Chapter 507 - 243: Frenzied (3)

Chapter 507: Chapter 243: Frenzied (3)

Yang Qi had suspected the worst, but seeing the bloody truth laid bare so bluntly and coldly still filled him with rage.

Chen Jifeng slammed the form onto a nearby broken wooden table with a dull THUD. His furious gaze swept over the man slumped on the floor in handcuffs, then shifted to the boy being carried outside. He let out a suppressed, low growl.

"These animals!!"

"Captain Chen, this isn’t the time for anger," Yang Qi said calmly. "Interrogating the suspect is the priority."

"Right. We’ll interrogate him immediately!"

Chen Jifeng took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth, "Notify the tech team to do a full sweep of this place. Don’t miss a single scrap of paper or electronic device!"

He then turned to Yang Qi, his expression full of sincere gratitude.

"Advisor Yang, we owe you and your partners for this one. If it weren’t for you, we don’t know how much longer we’d have been running in circles. And this boy... he probably wouldn’t have made it."

Yang Qi raised a hand, dismissing the praise.

Then, he pointed to the two crows that Xiaojiu and Qi Zai had subdued.

"Captain Chen, these crows are crucial. Get a Veterinarian to examine them as soon as possible. Check for micro-trackers or any unusual drugs. The bird handler is very likely one of the three men we’ve arrested."

"I’m on it!"

Chen Jifeng immediately spun around and began relaying a series of orders into his radio, simultaneously reporting the situation to the municipal command center.

...

「Municipal Command Center.」

Yao Zhenwei stood before a massive electronic screen displaying a photo just taken inside the bungalow: the "Client Customization Request and Donor Preliminary Match Evaluation Form."

His expression was grim, his eyes fixed on every word on the screen.

"Customized organs... live harvesting..."

Yao Zhenwei’s voice was low and hoarse, as if every word was being forcibly squeezed from his throat.

"In our Yuanzhou... right under our very noses... running this kind of monstrous scheme!"

BAM!

He slammed his fist down hard on the metal control console before him.

The loud bang echoed through the command center. Everyone flinched, not daring to breathe.

"Investigate! I want this case torn wide open!!"

Yao Zhenwei roared at the silent officers filling the room, "Use every legal means at your disposal to crack those three bastards open! I want to know their entire network—their suppliers, their buyers, their bases of operation, the doctors, the transport routes, the client lists! Everything!"

"Yes, Director Yao!"

The captain of the Second Criminal Investigation Division snapped to attention, spun around, and rushed out.

"Tech team! Information team!"

Yao Zhenwei’s gaze shot to another section of the room. "Run a check on the six children who previously went missing. Pull every medical record they have—hospital visits, physicals, everything—from birth until now. From every licensed hospital in Yuanzhou—no, the entire province!"

"Focus on their blood types! See if there are any anomalous appointments, redundant tests, or records of contact by specific medical personnel. Report any suspicious detail, no matter how small!"

"Also, investigate every private hospital and clinic in the city, especially those with surgical capabilities and diagnostic equipment. Investigate their equipment, medical supplies, and personnel turnover! Notify the Department of Health to cooperate!"

"Yes, sir!!"

...

As the orders rained down, the entire police and public health systems of Yuanzhou City were mobilized, launching a dragnet investigation centered on the organ trafficking ring.

...

「Meanwhile.」

A quiet warehouse at the municipal bureau had been temporarily converted into a special "interrogation room."

Of the two captured crows, the larger one—the "red-eyed crow" caught by Qi Zai—had already succumbed to its injuries.

The smaller crow, which Xiaojiu had tackled, was examined by a Veterinarian and found to be largely unharmed—just frightened, with a few scrapes on its wing.

The Veterinarian found a tiny subcutaneous electronic tag on its leg, nearly the same color as its feathers. It was no longer active.

They also detected trace amounts of a special drug in the residue from its gular pouch—a compound that acted as a neural stimulant for birds.

And so, the surviving crow became their only lead.

Yang Qi had everyone else step back, leaving him alone with the terrified crow.

’As it turns out, neither of the crows were Spirit Beasts; the system hadn’t responded to them.’

This made Yang Qi give up the idea of making it his Guardian Beast. Instead, he simply cast a remote "Basic Spirit Awakening Technique" to make the surviving crow more intelligent.

Then, he discreetly took out some calming powder and sprinkled it toward the bird.

The crow was resistant at first, but the unique, soothing scent of the calming powder gradually eased its frayed nerves, and it stopped flapping about so frantically.

Yang Qi didn’t press the issue or move any closer. From across the table, he used the "Basic Spirit Communication Technique" to soothe it with soft words while pushing a small dish of fresh water and crushed nuts, which crows love, toward it.

The crow tilted its head, staring intently at Yang Qi.

Its gaze was a mixture of confusion, bewilderment, and a budding sense of closeness.

It seemed to be in the midst of a fierce internal struggle.

Its wild instincts, wariness, and desire for food warred with the strange sense of peace brought on by the calming powder and his Ten Thousand Beasts Affinity.

Yang Qi waited patiently.

Finally, the crow tentatively dipped its beak into the dish and took a few sips of water.

Then, it quickly snatched up a piece of a crushed nut and swallowed it.

"Can you talk?"

Yang Qi tried again, pointing first to the crow and then to his own mouth, mouthing the words simply.

’The main reason the trafficking ring trained crows and parrots was because both species could learn to talk.’

’Perfect for luring targets.’

A low gurgle came from the crow’s throat, and it blinked.

It understood what Yang Qi meant, but it also seemed confused.

Yang Qi tried a different approach.

He used his finger to trace a very simple, crooked drawing of a bird’s nest on the tabletop, then pointed at the crow and spoke.