After getting the tickets, Ma Liwen and Yu Wen left together.
Ma Liwen said, "Xiao Yu, what a coincidence! Do you also have relatives coming to Lingxi Wildlife Zoo? Do I know them?"
Yu Wen smiled and replied, "Sister Ma, how would you know my relatives? But maybe I’ve seen your relatives before."
Ma Liwen laughed, "Haha, what a coincidence indeed."
The two exchanged a knowing look and saw the same guardedness in each other’s eyes. Without saying another word, they reached an unspoken agreement: since they each had something on the other, they would just pretend not to know anything.
They decisively turned their backs and went about their own business.
When Yu Wen saw no one around, he quickly took out his phone and typed: "Report: I’ve got the tickets!"
The reply came almost immediately: "Good job, Xiao Wen! When you’re back, I’ll add a bonus for you!"
Yu Wen sent a motivational emoji in response.
A moment later, he added: "But Uncle, Sister Ma from Qingyi Zoo also asked Director Zhu for a ticket. I suspect she has the same objective as me. Be careful when you come to the zoo."
"Got it!"
Yu Wen put his phone back in his pocket and prepared to continue cleaning the chicken coop.
When he was first assigned to feed the chickens, Yu Wen almost suspected that Director Zhu of Lingxi Wildlife Zoo had figured out his intentions. Otherwise, why would they assign an experienced handler like him to take care of chickens?
Speaking of which, having chickens in a zoo was quite strange. These were animals you could see at any market. Who would buy a ticket to the zoo just to see chickens? Even if they were included as filler attractions, it would make visitors feel like their ticket money was wasted.
When Yu Wen first arrived and saw the ordinary chickens and rabbits in Lingxi Wildlife Zoo, he thought Director Zhu Yu must have no knowledge of business management. Didn’t she know how demanding zoo visitors could be? He figured this zoo wouldn’t last long and couldn’t understand why his uncle was so cautious.
But after just a couple of days feeding the chickens, Yu Wen began to understand their charm. Assigning him to care for the chickens wasn’t a waste of his skills. With normal chickens, you could just scatter some feed on the ground, clean up the coop, and call it a day. But the chickens at Lingxi were different. They would only relieve themselves in the designated chicken toilet, making cleaning much easier.
Moreover, they wouldn’t eat food scattered on the ground—it had to be placed in a designated bowl, and even their water had to be clean. Taking care of them wasn’t much different from taking care of other animals.
He had also heard that the rabbits at Lingxi weren’t ordinary either.
At that point, Yu Wen realized his uncle’s concerns weren’t unfounded. Forget about the more intelligent animals—just the chickens at Lingxi Wildlife Zoo were fascinating enough.
Meanwhile, Ma Liwen put her phone down and went back to preparing food for the animals.
·········
When the staff at Lingxi Wildlife Zoo learned that all tickets for the next week had sold out, they immediately applauded enthusiastically.
"Director Zhu is amazing! She managed to sell so many tickets on her own!"
"The revival of Lingxi Wildlife Zoo is just around the corner! Who would’ve thought this day would come after so many years? It’s all thanks to Director Zhu’s excellent leadership!"
"Director Zhu, you’re my idol! My role model!".....
Initially, it was just the original staff of Lingxi Wildlife Zoo expressing their amazement and praise for Zhu Yu. But the newly hired staff quickly joined in, their compliments even more exaggerated and their expressions even more sincere.
It turned into a competition—a real one.
Zhu Yu quickly stopped them, saying, "I didn’t share this news to get compliments."
Though everyone likes hearing praise, she wasn’t one to revel in empty flattery.
"I’m telling you this because our zoo is about to reopen, and there will be a lot of visitors. I hope everyone can hold on for the next few days. Afterward, I’ll give you all a bonus!"
As soon as money was mentioned, the staff became highly motivated. They all promised to work hard, serve every visitor well, and make sure they had such an unforgettable experience that they’d want to return.
After notifying the human staff, Zhu Yu naturally had to inform the animal staff as well. Some of them were already eager to get to work and had even urged her several times. One of the most notable examples was Ao Shuang the snow leopard.
When Zhu Yu told Ao Shuang the news, Ao Shuang remained calm.
“I already guessed it. Weren’t you just livestreaming earlier?” The snow leopard’s voice was crisp, but its tone was lazy.
Zhu Yu was surprised. “You even know about livestreaming?”
Aoshuang glanced at her. “When I was in Taijing Wildlife Zoo, people livestreamed all the time.”
Zhu Yu suspected she was being looked down on by a snow leopard but couldn’t say anything about it. "Ao Shuang, you’re amazing! You know so much!"
Ao Shuang lowered its head to lick its paws.
Zhu Yu said, "So when we reopen, I’ll need you to perform well. There will definitely be a lot of visitors coming to see you. Don’t play favorites, okay?"
Ao Shuang replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll stay impartial.”
Looking at Ao Shuang’s confident demeanor, Zhu Yu thought to herself that this truly was a celebrity leopard—so composed.
She went around notifying all the animals. A little yellow dog followed beside her and overheard her words. It excitedly asked, “Master, are visitors really coming to the zoo?”
Zhu Yu nodded. "Yes."
The little yellow dog wagged its tail happily. “That’s great! I can make money now!”
Zhu Yu: ?
She squatted down and looked at the dog seriously. “Little Yellow, don’t worry about making money. Just focus on being happy every day. You don’t need to worry about earning money.”
The little yellow dog barked cheerfully, “I’m super happy! I want to make money with Ao Shuang!”
Zhu Yu patted its head and silently thought to herself, This must be something it learned from Ao Shuang. Even friends of overachievers become overachievers.
She said, "Just do your best. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself."
The little yellow dog happily agreed, “Master, are you going to tell the other animals the good news? Let me help you spread the word!”
Zhu Yu knew that the little yellow dog loved running around the zoo, parkouring its way through the grounds. Although it hadn’t been there long, it had already greeted every animal in the zoo.
"Alright, thank you, little yellow. You’ve really helped me a lot," Zhu Yu said.
The little yellow dog ran off happily in the other direction. Helping its master was its favorite thing to do!
Little Yellow went on to notify the squirrels, deer, and civets. Then it saw the red panda. Little Yellow had a particular fondness for the red-and-black fluffy creature, especially its long tail.
“Red panda! Red panda!” Xiao Huang barked enthusiastically under the tree.
The red panda was lounging on a branch, fast asleep. Its limbs and tail dangled loosely, showing no sign of movement.
Thinking it hadn’t been heard, Xiao Huang raised its voice. “Red Panda! Red Panda!”
Still, the red Panda remained asleep. Little Yellow was confused. It had clearly seen the red panda’s tail twitch just now—it should be awake, right? Why wasn’t it responding? Was it just naturally quiet? But during their last introduction, the red panda had said quite a bit.
Little Yellow continued, “Red Panda, if you’re awake, that’s great! I’m here to tell you something from the master!”
Finally, the red panda half-opened its eyes and lazily glanced down at little yellow. “What is it?” it asked.
“The master said that the zoo will open the day after tomorrow! Lots of visitors will come, and we should be ready. Don’t be scared—they’re all friendly and won’t harm us. If we can, we should play in visible spots so visitors can see us.”
Little Yellow perfectly repeated Zhu Yu’s message.
The red panda’s eyes snapped fully open. “The zoo’s opening? Where’s the director now?”
Little Yellow replied, “She’s notifying the other animals. I’m helping her!”
The red panda immediately began climbing down from the tree. “I want to help too!”
“Red Panda, you’re so kind!” Little Yellow exclaimed.
The red panda chuckled, “I’ll take over from here. You’ve been running around so much, you must be tired. Let me handle the rest.”
But the little yellow shook its head. “I’m not tired! I love helping the master! Red Panda, let’s do it together!”
The red panda stopped laughing and immediately took off running, trying to shake off the yellow dog. However, it underestimated little yellow’s speed and persistence. Eventually, Red Panda grew tired of running, while little yellow was still dashing along, panting happily. “Red Panda, are you racing me? You’re the best!”
Red Panda stared coldly and chose not to respond.
But little yellow sidled up anyway. “Red Panda, what’s your relationship with the giant panda?”
Feeling they were good friends now, little yellow thought it was only natural to show interest in its friend’s life.
Though Red Panda turned its fluffy face away, little yellow ran to the other side to ask again. “You’re called the red panda, and it’s called the giant panda. Does that mean when you grow up, you’ll turn black and white? That’s such a big change!”
Red Panda suddenly felt its claws were sharper than usual and wanted to scratch something.
“Are you also a national treasure, Red Panda?” the yellow dog asked innocently.
The red panda angrily slammed a paw down. “I’m not!”
This dog was driving it crazy!
“You’re not?” Little Yellow tilted its head. “That’s great! Even though you’re not a national treasure, people will still learn about you because of the giant panda. You’re so lucky!”
Red Panda: …
The red panda seriously considered giving the dog a good smack. It didn’t want this kind of “luck”!
“Red Panda, why aren’t you talking again?” little yellow asked, oblivious.
Red Panda: … Listen to the nonsense you’re saying.
Seeing the red panda’s long, dangling tail, little yellow felt tempted. Falling slightly behind, it playfully patted the tail with a paw.
Red Panda immediately whipped around, sensing something touch its tail. It saw little yellow looking innocent, raising its paw as if nothing had happened.
Anger surged in Red Panda. It bared its teeth, ready to teach this mischievous dog a lesson, but just then, a voice called out, “Red Panda, little yellow, what are you two doing here?”
The little yellow dog, upon seeing Zhu Yu, excitedly ran toward her. “Master! We’re off to notify another animal! Red Panda wanted to come with me!”
The red panda quickly switched to a sweet expression. “Director! I want to help you with your tasks. I can help notify the other animals too!”
Zhu Yu, who had just arrived from elsewhere, knelt down and gently patted the red panda’s head and ears. "Aren’t you afraid of seeing so many animals?"
The red panda clenched its tiny paws. “I’ll work hard to overcome my fears! I want to help you and serve more visitors.”
Zhu Yu's heart softened further as she noticed the red panda was not only adorable but also had a determined spirit. She decided to take Red Panda along and reassured it, "Red Panda, you don’t have to push yourself. If you feel scared when the park opens and there are many people, it’s okay to hide. We have plenty of other animals in the zoo."
The red panda replied firmly, “I won’t hide! I want to help the zoo make money!”
Zhu Yu: …
The animals in this zoo are way too competitive.
She sighed, "Red Panda, just take care of yourself. That’s all I ask."
Most of the animals had been informed, except for a few deeper inside the zoo, including the white-spotted ferret.
Zhu Yu was a little worried, recalling some unpleasantness between the red panda and the white-spotted ferret. She feared they might fight, but surprisingly, they didn’t.
The white-spotted ferret glanced briefly at the red panda, then locked its gaze firmly on Zhu Yu.
“Is the park opening soon?” it asked. “Alright, I’ll get ready. When the guests arrive, I’m sure there’ll be lots of them wanting to see me. After all, I’m a rare species—first-class protected, no less.”
Zhu Yu found the white-spotted ferret's words odd. It rarely emphasized its rarity, but today it sounded almost boastful.
And her intuition was right. The white-spotted ferret added, “By the way, Zhu Yu, how many fans do I have now? Will they come to see me? Make sure Director Sun gets invited too; he used to like me the most!”
Zhu Yu replied, "Director Sun is busy with work, but I’m sure he’ll visit you when he has time."
If Director Sun knew the ermine still remembered him, he’d probably be deeply moved.
The white-spotted ferret nodded with a reserved expression. “Good, good. I have quite a lot of fans, after all.”
Suddenly, the red panda spoke up. “Director, why does this white-spotted ferret call you Zhu Yu?”
Zhu Yu smiled and explained, "Because that’s my name."
The red panda tilted its head. “Huh? That’s so rude. How can it just call you by your name? You’re the one who brought us to the zoo and gave us food. Animals should know how to be grateful.”
Its well-behaved demeanor clearly showed it was a red panda that understood gratitude.
The white-spotted ferret felt a surge of irritation but knew it couldn’t win in a fight.
Zhu Yu said gently, "That’s not true, Red Panda. The white-spotted ferret is a good little one. I was the one who brought it back from the Forestry Bureau, and I’m really happy it came with me. The Forestry Bureau even sends money regularly for its upkeep. And it’s not impolite to call me by my name—you can call me Zhu Yu too."
The red panda cast a long, meaningful glance at the white-spotted ferret. “It sure is lucky.”
The white-spotted ferret, uplifted by Zhu Yu’s praise, suddenly felt vindicated. Yes, it was indeed a good little one!
“Zhu Yu, have you finished making the felt from my fur?” the white-spotted ferret asked, remembering the craft project it had assigned her.
“It’s almost done,” Zhu Yu replied. "I’ve been busy recently, but it’s just the tail left now."
“I’ve shed a lot more fur,” the white-spotted ferret said. “I’ve collected it all and will give it to you next time.”
Zhu Yu thought to herself, This white-spotted ferret really has high expectations of me. I just hope it won’t be disappointed when it sees its model.
Curious, the red panda asked, "Sister, what’s that for? I’ve also shed a lot of fur."
Zhu Yu explained how she was making felt models using the animals’ shed fur. The red panda’s dark eyes sparkled with interest. Seeing this, Zhu Yu asked, "If you’d like, I can collect your fur too and make one for you."
The red panda shook its head and said sensibly, “No need. Sister, you’re already very busy. I don’t want to make you even more tired. You can just focus on making one for White-Spotted Ferret. I don’t need one.”
The white-spotted ferret suddenly felt like it was being thrown under the bus.
The little yellow dog chimed in enthusiastically, “I don’t need one either! I don’t want Master to get tired!”
The white-spotted ferret: … Thrown under the bus again.
The red panda looked at the little yellow dog with annoyance. Why did this dog always copy what it said? It was infuriating.
Zhu Yu felt a wave of warmth and tenderness in her heart. She crouched down, gently stroking the red panda’s ears. "Thank you, Red Panda. But making these little crafts doesn’t tire me out. In fact, I enjoy it. Making miniature versions of you with your fur makes me really happy. And if I didn’t want to do it, I’d just say no."
The white-spotted ferret let out a proud chirp: “Chirp—”
The red panda lowered its head, looking a little shy.
Meanwhile, the little yellow dog perked up and exclaimed, “Then Master, please make one for me too! I’d love it!”
Zhu Yu nodded. "Of course. I’ll brush your fur later—I’m sure you’ve shed plenty."
The little yellow dog happily ran circles around them.
The red panda remained quiet.
Zhu Yu reached out and gently picked up the red panda, cradling it in her arms like she did when it first came to the zoo. “Little Yellow Dog, go notify the remaining animals. I’ll take red panda back with me for now.”
The little yellow immediately agreed.
The white-spotted ferret, eager to join, chirped, “I’ll come too!”
The red panda hesitated but said, “I can do it too.”
Zhu Yu reassured it, “Red Panda, come with me. I have something I want to talk to you about.”
The red panda nodded obediently. “Alright.”
Its two front paws obediently rested on Zhu Yu’s shoulders, but its heart was uneasy. What did the zoo director sister want to talk to it about? Could it be that she was planning to send it back to the forest?
The red panda was terrified.
“Red Panda,” Zhu Yu said softly as she carried it toward its enclosure, “How about I make a little felt figure of you? It’ll be much smaller than you, only the size of a few fingers. I bet it’ll look adorable.”
The red panda hesitated, tempted.
"I can even make your tail longer if you want, or any other changes you’d like."
The red panda was even more tempted but still said, “But sister, you’ll get so tired.”
Zhu Yu chuckled. “Red Panda, do you think I’m some kind of selfless saint who gives my all to others? If I were tired, I’d rest first. I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t want to. You shouldn’t always worry about others so much—you need to think about yourself, too.”
The red panda felt a little embarrassed since, deep down, it wasn’t exactly the most selfless panda either.
“Okay then. Thank you, sister. I’d love a little felt figure,” it finally said, its voice shy but filled with joy.
Zhu Yu patted its head. “Red Panda, if you want something, you need to tell me. Don’t hold back or suppress your feelings. If you do, it’ll only make you feel worse in the end."
The red panda didn’t reply, but it felt like Zhu Yu’s words carried a deeper meaning, as though she had seen through some of its hidden thoughts.
Zhu Yu added, "In the zoo, whatever the other animals have, you’ll have too. Food, shelter, friends—everything."
The red panda softly said, “Sister, you’re the best.”
Zhu Yu replied, "Since you know I’m the best, there’s no need to say things you don’t mean in front of me. Just tell me what you want or don’t like."
She wasn’t a clueless person. Ever since she heard the white-spotted ferret mention the words "green tea," she had sensed something.
But even if the red panda was a little "green tea," it was still a good cub. It had only recently arrived from the forest, so of course, there were things it wasn’t used to. Zhu Yu planned to patiently teach it how to get along with the other animals in the zoo.
The red panda, being a smart little creature, realized from Zhu Yu’s words that its thoughts had been exposed. It felt embarrassed but blurted out anyway, “I don’t want to go back to the forest.”
Zhu Yu was startled. "Of course not! You’re part of our zoo now, one of our staff members. Unless you want to go back yourself, no one can make you leave. I’ve already applied for the paperwork with the forestry department. Once it’s approved in a few days, you’ll officially be registered as one of our employees!"
If anyone tried to steal an employee of Lingxi Wildlife Zoo, Zhu Yu wouldn’t allow it.
The red panda beamed with joy. “Really? Can I stay in the zoo forever?”
"Of course, my little darling."
The red panda whispered, “My former neighbor was a red panda who got released back into the wild. It told me the zoo was amazing, but because it wasn’t well-behaved, they sent it away.”
The red panda had been working hard to behave better because it didn’t want to be sent back.
The zoo was wonderful. There were sweet apples, crunchy bamboo, no animals bullying it, and, most importantly, its favorite zoo director sister.
The zoo director had rescued it, and it loved staying by her side. If it could be petted a little, that would be even better.
Zhu Yu stroked its tail and said, "Your neighbor was probably released for other reasons. You’re different. Now that you’re part of the zoo, there’s no way we’d let you leave."
The red panda declared, “I’m not leaving!”
Zhu Yu could sense the change in the red panda’s mood—it seemed much happier. She asked, “Red Panda, is there anything you want to do right now? You can tell me, and we’ll do it together."
The red panda shyly buried its head into Zhu Yu’s neck and bravely said, “Zoo director, I want to eat more apples!”
Zhu Yu: …
"How many apples have you had today?"
The red panda, always honest when talking to Zhu Yu, said, “Two!”
"Then no more," Zhu Yu said firmly. "If you eat any more, your sugar intake will go over the limit."
The red panda tried, “What about watermelon?”
"Nope."
“Banana?”
"Still no."
The red panda: Whimpering.