’Or maybe Yang Qi has mastered some special technique that can directly influence an animal’s emotions and scent?’

’He couldn’t help but run various professional analyses and speculations through his mind.’

As he was lost in thought, the staff access door to the inner enclosure opened again. Yang Qi walked out and closed the door behind him.

"Expert Yang, that was incredible!"

The veterinarians immediately went up to him, their faces filled with admiring smiles as they applauded softly.

"You’re too kind. It’s only a temporary solution."

Yang Qi gave a modest wave, but his expression remained tense. "The problem isn’t completely solved. I only managed to persuade ’Dawei’ to eat for now and maintain her strength. But the core issue remains unresolved. If we don’t get to the root of it, this is very likely to happen again."

Upon hearing this, Lu Gangsheng immediately took two steps forward and asked urgently, "Expert Yang, you’re right. So... what’s the real reason ’Dawei’ refuses to eat? How can we solve this for good?"

The others immediately perked up their ears. This was the key answer they were all waiting for.

Yang Qi didn’t keep them in suspense. He said plainly, "She wants to see her cubs."

He raised his hand and pointed to the adjacent enclosure. "The cubs that were living over there. If I’m not mistaken, those were ’Dawei’s’ cubs, weren’t they?"

"’Those were ’Dawei’s’ cubs, yes.’"

The head veterinarian answered instinctively, but the moment the words left his mouth, his expression changed drastically. He seemed to realize something and stared at Yang Qi in disbelief. "Expert Yang, are you saying... ’Dawei’ became depressed and refused to eat because those two cubs were moved?"

"Yes."

Yang Qi nodded, then turned to Lu Gangsheng and asked the crucial question. "Director Lu, where are the cubs now? Can we bring them back? Even just for a day or two. Letting ’Dawei’ see them and confirm they’re safe could drastically relieve her anxiety."

At this question, the head veterinarian’s face instantly grew awkward and stiff. The other veterinarians and staff members who were in the know also tensed up. The atmosphere suddenly became subtle and heavy.

"What’s wrong?"

Yang Qi, keenly aware of the shift in atmosphere, looked at Lu Gangsheng and asked tentatively, "Don’t tell me the cubs got sick and died?"

"No, nothing like that."

Lu Gangsheng let out a breath, his expression a mixture of complexity and helplessness. "The cubs are perfectly healthy. It’s just... a few days ago, they were traded to Nanling Zoo."

"Traded to another zoo?"

Yang Qi was taken aback. That was a possibility he hadn’t considered.

Animal exchanges between zoos are common practice, done to diversify bloodlines and prevent inbreeding.

"Yes, it was part of a collaborative exchange program that was arranged a long time ago."

Lu Gangsheng explained, "The two cubs were already weaned and their health met all the criteria, so they qualified for the exchange. Nanling Zoo traded us a pair of young red-necked wallabies for them. All the paperwork has been finalized, and the cubs were shipped out the day before yesterday."

This... left Yang Qi a bit dumbfounded.

If it were just a transfer within the Zoo, they could probably coordinate things to have the cubs come back for a few days.

But they’d been traded to a zoo in another province. Getting them back wouldn’t be a simple matter.

It involved a whole series of complex issues: agreements between the two zoos, transportation, quarantine, and more.

After a moment of thought, he asked anyway, "Director Lu, is there any chance we could figure out a way to have the two cubs temporarily traded back? Even for just a couple of days, so ’Dawei’ can see them and calm down?"

"Or perhaps we could talk to Nanling Zoo, explain the special circumstances, and ask them to be accommodating?"

When he said this, the scene grew even quieter.

Everyone looked at Lu Gangsheng, waiting for his decision.

A younger veterinarian, who seemed to think Yang Qi’s idea was a bit unrealistic, quietly suggested, "Um... Director Lu, Expert Yang, what if we brought in two other cubs of a similar age and put them in the adjacent enclosure? We could make ’Dawei’ think her cubs came back. Maybe..."

Yang Qi looked at the young veterinarian and cut right to the point. "You mean, pass off other cubs as ’Dawei’s’ children?"

The young veterinarian, his idea laid bare, nodded a little sheepishly.

"Theoretically, we could try that."

Yang Qi didn’t dismiss the idea entirely. Instead, he analyzed it from the perspective of animal behavior and risk management. "But the consequences would be hard to predict. ’Dawei’ is a tiger. Her senses of smell, hearing, and sight are all extremely acute. She will have a vivid memory of her own cubs’ scent and specific features."

"If she senses something is wrong and realizes she’s been deceived, she could have an even more severe stress reaction. For example, she might furiously charge the iron bars trying to find her real cubs, or she might even self-harm out of disappointment and rage..."

"That’s enough."

Lu Gangsheng cut off the less-than-reliable suggestion with a weary smile. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, pondered for a moment, and finally made up his mind. "I’ll figure something out. I’ll see if I can’t talk to Nanling Zoo and get those two cubs... at least traded back temporarily."

He looked at Yang Qi, his gaze resolute. "Expert Yang, you’ve given me a direction and a ray of hope. ’Dawei’ is our star attraction, and she’s our responsibility."

"Now that we’ve found the root of the problem, we have to do everything we can to fix it. I’ll contact Vice Director Yu at Nanling Zoo right now and see if there’s any room for negotiation."

"Thank you for your efforts, Director Lu." Yang Qi nodded, saying no more.

He knew how difficult this would be. For Lu Gangsheng to make this decision meant he was shouldering a significant amount of responsibility and pressure.

The group left the tiger enclosure with heavy hearts.

Lu Gangsheng went straight to his office to start making calls. He asked a young office staffer named Xiaoliu to first take Yang Qi to the on-site guesthouse to get some rest.