He had his suspicions.

Outwardly, Yang Qi’s expression didn’t change. He smiled and replied, "That’s great. Thank you for the referral, Captain Tan. I’ll definitely go over and take a look tomorrow. As for whether I adopt one or two, that will depend on the circumstances and a bit of fate."

"Exactly. It all comes down to fate these days."

Tan Zheng nodded in agreement and gestured for Officer Chen to take out a letter of introduction. He handed it to Yang Qi, then stood up.

"Well then, we won’t keep you from your rest, Advisor Yang."

He was about to leave when he seemed to remember something. Looking at Bai Wan, who was sitting quietly nearby, a smile spread across his face. "Oh, right, Advisor Yang! If you have the time, feel free to bring Bai Wan over to our Lvliu Branch cafeteria. I hear Xiaojiu can eat all the fish he wants at the Hongshu cafeteria. Well, our Lvliu cafeteria will also let Bai Wan eat his fill! I guarantee it will be nothing but the best meat and bones!"

"Looks like Captain Tan is trying to start a competition with the Hongshu Branch," Mei Ying teased, lightening the mood.

"No problem."

Yang Qi laughed as well. "I’ll definitely bring Bai Wan over to sample the Lvliu Branch’s delicious food. We’ll see if he prefers it over Hongshu’s."

"I’ll be looking forward to it, then!"

Tan Zheng replied with a laugh. After a few more pleasantries, he and Officer Chen, along with the other male officer, said their goodbyes and left in their car.

Yang Qi and Mei Ying stood at the entrance, waving and watching the vehicle disappear around a bend in the park road.

Once the car was completely out of sight, Mei Ying turned to Yang Qi, her eyes filled with distinct admiration and gratification.

"Xiao Yang, you’re progressing way too much, way too fast."

"How long has it been? First an Honorary Police Cat, then an Honorary Police Dog, and a branch captain even came to deliver the certificates in person. Luckily... luckily you applied and signed the contract so quickly back then."

She said, half-joking and half-serious, "Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be the Provincial Capital Zoo fighting to have you. I’m afraid the Police Dog Base would be scheming to poach you, too."

Hearing this, Yang Qi smiled. "You’re giving me too much credit, Sister Mei. It was all just a happy coincidence, and Bai Wan and Xiaojiu earned it themselves."

"There you go being humble again, aren’t you?"

Mei Ying gave him a playful, scolding look, then remembered something and lowered her voice. "Oh, right. I wanted to give you a heads-up about some good news. It’s already been decided internally that you’re this month’s ’Outstanding Employee.’ The official announcement hasn’t been made yet, though, so keep it under your hat."

"Understood. Thank you, Sister Mei."

Yang Qi nodded in acknowledgement.

He felt calm about the "Outstanding Employee" honor. Recognition from the Zoo was just the icing on the cake.

He was more concerned about whether the system would give him any feedback for it.

...

As evening fell, the closing announcement echoed through the Zoo. The grounds, bustling all day, slowly returned to tranquility.

Yang Qi, holding two special, small pet leashes with padded grips, arrived outside the raccoon enclosure right on time.

He opened the door to the staff passageway and waved inside.

Huan the Second, who had been waiting with eager eyes, immediately scurried over in a flash, while Huan University followed slowly behind.

Two-legged Beast, you’re finally here!

Huan the Second spun in circles with excitement.

Yang Qi picked up a leash and its matching soft collar, gesturing for Huan the Second to come over.

Huan the Second approached curiously, sniffed the collar with his little nose, and chittered with some resistance.

Two-legged Beast, what is this?

It feels a little uncomfortable.

A thought flickered in Yang Qi’s mind. He subtly activated the Basic Spirit Communication Technique, sending his thoughts to the raccoon.

"If you don’t wear this, I can’t take you out. It’s the rule, to ensure your safety."

This...

Huan the Second hesitated for a moment, looked at the gradually darkening, tempting world outside, then looked back at the collar, and finally gave in.

Alright, then.

It obediently lowered its head, letting Yang Qi put the collar on.

The moment the collar clicked shut, Huan the Second suddenly shuddered, shot its head up, and chittered at Yang Qi with immense surprise and joy.

Two-legged Beast, you can speak our language again!

Big brother, big brother, did you hear that?

Huan University, who was waiting blankly nearby to get his collar on, heard this and nodded dazedly.

I heard.

What’s wrong?

What do you mean, ’what’s wrong’?

Huan the Second was so excited it almost leaped into the air.

This proves I wasn’t lying to Mom and Dad!

This Two-legged Beast can really talk to us!

As it spoke, it eagerly turned its head and started shouting toward Huan’s father and mother, who were eating deep inside the enclosure, trying to prove its point again.

Yang Qi let it shout, temporarily cutting off the Spirit Communication Technique connection, and quickly put the leash on Huan University as well.

Then, holding a fluffy little "jailbreaker" in each hand, he walked out of the enclosure and carefully locked the door.

Walking on the empty park path in the evening, Huan University was a little nervous, sticking close to Yang Qi’s leg, its small eyes darting left and right.

Huan the Second, on the other hand, had completely let loose. It was incredibly excited, frequently stopping to paw at the fallen leaves on the roadside or staring up at the birds on the branches, all while chittering nonstop.

Two-legged Beast, what’s this thing? It’s so shiny!

Two-legged Beast, look, look! That bird has such a long tail!

Two-legged Beast, it smells so good over there! Can we go take a look?

...

Yang Qi responded patiently, walking the two little guys around a safe area for over half an hour.

He didn’t take them back to their enclosure until the sky was completely dark and Huan the Second was starting to get tired from all the running.

That night, in the backyard of the dorm, the Demon Extermination Array once again lit up with a faint blue glow.

In the kitchen, the fresh aroma of Spirit Rice Porridge filled the air.

「After dinner.」

Inside the room upstairs, the five-colored Spiritual Light of the Five Elements Spirit Gathering Array flowed quietly.

Yang Qi sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, calming his mind and spirit, and began circulating the Great Derivation Spirit-Controlling Technique.

The Magical Power in his Dantian was like a trickling stream. Guided by the Cultivation Technique, it circulated through specific meridian paths. With each full circulation, it grew a bit stronger and more condensed.

His Cultivation was improving in a stable and orderly manner.

Just as Yang Qi was immersed in this state of steady advancement, two gentle yet firm, unseen forces suddenly emerged from the ether. They spurred his smoothly flowing Magical Power into a sudden acceleration, and his understanding of the Cultivation Technique’s subtleties seemed to expand in a flash of insight.

His Dantian trembled slightly. The formless barrier that had been blocking him for some time—the bottleneck of the first layer of Qi Refining—silently shattered under the combined internal and external forces.

A stream of Magical Power that was purer and several times thicker was born from his Dantian and flowed throughout his body.

’Success, the second level of Qi Cultivation!’

The realization dawned on Yang Qi with crystal clarity.

He didn’t immediately stop his cultivation, but instead carefully experienced the changes brought by the new realm.

His total Magical Power had increased by about thirty percent, it circulated more smoothly, and his five senses also seemed a bit sharper.

As for that unseen assistance from the ether, it was clearly feedback from his two Guardian Beasts. The boost in fortune they received from their "Honorary Police Cat" and "Honorary Police Dog" titles was now flowing back to him.

This kind of assistance, whether for breaking through at critical moments or for subtle enhancements during daily cultivation, was undoubtedly extremely effective.

...

「The next morning, at the crack of dawn.」

Yang Qi got up as usual and went to the backyard first to clean up the Demon Extermination Array equipment.

He tallied his gains. His contribution points had increased by more than seven hundred.

He went straight for a seven-draw!

In addition to the usual supplementary materials like Strengthening Pills and Spirit Rice, he also drew three Five Elements Spirit Stones.

In a cheerful mood, he put cat food and dog food into the bowls for Xiaojiu, Bai Wan, and Overlord. Watching them begin to enjoy their breakfast, Yang Qi changed into his work clothes and went out.

First, he went to the warehouse to get feed and completed the daily feeding of the Gray Wolf, the lynx, and the little raccoons.

After finishing, he went to the cafeteria for breakfast. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Returning to his dorm, he changed into casual clothes, told Bai Wan to watch the house, and then drove out of the Zoo, heading for the Police Dog Base located in a valley northeast of the city.

The base’s location was remote, and the environment was quiet and secluded.

Yang Qi drove up the winding mountain road. From a distance, he had just caught sight of the main gate with the plaque that read "Donghua City Police Dog Training Base"...

[WARNING! A "Spirit Beast gathering place" has been detected in the valley ahead. A preliminary scan has determined that there are dozens of dogs in the valley with the potential or bloodline of a ’Thunder Battle Dog’.]

[The Host may report this to the Sect, evaluate and formulate a plan, and attempt to conquer, cooperate with, or absorb this location to incorporate it into the Sect’s sphere of influence, thereby strengthening the Sect’s power and foundation.]