The Yangtze finless porpoise, a Class I protected animal of the nation, is somewhat similar to dolphins, but lacks the dolphin's elongated snout. Its head is rounded and somewhat pig-like, hence it is also called 'river pig'.
The Yangtze finless porpoise had long been listed on the endangered species atlas, with fewer than a thousand individuals remaining worldwide, even rarer than the giant panda. They typically inhabit rivers and lakes near the Yangtze River. Years ago, wild finless porpoises were spotted in Dongting Lake, but with the incessant exacerbation of environmental destruction, no sightings of wild porpoises have been reported for many years.
At this moment, a Yangtze finless porpoise, even rarer than the Baiji Dolphin, had appeared in the reservoir and had collided with a person, immediately drawing widespread attention. The TV station, naturally, would not miss such explosive news and sent Nangong Yan to conduct the interview.
Nangong Yan was unaware of the so much grudge and gratitude that had happened between Suming and Zhou Jin during this period. She called Suming simply wanting to consult with the specialist on why the typically docile finless porpoise would suddenly attack a human.
"Probably because the porpoise was frightened," Suming gave a vague answer.
In fact, upon hearing Nangong Yan's account, Suming had already guessed the reason.
With its massive size, what could possibly startle a finless porpoise in a reservoir? It must have been targeted by several crocodile-snouted garfish. Focused solely on escape, it inadvertently collided with Zhou Jin, who was swimming.
Perhaps it had been chased all the way from the western part of the reservoir to the east. Those large nets would not stop crocodile-snouted garfish.
A fish weighing five jin could knock an adult unconscious with a full force collision in the water. Getting hit by a fish weighing ten jin was almost like being hammered.
The porpoise in the video must have weighed at least seventy to eighty jin, maybe even over a hundred jin. Being struck by such a hefty creature, it was fortunate that Zhou Jin did not die on the spot.
After hanging up, Suming quickly called back several crocodile-snouted garfish and, sure enough, it turned out just as he had expected—the finless porpoise had initially been in the large area on the west side of the reservoir. For some reason, it had been chased by the garfish and broke through the barrier separating the two parts of the reservoir, rushing into the water area contracted by Zhou Jin.
Not long after Suming 'inquired' with the garfish, Mr. Song called him over.
"This is Suming, Su, a young key member of our zoo, and he will be joining me in the group's work."
As Mr. Song introduced Suming, the middle-aged man gave Suming a meaningful smile.
Seeing this man, Suming felt amused; this leader was none other than Wang Hao's father, Director Wang Jianse.
Every time Suming saw Wang Hao's dad, he found it quite funny. Wang Jianse was considered an idol-level figure among middle-aged and older women, resembling Chen Daoming in appearance, but how could Wang Hao just happen to look like Guo Degang? It completely defied the theory of genetics.
Although they recognized each other, in this public setting, both of them tacitly avoided any acknowledgement.
"Mr. Wang, everyone's here now. Would you like to say a few words?" Professor Chu asked.
"All of you are engaged in animal research and protection. I won't go over the importance of the finless porpoise in our country's animal community. Let me just briefly convey the spirit from our superiors," Mr. Wang began with a chuckle, then his expression turned solemn as he continued, "The discovery of a wild finless porpoise has been given great importance by our superiors, and they have made two demands of us. First, we must find the injured finless porpoise, and second, we must ensure its protection."
After finishing his speech, he looked at Professor Chu and Mr. Song with a smile and said, "Chu, Song, you two are the experts on this matter. You decide how to proceed. I won't lead experts out of my field. I'll take care of the logistics for you. If you need any equipment or manpower, just let me know."
Professor Chu nodded and turned to Mr. Song, "Song, time is of the essence, so I won't beat around the bush. Here's the work plan: Mr. Wang will instruct from shore, and for the rest of us, three people per boat, equipped with sound detectors, we'll conduct a dragnet search from both sides of the reservoir to find that finless porpoise. Does that work for you?"
Instead of responding directly, Mr. Song looked at Suming and asked, "Do you have anything to add?"
Professor Chu's students and the two other government workers were baffled; at such a gathering, there was little room for such a young person to speak, nor did they understand what special skill this inconspicuous young man possessed to warrant such consideration from Mr. Song.
Feeling a bit embarrassed by the attention, Suming scratched his head, "No additions, we'll do as directed by the leaders."
Director Wang Jianse gave Suming a slight smile and said, "Alright, then let's get started."