The Red Rock Reserve has designated observation areas for watching wolves.
Every year, numerous tourists spend thousands of dollars to come here, getting closer to observe wolf activities and catch a glimpse of their favorite wolf packs... Besides the observation areas that are closer to wolf activity zones, there are also interaction zones where visitors can see the peripheral wolf packs.
These wolves seem to have grown accustomed to humans appearing in their territory. They ignore human gazes and cameras, simply going about their usual lives.
On the way back, White kept glancing at Chu Tingwu, and finally seemed to make a decision:
"Wu, would you like to become my student?"
Chu Tingwu: Thanks, but I don't want to skip grades.
Chu Tingwu explained China's education system, and White appeared quite disappointed. He was also curious: "Do you really have to take the college entrance exam? You could come study abroad here. If funding is an issue, I can help you apply for scholarships."
White didn't even mention what would happen if Chu Tingwu couldn't get into his university, seemingly assuming he could get her in even with zero points in the interview.
If Chu Tingwu's life goal was simply "obtaining excellent academic credentials," she could accept right now and skip the college entrance exam to become an international student.
Chu Tingwu: "Apart from the wolf packs, this country doesn't hold much appeal for me at the moment."
White laughed heartily, not offended by Chu Tingwu's directness: "I think that's great... you're making decisions based on your interests, not other factors."
This was fortunate! Because of this, he believed Chu Tingwu's interest in animals hadn't disappeared, and they would eventually collaborate again.
Although Chu Tingwu hadn't agreed to become his future student, White now treated her more like a student at the camp.
They would take helicopter trips together with the veterinary team to collect data on wild wolves, taking blood samples and specimens. Chu Tingwu was often assigned tedious tasks and even helped White prepare research materials.
Moreover, she had to continue livestreaming. White said: "Livestreaming is also work I've assigned to you."
The man spoke seriously: "I'm actually very happy that you're livestreaming from the reserve—we can let more people see these wolves, understand their society, their habits, and their lives. It makes me happy, even though most people will never deeply understand these wild wolves in their lifetime, but some will fall in love with them and follow our research."
He playfully tapped the daydreaming Freckles: "Perk up, young man, the whole world is watching on the other side of the camera!"
Freckles: No... currently the most popular video on the site is a five-year-old livestreaming LEGO building, but even that isn't watched by the whole world, right?
Freckles had gotten used to White's way of speaking, but he still couldn't help seeking solidarity from his companion. He turned to look at Chu Tingwu, who looked back at him with a smile.
Freckles unconsciously smiled back.
Chu Tingwu: "Is the data compilation finished?"
Freckles: "...I'll give it to you in a bit."
You heartless person!
It seemed Chu Tingwu was only cold-hearted when dealing with humans.
Just yesterday, Freckles had seen her video calling her cat. Though he couldn't understand what she was saying, and her expression barely changed, her eyes and gaze were gentle, carrying a subtle smile.
And besides her own cat, she was also gentle with other animals—
Like the fox that had unexpectedly run in front of their car earlier. Chu Tingwu had opened its mouth and "worked her magic" on it, then gently released it... and the fox had turned back and called out for a while.
Freckles: "Was it saying goodbye to you?"
How fairy tale-like.
Chu Tingwu: "?"
Chu Tingwu gave him a "what are you talking about" look: "It was cursing at me."
Freckles: "..."
That's still pretty fairy tale-like, because you can actually understand animal sounds. Are you a Disney princess?
Unexpectedly, when he asked this, Chu Tingwu's expression became strange, and finally she said: "If you keep saying that, my family really will buy Disney."
"Actually, I can't understand what it's cursing about, I just feel that it's cursing at me," she said, "Sometimes I feel like you're cursing at me in your mind too."
Freckles: Don't say it out loud!
Besides her keen hearing, powerful vision, strange dynamic reflexes, and hypersensitivity to emotions... Chu Tingwu seemed able to get along well with all kinds of animals.
After the Shane incident that day, the park tentatively borrowed Chu Tingwu again.
Yes, she was borrowed by the reserve and worked for the veterinary department for two days, comforting injured animals under treatment. This made White complain loudly for a long time.
...Because he also wanted Chu Tingwu to work for him.
This "work whenever there's work" lifestyle continued until Monday of the second week.
It had rained lightly last night, and there were still puddles in the courtyard today. The gate was open, and Chu Tingwu passed by Freckles, jumping onto the wall and stretching first.
The people around were already used to this and continued with their tasks.
But when Freckles looked up, he noticed Chu Tingwu hadn't jumped down, nor was she taking photos. Instead, she was gazing intently at something opposite.
He noticed a black dot on the hillside.
Soon, that dot grew larger—it was a wolf.
Freckles: "Mavis?"
It was the alpha female of the Michelle pack, a black wolf in her prime years, Michelle's granddaughter.
She had always been level-headed, and now she was approaching the camp at an unhurried pace, finally stopping about a hundred meters away.
Not just Freckles, but others also gathered to look. Humans and wolf gazed at each other across the grassland, and after a while, Mavis turned around.
She seemed about to leave just like that.
Suddenly, Chu Tingwu jumped down from the wall, but this time not back into the yard—she landed outside.
Chu Tingwu: "I'm going for a walk?"
Freckles: Do you think this is your neighborhood park!
He was at a loss for words and turned to look at White. White's expression was conflicted as he looked at the ranger, who pondered: "Should we take the car?"
Freckles: Does anyone remember she doesn't have a driver's license?
Five minutes later, Freckles found himself in the driver's seat.
Freckles: "..." Something's not right?
-
Although something felt odd, Freckles still drove forward according to Chu Tingwu's request.
The car moved very slowly, and they could see the black wolf in the distance with their naked eyes. The wolf wasn't running at full speed either, and even turned to look at their car halfway through.
This car was not only "famous" among the wolf packs but had also become renowned in human society as the "wolf-favored car," with wealthy people offering to buy it at a premium.
The Reserve: "?"
The Reserve wouldn't agree!
After White and the others left, they could use this car to take wealthy tourists on private tours.
So every time Freckles drove, he had the illusion he was driving a luxury car—after all, in some people's eyes, this vehicle was worth as much as one.
Might as well consider himself earning good money by driving it.
Of course, Chu Tingwu wasn't really out for a "walk." In fact, White and the others had been turning a blind eye to her occasional interactions with wolf packs when she got out of the car.
If they tried to stop her, other research teams would be clamoring for attention.
The car drove deeper and finally reached the heart of Michelle pack's territory.
Freckles glanced at the road, about to say something, but found Chu Tingwu had already opened the door and smoothly gotten out.
Freckles: "..."
He reversed the car and quietly avoided the depression ahead, but didn't give up following Chu Tingwu's pace.
The girl walked ahead, moving through the wildlife reserve where wild beasts lived without any protection, simply stretching her arms and limbs.
Her movements were natural and fluid, seemingly unconcerned about potential dangers around her, not believing she would be attacked by wild animals.
Meanwhile, Freckles sat with his hands on the steering wheel, surrounded by metal protection, yet constantly feeling like a mountain lion might jump out of the bushes at any moment.
The unmanned aerial sphere of Chu Tingwu hovered behind her. While Freckles was lost in thought, more wolves appeared before the girl.
The vehicle could no longer move forward, so Freckles could only lean on the steering wheel, staring at the wolves of Michelle's pack.
The entire wolf pack seemed to have gathered here. The alpha male lay outside the den, with Michelle lying beside him, eyes closed.
None of the wolves were roughhousing - though for them, fighting was actually a form of play, even when it sometimes involved biting or drawing blood.
The alpha male gently nuzzled Michelle. The white wolf's belly rose and fell slightly, but there were no other movements.
Freckles remained leaning on the steering wheel, but as he kept watching, he felt something wasn't right.
Chu Tingwu had already stepped into the midst of the wolf pack. The wolves stirred slightly but showed no other reaction.
So Chu Tingwu walked all the way to Michelle.
The alpha male, lying with his front paws crossed, looked up at her and made room for a small space.
System: "She's about to die."
The system's voice carried an unmistakable calmness.
For a string of electronic data, the death of an individual organism was merely a return to zero.
Yes, the old matriarch was dying.
There was no special reason - it was simply her time.
She had experienced too many dangers and hardships in her life, lost too many of her kind and kin, and now it was their turn to lose her. In her final moments, she couldn't even be bothered to open her eyes.
Chu Tingwu sat cross-legged in front of Michelle, while the other wolves had gathered around without anyone noticing when.
The alpha male and female cuddled together, while other wolves huddled close. Suddenly, the white wolf named "Dawn" opened its mouth and let out a long howl—
One wolf's howl rang out, followed by another. The howls echoed through the valley, making Freckles in the car suddenly shiver.
He realized something significant might have happened.
Even though he wasn't Lian, wasn't Chu Tingwu, and wasn't the experienced White - even though Freckles didn't want to admit it - he had indeed studied wild wolves for so long. They weren't just topics for nighttime conversation; they were another species of this world that he had constantly observed and lived with day and night.
He understood them.
A wave of sadness washed over him.
Freckles lowered his head, wiping his tears on his sleeve.
He realized something... significant might have happened.
Another vehicle carrying the others was behind them, stopped at a slightly slanted slope foot, listening to the wolves' calls without going up to find the two people.
White and the others were worried about Chu Tingwu's safety, which was why they followed at a distance, but now—
He looked down at the video.
Chu Tingwu's livestream had disabled comments, and the broadcast didn't have any fancy content - just floating in mid-air, showing the scene in front of the wolf den.
But the viewer count was increasing frantically.
The rapidly rising viewer count and the quiet stream without a single comment seemed like two different worlds. White quietly gazed at the white wolf in the frame and suddenly said, "I've always wanted to write a book about Michelle... but I never had the time. When I finally thought I had time, I discovered there was already a book about Michelle on the market."
The ranger next to him, sucking on a mint, mumbled, "Yeah, a step too late."
"Indeed, a step too late," White sighed, "Moreover, that book was written by my ex-wife."
Ranger: "...?"
White fell silent, thinking of things from long ago - discussing Michelle's wolf pack with his ex-wife over documentaries, traveling between the school and Red Rock Reserve every summer... From being a new professor to becoming a renowned expert, Michelle's wolf life wasn't long by human standards, but for some people, this period was indeed the most important time of their lives.
Her existence carried their memories.
White pressed his hand against his eye socket and said softly, "I'm a bit sleepy."
He really was getting sleepy, wanting to take a nap.
He turned to look at the ranger and found him already dozing off against the window, then looked at his student Lian, who was leaning back in the rear seat, eyes closed for who knows how long.
White: "?"
He simply closed his eyes to rest, but at some point, he too fell asleep.
-
White knew he was dreaming.
He could clearly feel that he was dreaming, and the scenery around him was familiar, like Red Rock Reserve in winter.
Snow weighed down the pine branches overhead. White was wearing one more layer than when he fell asleep, still thin, but he didn't feel cold.
He took a few steps forward, looking at the snow beneath his feet. Soon, the falling snow covered his footprints again.
White trudged forward, one foot after another, feeling a vague idea in his mind urging him forward, though he didn't know what lay ahead.
Until he rounded another boulder, he saw the figure sitting beneath it.
Lian was sitting in the sheltered spot under the rock, her shoulder pressed against Mavis, the alpha female.
The black wolf lay beside her, gazing at the slope ahead.
White stood to the side, staring steadily at the scene before him—
It was the wolf pack.
It was Michelle's pack, but something seemed different.
The wolves were playing, chasing each other in the snow. Two white wolves ran past, one after another, the one behind pouncing on the one in front, licking its head.
The white wolf behind was large and strong, while the one in front moved somewhat awkwardly. White realized: it was Michelle in her prime and her great-granddaughter Dawn.
But Michelle was nearly dead... oh, this was a dream, so that was fine.
At the bottom of the slope stood his other student, Bernie with his freckles, looking up at the wolf pack, notebook in hand, seemingly recording non-stop, not noticing his teacher's presence at all.
But White didn't mind, because this was a dream after all.
He continued forward, wanting to reach out and touch the back of the wolf in front of him, and then he realized it was actually Shane.
Shane had just pinned Qiula down, turned his head curiously to look at the human approaching, and then gave him a nudge.
White was pushed down into the snow.
He wasn't angry, but instead started laughing foolishly.
Just when White thought this was a strange but beautiful dream, something even stranger appeared in the dream—
Michelle seemed to be playing in the snow, sliding down from above, running back up, then letting out a "awoo" at a corner.
That pile of snow moved, and from under it emerged a... a cat as big as an adult wolf? And its fur was actually light purple!
White stared blankly at that cat:
That definitely wasn't something he had seen before, nor something that had ever existed in the world. He wanted to study it— but this was a dream, and anything could appear in dreams, right?
With a mixture of regret and anticipation, White watched as the cat raised its paw to push away the approaching wolf pup, then bumped into Michelle.
The cat and wolf rubbed heads back and forth, quickly turning into a wrestling match in the snow, then somehow made up and started sliding down the stone slope together.
White's professional instincts kicked in, and even in the dream, he quickly determined through visual assessment of the giant cat's bone structure: this was actually still a cub?! If it was this big as a cub, how large would it be as an adult?
Hm?
Did that cat just glare at him?
After rolling until their fur was covered in snow, Michelle put her paw on the giant cat's head, and the cat turned to knock her over. Michelle, after rolling once on the ground, wasn't angry.
She just lay on the rock, slowly gazing around, then: "Awoo— Awoo— Awoo—"
The snow stopped.
The other wolves opened their mouths too.
The howls came one after another. They no longer played in the snow, no longer quarreled and fought, but all turned their heads to look at their leader, letting out long howls.
"Awoo—"
White suddenly opened his eyes.
He heard the wolf howls near his ears.
He instinctively wanted to push open the door and get out of the car, but hesitated for a moment and turned to look at the livestream screen.
Chu Tingwu was no longer sitting, but leaning against Michelle, quietly asleep.
Michelle was also "asleep."
Her chest no longer rose and fell; she had fallen into an eternal sleep.
Wolf howls echoed through the valley, and White felt a sting in his nose.
Goodbye, he thought.
Have a long, beautiful dream.
-
Michelle's passing cast a deep gloom over the entire wolf-watching community.
After her departure, the wolf pack received a new name: the Marian Valley Pack.
After the livestream ended, comments could still be posted on the automatically uploaded recording, and Chu Tingwu didn't bother managing them anymore.
The recording's views quickly reached new heights, even surpassing all of Chu Tingwu's videos on overseas platforms, with wolf enthusiasts from around the world coming to pay their virtual respects.
The tourism industry at Red Rock Reserve was equally affected, having lost a major star attraction. They would probably have to wait until a new star wolf appeared before seeing another tourism peak.
Chu Tingwu was set to return to Jin City. During the aftermath, she became busier than before, and apart from their regular morning and evening calls, she and Three-Five-Five avoided discussing the base's program during their conversations.
She wondered how Three-Five-Five's small variety show was going...
When Chu Tingwu was leaving, Red Rock Reserve seemed more reluctant to let her go than she was to leave.
They wanted to purchase her livestreaming drones, even though they were hand-assembled and expensive, but the park didn't care about the cost.
Chu Tingwu told them that even if they bought them, they couldn't achieve the same effects as her livestreams, but the park remained stubborn.
They even thought she was unsatisfied with the price and offered more money.
Chu Tingwu: "=="
The park's order was too large; accepting it would mean having to buy a production line first.
She said she needed to consider it (or rather, needed to consult with the system first), and then the park gave her a lifetime membership card with free admission.
After spending a summer in America, when Chu Tingwu returned to Jin City, not only had she barely spent anything, but thinking about it, she had actually made money.
...The livestream donations and overseas platform promotion incentives alone were substantial.
After her plane landed, Man Xing came to pick her up. In the back seat, Chu Tingwu opened a video and clicked on Three-Five-Five's variety show compilation, then fell silent.
Chu Tingwu: "Man Xing..."
Man Xing tensed up: "Boss?"
Chu Tingwu: "Did you know that Three-Five-Five recently... picked up a cat?"
Man Xing: "..."
Help! Even though it was clearly a cat picking up another cat, why did she get the feeling that her boss was consulting about a family matter: 'I was away on business for two months, and my mother adopted a child behind my back. Assistant, what should I do about this?'
Man Xing: "You... you could write a will right now leaving nothing to that stray cat..."
Chu Tingwu: "?"
Thanks, but she felt she could live longer than the "stray cat," so it hadn't come to that yet.
It was indeed a stray cat, or rather an abandoned Holstein kitten.
This Holstein cat had the standard "sheriff cat" face, looking very proper from the front.
From the variety show clips, it was clear that Three-Five-Five had suddenly brought this little Holstein to the base one day, adding it to her cat kindergarten.
Of course, the trainer quickly discovered the Holstein cat with its entire head buried in the food bowl, pulled it out for examination... The results showed that the little Holstein had no major problems, just ear mites and hunger from going without food for too long.
Since starting the police cat training work, the base would also take in some kittens, keeping suitable ones and sending those eliminated at the start for adoption. The little Holstein was special because it was a cat brought in by another cat.
The base was curious about what Three-Five-Five wanted to do, and temporarily caring for a kitten wasn't much trouble. Plus, it could become a topic for the variety show, so Milk was kept at the base and added to Three-Five-Five's class.
After that, the footage more frequently showed Milk following Three-Five-Five around, and surprisingly, Milk was genuinely good at completing training tasks. It was lively, friendly with people, showed outstanding athletic talent, and was obedient... well, only to Three-Five-Five.
Even the audience joked that Three-Five-Five had found a Chu Tingwu substitute.
Chu Tingwu: "?"
How was she anything like a Holstein cat? And she wasn't clingy like Milk at all; she was very independent!
The independent human simply had her assistant drive straight to the training base instead of going home first.
System: Hmm...
At the base, the trainer said puzzled: "Three-Five-Five? She's not here. Actually, she's been here for all training sessions since we started. But didn't you say you were coming back? Early this morning, Three-Five-Five ran off. Have you checked her location? Maybe she's at home."
Chu Tingwu: "...mm."
Seeing Chu Tingwu looking down, the trainer smiled: "You should head back... Oh, Milk? Why are you here? Come here, kitty kitty..."
The Holstein kitten named Milk bounded over, stepping on the trainer's shoes and looking up at Chu Tingwu curiously, seemingly wondering why she carried such a familiar scent.
Chu Tingwu: "..."
Three-Five-Five was at home.
Milk was at the base.
Chu Tingwu was about to go home.
Chu Tingwu: =v=
Good, she had won!
