Chapter 539 - 249: Awesome, My Little Junior Brother
Chapter 539: Chapter 249: Awesome, My Little Junior Brother
Yang Qi, his grandmother, Xiaojiu, Bai Wan, Hu Zi, and Leopard all sat together.
His grandmother kept placing food on Yang Qi’s plate, a kind and satisfied smile on her face as she looked at her grandson and his furry kids.
The dogs lay obediently by the table, each with its own bowl filled with a hearty dinner of meat and bones.
Xiaojiu, meanwhile, was perched elegantly on the empty chair next to Yang Qi, nibbling at the fish that had been prepared especially for it.
However, Yang Qi couldn’t enjoy his New Year’s Eve dinner in peace.
His phone had been ringing non-stop since evening, a constant chorus of text alerts and incoming calls.
There were calls from his peers, like Lu Gangsheng and Yu Xiulian.
Also from police officers like Xiao Jun, Sun Zhenghong, and Li Hongqi.
In addition, there were friends he’d made in Donghua, such as Yang Pan and Chen Hao.
While taking calls, Yang Qi also remembered to place food on his grandmother’s plate and give a soothing pat to the dogs nudging his leg.
Eventually, he just put his phone on speaker so his grandmother could also hear his friends’ well-wishes, which made her beam with joy.
After finishing his calls with friends, Yang Qi began making his own New Year’s calls.
First, he called Huang Zhongmu, the director of the Donghua Zoo.
Huang Zhongmu was pleasantly surprised by the call. He congratulated Yang Qi on his promotion to Director of Xianlai and joked, "I guess we’re competitors now." But his tone was filled more with pride and anticipation, and he encouraged Yang Qi to do a great job and make the zoo something special.
Yang Qi sincerely thanked Director Huang for all his support over the years.
Next, he called Jiang Kai and Mei Ying.
Most important of all was his call to his teacher, Song Chunfang.
The phone only rang twice before it was answered, and Song Chunfang’s gentle, smiling voice came through the line.
"Xiaoqi, Happy New Year."
"Teacher, Happy New Year. How has your health been?" Yang Qi asked respectfully.
"It’s been great! It’s strange, actually. Ever since I left the hospital, I’ve been feeling unbelievably well. I used to be unable to walk for long, but now I can even climb stairs without any trouble," Song Chunfang remarked, a hint of wonder in her voice.
Yang Qi knew exactly why, of course.
The effects of the Nourishing Essence Pill were no joke.
Anyone who’d taken one would know.
He chatted with Song Chunfang for a good while, asking for advice on the rescue and subsequent care of red pandas and updating her on the recent progress at Xianlai. Finally, after listening to her last few words of encouragement, he hung up.
By the time he finished his round of calls, the New Year’s Eve dinner had grown cold.
Yang Qi quickly ate a bit more with his grandmother, then cleared the table.
Watching the countdown to midnight on TV, Yang Qi picked up his phone and opened the "Xianlai Zoo Family" work group chat.
After a moment’s thought, he sent out three large red envelopes, each containing a considerable sum. He named them: "Happy New Year, and thanks for all your hard work!", "Thanks for your dedication. You all make Xianlai shine!", and "Let’s build a brilliant future together!"
WHOOSH~ WHOOSH~ WHOOSH~
The red envelopes were snatched up in seconds.
[Wow! The director is so generous! Thank you, Director! Happy New Year!]
[Thank you, Director!]
[Thanks for the red envelope, Director! Happy New Year!]
[I got one! Wishing you a prosperous New Year, Director! Let’s all get rich together!]
[...]
The chat was once again flooded with messages of thanks and well-wishes, the festive atmosphere practically overflowing from the screen.
After sending the red envelopes to the employee group, Yang Qi opened another, much quieter group chat.
The "Reaping the Harvest (Song Sect Family)" group chat.
Yang Qi first posted a series of New Year’s greetings and sent out a few red envelopes.
His senior brothers and sisters started popping up online, replying with their own well-wishes and snatching up the red envelopes, and the chat quickly grew lively.
Taking advantage of the lively atmosphere, Yang Qi typed out a message.
[Yang Qi: Happy New Year to all my seniors! I also have an update to share—your little brother here is now the director of the Xianlai Wild Animal World. The park is still in the construction and planning phase, and we’re aiming to open next year. I didn’t dare say anything before, I was afraid I’d embarrass our teacher [Facepalm]. In the future, I’ll be counting on all of you for your guidance and support with animal conservation, breeding, and park management! [Clasped Fist Salute]]
After he sent the message, the group fell silent for a few seconds.
And then—
[Yang Fan: ? Xianlai? You mean the Xianlai Wild Animal World in Laishan County? The one with the several-hundred-million-yuan investment? Little Brother, you’re the director?!]
[Fang Rong: Wow, Little Brother, you’re really something! Making such a big move without a peep. We’ve been keeping an eye on Xianlai for a while; it’s the biggest project of its kind in the province. We never knew who the director was... I can’t believe it’s you!]
[Xia Xiaomin: That’s amazing, Little Brother! Does Teacher know yet? She must be ecstatic!]
[Wei Zongting: Congratulations, Little Brother!]
[...]
His senior brothers and sisters were all stunned by the news, which was quickly followed by an outpouring of surprise, pride, and congratulations.
The Xianlai project was no secret within the province’s forestry and animal conservation circles. With its massive investment and forward-thinking design, it had already garnered a great deal of attention.
It was just that none of them had ever imagined that the one at the helm of this brand-new venture would be Yang Qi!