“That’s right. Lately, there’s been an increase in people buying bottled water containers. The factory has been working overtime to meet demand,” the uncle said cheerfully. Although the work was tiring, having work to do meant he would get a bigger bonus at the end of the month, which was a good thing.

Ji He exchanged a few more polite words with him before sending off the truck. She locked the courtyard gate and then bent down to carry the water containers into the house one by one.

There were too many prying eyes around, and surveillance cameras were everywhere. She didn’t dare store these water containers in her space while still in the courtyard. Even the curtains in her house were always drawn.

After several trips back and forth, she finally moved all the water containers inside. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and grabbed her bag and keys before heading out.

Compared to working at home, she had something even more important to do now—upgrading her space.

The space upgrade requirements were getting stricter, and she had a feeling that if she didn’t hurry, it would only get harder in the future.

She took the bus straight to the city’s largest zoo.

This zoo was said to have hundreds of animal species, including land-dwelling, flying, and amphibious creatures.

Ji He had a clear goal: she went straight to the back entrance of the zoo, where the waste was usually transported out.

She had thought it through—since the space didn’t specify that she needed whole animals, she could just collect fallen hair, nails, or scales from them. That should count, right?

She was in luck. As she reached the back entrance, she saw an older woman dumping waste, including animal droppings.

Adjusting her expression to look harmless and innocent, Ji He walked up to the woman with wide, eager eyes and said admiringly, “Auntie, let me help you clean up!”

The woman had already noticed Ji He approaching. Seeing that she was just a teenage girl, she didn’t think much of it and nudged her away with her elbow. “This is dirty. What are you doing here, little girl? Aren’t you supposed to be in school today? You’re not skipping class, are you?”

Ji He had expected this.

Her eyes instantly welled up with tears, but she held them back, looking downcast as she whispered, “No, Auntie. My parents passed away in a car accident, and their last wish was for me to fulfill their dream. I’m here today to make it come true.”

The woman immediately stopped what she was doing, looking flustered. She wanted to comfort Ji He but hesitated because her hands were too dirty. “Oh, dear child, don’t cry. I didn’t know about your parents. I’m so sorry! What was their wish? Tell me, maybe I can help!”

She truly felt for Ji He. The girl looked younger than her own daughter, probably still in high school, yet she had already lost both parents. Life must be unimaginably tough for her.

Between sniffles, Ji He replied, “My parents loved animals. They wanted to collect fallen animal hair, nails, or scales—just one piece from each species. I promised to burn them as an offering at their graves.”

The woman clapped her hands together and said, “Oh, that’s easy! You’re lucky—it’s shedding season, and these animals are dropping hair like crazy. Every time we sweep, we collect a pile of it! We used to find it interesting, but later, we stopped picking it up.

Wait here, I’ll go ask around. I know a lot of zookeepers, and there’s plenty of this stuff lying around!”

After quickly finishing her cleaning, the woman rushed back inside.

Ji He wiped her tears away and smiled.

Fellow cleaners really do help each other out.

She found a shady spot to sit down and pretended to pull out four bags of fruit—apples, pears, dragon fruit, and bayberries—from her backpack.

In total, it was over 20 pounds.

Any more, and her backpack wouldn’t have been able to hold it.

She had prepared the fruit before leaving, just in case she succeeded and needed to thank the people helping her.

Placing the fruit at her feet, she continued sorting items in her storage space using her consciousness.

She kept track of time with her watch, working for ten minutes and resting for five. This way, she avoided the headaches she had experienced before.

Two hours later, Ji He finally finished organizing her space, clearing out a large empty area.

Just then, the cleaning lady returned, beaming, with a black plastic bag in hand.

Ji He quickly adjusted her expression, putting on a sweet, obedient smile as she walked over.

Before she could say anything, the woman spoke first, her face full of excitement.

“Little girl, you’re really lucky! Not only have the land animals been shedding, but even the amphibians have lost quite a few scales. When I told them about your situation, everyone was very enthusiastic and helped gather a bunch.

This bag has samples from land and aquatic animals. I even heard that some fish died from the heat, so they cut off their fins for you.”

She handed Ji He the black bag.

Ji He didn’t take it immediately. Instead, she first offered the woman the fruit she had brought, looking genuinely grateful.

“Auntie, you’ve helped me so much—I don’t even know how to thank you! This is some fruit from my home. Please take it, or I’d feel too embarrassed to accept your kindness.”

The woman initially refused, but after a few rounds of back and forth, she finally accepted. She weighed the fruit in her hands and, feeling its heaviness, grew even fonder of Ji He.

What a responsible and well-mannered child, having to fend for herself at such a young age!

Before leaving, she suddenly asked, “Child, would you be interested in insect specimens?”

“Insects?” Ji He’s eyes lit up. Could it be that easy? Insects were definitely considered species, right?

“Yes. I have an old friend who works as a cleaner at an insect research lab. They study insects there. The intact ones get turned into specimens, but the damaged ones are usually thrown away. If you want, I can ask her to save some for you.”

Ji He nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes, yes! I’d love that. Thank you so much, Auntie! I don’t need whole insects—just parts will do.”

“Alright, let’s exchange contact information. I’ll send you her address. You can go to her place tonight, and she’ll hand them over directly.”

“That would be amazing!”

After exchanging contact details, the woman rushed back to work.

Ji He, now carrying the black bag, happily made her way back.

On the way, she stopped by a public restroom, where she quickly stored everything in her space.

Suddenly, over 500 new species were added.

She sighed in amazement—this woman was truly kind-hearted.

To collect so many in such a short time, she must have gone to great lengths. Ji He would have to find a way to properly thank her later.