Chapter 19.2

The female researcher blushed furiously, wishing she could disappear into a hole. Flustered, she quickly said, “I-I was just joking.”

Everyone else: “…”

‘If it wasn’t a joke, that would have been even more frightening.’

Regardless, all one hundred people soon boarded the bus.

The special buses were indeed fast. Thanks to their amphibious capabilities, they could travel on both roads and hover tracks. In less than half an hour, they reached the botanical garden at the foot of Bi Ke Avenue Mountain.

After another fifteen minutes driving uphill, they arrived at Bi Ke Zoo’s entrance.

The zoo’s gate was quite wide. Only the left vehicle lane was open; the central ticket-checking area and right ticket booth remained closed. From inside the bus, visitors could see about a dozen employees in zoo uniforms bustling about near the park entrance.

“Huh, the zoo isn’t officially open yet, but there are already so many employees?”

As visitors disembarked in the zoo’s parking garage, a young, energetic, and beautiful woman approached them with a welcoming smile.

“Welcome, everyone, to Bi Ke Zoo! I hope your journey wasn’t too tiring. We’ve prepared some refreshments and drinks over here. Please, come and rest for a bit.”

That voice belonged to Director Mu!

Those who recognized Mu Ling’s voice couldn’t help but examine her curiously. In the videos, she had never shown her full face. Although everyone knew she was young, they’d assumed she was at least thirty. To their surprise, she looked barely over twenty—and not only young but truly beautiful.

Some glanced toward the rest area Mu Ling had mentioned, impressed by her thoughtfulness. She had arranged many outdoor tables and chairs with sun umbrellas. Various snacks adorned the tables, and staff members were cheerfully setting out drinks.

Professor Zhou, the group leader, felt deeply moved. He hurried forward to shake hands with Mu Ling. “You must be Director Mu. I’m Old Zhou, the one who’s been in contact with you.”

Mu Ling responded warmly, “Hello, Professor Zhou. It’s nice to meet you.”

As they exchanged pleasantries, some visitors headed to the outdoor seating area for refreshments, while others began filming with their cameras.

With a hundred people spread out, the usually quiet service area quickly became bustling and lively.

Professor Zhou was still thanking Mu Ling for sending the special transport. Mu Ling smiled, saying it was the least they could do, then began explaining the day’s itinerary.

“We’ll head into the mountains this afternoon. It’s almost noon now, so let’s have lunch in the park first. Then around 1 PM, we have a special activity planned. At 1:30, our staff will drive shuttle buses to take everyone up the mountain. However, we can only visit the outskirts near the small stream, as mentioned before. But don’t worry—there are still many animals to see in the outer areas, such as two-humped deer, golden furred rabbits, long-tailed civets, striking monkeys, and red-black foxes. In the bird forest area, you’ll find eight-colored peacocks, flame birds, red-feathered pheasants, millennium cranes, and more.”

While Mu Ling discussed the schedule with Professor Zhou, the other visitors kept the staff busy with endless questions.

“Is that the hillside where Gus stood? Can I go take a picture there?”

Staff member: “Of course you can.”

“Was this where the ambush on the director happened? Did the attackers retreat down the mountain afterward?”

Staff member: “We’re not too sure about that.”

Some wandered over to the zoo’s map to examine the layout.

“Wow, this zoo is enormous, and there are so many animals!”

“The mountain paths look very steep. I wonder how many animals we’ll spot today.”

“Young man, come here for a moment.”

A staff member approached politely. “Hello, how can I help you?”

The visitor asked, “Is this whole area the Wind-Chaser Wolves’ territory? Will we pass through here on our way up the mountain?”

The staff member checked the map and smiled. “Yes, we will. See this color of the main mountain road? That’s the shuttle bus route. We’ll pass through all these areas.”

Another visitor grew excited. “Maybe we’ll see Gus! I’d love to know his specific genetic data!”

Staff member: “…”

“Wow, look here! This zoo even has an S-class Fire Cheetah. Can we see it too?”

“Silver Snow Bear—there’s even an S-class Silver Snow Bear! Is it also a retired war beast? Is it Sniper or Moonlight?”

As more visitors gathered around the map and their questions grew increasingly technical, the young staff members struggled to answer. They quickly called for backup.

One staff member with a good memory explained, “Our park’s S-class Silver Snow Bear is Moonlight, a retired war beast.”

A visitor immediately asked, “Does Moonlight still weigh 300 kilograms now?”

This staff member: “…”

“Can you tell us the front paw size of your Fire leopard?”

“Is the shedding cycle of your Gui Python 35 days or 45 days?”

“How long is the body of your Flower Cloud Crocodile? How many eggs does a female typically lay in one clutch?”

The two staff members: “…”

Suddenly surrounded by academic experts, the staff members were terrified. They could only call for more backup, but it was futile. With just two days of training, how could they possibly know so much? Besides, they weren’t even real zoo employees—they were volunteers. Volunteers!

Yes, volunteers.

How could Mu Ling, running a zoo on a shoestring budget, afford to hire more than a dozen employees just to receive a temporary tour group? She simply didn’t have that kind of money.

So these “employees” were all unpaid volunteers she had recruited.

Mu Ling had promised to solve staffing and merchandise issues without spending a penny. This was her clever plan—to get free labor.

Where did these “sheep” come from? The botanical garden at the foot of the mountain, of course.

Through Director Wang’s introduction, Mu Ling had contacted the botanical garden’s management directly. The garden, struggling with poor business, had three underperforming stores. Mu Ling proposed a mutually beneficial arrangement, “Let’s collaborate. My zoo is receiving a large tour group. Your shops have no business anyway, so why not bring your goods and staff to sell at our zoo’s supermarket? We won’t charge rent, and you can use our shelves for free. Our visitors will be your customers. If you sell anything, we won’t take a penny in commission. We’ll be one big happy family!”

The botanical garden’s manager, aware of the zoo’s recent online popularity, thought Mu Ling was offering them a golden opportunity.

But then Mu Ling added, “However, we’re short on staff. Since your employees are coming anyway, why don’t they help us receive the visitors?”

The botanical garden manager: “…”

And so, fifteen botanical garden employees became Mu Ling’s volunteers, and their products filled her empty shelves. Mu Ling saw it as a win-win-win: the garden got new customers, she got manpower, and the visitors enjoyed convenience.

Professor Zhou, oblivious to these cost-saving measures, had only one concern:

“Director Mu, your tour plan is excellent, but… it doesn’t mention Qilin. Can we see Qilin today?”

Qilin was Bi Ke Zoo’s star attraction. Mu Ling knew this group had come specifically for it. She smiled brightly, “Of course! As I mentioned, we have a special activity at 1 PM. That’s when you’ll see Qilin.”

Professor Zhou’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Hearing this, the other professors and teachers eagerly gathered around, bombarding Mu Ling with questions.

“What kind of activity? Can we really see Qilin?”

“Qilin won’t bite us, will it? Director Mu, tell us more about this activity!”

Mu Ling waved her hand, chuckling. “You’ll all find out after lunch. I promise you’ll see the most mysterious and unknown side of Qilin. If you’re willing, you can even participate hands-on. This is a special benefit only for our first batch of visitors!”