The Director's Exclusive Red Envelope

The night of New Year's Eve was too stimulating. Having been busy until midnight, Duan Jiaze only fell asleep at four in the morning. He slept until noon the next day before struggling to get up and go out to pay New Year's visits.

Running a business was different from being a student. Back then, his interactions were mostly limited to teachers and classmates. Now, Duan Jiaze had to visit all sorts of people in the city.

Duan Jiaze first went to Sun Aiping's house. After entering and offering New Year's greetings, Liu Li'an pulled him aside to complain.

Never mind that no one had rested well last night because of the tiger incident; Sun Aiping even had to work overtime today to investigate how a wild Bengal tiger had inexplicably appeared in Donghai City. Sun Aiping had been thinking about a promotion recently, so he had to be proactive.

Duan Jiaze broke into a cold sweat internally. This matter would probably never be traced. That fellow Hua Chong had simply tracked Hu Dawei all the way here on its own. It just didn't recognize the roads in a human city, which was why it ended up at Longmen Square.

Liu Li'an expressed her concern again, saying that Duan Jiaze surely hadn't rested well either, and gave him a big red envelope.

Bai Haibo happened to be there as well. Duan Jiaze saw him and thought, 'Not bad, he's already visiting the family.' He then said to Bai Haibo meaningfully, "Some things, when they need to be said, should be said."

Bai Haibo looked at Duan Jiaze nervously, knowing he was urging him to confess to Sun Ying.

Sun Ying, not knowing the inside story, thought they were just teasing them and blushingly stuffed a red envelope into Duan Jiaze's hands.

After receiving two red envelopes, Duan Jiaze also made a trip to Pagoda Mountain to visit Zhou Xintang. He felt the old man had it tough.

When Zhou Xintang saw Duan Jiaze come to pay a personal New Year's visit, he was pleasantly surprised. His temple was especially crowded with worshippers during the New Year, but even so, he had to make time to receive Duan Jiaze.

Sun Aiping's supervisor, Bao Hailuan, also came to offer incense today with his whole family. He was originally at the counter for consecrated items to buy incense when he caught a glimpse of Duan Jiaze coming out from the back.

Just as Bao Hailuan was about to greet him, he saw Zhou Xintang personally seeing him out. Duan Jiaze then stopped Zhou Xintang, saying something, seemingly asking him not to escort him any further.

This stunned Bao Hailuan. What was Zhou Xintang's status? Even the big bosses of Donghai City couldn't get him to personally welcome them, let alone walk them to the door. If Duan Jiaze hadn't stopped him, he probably would have walked him all the way to the mountain gate.

A storm brewed in Bao Hailuan's heart, a mix of surprise and sudden understanding. 'Although Shao Wuxing has considerable influence, he's not on the management committee and is still a second-generation disciple. It would be quite difficult for him to make the final decision on the joint ticket matter.'

Rather than Shao Wuxing pulling out all the stops to make the joint ticket happen because he owed a favor, it was more plausible that Duan Jiaze actually had a personal connection with Daoist Priest Zhou.

In addition, the matter of fostering the white elephant a while back was also handled by the abbot of Wuliang Temple, who was of the same generation. Perhaps Duan Jiaze's family had a background in this area.

The more Bao Hailuan thought about it, the more it made sense. He was due for a transfer after the New Year, and there were currently two popular candidates for his replacement. One was Sun Aiping, and the other also had some connections. Sun Aiping was Bao Hailuan's pick, but he had been hesitant to fully support him, afraid of making an enemy of the other party if it didn't work out. But now, he had changed his mind. He had to back Sun Aiping.

Duan Jiaze didn't know that Bao Hailuan had seen him, and Bao Hailuan didn't come over to say hello. After coming down the mountain, he made a few more stops, all to people he had met while handling various procedures.

They also knew that Lingyou Zoo had backing, so when they saw Director Duan being so polite as to pay a personal New Year's visit, they were naturally even more amicable. He kept this up until nightfall before heading back.

......

As soon as he returned, Xiao Qing came over gleefully, "Zoo Director, you're finally back! I've prepared a red envelope for you."

When red envelopes were mentioned last night, everyone had unanimously agreed to give Duan Jiaze a red envelope in return, but the contents could be anything, not necessarily money, allowing for flexibility.

Xiao Qing had been racking his brains for a long time and, just before Duan Jiaze's return, had finally figured out what to put inside. He was now very excited to give it to Duan Jiaze.

Duan Jiaze was also very happy and held out his hands, "Oh, you shouldn't have been so formal..."

Xiao Qing: "..."

Xiao Qing took out a very large red cloth bundle. His gift was rather big, so he had whimsically made a super-sized red envelope himself.

When Duan Jiaze opened it, his smile froze a little. He pulled the item out and said hesitantly, "If I'm not mistaken, this is... an apron?"

Inside the red cloth bundle was a gray-green checkered apron. It was good-looking, but it perplexed Duan Jiaze. He couldn't understand why he was being given an apron.

Xiao Qing: "That's right. Zoo Director, you're always cooking. This apron is made from the skin I shed a hundred years ago. It's impervious to water and fire, so you won't have to worry about damaging your clothes when you cook anymore. Everyone just praised me for preparing such a good gift."

Duan Jiaze: "..."

This thoughtful gesture nearly made Duan Jiaze spit out a mouthful of blood. He had thought he would receive some spirit medicine or a magical artifact, just like in a cultivation novel, which would have been awesome. Now he realized he had been overthinking it; the great immortals were indeed very practical.

Of course, as a return gift for a one-hundred-yuan red envelope, this was already very good. It was also a token of Xiao Qing's hard work. After coming to his senses, Duan Jiaze's mood returned to normal.

Duan Jiaze tried it on. It fit perfectly, a seamless match. "Thank you, Xiao Qing, I like it very much..."

Xiao Qing: "I'm glad you like it. Zoo Director, can you wear this to cook me a midnight snack tonight?"

Duan Jiaze: "..."

"Xiao Qing, it's the first day of the New Year. How can you order the Zoo Director around again?" At that moment, Bai Suzhen came over, glanced at Xiao Qing disapprovingly, and handed Duan Jiaze an oil-paper umbrella in her hand. She hadn't wrapped it in any red envelope.

Duan Jiaze joked, "Sister Bai, you didn't wrap up your token of love for me, did you?"

Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian's fate was sealed with an oil-paper umbrella in the rain back then. Seeing her with one now, Duan Jiaze couldn't help but tease her.

Bai Suzhen chided, "In your dreams. Donghai has a lot of rain. I made it for you to take shelter from the rain."

Bai Suzhen opened the paper umbrella, and Duan Jiaze let out a cry of surprise.

The handle and ribs of the umbrella were made from split purple bamboo. The canopy, made of a material that was like cloth and paper, was painted with a distant view of Lingyou Zoo in ink wash, along with five elegant yet grand calligraphy characters: "The Spiritual Path Unfolds in the Zoo."

In ancient times, King Wen of Zhou built a garden to raise rare birds and beasts. It was said to be an imperial garden, but in reality, he shared its joys with the people, which is why they loved it so much, giving rise to the saying, "The spiritual path unfolds in the zoo."

People called King Wen of Zhou's garden Lingyou, its ponds Lingzhao, and its high terrace Lingtai.

This was the very essence of "joy shared is joy doubled." Unfortunately, many later royals and nobles who built private gardens and zoos rarely acted like King Wen of Zhou. Opening them to the public for a few days was considered a benevolent act.

It wasn't until modern times that zoos once again became places of "public enjoyment."

So, for Bai Suzhen to choose this phrase was deeply meaningful. By extension, it was a hope that the current Lingyou Zoo would be as wonderful as the one back then, bringing happiness to people and being loved by them. This was the true meaning of the "Ling" in "Lingyou".

Duan Jiaze had also learned about this background when naming Lingyou Zoo, so he quickly understood Bai Suzhen's thoughts. "Thank you, Sister Bai. This umbrella is truly wonderful. The umbrella is good, the painting is good, and the characters are even better."

"By the way," Duan Jiaze made a reasonable guess, "Since Sister Bai made it, is this umbrella particularly awesome? Like, can thirty people shelter under it at once?"

Bai Suzhen: "...You're overthinking it. It just prevents any moisture from touching you within its range, ensuring you stay dry from the tips of your hair to the hem of your clothes."

Duan Jiaze was slightly disappointed, but that was still very good. Sometimes, even with an umbrella, rain would still drift onto you and wet some parts. This umbrella was convenient, like a raincoat, and good-looking too. It was just that it might look a tiny bit effeminate for a man to use nowadays.

Duan Jiaze looked at it again and again. He truly liked it and decided not to let it go to waste. He would have the duo in charge of merchandise, Peng Cheng and his partner, replicate the umbrella to be sold as souvenirs. Wasn't it "joy shared is joy doubled"? If it became a product, he wouldn't be the only one using it, and at least he wouldn't stand out so much...

Besides the brother and sister duo, Xiong Siqian gave him a jar of his prized honey, and Linggan gave him a modified range hood (...).

Jingwei gave him a rock she said she had picked up on West Mountain back in the day—Jingwei used to carry grass and stones from West Mountain to fill the East Sea. She had liked this one so much she couldn't bear to use it for landfill, and now she was giving it to Duan Jiaze.

Duan Jiaze took a look. It felt like an ordinary rock, big and heavy. Xiao Qing even muttered on the side whether Jingwei had just picked it up randomly outside today.

Jingwei still wore an indifferent expression, but Duan Jiaze still placed the stone on the curio shelf in his office.

Actually, regardless of whether this stone was from West Mountain or some other mountain, and whether Jingwei had truly liked it or not, it was still a stone that Jingwei had carried. That was very meaningful. Although outsiders couldn't understand, Duan Jiaze could appreciate it himself for a while.

Zhu Feng gave him a statue of the God of Wealth, telling Duan Jiaze to also place it in his office and replace the old Maneki-neko he had bought before.

Zhu Feng: "I'm on very good terms with the God of Wealth. He'll definitely give me face. Praying to this is much more reliable than praying to that barbarian cat. Can it even understand what you're saying?"

Duan Jiaze: "...That would be great, then."

Yousu gave Duan Jiaze a bottle of Master X mineral water. Duan Jiaze studied it for a long time, asking her if she was worried he was thirsty and was handing him a drink. He even pretended he was about to open and drink it.

Yousu said meaningfully, "This is a potion I personally concocted. I added your hair to it. Anyone who drinks this water, even a single drop, will fall deeply in love with you."

Duan Jiaze shuddered. He had no idea when Yousu had plucked his hair. He had almost become the most narcissistic person in the world just now. He quickly and carefully placed it to one side. This was something he couldn't dare to leave in the office; he'd put it in his room later.

At this moment, Luya said disdainfully, "Tricks of a common swindler in the Human Realm. Nine-tailed Fox, you're being a bit too perfunctory, aren't you? Giving this kind of thing?"

At first glance, it did sound like a swindler's trick, but considering it was made by Daji, its credibility suddenly skyrocketed. Duan Jiaze didn't think it was perfunctory at all.

Seeing Duan Jiaze carefully putting the water away, Luya attacked again, "And it was only brewed for a day. It definitely has no effect. You won't use it right away, and later when you do use it, she can just say it expired."

Yousu became anxious, "Daoist Lord, how can you question my integrity?"

Duan Jiaze: "..."

'There's really no need to question it. Hasn't it already been proven by the fall of a dynasty?'

Luya snatched the mineral water bottle, sniffed it, and sneered, "You just got this from the tourist service center, didn't you..."

Yousu suddenly reached out from the side and slapped the bottom of the bottle. A bit of water splashed out, wetting Luya's lips.

Luya froze for a moment, as if he never expected Yousu would dare to do such a thing, then he furiously shouted, "How dare you!"

Yousu dodged behind Duan Jiaze and smiled slyly, "It seems the Daoist Lord has had a taste."

In that instant, Duan Jiaze felt as if he could see Yousu's fox tails showing. She was filled with pride for having successfully pranked Luya, and a malicious smile even appeared on her face.

Duan Jiaze said frantically, "Daoist Lord, look at me. Do I look cuter than before?"

Luya pushed Duan Jiaze away with one hand, "In your wildest dreams!"

Duan Jiaze: "..."

'Damn, is it really a counterfeit, or is the Daoist Lord's cultivation so high that it's useless against him?'

Luya summoned his Man-Slaying Saber, threatening to cut off Yousu's tails.

Yousu hadn't expected Luya to be immune. She forced a smile, able to be both bold and yielding. "I was just joking with the Daoist Lord. How could I dare hope it would have an effect on you? What level of cultivation does the Daoist Lord possess! Besides, it's the New Year, Daoist Lord, you shouldn't resort to weapons. By the way, what did the Daoist Lord give as a gift?"

Luya's phoenix eyes glared. "Don't try to change the subject."

Although Luya was burning with rage, he didn't kill his colleague, something Duan Jiaze had repeatedly emphasized. Thus, he only uttered some harsh words.

Duan Jiaze took advantage of the chaos to screw the cap back on the bottle, which still had a lot of water left, and took it to his room. He felt that although the Daoist Lord hadn't fallen for it, it might still be effective if a mortal drank it.

As soon as Duan Jiaze stepped out, he saw Kunpeng standing at the door holding Schrödinger. It had only been a few days, but Schrödinger seemed to have been fed until it was a whole size larger, fluffy and looking extremely cute.

Kunpeng said indifferently, "Are they giving you return gifts?"

Kunpeng had also received a red envelope, but when Xiao Qing proposed giving gifts, he was the only one who didn't respond, so Duan Jiaze had assumed he wouldn't participate. Now, hearing Kunpeng bring it up, he felt a bit awkward. "Yeah."

Kunpeng stroked Schrödinger a couple of times and said to himself, "I have no worldly possessions and nothing to give you. In that case, I shall give you a whale. You can have a taste."

With that, Kunpeng opened his mouth—

"Wait!" Duan Jiaze quickly stopped him, fighting the urge to gag. "I appreciate the thought, but I'll pass on the fish meat. Just helping to take care of Schrödinger is enough."

He was interested in whales, but he didn't want to eat one, especially not one spat out from Kunpeng's mouth. From the sound of it, it wasn't even alive...

Kunpeng was noncommittal and walked away, holding the cat.

......

Duan Jiaze returned to his room. Just as he was about to lock the potion in his cabinet, he noticed something was off. The back pillow on his bed had been replaced with a new one.

The original pillow was one Duan Jiaze had been using since his university days, bought from a supermarket with simple stripes. Now, a plain-colored pillow sat on his bed.

Just as Duan Jiaze was pondering what had happened, there was a knock on the door. He opened it to see Luya standing outside. The argument had apparently ended at some point. With his arms crossed, Luya said coolly, "The pillow is a gift from this venerable one."

'What, a pillow stuffed with Luya's down?'

Duan Jiaze looked at Luya with pleasant surprise. He hadn't expected him to be so nice, to see his hard work in collecting feathers and grant his wish ahead of time.

For a moment, he suspected it might be because of the potion, but the gift must have been prepared long ago. Besides, didn't the Daoist Lord's choice of words still sound as infuriating as ever...

Duan Jiaze quickly said, "Thank you, Daoist Lord!"

At this rate, if he gave Luya a red envelope every year, he might have a full four-piece bedding set made of Luya's down in just a few years!

Luya was still unaware of Duan Jiaze's greedy thoughts. Seeing his face full of tearful gratitude (not really), he felt very pleased with himself, though he maintained a very cool expression on his face.

Duan Jiaze couldn't read his thoughts. After putting the potion away, he grabbed the pillow to try hugging it.

As expected, it was self-heating, with a comfortable temperature that wasn't too hot. Truly a product of the Three-legged Golden Crow. Whether as a back pillow or a bolster, it was very suitable. Duan Jiaze thanked Luya once more.

This time, Luya couldn't maintain his cool facade. A smug expression appeared on his face, completely unaware that he had been totally led astray, never considering that this was not some great honor at all!

......

Meanwhile, various departments in Donghai City were also cooperating to investigate the reason for the wild Bengal tiger's appearance.

However, after searching within their jurisdiction, they found no suspicious individuals. The Spring Festival was a time when the traffic police were on high alert to prevent accidents. They wouldn't even let a single extra person in a car, let alone a tiger.

At a time like this, with so many checkpoints, no one would be foolish enough to commit a crime so brazenly.

But they couldn't just leave it without an explanation. So they interviewed citizens and checked surveillance footage. After various verifications, they discovered that the tiger had, by coincidence, been scared into the city center by the sounds of various firecrackers and fireworks.

There were no cameras outside the city, but a witness came forward to testify that they had seen the tiger's figure while driving outside the city, thinking at the time that they had seen wrong.

So everyone went to investigate outside the city. Because it had rained, some tracks were left behind. According to expert deductions, this tiger had approached Donghai City at high speed. The visible footprints alone stretched beyond the boundaries of Donghai City's jurisdiction.

They couldn't trace it any further, but the clues they had gathered so far showed no signs of human involvement.

In other words, either this tiger had "migrated" to Donghai City on its own, or it had escaped from poachers far away (though it had no injuries or marks on its body) and then traveled a long distance to reach Donghai City.

Both answers were quite fantastical upon closer thought. Once this miraculous result was investigated, the imaginative masses couldn't stop creating their own stories.

"The Adventures of a Tiger, a lone journey of a thousand li..."

"It passed by other cities on the way but didn't stop, yet it chose to stop in Donghai City."

"It's because there was commotion everywhere that night. It was too much of a coincidence."

"Holy crap, I'm even more impressed with this tiger now."

"I'm so curious about its experience, it's killing me. What kind of story happened here!"

"What will happen to the tiger next? Where will it be released? Can they even find its home?"

......

What to do with the tiger?

Lingyou Zoo stated that, according to their expert's examination, the tiger had suffered severe psychological trauma and had some after-effects from tranquilizers that required recuperation. As arranged by the Forestry Bureau, it would temporarily stay at Lingyou Zoo.

Currently, there were only a few dozen wild tigers in the entire country, including all subspecies. Their habitats were far worse than before. Most tigers were captive-bred, and many lacked the ability to survive in the wild.

Although this one was a wild tiger, it now had problems, leading to the same outcome as a captive-bred tiger. Whether it could return to the wild would be up to the experts.

Wild Bengal tiger expert Hu Dawei stated: It's not that I don't want to send it back, it's that it doesn't want to go!

After staying for a few days, Hua Chong seemed to have figured out the power structure within the zoo. It thus became even more adoring of its boss's boss, wagging its tail furiously whenever it saw Duan Jiaze.

Release it now? Believe it or not, the moment it was released, it would stage another "The Adventures of a Tiger" just for you.

If everyone could come to the currently closed Lingyou Zoo, they would know. Before the evaluation was even out, on the day after receiving the tiger, Director Duan had already gleefully rush-ordered a new introduction sign for the Bengal tiger. On the third day, it was nailed up in the Lion and Tiger Enclosure...