For an entire night, Yang Lin controlled the two large creatures, traversing unknown distances and terrifying countless people.
Where they went, it was no exaggeration to say that wails echoed everywhere.
Of course, besides frightening people, in this one night, he also rescued three drowning individuals and one stray cat thrown into the river. In a way, these acts balanced out the misdeeds.
The results were, as expected, obvious.
When he woke up the next morning, the local news channels were dominated by reports related to water monsters.
Simply clicking on a video, a middle-aged man from Ningnan City solemnly told the television reporter:
"I'm telling you, I really saw that water monster emerge from the river last night."
"It had eight legs, each thicker than a cow's, its neck was like a giant python, and its face was covered in dense teeth. It was terrifying."
"I almost got eaten by it."
Watching the earnest uncle in the video, Yang Lin almost burst out laughing.
It was clear that the uncle had indeed seen the two large creatures, but perhaps due to poor eyesight, he had somehow merged them into one.
However, Yang Lin soon discovered that this was not the most outlandish claim.
In the numerous videos of people claiming to have seen water monsters, the monsters themselves were described with wildly different appearances.
Some claimed to have seen an octopus-like monster, while others insisted it was a giant crab.
As these accounts became increasingly absurd, netizens began to grow skeptical.
After all, the locations where these people claimed to have seen the water monsters were all different, and their descriptions of the creatures' features varied wildly.
If all of this were true, then the entire Yongjiang River would likely be overrun with water monsters.
Just then, two videos appeared online.
One of these videos was provided by a netizen.
In this video, a reptile that did not resemble any known Blue Star creature slowly emerged from the river, emitting chilling roars.
Most importantly, it genuinely had six legs.
The appearance of this video immediately halved the doubts circulating online.
But that was not all. Following this video, the official account of Riverside Park also released surveillance footage.
This surveillance, originally installed to prevent drowning accidents, clearly captured two massive, strangely shaped aquatic creatures chasing a man in the river.
As soon as this video was released, the internet exploded.
"Surveillance footage can't be faked, right? There really are water monsters in the Yongjiang River."
"What on earth are these two things? They look too terrifying."
"They look like aliens. Do any creatures on Blue Star look like this?"
"Among all the people claiming to see water monsters, I think this video is the most credible."
"Is the person in the video okay? Was he eaten?"
"That person is my neighbor. He's fine, just very scared and currently receiving IV fluids at the hospital. I heard he was so frightened last night that he wet his pants."
"If I were chased by two such monsters, I'd probably soil myself."
"Why do I feel like these two monsters aren't chasing him? It feels more like they're saving him."
"What, so these monsters knew he'd peed himself and decided not to eat him?"
"So it was these two monsters that ran dozens of kilometers all night, scaring people everywhere?"
"How is that possible, just the two of them? I think there must be others, they just weren't caught on camera."
"Didn't someone a few days ago capture a water monster in the Yongjiang River that looked like a giant crocodile?"
"If you find one cockroach in your home, your home is definitely infested. So who knows how many water monsters are lurking in the Yongjiang River right now."
"That's for sure. Once is a coincidence, twice is a coincidence, but this many times, how can it still be a coincidence?"
"Let's see what the officials say."
...
As public opinion fermented, the water monster incident escalated on the internet, and Ningnan, the site of the events, found itself in the spotlight.
Official departments almost immediately formed an investigation team to probe the entire incident.
However, no matter how thoroughly they searched the Yongjiang River, they could not find any trace of the water monsters.
It was at this moment that news from the capital quickly shifted the public's attention.
The "Approaching Science" program crew had arrived in Ningnan.
Upon hearing this news, netizens were filled with anticipation.
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Ningnan Municipal Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Detachment, a group of people holding various equipment were conversing with Lin Feng.
"Captain Lin, our safety this time is entirely in your hands. We must thoroughly investigate the truth behind the water monsters to reassure the public."
A distinguished middle-aged man, over fifty years old, said sternly to Lin Feng.
Anyone who frequently followed the popular science program "Approaching Science" would recognize the speaker as Li Bonian, the host of the show.
Lin Feng, on the other hand, immediately patted his chest and assured Li Bonian:
"Teacher Li, please rest assured, I will guarantee your safety."
"In addition, our experts from the Aquatic Product Research Institute have also arrived and should be ready to depart soon."
"Excellent. Thank you very much for your cooperation. This time, we will surely be able to reveal the secret of the water monsters."
Li Bonian nodded.
Just as he was about to lead his team to the Yongjiang River, Lin Feng seemed to suddenly remember something.
"Oh, by the way, Teacher Li, I have a friend who is very knowledgeable about animals. I think he could be of some help to us."
As soon as Lin Feng finished speaking, Li Bonian's face showed a flicker of interest.
"Oh? Captain Lin knows experts in the field of animals?"
"Not exactly an expert. To be precise, he's the director of a zoo and has his own unique understanding and way of communicating with animals."
"Are you referring to the Xihong Zoo in Ningnan that has been very popular recently?"
Before Lin Feng could finish, Li Bonian spoke first.
"Teacher Li knows this zoo too?"
"Of course. This zoo is now famous nationwide. Since I'm in Ningnan, I was planning to visit it personally after work.
"I didn't expect Captain Lin to know their director. It seems I can get preferential treatment this time." Li Bonian said with a smile.
"In that case, I'll contact Director Yang and see if he's available."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Feng dialed a number on his phone.
At the same time, Yang Lin, who was feeding the animals at Xihong Zoo, received the call.