"Opportunity." The cry was a perfect moment for Jiang Hai, who had been following closely behind.
Jiang Hai's eyes gleamed as he tightened his grip. This time, the mountain lion didn't have time to fight back and was quickly pinned beneath him. Feeling the weight of Jiang Hai's power and the two fierce dogs nearby, the mountain lion, drained of strength, surrendered. It lay still, only its heavy breathing breaking the silence.
At that moment, Robbins, Bell, Edward Anderson, and the rest of the staff from Jiang Hai's manor rushed over, armed with guns and rifles. Even Pra Walton, Selena Gomez, and Qi Li's assistant—who were staying at Jiang Hai's villa—joined the scene. The assistant, in particular, seemed visibly frightened. For Pra Walton and the others, the sight of guns was no cause for concern; in the U.S., firearms were not uncommon. Clearly, something had happened in the manor that called for weapons, though it was unusual for so many to be mobilized.
However, Qi Li's assistant had never witnessed anything like this. She even wondered if a war was about to break out.
But when she saw her manager sitting on the ground, she rushed over, helping him up. Her eyes followed Qi Li's gaze, and she saw the lion lying there.
Jiang Hai, with the two dogs, surrounded the mountain lion. For a moment, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the creature.
"It's a puma. A puma has entered the manor," someone explained. The group reacted with surprise, especially Bell and Maren Rupert, whose expressions turned grim.
As border patrol officers, Bell and Rupert were responsible for keeping the area safe from intruders—whether poachers or wild animals. It was unacceptable to them that the puma had slipped by, especially with the new helicopter patrols in place.
"Hurry, get a cage," Jiang Hai ordered sharply.
"Boss, this thing invaded our manor. We should just kill it," Bell said with a hint of anger in his voice. He felt personally responsible for the puma's intrusion and wanted to eliminate it as a warning to others.
"Don't kill it yet. I think this is a protected species. Let's catch it first," Jiang Hai replied. Though tempted to kill the creature—for its meat and hide—he reasoned that it would be better to show restraint. Additionally, he was focused on his business and saw this as an opportunity for good.
With Jiang Hai's decision made, Bell and Robbins returned to the manor and brought out a cage that Jiang Hai had used for Xiaobai and Xiaohuang. Strangely, the puma didn't resist too much; it was carried into the cage without much struggle.
"What should we do now?" Robbins asked, watching the puma lying quietly in the cage.
"Feed it, then I'll call the police station," Jiang Hai said after a moment's thought. He dusted himself off and retrieved his phone.
The police were taken aback when Jiang Hai explained that he had captured a puma alive. However, they informed him that the matter didn't fall under their jurisdiction. If the puma had been killed, it would have been their responsibility, but since it was captured, the Wildlife Conservation Center would take over. Unfortunately, the center was closed at the moment. They advised Jiang Hai to bring the puma to town the next day.
Jiang Hai wasn't concerned. He ended the call and, with the help of others, brought the puma into his villa before sending everyone back to rest for the night.
It was late, and everyone was exhausted from the ordeal. They retired for the night, including the Darlene sisters. Pra Walton and Selena Gomez went upstairs without needing to be told. Only Qi Li and her assistant remained.
"Is there anything I can help with?" Qi Li asked hesitantly, seeing Jiang Hai squatting in front of the cage, still observing the puma. Her face flushed slightly as she spoke.
"It's fine. We're done discussing business. You should get some sleep," Jiang Hai responded, oblivious to her subtle hint. He waved her off and returned his focus to the animal.
Qi Li, a bit disappointed, ran her fingers through her hair and reluctantly headed upstairs with her assistant.
Meanwhile, Jiang Hai remained fixated on the puma. The wild animal stared back at him, and Jiang Hai couldn't help but admire its gaze. Sometimes, wild animals had a far stronger intuition than humans.
Though the puma had initially confronted Jiang Hai, it now seemed to accept its fate, lying quietly in the cage. Satisfied with its calmness, Jiang Hai stood up, went to fetch a bowl of water for it, and retrieved a piece of meat from the warehouse.
"This is a real beast. It's the first time I've caught one. I'm honestly excited," Jiang Hai murmured to himself. He understood now why wealthy people loved hunting; capturing wild animals gave a strange sense of pride. "Let me take a closer look before I send it to town."
With that, he sat on the floor, his home clean from the daily maintenance by Aphra and the others. He watched the puma fiercely as it ate and drank.
Upstairs, Qi Li took a last look at Jiang Hai from the second floor, still focused on the puma. She muttered softly, "Wooden," before hurrying to her room.
"Hmm? President Qi, did you say something?" her assistant asked, confused. She had heard Qi Li murmur but hadn't caught it clearly.
"No, you must have imagined it," Qi Li replied, brushing off the question.
"Boss Qi, should we reconsider our plans? This place is really eerie. There are lions, and did you see what I just saw? Everyone here has guns! That big, bearded man with a gun was terrifying. Is Jiang Hai really just raising cattle here, or has he set up an anti-government militia?" the assistant asked nervously, her eyes darting about.
"But the food here is amazing! I remember dinner: lobsters, abalone, beef… Tsk tsk," the assistant continued, her worry momentarily forgotten.
Qi Li smiled but didn't stop. "Then let's have another meal before we leave."
The assistant hesitated, her longing for more food pulling at her resolve. After a long pause, she sighed and said, "Okay, let's have one last meal."
However, Qi Li had already closed the door behind her, uninterested in continuing the conversation. She headed to the bathroom to freshen up, then collapsed onto the large bed. It was nearly midnight, but she felt wide awake. Staring at the ceiling, memories of earlier that night flooded her mind—when Jiang Hai had rushed to save her from the mountain lion. Those few seconds had been magical, except for the last one…
"That guy really is dense, but he's kind of cute. I didn't expect him to be so romantic, the kind of hero who saves the beauty, the very thing I thought was ridiculous." She imagined what might have been—if Jiang Hai had been more thoughtful, if he had held her close and gently asked, "Are you okay?" after the puma was subdued. That would have been perfect.
But even without those moments, tonight felt perfect to her.
Meanwhile, in a different part of the town, An Changwu was struggling to sleep. In a drunken haze, he threw a glass bottle to the floor. Photos of Qi Li and her assistant surfaced on his table—images of them arriving in Boston, visiting Jiang Hai's manor. Though no photos from inside the manor were included, the implications were clear: A beautiful, mature woman had thrown herself into the arms of her husband—her nominal husband. What happened next needed no further explanation.
(To be continued…)