Working in a Zoo with Beast Taming System

Chapter 299: Chapter 184: Animal Murder Case

"Captain Shen, this is Yang Qi, the man you’re looking for. He’s Advisor Yang from our Municipal Bureau," Wang Anjiu said to Shen Ruiping with a broad smile.

"Hello, Advisor Yang."

Shen Ruiping stood up, took two steps forward, and extended his hand to shake Yang Qi’s.

His grip was strong, and his palm held the faint calluses of someone who had handled a gun for years.

He then turned to introduce the man beside him: a hulking figure, built like an iron tower, with arms nearly as thick as an average person’s thighs.

"This is my colleague, Fei Gang."

"Hello, Captain Shen. Officer Fei." Yang Qi shook each of their hands in turn, his expression serene.

He could feel Fei Gang studying him with a probing gaze.

"My work here is done. Brother Qi, Captain Shen, I’ll let you two talk. Just give me a call if you need anything." Wang Anjiu smiled and took his leave, pulling the door to the reception room closed behind him.

The three of them were left alone in the room.

Shen Ruiping got straight to the point, his eyes fixed on Yang Qi. "Advisor Yang, time is tight, so I’ll skip the pleasantries. We’ve come from Binjiang to ask for your help."

"I’m listening, Captain Shen."

Yang Qi’s expression turned serious. "I’ll help in any way I can."

’They came all the way from another city and contacted me through official police channels. This must be serious.’

"Thank you."

Shen Ruiping thanked him and began to lay out the case. He spoke deliberately, his words clear and methodical, yet they carried a heavy weight.

"Here’s what happened."

"About ten days ago, an incident occurred in our city’s Gem District. A man was leaving his high-rise apartment building when he was struck in the head by a flowerpot that ’accidentally’ fell from an upper floor. He was killed instantly. The initial ruling was an accidental death caused by a falling object."

"Seven days ago, a woman was walking down an old street when the wire from an old-fashioned lamppost above her suddenly snapped. It fell and landed right on her, electrocuting her. It looked like an accident caused by long-term disrepair."

"Four days ago, another man was heading home late at night. As he passed through a dimly lit alley, he lost his footing and fell into an open manhole. He had drowned by the time he was found. It appeared to be a tragedy resulting from poor civic maintenance."

"And just yesterday..."

Shen Ruiping’s voice grew graver. "A high school boy was cycling to school when he jumped into the river to save a primary schooler who had slipped and fallen in."

"He managed to get the child to shore, but he was too exhausted to pull himself out... On the surface, it was another accidental death, a tragic end to a heroic act."

When he finished, Yang Qi’s brow furrowed. "Captain Shen, based on your descriptions, it sounds like all four victims died in accidents. The timing is tight, I’ll grant you, but accidents are, by their very nature, unpredictable."

"On the surface, yes, they all look like accidents."

Shen Ruiping took a deep breath, his eyes turning sharp. "But our internal investigation revealed a shocking connection between the four victims. Every single one of them was connected to a traffic accident in Binjiang six months ago!"

"That crash killed two people and left one critically injured. And the four people who’ve died recently? They were all there. They were witnesses, but they were also innocent bystanders who were nearly hit themselves."

Yang Qi’s expression hardened.

’Four seemingly separate accidents... and every victim is connected to the same car crash from six months ago?’

’That’s an incredible coincidence.’

Shen Ruiping continued, "More importantly, we pulled massive amounts of surveillance footage from the four ’accident’ scenes and the surrounding areas. After combing through it again and again, we found an incredibly strange common thread."

"In the moments before and after every single ’accident,’ there were animals near the scene!"

"Before the flowerpot fell, stray cats were seen darting about erratically on the roof."

"When the wire snapped, the break occurred at a point on a nearby utility pole where old gnaw marks from rats had been freshly disturbed."

"In the alley with the open manhole, stray dogs had been seen frequently loitering and tearing at something in that exact spot for days beforehand."

"And along the stretch of riverbank where the boy performed the rescue, an unusual number of birds were seen gathering and circling just before the incident!"

"Controlling animals to stage fatal accidents?!" Yang Qi’s pupils constricted as the words escaped his lips.

’The conclusion was horrifying, but given Shen Ruiping’s account, it was the most logical explanation.’

’Using animals’ natural behaviors, or easily manipulated instincts, to trigger an "accident" at a precise time and place to kill a target.’

’It’s the perfect crime, utterly untraceable!’

"Yes. We strongly suspect the killer has some kind of special ability, or has mastered an incredibly sophisticated technique, that allows them to use—or even control—animals to carry out these meticulously planned ’accidental’ murders!"

Shen Ruiping’s tone was grim. "What’s more, these four victims aren’t the only ones connected to that car crash six months ago."

"According to our investigation, there were at least three other people at the scene!"

"If the killer’s revenge list is real, and they stick to the current pattern of killing one person every three days..."

"Tomorrow night, another person might ’accidentally’ die!"

The man beside them, Fei Gang, suddenly spoke up. His voice, like a subwoofer, boomed startlingly in the quiet reception room.

His eyes, wide as saucers, were fixed on Yang Qi. His tone was so direct it bordered on rude. "Advisor Yang, I’m Old Fei. I’m a blunt man and I don’t mince words, so forgive me if I cause any offense. But there’s a question I have to ask."

"With your skills... could you control animals to kill someone?"

The question was incredibly pointed, almost an accusation.

At this, Yang Qi actually smiled—a calm, unruffled smile.