Kitty's Disappearance
The female zookeeper, speechless for a long time, looked astonished.
Just as she was about to continue speaking, a balding, middle-aged, overweight white man in the same uniform walked out. "Kelly, don't bother Mr. Brown with your nonsense."
Compared to overly idealistic young people, middle-aged white men in charge of administrative affairs are much more shrewd and worldly-wise.
He stepped forward and shook hands, saying, "Mr. Brown, I am Andy Tom, the zoo's chief executive officer. The FBI has contacted us and explained the general situation."
"Once you sign a few documents and pay the temporary boarding fee, you can take your pet away. But..." Old Bai glanced at it, "... how do you plan to take that Tiger away?"
"Oh, I drove here. Just let it sit in the back seat."
Andy John said awkwardly, "Well, that's not what I actually meant."
"Look, Andy. This guy didn't prepare anything. Why are we giving a Tiger back to a criminal? What If...? he goes to jail, who will take care of the Tiger?"
The girl shouted excitedly, making the balding Old Bai look embarrassed. He said, "The FBI just informed us that it was a misunderstanding that Mr. Brown was mistakenly identified as a suspect."
"That's why they want us to let Mr. Brown get his pet back. Don't you already know that? Why are you saying such rude things?"
Pulling the agitated girl behind him, Old Bai protected her and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Brown. Kelly hasn't been here long and isn't familiar with everything yet."
Old Bai's intention to protect her was quite clear, and Henry didn't want to talk to this woman with a screw loose any longer. "Forget it, what documents do we need to sign, how much money do we need to pay? Get them to me quickly. I want to go home as soon as possible; the house is a mess and needs cleaning."
"Mr. Brown, the documents are all here." Old Bai hurriedly handed over the documents from the clipboard, along with a pen.
Henry signed his name without even glancing at it. In fact, he had already read the entire document, which was nothing more than some nonsense about disclaiming liability and the cost of supporting manpower and containment time.
After returning the clipboard, Henry asked, "Cash, check, or credit card?"
"Either is fine," Old Bai said with a fawning smile.
Because the zoo sent personnel and specialized vehicles to assist in the Tiger's rescue, the labor costs for these personnel were all charged to Henry. The rescue period was mainly calculated based on the cost of the number of meals the tiger ate, as well as the cost of the manpower allocated to care for it.
In reality, in cases like this where the FBI made a mistake and was wrongly convicted, Henry, the victim, shouldn't have to pay for all the expenses himself. But considering that the blame has been shifted onto the other party, it's best to resolve this financial issue quickly.
That's what they say, isn't it? Problems that can be solved with money aren't really problems. A little money can get you a huge pot to throw on someone else's head—how satisfying!
Too lazy to haggle, Henry still took out his checkbook and wrote a full-amount check for the other party, even though it was a considerable amount for an ordinary person.
Henry actually had enough money on him to pay in cash. But in situations like this, using a check can serve as a form of payment and avoids potential disputes later.
He accepted the check, signed a receipt, and handed it back. The balding Old Bai gave him a businesslike smile and said, "Kelly, take Mr. Brown to retrieve his pet."
"I refused. He doesn't seem like the kind of person who can properly take care of a wild animal. You could tell just by looking at him coming empty-handed." The female zookeeper turned her head away in dissatisfaction, refusing to look at anyone.
"You..." Andy Tom gave up on giving instructions to the stubborn girl and simply led the way herself. "Mr. Brown, please follow me. The temporary enclosure for the wild animals is in this direction."
Henry didn't say much and followed. Even when passing by the girl, he kept his head turned and didn't even glance at her.
These kinds of people are no different from keyboard warriors online; the more you argue with them, the more excited they become, like they're on adrenaline. Just ignore them; you don't even need to waste your breath.
Henry deliberately ignored her. But the girl seemed unwilling to give up and followed him anyway.
No one stopped her, and no one cared about her. After all, she has her own feet, and it's her freedom to go wherever she wants.
Upon entering the predator enclosure, you'll find mostly open-air exhibits with no roof or deep wells. The animals are kept within easy reach, rather than simply separated by glass.
The only large building is a multi-functional center used by the zoo's staff. All work, including the care and medical treatment of cubs and regular check-ups, is carried out in this large building.
Kitty, the Tiger from out of town, should Reason be temporarily housed in the special enclosure for large predators.
However, when Andy Tom led Henry to the temporary care room where Kitty the Tiger was supposed to be placed, all they found was an empty concrete room.
There was absolutely no cover inside, so it was impossible for a beast the size of a Motorcycle to hide there. Besides, the walls were painted white, which was hardly any camouflage for a yellow-and-black-striped animal.
Andy, the balding Old Bai, stared in disbelief at the empty room. He didn't even believe the Tiger had the ability to become invisible. He personally opened the iron gate and went inside to take a look around.
"Kelly, what's going on? Where's the Tiger?"
The rooms that could be used to house large, ferocious beasts were all in this area, connected together, and could be seen at a glance. However, all four rooms, like the one in front of us, were completely empty.
The female zookeeper said proudly, "I put it in the Tiger enclosure, with the other Tiger."
"What... what are you doing! You think this is clever?!" Andy Tom roared in fury. "Tiger are animals with a very strong sense of territory."
"The Tiger in the park have lived together for a long time, so they can coexist peacefully. What do you think will happen if you let a foreign Tiger come into contact with them without any protection?"
Old Bai, after giving the other party a good scolding, immediately ran outside to check the situation in the Tiger enclosure. What If...? a tragedy had occurred, they would need to cordon off the area immediately.
Zoos are places for families, with many children. If they see too much gore, I wonder what the news will say about them tomorrow.
As he passed a zoo employee, the balding Old Bai shouted, "Tell Raven to bring a tranquilizer gun; it might come in handy."
The female zookeeper also realized she seemed to have messed up and hurriedly followed her out.
Henry, on the other hand, was wondering what would happen to Kitty, who had never seen another tiger since being captured and brought to United States, when she encountered other Tiger? Would she be unable to even manage the most basic communication between Tiger and be overwhelmed by the zoo's Tiger pride...?