The day Yunian returned to the base shocked not only netizens but also all the researchers at the Hetaoping Base.

The research team quickly convened an emergency meeting to analyze all the tracking data from the device on Yunian after he was released into the wild.

It didn’t take long for the researchers to reach a conclusion: Yunian’s return to the base was no accident!

The activity data from the tracking device showed clearly that Yunian, on his journey back from the release site to the base, had walked a straight path, stopping only to eat. He didn’t take a single wrong turn. The route he took was exactly the same as the one the staff had used to release him—precise to the meter!

Yunian was incredibly smart!

The researchers looked at the data with both amusement and helplessness.

At Yunian’s age, he was in the critical period for learning how to survive in the wild. Keeping him in captivity would do him no favors for his future development—unless the base planned to keep him in captivity for the rest of his life.

Though it wouldn’t be a challenge for the base to care for one more panda, after careful deliberation, the team decided to release Yunian once again.

The very day Yunian returned, the staff began preparing for his second release. This time, they were wary of Yunian’s cleverness and feared another failure. So, they didn’t take any chances.

Three days later, after making sure Yunian had eaten his fill, the staff waited for the right moment and administered a sedative. Yunian was once again placed into a cage and taken to a new location for release.

“Yunian’s about to wake up. We should get going. But what about this pile of apples? Should we just leave them on the ground?”

“Let’s put them in a bag. What if he can’t finish them all at once?”

Half-conscious, Yunian faintly heard the voices of the staff members around him. He struggled to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt unbearably heavy, and after several attempts, he gave up.

The voices gradually faded, and when Yunian fully awoke, the only sound he could hear was the gentle chirping of birds in the distance.

Opening his eyes, Yunian found himself lying on a slope covered in fallen leaves. He stared blankly for a few seconds before scrambling to his feet, taking in his surroundings.

It didn’t take long for him to realize what had happened.

They had released him again!

And those sneaky humans had drugged him with a tranquilizer!

How despicable!

Still groggy from the lingering effects of the sedative, Yunian’s legs gave out after a few moments, and he collapsed back onto the ground.

Frustration and despair set in as the realization dawned on him that his life of lounging and endless food had once again been snatched away.

He had worked so hard to return to the base—why had they released him again?

He was a precious national treasure! Why did he have to wander the wilderness like this? Couldn’t they see that he didn’t want to live in the wild?

Utterly disheartened, Yunian let out a sigh of resignation. For the first time since becoming a panda, life seemed unfairly tough.

Just then, Yunian’s nose twitched as he caught the scent of something sweet. Glancing to the side, he noticed a large woven bag nearby.

Slowly, he made his way over to the bag and discovered that it was full of fresh apples—likely weighing over fifty pounds, with more than a hundred apples inside.

Hmph, even if they gave me a bag of apples, I won’t forgive them! Yunian thought defiantly, but his paws betrayed him as he reached into the bag and pulled out a large apple.

Lying there, he took a big bite, and the apple’s sweet, crisp juice burst into his mouth.

So crunchy, so sweet.

So delicious!

Before long, he had finished the apple.

Afterward, as was his habit, he licked his fur, and the frustration in his heart slowly faded, soothed by the delicious apple.

Now that the sedative’s effects had worn off a bit more, Yunian lazily sat up and began to think about what to do next.

He was in a forest—though not the same forest as before. The surroundings were completely unfamiliar to him. The sun was shining brightly today, but the dense canopy of leaves overhead blocked most of the sunlight from reaching the ground.

Yunian spotted a tree that looked easy to climb and decided to check out his surroundings from higher up. Once he had made it to a branch, he realized he was near the top of a mountain. Looking up, he could even see patches of snow on the peak.

They had really banished him to the depths of the wilderness!

Yunian wanted to howl in frustration, but uncertain of the dangers that might be lurking nearby, he could only let out a quiet, disgruntled bleat before climbing back down from the tree.

What did it matter if they had dropped him in the deep forest? Wasn’t he still in the Wolong Reserve?

As long as he was in the reserve, there was no way Yunian couldn’t make his way back to the base!

But for now, the most pressing concern was filling his stomach.

The apples were delicious, but with no idea how long it would take him to return to the base, Yunian decided to ration them.

Fortunately, during his first release, Yunian had picked up a few survival skills. This time, he didn’t feel as panicked. After making sure there were no immediate threats, he grabbed the bag of apples with his mouth and started making his way down the mountain, sniffing the air as he went.

March in the mountains was still chilly, even with the sun out.

Yunian wasn’t cold, thanks to his thick fur, but as a “human-minded bear,” what was the point of living without sunlight?

Plus, he still needed to find his way back to the base, so without hesitation, he dragged his “apple treasure” down the mountain.

The mountain paths were treacherous—if you could even call them paths. One wrong step and Yunian could easily tumble down a steep slope. And with the bag of apples weighing nearly fifty pounds, his progress was slow.

After about half an hour of walking, Yunian reached a dense bamboo grove. Dropping the bag on the ground, he immediately started foraging for bamboo to satisfy his hunger.

An hour later, with his belly full, Yunian realized that the sun was already beginning to set.

His original plan to rest had to be abandoned. The wilderness was no base. Even though he was a large bear and few predators could threaten him, that didn’t mean there was no danger at all.

Yunian needed to find a safe place to sleep before nightfall.

Sigh, he thought miserably. Why did they have to release me again?

He missed the spacious enclosure of the base, the endless supply of bamboo…

Wahhh, Ye Nian wanted to cry and gnawed lightly on his paw in frustration.

Of course, he made sure not to bite too hard.

Despite his complaints, Yunian didn’t slow down. After walking for nearly half an hour without finding a suitable cave to sleep in, he decided to turn his attention to the trees around him.

Maybe sleeping in a tree would be the safest option.

As a young panda, Yunian had learned that when faced with danger, the best strategy was to climb a tree. Now, it seemed that strategy would have to be used for sleeping.

But finding the right tree wasn’t easy—Ye Nian had standards.

First, the trunk had to be thick enough to support him comfortably. Second, the tree should ideally be surrounded by bamboo, so if he got hungry during the night, he could snack without having to go far.

After searching for a while, Ye Nian finally found a tree that met his criteria. It had a sturdy trunk with large branches where he could lie down comfortably. Plus, it had enough room for him to stash his apples, safe from bugs and pests like ants.

Perfect! This is the one!

Panting slightly, Yunian sat down at the base of the tree. Carrying fifty pounds of apples had been exhausting, and after walking for so long, he was starting to feel hungry again.

The sky was getting darker, with only a faint glow remaining on the horizon. In the forest, visibility was even lower.

Although pandas had excellent night vision, Ye Nian couldn’t help but feel uneasy in the dark.

Time for a snack before bed.

He pulled out two apples, one in each paw, and sat down at the base of the tree to eat.

Perhaps it was the sense of accomplishment from finding the perfect tree to sleep in, but Ye Nian was so focused on eating that he failed to notice the faint scent of another male panda lingering in the air.

An adult male panda’s territory typically covered about 6-7 square kilometers, while a juvenile’s territory was slightly smaller, around 4-6 square kilometers.

The new territory the base had chosen for Yunian was deep in the mountains. Within a 10-square-kilometer radius, no other pandas had been spotted. The nearest male panda lived about 10 kilometers away and was also a juvenile.

The base’s staff had carefully considered this arrangement. The neighboring panda had shown no signs of changing territories, and for at least the next month, Yunian wouldn’t encounter any other pandas.

By the time another panda entered his territory, Yunian would have already adapted to life in the wild. Even if another panda came along, Yunian would know how to avoid conflict.

Unfortunately, while the base’s staff had thought of everything, they didn’t anticipate that on his very first day, Yunian would leave his designated territory—dragging fifty pounds of apples with him!

In just a few short hours, Yunian had unknowingly crossed three kilometers into the territory of the neighboring male panda.

At this moment, Yunian was dangerously close to that male panda’s domain, only about two kilometers away. Worse yet, the other panda happened to be patrolling his territory at this time, and the distance between them was shrinking fast.

The male panda had already picked up Yunian’s scent. Right now, he was heading directly toward him.

Yunian, however, remained blissfully unaware of the approaching danger. After devouring ten apples, he started feeling drowsy. Before he fell asleep, he decided to test the tree’s climbability. Finding a sturdy branch where he could comfortably rest, Yunian climbed back down, pondering how to haul the rest of his apple stash up the tree.

Pandas had relatively flexible paws, but climbing required all four limbs. Using his mouth to carry the apples wasn’t a great option either. Fifty pounds of apples were no joke! What if the bag ripped or, worse, he pulled out a tooth?

Yunian shook his head, his round ears twitching in thought. No, that won’t work.

After much consideration, he decided that using his mouth was still the safest bet for transporting the apples. Sure, they might get a little slobbery, but why should he care about his own drool?

With this plan in mind, Yunian set to work.

As the male panda drew nearer, Yunian continued diligently transporting his apples up the tree, trip after trip. By the time he’d nearly emptied the bag, something finally felt off.

A strange scent was growing stronger, and Yunian’s instincts screamed danger. It was the scent of another male panda, one clearly bigger and stronger than him!

Without a second thought, Yunian scurried up the tree, his eyes wide and alert as he scanned the surrounding forest.

The rustling of leaves grew louder. A moment later, a large figure emerged from the trees, stepping into Yunian’s line of sight.

This other panda was also a juvenile, but at four years old, he was just about to reach adulthood. His height and bulk were already approaching that of a full-grown panda.

Compared to him, Yunian looked significantly smaller.

A surge of panic gripped Yunian, and all the fur on his body bristled in fear. How had he not noticed the other panda sooner?

What should I do? What if he attacks me?

As the unfamiliar panda moved closer, Yunian’s heart raced. Should he jump down and try to fight, or run?

But to Yunian’s surprise, the other panda didn’t immediately approach his tree. Instead, he stopped about ten meters away, lowered his head, and picked something up—taking a big bite.

Ye Nian squinted to get a better look and realized what the other panda was munching on.

It was one of the apples that had fallen from his stash earlier.

Huh?

My apple?!