A chorus of praise flooded his ears.
The little girl's parents were the first to rush over.
The woman, her face streaked with tears, snatched the little girl from Yang Qi's arms. She hugged her tightly, calling Qiqi's name over and over while peppering her small face with frantic kisses.
The man at her side gripped Yang Qi's hands tightly. His own palms were clammy, trembling slightly from a mixture of lingering fear and excitement as he thanked him profusely.
"Thank you! Thank you so much, my friend! If it weren't for you… I just don't know… Thank you, thank you!"
"It was nothing. I'm just glad the child is alright," Yang Qi said reassuringly.
Huang Zhongmu took a timely step forward and raised his voice.
"Everyone, please rest assured. This brave young man is Yang Qi, an employee of our zoo. Protecting the safety of every visitor is not just our responsibility as zoo employees—it's our professional instinct."
These words not only soothed the little girl's still-shaken family but also cleverly wove Yang Qi's personal heroism into the collective honor of the zoo, earning nods of approval from the surrounding visitors.
Of course, if Yang Qi had failed to save her, it would have been a different story.
Upon hearing Huang Zhongmu's words, a flash of understanding appeared in the eyes of the middle-aged woman, whose face had been deathly pale with anxiety just moments before.
After the little girl's father emotionally thanked him again and let go of Yang Qi's hand, she immediately stepped forward, naturally filling the empty space.
"Xiao Yang, thank you so much!"
The middle-aged woman's voice carried a faint, almost unnoticeable tremor, but her tone had already returned to the competence of a professional woman. "I'm the director of the zoo's administrative office. My surname is Mei. You can just call me Sister Mei."
She first introduced herself to build rapport, then looked at Yang Qi sincerely. "We owe it all to you today. You reacted swiftly, acted decisively, and stepped up at the critical moment. You've demonstrated the incredible professionalism and sense of duty of our zoo's staff!"
"Having an employee like you is the pride of our zoo. Director Huang and I are both very proud of you!"
[Sincere gratitude from the General Affairs Hall Master. Thank you, Host, for protecting the sect's reputation. Contribution Points +30]
'The director of the zoo's administrative office is the General Affairs Hall Master?'
...That's actually pretty fitting.
'But what are Contribution Points used for?'
Yang Qi wondered.
[Host can obtain Contribution Points through rewards from sect higher-ups, by making contributions to the sect, and by completing tasks such as cleaning the Beast Garden, feeding Spirit Beasts, and taming Spirit Beasts.]
[Every 100 Contribution Points can be used for one draw.]
[Rewards include: Qi Condensing Pills, Spirit Awakening Pills, Grain Avoidance Pills, Beneficial Spirit Pills…]
In short, all kinds of cultivation resources!
'Not bad, not bad.'
Yang Qi was delighted, but he remained humble. "Thank you, Director Mei. I was just doing my job."
'It's all just polite talk, anyway.'
'But I'll take as many rewards like Contribution Points as I can get!'
At this moment, the tear-streaked woman finally calmed down. She led the little girl over to Yang Qi, bowed deeply, and spoke in a voice thick and nasal from crying.
"Thank you, young man! If it weren't for you, I don't know what would have happened to Qiqi."
"Thank you, Uncle," the little girl chimed in timidly, blinking her big eyes.
"It's okay now, don't be scared." Yang Qi smiled gently and reached out to lightly pat the little girl's head.
Seeing this, the little girl's father quickly took a business card with a simple design from his inner pocket and, without taking no for an answer, pressed it into Yang Qi's hand.
The business card felt exquisite to the touch. Four words were clearly printed on it—"Hongyun Group, Chen Hao"—along with a phone number.
"Brother Yang, words can't express my gratitude! This is my contact information."
Chen Hao gripped Yang Qi's hand firmly, his tone sincere. "My wife and daughter got a scare today, so I'll take them home first. I'll invite you to our home another day so we can properly express our gratitude. If you ever have any trouble in life or at work, don't hesitate. You must call me!"
With that, he asked for Yang Qi's phone number, carefully saved it in his own phone, and they added each other on WeChat.
Huang Zhongmu stepped forward at the right moment and once again expressed his apologies to the couple. "Mr. Chen, Mrs. Chen, we are deeply sorry that this happened. If the child needs any psychological counseling or check-ups afterward, our zoo will cover all the expenses…"
Before he could finish, Chen Hao cut him off with a wave of his hand, his tone somewhat cold. "Director Huang, that won't be necessary. I'm not the kind of person who would use my daughter's safety to get compensation, and our family doesn't need the money. If you at the zoo really want to show your gratitude, then thank this Brother Xiao Yang properly! If it weren't for him today, none of you would have gotten off so easily!"
With that, he nodded to Yang Qi again, then left, holding his daughter in one arm and his wife in the other.
The little girl, resting on Chen Hao's shoulder, gave Yang Qi a sweet little wave.
"Goodbye, Uncle!"
"Goodbye!" Yang Qi waved back.
As he watched the family of three disappear from view, the crowd of onlookers also began to disperse.
Huang Zhongmu turned to Yang Qi, his tone calm. "Xiao Yang, come with me for a moment."
Yang Qi's heart tightened. He hurried to follow and took the initiative to apologize. "I'm sorry, Director. I acted on my own just now and didn't listen to you…"
"That's all in the past."
Huang Zhongmu waved his hand dismissively and said comfortingly, "It was an emergency. You handled it very well. The outcome was good, and that's more important than anything."
Then, his tone shifted, his eyes filled with curiosity and scrutiny. "But I am very curious, how were you so sure that 'Great Sage' wanted a drink?"
"Well…"
Yang Qi paused.
'Of course, I can't tell him the truth.'
'That I can understand the language of beasts? As if.'
Scratching his head, Yang Qi stuck to his previous story and, biting the bullet, explained, "Director, I wasn't entirely sure, to be honest. I just really enjoy observing animals, and I'm pretty familiar with monkey behavior. Based on Great Sage's eyes and movements at the time, I just got the feeling that he wanted the beer that man was holding."
"Besides, Great Sage hadn't harmed the child, so I figured it was worth a shot. I asked for the beer and handed it over… I can't believe I actually guessed right."
Facts speak louder than words.
Although Huang Zhongmu felt the explanation was a bit far-fetched, he couldn't think of a more reasonable one, so he had no choice but to believe it.
Right then and there, he looked at Yang Qi with admiration. "Ah, Xiao Yang, with your powers of observation and understanding of animal behavior, having you as just a janitor is a waste of your talents. How about this? I'm transferring you to the Animal Care Department. You can be a keeper!"
Yang Qi was overjoyed to hear this. It was exactly what he wanted, as he would be able to get closer to the animals.
"Thank you, Director! I'll definitely do a good job!"
Director Mei, who had been following alongside them, immediately chimed in with a smile, her words smooth and tactful. "Oh, this is a perfect example of putting talent to good use! Xiao Yang has such a special skill, and you, Director, have a keen eye for talent. This is truly a blessing for our zoo!"
In one sentence, she praised both Yang Qi and Huang Zhongmu.
Yang Qi gave an embarrassed, sheepish grin.
Huang Zhongmu also smiled and instructed Director Mei, "Director Mei, I'll have to trouble you to handle Xiao Yang's onboarding paperwork and arrange for his employee housing as soon as possible."
"Don't worry, Director. I'll get right on it," Director Mei replied crisply.
"Thank you, Director Mei!" Yang Qi quickly added his thanks.
"I told you, just call me Sister Mei," Director Mei chided playfully.
"Thank you, Sister Mei!"
Yang Qi replied obediently.
As they were talking, a burly man with a ramrod-straight posture strode over.
The man was about fifty, with dark skin, a resolute face, and an impeccably worn security uniform.
Seeing him, Director Mei introduced him to Yang Qi. "Xiao Yang, this is Chief Zhao Dalong, the head of our zoo's security department."
"Hello, Chief Zhao!"
Yang Qi quickly greeted him, recognizing him at the same time as the staff member who had firmly steadied him at the base of Monkey Mountain when he had nearly lost his footing.
"Yang Qi, thank you!"
Zhao Dalong extended a broad, powerful hand and gripped Yang Qi's firmly, his voice loud and sincere. "We really owe you for today. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable, and as head of security, I would have been the first to be disciplined."
Zhao Dalong's gratitude was plain to see and clearly came from the heart.
[Sincere gratitude from the Precepts Hall Master. Contribution Points +30]