This Villain Ch.6

Chapter 6 – I’m an animal caretaker in another world

After slacking off with pay for half a month, Yu Yan was called in for a talk by his boss.

Yang Qingxi, the deputy director of the Evolution Research Institute in the Fifth District, was an older woman with a kind face and a gentle way of speaking.

She asked him with concern if he had any difficulties at work recently.

Yu Yan translated in his mind: You haven’t been working lately. I know it, and I’m warning you not to continue slacking off.

Ms. Yang said, “Why have all your previous experiments been paused? Do you have any new ideas? If you do, you can discuss them with me.”

Yu Yan translated: Your previous costly experiments haven’t shown any results yet, and you stopped. This is wasting our institute’s resources. Either continue the research or come up with some new projects for me to see.

Ms. Yang continued, “You have always been a backbone of our institute with outstanding project results. I believe your bottleneck period is only temporary, and you can adjust quickly.”

Yu Yan translated: Given that you used to work diligently, I’ll let you off this time. But if you continue to slack off, I won’t be so lenient.

…

Walking out of the deputy director’s office, Yu Yan rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.

He had indeed been too idle recently. It was time to get some work done.

Having lived with several brothers of similar age but different personalities since childhood, they often quarreled. Yu Yan had long been worn into a calm and carefree personality and was well-versed in the art of muddling through.

He pondered how to fool his boss.

The experiments had to continue, but he couldn’t research 012, so he applied for a batch of new experimental subjects instead. At least he needed to show that he was indeed working.

Senior researchers were allotted three intermediate experimental subjects per month, while the number of lower-level experimental subjects varied.

Yu Yan quickly flipped through the catalog, selecting a dozen experimental subjects he had his eye on, then waited in the lab.

Three assistants, along with transportation staff, delivered the experimental subjects he had requested to the experimental area.

Xiao Gao held the list and reported to Yu Yan, looking slightly apprehensive.

“Dr. Kang, the experimental subjects you applied for are all injured, some quite seriously. They should have been eliminated. Are you sure you want them? These experimental subjects might not last through two experiments before being scrapped.”

Xiao Gao was being rather tactful. Given Kang Shi’s previous way of venting his emotions through experiments, this batch of experimental subjects could be used up in three days.

“Yes,” Yu Yan said without further explanation.

He had deliberately chosen the ones that were unwanted and close to being sent for disposal.

“Divide the feeding area in half, rearrange the temperature and humidity for the new little red bear, firebird, colorful bird, and whistling eagle. Place the dragon snapping turtle alone in the hot sand pool. Set up separate tanks for the fish…”

Yu Yan systematically organized everything. Watching each strange animal he had never seen before being settled into the experimental area, he couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.

He hadn’t expected that, after traveling through time, his childhood dream of being an animal caretaker would be realized in a different way.

While arranging accommodations for the new experimental subjects, Xiao Gao muttered to himself that the boss had indeed changed.

In the past, every batch of experimental subjects was kept in separate small cages, waiting to be placed on the experiment table. Dr. Kang would never have bothered to set up a feeding area for them, let alone consider their habits and arrange hot sand pools and water tanks.

Xiao Gao was very curious about what new experiments Dr. Kang was going to conduct this time, but his boss’s oppressive authority was still present. Since Yu Yan didn’t say, Xiao Gao didn’t dare to ask more.

After everyone left, Yu Yan put on his lab coat and walked into the separate experimental area.

The most severely injured little red bear from this batch of experimental subjects was already lying on the operating table. Yu Yan skillfully used instruments to examine its body, inject anesthesia, and then began cleaning and suturing its wounds.

Once he entered the surgical state, the faint smile on Yu Yan’s face disappeared, leaving only focus on the task at hand.

Having previously been a doctor and now transitioning to a veterinarian, Yu Yan adapted quickly.

The badly injured little red bear was out of danger in his hands.

Next, he carefully reattached the severed claw of the colorful bird, performed a shell rot removal surgery on the dragon snapping turtle, and sutured the skin of the chameleon.

He encountered many problems during the process but successfully resolved them one by one.

Treating this batch of sick and injured experimental subjects took Yu Yan the entire day, and he didn’t even have time for lunch.

After returning the last firebird with a broken wing to the feeding area, Yu Yan saw 012 watching him from the other side of the glass.

012’s activity area had been significantly reduced to make room for the new experimental subjects, but he didn’t seem to mind, remaining seated under the winter bell tree without showing himself.

So, why had he appeared now…?

Yu Yan released the fluttering firebird from his hands, and 012’s gaze followed the startled bird as it hid in the newly arranged bushes.

Yu Yan then noticed a status update above 012’s head: “Hungry.”

Alright, Yu Yan hadn’t had lunch and had forgotten to feed 012.

Yu Yan got up to fetch two bags of blood plasma for 012, then leaned against the glass, exhausted, and unwrapped a sandwich, taking big bites.

Halfway through his sandwich, Yu Yan glanced back inadvertently and saw 012 staring at him from the other side of the glass.

The silver-gray eyes didn’t move, and Yu Yan could clearly see the blood plasma disappearing into his sharp fangs.

012’s blood-stained hand left a long scratch on the glass Yu Yan was leaning against.

“Trying to scare me? Because I forgot to feed you and made you hungry?” Yu Yan shrugged indifferently. “Alright, sorry about that, little guy.”

After filling the experimental area with “little animals,” Yu Yan developed a more positive attitude toward going to work, arriving early instead of just barely making it on time.

Today, the assistants who came to clean the experimental area and were prepared to dispose of the bodies of a bunch of lower-level experimental subjects were surprised to find that none had died. The experimental subjects that were injured yesterday were all alive and well today.

Moreover, with the anesthesia wearing off, the entire experimental area was unbearably noisy.

What shocked them even more was that their boss had arrived earlier than they did and was already smiling as he prepared food for the experimental subjects.

“Dr. Kang, we’re sorry we came late today,” Xiao Gao apologized on behalf of the group.

“You’re not late. I just arrived a bit earlier today,” Yu Yan said cheerfully, sprinkling fish food into the open tank and watching the fish swim up to grab the food with their spiky mouths, devouring it eagerly.

Although they looked strange, feeding them felt similar to feeding koi fish in the past.

As he scattered more fish food, one of the fish suddenly flipped its tail vigorously, splashing water all over Yu Yan.

Xiao Gao was shocked and suspected that this audacious experimental subject would become Dr. Kang’s lunch today.

“Dr. Kang, you should go change your clothes. Leave feeding these lower-level experimental subjects to us!” Xiao Gao said.

“It’s fine,” Yu Yan replied calmly, wiping off the water.

Before Xiao Gao and the others arrived, Yu Yan had already been attacked by these fish when he opened the tank. The mutated fish could spit corrosive liquid, and if he hadn’t dodged quickly, his clothes would have been ruined.

Next, Yu Yan went to the hot sand pool to feed the dragon snapping turtle.

This creature looked very much like a turtle, about the size of a millstone, with a shell covered in sharp spikes.

Its scaly head was tucked inside its shell. Yu Yan, holding a bucket, squatted about half a meter in front of it and knocked lightly on the shell.

“Knock knock, knock knock.”

A menacing head shot out from the shell like lightning, its neck extending particularly long, and it bit down on Yu Yan’s hand.

“So fierce. Good thing I’m wearing gloves,” Yu Yan said with a smile, using his other hand to take a piece of meat from the bucket and wave it in front of the turtle’s head.

Smelling the food, the dragon snapping turtle released Yu Yan’s glove and snapped at the meat.

Next, he went to feed 012’s neighbors.

The severely injured little red bear was very irritable in its cage. It was small and cute, looking like a little raccoon, but its tail stood upright, and its fur could turn into hard steel needles.

Yu Yan put on protective clothing to feed it, listening to the little red bear screech and shake its tail, the “steel needles” thudding against his protective suit.

Yu Yan smiled and remarked, “What a lively storm of pear blossom needles.”

He was very curious: if this little red bear encountered an enemy in the wild and used its needles like this, would it shoot all its fur out? Wouldn’t it have a severe shedding problem then?

Finally, he went to feed the group of lightly injured winged animals. As soon as Yu Yan entered their feeding area, he was “attacked.”

The bucket of food was knocked over by a suddenly charging firebird, scattering food everywhere. Other birds emerged from various corners or flew down from the trees, pouncing on the food.

Yu Yan removed his mask and tried to pet a long-tailed colorful bird, but a whistling eagle dove down, grabbing at his hair.

Moments later, Yu Yan fled the bird feeding area in disarray, tidying his messy hair with scratched hands.

He didn’t understand. He had changed bodies after crossing over, yet the little animals still didn’t seem to like him.

012 sat under the tree on the other side of the glass, clearly watching Yu Yan being chased by the screeching eagle. For a face that rarely showed emotion, a stiff smile appeared.

“Are you laughing at me?”

Yu Yan initially thought about using a mechanical hand to deliver food to him but then reconsidered. Since all the “little animals” had wings, they should be treated equally.

He put on his protective suit again and walked into 012’s enclosure with two bags of blood plasma.

“Come on, time to eat.”

012 sat motionless, took the food but didn’t eat it, only stared at him.

According to animal behavior, staring at a living creature either meant it was about to hunt or was being wary of an enemy.

Yu Yan suddenly reached out and, like he did with the birds earlier, patted 012’s head.

012’s pupils contracted slightly, and something moved on the sides of his head.

Great, so he had ear feathers too.

Yu Yan patted him again.

012’s disgust level on his head changed from 10 to 20.

Yu Yan actually felt a bit of comfort.

Compared to the other little animals in the experimental area, 012’s aggression was quite low. He didn’t make any attacking moves, only increased his disgust level a bit.

Feeling content, Yu Yan patted 012’s hair again.

It had a smooth, unique texture, similar to stroking bird feathers.

012 seemed unable to tolerate it any longer and moved. Yu Yan, having been trained by the other little animals, reacted instinctively, sensing an attack, and quickly withdrew his hand and started to walk out.

“Alright, I’m leaving!”

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