[We found a big guy injured!]
The Black Jungle Cat stopped short, amber eyes filled with urgency, [A cal with two humps on its back has an injured front leg and is ramming the fence near the hospital construction area!]
Wild double-humped cal?
Xu Ying’s heart tightened.
The wild double-humped cals of the West Continent are a critically endangered species rarer than giant pandas. How could one appear alone near the rescue station?
She hopped onto the back seat of the motorcycle, "Let’s go, quickly head back and take a look!"
The Black Jungle Cat swiftly jumped onto the vehicle.
The motorcycle jolted over the rugged dirt and gravel road.
Ten minutes later, Xu Ying saw that massive creature—
An adult male double-humped cal, standing over two ters at the shoulder, its dark brown fur encrusted with sand.
It was violently slamming its body against the iron fence surrounding the hospital construction area, producing a terrifying dull thud.
A ghastly wound on the cal’s left front leg continuously oozed beads of blood with its movent.
[It has been ramming like this for ten minutes.]
The Little Sand Cat, watching the cal from the side, was circling anxiously, [We don’t dare get close; we’re afraid it might get startled.]
Xu Ying nodded, slowly approaching the cal, speaking in a soothing voice, [What trouble have you encountered?]
[I’m an animal rescuer. I can understand animal speech. Can you tell your problems?]
[I will try my best to help you.]
The double-humped cal heard this, its pitch-black eyes looking at Xu Ying, pitiful and helpless.
[Masked people... digging holes... taking things away... made carry them.]
[I escaped, but my companions were kidnapped by them!]
"Soone is digging for things in the desert?"
Xu Ying speculated, "Could they be tomb raiders?"
The double-humped cal let out a low growl, seeming to confirm her suspicion.
Xu Ying’s heart raced; the vast, historically rich desert is scattered with ancient city ruins, so discovered, so not.
The plundering of artifacts has always been a persistent problem.
Cals have excellent mories, especially excelling in desert survival; they can rember water sources and routes dozens of kiloters away and even find them years later. They can recognize companions, caretakers, and even remain wary of past aggressors, rembering areas frequented by predators or dangerous zones to actively avoid.
Cals possess a clever mind, with brain structures that support long-term mory, aiding their survival in harsh environnts.
If the double-humped cal has indeed visited the site of tomb raiding, finding those tomb-raiding villains will not be difficult!
Xu Ying first disinfected and bandaged the cal’s wound.
The setting sun turned the desert into a scene of golden-red, the hot wind carrying fine sand sliding past Xu Ying’s cheek.
She crouched beside the injured cal, gently stroking its trembling front leg.
"Don’t be afraid, it will get better soon."
She spoke softly, taking iodine from the dical kit.
The cal let out a low hum, its moist eyes reflecting her figure, seemingly comforted by Xu Ying’s reliability, surprisingly not struggling.
As the cotton ball dabbed with the antiseptic touched its wound, the cal’s muscles tensed sharply, its breathing turning rough. Xu Ying steadied its leg with her other hand, "Hang in there." Her movents were swift yet gentle, the iodine creating fine foam on the wound, washing away sand and bloodstains.
As she wrapped the bandage, the cal suddenly lowered its head to nuzzle her shoulder, its coarse fur brushing against the side of her neck as if saying thank you.
With the final round of gauze secured, Xu Ying patted its sturdy neck: "You’ve worked hard, holding on for so long."
The cal willingly nuzzled her palm.
"Can you take to the place where those people dug holes?"
Xu Ying asked.
The double-humped cal indicated its wound with its nose:
[I can, but we have to wait until my leg heals.]
Xu Ying thought for a mont, "No worries, you can recuperate peacefully at the rescue station, just point in the general direction."
After communicating with the cal, Xu Ying gave it a na, Mountain Peak.
On the third day, Xu Ying rose early to prepare exploration gear: abundant water, GPS, a cara, a satellite phone, and a sturdy old-fashioned compass.
Entering the enclosure, she was surprised to see Mountain Peak already able to stand and walk, its wound healing remarkably fast.
Mountain Peak saw her and nodded in greeting: [Little Xu Station Chief, I’m ready!]
"You want to go today?" she asked the cal.
Mountain Peak bent its long neck, gently nudging her backpack, clearly indicating agreent.
[I’m anxious to find my companions back.]
Cals are highly social animals; companions are like comrades to them, and they exhibit severe separation anxiety when apart from them.
Xu Ying rode her motorcycle, leading Mountain Peak with a long rope as they ventured into the desert.
Initially, the cal moved slowly, but as they delved deeper into the desert, it seed to regain spirit, often lifting its head to sniff the air, guiding the direction.
Two hours later, they reached an area Xu Ying had never set foot in before.
The dunes there were unusually shaped, as if molded by an invisible hand, forming wavy patterns.
Mountain Peak abruptly halted, emitting an uneasy whimper.
[Here... the scent is dangerous...]
Xu Ying killed the engine and got off, retrieving binoculars from her backpack.
Scanning the surroundings, she noticed an anomaly about five hundred ters away on the side of a Mountain Peak— the sand there was noticeably darker than the surrounding area, as if it had been disturbed.
She approached cautiously, but Mountain Peak bit her clothing to prevent her from advancing.
"It’s okay, I’ll just take a look." She reassured, though the cal’s eyes were filled with vigilance.
As the distance closed, Xu Ying’s heartbeat quickened.
It was indeed a man-made excavation, about a ter square, with scattered footprints and cigarette butts around.
The hole was crudely covered with planks and canvas, but one corner had collapsed, revealing a dark entrance.
"Oh my god..." she exclaid, covering her mouth, this was undoubtedly a tomb raiding site!
Xu Ying took out her cara, starting to photograph for evidence, while observing for signs of any raider activity. The desert was eerily silent, only the faint sound of hot wind brushing the sand granules.
She hesitated whether to approach the entrance for a closer inspection, but Mountain Peak suddenly let out a sharp warning cry, its ears flattening back against its head.
Xu Ying imdiately ducked down—she had learned to trust animal intuition.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, the rumbling of engines sounded in the distance.
Xu Ying quickly led Mountain Peak to hide behind a sand dune, peeking through the gaps.
An unlicensed off-road vehicle drove up and stopped near the entrance.
Three n got out, two of them carrying bulging backpacks.
"Hurry up, go down once more before the wind gets up."
A man wearing a baseball cap was speaking.
His voice was rough, "The boss says there’s still sothing on the east wall."
"This damned place is really creepy," complained a skinny guy, "Yesterday Old Ma said he heard soone crying down there, scared him enough to drop the tools."
"Shut up! If we pull off this job, it’ll be enough for you to live large for half a year." The man in the baseball cap harshly reprimanded.
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