'Head of Security = Precepts Hall Master?'
'Checks out!'
...
"Chief Zhao, you're too kind. It's what I should have done. It was an emergency; anyone would have tried to find a way."
Yang Qi quickly waved his hands and replied humbly.
Seeing Yang Qi's sincere attitude and his refusal to take credit, the admiration in Zhao Dalong's eyes deepened. He raised a hand and clapped Yang Qi firmly on the shoulder, his voice booming, "Good! Comrade Xiao Yang, I, Zhao Dalong, have made a friend in you! If you ever have any trouble at the zoo, or if anyone gives you a hard time outside, just come find me at the Security Department!"
The promise carried a lot of weight and had a distinct, old-school martial-world air about it.
'He really is the "Precepts Hall Master"!'
Yang Qi thanked him again.
After a few more words, the group parted ways.
Yang Qi followed Director Mei to the administration building.
The onboarding process went very smoothly, with Director Mei personally guiding him through all the procedures.
Soon, a brand-new employee ID and meal card were in Yang Qi's hands.
Next, Director Mei enthusiastically offered to drive Yang Qi to his dormitory.
Once they were in the tour cart and driving away from the administration area, with no one else around, Director Mei's tone of voice returned to normal. It was no longer the purely official praise from before but had a friendlier quality, like an older sister concerned for a younger colleague.
"Xiao Yang, the zoo has equal pay for equal work now, so don't overthink it. Just focus on doing a good job for now."
Mei Ying spoke frankly as she drove, keeping her eyes on the road. "With your abilities, I'm sure it won't be long before you go from a temporary position to a contract one. That shouldn't be a problem."
She paused, her tone becoming more candid. "However, if you want to go from a contract to a permanent, tenured position... I'll be honest with you, it's a bit difficult."
"All public institutions are cutting back on tenured spots these days. It's a one-in, one-out system; someone has to retire before a new person can be hired."
She glanced at Yang Qi in the rearview mirror, her tone shifting to one of encouragement.
"But!"
"If you perform exceptionally well and become an indispensable, special talent for the zoo, then it's not impossible to get a tenured position through an exception to the rules."
Her words were half a reminder and half an expression of hope.
"I understand. Thank you for the advice, Sister Mei."
Yang Qi thanked her sincerely. He knew she was telling him the truth, and it gave him a clearer picture of the situation.
...
The tour cart soon entered the employee residential area. Just as a row of ordinary dormitory buildings came into view and Yang Qi was preparing to thank her and get out, he noticed Mei Ying had no intention of stopping. She only slowed down, continuing straight toward the back of the residential area, near the foot of the mountain behind it.
Finally, the tour cart came to a smooth stop in front of a detached, two-story villa with white walls and gray tiles, which had the distinct style of a cozy guesthouse.
A low fence surrounded the villa, enclosing a quiet little courtyard.
"We're here. This is it."
Mei Ying got out of the cart briskly, calling for the slightly stunned Yang Qi to follow.
She first opened the gate in the fence, then took out a string of keys and skillfully unlocked the villa's front door.
"This house was left by an old technician who retired last year," she explained as she walked in. "His children took him to Shanghai to enjoy his retirement, so the place has been empty."
"The zoo sends someone to clean it every month or two. Water, electricity, internet, and gas are all connected. The refrigerator, washing machine, air conditioner, and everything else are all here. It's completely move-in ready."
Yang Qi followed her inside. As far as he could see, the house was clean and bright, with simple yet cozy decor. It was fully furnished with all the necessary appliances. Compared to the twenty-square-meter, perpetually dark studio he was currently renting, this place was at least ten times better!
'To give this kind of housing to a temporary worker... Director Mei couldn't have made this decision on her own, not without the Director's approval.'
'Looks like Director Huang really thinks highly of me...'
Yang Qi mused internally, while letting an appropriate look of surprise and satisfaction show on his face.
He followed Director Mei on a tour of the entire place—upstairs and downstairs, the front yard and the backyard.
Mei Ying carefully explained all the facilities and finally placed the string of keys solemnly into Yang Qi's hands.
"Alright, this place is yours to look after from now on. Tomorrow is Friday, so with Saturday and Sunday, you have three days to move and take care of your personal affairs."
"If you have any problems at work, you can contact me anytime."
The two had already exchanged contact information during the onboarding process.
As she spoke, Director Mei took out her phone and pulled Yang Qi into the main work group chat named "Beast Taming Sect"—ah, no, that's not right—the "Donghua Zoo Family" group, and was the first to speak.
[Everyone, please welcome our new colleague, Yang Qi! @All Members [Clapping emoji]]
The group immediately came alive, with a flood of welcoming emojis and messages scrolling up the screen.
[Welcome, Comrade Xiao Yang!]
[Welcome to the newbie!]
...
Yang Qi quickly sent a message: [Thank you, everyone.]
Seeing this, a colleague asked directly.
[Xiao Yang, I heard you were amazing at Monkey Mountain today! Can you really understand monkey language?]
[Curious +1]
[Curious +2]
...
Yang Qi stared at his phone screen, wondering how to respond.
Suddenly, a new message popped up, interrupting the idle chatter.
[@Veterinary Station-Dr. Zhang Is Dr. Zhang here? Urgent help needed! Tongtong's not doing well. She's listless and won't eat. I think she's sick!]
[Veterinary Station-Dr. Zhang: On my way!]
[Tongtong is sick?]
[How did this happen on Xiaoxu's watch?]
[Everyone, don't panic. Let's wait for Dr. Zhang to get there and check on the situation.]
...
"How could Tongtong be sick?"
Mei Ying's brow furrowed in concern. Her fingers tapped quickly on her phone screen as she asked for more details.
A thought struck Yang Qi. This might be an opportunity.
'Time to test out the "Ten Thousand Beasts Affinity" I just got in a "real-world" scenario.'
"Sister Mei."
Yang Qi took a step forward and said sincerely, "Can I go with you to take a look? Maybe I can help."
Mei Ying was thinking the same thing. She had witnessed Yang Qi's miraculous performance at Monkey Mountain, and seeing him volunteer now, a look of relief and pleasure appeared on her face.
"Of course you can. Come on, let's go over and see what's happening."
Immediately, they closed the villa's front door and left the small, fenced yard.
Yang Qi wanted to offer to drive the tour cart so Director Mei could rest, but Mei Ying waved her hand and briskly sat in the driver's seat.
"Next time. Wait until you're more familiar with the zoo's roads. Not many people know some of the shortcuts."
Yang Qi heard her reasoning and readily agreed, taking the passenger seat.
The tour cart sped along the zoo's paths. A gentle breeze, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees, brushed against their faces.
As she drove, Mei Ying filled Yang Qi in on the situation.
"According to what people say online, our zoo has four 'star' animals: the sleepy panda 'Tuantuan,' the opera-singing parrot 'Liangzai,' and the boxing kangaroo 'Tyson.'"
"And the last one is the dancing Red Fox, 'Tongtong.' Tongtong is a little miss, and she's very popular."
"If she gets sick, everyone gets very worried."
Yang Qi nodded.
Before applying for the job at the zoo, Yang Qi had done his homework and knew that Tongtong was one of the park's "top stars."
He had seen Tongtong's "dance moves."
This little miss fox had attracted a huge number of fans with her elegant posture and her unique habit of occasionally moving as if she were dancing to music.
If something were to happen to her, it would be a significant blow to both the zoo's reputation and the animal's own well-being.
...
The tour cart came to a smooth stop outside the faux-wood fence of the fox enclosure.
Yang Qi followed Mei Ying, walking quickly into the fox house. A unique smell—a mixture of disinfectant, dry hay, and animal musk—hit him immediately.
Dr. Zhang from the Veterinary Station was already there. He was half-kneeling inside the enclosure on clean bedding, carefully examining Tongtong with a stethoscope.
His brow was slightly furrowed. Beside him, a young nurse held an electronic thermometer, its screen displaying a normal green number.
Two people were standing outside the enclosure.
One was a pretty young woman with a high ponytail, wearing a sweatshirt with the zoo's logo. She had a great figure, and her lovely face was filled with worry.
The other was a dark-skinned zookeeper. A small patch on the back of his work uniform was soaked with sweat, and his hands were restlessly clenching and unclenching.
Mei Ying slowed her pace and introduced them to Yang Qi in a low voice.
"The girl in the sweatshirt is Cheng Yao from the marketing department. She's in charge of managing our zoo's official online accounts. She's the one who made Tongtong a star. Next to her is the keeper, Xu Ping..."
Mei Ying paused here and added in an even quieter voice, "...like you, he just started at the beginning of the year. The young man is usually very responsible."
She didn't explicitly say the words "temporary worker," but Yang Qi understood from her subtle phrasing and Xu Ping's unconcealed nervousness.
He nodded in understanding and turned his gaze toward the enclosure.
On the soft bedding, the star Red Fox, Tongtong, was lying on her side.
Her fiery red fur, usually as smooth as satin, looked a bit disheveled under the light. Her normally lively eyes were shut tight, and only the slight rise and fall of her belly proved she was still breathing.
"Dr. Zhang, what's wrong with Tongtong?" Cheng Yao asked softly.
Dr. Zhang put away his stethoscope, his voice tinged with confusion. "Her vitals are all within the normal range. No fever, no external injuries... so why is she so listless? Strange..."
"Huh?" Cheng Yao's eyes widened.
Xu Ping was even more nervous. "Then... then what's the problem?"
"Dr. Zhang, maybe you could check again?" Mei Ying suggested.
Yang Qi didn't speak, only moved a little closer.
[Task Triggered: A "Celestial Fox of the Clouds" with a heavy heart has been discovered. Host, please help her fulfill her wish.]
'Celestial Fox of the Clouds?'