Chapter 652: Elephant Catches a Thief
Chapter 652: Chapter 652: Elephant Catches a Thief
On their way to find Michelle Fuller and Zachary Conway, Renee Jennings and Henry Stark were stopped by a few tourists at the zoo.
"Host Jennings, hello! I can’t believe I’m running into you here. This is so lucky!"
They seemed to be a family out for a day at the zoo, with both young and old members with them.
Renee Jennings nodded politely. "Hello."
"I know it’s rude of me to stop you like this." The woman, who looked to be in her thirties and was wearing a floral dress, had an embarrassed expression. "I watch your streams all the time, but I’ve never managed to get through to you."
Hearing this, Renee Jennings chuckled softly. "Is there something you need help with?"
"Yes," the woman nodded, then said hesitantly, "If it’s convenient for you, Host Jennings, I can send you a private message and write everything down... And don’t worry, I wouldn’t expect you to help for free."
With people coming and going, Renee Jennings kept it brief. "Go ahead and send me the private message. I’ll reply when I see it."
"Okay!" The woman’s face lit up with a smile as she said excitedly, "Thank you so much! I won’t keep you any longer, then. Goodbye!"
"Goodbye." Renee Jennings gave a small nod and continued on her way.
Henry Stark, walking beside her, let out a low chuckle.
Renee Jennings glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "Are you laughing at me?"
"No." Henry Stark’s lips curved into a slight smile. "I’m happy for you."
Renee Jennings joked, "Now that my fame is growing, maybe next time a passerby will ask for my autograph."
Henry Stark nodded. "I think that’s very likely."
As if on cue, a young girl approached them. "Renee Jennings, hi! I’m a fan. Can I please get a picture with you?"
Renee Jennings turned to look at Henry Stark, who raised his eyebrows at her and silently mouthed, "Big celebrity."
Renee Jennings: "..."
After taking a picture with the girl, she sighed. "Do I have to start wearing a mask when I go out?"
Henry Stark said, "It’s probably necessary."
The two of them found Michelle Fuller and Zachary Conway at the elephant enclosure.
The zoo’s star elephant was on the other side of a fence, gently rubbing its long trunk against its Breeder in a coaxing manner, hoping for more snacks.
"Renee!" Michelle Fuller linked her arm through Renee Jennings’s, saying excitedly, "These elephants are so cute! They even interact with the tourists."
Zachary Conway added with a laugh, "A moment ago, a tourist’s hat accidentally fell in, and an elephant picked it up and put it right back on their head!"
Renee Jennings’s gaze fell on the elephants, a gentle smile in her eyes. "No wonder elephants are recognized as such highly intelligent animals."
They have the capacity for empathy, astonishing memories, and an incredible ability to learn.
Just then, a young elephant named Bebe, who had been interacting with tourists nearby, suddenly froze. Its long trunk went rigid, pointing straight in a specific direction.
The next second, its two large, fan-like ears shot up with a SWISH, and it let out a short, sharp, piercing trumpet.
The cry wasn’t a gentle one. The Breeder immediately sensed something was wrong, thinking a tourist had provoked Bebe during an interaction.
He turned and shouted at the tourists, "Everyone, back away!"
Bebe had already walked to the fence, its long trunk stretching out as if trying to grab something.
At the same time, the other elephants all approached the fence, letting out sharp, short trumpets towards the tourists.
Sweat instantly beaded on the Breeder’s forehead. He and the patrolling security guards began to clear the tourists away from the enclosure.
"The little elephant found a thief," Renee Jennings whispered, leaning close to Henry Stark’s ear. "At our nine o’clock. The man in the plaid shirt and black baseball cap."
Hearing this, Henry Stark looked over and saw the thief clutching his crossbody bag, preparing to slip away into the crowd.
His eyes sharpened. He gave a nod to Zachary Conway, and the two of them moved toward the thief together.
The thief, likely not expecting to be spotted, wasn’t moving very fast through the jostling crowd.
Just as he managed to squeeze out of the crowd and was about to pick up his pace, a figure blocked his path.
The thief frowned, planning to go around.
The next second, a heavy weight settled on his shoulder.
Startled, the thief glanced over and saw a hand with well-defined knuckles clamped firmly on his shoulder.
"Wh-what do you want?" the thief stammered, frightened.
Henry Stark scoffed. "Let’s have a chat over here."
"This is ridiculous." The thief struggled to remain calm. "I don’t know you. We have nothing to talk about."
As he spoke, he reached up to pry the hand off his shoulder, muttering curses. "You’re nuts! Let go, you’re hurting me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the thief saw a flash of silver, followed by a cold sensation on his wrist.
Zachary Conway had gifted him a silver bracelet.
The thief’s eyes fixed on it, and the color drained from his face.
The security guard, having already gotten the story from Renee Jennings, walked over. A look of surprise appeared on his face when he saw Zachary Conway cuffing the thief.
’A plainclothes officer?’
Zachary Conway showed him his police ID and said calmly, "Go ahead and call it in. The stolen goods are still in his bag."
"Right, right." The security guard nodded quickly, taking out his phone to call his supervisor.
Renee Jennings walked over to the elephant Breeder and explained the reason for the elephants’ sudden agitation.
The elephant Breeder had stumbled upon Renee Jennings’s livestreams before, and the internal staff group chat had been buzzing all day with news of her visit to Little Critters Zoo, so he didn’t doubt her words for a second.
"So that’s what happened!" The elephant Breeder’s face immediately filled with pride. "Our Bebe is amazing! She can even catch thieves!"
Renee Jennings also smiled at the elephants in the enclosure and gave them a thumbs-up. "You all have a great sense of justice."
"I’ve decided!" Michelle Fuller announced with a solemn expression. "From now on, elephants are my favorite animal!"
Once the thief was caught, the previously agitated elephants instantly returned to their gentle, docile state.
Hearing the praise, Bebe’s eyes lit up. She lifted her two front feet and stomped them twice—DONG DONG—then raised her head and trunk, letting out a low hum from her throat.
"Bebe caught the thief! Bebe is amazing!"
The little one was cheering for herself.
Renee Jennings smiled, took two steps forward, and said softly, "Yes, Bebe, you are amazing."
Bebe was even happier. She flapped her fan-like ears and extended her trunk to gently nudge Renee Jennings’s cheek. "Miss, you can understand what Bebe is saying?"
Renee Jennings raised a hand to stroke its trunk and chuckled. "Yes, I can. Is there anything you’d like to tell your Breeder? I can pass on the message for you."
Before Bebe could answer, another, slightly larger elephant shuffled over and trumpeted excitedly. "Miss, can you please tell our Breeder that Bobo doesn’t like carrots? Tell him to stop feeding Bobo carrots!"
Renee Jennings raised an eyebrow with a smile. ’A picky eater, I see.’ "Why don’t you like carrots?"
The elephant, Bobo, replied, "Bobo hates the way carrots taste! Carrots are the most disgusting food in the entire world!"