Closer to Revealing My True Self-Chapter 52 - 49 Invasive Species_1
Chapter 52: Chapter 49 Invasive Species_1
Chapter 52 -49 Invasive Species_1
Cao Xing’s two kids started a chorus of wails and sobs.
Feng Yi didn’t know what to do, but the kids’ crying seemed strong; at least they seemed physically all right.
Lacking experience in dealing with such situations, Feng Yi simply set it aside for the moment, took out his phone from his pocket, shook off the water, and found it still worked, so he called the property management.
At this moment, in the Yue Xiu residential property management office.
There were still five people there, all called in temporarily. They weren’t scheduled to be on duty today, but when they heard that some kids had climbed over the wall during maintenance checks, they hurried over.
All five were keeping an eye on the phone, in case a resident couldn’t find anyone for help, or the team out searching needed assistance.
The eldest among them was in his forties, built like a bear with a forceful way of speaking.
He was known as Old Wang or Brother Wang, a veteran at the property management office.
Right then, Brother Wang was angrily slamming his hand on the table, “I’ve said it before, those kids of Cao Xing need to be watched! They need discipline! We should have replaced their windows already, see if they can still sneak out of their second-floor rooms in the middle of the night! Is that what the rescue ropes are for?
“And their parents, caring only about making money, neglecting discipline – they’ll regret it if something happens! And then they’ll say it’s the property management’s responsibility.”
The more he spoke, the angrier Brother Wang became, “Just Cao Xing’s lot, when I last scolded them, those old men and women even blamed me for being too fierce, too harsh!
“Those little devils, it’s always the same old tactics with them – crying, making a fuss, throwing tantrums!”
A younger employee beside him looked utterly frustrated, “What can we do if the old men and women fall for it? They even say it’s lively and good!”
Brother Wang let out a sigh of frustration, “Their own parents don’t care, so why should I be happy to? They’re not my kids. Isn’t this for the benefit of our community?
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“The original sales pitch for these homes was luxury wellness living, and now look at it – turned into a backwater ghost town. Nobody wants this! But is this the kind of ‘lively’ they wanted?
“Our property management can’t be blamed for this! They complain if the maintenance fees are high, and complain about needing replacements if the fees are low! They never think about how we’re supposed to maintain and upgrade without money!
“How many tycoons are coming here for wellness living? Even if they buy a property, it’s only to use this place as a quiet rest stop. Who would actually enjoy living here? Before the ‘Yue Mountain Little Dragon’ incident, how many homes had lights on at night? If you ask me, the location choices were wrong from the start!”
In the vicinity of Yue Mountain, there were many luxury residential areas, but Yue Xiu was the most out of the way. It had fallen from grace due to various factors.
The property staff themselves thought this would become a ghost zone, but unexpectedly, the ‘Yue Mountain Little Dragon’ incident drew people back, and lately, they had seen an increase in transactions for changing homeowner information. If they introduced a job for someone like equipment replacement, furniture and appliance repairs, or partial renovation, they got a commission.
So, the property management staff perked up!
The residents here either bought a place for the convenience of keeping pets or for their elderly to live or recuperate. Perhaps some people who bought the properties weren’t necessarily planning to live here; they may have bought in advance, thinking the location good to hold onto. But with the population moving in, the housing market was revived, which was a good thing. Even housing prices had gone up!
However, due to its location, there were indeed some uncontrollable factors that affected the happiness of the residents. It was an unfortunate reality. To really negate those factors would require a hefty investment. But the property management was broke; they had even reduced the maintenance fees over the years to retain residents.
“Apart from those old men and women who tolerate Cao Xing and his crowd’s antics in the community, which of the younger residents doesn’t feel aggrieved? Yet these youngsters will never voice their complaints in front of those old folks! It’s always us, the property management, caught in the middle, stuck between a rock and a hard place!”
Brother Wang shook his head with a sigh, “I’ve come to see clearly that none of the owners are innocent in allowing Cao Xing and his lot to get out of hand! Pah! Old Wang here has had enough! From now on, not a single owner should expect any kind of good tone from me!”
As he spoke, the phone by his hand rang.
Brother Wang’s expression turned serious, “Hello there—this is Wang from Yue Xiu Property Management…”
The other staff at the management office: “…”
You talk so tough, go ahead and confront them then!
Brother Wang, completely unaware of the collapse of his professional facade, listened intently to the phone, his expression growing more solemn as he spoke, “Yes, it’s already been sent out, we should find it soon over there… I’m glad it’s nothing serious… How big is the fish… three…”
Brother Wang almost choked on his own saliva, “Three meters?! Can you describe what it looks like? I’ll check to see if it’s a protected species on our end!”
On the other end, Feng Yi was on the phone, a foot firmly placed on the fish. It was all slippery, but he had a steady hold on it.
He was worried that the fish had frightened the two kids; they were still crying, which showed how much it had scared them.
However, when he heard the property management staff mention “protected animal”, Feng Yi remembered that some animals shouldn’t be harmed unless necessary.
“A protected animal? It doesn’t seem like it.”
As he said this, Feng Yi still moved his foot off the fish, wiped away the footprint from its body, and gently touched its head, straightening the two slightly bent whiskers a bit.
As he was asked about the fish’s appearance, Feng Yi described it, and then said, “I think this fish looks like a catfish; it shouldn’t be a protected animal, just these two long whiskers… wait a second!”
Feng Yi noticed something wasn’t right, flipped the fish over, and saw more clearly, “Six whiskers! I didn’t see clearly before, there are two shorter pairs!”
The property management staff, upon hearing this—six whiskers and such a large size…
“It could be a wels catfish, not a local species, probably released into the river by someone, an invasive species… Ah! I just looked up the most recent reward notice, if it really is a wels catfish, there’s a reward for catching one! Are you sure the one you caught is three meters?”
When Feng Yi heard that it might be an invasive species, he put his foot back on the fish, gauging its size with his eyes, “Definitely over three meters!”
Excited, Brother Wang from property management said, “If it really is a wels catfish over three meters, the reward is 150,000 yuan!”
Upon hearing that the reward was actually 150,000 yuan, Feng Yi moved his foot off the fish again, wiped away the footprint, and touched the fish’s head once more.
Don’t want to distort it and affect the species identification!
At this point, Brother Wang and several others at the property management were also elated; although they wouldn’t get a share of the reward, the whole thing was still quite thrilling. If they had the chance to come across one, or several, it would be amazing!
After dishing out several compliments, Brother Wang wanted to learn some tricks, “May I ask how you managed to drag a three-meter long fish ashore?”
Feng Yi: “…”
Looking at the three-meter long fish in front of him with its dull fish eyes, Feng Yi finally came to a realization.
Ordinary people, probably, maybe, possibly, can’t quite so easily haul a three-meter big fish ashore, right?
With this thought, Feng Yi’s tone changed, “I put a lot of effort into dragging it up! My arm is almost dislocated, and I might have strained muscles!”
