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Chapter 4: The Big Cat Breaks Free
The delivery truck rumbled down the main road, leaving the small town behind.
Feeling the jolt of the truck and the occasional rush of wind outside, Wang Ping realized they must be far from the city now, though he had no idea where they were headed or what their destination was.
Reflecting on the situation, he felt a twinge of regret; his occupational habits had led him to leap onto the truck without a second thought. Now, he regretted it deeply.
Inside the cargo area, there was little room to hide. Wang Ping definitely did not want to jump from the frying pan into the fire; in his current form, a single tranquilizer dart could take him down.
He had to figure something out while they were on the road.
Wang Ping pondered for a while but concluded that there seemed to be no way out, unless…
He fixed his gaze on the cage beneath the tarp and blinked a few times. Although it was pitch dark inside the truck, his vision was unaffected.
Logically, a large carnivore like a leopard would have been sedated for transportation, but the dosage would typically be limited. After all, too long under sedation could lead to complications.
Especially for poachers looking to profit, it was better to deal with some inconvenience than to risk losing the “merchandise” value. So usually, they’d administer a shot before loading the animal and give it another right before unloading.
Wang Ping wasn’t sure why they were smuggling the leopard, but since it was alive in front of him, they clearly didn’t want it to die easily.
With this thought, Wang Ping dashed to the cage and began clawing at the tarp, tearing it apart until he exposed the iron cage behind it.
The lock on the cage door was conveniently on Wang Ping’s side. He let out a breath of relief; at least it wasn’t on the other side of the truck, or he’d have to crawl inside to unlock it.
Peering through the bars, Wang Ping examined the curled-up creature sleeping peacefully inside.
Based on its build and coat pattern, the leopard in the cage was a typical African leopard.
Wang Ping even glanced maliciously at its hind legs. Hmm... no "jewels," so it was a female.
Leopard subspecies are widely distributed across the globe, with a particularly strong presence in Tanzania. However, habitat loss and the allure of their striking fur have led to heavy hunting, causing a significant decline in leopard populations. Today, leopards are classified as a vulnerable species, with their pelts and cubs commanding high prices on the black market. This demand helps explain why smugglers are willing to take considerable risks to capture and trade these animals illegally.
Gently tapping on the bars, Wang Ping noticed the leopard showed no signs of waking up. Although he didn’t have a watch—and likely never would—he guessed that at least two hours had passed since he’d left the zoo and climbed into the truck.
In just over an hour, dawn would break. By then, the effects of the tranquilizer would likely wear off.
When the leopard woke up, the two white men in the front of the truck had two options: they could either stop to administer another shot or ignore the situation and keep driving, as the leopard was safely confined in the cage.
However, Wang Ping believed they were more likely to stop for another shot. If he was correct and they were indeed smuggling wildlife, they would want to keep the leopard calm to avoid attracting attention at any checkpoints along the way. Unless the road they were on was devoid of checkpoints.
Wang Ping could only hope he wasn’t that unlucky; if he played his cards right, the moment they stopped to administer another shot would be his opportunity. The key question was how to get the leopard to cooperate.
As Wang Ping leaned against the bars, time ticked by slowly. He could vaguely hear a catchy song playing in the cab and the two white men singing along. The sky began to lighten on the horizon; dawn was approaching.
While Wang Ping was lost in thought, he suddenly caught a whiff of a strong scent blowing into his face. When he looked up, he was met with a pair of bright green eyes.
“Grrr…” Wang Ping instinctively swore, backing away quickly, but the sound that came out of his mouth was an odd growl.
The leopard clearly hadn’t expected such a loud noise from the creature across from it; it jumped up in surprise, causing the cage to sway.
“Roar…” It was rather embarrassing to be scared by an animal much smaller than itself. The leopard quickly adjusted its stance and glared at Wang Ping, emitting a low growl.
Wang Ping felt it might be his imagination, but he thought he detected a hint of bravado in the leopard’s growl, as if it had feelings to express. Little did he know that the leopard was suffering too.
If given a choice, this leopard would prefer to face a lion or an elephant rather than this white-haired creature in front of it.
In Africa, honey badgers are known for their bad reputation. They can’t be easily killed, are hard to drive away, hold grudges, and are notoriously petty. Even a mere glance could provoke one into a fight. The absurdity of their behavior correlates directly with their ferocity.
It would take nearly three hours for an adult leopard to defeat a honey badger—not to kill it but just to beat it. The energy expended in those three hours would require the leopard to hunt for a long time to replenish. So, unless one was truly foolish, nobody would want to tangle with a honey badger.
Yet here they were, confronted with each other. If the leopard could speak, it would probably have a thousand curses for the god at that moment.
One leopard, one badger, locked in a staring contest.
“Let’s talk?” Wang Ping waved his claws, making hand gestures that even he didn’t recognize.
The leopard tilted its head, looking rather comical.
What a pain! Wang Ping sighed deeply, then pointed toward the cab and then to the back door of the truck, making a fierce expression with his mouth.
“There are bad guys over there. Let’s take them down together! Okay?”
The leopard: “…”
Where did this idiot come from? Could it be that the honey badger it encountered was stupid? The leopard probably thought to itself.
Wang Ping silently cursed back, wondering if the leopard was slow-witted. How could it not understand such simple gestures?
Forget it! Wang Ping gave up. As long as the leopard didn’t exhibit hostility towards him for the time being, he believed he could handle it. He doubted the leopard would remain so calm when people came back to administer another shot.
He glanced at the lock on the cage door; indeed, it wasn’t locked. He didn’t know what these people were thinking, always underestimating animals’ intelligence. The cage door was merely secured with a bolt and a piece of wire.
Approaching the cage cautiously, the leopard narrowed its eyes and let out a low growl, warning Wang Ping.
“I’m trying to save you, you stupid cat!”
Wang Ping thought to himself, ignoring the leopard’s threatening glare as he began to untwist the wire securing the lock. The honey badger’s paw, like that of most mammals, had thick pads and sharp claws, but its dexterity was lacking. After struggling for a while, Wang Ping got frustrated and yanked the wire loose.
With a “snap,” the wire broke, and the bolt flew off, causing the leopard inside to shudder again, almost leaping out.
With the cage door now open, Wang Ping slowly backed away, bracing himself for a sudden leap from the leopard.
The leopard, more cautious, showed no intention of exiting; it simply kept a close watch on Wang Ping’s movements.
“Seriously? You still think I’m trying to harm you? Can’t you see what’s going on? I can’t deal with this!”
Wang Ping was exasperated; it seemed he couldn’t rely on the leopard, and he had to take matters into his own hands.
With that thought, Wang Ping turned and lunged toward the cab, crashing against the front metal panel with a thud.
Inside the truck, a bearded white man was driving, humming a nonsensical tune, while his partner in the passenger seat fiddled with a tranquilizer gun.
“Hey, what’s that noise…”
Suddenly, the passenger turned his head, listening intently toward the back. Amid the loud music, faint thuds and the sound of claws scraping against metal could be heard.
The bearded man turned down the music, and they exchanged glances. All of sudden, the bearded man slammed on the brakes.
“Shit!” The passenger jumped out of the vehicle, grabbing the tranquilizer gun as he did.
The truck stopped, and Wang Ping ceased his assault. Shaking off the dizziness, he hurried to hide behind the rear door.
The leopard, which had been watching Wang Ping’s antics with a look of bewilderment, now heard the commotion outside. It narrowed its eyes, and crouched low, slowly stepping out of the cage.
The passenger was furious as he gripped the rear door handle, inwardly cursing the zoo for not administering enough tranquilizer to the leopard, forcing him to risk stopping in the middle of nowhere to give it another shot.
When the back door opened, the passenger looked up to find a pair of green eyes staring down at him. “What the… fuck!”
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