Chapter 166: Installing Surveillance Cameras

Zhong Di shook off his momentary stupor. Now was not the time for contemplation; his priority was to save the Pallas's cats, not to dwell on such questions. No matter how well-reasoned his thoughts or how thorough his investigation, it would all be for nothing if the cats died.

He hurriedly fetched a basin of water, infused it with the "Mad Sand Immortal Sprout," and fed it to the cats bit by bit. They seemed merely lethargic and had not eaten much—Er Mao and San Mao were in relatively stable condition, but Da Mao was the real concern. Once he was sure the cats' condition had not deteriorated, Zhong Di gathered Shao Hong and his parents to inquire about the dead mice. No one knew anything.

With this information, Zhong Di formed his own judgment. He first called Director Xing, then contacted a veterinarian, and finally had Shao Hong take the mice for testing to confirm if his suspicion of rat poison was correct. Soon, people began arriving at the farm to conduct a search. By the time darkness fully set in, the cats' condition had stabilized.

The test results confirmed the presence of rat poison in the mice. The dosage was high enough to have killed any ordinary cat, yet the Pallas's cats had survived. The veterinarians called it a miracle, but only Zhong Di knew that the Mad Sand Immortal Sprout had likely played a vital role.

Director Xing took the matter seriously. Once the rat poison was confirmed, he immediately arranged for an investigation, pulling every available surveillance camera from the surrounding area. This incident had crossed a line; he did not believe it was a coincidence that the mice were placed so precisely in the area where the cats stayed. Zhong Di, however, was not optimistic. This was a forest area, not a city center; outside of a few major intersections, there were no cameras.

Who would benefit from this? Zhong Di could not guess, nor did he care to. Anyone could be a suspect; even the jealousy of others seeing their success was a motive. Regardless of how it happened, Zhong Di was certain of one thing: his farm lacked security. Cameras were a must, and he would have to teach the cats not to eat random things. After this experience, he believed they had learned their lesson. Once the work was done, Zhong Di finally rested.

Early the next morning, before doing anything else, Zhong Di went to check on the cats. Seeing they were fine, a huge weight was lifted from his chest. Although the vet had confirmed their recovery, they were creatures he had raised with his own hands, and he had been deeply worried.

Checking the time, he reached out to Director Xing again, but there were no substantive leads. Director Xing admitted that the case might remain unsolved due to the vastness of the area. After hanging up, Zhong Di returned to his work. Life had to go on; he couldn't just obsess over this incident every day. That wasn't realistic—all he could do was ensure it didn't happen again.

By ten o'clock, the technicians arrived to install the cameras. Three were placed around the cats' enclosure, covering every angle, including a hidden pinhole camera. The Forestry Bureau covered the entire cost. Zhong Di had previously avoided cameras simply because he disliked the lack of privacy, but his attitude had shifted after the incident. Without cameras, he had privacy, but criminals could roam free.

Lying in bed the night before, Zhong Di had considered several possibilities. The first was revenge from the poachers who had previously targeted the cats. Another was Huarui Catering or the "Happy Picking Garden," who might be using such tactics due to cutthroat competition. Finally, it could simply be someone who disliked his success—an embodiment of the darker side of human nature where people want you to do well, but not better than them. Without evidence, however, these were just theories.

The day passed in a blur of trivial tasks. With the cats on his mind, Zhong Di couldn't focus. Eventually, he spent the day weeding, a task that required no thought. Shao Hong and the others understood the situation and left him to make his own decisions.

The work on the tropical greenhouse, the renovation of the guesthouse, and the construction of the utility room and kitchen proceeded in an orderly fashion. Zhong Di treated his staff well, and they worked with dedication, treating the farm as if it were their own. Problems were rare and easily resolved.

This routine continued for several days until his older sister informed him that the red dates were ready for sale. Only then did Zhong Di snap out of his funk and turn his attention to other matters.

"Zhong Di, it's over now, stop thinking about it. Nothing happened in the end, right?" Zhong Hui said, observing his state.

"Sister, I'm not really thinking about that. Even without the incident, I would have reached this point sooner or later. I feel like our recent development is drifting further and further from my original path." He paused, then waved a hand. "Anyway, never mind. People just think too much when they have time on their hands. Tell me, what's the plan for the pre-sale of the dates?"

Zhong Di steered the conversation away. He was right; the incident with the cats hadn't truly affected him as much as he thought. It was merely the spark that released the long-accumulated emotions he had been suppressing, leaving him listless.

Zhong Hui looked at him, deep in thought, before handing him a document. "Take a look. This is the plan I made."

Zhong Di took it and reviewed it carefully. Green-card members could purchase the largest quantity, followed by other tiers with varying discounts, starting at 188 per kilogram. It was a perfect plan, yet something felt off—a vague, unnameable feeling. He realized that his recent inexplicable mood was also being triggered by something else. But what exactly was it?