Chapter 9: The Crocodile's Tears-Funcionária pública cria fofinhos, e eu voo alto com a pátria e viro o queridinho do grupo(Pequena lótus que escava a terra)

"Right, thank you, Comrade Xiao Ning."

Xu Ying turned to Ning Zexi with a grateful smile, her dimples appearing soft and shallow.

Ning Zexi rubbed the back of his head, looking embarrassed. "It's my duty to support the station chief's work!"

Xu Ying opened the video-sharing app and registered an account, casually choosing the username "Station Chief Xu in the Desert." Once registered, she busied herself searching the 028 Rescue Station for anti-inflammatory and pain-relief medication, leaving the remaining promotional tasks to the propaganda committee member, Comrade Xiao Ning.

Xu Ying applied the anti-inflammatory powder to the injured bear's wound, bandaged it securely, and tied a neat, adorable bow.

After the pain-relief powder took effect, the pain subsided significantly. The Gobi bear leader was deeply grateful to Xu Ying: [Big sister, thank you. Otherwise, the pain would have kept me from sleeping all night.]

"Don't mention it; this is what we animal rescuers are supposed to do!"

"If you or any of your animal friends are injured or encounter a crisis, feel free to come to the rescue station to find us."

Xu Ying wore a look of sincere apology on her face. "Those two from earlier were an exception; they are the black sheep of this rescue station. I apologize for what happened, and I will be reporting this incident to my superiors."

The Gobi bear waved a paw dismissively. [No need to apologize. Why apologize for the actions of bad people? They wanted to do harm, and there was nothing you could do about it.]

Ning Zexi, however, was filled with confusion. "Animal rescue is a highly professional field. How on earth did those two turtles manage to sneak in here?"

Xu Ying looked helpless. "The working environment at the desert rescue station is harsh, and the danger levels are high. Not many people are willing to work here."

Although the salary is high and comes with a government-sanctioned position, the pay is only high relative to the added subsidies. Aside from people like Xu Ying who have run out of other options, few are willing to work in such an extremely hazardous environment for the sake of a subsidy.

"With a shortage of staff, each station only has one or two employees. It's already fortunate that anyone comes at all. When there’s an urgent need for labor, it’s easy for people who are just making up the numbers to slip through."

Ning Zexi understood. It was good enough that anyone was willing to work; if they were too picky, there would be no one left.

People are pragmatic. The only way to attract more people to work at the desert rescue stations is to improve working conditions and safety. But the desert rescue stations lacked the necessary funding.

The vast desert holds treasures like oil and metal ores, and if afforestation efforts were successful, the wasteland could be turned into a resource, increasing arable and forested land.

However, the difficulty and danger of development are immense, and the required capital is like a bottomless pit.

The authorities have tried various methods to attract investment to no avail. Businesspeople are profit-driven; with little hope of return, no one shows interest.

Consequently, the desert—as a piece of national territory—has become a "chicken rib": tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard. The situation remains at a stalemate.

After chatting with Xu Ying, Ning Zexi gained a deeper understanding of the hardships faced by workers in remote areas.

The night in the desert was bitter. As Xu Ying and Ning Zexi spoke, Tan Yuyan, whose injuries were less severe than Tan Ming's, was awakened by the cold.

She opened her eyes, and upon seeing herself surrounded by three Gobi bears, she nearly fainted from terror again.

"You're awake," a soft greeting from Xu Ying reached her ears.

"A ghost!!!"

Tan Yuyan screamed in panic, but her mouth was quickly muffled by a bear's paw.

Xu Ying held a finger to her lips in a gesture for silence. "Be quiet. Don't wake my fox cub."

Tan Yuyan immediately shut her mouth. She was terrified that the sharp bear claws in front of her might slit her throat with the slightest movement.

She couldn't understand how Xu Ying had returned alive and unscathed, or why these fearsome Gobi bears not only refrained from attacking her but also seemed to obey her commands.

Tan Yuyan was consumed by regret. If only she had known Xu Ying could subdue this pack of Gobi bears, why would they have been so panicked and desperate to flee?

She looked at Xu Ying with pleading eyes, lowering her voice and speaking as politely as she could. "Xu Ying, listen to me. We were preparing tools and supplies to go into the desert to rescue you, but we didn't expect you to return on your own."

"Your mouth is clearly capable of talking your way out of anything."

Xu Ying had no patience for her excuses. "I have already reported this to the police station. Tomorrow morning, when the officers arrive, you and your brother will turn yourselves in. You will clearly recount how you accidentally injured the Gobi bear, hijacked our vehicle, and abandoned me."

Upon hearing that Xu Ying had called the police, Tan Yuyan felt her heart go cold and her knees go weak. She knelt before Xu Ying, sobbing. "We were colleagues, why do you have to be so ruthless?"

The pitiful expression on Tan Yuyan's face was a far cry from the arrogance she displayed when bullying the original owner of this body.

Xu Ying sneered at the crocodile tears falling down Tan Yuyan's face. "Yes, that is exactly what I wanted to ask you when you left me in the desert."

People like this, while begging for mercy, are already planning how to take revenge once they escape their current predicament.

Tan Yuyan choked on her words, only to hear Xu Ying continue: "If you don't surrender and confess to the case obediently, don't even think about leaving this desert."

Xu Ying's tone turned chilling. "There are things waiting for you far worse than prison."

The Gobi bear leader, very perceptive, used its cold, sharp claws to give Tan Yuyan a "scalp massage," with the tips pressing just enough to threaten to pierce her skin.

A chill ran down Tan Yuyan's spine; she shivered like a leaf, begging Xu Ying for mercy incessantly.

She didn't understand why, after three days, Xu Ying had become so difficult to bully, or why these fierce bears listened to her. She caught sight of the bandages on the bear's arm—could it be because Xu Ying had treated them?

Seeing that her desperate pleas were met with cold indifference, Tan Yuyan finally realized that Xu Ying would never let her go.

Her heart was filled with hatred, but she dared not show it. The thought that the police would come for her by dawn left her paralyzed with fear and anxiety.

Tan Ming woke up later. The moment he opened his eyes, he felt a searing pain and had to shut them again. Feeling the cold desert wind on his skin and realizing his hands and feet were still tied with rope, Tan Ming was filled with unease. He asked in a hoarse, crackling voice, "Sis, where are we? What just happened?"

Tan Yuyan was already numb. She moved her cracked lips. "Xu Ying came back alive. She’s called the police, and they’ll be here in the morning to get us."

Tan Ming was like a frightened bird. "The police? But she’s still alive, isn't she? No one died!"

"We ran away out of instinct. Who's to blame if she was too slow?"

"Wait, didn't you say she had no evidence? Tomorrow morning, we'll just insist we didn't harm her. The police won't know what happened in the no-man's-land. They can't convict us."