing up a first aid kit, also making sure to pack several sampling bottles and a portable pollutant detection device.

Following the Sand Rat Boss, they trekked for nearly two hours under the scorching sun, Xu Ying’s forehead covered in sweat, her back soaked through, but she didn’t bother wiping it off, just closely followed her little guide.

"We’re here!" The Sand Rat Boss suddenly halted in front of an inconspicuous sand dune, [Right behind that clump of camel thorn bushes, we’ve hidden the entrance to the burrow on purpose.]

Xu Ying squatted and carefully inspected the burrow entrance the Sand Rat Boss pointed out. "Can this burrow be dug open to have a look?" she asked.

The Sand Rat Boss nodded vigorously: [Dig! We must dig!]

She immediately pulled out her phone and dialed Qi Xiao’s number: "Boss Qi, I’ve found a suspicious contamination source in the northwest area, need you to bring excavation equipment over."

Less than half an hour later, Qi Xiao arrived with the engineering team in a rush.

With the roar of the excavator, the entrance was quickly enlarged.

When they dug about three meters down, a pungent odor suddenly filled the air.

"Stop! Stop immediately!"

Xu Ying shouted as she rushed to the edge of the pit. She saw a viscous black liquid continually seeping from the soil layers, reflecting a strange oily sheen under the scorching sun.

The Sand Rat Boss darted onto Xu Ying’s shoulder: [That’s it!]

It angrily waved its little paws, [My cousins started losing fur and vomiting after discovering it, and the young ones were coughing terribly!]

Qi Xiao donned protective gloves and carefully sampled some of the black liquid.

First, he rubbed it between his fingers, then brought it closer to his nose to smell it, his brow gradually relaxing: "It’s crude oil."

A glimmer of excitement flashed in Qi Xiao’s eyes, "And judging by the seepage, there’s likely an oil reserve beneath!"