Chapter 151: Chapter 134: King of the Sky, Heartthrob of the Bird Realm

On top of that, he had strong logical thinking skills. Though he’d switched majors halfway from computer science to fields like animal behavior and conservation biology, he relied on his powerful comprehension and focus, so he hadn’t started losing his hair from stress like so many students in his position.

When it came to practical experience and intuition for dealing with animals, Yang Qi was confident he was on par with many master’s or even doctoral students who had trained in the field from the start.

What he lacked was precisely a systematic framework of theoretical knowledge, cutting-edge research methods, and formal academic expression.

Over the next few days, the pace of Yang Qi’s life grew even more intense.

Besides completing his daily work at the Zoo and diligently practicing the Great Derivation Spirit-Controlling Technique, all his free time was devoted to studying.

With the buff from three "Comprehension +1" boosts, plus the fact that his cultivation left him with far more energy than an ordinary person, his learning progress was astonishingly fast.

He quickly grasped some basic concepts. For the cutting-edge research papers Song Chunfang sent him, Yang Qi could swiftly capture their core ideas and even offer his own unique insights.

This was thanks to his "practical experience" of communicating directly with animals.

...

「This afternoon.」

Yang Qi was reading in his room when his phone suddenly rang.

He picked it up and saw the caller ID: Chen Hao.

"Hey, Brother Chen?"

"Xiaoqi, get over to the side of the Zoo’s administration building, quickly." Chen Hao said, then hung up before Yang Qi could ask any more questions.

’What’s going on?’

Yang Qi was puzzled.

Although Chen Hao was a straightforward guy, he wouldn’t normally call him so cryptically.

He immediately put down his book, got up, went outside, and hopped on his electric scooter, heading toward the administration building.

Arriving at the side of the administration building, he could see a crowd of people gathered there from a distance.

Chen Hao was standing beside a small, white box truck.

Huang Zhongmu, Mei Ying, Cheng Xiaoou, Jiang Kai, and several other heads of relevant departments from the Zoo were all there, gathered around the small truck and talking in low voices.

"Director Huang, Director Mei, Director Cheng, Minister Jiang..."

Yang Qi parked his scooter, walked over quickly, and greeted the leaders one by one. Finally, he looked at Chen Hao, puzzled.

"Brother Chen, what’s going on? Why the big fuss?"

When Chen Hao saw him, a smile spread across his face, a mix of pride and mystery.

He didn’t answer directly. Instead, he turned, walked to the rear doors of the truck, and gestured to a staff member standing by.

The staff member immediately stepped forward and carefully opened the rear doors.

It was a bit dim inside the truck, but he could make out a large, custom-made birdcage secured near the doors, partially covered by a dark cloth.

Chen Hao reached out and lifted a corner of the covering cloth.

"Take a look. It’s a gift I got for you. Like it?"

Chen Hao stepped aside, letting Yang Qi see inside the cage. He introduced it, "A large bird of prey native to America, a true ’King of the Sky’—the Beaked Eagle!"

Inside the cage stood a half-grown bird of prey. Its size was already quite astonishing, with a standing height estimated to be over half a meter.

It had the sharp, hooked beak and powerful talons characteristic of a raptor, but what was most striking was the crest of dark feathers standing up on its head, like a crown, giving it a majestic air.

Though it was still a sub-adult, its feathers not yet fully grown into their most resplendent state, its wide, amber-colored eyes were already filled with wildness and vigilance. It calmly surveyed the crowd outside the cage with an air of disdainful pride.

"What? A Beaked Eagle?!"

Yang Qi was truly stunned, his voice unconsciously rising a few notches.

"Can a private citizen even raise one of these?"

Of course, Yang Qi knew about the Beaked Eagle. Hailed as one of the world’s largest and most powerful birds of prey, it was primarily found in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. It was famous for its astonishing hunting prowess and formidable appearance, making it the dream bird for countless avian enthusiasts and photographers—a true heartthrob of the Bird Realm.

But this species was extremely rare in the country, usually only found in top-tier zoos or research institutions.

’Private ownership?’

"Don’t worry, it was all brought in legally and by the book."

Chen Hao seemed to have expected this reaction. He smiled and explained in detail, "Director Huang, on behalf of the Zoo, submitted an application for scientific cooperation and species introduction research. Our Hongyun Group has some connections and contacts overseas, so we helped coordinate the permits from the country of origin and the transportation channels."

"Your Sister Yang’s Xianzi Group covered all the related costs—from purchase and transport to quarantine, the whole package."

"All the paperwork is complete. The approvals from customs and the forestry department, as well as the quarantine period, were all completed smoothly. It’s now a ’legal resident’ of your Donghua Zoo."

"And it just so happens that you’re a keeper who’s great at interacting with animals. Putting it in your care couldn’t be more perfect!"

He paused, then added, "And for the future costs—renovating a dedicated enclosure for this fellow, its daily feeding, medical care, all of it—your sister said she’ll cover everything."

"So you can just focus on being its ’Hawk Master’!"

"Xiao Yang," Huang Zhongmu chimed in with a smile. "We kept this from you the whole time mainly because we were afraid something would go wrong along the way. If it fell through, we didn’t want to get everyone’s hopes up for nothing. But now, it’s finally a done deal."

Jiang Kai, also beaming, added, "Although the Beaked Eagle isn’t well-suited for public exhibition due to its habits and conservation status, it’s a huge asset for our Zoo in terms of large raptor research, improving our husbandry techniques, and even international exchange and cooperation. This is truly a magnificent gift!"

Yang Qi opened his mouth, but for a moment, he was at a complete loss for words. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

He suddenly recalled how, over a month ago, Chen Hao had half-jokingly asked him if he truly liked animals. At the time, Yang Qi had said yes.