Everyone was puzzled—why would Michelle only approach Professor White's vehicle?
While her attitude toward other humans remained unchanged, that vehicle had earned the privilege of getting closer to the wolf pack.
After her second parallel run with that vehicle, the other wolves also began to accept it as one of their companions.
Once, Freckles woke up to find a grey wolf lounging on the hood of their car.
Freckles: "..."
Of course, Michelle quickly chased that wolf away with a growl.
The matriarch even gave that fellow a swat.
But other wolves started appearing more frequently.
This made Freckles quite nervous—they did occasionally need to exit the vehicle, but the wolf pack was getting too close.
Fortunately, no accidents had occurred yet, and they had captured some excellent footage.
It wasn't just footage of the wolf pack hunting—
This time, the wolves had turned their vehicle into a hunting tool.
The grey wolves would drive antelopes toward the car, and under the humans' watchful eyes, the antelopes were forced to jump over the vehicle. The drone on top recorded everything, while below, using the car as a barrier, the wolves more easily cornered their prey.
White was excited: "My goodness... I feel like I'm participating in the pack's hunt... Perhaps they see us as a larger companion, one that won't step on them."
Freckles thought: They're just using us!
And the car is still shaking, Professor, it's still shaking!
White pondered: "Wolf packs have never incorporated human vehicles into their hunting system, but Michelle's pack is different. I think they're gradually learning how to coexist with humans in the protected area. Moreover, they've realized that among us, there are both good and bad people—some they can approach and others they must avoid."
After saying this, White had Freckles drive the car away from the pack, rejoining the other vehicles that the wolves preferred to avoid.
Perhaps under Michelle's leadership, the pack could indeed distinguish between good and bad humans. But they shouldn't leave other wolves with the impression that "some vehicles are harmless," because the difference wasn't in the vehicles, but in the people inside them.
Michelle watched from afar, finally letting out a long howl, and none of the pack approached.
She gradually became a small dot in Chu Tingwu's lens, disappointing the livestream viewers, though they agreed with White's decision.
After rejoining the main group and no longer being the closest to the wolf pack, safety improved, and people began leaving their vehicles more frequently.
While it had been exciting to be among the wolves, they couldn't freely exit the vehicles then, and it had been mentally taxing.
Almost immediately after getting out, many people approached White, with some even asking if they could switch vehicles. White: "?"
While White was being mobbed, Chu Tingwu quietly circled around the crowd and walked to the water's edge—
Others wanted to chat with her too, but when her shoulder-mounted camera swept over them, they fell silent.
You're still filming?
This location was close to Kate's pack's territory, not far from Michelle's pack's domain.
Unlike Michelle's pack, which could choose to simply avoid humans, Kate's pack was less famous, with an unremarkable current alpha, and they had three cubs this year. While the protected area asked experts to avoid wildlife when planning routes, the white wolf's pack ahead ultimately determined the path.
So, Kate's pack had contracted their range, with both alpha wolves leading family members to hunt on the other side of their territory.
When Chu Tingwu raised her camera, the lens precisely captured a grey wolf standing guard under a distant tree.
[That's Kaias, right?]
[Oh my goodness, Kaias, long time no see! We used to catch glimpses of them during livestreams a while back, but we've been following Michelle so much lately, I almost forgot about Kate's pack that occasionally appears on camera!]
Of course, there were also the two lone male wolves who traveled together, and the River Valley pack. With these three forces near the camp, after discovering Kate's pack, everyone immediately thought of the other wolves. Michelle's group was probably heading home, and they wondered how the adolescents and cubs who stayed behind were doing.
That night, fans went to bed excited, not expecting to be awakened by urgent wolf howls—
Chu Tingwu: "Kate's pack is attacking Michelle's pack."
Since the livestream ran 24/7, it mostly used fixed cameras at night, and many people fell asleep with the stream on. With wolf fans from around the globe, activity levels remained steady, and when the unusual howling began, more viewers flooded into the stream.
But the cameras weren't infrared, so in the darkness, only anxiety-inducing wolf howls could be heard intermittently.
In places invisible to humans, wolves seemed to be battling.
White was already awake and appeared even more energetic. He took a deep breath: "Kate was still too nervous."
Perhaps humans had still caused them stress.
The unfamiliar crowds and vehicles, the hunting grounds forced to contract due to the vehicles, hungry cubs, passing large wolf packs... all these factors kept adding pressure on the alpha wolf Kate. So, he might have finally decided to attack and drive away his own kind.
Because Michelle's pack had also taken over their hunting grounds.
A bloody battle that didn't really need to happen occurred anyway, with wolf howls echoing throughout the night. Lian lay by the car window, listening to these sounds... Freckles looked at her, suddenly feeling envious.
The world she saw and heard was probably different from theirs. With Lian's talent, she could likely distinguish which wolf made each howl, and although it was equally dark, Lian could deduce the current battle situation just from the sounds.
Thinking this, Freckles turned to look at Chu Tingwu.
Chu Tingwu was also gazing into the darkness, her eyes fixed forward, but not stagnant—rather, they moved slightly as if she could actually see something.
Freckles thought about Chu Tingwu's powerful hearing and her innate ability to judge emotions. If Lian could distinguish each wolf, then Chu Tingwu could hear various tiny sounds and similarly understand the situation of the large-scale wolf battle.
Just as he was thinking this, Chu Tingwu's expression seemed to become slightly more grave, and then—
She leaned back against her seat, tilted her head, and started dozing off.
Freckles: "?"
What exactly were you being so serious about just now!
Although filled with disbelief, at least the wolf howls seemed to be getting quieter, indicating one side had won this chaotic battle.
The next day, when the protected area's vehicles moved forward, everyone discovered that alpha wolf Kate was severely injured, and other wolves in Kate's pack had varying degrees of injuries.
Michelle's pack had emerged victorious, driving away the local wolves.
Kate's pack appeared to decide to migrate, with the alpha remaining near the den, in poor condition.
Viewers who learned of this were very concerned—
If not for human influence, this battle theoretically wouldn't have happened.
From poachers to observers, all had played a part in the conflict, adding wounds to the wild wolves.
Perhaps due to the fans' loud appeals, or perhaps because the protected area had already planned to do so—they decided to take Kate away for treatment.
Of course, taking a wolf for treatment wasn't a simple matter. Even with veterinarians present, Kate's injuries couldn't heal quickly, and how the remaining pack would survive without an alpha was a major problem.
If Kate died, the alpha female might choose a new mate from within the pack to maintain its operation.
But she might also leave the pack to seek a stronger mate and form a new clan, which would cause Kate's pack to completely dissolve.
Therefore, the park actually preferred to treat Kate's injuries within the pack, hoping for a combination of human help and the wolf's natural healing ability.
The park approached White for help.
They couldn't tranquilize all the wolves in the Kate pack, so they would prioritize sedating the injured adult wolves.
This meant the reserve's vehicle needed to drive to the wolf den.
White: "They want us to go with them... however, if the Kate pack is too resistant, we won't be able to go in."
Perhaps because the Michelle pack had only shown friendliness to their vehicle, the park hoped White and his team could create another miracle... though they couldn't imagine what kind of miracle it would be.
White took three students and got into the park's vehicle.
Their own vehicle had too much of the Michelle pack's scent on it, and driving it there might be seen as an "invasion."
When the park vehicle appeared, the Kate pack indeed became agitated.
The veterinarian sat in the vehicle, watching the wolf pack with an equally serious expression.
Different animals had varying responses to tranquilizers, so unless necessary, they didn't want to sedate the wild wolves.
After getting closer, even Freckles could smell the blood.
The wolf pack was upwind, and several adult wolves that had been lying on the slope stood up. Humans and wolves stared at each other, separated only by the metal shell of the vehicle.
Freckles' heart suddenly trembled—
He actually didn't like wolves that much.
Unlike his genius companions, he was simply methodically excellent, and that's how he became White's student.
For Freckles, whether researching wild wolves in the reserve, handling paperwork in the office, or dissecting animals in the laboratory, it was all just work.
He imagined that he would probably methodically become an animal behaviorist in the future, or use his resume to get a high-paying job at another company. His close encounters with wild wolves would become bedtime stories to share with his wife and children after he achieved success.
But he hadn't expected to get this close—
It was supposed to be bedtime stories, not horror stories!
Of course, unlike the nervous Freckles, White looked quite excited. His expression was serious, but his eyes were gleaming.
The other wolves in the Kate pack were clearly becoming tense.
The vehicle was huge, and they had reached the core territory of the wolf pack.
Three wolf pups huddled next to the alpha wolf, creating a moment of tense silence.
After careful consideration, the humans brought cages and capture nets.
Everyone hoped to first drive the adult wolves with fighting capability into the cages while treating the sedated alpha wolf.
Fortunately, this wasn't the first time the reserve had done this, and everything went relatively smoothly.
Several caged adult wolves quieted down after their initial howling, seemingly sensing that the humans weren't doing anything harmful.
Others also got out of the vehicle.
This was Kate pack's territory, and barring any surprises, no other dangerous animals would approach.
When Chu Tingwu got out of the car, White was already gathering around Kate.
Amidst the stronger smell of blood and the unpleasant odor of the wolf den... various scents swirled in the air, but she still detected something different.
Chu Tingwu's livestreaming equipment was set up nearby, able to capture Kate and the other wolves, but at this moment, she suddenly kicked the camera, making it tilt.
The lens shook, leaving the watching audience confused.
Then everyone heard a wolf's howl.
The wolf seemed to be right near the camera, its rage-filled howl exploding in front of all viewers, but they couldn't see anything—they only saw the shocked expressions of the reserve staff and raised gun barrels.
The team had brought tranquilizer guns, but as a precaution, they also carried real bullets.
The raised gun was now pointing behind the camera.
Audience: "?"
Wait, wait, tell them what's happening!
Judging from the distance between the camera and the cages, given the sound, could it be that one of the cages wasn't properly secured and a wolf had broken free?
The gun barrel remained pointed behind the camera, but viewers clearly saw the staff member's expression change from surprise to hesitation, and finally, while still pointing forward, the barrel lowered slightly.
The wolf's howl seemed to quieten too.
And then there was a—
"Meow."
Meow???
Gray wolf fur first appeared at the edge of the frame, and when half the wolf's body came into view, everyone realized this gray wolf was quite large and somewhat... familiar?
[Shane!? What are you doing here?]
Yes, it was Shane, the wandering adult male wolf.
Everyone had forgotten about him for a while, only now remembering that although the main Michelle pack had moved west, Shane was still wandering around this area.
It seemed that after failing to join the Michelle pack, he was now trying to join the Kate pack, having stayed in this area recently.
For Qiula, joining the Kate pack would have been a good outcome too, as among the three nearby packs, this was the only one that hadn't driven him away.
But Qiula wasn't here now.
As Shane's body came more into view, the humans in front seemed to take a step back.
The audience's hearts were also in their throats—what did that earlier sound mean, was it Shane howling? The distance between the staff and Shane was far too close; for an unrestricted adult wolf, he could pounce on them at any moment.
But in that part of the frame, White had been gesturing something continuously.
Next to appear was Chu Tingwu's hand.
Yes.
Chu Tingwu's hand was resting on Shane's back as she quietly stood beside the wolf.
The wolf stared at the humans in the distance, glanced at the sedated Kate, hesitated for a moment, and then lay down right there.
Chu Tingwu remained standing nearby, casually stroking the gray wolf's long fur, then offhandedly patted his head.
[????]
[I turned the volume up to maximum, I can hear what White and others are saying! "This wolf is uncontrolled—" "How can that be, hasn't Wu got him under control?" No, do you call that control?]
The contrast between human and wolf in the same frame was stark—Chu Tingwu's hand was just a normal hand, now hanging casually, barely touching Shane's back. If the adult gray wolf turned his head, he could probably bite off her entire arm.
The gray wolf didn't turn, but the girl did, seemingly noticing the camera.
She waved at the camera, explaining to the worried audience:
"Shane might have been triggered by seeing the cages, so he rushed out, but he hasn't attacked anyone, everything's fine now."
Audience: ...
"Hasn't attacked" and "hasn't managed to attack" seemed like two different concepts?
As if to prove this gray wolf was harmless, Chu Tingwu first waved to the staff, then turned... and pushed Shane down.
Shane: "..."
Audience: "..."
Rather, she hadn't used much force at all—just a slight downward motion of her wrist, and the gray wolf paused, quietly lay down, and then rolled over.
Human and wolf exchanged glances, as if completing a silent but synchronized performance. Shane, who had rolled away, rolled back, and Chu Tingwu raised her hand to signal him to turn around, then patted his rear.
Wolf: "Awoo?"
Before Chu Tingwu could pat him a second time, the wolf hesitated, avoided the vehicle, and carefully left Kate pack's territory.
The howling from the other wolves in the cages also quietened.
But the livestream comments exploded.
Newly summoned fans looked bewilderedly at the comments, searching for explanations, asking: Wolf taming? What wolf taming? What just happened?
It wasn't just the fans—the on-site staff also wanted to know what had happened! They were the ones who saw it with their own eyes, yet they felt their view wasn't complete.
—A few minutes ago, Shane had indeed pounced out.
Everyone should have confirmed there were no other wolves around, since all of Kate pack's adult wolves were here... but Shane had somehow approached the vehicle, then leaped up, approaching the staff near the cage door from behind the vehicle.
Another staff member instinctively raised their gun, but after Chu Tingwu kicked the camera, she seemed to crash right into the wild wolf's embrace.
Amidst the "awoo" sounds, there was a "meow." Everyone was too anxious about Chu Tingwu's safety to shoot, and in the next second, Shane had already fallen to the ground.
He didn't appear to be injured; rather, he seemed to have stopped mid-attack as if by reflex. He lay half-reclined, front paws raised, head tilted to one side, eyes fixed on the staff members holding guns.
Chu Tingwu was half-kneeling beside the wolf, her hands on his neck, casually stroking his wolf ears.
Shane: "?"
Shane glanced at her, and after Chu Tingwu moved away, the grey wolf sat up, continuing to watch the cage and humans. Finally, under the humans' tense gaze, he looked away.
The grey wolf seemed to understand that these humans weren't attacking the Kate wolf pack but were actually trying to help them.
However, after the grey wolf retreated, others still didn't understand:
"How did you manage to tackle him?"
What kind of reaction speed was that - coincidence or accident? And it was so dangerous... Of course, if Chu Tingwu hadn't tackled Shane, the next shot from the gun might have been live ammunition.
In such a situation, controlling the wild wolf took top priority to ensure everyone's safety.
White seemed to have a racing heart too. Uncharacteristically, he didn't speak immediately but remained silent for a while before saying:
"If Kate dies, Shane's chances of joining this wolf pack would be higher."
A wild wolf's pursuit of a pack could last a very long time, and this happened to be the Kate pack's lowest point. Other wild wolves might not be as strong as Shane, and if Wolf King Kate died, Shane might be chosen by the Alpha female as her mate and be accepted as the new Wolf King.
Human thoughts had nothing to do with wild wolves.
After Chu Tingwu drove Shane away, she turned around to find others looking at her with strange expressions - somewhat respectful, shocked, and... jealous? What's wrong with you, White!
Freckles came over to ask: "Are you, are you hurt?"
"No," Chu Tingwu said, "Could you get me a bottle of water?"
Freckles: "Oh, oh!" Although Wu's expression hadn't changed much, after such an encounter with a wild wolf, her adrenaline must be high, and she must be thirsty—
Chu Tingwu took the water and started washing her hands.
Freckles: "=="
The treatment was eventually completed without incident. The team didn't move Wolf King Kate but opened the remote-controlled cage door to release the Alpha female first. After confirming there were no abnormalities, they packed up their equipment and slowly departed.
Wind swept across the mountains, the green wilderness bowed low, and wolf howls echoed from afar along with other animal calls, captured by the lens as distant muffled sounds in the background.
It was humans leaving the wolves, but it also seemed like the wolves were distancing themselves from humans - after moving further away, the Michelle wolf pack appeared in the lens.
They were moving along the river, watching the River Valley wolves across the water from a distance.
Chu Tingwu listened intently: "The pack's adolescent wolves on guard duty are coming."
After she spoke, she adjusted the camera, though nothing appeared in the frame yet. New fans were confused, but veteran fans were confident:
[No need to doubt - if the goddess says so, we just need to believe.]
New fans: "?" Just joined the livestream, is this really the Red Rock Reserve wolf observation broadcast? Haven't they got the wrong place?!
Sure enough, after Chu Tingwu adjusted the camera, a wolf's head appeared in the distance.
Then, a larger head appeared below... eh?
[Qiula—]
What are you doing here?!
Qiula still had a few wounds on his face, but his leg injury seemed to have healed.
He was mixed in with the adolescents and several adult wolves from the Michelle pack who were on guard duty. If everyone hadn't been so familiar with him and noticed the satellite tracker on his neck, they probably wouldn't have recognized him so quickly.
Wolves wearing satellite trackers were few and far between.
Soon, Shane, who had just left, also ran over to the other side of the frame.
He affectionately rubbed noses with the other wolves, greeted Qiula, and then patted a wolf pup's head.
...He seemed to have completely integrated into the group.
Logically, everyone should have felt happy about their "suffering finally paying off," but for some reason, what they felt was more like "taking advantage of weakness" or even "hedging their bets."
Chu Tingwu: ...While Qiula genuinely wanted to join the Michelle pack, Shane actually wanted to help them hunt as payment for learning from the wolf pups.
Chu Tingwu: "...Hmm."
She suddenly thought of a serious issue.
She had learned quite a bit in the evening too, and even the wolf knew to pay tuition - had she never paid anything?
Though the system found the cub's thinking a bit strange, it still actively suggested: "How about hunting a deer?"
Chu Tingwu: ==
She just wanted to pay tuition, not get herself sent to prison!
Shane suddenly looked up, seemingly able to see the humans' vehicle despite the great distance.
"Awoo—"
He appeared to be greeting Chu Tingwu, but howls also came from the Michelle pack in their direction. Chu Tingwu knew they were greeting her too.
Caught in this crossfire of greetings, Chu Tingwu: "..."
Maybe she should go hunt that deer after all!
