125: poachers

Returning from the frozen peaks of Kilimanjaro to the lush tropical rainforest zone only requires a vertical descent of four thousand meters.

With the aid of that physics-defying Powered Exoskeleton, Jiang Yuan and Lin Xia's descent speed was astonishingly fast. They were like birds gliding through the forest; the rugged mountain paths that would require ordinary climbers to use both hands and feet felt like level ground beneath them.

Three o'clock in the afternoon.

The two had already passed through the dense rainforest and reached the savanna transition zone at the foot of the mountain.

The air here became hot, humid, and thick again, filled with the scent of earth and decaying leaves. Sunlight filtered through the tall mahogany canopy, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

"Unbelievable..."

As Lin Xia walked, she was still immersed in the experience of the summit. She looked back at the snow-capped mountain towering into the clouds, feeling as if she were in a dream. In less than six hours, they had gone to and from the Roof of Africa and even had a cup of freshly ground coffee at the peak. If she told anyone, the entire climbing community would probably think she was a lunatic.

"Jiang Yuan, if you brought this equipment to market, it would absolutely disrupt the entire outdoor industry," Lin Xia marveled sincerely.

Jiang Yuan walked ahead, hands in his pockets, his tone casual: "That won't do. If this thing were mass-produced, there would be supermen all over the streets, and the police would have a real headache."

Just as the two were chatting idly, preparing to pass through the last patch of scrub to return to their parking spot—

Bang—!

A dull and massive gunshot abruptly shattered the tranquility of the jungle.

That wasn't the sound of a shotgun.

It was the roar unique to a large-caliber military rifle, perhaps even an anti-materiel sniper rifle.

Immediately following was a flurry of panicked bird cries as flocks of birds were startled from the trees ahead, flapping their wings as they surged into the sky.

Lin Xia's face changed instantly.

As a Photographer who spent years filming wildlife documentaries in Africa, she was all too familiar with what that sound meant.

"Gunshots! Judging by the sound, it's less than five hundred meters away!"

Lin Xia's voice trembled slightly, "It's poachers!"

To open fire on the edge of the National Park's core protection zone, these people were simply audacious.

Jiang Yuan's footsteps came to a halt.

His face, which usually carried a faint smile, was now devoid of any mirth.

He tilted his head slightly, his ears twitching.

Under the superhuman hearing of the Third-Order Gene Lock, besides the gunshot from before, he heard even more sounds that ordinary people couldn't: a heavy thud of something hitting the ground, the friction of metal cutting through bone, and... a piercing, agonizing wail belonging to a cub.

"Ang—!!"

The sound was filled with despair and helplessness, piercing through the afternoon heat like a sharp blade.

"Over there."

Jiang Yuan's voice turned cold.

That kind of cold was not the chill of the snowy mountain peak, but a type of indifference that made Lin Xia's heart palpitate.

Before Lin Xia could react, Jiang Yuan's figure had already vanished from the spot.

This time, he did not deliberately suppress the power of the exoskeleton. His entire being turned into a black afterimage, instantly smashing through the bushes blocking his path.

"Wait for me! Don't be impulsive, they have guns!"

Lin Xia gritted her teeth, desperately pushing her exoskeleton to catch up.

The five-hundred-meter distance was covered in an instant.

When Lin Xia burst out of the woods, panting, and reached an open riverbank meadow, the sight before her eyes made her vision turn red and her stomach churn.

It was an adult African elephant.

This gargantuan creature was currently lying on its side in a pool of blood, like a collapsed small mountain.

Beneath it, blood had already stained a large patch of grass red, gathering into a winding stream that flowed into the nearby river.

The most shocking part was its face.

Half of its face had been brutally sliced open. Where the long tusks should have been, there were now only two massive, mangled, bloody holes.

To pursue speed and integrity, poachers often used chainsaws to cut directly into an elephant's face to remove the tusks.

The elephant was not yet dead.

Its massive body was still twitching slightly from the intense pain. Its one remaining eye was half-open, filled with agony, fear, and a final trace of attachment to this world.

And beside it...

A baby elephant, only half a person tall, was letting out heart-wrenching wails.

It used its tender trunk to desperately push its mother's body, trying to wake her up. It didn't understand why its mother had suddenly fallen, nor why so much blood was flowing from her face.

It rubbed its trunk against its mother's wounds, covering itself in blood as well.

"Those animals..."

Lin Xia covered her mouth, tears instantly welling up.

She angrily raised her camera, wanting to record this evil scene, but her trembling hands couldn't press the shutter no matter what.

The poachers had already fled.

From the traces at the scene, this was an extremely professional and rapid crime.

They only took a few minutes, took the tusks and ran, even picking up their shell casings.

"There's no saving her..."

Lin Xia looked at the still-twitching mother elephant and shook her head in despair.

"Too much blood loss, and the facial nerves and bones are completely shattered. With injuries like this, even a top-tier veterinary team air-dropping in couldn't save her."

The life force of this savanna giant was rapidly draining away.

The baby elephant seemed to sense its mother's aura growing weaker. It circled her frantically, letting out one piercing cry after another, finally kneeling despairingly in the pool of blood and burying its head in its mother's neck, shivering uncontrollably.

At that moment, a hand was gently placed on the baby elephant's head.

Jiang Yuan had walked to the elephant's side at some unknown point.

The soles of his shoes stepped in the thick blood, and a few spots of mud splashed onto his previously spotless tactical trousers.

This was the first time Jiang Yuan had frowned since arriving in Africa.

His brow was deeply furrowed, and in those eyes that were usually filled with a hint of cynicism, there was now only a dead, icy chill.

"I came here for a vacation."

Jiang Yuan's voice was very soft, yet it seemed to contain a suppressed storm.

"I treated this place as my back garden, wanting to see the scenery and relax here."

"But this trash has dirtied my garden and ruined my mood."

He slowly crouched down, looking at the dying mother elephant.

The mother elephant's pupils had already begun to dilate, but upon seeing Jiang Yuan—perhaps sensing some powerful presence—her body jolted violently, and a very weak low growl escaped her throat.

It was a warning.

Even in the final moments of her life, she still wanted to protect her child.

"Don't be afraid."

Jiang Yuan reached out, ignoring the blood and filth, and gently stroked the mother elephant's coarse eyelid.

Jiang Yuan's unique Biological Communication Ability transmitted a gentle yet firm thought.

[Go to sleep. You'll be fine when you wake up.]

The fear in the mother elephant's eyes miraculously dissipated. She seemed to understand Jiang Yuan's words and heavily closed her eyes.

"Jiang Yuan, we need to call the police, notify the patrol to handle the carcass, and this baby elephant..." Lin Xia said, wiping away her tears as she walked over.