"Zoo Director, you..." Huang Qi studied Duan Jiaze for a good while, then said, "When did you get your hair styled?"

Duan Jiaze: "..."

Duan Jiaze touched it. His originally straight black hair had become slightly curly, with tufts sticking out here and there. Faced with Huang Qi's question, Duan Jiaze was choked with speechlessness.

Huang Qi added, "It looks pretty good. It's not bad for a young person to get a perm."

'The Zoo Director is just a kid who recently graduated, after all. He still likes to dress up,' he thought.

Duan Jiaze had no idea how to answer. He wished it was a deliberate styling! But, in fact, it was from yesterday when Luya cornered him and questioned him about picking up the feathers. After he said he wanted to make a down pillow, Luya became particularly angry.

When Luya gets angry, he breathes fire. He left in a fiery huff.

This time, they were quite close. Although the fire didn't burn Duan Jiaze, when he returned to his room and looked, the ends of his hair had already curled up...

It all happened in that one moment! His hair got curled!

Thankfully, it wasn't curled into springs, or Duan Jiaze might have had to fight Luya to the death.

In short, Luya's temper was so bad that Duan Jiaze was speechless. He didn't know what nerve he had struck. Luya didn't even take the feather back, but Duan Jiaze didn't dare to keep it any longer and planned to find a time to return it to him.

But there was nothing to be done for now. Duan Jiaze was heading to the city with Huang Qi.

Duan Jiaze had expressed his hope to introduce a certain number of second-class protected animals within four months. He had already set his sights on some, like small civets, swans, and mandarin ducks. Huang Qi calculated and realized there wasn't much available capital left. If they waited for sales revenue to come in, it would be a bit late.

Besides, they couldn't always be this strapped for cash. Having introduced so many animals, they would also need to hire more zookeepers, which was another expense. So, Huang Qi suggested that Duan Jiaze take out a loan in the zoo's name. After all, what business operates without any debt?

Duan Jiaze thought it made sense. He knew about paying in installments for a TV, so what was wrong with taking out a loan to complete missions?

So, Duan Jiaze went to a bank in the city with Huang Qi today. Although Duan Jiaze was inexperienced, Huang Qi was very familiar with these procedures and even said he could help Duan Jiaze prepare the application documents.

Huang Qi had been at Lingyou Zoo for some time and had a relatively comprehensive understanding of the place. Before they left, he told Duan Jiaze that he estimated, given the current situation, it would be appropriate to first apply for a medium-to-long-term loan of 800,000 yuan.

Although Lingyou Zoo had only recently reopened and wasn't very cash-rich, its recent momentum was excellent. The property and equipment were very valuable, more than enough for collateral.

—In fact, after Yousu understood the relevant policies, she even urged Duan Jiaze to ask Linshui Temple to act as a guarantor.

Duan Jiaze's face darkened with lines. He said, "Just stop forcing them. If word of this gets out, everyone will again wonder what huge favor Shao Wuxing, or even Zhou Xintang, owes us."

......

On the bus, Duan Jiaze was staring out the window in a daze.

"A pregnant woman is boarding, can someone give up their seat?"

"Hey, the student with the curly hair?"

"Student??"

Duan Jiaze was startled awake, only then realizing the driver was calling him "curly hair." He stood up, his face dark, "Ma'am, please sit here."

The pregnant woman came to the back and sat in the seat Duan Jiaze had vacated. She didn't forget to look up and thank him, "Thanks, handsome." She looked up at Duan Jiaze. "Handsome, is your hair naturally curly or permed? What kind of curl is it? It's very natural."

Duan Jiaze: "...A natural perm."

The Zoo Director decided that since he was in the city today, he might as well stop by a barbershop later to get his hair straightened. Otherwise, it felt strangely uncomfortable.

The pregnant woman: "Oh, oh, it looks good. I want to get one for my husband too."

After Duan Jiaze got off the bus, the pregnant woman slapped her forehead. "What the heck? Why would you need to perm naturally curly hair?"

......

Dejected, Duan Jiaze went to the bank with Huang Qi. The staff in the credit department gave them an application form to fill out. When they submitted it, the staff member stared at Duan Jiaze for a long time before suddenly saying, "Are you, are you the director of that Lingyou Zoo?"

Duan Jiaze didn't expect to be recognized, but with the news about Luya being so big, it wasn't strange to be recognized by one or two people. "Yes, haha."

"Ah, I saw the news, I really admire your reaction!" The staff member shook hands with Duan Jiaze. "That bird of yours is so cool! I thought you looked familiar, but your hairstyle changed, so it took me a while to be sure."

At the mention of his hairstyle, Duan Jiaze gave another dry laugh.

After discovering that Duan Jiaze was the director of Lingyou Zoo, the staff member became very enthusiastic. He even asked him questions about Luya and thoughtfully advised them on how to best fill out the forms.

With the help of the staff member and Huang Qi, Duan Jiaze finished filling out the application and submitted the documents they had prepared. Huang Qi's preparations were indeed thorough, with no errors or omissions. Next, they just had to wait for the bank's approval.

......

After finishing their business, it was past noon. Huang Qi and Duan Jiaze had a quick bite to eat, and then Duan Jiaze told Huang Qi to head back first, claiming he had something else to do.

Huang Qi didn't understand. "What is it? Do you need me to accompany you?"

"No need, I'll go by myself." Duan Jiaze vaguely told Huang Qi to go back on his own, then ran off to a barbershop.

That's right, he was going to get this curly mop straightened. He was afraid Huang Qi would keep asking questions. He'd get it straightened first, and when he got back, he'd tell him the curls were a one-time thing and now it was straight again.

Although, this might lead Huang Qi to imagine him curling his hair with a curling iron in front of the mirror before leaving the house... Eek, no matter how you put it, it sounded so gay.

The hairstylist at the barbershop stood behind the chair, felt Duan Jiaze's hair, and said regretfully, "Do you really want to straighten it? Although it's lost its shape a bit, it's a very nice perm. It probably just lost its shape because it grew out a little, but this kind of casual look is very popular right now. How about I just give you a trim and style it for you?"

Duan Jiaze: "...It was done with fire."

The hairstylist laughed heartily. "You're so humorous."

Duan Jiaze: "??"

The hairstylist looked through the mirror for a long time before realizing Duan Jiaze's expression seemed very serious.

Speechless, he grabbed a tuft of hair and said, "I'm not blind. Look at your hair, it's permed so naturally and without any damage. It's been well-cared for, it looks like natural curls. How could a fire perm possibly have this effect? Hahaha."

Duan Jiaze: "..."

That depends on what kind of fire, and who set it... It seemed Luya's future was in working at a barbershop.

Duan Jiaze: "No, just straighten it for me...!"

After confirming several times, the hairstylist reluctantly helped Duan Jiaze straighten his hair. By the time it was done, it was already five or six in the afternoon.

......

Fan Haiping's whole family were now loyal fans of Lingyou Zoo. Fan Haiping and her husband had a very good impression of Lingyou, even buying annual passes. Their son, Zhao Bo, frequently checked Lingyou's official Weibo to see if there was anything new.

And just now, according to a post on the official Weibo, a new big black bear had arrived at the zoo.

Zhao Bo immediately started clamoring to go see the big bear.

On account of Zhao Bo's good grades on his last exam, Fan Haiping agreed. It was just that Zhao Bo's dad was working overtime on the weekend, so Fan Haiping took Zhao Bo by herself.

"Mom, hurry up, walk faster!" Zhao Bo ran ahead, waving at Fan Haiping. "Time for the lottery draw!"

Fan Haiping: "Slow down, don't fall!"

Zhao Bo expertly walked to the entrance and held out his hand. As expected, the Myna on duty for the day landed on his hand for a moment and even said, "Welcome."

Fan Haiping scanned her annual pass and drew her lottery prize. Her luck wasn't as good this time; she didn't get a bird companion. Zhao Bo was slightly disappointed, then said, "Let's go see the big bear first, then we can go feed the sparrows."

Fan Haiping said, "No, be careful they don't peck you."

The sparrows at Lingyou Zoo were getting more and more ferocious. Fan Haiping had witnessed many people being chased all over the place when they weren't paying attention, so she refused to let her child feed them. Especially since that recent incident at Lingyou, the entire city knew there was a bird of prey, Luya, that could KO a burly criminal. Who knew if the sparrows had been influenced by it...

Zhao Bo listlessly took Fan Haiping's hand, his spirits dampened.

Fan Haiping followed the signs and led Zhao Bo to the bear house.

This exhibit had just opened and currently housed a single black bear. You could see it upon entering. It was morning, and some tourists had already gathered here. From a distance, you couldn't see the black bear's figure behind the glass wall.

On the wall next to the entrance, there was a wall-mounted TV playing commercials.

Fan Haiping only glanced at it, not paying much attention. She heard the other tourists chattering, discussing the new black bear. She walked over and saw that the name column on the introduction plaque read "Heifeng," but the bear's movements were not like the wind at all.

This Heifeng had a very large build, but right now it was sitting inside with its belly exposed, so it couldn't be seen from outside the crowd.

"Ah..." Zhao Bo sighed. "Mom, it's so ugly."

Fan Haiping sized it up. "For a bear, it's actually quite handsome."

All black bears look like this. This one was sturdy with glossy fur; it could be considered a handsome one among bears.

At that moment, unnoticed by anyone, the commercials on the TV on the opposite wall finished, and the international news began to play.

The big black bear, which had been sitting lazily, suddenly stood up!

Almost all the tourists jumped in fright. Only when it stood up could everyone truly appreciate how large it was.

The big black bear stood on its hind legs and walked step by step toward the glass wall. Although they couldn't hear it, the force of its steps made its immense weight obvious. The tourists standing opposite it drew in a cold breath, feeling the urge to move aside.

At this time, they were still comforting and teasing each other.

"Hey, why are you shaking? Are you scared? The big bear is about to pounce."

"No way, hahaha, there's a glass wall, what's there to be afraid of?"

"Who's scared? You probably peed your pants, right?"

As they spoke, their eyes flickered, and they saw the big black bear's massive body lunge forward, its two front paws slapping forward violently!

The tourists standing directly in front of it were instantly scared into scattering to the sides. The more frantic ones nearly tripped and fell.

"Holy crap, that scared me to death!"

Looking now, the big black bear's two paws had slammed against the glass wall with a "bang", its face pressed close, but it had no effect on the sturdy glass wall.

Its sudden action left the tourists with lingering fear. For a moment, no one dared to speak loudly, nor did they dare to stand directly in front of it.

"Mom, why did it suddenly pounce? Does it want to hit people?" Zhao Bo asked.

Fan Haiping had also been quite frightened. The moment the black bear pounced, she tightened her grip on Zhao Bo's hand. "Maybe... it felt like we were disturbing it," she guessed as an explanation.

But still, the black bear's action had shown everyone its impressive presence. The onlookers were even more reluctant to leave, both scared and eager to see what it would do next.

But unexpectedly, the black bear didn't move again. It just leaned against the glass, staring intently outside.

"What's it looking at? Does it want to get out?"

"Hasn't it seen people before..."

"Damn, why do I feel like we're the ones being watched by it?"

"..."

Fan Haiping followed the black bear's gaze several times and couldn't help but say, "Why does it look like it's watching the news on TV?"

Its gaze was directed upward, not quite like it was looking at people, but more like it was watching the news playing on the TV opposite it.

Other tourists who heard Fan Haiping's words also looked back and forth to check.

"Hey, it's true, this bear seems to be watching the TV on the other side."

"Oh my god, bears can watch TV?"

"Aren't bears blind..."

"Who said that? It's written right here, bears have good eyesight and can distinguish colors. Maybe it's just watching the colorful things on TV."

This bear being attracted by the news was truly interesting.

Even more interesting, the bear stood on its two strong hind legs for a long time, as if completely engrossed. Finally, it walked to the side. People thought it had lost interest, but in reality, it just went over, picked up a bamboo shoot, and walked back. It continued to stare at the TV while munching on the bamboo shoot.

"...Damn it, it's eating a snack while watching TV?"

"You could say its state is exactly the same as mine on weekends!"

Fan Haiping was amused. These young tourists were also very humorous. She couldn't help but raise her phone and record a short video, panning from the black bear munching on a bamboo shoot while looking forward, to the news on the TV, with the caption:

"Took my son to the zoo and saw a big black bear concerned with international affairs."

......

Now that they had more and more fans, more tourists were interacting with them on Weibo.

For example, a tourist who came to see the black bear this time posted a picture and tagged the official account:

@Lingyou Zoo Are all the animals at my great Lingyou so badass? A black bear that keeps up with international affairs [Smile emoji]. It even eats bamboo shoots while watching, it really knows how to enjoy life.

Xiao Su casually retweeted:

This is the new black bear at the zoo, our baby Heifeng. He's in the prime of his life and subscribes to the philosophy of 'family matters, state matters, world matters, be concerned about them all'...

Comments:

Hahaha this bear is so studious, not bad, young and promising!

I'm so curious how Lingyou trains its animals? The birds are definitely trained, but the other animals are really hard to figure out...

Train what... This is obviously just someone's imagination! How the heck do you train a black bear to watch TV!

I want to see Luya! I want to see the Zoo Director! Official Weibo admin, hurry up and post the Zoo Director for me to simp over!

The marketing is on another level, but I like it, it's pretty cute.

Isn't it because of love? _(:з」∠)_

Yes yes it's all because of love 233333

I've seen quite a few short videos, and I'm also baffled. I've worked in a zoo myself, and I can say that some things can be trained, but some are absolutely impossible. Can it only be a coincidence? Or maybe the damn animals have really become spirits!

Poster above, watch your words. If they became spirits, would @Linshui Temple still cooperate with Lingyou? XD

......

Xiao Su glanced through, skipped the one asking about Luya and the Zoo Director, and retweeted with a photo of a back view: "The Zoo Director went out today, only managed to see his back. Seems like he got a new hairstyle... The official admin will take a photo of him interacting with the animals when he gets back!"

......

The Duan Jiaze who "got a new hairstyle today" but then changed it back got off the bus as dusk was falling. The employees had all gone home.

Duan Jiaze walked to the break room and saw that most people were playing cards. Luya wasn't there, so Duan Jiaze took a look and closed the door. He heard Huang Qi mutter from inside, "How did the Zoo Director get straight again?"

Duan Jiaze broke into a sweat. 'Can't you finish your sentence?' he thought.

He ran to Luya's room and knocked. The door opened by itself. Luya was sitting majestically on the bed, not even lifting his eyes. "What do you want?"

Duan Jiaze took out the two feathers, walked over, and placed them on the bed. "I came to return this to you..."

Luya paused, then slowly raised his head. "What do you mean?"

Duan Jiaze said awkwardly, "From your reaction yesterday, didn't you mean you were unhappy about people taking your feathers? We ordinary Human Race don't really understand your customs. If there's some special meaning and I accidentally offended you, then I'm very sorry. It's better to return them to you."

"Who said that! Who said there's a special meaning!" Luya roared.

Duan Jiaze: "...You did yesterday??"

He asked what I was going to do with them and then blushed. Doesn't that mean there's a special meaning? He thought about it for a long time and felt Luya had a right to be angry. After all, these feathers were practically a bird's clothes.

Luya: "I did not!!"

Duan Jiaze: "..."

Duan Jiaze: "Then I'll just take them? I'm serious, I'll put together a pillow. If conditions permit, I'll even make a four-piece set..."

Luya rolled off the bed. "Who said I was giving them to you?!"

Duan Jiaze was exasperated. "Then what on earth do you want? Or should I help you throw them away?"

"You dare?" Luya was also choked up for a moment. He stared at Duan Jiaze with furrowed brows for a while before saying resentfully, "Consider it a reward from this lord for your diligent work."

After he finished, he seemed very satisfied with this reason and repeated with emphasis, "This lord rewards you."

Duan Jiaze: "..."

Duan Jiaze picked up the two feathers and asked carefully, "Really? You won't change your mind again?"

Luya roared furiously, "You're so long-winded, get out!"

A wave of heat rolled over. Duan Jiaze closed his eyes, feeling his face flush. He quickly walked out. Wow, with a temper like that, he really couldn't afford to offend him.

Duan Jiaze hadn't walked more than a few steps when Huang Qi, carrying Yousu on his back, came upstairs and saw him. He let out a "Huh?" and said, "Zoo Director... you... is that a wig?"

"What?" Duan Jiaze was stunned and raised a hand to touch his hair.

—Damn it, he was getting angry! It was curly again.