Chapter 432: Chapter 226: Liu Fu’s Showtime 2

[Hu Haodong: No kidding. It’s written plain as day on the recruitment page. But the salary they’re offering... Tsk, tsk. The base pay for security guards and keepers is way higher than ours. And they have all sorts of subsidies, bonuses, housing allowances... I’m drooling just looking at it.]

[Xiaozhang: Right? We’re taking care of animals too. How come they get to pay so much?]

A chorus of agreement echoed through the group chat, their envy tinged with the restless urge to make a move.

[Chen Ze: Exactly! Strike while the iron is hot! By the way, @Yang Qi, Brother Qi, has Xianlai been trying to poach you on the sly?]

The group chat fell silent for a moment.

[Hu Haodong: Are you dumb? Brother Qi earned that permanent position with his own skills. It would be such a waste to jump ship to Xianlai.]

[Chen Ze: You’re the dumb one! (scoffs) That kind of tenured post is only a big deal to ordinary people like us. For a true professional with special skills like Brother Qi, that job security is just a title. It makes almost no difference.]

[Chen Ze: Believe it or not, with Brother Qi’s current titles—’Special Advisor to the Municipal Bureau,’ ’Professor Song’s top student,’ ’Animal Communication Expert’—if Xianlai really wanted to poach him, his annual salary would start at a million, minimum! And that’s not even counting benefits and dividends! Can some silly tenured post compare to a million-a-year salary?]

The group chat fell silent again.

Chen Ze’s words were blunt, even a little harsh, but upon reflection, he had a point.

For most people seeking stability, a tenured position was a golden ticket.

But for a technical expert like Yang Qi, it was a different story. He had already demonstrated extraordinary abilities and was starting to make a name for himself in the field. For someone like him, the constraints of a tenured position were starting to outweigh its appeal.

Not to mention, Yang Qi also had connections with high-level officials at the Provincial Forestry Bureau.

[Xiaoli: I think Brother Chen has a point.]

[Xiaozhang: A million-a-year salary... I can’t even imagine it. I just can’t.]

[Hu Haodong: ...I guess that’s true. So if Xianlai really tries to poach Brother Qi, would he go?]

With that, everyone’s curiosity was piqued once more, and they all started pinging Yang Qi.

[@Yang Qi, Brother Qi, come on, tell us! Has Xianlai contacted you?]

[Yeah, Brother Qi, give us the inside scoop!]

[Spill the tea!]

[...]

Yang Qi had been reading a paper on "The Impact of Enrichment Toys on the Cognitive Abilities of Primates." Seeing the constant pings and questions popping up on his phone, he couldn’t help but let out a resigned smile.

His fingers tapped the screen, and he sent a short, one-word reply.

[No]

It was the absolute truth.

Pang Yunrui had never actually tried to poach him.

Because from the very start of the Xianlai project, Yang Qi had been one of the planners working behind the scenes. He was the future director of the Xianlai Wildlife Park.

However, Chen Ze and the others clearly didn’t see it that way.

Seeing Yang Qi’s denial, the group chat buzzed with activity again.

[Chen Ze: No? Brother Qi, are you just too embarrassed to admit it?]

[Hu Haodong: Xianlai really hasn’t tried to poach Brother Qi? That doesn’t make any sense! Don’t tell me they think his asking price is too high and don’t want to shell out the big bucks?]

[Xiaoli: I doubt it. Brother Qi’s reputation and skills speak for themselves.]

[Xiaozhang: Don’t forget, Brother Qi saved Young Master Pang’s life! With that kind of relationship, even if Xianlai wanted to poach him, Young Master Pang would definitely ask him personally. It would all be done in private. Why would they make a big public show of it? They’re probably in talks right now.]

[Chen Ze: Good point. It must be private discussions. Maybe they’ve already agreed on the terms and are just waiting for the right time to announce it.]

[Hu Haodong: Yes, yes! When Brother Qi goes over, he’ll start as Technical Director or maybe even Assistant Director!]

[...]

The more the group chatted, the more excited they became, as if they could already picture Yang Qi at Xianlai, earning a seven-figure salary and running the whole show.

Watching their wild speculation unfold in the group chat, Yang Qi found it amusing but didn’t bother to interject with an explanation.

Chinese New Year was still over two months away, and for now, he didn’t want to reveal his connection to Xianlai.

To that end, back when the Xianlai recruitment news first started spreading, Yang Qi had specifically messaged Pang Yunrui on WeChat. He told him not to visit him at the Donghua Zoo for the time being. If anything came up, they should talk on the phone or online to avoid any unnecessary speculation and trouble.

Pang Yunrui, of course, understood completely.

...

Night fell, bringing a chill with the autumn wind.

Inside his dormitory by the mountain, Yang Qi and his Guardian Beasts finished a pot of Spirit Rice Porridge.

Xiaojiu was elegantly licking its paws. Bai Wan, Leopard, and Hu Zi were dozing on the carpet. Ta Xue, who had just returned from the mountains, was curled up in its bed.

Liu Fu remained perfectly camouflaged on a shelf, looking just like a still-life ornament.

Yang Qi cleaned up the dishes and was about to head upstairs for his nightly cultivation when the phone on the coffee table suddenly rang.

The screen lit up. The caller ID read: "Shao Wei".

The captain of the First Brigade of the Municipal Economic Crimes Division.

Yang Qi’s heart skipped a beat. ’A call from Shao Wei at this hour? There must be a development in that case.’

He picked up his phone and answered, "Captain Shao."

"Advisor Yang, hope I’m not disturbing you?" Shao Wei’s hushed voice came over the phone, carrying a barely perceptible trace of excitement.

"Not at all, I just finished dinner. Is this about what we discussed...?"

"We’ve got our chance!"

Shao Wei replied, his voice dropping even lower. "The target returned to the Fenglin Garden villa complex in Lantian District tonight. He went into a detached villa we’ve had under surveillance for a long time."

"He rarely ever goes there. His return this time most likely means he’s there to retrieve or store something important. Our analysis suggests this villa might be one of his secret caches, a place for documents or a safe."

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