0p0 Chapter 164 Zoo
Chapter 164 Zoo
The car drove for a long time before finally arriving near the destination.
"Excuse me, gentlemen, the journey was quite long, but it's not far now. Let's have lunch first."
Chang Zhuo apologized somewhat embarrassedly, but really didn't want to miss this opportunity.
If he misses this opportunity, where will he find someone with such discerning eyes again? He can wait, but the zoo can't!
Having arrived in Sichuan Province in the morning and spent the entire morning traveling, I was indeed quite hungry.
An'an took another nap in the car, and her stomach was rumbling loudly.
"It's alright. We've read the report beforehand, so we're prepared. We'll do as you say and have dinner first."
The car dropped the group off and then returned to the nearby armed forces department.
Given his position as the zoo director, it would have been impossible for Chang Zhuo to borrow a car; he was just lucky.
The newly transferred minister from the nearby armed forces department was his former comrade-in-arms before his demobilization; they were so close they could take bullets for each other.
After getting off the bus, it was indeed as the report said: the zoo was in terrible disrepair, with few animal species, and most of them were very common.
Including Chang Zhuo, there are only ten employees.
However, the animal enclosures were kept very clean, and the few animals that were there were well cared for.
"Mom, where are the giant pandas?"
After a good sleep and a full meal, and after seeing some animals, An'an became a little anxious.
"Giant pandas? We don't have any in our zoo."
Upon hearing An'an's question, Chang Zhuo bent down and patiently explained, "Our zoo has limited funds, and the animals we currently keep are all abandoned animals with nowhere else to go. We really don't have the resources to expand our scale."
It was said to An'an, and also to Shu Ran and her group.
"However, a mother and cub of giant pandas live on the back mountain. They have a very good temperament and you can see them occasionally when you go up the mountain."
What Chang Zhuo didn't say was that the last time he saw him was three years ago, but never mind, he'll just have to fool him and keep him here first!
"Will I be able to see them if I go up the mountain?"
Looking into An'an's clear, big eyes, Chang Zhuo felt a pang of conscience, a guilty feeling of having fooled a child, even though that was exactly what he was doing!
"Children, wild animals are untamed and it is not recommended to have close contact with them."
An An said with a hint of grievance, "Okay, but I still want to hug the giant panda."
Oh no, I've made the child cry! Chang Zhuo looked up and asked the child's parents for help.
Shu Ran smiled apologetically: "An'an, didn't we agree on this before we came? Can you repeat it to Mommy?"
An'an nodded obediently: "You can't touch animals without permission. Whether you can see a giant panda depends on fate..."
In addition to these tips about animals, there are also some instructions on preventing abduction.
After calming An'an down and taking a quick look at the animals in the zoo, the group went to the staff accommodation area to rest.
Although it was a bit old, it was all kept very clean.
Turning her head, she met Chang Zhuo's expectant gaze. Shu Ran paused for a second: "Regarding the investment, could you let me think about it and give you an answer in a couple of days?"
"Of course, of course you can. You are free to move around in the park, as long as you don't enter the animals' activity areas."
Chang Zhuo readily agreed. Although the deal hadn't been finalized yet, he wanted to show sincerity, just in case!
What if this Comrade Shu is the discerning mentor who recognizes talent?
Chang Zhuo had a good attitude. After settling the group in, he turned around and went back to his dormitory downstairs, putting the money he had prepared for lunch back into his drawer.
Gangcheng is really wealthy and powerful, that's great, we've saved some money. We can give Black Bear Lili a nice treat later; he's getting old and his teeth aren't as good anymore, he needs extra nutrition. And Old Jin the Golden Monkey, we'll buy some fresh fruit...
As for the investment, Chang Zhuo had hope, but not too much hope.
After all, their zoo is really not worth investing in, and even the revenue from ticket sales is meager.
The next day, after resting, at Shu Ran's insistence, Chang Zhuo carried a hunting rifle and chose to accompany the others up the mountain.
"The bamboo forest is over here. This is where I encountered the giant panda back then!"
He led the group up the back mountain, and after many twists and turns, finally brought them to their destination.
Chang Zhuo breathed slightly, and looked at the few people behind him who remained calm, feeling a surge of admiration in his heart.
Sure enough, he's getting old. He's panting like this after climbing such a short distance. He can't compare to young people!
Looking around and confirming that it was safe, Yunxi nodded slightly to Shuran and put An'an down from her arms.
"Just play around here, don't go too far."
Shu Ran then turned to Chang Zhuo: "Are these mountains behind the zoo within its boundaries?"
"Yes, yes, in the past, when we didn't have enough funds, I even led people up here to hunt in order to keep the animals in the park alive! Don't get me wrong, I just hunted pheasants, rabbits, wild boars, and other animals that were overpopulated..."
It was a last resort; Chang Zhuo couldn't just stand by and watch the animals in the park starve to death.
Pheasant, rabbit, and boar: You think you're so great, using my life as a favor!
"Understand, understand."
Shu Ran nodded and continued, "If I gave you a sufficient amount of funding, how would you like to develop these mountains?"
Development? The back mountain? How much would that cost?
Chang Zhuo was puzzled, but seeing that Shu Ran was interested in investing, he thought carefully before answering, "Without damaging the environment, we will do our best to restore the living environment of the animals in the park..."
Shu Ran was satisfied with the answer and nodded before asking, "What are your thoughts on animals?"
"..."
Do not suppress natural instincts, prioritize rescue, do not restrict freedom, and do not interfere in ordinary times...
That's certainly an ideal situation for now, since the Wildlife Protection Law hasn't even been enacted yet!
But it just so happened to meet Shu Ran's requirements.
The place is big enough, and the director is responsible enough; that's enough.
As for the issue of funds, Shu Ran said that she earns so much money precisely to spend it, right?
"I'll have someone draft a contract when I get back. You can take a look and see if you have any requirements..."
Without saying a word, he uttered a sentence that startled Chang Zhuo.
He stammered for a moment, "You, you, you mean you're willing to invest?"
"Invest 100,000 M yuan first, and how much more investment you can get after that depends on your performance."
Shu Ran's words were meaningful: good performance, big investment. If dissatisfied, she might stop investing at any time.
"It should, it should."
A tremendous sense of surprise filled Chang Zhuo's heart.
Yunxi frowned slightly, as if she had noticed something, but quickly relaxed.
He whispered something to Shu Ran, then quickly stepped forward and picked up An'an, who was digging bamboo.
Wild animals, even seemingly soft, cute, and harmless giant pandas, can be extremely dangerous.
The two of them dared not joke about An'an's safety.