Chapter 396 - 215: National Day Grand Operation 4
Chapter 396: Chapter 215: National Day Grand Operation 4
"Understood."
The zookeeper nodded and said casually, "This one’s usually the most timid. It gets nervous whenever strangers get close. And with this sea of people today... I’ll give it a try."
As he spoke, he took out a small handful of dried alfalfa he had on him—the alpaca’s favorite treat. He held it out through the fence, making "TSK TSK" sounds to try and coax the alpaca over.
But the alpaca only glanced at it before turning its head away, tucking its tail even tighter.
Clearly, the temptation of food was no match for its overwhelming fear.
The zookeeper tried a few more times, sweat beading on his forehead in frustration. The surrounding tourists started to gather again, pointing and murmuring.
"What’s wrong with that alpaca? Is it sick?"
"Maybe it has heatstroke?"
"It looks so pitiful..."
"..."
Seeing this, Yang Qi knew he couldn’t wait any longer.
Ordinary attempts at soothing and guiding it were no longer working; the alpaca’s emotional state was deteriorating to the brink of collapse.
If it started running wild and ramming the fence out of excessive fear, it could not only injure itself but also frighten the other animals and tourists.
He took a step forward and said to the zookeeper, "Let me try. Can you help guide the tourists away from this area to give us some space?"
"Thanks, Brother Qi!"
The zookeeper quickly thanked him.
He immediately turned and began urging the tourists who were too close to the fence to move back.
"Everyone, please step back, step back. Give the animal some space. Thank you for your cooperation."
Yang Qi took the opportunity to enter the enclosure.
As he approached the alpaca, he discreetly took out some calming powder and sprinkled it toward the animal.
The alpaca’s trembling visibly stopped.
Its tightly tucked tail also relaxed a little.
"Hello, don’t be afraid. I’m here to help you."
Yang Qi drew closer, using the Basic Spirit Communication Technique to soothe it.
The alpaca stared blankly at Yang Qi, its throat moving.
[You can speak our language?]
It paused, then added.
[I don’t like it here.]
"Alright, I understand," Yang Qi said, nodding with a smile. "You can go back over there now."
Yang Qi pointed to the small gate in the corner of the enclosure that led to the inner shelter.
The alpaca was taken aback.
[Really?]
"Of course," Yang Qi said, giving it an encouraging look.
[Thank you.]
The alpaca expressed its thanks.
Then, under the astonished gazes of the zookeeper and the few remaining tourists, it began to move its hooves.
One step, two steps, three... It was slow and hesitant at first.
But with Yang Qi’s constant soothing and encouragement, its pace gradually quickened until it broke into a trot, dashing toward the small gate and quickly disappearing into the shadows behind it.
"It went in!"
The zookeeper let out a long sigh of relief, hurried forward, closed the door to the inner shelter, and latched it from the outside.
Seeing this, the tourists outside the enclosure also breathed sighs of relief, and some even started applauding Yang Qi.
"This zookeeper is amazing!"
"That was incredible, it’s like it could understand him."
"..."
Yang Qi gave the tourists a polite nod without saying much and turned to walk toward the zookeeper.
"Brother Qi, thanks," the zookeeper said again.
"It’s my job."
Yang Qi smiled, picked up his walkie-talkie, and reported the situation to the central duty office...
...
...
「Afternoon.」
Yang Qi was still constantly on the move, patrolling everywhere.
Thanks to his superhuman stamina, after walking for the entire day, he had only broken a light sweat instead of suffering from sore feet and aching legs.
...
「The second day of the National Day holiday.」
The weather was even clearer than the day before. The sky was a spotless azure, and the sunlight was so brilliant it was almost blinding.
It was only 8:30 in the morning, but the real-time visitor count on the electronic screen at the Zoo entrance had already surpassed "8,000" and was still climbing at a visible rate.
Yang Qi was once again in his dark blue observer’s vest, a walkie-talkie clipped to his chest. A stream of brief reports and commands from various zones crackled through his earpiece.
After a full day of acclimatization yesterday, most of the animals had developed some tolerance for the surging crowds, and cases of pure, fright-induced stress had decreased.
But new problems were beginning to surface.
With more people, the probability of uncivilized behavior rose exponentially.
That morning alone, Yang Qi had to stop tourists from illegally feeding the animals, tapping on the glass, using flash photography, or even attempting to climb over low barriers more than a dozen times.
...
A little after eleven in the morning.
Yang Qi’s patrol route brought him to the Red Panda Pavilion.
Fluffy and roly-poly, red pandas are naturally adorable. Combined with their relatively docile nature, they were a favorite among children.
The pavilion was designed with a semi-open walkway. Visitors could walk along an elevated wooden path, looking down at a simulated mountain forest environment below, where the red pandas played on trees, rockeries, and suspension bridges.
At this moment, the walkway was packed with people, a cacophony of camera shutters and children’s excited screams.
Some of the red pandas were hiding in tree hollows with only half their heads showing, others were napping on high branches, and a couple of bolder ones were on the open ground below the walkway, picking up food that tourists had "accidentally" dropped.
Yang Qi’s gaze was electric, sweeping quickly over the scene.
His eyes were immediately drawn to a red panda below the walkway, near the edge of a shadowy area.
It was a rather thin adult female named An An.
Yang Qi remembered her. She had a rather timid personality, much like that picky "gourmet," Tutu.
An An had spent most of yesterday hiding in her den and had hardly come out.
Right now, instead of playing in a conspicuous spot like her companions, she was curled up alone in the shadows, her back to the tourists.
This in itself wasn’t strange; it was normal for a timid red panda to avoid the crowds.
But Yang Qi noticed that something was wrong with An An’s posture.
She wasn’t curled up in a relaxed way; her body was slightly arched, and her front paws seemed to be clutching her abdomen.
Moreover, her breathing was too rapid.
Even from several meters away and amidst the noisy crowd, Yang Qi could faintly see the rapid rise and fall of her flank.
What made Yang Qi’s heart sink even more was the glistening, unnatural-looking drool that seemed to be trickling from the corner of An An’s mouth.
He immediately pushed through the crowd, moved to a spot on the walkway directly above An An, and leaned over to get a closer look.
[Toxin from a ’Hidden Mountain Beast’ detected in subject. Host, please administer aid as soon as possible.]