Fear from the Top of the Food Chain

"URGENT NEWS: Half an hour ago, a zoo animal transport vehicle was involved in a multi-vehicle accident on West Second Ring Road, resulting in the vehicle overturning."

"Nine wild animals have escaped, with only one recaptured so far, leaving eight still at large."

"All citizens are strongly advised to remain indoors for the time being. Relevant authorities have launched operations to capture these wild animals as quickly as possible."

"Final warning: these escaped animals are extremely dangerous. If encountered outdoors, please seek immediate shelter."

At 11:00 AM Dragon Country time, every resident of Ningnan City received this message.

Beyond this alert, local news channels were continuously broadcasting related updates.

Combined with occasional footage of the escaped animals posted by netizens, the entire Dragon Country internet erupted in chaos.

"Oh my god, how could so many animals escape at once? This is incredibly careless!"

"Damn, it's like a movie plot coming true. I just watched a foreign film about a rampaging lion, and I'm still traumatized."

"They haven't specified which animals escaped. Does anyone know?"

"Heh, guess why they're not telling us which animals got out."

"Must be apex predators. Last year when two leopards escaped in our city, they deployed the entire city police force and locked down half the urban area."

"Isn't this an overreaction? In this day and age, these animals shouldn't pose such a serious threat to humans."

"The person above clearly hasn't encountered real wild animals. I once met a lone wolf in the old forest, about the size of an adult dog. I lost a leg but barely escaped with my life."

"That's right. Normal people can't handle intense pain. One bite, and the pain alone will incapacitate you."

"Let's hope there aren't any large predators."

"Don't worry, I'll handle it."

While netizens were discussing the news, two videos shot by local Ningnan City residents were posted online.

The first video showed two massive feline predators racing through the streets.

A chained Doberman, known for its ferocity, was killed instantly by these big cats without even a chance to fight back.

The second video was even more shocking.

On the busy street, a white rhinoceros, tank-like in appearance, was charging through traffic.

Both pedestrians and vehicles scattered in its path, creating a scene of chaos.

A car that couldn't dodge in time was tossed several meters into the air.

After watching these videos, netizens who had previously dismissed the situation were stunned.

They suddenly realized that after living in concrete jungles for so long, without modern weapons, they were no match for these apex predators.

Especially those two big cats that could run as fast as cars.

They could easily imagine what would happen if they encountered such beasts on the street.

Cold sweat broke out on their foreheads at the thought.

However, this was just the beginning.

After these two videos surfaced, someone captured footage of a massive Bengal tiger hunting stray dogs by the roadside.

In the video, the tiger was surrounded by over a dozen stray dogs, but with just one swipe of its paw, it killed a dog instantly.

In less than a minute, seven or eight of the dogs were dead, with the survivors too terrified to even run.

Shortly after the tiger sighting, an adult male African lion was spotted near a residential area.

Then came an African elephant, as large as a small house.

As more videos of the escaped animals were uploaded by Ningnan City residents, internet users finally grasped the severity of the situation.

The citizens of Ningnan City were particularly terrified.

The usually bustling streets became deserted within half an hour.

An atmosphere of panic enveloped the entire city.

Seeing the situation escalate to this point, Ningnan City officials immediately called an emergency press conference.

Meanwhile, Yang Lin arrived at the Criminal Police Brigade headquarters with his canine unit team to meet with Lin Feng.

As soon as Yang Lin stepped out of his van, he was struck by the impressive scene before him.

The headquarters entrance was filled with hundreds of armed criminal police and military police officers.

Besides the armed personnel, there were television reporters with cameras and several official representatives.

Seeing Yang Lin arrive with the canine unit, Lin Feng, also armed, quickly brought him to the center of the gathering.

"Director Yang, we've been waiting for you. We desperately need professionals like you right now."

Hearing Lin Feng's words, Yang Lin's face showed confusion.

"Where are the other animal experts in our city?"

"Don't even ask. Once they heard about the situation, they all made excuses not to come."

"Though this situation is indeed quite challenging."

"The higher-ups have ordered that unless these animals clearly threaten human life, we should prioritize capture using tranquilizers, only resorting to lethal force if absolutely necessary."

"We'll need Director Yang's expertise to assess the animals' conditions."

Lin Feng's expression grew serious as he spoke.

Just as Yang Lin was about to share his thoughts, a middle-aged man who appeared to be an official began speaking to the cameras.

"We urge citizens to remain calm and stay at home. We are already taking steps to address this situation."

"To quickly neutralize the threat posed by these animals, we've formed a special task force."

"The task force will be led by Commander Wang from the Armed Police Force, with Captain Lin Feng from the Criminal Investigation Division serving as deputy leader."

"Additionally, we've invited Director Yang Lin from the West Rainbow Zoo to serve as the operation's chief consultant."

"Under their leadership, I'm confident we'll quickly recapture the escaped animals."

Following the middle-aged man's introduction, a bewildered Yang Lin was pushed in front of the cameras.

This scene was quickly broadcast live to countless viewers.

When viewers familiar with Yang Lin saw his familiar face, they were immediately shocked.

"Holy shit, I knew the Director would step up!"