Chapter 197: Chapter 150: Qi Zai’s Gift, Meddling
Yang Qi was a man of his word.
After cleaning the Horned Eagle Cage, he headed straight for the administration building.
He first found Jiang Kai, the Minister of Animal Management, and stated his business in the office.
He was requesting permission to conduct formal, controlled, outdoor adaptive flight training for the semi-wild Beaked Eagle, Qi Zai.
To be more persuasive, Yang Qi cleverly wove together the theoretical knowledge he had recently learned from Song Chunfang—animal behavior, ecology, raptor conservation, and the like—into a "professional analysis."
He started with "the importance of satisfying a large raptor’s instinctive need to fly to maintain its physical and mental health and reduce stereotypical behaviors."
Then he moved on to how "gradually expanding its range of activity in a controlled environment helps establish the Beaked Eagle’s sense of belonging and homing instinct for the Zoo’s back mountain territory."
He also analyzed how "moderate wild hunting training can enhance its wildness and survival skills, which would be beneficial for potential future breeding or research."
Finally, he mentioned that "real-time tracking and data collection via a GPS tracker would in itself be a valuable scientific observation."
...
His argument was well-reasoned and evidence-based, considering animal welfare while also accounting for scientific value and risk management. Jiang Kai nodded repeatedly as he listened.
"Xiao Yang, I understand and agree with all the theories you’ve mentioned. But the most crucial question is, have you really ’tamed’ Qi Zai?"
"Yes, Minister. I have tamed him completely."
Yang Qi’s tone was certain, his gaze frank. "Qi Zai and I have established a good foundation of trust and communication. If you’re still not convinced, I can give you a demonstration right now."
"That would be for the best."
Hearing this, Jiang Kai’s spirits lifted. He nodded and said, "Alright, but it’s not enough for just me to see it. Let’s go get the Director and have him take a look, too. If the Director approves, then this will be much easier to handle."
"Okay."
Yang Qi readily agreed.
The two of them left the room and went straight to Director Huang Zhongmu’s office.
Yang Qi gave Huang Zhongmu a more concise version of the report he had just given Jiang Kai.
"The theory sounds good."
After listening, Huang Zhongmu mused, "Since you’re so confident, Xiao Yang, take me and Minister Jiang to see a demonstration first. If it’s really as you say, then we can discuss the specific plan for the flight training."
"Thank you, Director!"
Yang Qi’s heart settled. ’I’m halfway there.’
Huang Zhongmu waved his hand.
The three of them immediately left the administration building and headed toward the Horned Eagle Cage.
Arriving at the cage’s outer area, Huang Zhongmu and Jiang Kai stood in the observation zone.
Yang Qi took a custom-made protective shoulder guard and arm guard from his tool bag and carefully put them on.
Only then did he open the door to the staff accessway and enter the cage.
"Qi Zai, come here."
Yang Qi beckoned to the Beaked Eagle, extending his right arm, which was covered by the guard.
Qi Zai, perched in the tree, had already spotted Yang Qi and the strangers outside. At the call, it turned its head, spread its wide wings, and leaped from the tree. With a graceful glide, it landed precisely on Yang Qi’s forearm, its sharp talons gripping firmly onto the arm guard’s padding.
It then adjusted its position, flapping its wings and shifting until it was perched steadily on Yang Qi’s right shoulder.
The massive body and sharp, hooked beak were just inches away, but Yang Qi’s expression remained calm. He even reached up to gently stroke the feathers on the Beaked Eagle’s chest.
With the majestic Beaked Eagle on his shoulder, Yang Qi walked to the cage door. He showed Huang Zhongmu and Jiang Kai through the fence, demonstrating that he could interact safely and closely with Qi Zai.
Next, he turned around, his back to the cage, and activated his "Basic Spirit Communication Technique" to issue a command to Qi Zai on his shoulder.
"Qi Zai, go get that branch over there for me."
Yang Qi pointed to a dry, thumb-thick branch in the corner that he had intentionally left during cleaning.
A low GURGLE rumbled in Qi Zai’s throat, signaling it understood.
With a beat of its wings, it lifted lightly from Yang Qi’s shoulder, performed a beautiful turn in mid-air, flew to the branch, and picked it up with its beak.
Then it spread its wings again, flew steadily back to Yang Qi, and placed the branch in his outstretched palm before releasing its beak.
Yang Qi took the branch and gently patted Qi Zai’s head with his other hand as a reward.
Qi Zai GURGLED again and flew back to perch on his shoulder.
The entire process was smooth and natural. The Beaked Eagle’s response was swift, precise, and perfectly obedient.
Yang Qi turned to face the outside of the cage, showing the branch in his hand to Huang Zhongmu and Jiang Kai with a confident smile on his face.
"Xiao Yang, impressive!"
Jiang Kai couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up, his face full of admiration.
Getting a large raptor to obey a "fetch" command like that was no longer a matter of simple affinity; this was "taming" in the truest sense of the word!
Huang Zhongmu also nodded, his eyes showing approval. "Not bad. He’s really tamed."
He paused, his expression turning serious. "Since you’re this confident, I’ll agree to the flight training in principle. However, the safety measures must be thorough. The GPS tracker is mandatory."
Huang Zhongmu looked at Yang Qi, his tone frank. "Xiao Yang, don’t think I’m being a busybody. Even though Chen Hao gave the Beaked Eagle to you, and you’re nominally in charge of it, it is still a rare animal registered with the Zoo."
"If it really flies away during training, or causes some kind of trouble, you’ll certainly be held responsible. But as the supervising leaders, Minister Jiang and I would be just as culpable. The entire Zoo could even be implicated."
"So, the tracker is a must, and you have to make sure Qi Zai can’t get it off himself."
