Super Zoo

Mr. Qian grumbled a few words as he took the pistol, probably something along the lines of cursing and complaining.

In the previous moment of terror, everyone saw clearly that the creature behind the waterfall was as thick as a barrel, with staggered sharp teeth in its wide mouth and lightning-fast speed. It had dragged the golden snub-nosed monkey into the cave in the blink of an eye, and the monkey had lost its life without even a chance to resist.

Such a ferocious 'monster' might not be dealt with by a mere handgun.

But while Mr. Qian complained, he knew very well that a dead animal was worth far less than a living one. If he brought several rifles and opened fire, he'd be safe, but if they killed the 'monster,' it would be worthless.

In their line of work, they gambled with their lives. Without certain risks, why would he earn two hundred thousand dollars more than others?!

As they talked, the brawny Da Xiong had already inflated a small rubber dinghy using an air pump. Mr. Qian jumped onto the dinghy and slowly paddled towards the waterfall.

When he was about a meter away from the waterfall, Mr. Qian poked behind it twice with his oar, locating the position of the cave behind the waterfall. Seeing that there was no movement, he tucked the pistol into his waistband, held a military dagger in one hand, and carried something like an electric baton in the other. He stood up from the boat, stepped on a large stone at the edge of the waterfall where the golden snub-nosed monkey had been standing, gritted his teeth, and plunged into the waterfall!

A few seconds later, a hand reached out from behind the waterfall, signaling 'safe' to those outside.

Suming became even more curious. Logically, after Mr. Qian rushed behind the waterfall, he should have encountered the 'monster 'face-to-face, but this gesture meant that there was no immediate danger, indicating he hadn't seen the creature.

From this, one could deduce either that the 'monster' had already fled, which seemed unlikely, as the area around the waterfall was tightly encircled, or that the 'monster' could become invisible; otherwise, it couldn't possibly disappear from sight under such scrutiny.

Or there was a very large cave behind the waterfall that Mr. Qian couldn't see the end of it when he entered, hence he hadn't seen the 'monster'.

The poachers around the pool didn't idle either. Two of them guarded with guns, while the other three set up a large net very skillfully in a position directly facing the entrance of the waterfall cave. Anything rushing out from inside would smash into the net, trapping itself.

After all was done, everyone stared at the waterfall without blinking.

The water rushed down from high above, forming a constantly flowing curtain of water. The sound of the water churning echoed in the mountains, adding a sense of oppression, making each second feel exceptionally lengthy.

After about five or six minutes, a gunshot suddenly came from behind the waterfall!

The gunshot was muffled and echoed as if it came from a great distance!

Immediately after, there were several more shots, getting closer and closer to the mouth of the cave!

The water curtain at the entrance flickered, and a thick shadow burst out from behind it, plunging into the pool with a plop.

The poachers at the entrance had already spread their net, waiting. Two of them shouted at the same time, and the net was cast over, trapping the shadow in an instant.

The shadow, wrapped in the net, let out 'wa wa wa' cries. Its massive body thrashed and twisted in the pool like a wicked dragon, splashing water everywhere.

He bellowed, "Drag it up!" Two poachers grabbed the fishing net and, with efficiency, dragged the 'monster' ashore. While being pulled, the creature didn't stop twisting its body in 360-degree turns, sending pebbles on the shore flying all around and plowing a small trench in its path.

One of the poachers was quick to react, picking up a tranquilizer gun and taking brief aim. A mist of anesthetic shot through the netting and hit the creature, which then thrashed a few more times before gradually going still.

Mr. Qian then leaped out from behind the waterfall, holding a handgun in one hand while surprisingly holding the golden monkey from before in the other.

However, the golden monkey was limp all over, its head, limbs, and tail drooping, motionless, and it was unclear whether it was alive or dead.

Standing on the rubber boat, Mr. Qian called out loudly, "Did you get it?"

"Done!" He gave Mr. Qian a thumbs-up, while the other two poachers clumsily untangled the net from the creature, revealing the true identity of the 'monster.'

Suming squinted at the sight. The creature had a dark greenish-black body, nearly two meters in length, with a tail and four legs, a flat and rounded head — somewhat reminiscent of a lizard and a bit like a crocodile, but without any scales on its body, which appeared fleshy.

"Is it actually a Chinese Giant Salamander?" Suming was stunned.

The Chinese Giant Salamander, also known as 'baby fish,' is the largest extant amphibian in the world and one of the most precious. It is a national second-class protected animal, and it cries in a way that sounds like a wailing baby.

Though the Chinese Giant Salamander might look somewhat dopey and cute — even imitating the cries of a baby — it can be deceiving. If you're fooled by its appearance and approach it, you're bound to suffer a significant loss.

Chinese Giant Salamanders are ferocious by nature, feeding on creatures like fish, shrimp, birds, turtles, and snakes. Their mouths are lined with sharp, dense teeth; once they clamp onto their prey, it's almost impossible for the prey to escape. Their hunting methods bear some resemblance to crocodiles: they stealthily stalk their prey or lie in wait in a cave, maintaining position until the prey approaches, then they explode with astonishing speed, launching a surprise attack and swallowing their victim whole.

A Chinese Giant Salamander over one meter long can bite off an adult's arm with no trouble; its danger level is comparable to that of crocodiles.

Luckily, these poachers chose to send someone into the cave instead of waiting by the pool. Chinese Giant Salamanders have a strong ability to endure hunger; an adult can survive without food for two to three years. If the poachers had stubbornly waited at the cave entrance, they likely would have starved to death while the salamander hid without showing itself.

Nevertheless, Suming still found it incomprehensible. A wild Chinese Giant Salamander was indeed precious, but it was just that — precious, certainly not worth millions of US dollars!

"Could it be because this Chinese Giant Salamander is particularly large?" Suming wondered.

The Chinese Giant Salamander is also known as the 'longevity fish.' Its lifespan is related to water quality; with good water and abundant food, it can average seventy to eighty years, with the oldest on record living over one hundred and twenty years.

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As a result, there's a folk belief that the longer a Chinese Giant Salamander lives, the higher its nutritional value, and it can even cure certain terminal illnesses.

This Chinese Giant Salamander, from a distance, appeared to be roughly two meters long, likely having lived over a century. Could it be that a buyer was suffering from a terminal illness and wanted to consume the salamander as a cure?

However, just like the myth of 'riding a fish to immortality,' these are just stories. No one truly believes that riding a fish can turn someone into an immortal, and similarly, there's no scientific evidence or real-life examples to prove that Chinese Giant Salamanders can cure terminal diseases.