Lively and Kind Little Kunpeng

Hanging up such a photo wall was actually very awkward. The new house had been designed under Zhu Feng's guidance, and its decor had a more Chinese style. Hanging Tan Xiao's paintings was one thing; although they were watercolors, they at least had an Eastern charm. But hanging a wall of motley animal portraits just seemed somewhat nondescript.

What could Duan Jiaze do? At this point, even if he wanted to say he wouldn't hang anything, not even the goldfish, it was useless. The great immortals wanted to appear on the wall, and Duan Jiaze's actions had already inspired them.

So, he could only hang them up obediently. He had the photos taken by the professional photographer printed out and hung them, large and small, all over one wall. He might as well not miss a single one, hanging everyone in a row from Luya to Linggan. Of course, Luya and Yousu had to be at the very top.

As for the animals, their colors were all different, and with the backgrounds, they were quite vibrant. This might have worked with a simple Nordic style, but it really didn't match the reserved Chinese aesthetic.

When Huang Qi arrived at Duan Jiaze's office, he was left breathless for a while. He never would have expected that the tasteful watercolor paintings he saw last time would be replaced by a wall of gaudy photographs. Even if he was a zoo director, was there any need to go this far?

Huang Qi looked for a long time, then frowned and said, "Director, if you insist on hanging photos, wouldn't black and white ones be more artistic?" Although they would still clash with the Chinese style, at least they wouldn't be so garish.

Duan Jiaze didn't even lift his head. "Yes, yes, and if I place a bouquet of flowers and a few sticks of incense below them, I can be killed directly."

Huang Qi: "..."

Huang Qi didn't know who the Director was talking about being killed by, but it sounded like he had been forced. After all, the room's original style was quite good, but now it had become too abrupt.

"Director, why on earth?" As someone with a certain degree of aesthetic conviction, Huang Qi couldn't comprehend Duan Jiaze's actions.

Duan Jiaze gave a bleak smile in his heart. 'My restaurant is called Jiajia Restaurant, do I need a reason to hang this stuff...'

Huang Qi: "..."

Could he surmise that this was Brother Lu's mischief again? So handsome, yet his tastes were so peculiar.

Huang Qi: "A-anyway, I'm here to report that the holiday notice has been drafted. Is it confirmed that we'll only have a few people stay behind?"

"Yes, no problem," Duan Jiaze said.

The Spring Festival holiday schedule had been arranged. Apart from employees who worked twenty-four hours like Hu Dawei, and a few orphan monks who grew up in temples, everyone else would be on vacation.

—Actually, if Duan Jiaze hadn't implemented a priority principle, all the other monks would have wanted to stay, as if they felt having fewer people around would give them a better chance to interact with that layman.

Huang Qi: "Alright, then the announcement can be posted in a couple of days. I need to buy my train ticket home too."

"Thank you for your hard work. Let's have an annual party before the holiday, with a raffle," Duan Jiaze said. Most companies had already held their annual parties by now. Duan Jiaze had been so busy he'd spun in circles and only just remembered. He then felt they should have one too, even if it was a bit late.

Although the zoo was currently busy acquiring aquatic animals and funds were tight, the money for gifts could still be allocated.

Lingyou Zoo had just started this year, and every employee had shed a lot of sweat for it, especially the early ones who did the work of two or three people. Of course, their growth was also very obvious.

"Okay. By the way, Director, the Manta Ray has arrived. Shall we go take a look?" Huang Qi asked.

"Great, let's go." Duan Jiaze feigned ignorance. In reality, the transport and handover were just for show; they had Kunpeng and Hu Dawei go out and come back in, since the paperwork was all automatically generated.

......

The two went to the Aquarium and walked toward the underwater tunnel. The Manta Ray was already in the water. As they walked inside, a giant Manta Ray appeared, blotting out the sky.

This Manta Ray, transformed from Kunpeng, had a wingspan of a full ten meters. When it swam over the tunnel, a large shadow enveloped Duan Jiaze and the other man. Even though Duan Jiaze was mentally prepared, he still found it incredibly stunning.

A ten-meter Manta Ray was already so astonishing; it was hard to imagine how powerful Kunpeng's true form was.

Huang Qi sighed with emotion, "Kunpeng..."

Duan Jiaze jumped, looking at Huang Qi in shock. "What?"

Huang Qi: "Do you know Kunpeng? The one mentioned in 'Free and Easy Wandering.' I think this Manta Ray looks like Kunpeng. Although such a large creature surely doesn't exist in reality and is just a fantasy of the ancients, this Manta Ray is already big enough to make me feel a sense of fear. The ocean is truly magical to have produced such a creature."

"Oh..." Duan Jiaze breathed a sigh of relief, it had scared him to death. He thought Huang Qi had found out something.

Just then, the Manta Ray flapped its pectoral fins, and the two large fins actually slapped against the glass, making a muffled thudding sound from above. Inside this tunnel, it gave the illusion that it was about to come crashing down.

"Holy crap!" Huang Qi immediately squatted down and covered his head. Although reason told him afterward that it couldn't possibly shatter the glass, in that instant, he was filled with terror. If this Manta Ray were to crash down, his body would probably be flattened to the same shape as it.

Duan Jiaze only trembled slightly, but was otherwise fine. After all, he knew deep down that with Daoist Lord Luya's backing, he wasn't afraid that Kunpeng would dare to attack him.

Seeing Duan Jiaze so calm, Huang Qi stood up, a little sheepishly, and said with admiration, "...Director, you truly live up to your name."

Duan Jiaze smiled reservedly, inwardly celebrating like crazy.

......

Later, when no one was around, Duan Jiaze asked Kunpeng, "Why did you scare us??"

The boyish-faced Kunpeng, with a gloomy expression, said, "Didn't you tell me to be more lively?"

Duan Jiaze: "..."

Oh, so this was what "lively" meant.

Duan Jiaze really wanted to refute him, but then he realized that what Kunpeng said seemed to be correct. The creature was ten meters long; this was the effect of him simply acting cute. There was nothing to be done about it.

No wonder such a "cute" Manta Ray was called a devilfish.

Duan Jiaze pondered for a long time before saying to Kunpeng, "Very good, then continue to maintain this lively style in the future. The public should find this effect delightful."

Kunpeng nodded with a deadpan expression.

......

After Lingyou Zoo posted its holiday announcement, amidst a wave of wails, many citizens took advantage of the time before the break to come for one last meal of pork rib and lotus root soup. Eating lotus root soup in winter, especially Lingyou's, was truly a kind of bliss!

Thus, although it was close to the end of the year and everyone was supposedly busy, even more people came.

During such a busy time, Duan Jiaze received a call from his university class monitor.

The class monitor had been working in Donghai since graduation. During the busiest initial period of Lingyou Zoo's opening, the class monitor was one of the classmates who came to help Duan Jiaze. It could be said that their relationship was very good, although due to their busy work schedules, they didn't contact each other as much as they did in school.

The class monitor said, "Jiajia, do me a favor. I'm going back to my hometown for the New Year. I have a kitten here, let me board it at your place."

Duan Jiaze broke into a sweat. "Why board it with me? Aren't Old Wang and Old Bai in Donghai?"

It wasn't that Duan Jiaze was unwilling; he just found it strange.

The class monitor said righteously, "Makes perfect sense. You run a zoo, why wouldn't I board it with you instead of someone else?"

Duan Jiaze: "..."

This logic was also something he found hard to refute. In fact, since opening the zoo, he had encountered many people who couldn't distinguish their place from a pet store or a pet hospital.

As for a veterinarian, Lingyou Zoo did have one, hired for the sake of appearances. He was a professional that Duan Jiaze had Huang Qi poach from out of town, as Donghai City wasn't particularly developed in this area.

That veterinarian had absolutely no presence at Lingyou Zoo. He was so idle he was about to lose his mind, and even felt embarrassed, so he spent his days helping the keepers with their work. This was because Lingyou's animals never got sick, and cases of pregnancy or injury weren't very common either. However, they didn't accept outside patients either, otherwise they would have just opened a hospital.

As for his classmate's request to board the cat, he probably thought there were many keepers here. In fact, regardless of whether there were keepers who could professionally care for a cat, Duan Jiaze had just given them all a holiday.

Despite these circumstances, since his classmate had asked, Duan Jiaze still agreed. It wasn't a particularly difficult animal to care for anyway. "Sure, you can bring it over."

On the day the class monitor brought the cat over, they were having their annual party, and the zoo was no longer open for business.

"Hey, it's a long-haired cat." Duan Jiaze looked through the mesh of the cat carrier at the kitten inside. It wasn't big, probably only four or five months old, with a coat of mixed gray, brown, and yellow fur. Its eyes were particularly large, and it was quite good-looking.

"A mix, has Norwegian Forest Cat blood. Super bold, always jumping around at home. I named it Schrödinger," the class monitor said. "A colleague of mine found it and gave it to me. I have no choice, I can't take it on the high-speed rail. I've brought its cat food and stuff. Sorry to trouble you. Is your vet still working? Could you give it a check-up while you're at it?"

"...Schrödinger? Okay, I'll ask." Duan Jiaze waved goodbye and took the cat back with him.

They were having their annual party in an empty exhibition hall today. Since there were quite a few people and no one had to work, Luya and the others were also present.

The moment Duan Jiaze entered, before he could say a word, Luya's gaze shot over like a laser, looking at the cat carrier in his hand and asking, "What's that?"

Duan Jiaze: "..."

He had a strange feeling, as if he hadn't brought back a cat, but a mistress. Duan Jiaze's face darkened slightly. Mainly, the Daoist Lord was too insistent on his own status; he wouldn't even allow a dog, let alone a cat.

Xiao Su let out a squeal, "Ah, is it a kitten?"

She rushed over, asking to see the little cat.

"This is my classmate's cat. It's difficult to take it back to his hometown, so it's being boarded here until after the New Year," Duan Jiaze explained, then said meaningfully in front of the other employees, "It's just a temporary resident, don't you bully it."

The exhibition hall door was closed, and the place was quite spacious, so there was no fear of Schrödinger running off and hiding. Duan Jiaze thus agreed to Xiao Su's request to let the cat out.

This mixed-breed long-haired cat was much bolder than the American Shorthair that had come to Lingyou Zoo for a commercial shoot. After being taken out by Xiao Su, it actually dared to meow at Luya, as if it sensed his unfriendly attitude.

Although Luya hadn't released his aura, this cat could still be called a warrior!

Generally, the only one in the entire zoo who dared to raise their voice at the Daoist Lord was the Zoo Director, and even then, it depended on the situation.

"Little kitty, are you hungry?" Xiao Su also saw the cat food, but she remembered there was some leftover food in the kitchen and wanted to give the cat something better. Looking left and right, she saw little brother Peng sitting alone in a chair, ignored by everyone.

Speaking of which, this Xiao Peng was really pitiful. Xiao Su rarely saw him, but whenever she did, he was always alone. Even little sister Xiao Su didn't play with him, and as for Brother Lu, he didn't need to be mentioned. It seemed like no one really paid him any attention.

Of course, it might also be because Xiao Peng was rather withdrawn. Sometimes when she tried to talk to him, Xiao Peng would shyly remain silent.

With this thought, Xiao Su carried the kitten over to Xiao Peng and said softly, "Xiao Peng, can you hold this cat for sister for a moment? I'm going to get some meat to feed it."

Kunpeng gave the human girl a cold look, then glanced at the meowing kitten in her hands, and for some reason, nodded and took the kitten.

Xiao Su had originally wanted to teach Xiao Peng how to hold it, but to her surprise, Xiao Peng's movements were very skilled. He pinched the scruff of the kitten's neck with one hand and supported it with the other, placing it on his lap and even stroking it a few times.

It seemed Xiao Peng might quite like cats. Being so gentle with small animals, he must be a kind child, Xiao Su thought as she walked away, reassured.

Kunpeng, who was experienced in finding a prey's weakness, looked down at the kitten with no expression.

He slowly released his hand from the kitten's scruff.

The kitten, however, didn't jump down, perhaps because it was too high. It stumbled a couple of steps on the uneven surface of his legs and instead rubbed its head against Kunpeng's hand.

"..." Kunpeng tilted his head for a moment. "Are you hungry?"

Duan Jiaze, who was standing nearby, also saw the interaction between Xiao Su and Kunpeng. He didn't stop it, just observed their actions. He felt that no matter how dark Kunpeng was, he probably wouldn't do anything to a small kitten.

What happened next was also fine. Xiao Su left, and Kunpeng held the cat, waiting for her return. He saw Kunpeng lower his head to play with the kitten, even letting it go, and he seemed to be enjoying himself, although his facial expression was still as deadpan as ever.

But the next moment, Duan Jiaze saw Kunpeng carrying the kitten and walking towards a corner.

Duan Jiaze found it a bit strange. Kunpeng shouldn't have a hobby of abusing small animals, right? He followed them and saw Kunpeng take the cat to a deserted corner, crouch down, and open his mouth—

Duan Jiaze said urgently, "What are you doing?"

Kunpeng looked at the rushing Duan Jiaze and said faintly, "Feeding the cat."

Duan Jiaze: "?"

Kunpeng opened his mouth and vomited out several palm-sized small fish, along with a puddle of seawater, pouring them onto the ground. One of the fish was actually still alive, stubbornly flapping its tail on the ground. It looked quite fresh...

When the kitten saw this, it immediately slapped it with its paw, pinning the twitching fish down and began to sniff it.

Duan Jiaze: ".................."

Duan Jiaze was not feeling well at all... What the hell kind of feeding the cat was this? This was the first time he had ever seen someone vomit live fish to feed a cat!

Kunpeng wiped his mouth, acting completely natural, and even asked Duan Jiaze, "Director, what's its name?"

Duan Jiaze stared at Kunpeng's tender, moving lips and said in a daze, "Schrödinger..."

"Oh, its surname is Su." Kunpeng looked down at Schrödinger eating the fish. After a moment, he looked up at the stunned Duan Jiaze standing before him and said, "Director, is there anything else you need?"

"No, nothing." Duan Jiaze covered his mouth and walked away, not wanting to remind Kunpeng that the cat's surname wasn't Su. He felt a bit nauseous.

Logically, Duan Jiaze could console himself—as a super, super, super big fish, the usual feed was barely enough to fill the gaps between Kunpeng's teeth; it was just for show.

And for such a massive creature, it was of course impossible for him to chew every single fish. He would swallow them all together, and if it was for a short period, it wasn't impossible for some fish to still be alive in his stomach...

But, for a cute little boy like you to vomit fish in human form, isn't that going too far?!

Duan Jiaze walked back with a pale face. Seeing the circle of dispatched animals with their high average attractiveness, he couldn't help but ask, "Do you guys have any primitive habits that you've kept to this day?"

Luya instantly tensed up. "No!"

"...If you don't, you don't. Why are you shouting? You scared me," Duan Jiaze said, speechless.

Yousu's eyes darted slyly. "What did the Zoo Director see?"

Duan Jiaze thought about how everyone already seemed to be ostracizing Kunpeng. It wouldn't be right to talk about him like this. Although he really wanted to complain, he still shook his head. "Nothing, just curious."

Luya grumbled with apparent dissatisfaction, "What's there to be curious about..."

Duan Jiaze pretended not to hear anything. There were plenty of things Luya was dissatisfied with anyway——

......

At the annual party, the main event was a big feast, all featuring delicious dishes from the Shennong and Luojia series. Since there wasn't much time to prepare beforehand, anyone who wanted to perform could do so spontaneously. The raffle segment ensured that everyone got a prize, including the volunteers. The prizes were big and small, with the largest being nothing more than the latest electronic products, all for the sake of having fun. People who won prizes even traded with each other for things they needed.

Lingyou's first annual party was actually quite simple, but the atmosphere was rather touching. After it ended, the holiday officially began. Apart from the few employees on duty, everyone went back to their respective homes.

The zoo, which was normally bustling with a constant stream of tourists, suddenly became deserted.

Two days later, it was New Year's Eve.

Duan Jiaze didn't really have any special feelings about the New Year. He had been living alone for a long time, but he was quite optimistic and wouldn't feel too down about it.

This year, however, he had so many people with him. Duan Jiaze said cheerfully, "Let me show you the power of the Spring Festival Gala."

A few monks were also there. They were of the Human Race, and as monks from the cultivation world, they rarely watched television. When they laughed out loud at a joke, they would find that the Director's group of friends and family all had cold expressions.

Their senses of humor were different, and for a moment, it was very awkward.

But overall, the atmosphere was very harmonious, and from time to time, the sound of firecrackers could be heard from the distant village.

Duan Jiaze also bought a few strings of firecrackers, tossing them out to set them off. He whispered to Yousu and the others, "This is our traditional custom, to scare away the Nian beast."

Yousu chuckled. "If we don't set off firecrackers tonight, does that mean we can eat the Nian beast?"

"With you guys here, the Nian beast wouldn't dare to come even without firecrackers." Duan Jiaze listened to her nonsense, chuckled, and played along for a bit before lighting the firecrackers.

Amidst the crackling of the firecrackers, Sun Aiping called. Duan Jiaze was a little surprised; he had already called Sun Ying and wished Sun Aiping's whole family a happy new year on the phone.

"Hello? Uncle Sun?" Duan Jiaze covered one ear and spoke loudly.

There were also firecrackers on Sun Aiping's end. He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Xiao Duan! Your zoo—is there—"

Duan Jiaze closed the door. "What? What?"

Sun Aiping shouted, "Quick, check if a tiger has escaped from your zoo—there's a tiger in the city at Longmen Square—"

Duan Jiaze was shocked. A tiger on the streets during the New Year? This was too exciting! Where did it escape from? Could it be the City Zoo? It certainly wasn't from Lingyou.

Duan Jiaze said with a touch of sadness, "Uncle! Our Lion and Tiger Enclosure only has lions, no tigers! We're poor, can't afford them!"